New Zealands Steampunk Magazine

League of Victorian Imagineers

The origin of one of our oldest
steampunk groups.
Unnatural History of the Raygun
The past, present and possible
future of the humble raygun.

KIwi STEampunk

Ticking Taniwha, mechanical Moa, number 8 brass wire and

good old fashioned kiwi ingenuity ...What Kiwi culture does for
NZ Steampunk and why Kiwis do it best.

Science

History

Fiction

Fashion

Tutorials

Events

Reviews

On the coveR

Contents

5
Unnatural History of the Raygun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Kiwi Steampunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 t
Founding of the League of Victorian Imagineers . . . . . . . . . .

ALl & sundrY

History & SCi FacT

The Founding of the League

of Victorian Imagineers . .

Unnatural History of the Raygun . . . . . . . .

The story behind one of our

oldest Steampunk groups.

Steampunk 102 . . . . . .

21

Slightly beyond Steampunk

101, We go from What is
Steampunk? to Why is
Steampunk?

41

The past, present and possible future of the

humble raygun.

59

Aviation Mystery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Exploring the mysterious phantom airship sightings

that plagued New Zealand in 1909.

Shenanigans
Oamaru Steampunk Festival . . . . . . . . . . . .

Oamarus annual Steampunk NZ Festival from the

eyes of a Steampunk Novice.

Crossing the Ditch for Steampunk . . . . . .

Opshop like a Steampunk . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What to look for when youre opshopping for
Steampunk regalia.

35

32

Lady Animalia travels to the wonderful land of Oz

for Steamfest 2013.

Fayre Go in Christchurch . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How tO

11

55

Christchurchs first major Steampunk event, and

what a steaming success it was.

Fiction

15

The Adventures of Richard C. Normas . . .

The philandering airship captain with a bionic arm.

Rutherford: The Native Alchemist . . . . . . . .

Sir Ernest Rutherford, discovered alive and well
and practicing ... alchemy?

The Ticking Taniwha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Diesel meets Steam . . . .

19

Damotimus Tipotus and the

story behind the MkII Exosuit.

Kiwi Steampunk . . . . . .
Kiwis do it best.

LARPocalypse . . . . . . .
Post-apocalyptic demon
hunting with 33AR LARP.

47

65

Reviews

31
Movie Reviews . . . . . . .44
Book Reviews . . . . . . . .

25

The story of a girl with a fascination for clockwork

in Pioneer New Zealand

Make a Victorian Parasol . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Upcycle an old umbrella into a delightful
Victorianesque Parasol.

Making Cockades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37
63

Sprockets corner

These easy to make cockades make a splendid

addition to any outfit.

Recipe: Beef Steak Pudding . . . . . . . . . . .

45

A modern take on a Victorian dish right out of

Jules Verne.

Competition
NZ Steampunk Anthem . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mad Science Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

39

Win an Adventurers Sidearm or an Adventurers

Journal and set of brooches from SteamWorks.

23

The Mini Mad Scientist finds out about the history

of invisible ink and how to make your own.

(rather long-winded)

letter from the editor

Normally this bit

would be rather more

short and concise,

however, this being

our very first issue,

I feel that a longer

introduction is

warranted so I can
explain who I am,

how and why this all

happened, what its

all about and what

you might see here.

ntroductions first; Im Krissy; I guess you could call me the

Editor-in-chief, or grand high poohbah of the magazine
shenanigans, as well as the designer, art director and occasional
writer. Hopefully once this ball is rolling Ill be able to find a helper
or two so I can focus mainly on the design and art direction side, but
for now I wear all of those hats. I am, by trade, an artist and designer
and an overall artsy and crafty kind of person. Ive always had a love
of history, and a fascination with mechanical things, so of course the
whole concept of Steampunk fit me like a glove before I even found
out there was a name for it.

my assignments was a foray into the realm of magazine design

and page layouts, I used a steampunk theme for my hypothetical
magazine designs and then started thinking about how great it would
be if I made a real steampunk magazine ... and then somehow,
bewilderingly, it actually started happening. This whole venture has
been a bit like adopting a pet kraken ... at first youre completely
naive and blinded by the awesomeness of the concept of having a pet
kraken, and then you get the pet kraken and you feel extraordinarily
happy for about two days, then you start to become a aware of
how overwhelming the logistics are of ACTUALLY having a pet
kraken; trying to source their favourite kinds of food, and building an
aquarium that they like (because krakens are inordinately fussy), and
sometimes they are well behaved, but a lot of the time you have to
wrestle them into submission, spend your days bribing and coercing
them into behaving in a polite and acceptable manner and spend
your nights laying awake in bed wondering if its going to eat the
neighbours cat, or strangle you in your sleep... and yet, at the same
time, it is an amazingly awesome thing and you wouldnt change it for
the world ... and starting up a magazine is almost EXACTLY like that!!!

he purpose of this magazine is to entertain, inspire and inform

all with an interest in steampunk, and while the focus is
primarily on New Zealand steampunk, I hope others from around
the globe will find something interesting to read here too. Within
these pages you will find a diverse assortment of informative and
entertaining articles, stories, tutorials and reviews as well as a
delectable feast for the eyes, showcasing some of what New Zealand
steampunk has to offer. Issues will be quarterly, and each issue will
loosely follow a set theme. This issue, being our first, will follow a
Kiwi Steampunk theme, which means that - more than any other issue
- this is the one where we will proclaim the loudest and most often
how much more splendid it is to be a steampunk in NZ than anywhere
else.

had the mad idea at the beginning of this year, to go back to

school and finish the design degree I never quite got around
to finishing many years ago, and thats where this started; one of

The

founding of the

by everyone, and they needed to cut through and

make a very professional pitch.

S
By Nea
ve R. Willoughby

You can directly blame a

beer mug for the founding
of one of New Zealands
first Steampunk groups,
the League of Victorian
Imagineers.

some friends and acquaintances around him

including Sally Hope, who was the co-ordinator
of the Oamaru Victorian Heritage Celebrations,
Sally could see that Steampunk was a good fit for
the Oamaru Historic Precinct and the Heritage
Celebrations.

n idea to hold a Steampunk exhibition

was developed and they approached
the Forrester Gallery in Oamaru who agreed,
allocating a large room for the exhibition. Now
things started to get
serious, the group
wondered how they
could possible fill that
space, and so decided
that Weta who had
recently launched Greg
Broadmores range of
Dr Gordbort rayguns,
book and artwork may be
interested.

t was a steam powered beer mug that Oamaru

manufacturing jeweller, Ian Clark made for the
2007 Alfs Army New Year
dinner, held to celebrate
that days successful
battle with the Scary
Aliens in Oamaru. Ian had
been making jewellery
that reflected his interest
in science fiction films,
producing items with an
industrial/science fantasy
aesthetic. In September
of 2007, he won the 2007
an had earlier
NZ National Jewellery
established contact
Competition with his
with Weta, when showing
Matariki Ring.
Above: The infamous steam powered
them his award winning
beer mug that started it all.
Matariki ring, so they
an had received
Credit: League of Victorian Imagineers
decided to make a
so many positive
presentation to Weta in
comments about the
the hope of getting a few items to put into the
beer mug, that he made further items during
2008 including a steam powered coffee cup
exhibition. This presentation needed to be of a
and it was during this period, that he realised
high standard, with the thought that Weta must
he was making Steampunk works. Ian gathered
be asked to support all sort of ideas and events

o late 2008 saw the embryonic development

of the League of Victorian Imagineers the
name and logo was developed, and they fleshed
out Steampunk characters and shot a video that
would form the major part of their presentation to
Weta. Their story was about a group of Ministry
approved agents from a parallel dimension which
was why Ians character is Agent Darling. They
blended seamlessly into civilisation on Earth and
are obviously very successful as nobody suspects
anything...

Visiting Weta

ichard Taylor at Weta was sent a letter

disguised as an old telegram with tickertape
stuck on, as they went all out to try and make a
really good impression and organised a date in
early September, 2009 to visit and make their
pitch.
Ian manufactured a Steampunk USB drive to
hold their presentation and wrapped this up to
look like an old package. When Agent Darling
and Patrick Simmerin get up to Weta, they find
Richard is not available. They were asked to leave
Some of the original League members.
Left to right - Lady Sally
of Steam, The Falconesse,
Agent Darling and in
front, Patrick Simmerin
Credit: League of
Victorian
Imagineers

the package there, Darling was aghast, they had

travelled all that way, so they convinced Richards
PA to unwrap the parcel and play the video from
the Steampunk USB drive. Greg Broadmore was
quickly called in to watch it because it was full
of references about Moon men and aliens that he
would understand. The visit went well and they
were promised a quick response in regards to their
proposal.

ithin weeks, Wetas CEO was arrived for

a breakfast meeting in Oamaru to check
them out. The League group attended this meeting
in absolutely full Steam dress and created quite
an impression. When asked what the Leagues
5 year vision was, they took a deep breath and
replied, that they would like to see Steampunk go
national, to see Oamaru at the centre of that, and
Ians goal at that time was to promote Oamarus
creativity with so many crafts people locally

The Steampunk Exhibition

n Late October, 2009, the first Steampunk

Exhibition opened at the Forrester Gallery with
a bang Weta had delivered a huge amount of
stuff, so along with items from local artists such
as Jac Grenfell, they had no problem filling the
large space. Sally
had introduced
Brian de Geest
to Steampunk
some months
previously
and along
with Don
Paterson,
they created
the first of
many large

Steampunk objects exhibited

outside the Gallery. Brian, Don
and Jac subsequently went on
to make Steampunk HQ and
open Oamarus first permanent
Steampunk visitor attraction.

Left: Opening of the

Tomorrow as it used
to be steampunk
exhibition at the
Forrester Gallery.
Credit: Neave R.
Willoughby

hat first exhibition had

over 6000 visitors through
it, with the male visitors being
very impressed by the ray guns
and other exhibits, but the
females rather less so. During
the debriefing session after the exhibition, Sally
had the idea to hold a Fashion show and Gala in
the hope it should have wider appeal. Helen set to
organising the first Steampunk Fashion show and
Gala Ball held in June 2010.

The Fashion Show and Gala Ball

n the day before this first Fashion Show, only

12 tickets had been purchased, but on the day
about 150 people poured through the door. The
inaugural overall winner was the Childrens section
winner, Natalie Taylor in an ensemble made by
her father, Courtenay Taylor. Looking deceptively
innocent, she carried an attach case full of deadly
weapons, and even her hat pins were coated with
lethal toxin.

010 was a big year for the League as they also

were winners of the Supreme Award in the
TrustPower Oamaru Community Awards, given
because they were such a small volunteer group
that had organised events creating such a lot of

interest and community involvement.

he Fashion show was a water-shed event - it

brought visitors to Oamaru and was financial
success, but hand in hand with this was the
financial risk, so Helen and Ian set up a business
entity to run this.

he Second Tomorrow as it used to be

Exhibition in 2011 was again held in the
Forrester Gallery and attracted a record 11,000
visitors, the most successful event the Gallery has
ever held. Greg Broadmore from Weta was special
VIP guest.

fter the 2nd Exhibition and Fashion show

in 2010, Sally and Patrick found their time
was limited and the League reconstituted itself and
continues to recruit members nationwide, working
towards the vision of a loose national organisation,
while also promoting Oamaru as the Mecca for
Steampunk in New Zealand.

Left: The League visit Weta

Workshop. Left to right - Ian Clark,
Greg Broadmore and Patrick Barry.
Credit: League of Victorian
Imagineers

The Explorer By Mike Hansen

SPURIOUS SCOOP

Rutherford:
THe NatIve AlcHemIst
By Tim Baker

The creation of gold has been a process sought after by some

of the most brilliant minds for millennia. Now it would seem

that the secret has been discovered, and best of all it was
achieved in our very own backyard.

rnest Rutherford, First Baron Rutherford of Nelson, is notable for

discoveries including the differentiation of Alpha and Beta radiation, the
discovery of the proton, defining the atomic structure and splitting the atom.
The title First Baron Rutherford
of Nelson went extinct after
his supposed death (that is to
say it was removed) but has
now been re-instated by Queen
Elizabeth the Second after
hearing of Rutherfords return
to society.

eported to be dead,
Rutherford has simply
taken to isolation in a
laboratory built behind his
house on his country estate
in Nelson. In 1937, after
suffering from a bad hernia,
he announced to a small press
that he would be retiring from
mainstream science to pursue
his own scientific endeavours.
He then retired to his backyard
laboratory and has only had
contact with his immediate
family since. But that has now
changed.

esterday, he addressed a crowd of reporters

which had congregated in front of his house,
giving this statement:
As many of you are aware, my advancements in
physics in the nineteen thirties were revolutionary
and world-leading. Numerous though they were,
the most important one to my mind was my
success in transmuting Nitrogen into Oxygen. I
say most importantly because that experiment
has been built on during my time in solitude to
a most remarkable degree. It is not without help
that I have been able to achieve my goal. My dear
friend, Mr Nicolas Flamel, has allowed me use of
what is now known as his Philosophers Stone; a
title I find largely inaccurate seeing as it is neither
a stone nor is Mr Flamel a Philosopher. However,
were it not for his help, I would not have lived to
see this day and my work would have been lost.
But happily that is not the case, and today I would
like to announce that the process, which has
eluded every Alchemist who ever lived, has been
conquered. At seven twenty seven am, May the
twenty-first, in the year of our Lord two thousand
and thirteen, I, Ernest Rutherford, First Baron
Rutherford of Nelson, succeeded in transmuting
copper metal into gold.

his astounding announcement was met with

a flurry of questions and demands for an
explanation and examples. As proof to his claim,
he produced a large nugget of gold, although it
has been said that this is hardly substantial proof.
Rutherford was unable to give us an example of
his process but he promised that he would be
giving a demonstration to his fellow scientists
within the month. Although his appearance has
barely changed since he vanished from the public
and has given great credit to the successes of Mr
Flamel.

nderstandably, this announcement has been

met with scepticism and ridicule. However,
if this discovery proves to be true and Lord
Rutherford has indeed done what he claims to
have done, the repercussions may not be entirely
positive.

he creation of gold is viewed as similar to

counterfeiting money. To be able to create
gold would mean an unlimited supply of money
which would be disastrous for the economy. This
point was put forward during Rutherfords press
address and he answered with: I care not for
the monetary gains implicit in such a discovery;
I simply did it because I wanted to prove that it
could be done.

ressure has been put on the government to

introduce restrictions on the creation of gold
and many think it should be banned outright.
What Rutherford thinks of his discovery being
made illegal can only be speculated on, but if
he is in it solely for the science, then perhaps
he will understand why his discovery isnt in the
best interests of the public. This may be a chance
for Rutherford to improve the public view of
Alchemists.

lchemists have long been surrounded by

controversy and their work is opposed by
many. The experiments enacted by Alchemists
can be questionable at best, and many have
been downright illegal and immoral. Flamel and
his experiments in Longevity and Immortality,
the Aldridge Brothers and their Human
experimentation, Bowden with his experiments
in Sound Manipulation and Space-time are just
some of the many unnatural and incredible acts
performed by Alchemists over the centuries.

egardless of the political repercussions,

this is without a doubt one of the most
significant scientific discoveries of our time. If
what Rutherford says is true, then after thousands
of years of research and experimentation, a long
standing mystery has once and for all been laid to
rest. Im sure we can all appreciate the magnitude
of that achievement regardless of our feelings
towards Alchemists and best of all, it happened in
a shed in our own back yard.
Thats the Kiwi way.

10

Oamaru

Steampunk
Festival
By Aurora Firefly

The Steampunk NZ Festival in Oamaru

through the eyes of a novice Steampunk.

fter a whirlwind month of

sewing clothes and crafting
accessories, were finally on
our way to The Steampunk
Festival over Queens Birthday
weekend. Im uncertain what
to expect, as this is only our
second steampunk event. Our
first was AetherCon in Auckland
where we met Phineas Squidd.
Phineas and Cordelia Forward
urged us to come to Oamaru and
invited us as honorary members
of Krakens Lair and it didnt take
long before we were convinced
and booked our accommodation
at the same motel.

Arrival, Parties and Absinthe

Above: A Steampunk
Gentleman enjoys a spot of
airship racing
Credit: Aurora Firefly

11

nthusiasm bubbling over,

we head north in the rental
car with our three year old Holly. Its Friday night in Oamaru and
we drive past the Victorian Precinct - the Oamaru on Fire event
is going off! However by the time we check into our motel, we
completely miss all the entertainment! However we promised
Holly a party, so we have one of our own at Birdlands Wine Bar,
where we meet some new friends and enjoy a mulled wine.

n our return, the lights in Krakens Lair HQ (Phineas and

Cordelias room) were on, so we pop in for a tipple of absinthe,
courtesy of Phineas ingeniously improvised absinthe fountain delicious! Its wonderful to catch up with our friends and meet some
new ones.

Above: The ballgoers all look

equally splendid.
Credit: Neave R. Willoughby

12

Tea and Literature

aturday morning arrives and were eager to

get out and mingle with fellow Steampunks
- but where are they? Its a little weird for us,
feeling mildly self-conscious with not many about
and many people taking our photo and asking
questions about the genre cant they tell were
just newbies?
Lunch at Annies Victorian Tea Rooms is lovely
and we make our way to Literary Readings. This
event doesnt really suit a fidgety restless three
year old so we only stay a short time but others are
captivated by the story telling.
A good opportunity however to check out
Steampunk HQ, a fascinating place filled with
weird and wonderful curiosities - a steam engine
out front with flames and sound effects, an airship,
and all manner of spooky gadgets and gizmos.
What a delight for the senses!

Airship Racing and Music Madness

inally! An abundance of Steampunks are

found at the Airship Racing and Music
Madness event. Im not sure where theyve all
been hiding but were delighted to see them out
in their magnificent apparel. Airship racing turns
out to be racing remote controlled helium balloons
powered by tiny fans - difficult to control but

Below: Nancy Nightshade entertains the masses..

Credit: Neave R. Willoughby

most humorous and entertaining to watch! There

is also food, drinks and dancing to live music. A
tremendous turn out to this event and we have a
great night.

Steampunk 101 and Fashion Show

unday morning SirBastian attends Steampunk

101 and Steampunk Fashion Lecture, while I
entertain Holly at the motel, but I dearly wish I had
gone. SirBastian comes back full of praise for the
talk by Neave R. Willoughby and Countess Simona
Evangeline de Montgomerie. Many questions
answered (what is steampunk, fashion and current
global trends) - a must for newbies like us.

inally its time for the Fashion Show at the

beautiful historic Oamaru Opera House. We
have front row seats, and looking around before
the show starts is quite a spectacle - a sea of top
hats and goggles within a stunning venue. And
what an incredible show!! Im truly blown away
by the creativity and level of detail. Every entrant
has not only a fantastic outfit but also a supporting
story for their character. A tremendous effort
from Krakens Lair winning in multiple categories.
An excellent supporting entertainment including
Nancy Nightshades humorous performance where
she preys on an unwilling audience participant
- very amusing! Holly is inspired and delights
the front row with her own special dance - she
is reminiscent of a wee Queen Elizabeth I in her
dress.

he long awaited Gala Ball is nearly upon us, but first a quick
burger and wine at Birdlands (one of the seven festival events).
Quickly back to the motel to dress in our finest, which for me includes
my first sewn bustle skirt and a copper wire dragonfly mask (finished
a few hours before our flight!) Krakens Lair meets us outside to await
the bus, and what a good opportunity to practice the Kraken Dance, a
set dance that Garnet Quiggley has instigated.

The Gala Ball

he double-decker bus to the Ball arrives and off we go!

Everybody looks wonderful in their most splendid attire.
Dancing aplenty to the band who plays rousing tunes, chatting to
friends old and new and of course many
photos (an essential part of steampunk
culture). A buffet supper followed by a
magical clockwork doll performance from
Nancy Nightshade. The Kraken Dance is
fun and catches on like a flash mob dance.
SirBastians red shoes get a good wearing
in on the dance floor too (a sure sign of a
great night). Sometime past midnight we
make our way back courtesy of new friends
Pete and Tru and their house-bus, feeling
most fulfilled.

ow did Monday morning arrive so

fast? What a whirlwind weekend! Time
for one final goodbye at the Swap Meet
before flying home. There is a treasure trove
of goodies on display. We buy a steampunk
colouring in book for Holly, but I could
easily buy more if time permitted. It will
have to wait for next time.

Above: Steampunks in their splendid best dance at

e are still basking in lovely memories
the Gala Ball.
of our Oamaru weekend. Thank
Credit: Neave R. Willoughby
you Lady Helen and Agent Darling! When
encouraging us to come, Phineas told us
how friendly and welcoming the steampunk
community are and this was certainly our
experience also. Possibly the most telling factors are Holly continually
asking are we going to another Oamaru party soon? And that weve
bought an industrial sewing machine - there is no turning back now,
weve caught the bug and it has tiny goggles and mechanical legs!

13

14

The Adventures of

Richard C. Normas
By Paul Joyce

ormas awoke with the foul taste of stale cigars and last
nights whisky in his mouth, He slowly opened his eyes and
looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. Brightly coloured wall
hangings all but hid the cold stone walls of the moderate sized
room and a large dresser stood against one wall. Normas became
aware he was lying in a soft bed and the room smelt strongly of
flowers, he had awoken in a womans chamber.
Intriguing he said aloud.
At the sound of his voice the small form lying next to him stirred.
He watched as the woman stretched and yawned then turned her
face to him, smiled and opened her eyes. A look of confusion
crossed her face before she swore and jumped out of the
bed trying to wrap the sheets around her as she
went.
Shit she said what are you doing here?
I seem to remember you brought me here
replied Normas
But Im a married woman she gasped And
my husband is going to kill you
And I have four ex wives who all want to kill
me he grinned, raising his left arm to show
her the biometrics holding his left shoulder
together One almost succeeded even
Well you better get out of here before
my husband finds you in my room or a
mechanical arm will be the least of your
worries She said trying unsuccessfully to hold
the sheet around her while throwing Normas his
pants.
Oh Im sure he will understand Normas pronounced
A beautiful woman like yourself has a few drinks and
meets such a virile gentleman like myself, the outcome is
quite predictable
The woman stopped midway though trying to pull on
some clothes of her own, her modesty forgotten she
dropped her arms to her sides and looked at Normas.

With a shy smile she agreed

Yes you are an incredible man Captain but you
have no idea who my husband is do you? For that
matter you dont know who I am either do you?
Im sorry, What? Said Normas distracted by the
soft curve of an exposed breast.
The woman sighed. My name is Eva PembertonColdicott, Princess Eva Pemberton-Coldicott
Princess? Well thats a new
one, never really got on with
royalty you know.
Eva took a deep breath,
exasperated she continued My
husband is Prince Lester Pigott
Normas jumped up, suddenly
in a hurry and swearing under
his breath. He pulled on his
pants and as Eva handed him
his belt, she paused only a
fraction as she noticed the
unusual Brasstech Revolver in
its holster.
Rightio, must dash said
Normas as he pulled on his
flying jacket, He leaned in for a
kiss but Eva pushed him away.
She started to say something
but her voice was drowned out by an almighty
crash and the door to the room splintered inwards.

Dick
Lesters face grew redder still What are you doing
in my wifes chamber? He demanded
Normas bowed again, his eyes never leaving the
huge Prince
Servicing her your Highness, it appears to have
been some time since she had much attention. She
really is a remarkable creature and I must question
your reasons for spending time
anywhere else.
Prince Lesters jaw dropped,
unable to believe what he
had just heard. Then his eyes
narrowed, he threw his head
back and let loose and almighty
scream. Then like a bull at a red
flag, he charged.
Normas stood rooted to
the spot as the huge Prince
thundered across the room at
him, then at the last possible
moment, he deftly spun out
of the way giving the Prince a
firm shove in the back. Lester
crashed head first into Evas
dresser sending makeup and
other potions flying. He lay
stunned for a moment before he realised Captain
Normas had hastily exited out the smashed door.

The great balloons

were fully inflated
and the fuselage
gleamed in the
early morning
sunlight. The four
huge Pratt and
Whitney turboprop
engines stood
complete and ready
to run.

s the dust cleared the hugest man Normas

had ever seen ducked though the space
where the door used to be. Prince Pigott towered
over Normas in the same way as the smaller
man towered over most people, His fine clothes
strained at the seams as they struggled to contain
his excessive bulk. His flabby cheeks grew red as
he saw Normas standing with his wife.
And who the hell are you? He bellowed
Quickly assessing the man Normas realised he was
immensely strong but out of shape and slow, but
he was blocking the only exit from the room. There
was only one way to play this situation.
He gave a slight bow Capitan Richard Coggshall
Normas at your service sir. But my friends call me

ormas sprinted from the great house ignoring

the challenges from the guards as he went.
Once outside on the street he jumped easily onto a
passing tram, thanking the Kraken that it happened
to be going to the aerodrome where his airship
was parked. He just hopped that the crew were
there and that mad engineer hadnt pulled the
engines apart again.
The tram pulled in at the aerodrome and Normas
walked calmly towards the hanger where the
airship was parked. He knew that Prince Pigott
commanded a large fleet of fighting aircraft but his
ship could outpace most of them, if only he could
get it off the ground.
As always his breath caught in his throat as he

Illustraion by Krissy Wadek

15

16

saw his vessel. The great balloons were fully

inflated and the fuselage gleamed in the early
morning sunlight. The four huge Pratt and Whitney
turboprop engines stood complete and ready
to run. Then his heart dropped as he saw the
weapons systems lying in bits around the hanger.

ieutenant Abraham Best-Grainger met Normas

at the rear cargo hold of the airship.
Good morning Captain, I take it things went well
with the young lady from the bar last night?
Extremely well Abe replied Normas But we
need to haul anchor post haste
It will probably take an hour or two to get the
weapons in order sir
The young lady in question appears to be the wife
of the illustrious Prince Lester Pigott
Abraham paused for a moment We better be on
our way then sir. Ill inform the men
It took only moments to convince Edger the
Engineer that it was prudent to abandon the
weapons and only a few moments more to get the
airship out of the hanger with the engines running.
The wheels were just lifting off the tarmac when
the Princesss majestic steam powered limo came
flying though the gate of the aerodrome billowing
clouds of dirty black smoke.
Captain Normas smiled Just in the nick of time
lads, by the time they get anything in the air we
will be long gone. A sudden shudder passed
though the airframe and Normas watched in horror
as the two aft engines faltered to a stop.
Edger! Normas bellowed What the hell is going
on?
Ach think we gotta wee fuel block Capitan
yelled Edger from the rear of the craft Ill ave her
running sweet as a daisy in a tick
Normas checked out the window as two small
attack craft rose up towards.
Lieutenant Best-Grainger take the controls if you
may
Normas ran down to the rear cargo door and hit
the button to open the ramp, He selected a rifle
from the rack and sighted down the scope. The
rifle jumped slightly in his hands, a small puff of

steam escaping from the end of the long barrel.

For a moment it appeared nothing had happened,
to anyone who didnt know better it could have
appeared the Captain had missed. All of a sudden
half of one of the attack craft simply ceased to
exist. The remaining part spinning off and breaking
apart. Captain Normas reloaded and the second
craft suffered an identical fate. As the debris fell
away Normas saw another bigger vessel taking to
the air, a battle Zeppelin, if Edger couldnt get the
engines running soon there would be no chance of
escape.
How long Edger? He called out
Two minutes came the muffled reply
We dont have two minutes thought Normas, he
reloaded his rifle and sighted on the huge airship
only to see the strike bounce harmlessly off the
armour.
I need a bigger gun he muttered placing the rifle
back in the rack and selecting another.
The double barrelled blunderbuss was quite
different to the refined action of the rifle. An
almighty boom echoed around the hold and a
tongue of flame shot from the barrel. The battle
Zeppelin seemed to hesitate a second but it kept
on coming. They were already in range of the
Zeppelins formidable armament and Normas
could see Prince Pigott in the fire control seat
trying to get his guns to lock onto the smaller ship.
This calls for something a little drastic From a
cabinet on the wall Normas extracted two red
cartridges and slotted them into the blunderbuss.
He braced himself, sighted on the Prince and let
loose both Barrels.
The effect was devastating, the recoil picked
Normas up of his feet and sent him reeling down
the length of the hold to stop dazed against a
bulkhead. From out the ramp he could see the
Zeppelin swerving erratically, smoke billowing
from the shattered bow. Normas smiled as the aft
engines burst into life and his ship surged forward.
Well that was entertaining he slurred before
passing out.

The Scientist By Mike Hansen

17

18

Diesel
meets steam
I

By Lady Animalia
na
time not so
in this strange universe is not recorded, but his
long ago.... In a place
return was met with much wonder and awe as he
not so far from here..... In a lab situated
returned not in his Steam powered Exo Legs (now
at Tipotus Industries, lays an exosuit of epic
known as the Mk I), but in a full Exo Suit, the Mk
proportions.
II.
fter an unfortunate laboratory accident,
sing Iron Man as his inspiration for the new
Damotimus (AKA Damien McNamara) found
suit, the full Exo suit is nuclear powered
himself in need of a pair of Steam powered Exo
from a small central arc unit and integrates the Exo
Legs. Inspired, he says, from the transformers
Legs into a full breathing apparatus suit. It was
movies, Damotimus showed off his Exo Legs at
designed to show the diversity of Steampunk and
the Steampunk Festival fashion show in Oamaru in
how big the genre is actually getting, Damotimus
2011.
says of the suit.
hile the Exo Legs proved extremely helpful
he suit, which was worn during the fashion
in most situations, including the advantage
show for the 2013 Steampunk Festival in
of flying, they did prove rather difficult in other
Oamaru, is made out of recycled materials and
situations, such as being unable to walk up a
second hand parts including: old knee pads,
small tight staircase. With this in mind Damotimus
ventilation ducting, irrigation piping, old half
drew up plans for a smaller more compact pair
mannequin, washing machine drive and a virtual
of prosthetics, but tragedy struck when the plans
reality headset.
were stolen before the new legs could be finished!

While his workers, the Libratorians, scrambled

with what they had, Damotimus knew their only
hope was to go back in time and try to prevent the
plans being stolen in the first place.

nowing that he was going back to a dirtier

time, a time when he still had full use of
his legs, a time where EVERYTHING could be put
right, a bulky breathing apparatus and helmet
were added to the Steam powered Exo Legs.
Alas, a minor miscalculation or two on the part
of the Libratorians meant that Damotimus was
sent to an alternative universe instead. A strange
and dirty place, he says, where Diesel is the
dominant power source, not steam. His journey

hen questioned about the possibility of

more Exo Suits, Damotimus says, More
suits are planned, family commitments have
changed priorities lately, but the arms to the
Mk III have been started and a Mk IV is in the
planning process.
Will Damotimus end up with a basement full
of suits as Tony Stark did? Will he be our next
super hero? Will he run out of ideas? Of these we
cannot say, but we wish Damotimus and Tipotus
Industries all the best in their future technological
endeavours.

Image by: Ant Vaughan

19

20

102
By Krissy Wadek

m going to be
awfully daring and
skip the obligatory Steampunk 101
lecture partly because the infinitely clever Mr.
Neave R. Willoughby says it far better than I do (if
youve ever caught his Steampunk 101 talk, youll
know) but also because there are Steampunk 101
articles all over the internet that deal with the
what is Steampunk? And what does it look like?
And where does it come from? That information is
really not so had to find.

, however, am one that likes to ask Why?

Why is steampunk? What made it happen?
Why is it appealing? Why is it relevant? Why the
Victorian era?

here are other punks; cyberpunk, atompunk,

dieselpunk, rococopunk and many others Im
sure, but they dont seem to have had the same
kind of effect socially or creatively as steampunk
has had. Are there cyberpunk, atompunk or
dieselpunk conventions? I did a quick Google
search and found no mention of such things
anywhere though Im sure there must be some
somewhere.

The Wonder of Science and Technology

y foray into the realms of why started
at the beginning, in the mid 1800s, with
Mr. Jules Verne sitting at his mahogany desk,
illuminated by gas lamp and scratching out the
adventures of Professor Otto Lidenbrock with a
nib pen and ink. Where did that come from? In the
rigidly structured and unimaginative world of the
Victorians, where did this inspiration come from?

he Victorian era was a time of technological

advances that spawned great social and
psychological change. It wasnt just that there
were technological advances, or even a particular

21

number of them these have been happening

on a regular basis since we discovered fire but
there were a number of significant advances
in technology that had a massive impact on
society; how people lived and how they saw the
world. The invention of the steam engine (and
subsequently the steam train and steamships)
dramatically improved trade, communications
and travel, and the later invention of the steam
powered automobile improved short distance
travel. The invention of cinema, telegraph,
telephone, radio and photography changed
how they communicated and how they saw the
world. With all of this technology coming within
a relatively short time frame, it must have made
the world seem suddenly significantly smaller and
more accessible. The Victorians might not have
been renowned for artistic ingenuity, but they
loved the sciences, and science and technology
were 2 of the things they did best. How exciting
would it have been to be alive at the time of such
changes, to have watched the world open up
before your eyes, as it must have done for the
Victorians? Looking at it from that perspective, its
easy to imagine that suddenly anything would have
seemed possible; Journeying to the centre of the
earth? Travelling through time? Why not? We have
technology now, dear chap! The possibilities are
endless! I can well imagine how the likes of Jules
Verne and H.G Wells would have been inspired to
think What if?

nd perhaps this is part of why steampunk

appeals to us now more than ever; do we
perhaps subconsciously empathize with the
Victorians in their wonder and fascination of
science and technology? Living as we do, in a
time of similar technological advancement, is our
own world not opening up before our eyes? The
advances in travel and communications technology
in the last 40 or so years have certainly had a major
impact on how we live our lives, and how we see
the world. So when we don our top hats, goggles

and corsets, is there perhaps subconsciously a

wee nod to the Victorians and a feeling of kudos,
old chap, your sense of wonder and excitement
over such things was well placed maybe?

bad therein lies the punk ... or part of.

Creativity, Imagination, Diversity and Camaraderie

t could also be that we see value in concepts

that existed in the Victorian era that we see so
little of today, things we long for, craftsmanship,
quality, flourish and embellishment, etiquette and
manners.

t goes without saying that a major draw card

of steampunk is the level of creativity and
imagination that come from it, it certainly rises to
levels that wow most, with the bar being raised
with each consecutive event. The genre certainly
seems to attract and extraordinary number of
artisans and crafters of very high skill; a steampunk
artisan is an artisans artisan.

here is, at the forefront of the steampunk

psyche, a love of craftsmanship and quality
- two things that began to fizzle out towards the
end of the Victorian era. The industrial revolution
effectively spelled the beginning of the end for
craftsmanship and quality with the beginning of
mass production, though they still cared about
such things then. Beauty of form was a highly
prized attribute, in everything from the softest
of gowns to the heaviest industrial machinery;
nothing was done, and nothing was created
without flourish and grace.

he diversity of those attracted to the

genre isnt without appeal either; since
encountering steampunk Ive met the most
wonderfully varied assortment of people with the
most curiously delightful interests, talents and
hobbies. Sometimes a meeting of steampunks
reads a bit like an odd Victorian themed joke
a mad scientist, a milliner and a professor walk
into a bar no wait, thats not a joke, thats what
actually happened, they sat and drank absinthe
and discussed cephalopods and the tailoring of
waistcoats!

Bringing Back the Good Old Days

ven the manner in which they interacted

socially was done with beauty and grace;
etiquette and manners were highly valued, and the
way they spoke was almost an art form in itself;
words carefully chosen and delivered.

know these are things I would love to see

more of in modern society so its small wonder
to me that these would be aspects that I would
sympathize with, and perhaps Im not the only one
who feels this draw also.

The Bad Old Days Not Withstanding

hile Im waxing lyrical about the wonders
of the Victorian era it would be easy to
overlook the bad, and there was bad; we cant
conveniently forget that the Victorian era was also
a time of imperialism, class prejudice, womens
suffrage, child labour, poverty, filth, dirt and coal
dust. Perhaps thats why were steampunks and
not Victorian anachronists, theres a nice sort of
freedom in being able to tip your hat to the good
parts of something while flipping the bird at the

ny setting that inspires conversation that can

turn from history to tailoring to technology
and back again, in a matter of seconds, without
anyone batting an eye, is OK by me!

hen theres the camaraderie of wonderfully

like minded souls, that warm fuzzy feeling in
the pit of your being when you meet a collection
of other people who also like to wear goggles and
corsets and compulsively collect fabric and you
think Dear God, Im home!

n terms of why maybe this answered the

question, maybe not, perhaps there are no
deep and meaningful answers, maybe we just
really like wearing brass and goggles and thats
ALL there is to it, or maybe we really do have this
deep psychological need to inject a dose of the
missing wonders and glory of the past into our
modern day lives. Maybe its a little bit of all of
these things or maybe none.

22

Sprockets
Corner
Mad Science with the
Mini Mad Scientist

Sprocket (noun)
1.


2.

a. Also called chainwheel, sprocket wheel. a toothed wheel

engaging with a conveyor or power chain.
b. one tooth of such a wheel.
A steampunk child.

Use your writing implement (that is, your nib

pen, toothpick, paint brush or q-tip), dip it
in the juice and then use it to write something on
your paper. Youll have to keep dipping it in the
ink, as it will run out quickly, so be patient! And be
careful not to press too hard or you might tear the
paper.

Invisible Ink

nce upon a time, invisible ink was serious business! It was an important tool used by spies back as far as
first century Rome when Pliny the Elder used milk of the Thithymallus plant to write secret messages. It
was used during the American revolution by British and American spies, and it was used during World War
I and II. Prisoners of war even used to use their own sweat and urine to make invisible ink to send secret
messages! Even though its considered to be pretty low-tech now, the CIA kept even its most basic recipes
for invisible ink top secret until 2011 - though by this stage many of the recipes were freely available on the
internet for any boy or girl scout to find.

nvisible ink comes in 2 categories, organic and synthetic.

Organic inks are things that come from nature like; lemon juice, milk, vinegar, sweat, spit, urine and even
diluted blood!!! These kind of inks are heat activated, that means when you put them on paper and then heat
them up, it causes a chemical reaction that makes the paper where the ink has been, burn and go brown
faster than any of the other paper!
Synthetic inks are made from chemicals and usually need a reagent to be applied to make the ink visible.

ere going to experiment with a couple of different ways to make our own invisible ink at home. You
can try this too, just make sure you have some help from an adult.

When youve finished drawing, put your secret

message somewhere safe to dry.

Now you can try the same thing again Milk.

Just dip your writing implement in the milk
and write with it.

Once your ink has dried, you can try to make

it change colour by applying heat to it with
either a hot bulb from a lamp, or a hairdryer, or
an iron. Be patient for this part as it can take a
while before your ink is revealed, and be VERY
CAREFUL! You dont want to set the paper on fire!
Its best to have an adult with you for this part.

Results:
You will need:

23

Paper
A writing implement (we
used a nib pen, but you could
also use a small paintbrush,
toothpick or a Q-tip/cotton
bud)
A lamp, hairdryer or
iron
A small bowl or
glass
Milk
A Lemon
Water

First well try lemon juice,

cut the lemon in half and
squeeze the juice into a small
bowl or glass. Add 2-3 drops of
water to dilute the juice

found that the lemon juice made the best

invisible ink for me, and that the iron was the
best way to reveal it, but you might get different
results in your experiment. Try using different
things as ink too, orange or apple juice, or even
onion juice or vinegar.

nother thing you can try is making a solution

out of baking soda and water and using that
as invisible ink, and then when its dry brush grape
juice over it I really wanted to try that one but
we didnt have grape juice this time.

Photography by Krissy Wadek

24

tIcKIng

By A.W. Exley

new world beckoned, and my family

answered the call.
In 1862 we left behind the mud, poverty, and
back breaking labour of life in England. We traded
everything, for mud, poverty and back breaking
labour in New Zealand. Father secured forty acres
in a little settlement called Oratia. He said it would
be a better life, and that there would be many
opportunities in the new world for Lawrence and I.
Some opportunity. I muttered, eight years later,
carrying the bucket from the nearby stream, over
the rough pasture and tree stumps, up to our little
cabin. Careful not to spill too much, otherwise I
would have to return for another bucket load.
At least the mud has dried up. I tipped the
bucket into the barrel at the corner of the roof. A
dry summer meant more trips back and forth to fill
the barrel.
I peered into the cool depths of the water
container. Life in England seemed like a dream
lurking at the bottom of a well and veiled in thick
coal smoke. I was only five years old when we
left, Lawrence four years old, and the baby not
yet one. Our family of five boarded the Hanover in
May 1862 and our reduced family of four arrived in
Auckland sixteen weeks later.
Although young at the time, three things about
our trip from England are carved into my memory.
I remember the instant I first saw a watch
mechanism, and my fascination for all things
mechanical burst into life in my brain. Secondly,
the stench below decks, so thick at times, it could
ram its fingers down your throat, making you gag.
The third memory was the overwhelming desire to
toss my little brother over the side.
Every single day started the same way. Lawrence
scrambled down from the hammock he shared

25

TanIwha

The

with da. He would stare at me, and utter those

words.
Are we there yet?
Every day.
Are we there yet?
Sometimes twice a day. For one hundred and
twelve days.

e lost the baby after eight weeks aboard, and

the captain ordered her tiny body thrown
into the swirling oceans embrace. I thought
momma would jump after her, da had to hold her
so tight. Watching her cry, doubled over in grief,
was the only thing that stopped me from pushing
Lawrence into the deep. I figured losing one child
was enough. But it was a close call, the boredom
of endless weeks confined to a rolling ship was
almost too much for a child with an active mind to
endure.
I dropped the wooden bucket on the verandah and
dipped my hand into the pocket of my apron. My
fingers closed around the watch, safely nestled in
the fabric. The casing may be battered and dented,
but it was my most prized possession and I carried
it everywhere. Amongst our fellow passengers on
the long journey was a jeweller. He occupied his
time fixing watches, music boxes and trinkets for
the others on board. He drew me like a magician,
casting his magic and drawing life from inanimate
metal.

ay after day, I sat at his feet, mesmerised by

the intricate workings of the tiny mechanical
devices. Unlike other adults, he didnt shoo me
away, he answered my endless questions and let
me help. At the end of the voyage, he slipped the
old watch into my small hand.

a scowled, Tinkering and clockwork is no

fit occupation for a girl. I was supposed
to be content milking the cow, lugging water,
toiling in the fields, and maybe aspiring to being
a school teacher. Experience taught me to hide
what cogs and springs I found. I stashed them in a
box, amongst the roots of a sawn off kauri. When
time allowed, I pulled out the box, and tried to
assemble something from the scavenged parts.
In my mind I saw a tiny mechanical horse, which
would raise and lower his head and paw a front
foot. So far I had a skeletal outline, but I needed
parts for the mechanism to make it work.
Lettie? Mother called from inside.
Yes momma? I dropped the watch back into the
folds of my apron.
Have you finished your school work? The teacher
will be here at the end of the week.
I heaved a deep sigh and walked through the open
door, into the dim interior of our two roomed
home. Momma pounded dough on the table,
making bread to accompany dinner. She looked up
and gave me a tired smile.
The schoolbooks sat to one side of the table,
waiting for my attention. I scooped the pile into
my arms. Ill go sit outside.

inding my favourite spot of soft clover and

moss, I flung myself down, opened the book
and held the pencil, poised, in my hand. I screwed
up my face at the algebra problems. Time passed.
Tui sang, as they drank nectar from the flax
flowers. A heavy whump whump signalled the fat
kereru flying overhead.

he page swam in front of my vision. I

finished algebra and moved on to the next
set of tasks. What a waste of time, conjugating
Latin verbs. We should be learning Te Reo, so we
can talk to our neighbours. How can we trade with
the Maori, when we dont make the effort to learn
their language? I havent heard one yet at the local
store, asking in perfect Latin to purchase coffee or
a saw blade.
A sod of earth landed on the open page. A brown

splatter covered up my chicken scratches. I

frowned and looked up, scanning the dense forest
edging the small pasture.
Kereama! A fern rustled. I picked up a rock and
hurled it at the swaying greenery.
Ow. The bush cried out.
I picked up a twig and scraped the mud off my
book, as a shadow fell over the page and blotted
out my sun.
You didnt have to do that.
You ruined my school work, and the teacher is
here at the end of the week. Shutting the book, I
shoved it away from me. I would have to re-write
the lesson, or take a caning across my palm for the
lack of care.

boy close to my age, tall and scraggly,

beamed from behind black hair. I know
where theres a taniwha.
You do not. Rising made our height difference
more obvious. It wasnt fair, he had shot up last
summer, and now the top of my head barely
reached the middle of his chest.
I do too. Want to come see, or are you too
scared? He held out his hand, in challenge and
invitation. The two of us become firm friends the
first day we met, the little English child unafraid of
the savage boy, mischief our common language.
Youre not a warrior yet, Kereama, lets see whos
scared. I shot back, grabbing his hand and pulling
him into the calm haven of the forest.
As we walked, fantails kept us company. They
dived and chirped. One brushed my outstretched
hand as it flitted to sit on a ponga, tilting its head
as we passed. Another caught my eye, ducking
and weaving higher than the others, a flash of gold
amongst their muted grey blue and soft yellow.
I squinted to see it better, sunlight reflecting off
its feathers in an unusual way. Hey, look at that
fantail. I pointed to the little creature dancing on
the nodding boughs of a manuka.
He raised his head to follow my outstretched
hand. Its just a piwakawaka. He pushed through
the scrub.
This ones different, I whispered, and as my gaze

26

tracked its progress I failed to see the ponga frond

that bounced off Kereama and swiped across my
face.
We followed the Otamai stream upriver, until
the surrounding bush gave way to a large, deep
pool. A waterfall, twenty feet high, tumbled over
rocks to dash into the water below. It swirled and
frothed, before flowing downriver, where it would
eventually run past my home.
Its beautiful.
Kereama put a finger to his lips. Shush. The
taniwha lives here, you dont want to wake him
up.
I laughed, and picked up a stone. Does not, I
replied and tossed the rock into the water. The
black depths swallowed the object, and my gaze
couldnt track its progress below the surface. A
hiss bounced off the rocks and echoed through the
trees. My head shot up. Whats that?
I told you not to wake the taniwha. Kereama
backed up, hands raised, as he edged away from
the pool.

he waterfall drew my gaze; it seemed to

be the source of the noise. The sheet of
cascading water hitched at one point. Two dark
brown nostrils appeared through the curtain and a
slow curl of steam blended with the mist, rising up
to meet the clouds above the tree tops.
My heart pounded in my chest. Kereamas eyes
widened, moments before he turned tail and fled.
My feet stayed riveted to the earth, and I watched
as the nostrils turned into a long snout, longer than
my arm, gleaming fangs hanging from the top jaw.
My brain saw enough and booted my body into
action.
Wait for me! I cried, and crashed through the
undergrowth, running back to the safety of our
cabin.

ll night I tossed and turned in my little

cot, clutching the thin blanket around
my shoulders, muttering in my sleep. Theres no
such thing as a taniwha, whatever Kereama might

27

believe. But I saw its snout, emerging from the

waterfall, rivulets of water running off the gleaming
hide.

orning broke and I slipped from bed

and padded over the hard timber
floor, escaping outside to allow my thoughts to
soar in the open space. The pocket watch danced
over my fingers as I replayed events over and over
in my mind. The thin blasts of steam from nostrils,
the way the light hit the burnished nose. The
fantail guard who flashed in the sun unlike any of
its companions. Details nagged at me, until I made
my decision.
I had to go back.

fter breakfast, I stole the bread crusts and

stuffed them into my pockets as I headed
outside. At the edge of the dense bush, I lifted the
corners of my skirt and looped the fabric through
the hitches hanging off my belt, raising the hem to
knee height and out of the way of my feet. Time
lost all meaning in the green and leafy surrounds.
With slow steps I waited for the fantail to return
and dance around my head. The chirping came
first, as they called to one another amongst the
canopy. Hopping and diving they edged closer to
me.
Come on, little ones. Breaking up the bread with
my fingers, I littered the ground with enticing
crumbs, waiting for their curiosity to drive them
nearer. Wheres your special friend, the one who
is kissed by the sunlight?
The birds darted back and forth, before diving
down to scoop up crumbs. They called out,
attracting their comrades to the unexpected feast.
I waited, leaning against a rough trunk, my fingers
tracing bark fissures, until I spotted him.
He flitted back and forth, showing no interest in
the bread, as though he guarded the others from
above. With each circuit he edged closer. My eyes
drank him in, soaking up the details of his feathers,
discerning why he looked different to the others.
Intricate koru adorned his silver tail fan. Tiny
mechanical joints allowed his steel toes to flex and

grasp branches. His wings stretched out to reveal

beaten brass feathers.
Youre clockwork, I breathed in wonder.

e gave a chirp and fluttered higher in the

trees.
Well that answers one question, now to solve the
other. I left the friendly birds to their breakfast
and kept walking through the forest. I followed
the path worn in the earthy detritus and made by
a multitude of animal feet as they trekked to the
water source.
At the edge of the pool I stopped and drank in
the beauty of the gushing water and over hanging
silver fern. Then, I picked up a rock and tossed
it into the swirling eddies, and waited. The hiss
came first, scraping fingers of fear down my spine.
The nostrils emerged from behind the waterfall.
I told my feet to stay put, even though my heart
tried to burst free and run on its own. Nostrils
turned into a snout. Above the snout, two
enormous black eyes, the size of dinner plates. I
forced myself to concentrate on the details. The
colour and texture of its skin, the way the light hit
the hide, the slight stutter when it moved to the
left.

he creatures heart beat echoed

around the small glade, like
the sound of two stones striking
each other. A steady tick tick,
as the head swayed back
and forth. I shook my head.
No, it doesnt sound right.
The beat lost the rhythm,
slowed and then sped up
before halting. The giant
head slumped to one
side with the last tick.
Clockwork? Like the
fantail? My brain
yelled yes, but
my

feet didnt want to budge and be taniwha toast.

Seconds passed, my hand dove into my apron, and
my fingers curled around the pocket watch. The
steady rhythm of the mechanism reassured me,
convinced me I was right.

crept closer, one eye keeping a vigil in case

the creature moved. I edged around the side
of the pool, wondering how to get closer without
being drenched by the waterfall. Creeping closer
to the sheet of water, I found stones lay like a
giant mosaic, stopping the ground from becoming
mud from the constant splashback. The small path
disappeared behind the waterfall. Following the
stones, I found a two foot gap, allowing me to
pass close to the rock and remain dry. Holding my
breath, I approached the slumbering giant from
the side. From the tip of its nose to the end of its
tail, the taniwhas body stretched for nearly twenty
feet, back into the cave. The head and long neck
thrust through the watery sheet, rivulets running
down its back and pooling around the large
clawed feet.
A large work bench ran down one side of the
cavern, every available
surface covered in
components
and half
assembled

28

The Archaeologist By Mike Hansen

contraptions. The walls were adorned with

instruments and tools, ready to be plucked down
when needed.
I drew my gaze from the workshop and took
another step. I reached out a hand, touching the
dull hide, screwing my eyes up in case it let out a
roar. Contact. No reaction. I let my breath escape
and opened my eyes.
Cold. Hard. Metal.

cuffling feet came from down the tunnel and

my head swung at the intruder. An old man
with long white hair and beard, dressed in greasy,
oil stained pants and shirt. He stopped on seeing
me, blinked his eyes, and then waved his arms
above his head.
Oh no, a terrifying taniwha, run girl, run!
I blew a snort of laughter. Its mechanical and its
seized up.
He waggled his fingers. No hes not. Hes just
sleeping. Run while you can!
I rapped my fist on the metal hide. Its not asleep,
its over wound.
His arms dropped to his side. Oh, bother. Are you
sure?
I nodded, while trying to find the access panel. I
heard it, quite distinctive before it froze.
Blast, not again. He stalked to the other side,
stuck his fingers between the scales and pulled
down the entire side of the creature. Im Magnus
by the way. He moved over, giving me room to
half climb inside the creature, my fingers caressing
the springs, cogs and pendulum.
Lettie, I threw over my shoulder. Somethings
not right. Pass me a screwdriver.
I stuck my hand out and cold metal was pressed
into my palm. My eyes were drawn to the part that
didnt look right. The beat was off, discordant with
the rest of the mechanism. I tinkered, my fingers
brushing over the cogs, feeling the weight of the
metal, seeking the imbalance.
Ah. A small adjustment, I gave the pendulum a
swing and the device sprang into smooth action. I
pulled my body out of the hatch, a broad smile on
my face. Why have you got a taniwha anyway? I

29

asked, waiting for the beast to stir.

He smiled. Te Wao Nui a Tiriwa shelters many
creatures, with my taniwha standing guard, to
scare away the curious.
The taniwha lifted its head, and continued the low
rumbling hiss.
Magnus raised two bushy eyebrows. You have a
gift, little one. I could use your sort of help around
here.
I raised my shoulders in a shrug, watching the
creature draw its head in and settle down to
sleep. Mechanics and clockwork arent a suitable
occupation for a girl.
Who told you that?
My da. My toe stubbed a stone, sending it
scuttling along the ground.
What if we dont tell your da?
My head shot up, hope bursting into my chest,
sending warm sun into the dark corners. I can
keep a secret.
So can I. He gave a wink. Come again, when
you have finished your chores. I have an idea for
clockwork kiwi, and you can help.
I couldnt speak, words wouldnt form in my
throat, joy filled every part of me. All I could do
was nod, my eyes shining, and then I scampered
past the taniwha, and ran all the way home.

A.W. Exley is a steampunk author living in

rural Canterbury. You can find out more about
her novels at www.awexley.com or www.

facebook.com/AWExley

30

Nefertitis Heart - by A.W. Exley

Publisher: Curiosity Quills, 2013
Reviewed by: Euphoria Looseleaf

rom the beautiful cover to the opening sentence, Nefertitis Heart

had me itching to read it long before I got my paws on a copy. I
wasnt disappointed, I thoroughly enjoyed this brassy, bawdy romp
through Victorian London as it never quite was. Steam power rules,
mechanical horses promenade through the cobbled streets, and a
key wielding killer is on the prowl the characters are tangibly alive,
the action is fast paced and unpredictable and provides the perfect
backdrop for a lusciously unfolding romance. Charming gentlemen,
ditzy socialites, outrageous matrons, a syphilitic noblewoman and
some positively skin-crawling villains trawl the pages of this first novel
by local steampunk authoress A.W. Exley.

loved the book, the story is fun and action packed, and sequels will
be welcomed. Ms Exley has a real penchant for character and her
pages are loaded with delightful, devious, delicious and some downright disgusting folk who I look forward
to meeting in future novels.

Crossing
the ditch for

Steampunk
By Lady Animalia

The lovely Lady Animalia swans off to the land

of Oz to see how they do steampunk.

Ichabod Hart and the Lighthouse Mystery - by James

Roy
Publisher: University of Queensland
Reviewed by: Euphoria Looseleaf

t took many people by surprise that myself

(Lady Animalia) and my husband (Lord BezelPinion) went on holiday to Australia specifically
for a Steampunk festival! But that is exactly what
we did. And why not?

his is steampunk for sprockets of any age! Set in 1901, in an

altered-history Australia under French and English rule, its
delightful cast and smooth style make for a rollicking adventure.
Chronoluxographs, Abbacators, Levitators, and the fabulous
Ornithocycle are just some of the musings youll encounter in this
delightful story.

hen I heard about Steamfest 2013 way back

in January, I knew I just had to go! It wasnt
enough that I had never been to Australia before,
but to build a holiday around a huge Steampunk
festival just seemed like an exciting adventure.
With our tickets bought way back in February it
seemed like nothing could go wrong.

welve- year-old orphan Ichabod Hart lives in a Lighthouse with

inventor Major Ulysses Marshall. When Ulysses niece Clementine
joins them for the holidays, the adventures begin!
The theft of a miniature Thermomotive engine sends the trio into a
world of slick criminals, devious plots, and the mechanised convicts who work the underground railway of
devious Steamboss Mr Bowman. The budding friendship between Ichabod and Clementine forms a thread
that keeps the cogs turning in this alter-historical story of loyalty, adventure, flying machines and steam.

ames Roy is an award winning Australian young adult fiction writer. Sadly I havent been able to find
anything more in his steampunk series (though this is touted as the first, I dont think he wrote the
others), however his Verdada and Quest for the Lost City fantasy series are both on my to read list.

Above: Lady Animalia and Lord Bezel-Pinion

31

nd nothing did.... sort of, though there was

a complication that arose, a complication in
the form of wonderful news. It seemed that Lord
Bezel-Pinion and I had our own tiny Steampunker
on the way. As exciting as this news was I was
very worried that I had bought tickets to an event
that I could no longer attend. Thankfully with
Steamfest being the 3rd and 4th of August, we

32

were able to travel with a week to spare. Phew!

ags packed, costumes made (and adapted

to include my little sprocket) we headed to
Australia with much anticipation of this new event.

nd what an event it was! With a huge

stage set up on one side with amazing
performances throughout the day, the steam train
running every half hour, stalls all over the place
selling all things Steampunk, inventions on display
including a Steampunk R2D2 and time machine,
tea duelling.....Yes that gentlemens/ladies sport of
wit and patience, and a chance to get up close and
personal with people like Abney Park, Unwoman,
and G.D. Falksen himself, we had an absolute
blast!

ith my usual critical eye, I saw that there

were things about the 2013 Steamfest that
were both good and great. We really enjoyed the
range of entertainment that was spread throughout
the day and loved being introduced to Tea
Duelling so much that we brought it back to New

Zealand with us! We loved to see the inventions and hear

the talks and thought that being the first year of Steamfest
that they did such an amazing job, especially given that
organisation changed hands half way through the planning
process. However, while there was a wide range of stalls
and products available to view and purchase, we did find
that we had seen everything (stall wise) by the middle
of the first day. The stall holders all did an amazing job
holding down their forts with the wind and surviving the
heat, but we couldnt help but think that there couldve
been many more stalls. But like I said, this was only the
first year and the organisers did an amazing job with the
short time they had!

uge congratulations to the team at Steamfest on

a successful first year. We look forward to seeing
Steamfest grow each year and cant wait to return for more
Steampunk goodness.

Anti-clockwise from top left: G.D Falksen judges the tea duelling. Steampunk ladies looking splendid. Time machine. another
splendid steampunk lady. A dashing chap sporting a fantastic example of a biomechanical arm. Steampunk R2D2. Abney Park.
Steam Powered Giraffe inspired outfits. More fantastic looking attendees. .
Photographs by: Lady Animalia

33

34

Steampunk
Opshop like a

By Cordelia Forward

Ever walked around an

op shop and thought
theres nothing suitable for
Steampunk? Then youre
probably missing out.
Second hand shops can
contain a wealth of goodies
especially if you are
prepared to think outside
the square.

or successful Steampunk op shopping its a

good idea to become a regular at your local
second hand shops and to dress (as much as you
can) in your Steampunk attire. Doesnt matter how
little you have, put it on and show it off! Make
friends with the shop assistants, explain to them
what you are wearing and talk about what you are
looking for. If you try to describe the concept of
Steampunk whilst dressed in shorts and a hoodie,
youll lose them at the punk, but turn up in a hat
or flowing skirt and before you know it they will
be pointing out suitable bits and pieces or even
put things aside for you.

y next tip is to get in and rummage!!! Dont

stand back and miss the hidden gems you
never know what lurks quietly amongst the bric-

Above: Suitable Steampunk opshop finds can include shoes or belts with studs or straps, and blouses with
lacey details. Photographs by: Cordelia Forward
a-brac or lies buried beneath that mountain of dubious duvets. Go on, dig in! And dont get too hung up on
what things are either its what they can become that is important. The trick is to look at things through
Steampunk eyes. Two of our Krakens Lair ladies have excellent examples of this - Lila Pinkett, who turned an
old handbag into a fabulous flying helmet, and Garnet Quiggley who made a gorgeous pouch bag out of an
old doily.

he bedding/linen section can yield all sorts of goodies for your Steampunk garb especially if you long
for a bit of flounce. Take a look at the ready made ruffles on the valances and pillowcases, the Bassinet
skirts that can be made into petticoats, and the embroidery on pillowcases and tray cloths that can be used
on cuffs or lapels.

f you are looking at ready made clothes, stud or strap details on belts and shoes are always good (and
easier to find than lace up boots). Gentlemen should look for waistcoats, braces, and white shirts with
stiff collars and try pinning a doily at the throat or adding a thin black ribbon tie. For Ladies, layers always
look good why wear one skirt when two or three look better? Try pinning up the top one with a brooch,
add a blouse with a lacy front detail, some bling (keys, pocket watch etc), and you are well on your fabulous
Steampunk way!

Left: Garnet Quiggleys pouch

bag made from an old doily.
Photograph by: Garnet
Quiggley
Right: Lila Pinketts flying
helmet made from an old
handbag.
Photograph by: Cordelia
Forward

Left: Phineas Squidd hunts for opshop bargains in

full Steampunk attire.
Photograph by: Cordelia Forward

35

36

Victorian Parasol
Make a

from an old umbrella

By Cordelia Forward

You will need:

An old umbrella
Fabric (I used an old shawl that had a fringe)
Something to make a nice handle (mine is a
bit off a light fixture
Various trimmings
Spray paint
Glue gun
Sewing supplies

variations in fabric will add to the design. When

you have all your triangles cut out, sew them
together and run a zig-zag stitch around the top
edge to prevent tears or stretch.

Next it is time to paint the frame and knobs. I

used black on the frame and gold on the top
bauble and knobs and dont forget to spray the
centre pole, underneath where the catch sits.

Now remove the plastic handle (I doubt that

all umbrellas are the same, but on this one we
cut a wedge off the plastic with a knife and then
snapped out the handle.)

Glue on the new handle using Epoxy Resin

(the one where you mix two glue substances
together).

7
1

Remove the fabric from the umbrella frame.

Start by snipping the threads that secure the
fabric to the plastic nobby bits (technical term)
then cut the fabric away around the top bauble.
Dont lose any of the nobby bits that can set you
back a week and cause upheaval in the house (I
speak from experience).

Cut out your new fabric sections using an old

one as a template. Remember to add a seam
allowance.

The umbrella will take more fabric than you

think so you can either down tools and go
in search of some extra fabric, or piece together
some off cuts to make up the shortfall - I did both.
Dont worry about matching everything the

37

Thats the frame done, so back to the cover.

Take the knobs and sew them firmly to your
new fabric cover, then slip the cover over the
frame and pop the knobs over the frame ends. I
found it easier to have the frame opened out a
little to help hold everything in place. Now open
the umbrella right out and using a needle and
thread, sew the cover around each frame arm near
the top. The trims will cover the remnants of the
old cover around the top.

Sew the cover around the frame about

half way down as well - just above
where the internal frame arms attach.

Now the fabric is secure, get out

your glue gun and start embellishing.
Remember, the decoration doesnt have to
be even or matching. Then, once it is done,
take it out for a spin and enjoy!!

38

The details:

New Zealand

Steampunk
Anthem
competition

1.

Sponsored by SteamWorks

Show your kiwi steampunk pride by writing

a New Zealand Steampunk anthem.
What is an anthem?
An anthem is defined a song, particularly a rousing and/or uplifting song that is
used by a particular group of people as an expression of their identity (e.g. the
New Zealand National Anthem)

2.
3.
4.

WRITE

a New Zealand Steampunk Anthem

Anthem must be a minimum of 3
verses, minimum of 4 lines per verse.
Anthem must be in English (Victorian
or Steampunk vernacular is, of
course, permitted)
Anthem must be able to be sung to a
tune, you may use the tune of the NZ
National Anthem or you can invent
your own tune.

VIDEO yourself, or a friend, or a group of

people, or even your pet kraken (providing
the kraken can sing clearly and coherently)
singing your anthem.
UPLOAD the video to Facebook or YouTube
or anywhere on the internet as long as we are
able to see it.
EMAIL your anthems LYRICS along with
a link to your anthem VIDEO to us at
competition@AetherNZ.co.nz (be sure to
include your name and contact details so we
can track you down if you win)

Judging: Entries will NOT be judged on musical

ability, but will instead by judged on a points
system by the following criteria:

Creativity of lyrics

Amount of Kiwi Steampunk pride shown

Catchiness of the anthem

Singability (that is how easy it is to sing

along to)

And bonus points for creativity in the
video
Entries CLOSE: 17th January 2014
The prize: The winning entry will get to choose
between two SteamWorks prize packages

Option #1: is a Viking Arms Explorer

Adventurers Sidearm and leather holster.

Option #2: is an Adventurers Journal and

a set of custom brooches.

(pictures below)

The winner will be announced shortly before the

release of issue #2 of AetherNZ Magazine, and the
winning lyrics will be published in the Magazine
and on the website.

Prize option #2
Adventurers Jo
urnal
and set of broo
ches

rer
king Arms Explo
Prize option #1 Vi
lster
ho
arm and leather
Adventurers Side

39

40

The

(Un)natural History

of the

Raygun
By David Clarkson

Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, rayguns

didnt actually seem very effective or accurate.
The Star Wars action scenes show a great deal
of shooting for not so many hits and kills. Makes
you wonder if a crate of Lee-Enfield SMLE Mark
III .303 World War 1 rifles might have made
quite a difference in the quest for galactic
domination.

f course, I have to acknowledge

the terrifying effectiveness of the
ultimate raygun, The Death Star, which
brought such rapid and inconvenient
oblivion to the entire population of
Alderaan. It was the ultimate expression
of our century-long flight of imagination
about rayguns.

he beam-weapon made its debut

in H.G. Wells classic, The War of
the Worlds, one of the cornerstones of
Steampunk lore. The invading Martians
and their tall walking machines were
equipped with what he refers to as a
heat ray.
In Chapter Five, he describes the
weapon being turned upon a crowd
in the distance: I stood staring, not

as yet realising that this was death

leaping from man to man in that little
distant crowd. All I felt was that it was
something very strange. An almost
Left: Martian invasion as described in
War of the Worlds.
Illustration by Krissy Wadek

41

noiseless and blinding flash of

light, and a man fell headlong and
lay still; and as the unseen shaft of
heat passed over them, pine trees
burst into fire, and every dry furze
bush became with one dull thud
a mass of flames. He describes
this invisible, inevitable sword of
heat sweeping around swiftly and
Above: Replica of a Star Wars
steadily.
Stormtrooper E-11 Blaster
Wells hold on our imagination
Credit: JMC WIkimedia Commons
in so many ways has never let
up. More than a century after his
book, we are still transfixed and
it also made regular use of phasers which were
entertained by the idea of alien visitors, hostile or
beam weapons that could be small hand-held units
otherwise, and his heat-ray has become the raygun
or rifles issued to security staff. Crew members
of so many of our tales.
could set them to stun, or shoot to kill. Wikipedia

t has become almost a cliche of the Steampunk

scene, a part of the costume as much as
goggles, corsets, or pocket watches. No gentleman
or lady adventurer should be seen abroad without
one.

The Raygun in Modern Sci-fi Culture

he raygun figured when Flash Gordon made

his appearance in the Sunday comics in
1934, with the daily strip six years later and the
films and the television series that followed. The
stories featured such innovations as a dissolvo
raygun which was used to melt a door, and an
ice-gun which turned its targets into blocks of ice.
Ion pistols also made their appearance in Flash
Gordon. They were described as small weapons
which had the advantage that they could be
concealed on scantily clad princesses such as
Aura.

asers, with their other-worldly glow, captured

our attention because they had the likely
look of our sci-fi rayguns, but eventually came
the realisation of their limitations, though they
may be able to bounce beams off the moon and
amuse and annoy the hell out of cats. The courts
see cases regularly of people using lasers to harass
and distract pilots and drivers. Star Trek had the
distinction of inventing our smartphones, and

has translated the term as phased energy

rectification.

arger versions could be mounted on the

starships themselves, but the Enterprise often
engaged with photon torpedoes which were said
to be anti- matter warheads. The series had a
huge range of future killing-power on display.

imilarly Star Wars. The space fighters were

often armed with proton torpedoes and
rayguns known as blasters were the most
common personal weapon. Han Solo had a blaster
pistol which was known as a BlasTech DL-44.

Reality of Rayguns

ouTube has a clip from a chap who describes

himself as a mad scientist, Trevor Nestor, a
young American tinkerer who has built a raygun at
home. He spends much of the clip fiddling about
with its intricacies and its batteries, explaining
that its capacitors store energy and then release
it in a big pulse. Almost all the components come
from disposable cameras. In the end he points it
at a piece of black plastic and fires it, to produce
a most unimpressive fssst noise and apparently
some small effect on the plastic. Dale Arden
Flashs sidekick would not have approved.

ore striking is the item which appeared on

the TV doco programme 60 Minutes in June

42

2009, about the Pentagon developing a raygun

which did work. Correspondent David Martin
felt the effects of being hit with a beam from an
antenna which puts out a very high frequency
radio signal which penetrates the skin to a depth
of less than half a millimetre still just enough to
hit the nerves.
Martin described it as feeling like scalding water,
and it was certainly going to make him stop
whatever he was doing in a non-lethal way. Theres
been no sign of any practical applications for the
weaponry yet, though it might have a useful role in
dispersing troublesome crowds.

Our Native
Raygun-smiths

and Steampunk subjects. Hes a constructor of all

sorts of guns, and some of them do seem to be
rayguns. And they dont look like toys or models.
They look like serious, bad- ass weaponry.

43

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Starring: Anna Paquin, James Van Der Beek, Cloris
Leachman,Mark Hamill

ike Hansen of Steamworks in Auckland

produces weapons that have a distinctly
high-tech look to them, including The Red Menace
which went on display at Aucklands Aethercon
2012. It was the first in a series of one-off display
vintage artifacts and was to be offered for
sale. He also produced a range of Steamlock
handguns, and nerf weaponry that isnt rayguns
but is worth a look.
Both of them are
displaying plenty
of their creations
on their Facebook
pages.

ew Zealand
is straddled
by fantasy weapon
makers of stunning
hawn Hanson
originality.
has been
Greg Broadmore is
impressing the
the Wellington artist
regular Steampunk
who has created
gatherings in
the brilliant graphic
Christchurch with
novels that have
his rayguns, made
Above: The Laughing Angus - a modified Dr
led to the range
from anything
Grordborts Righteous Bison
of Dr Grordborts
to hand: bits of
Credit: TimHammell. Wikimedia Commons
rayguns produced
lamps, brassware,
by Weta Workshop,
piping. He offers
which are selling
this succinct advice to anyone setting out on a
online at prices that look like sci-fi fantasy. These
making project: Find something that speaks to
include the Unnatural Selector ray-blunderbuss,
you, dont be afraid to make mistakes, and have
one of Dr Grordborts Infallible Aether Oscillators,
fun.
going for $8000, and the F.M.O.M. Industries Wave
Disrupter Gun a sort of pistol-grip raygun for
nd in the end, dont we all sit there in our
US$690. The 4th Law, an amazing looking piece
living rooms, using our rayguns all evening
of weaponry described as a Matter Mangler and
long to change the channels and azdjust the
Disentangler, is being produced as a limited
volumes on our entertainment systems. Which is
edition of 20 for $6000 apiece.
near enough for me. Im off to punk up the infrared
A Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers Ray Gun,
remote for my Sky unit.
described as the Goliathon 83 Infinity Beam
Projector, was being offered on line for $NZ6255

ellington maker Hanley Soloway, of Sutlers,

produces expeditionary essentials for the
martial gentleman, focussing on science fiction

Laputa - Castle in the Sky - 1986

Reviewed by: The Mini Mad Scientist

his animated Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli

(makers of Howls Moving Castle and Spirited
Away) film is really one worth watching. It has
everything that a good steampunk movie should
have; sky pirates, robots, government agents,
floating castles of lost civilizations, magic glowing crystals, and of course steampunk flying contraptions!!!
This gripping adventure tells the story of Sheeta (voiced by Anna Paquin, our very own Wellingtonian!),
a young girl who is found floating down from the sky by Pazu (voiced by James Van Der Beek), a miners
apprentice. Together they set off in search of Sheetas mysterious past and the legendary floating city,
Laputa.

he whole concept of Laputa: castle in the sky is very Atlantian (although in the air, not under the sea)
and the music sets off the theme wonderfully. Action, excitement, mystery, adventure, suspense and a
fully dramatic experience for the whole family makes this a great movie!!!

Perfect Creature - 2007

Director: Glenn Standring
Starring: Dougray Scott, Saffron Burrows, Leo
Gregory
Reviewed by: Night Wing

somnolent alternative seemly compact

diesel punk atmosphere. Jamestown is a
slum, working houses filled with non-provisioned
people with children wandering the streets. There
is a distinct flavour of welfare and struggle here.
But among it, there is evidence of airships, technology and a rusty environment with costuming that seem
to match something straight out of Oliver the Twist. The poor are distinctly poor, the not so poor live in
less ripped wallpapered rooms and dark dingy broken down buildings. There is a sense of stench in the air.
There is an industrial gloom, and thick air that hangs through the streets.

00 years ago, first born male children were born with significantly increased hearing, sight and strength.
To protect and fight for them. The Brotherhood aided the town with vaccines for human influenza and
plagues. Humans would donate blood to the church for the vampires to drink, but the brotherhood never
drank straight from the human body and solely believed in the perfect creature Power is hungry.

he plot I felt was something I had seen before, I feel though this fell a bit short. It diffidently had an
industrial feel but Steampunk? Not really. With intricately placed items to bridge the gap of Victorian
times into technology gave me enough to oggle over visually with the cinematic buildings that I did see.
Over all, I wouldnt watch it again unless to just study the buildings and landscape. But a good little movie
for those who like the hints of vampirism and a mix of genre.

44

neo-victorian cuisine:

Beef Steak Pudding

By Fiona Edge

Around the World in 80 Days, starts as Phileas Fogg entrusts his fortune
and life, and consequently the life of his man servant, Passepartout, to
a wager with his fellow members of the infamous Reform Club. Verne
explains that Phileas Fogg, like many English gentlemen, spends his free
time and eats all his meals at his club. As such the Reform Club has to
be the quintessential example of this British organisation.

he Club was the place where

a British gentleman went to
get away from the world and be
surrounded by his fellows. Where they
could settle down for a cigar, read
the paper, and eat some hearty British
grub.
It was first opened in 1835 by
a collation of Radical and Whig
politicians, it was to be a dining
club and place for them to meet
and discuss their liberal politics. Six
years later it moved to purpose built
building, where the kitchens were
specifically designed by the famous
Victorian Chef Alexis Soyer.

Ingredients:
453g [1lb] Flour
226g [1/2lb] Vegetable Shortening.
Kremelta, which is coconut oil,
can be found in the baking section
or cooking oil section of most
supermarkets.
Teaspoon of salt
Water
700g chuck steak
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion
Salt and Pepper
125ml dark beer
5 cup steam pudding bowl

45

lexis Soyer was a Victorian chef and inventor

who is an example of the creative and social
changes of Victorian Britain. Alexis Soyer was a
chef who started his career in France. He travelled
to England early on and worked in the kitchens of
the English Upper Crust. It was when he became
the Chef de Cuisine for the Reform Club in 1837
that he became famous himself.

his recipe is a modern adaptation from one

contained in Alexis Soyers Cookbook The
modern Housewife or menagerie, Comprising
Nearly One Thousand Receipts for the Economic
and Judicious Preparation of Every Meal of the
Day, with those of the Nursery and Sick Room and
minute Directions for the Family Management in all
branches written in 1849.

Measure out the flour and

salt, combine and grate
the vegetable shortening into
the dry ingredients. You can
either use a bowl or do this
on a clean flat surface as the
original recipe advises. Rub
the shortening into the flour
until it resembles breadcrumbs,
then form a hollow and add the
water a little at a time while
mixing slowly. Keep adding the
water, letting it be absorbed
before adding more until the
dough comes together.

Cut your steak into pieces

the same size as the first
knuckle of your thumb place
them in a bowl and cover them
with a tablespoon of flour and
a teaspoon each of salt and
pepper. Toss this together until
the meat is well covered. Add
to this the onion finely sliced.
Fill the pastry-lined bowl with
the steak and onions.

Lightly butter the inside

of your pudding bowl
making sure to coat the lid as
well.

For the next part I used

Monteiths Black Beer
which I found gave a rich deep
flavour to the gravy but any
dark beer will work. Stir the
garlic into the beer and pour on
top of the steak; it should soak
down through the meat.

Now leave it, being

careful to keep the water
boiling and making sure to top
the level up when it starts to
go down. It will be ready in
2 1/2 hours. Be careful when
removing the pudding from the
bowl as it is going to be hot.
Best served with the rest of the
beer.

Take 2/3 of the pastry and

on a floured surface roll
out to 3/4 of a centimetre thick.
If it starts to crack it is too dry
and you will need to work more
water into the dough. The
remaining third is form the lid
which can be rolled out to the
same thickness.

Wet the pastry lid with

some of the beer and seal
the pastry together before
closing the pudding bowl and
lowering into the boiling water.

Take a large pot, large

enough that your pudding
bowl sits in the bottom of
the pot without touching the
sides. You will need enough
water that when you place
your pudding bowl in, it comes
three quarters of the way up
the sides of the bowl, then set
it on the stove to boil.
Photos by Fiona Edge

46

KIwi
Steampunk
By Krissy Wadek

while back I started wondering if how we

did steampunk here was any different to
anywhere else in the world, Id looked at it in
other countries and noticed that a lot of them put
their own unique little stamp on the aesthetic;
American steampunk has the wild west thing
going on, Japanese steampunk often integrates
kimono or samurai garb into the outfit, and
Russian steampunks have a lot of fur trims. Since
steampunk, by definition is inherently British in
flavor, and we are a colony, it stands to reason that
any kiwi flavor injected into our aesthetic might
have been subtle, but I was disappointed when
I looked and found nothing. Not so much as a
huhu grub.

nd yet it still seemed to me that there was,

despite the lack of kiwiana in the aesthetic,
still something distinctly kiwi-ish in how we do
steampunk.

Photography: Pixiemoon Design and Photography.

Makeup and bodyart: Margo JG of Lulus Body Art.

47

saw a display at Te Papa many years ago, it

was a display of Victorian ladies hats that
came with a story; they were beautiful elaborate
hats of the sort that would have been worn to
church on a Sunday. They made their way over to
New Zealand from Britain in the early 1800s, in the
luggage of fairly well-to-do ladies. They brought
them along with the rest of their finery, expecting
a life here similar to the one theyd left behind, but
on arrival found theyre been grievously mislead in
their expectations; there was nothing here, there
wasnt a church to wear their Sunday best to, there
wasnt even a house to put their finery in. They
had to build everything, they even had to clear
their own land to build things on, and they had to
do it in their Sunday best. And they did do it, in
splendid fashion too.

felt after seeing this exhibit, that this was

the epitome of what the kiwi spirit is, that
mucking in and getting the job done, stoicism in
the face of hopeless odds, resourcefulness and
ingenuity, doing what you can with what you have
at hand. Is this not where the old kiwis can make
anything out of no.8 fencing wire concept came
from?

hese same traits are something I see

underlying within the whole concept
of steampunk - especially ingenuity and
resourcefulness so it feels as if steampunk was
tailor made for us kiwis right from the start.

n recent months Ive started to see kiwiana

occurring in our steampunk aesthetic more
and more, which I think is a wonderful thing.
Within the fashion show winners at Steampunk
NZ Festival in Oamaru in May, were three outfits
showing significant kiwi flavour, Tony Somervilles
Bush Reverend Bannerman, riding a mechanical
Moa took out the top spot (deservedly!). Countess
Simona Evangeline de Montgomerie, runner up in
the working wear section, had a decidedly kiwiana
aesthetic to her outfit, and working wear winner,
Cordelia Forwards outfit sported a kiwi as the
main accessory. So I guess I wasnt the only one
wanting to see Kiwi Steampunk break into its own
and redefine itself as something separate from
the rest of the world. Heres hoping this is a trend
that continues, Id love to see what other ideas we
can come up with that help to further define our
national steampunk identity as uniquely kiwi.

48

Photography: Pixiemoon Design and Photography.

Makeup and bodyart: Margo JG of Lulus Body Art.

49

Photography: Pixiemoon Design and Photography.

Makeup and bodyart: Margo JG of Lulus Body Art.

50

Photography: Pixiemoon Design and Photography.

Makeup and bodyart: Margo JG of Lulus Body Art.

51

Photography: Pixiemoon Design and Photography.

Makeup and bodyart: Margo JG of Lulus Body Art.

52

Photography: Pixiemoon Design and Photography.

Makeup and bodyart: Margo JG of Lulus Body Art.

53

Photography: Pixiemoon Design and Photography.

Makeup and bodyart: Margo JG of Lulus Body Art.

54

FaYre Go IN

chrIstchurcH
By David Clarkson

Christchurchs most ambitious steampunk

event yet goes off with typical flair and
splendiferousness.

eres an idea to challenge

the skills of bar staff at
your venue: Hold a ball where
everyones in Steampunk gear,
and then have them all wear
masks as well. Youll find
that when you place an order
for a platter of wedges, sour
cream and chilli sauce late in
the evening, the staff will ask
you very specifically where
you are sitting, Because you
all look the same. Well, for
the Steampunks who gathered
in Christchurch through the
weekend of September 7 and 8,
we were pretty sure that none
of us looked alike. Originality
and individuality was on show
throughout the weekend for
the citys most ambitious
Steampunk event.

Above: The group pays its respects to Central

Christchurchs monument to The Queen Victoria
of course.
Credit: David Clarkson
Left: Ball-goers in typical splendid attire.
Credit: Neave R. Willoughby

55

he citizens of
Christchurch effectively
got an introduction to Steampunk with the
Fayre on the Saturday at The Venue music bar in
Hornby. It was a chance to see Steampunks in
costume and willing to chat and to see the
fashion, corsets, jewellery, and art that people had
created. Much of it was on sale. The day included
an exhibition of Steampunk art and artifacts: a
mannequin wearing Mike Lesters Agent 24

56

costume from the Steampunk Fashion event in

Oamaru in June, a display of rayguns constructed
by Shawn Hanson, and artwork by Shontelle
Peterson and Ryan Green.

he day was also a chance for making

masks for the Masquerade Ball that night,
constructing rayguns, trying Victorian dance,
or having a Tarot reading in a suitably mystical
looking tent. A good crowd came through, intent
on either buying or finding out what Steampunk
was all about.

he centrepiece for the ball that evening

was a Pirate Airship suspended over the
dance floor with lighting inside its two metre-long
dirigible, and with a kraken clinging to the side.
Music and music videos with a Steampunk theme
were played, and there were performances by
belly dancers, a contortionist, stilt-walker, and two
burlesque dancers. The gathering was an excellent
chance to take photographs and talk, because
Steampunks do like to chat.
below: Creativity on display in masks as well as
traditional steampunk attire at the ball.
Credit: Neave R. Willoughby

57

party from Whangareis Krakens Lair group,

including Phineas Squidd and Cordelia
Forward, had turned up unexpectedly and
anonymously until their masked entrance much
to the delight of the local crowd. Agent Darling
and Lady Helen Steampunk had come up from the
League of Victorian Imagineers in Oamaru, and
there was a splendid Dunedin contingent as well.
Husband and wife Sir Bastian Spitfire and Aurora
Firefly were surprise visitors from Auckland.

udges had eyeballed the arrivals and decided

quietly on the winners of the fashion awards:
a Zorro-like character complete with sword for the
men, a woman in a lace creation for the women,
and southerner Peter Fleury with his exposed
and glowing brain-in-a-top-hat for the mask or
accessory section. All three of the child entrants
won prizes.

here was a fine array of masks: fashionable

creations of cogs and feathers, impressions
of boilerplate and rivets, Simone Evangeline de
Montgomerie in a Dias de los Muertos (Day of the
Dead) mask, and plague masks. Inevitably, design
faults were discovered, principally that some

masks do not allow for drinking. After all, rehydration is important.

unday morning saw a gathering in the sun in the postapocalyptic central city for coffee in New Regent Street and
a walk to pose on some oversized furniture, and then form up in
Victoria Square for an obligatory group shot in front of the statue of
Queen Victoria. She declined to smile.

he weekend was judged a success since there was a good

turn-out of public for the market fayre, plenty of Steampunks in
costume for the ball, and the weather was kind for a visit to a central
city that must have appeared unrecognisable to people who have not
visited it for a while. It is now wide open stretches of gravel that used
to be buildings. Heritage areas have been lost, which makes activities
such as Steampunk even more important. In future, the citys heritage
may have as much to do with what people wear as the places they
can go to.

ll our thanks to the main organisers, Katrina Douglas, Neave R

Willoughby, and Ange Wasley (Nancy Nightshade) who had
worked so hard to pull together all the tiny details and co-ordinate all
the activities that make a Steampunk event work

Entertainment from Mr Heaphy the Stilt-walker (above-right), and the

delightful Decapod Dolls, steampunk bellydance(right).
Credit Neave R. Willoughby

58

The

Great Kiwi

Airship
Mystery
By Tim Baker

owever these strange airships, while odd,

are likely to have been hoaxes or privately
owned ships. Hundreds of affluent aerial
enthusiasts had their own private vessels at this
time and there was much experimentation and
research that went into flight and it isnt too
unbelievable that these were craft of terrestrial
origin. That is until they were sighted ten years
later in New Zealand.

I
U

nidentified Flying Objects have

long been a part of our worlds
culture. There are hundreds of accounts
of encounters with beings from beyond
our planet dating back to various places
such as ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia,
Italy and various other places all over the
world including our very own New Zealand.
Our country rates small in the search for extraterrestrial life but we have had our fair share of
encounters, many of which are able to explained
away with natural causes. However, just because
there are logical explanations available doesnt
make them any less strange.

Above: Illustration by Krissy Wadek.

Below: A newspaper clipping from the Wanganui
Herald, July 28 1909, reporting one of the many
mysterious airship sightings.
Credit: National Library newspaper archives.

59

ovember 17th, 1896, Sacramento, California,

America. Reports start to surface about a
strange light in the sky with a dark shape behind
it. Voices could be heard issuing from the craft
and a loud command sounded from a loudspeaker
giving the command to increase elevation in
order to avoid hitting a church steeple. Singing
was also reported to have been heard emanating
from the aircraft. These reports were the first in
hundreds that slowly spread across the western
United States over the coming months before
finally dying out. The American press didnt give
the sightings much credit as most turned out
to be misidentification of planets and stars or
practical jokes. However a small amount of stories
remained unexplained but were forgotten due
to the lack of press attention and general public
disbelief.

n 1909, reports of strange lights in the sky

started to rise. By this point in time, the
Zeppelin had been around for nine years and in
America and Europe, airships were common.
But here in New Zealand there are no records
of there being any type of airship in the country
at time. Further distinguishing this case from
the American sightings is the fact that on many
occasions the airships were seen in broad daylight
by multiple witnesses. August 4th, 1909, the small,
now abandoned, town of Kelso located near Mt
Wendon in Otago was visited by a strange object
in the sky. It was reported to have circled over the
town twice, drifted over to the Pomahaka gorge
then made another pass over the town before
drifting out of sight.

ver the next few days, reports came in

from locations ranging from Invercargill to
Christchurch. Mysterious lights were seen over the
Kakanui ranges. A young Christchurch boy and his
mother claimed to have seen something in the sky
that resembled an airship. (Although it should be
noted they were nearby a grass fire). What was
said to be the light from an airship was seen by
multiple people in Oamaru. Most curious of these
sightings was the report made by and Invercargill
man of a bright light moving in the centre of a dark
body in the sky. This is a similar report made by
many witnesses in America nearly a decade earlier.

t the same time, stories were circulating

in the Manawatu and Hawkes Bay regions
of strange bright lights in the sky although many
of these were put to rest with the fact that Mars
was on a close approach to Earth and was
exceptionally bright. It could be said that most of
the phantom sightings were the results of hoaxes

Above: A newspaper clipping from the West

Coast Times, August 5 1909, reporting three of the
mysterious airship sightings.
Credit: National Library newspaper archives.

60

or practical joke or people simply misidentifying things

in the sky but many of airships were seen during the
daytime by many different witnesses and there arent
any accounts of any type of airship operated in New
Zealand at that time. Even more curious is the failure of
the sightings to stick in historical memory. The phantom
airships, including the ones seen in America in 1896-97
were quickly forgotten about and, were it not for the
rise in public awareness of U.F.Os in the 1940s, they
might have vanished entirely from memory. No one ever
did discover what the airships truly were and seeing as
proper investigations were never made into the stories,
its unlikely that the mystery of the mysterious airships
will ever be solved.

Above right: A newspaper clipping from the Nelson

Evening Mail, August 6 1909, reporting on further
evidence of the Kelso airship sighting.
Right: A photograph from the Otago Witness, July 28
1909, showing a group of witnesses of the Kelso Airship
sighting.
Below: A photograph from the Otago Witness, July 28
1909, of Kelso and the area where the airship was seen.
Credit: National Library newspaper archives.

The Aviator By Mike Hansen

61

62

Make a

Cockade
By Kura Carpenter

ockades are a type of ribbon rosette, originally

used as signifier of rank on military uniforms.
They look complicated but are easy to make and
are a nice detail to add to an outfit.

You will need:

Pins
Ribbon or fabric strips
Needle and thread
A surface to pin into.
To finish you will need something to
decorate the centre button, brooch etc.
And optionally for finishing the back: hot
glue and a circle of felt/leather.

With a threaded needle handy, accordion pleat

the ribbon. Make sure the fold edges align and
each pleat length is the same. Pin together if it
helps.
You want to end up with the entire length pleated
evenly except for the start and end of the ribbon
which need to be slightly longer tails. Both tails
should be pointing down - not one up, one down.

Take up the threaded needle and with the

tails as the bottom, separate off the first top
pleat. Slide the needle through just catching the
lip of the fold, about 1mm deep and no more
than 5mm in from the edge of the ribbon. Knot
the thread so it cant pull though leave a tail of
thread for tying in step 10

Fold the secured pleat out of the way and

move on to the next pleat, again just piercing
the tip of the fold. There is no need to secure this
stitch. Carry on running the stitch through all the
folds. No need to anchor the last stitch.

Photos by Kura Carpenter

63

Once youve joined all the folds, lay the bundle

edges down out on a flat surface so when looked
down you see the pleats zigzags. Remove any pins. Loop
the start of the thread over the end, tying a basic knot.
Pull the knot tight. The outer tails side of the pleats will
fan out like petals. The stitched pleats now become the
centre of the cockade. Tie another knot so it cant come
undone. Remove the needle. Take the two tails and pin
them together so they create a pleat.
Note: For the next steps the edges which were stitched
into the circle should be closest to the pin-able surface,
so at this point I have flipped my bundle over

Place the bundle on the pin-able surface. See the

needle & the other red pin? Thats my centre. You
dont have to pin the centre, but I find it helps act as a
guide. Take the tail pleat - twist the fabric left or right
and pin it flat. Grab the next pleat and pin it flat beside
its neighbour, ensure to twist the fabric in the same
direction. Repeat, spacing evenly as you go, until each
pleat is securely pinned.

About now your cockade will be volcano shaped:

flat on the outer edge, raised in the middle. Remove
any pins from the centre and place your hand over the
cockade. Gently press the centre. The pleats should
naturally fold down into a pleasing shape.

Thats it! Thats your basic cockade. Carefully remove

the cockade from the pin-able surface dont worry,
the pins will hold it together. You can either hot glue it to
a piece of felt etc, or, if you have time a basic stab-stitch
will hold it together. With the tails, you can keep them
long like a winners rosette or tuck them under out of
sight.

Add a decorative button in the middle and youre

done!
Once you understand the basic steps, the next is up to
your imagination. You can fold the outer edges to create
more interesting shapes. And by using different widths
of ribbon and experimenting with pleat length you can
create many looks from the same basic beginning. Try
different fabrics stripes, plaids, leather? And why
make just one? Make one small, one big and stack them
together. What can you use them for? Put them on hats,
brooches or hair ornaments. Make two and youve got
shoe decorations.

64

Demon
LARPocalypse has come
The

By Russ Kale

Thirty-three years ago, in

1874, something happened. We
dont know what it was, but it
was bad; so bad that now the
demons walk the earth. Theyre
better than us, theyre stronger
than us, and they outnumber
us. Theyve thinned our ranks,
destroyed our land, and theyre
trying to wipe us out. There
are only a few things we have
to help us: our airships, our
swords, and hope. Supplies
of all three are dwindling,
but without them, well never
survive 33AR.

3AR (short for 33 years After Ragnarok) is

a LARP that has been running in the greater
Wellington area since September 2012. Every six
months, it draws thirty players from across the
country to partake in a weekend of high-stakes
roleplaying, sword fighting and revolutionary
science. The aim is to fight back the demons
and close the gates that theyre opening into our
world, or die valiantly in the attempt. Fortunately,
the characters from this game are drawn from
all walks of life: demonologists and medics rub
shoulders, theologians bless water for engineers,
and entertainers share their wine with the military.
These characters have been created by the people
who play them, which ensures a great degree of
investment in what happens to them.

65

66

his is the case with many campaign games

like 33AR: LARPing tends to absorb people.
An acronym of Live Action Role-Playing, LARP
began in the 1970s and was based heavily on
sword-and-sorcery tabletop games like Dungeons
and Dragons. Participants dress up as their
characters and act out what their characters
do in a given setting, often with all the fighting,
camaraderie and intrigue youd expect. Today,
the pastime has spread to cover many genres, and
games are held all over the world. New Zealands
LARP community has grown significantly in the
last decade, with several dozen games held each
year, but many of the participants agree theres
something special about 33AR.

he main cause of this feeling might be the

games setting, which has spawned a lot
of discussion in forums about the state of the
33AR universe. Players discuss Victorian military
tactics, research the dancing and horticulture of
the period, and design and construct costumes.
Alternatively, this uniqueness might come from
the immersive physical environment. Players and
crew who arrive on the Isle of Skye (the setting for
the game) are treated to a fully-furnished tavern,
intricate set pieces, and the rolling hills of the
Outer Hebrides (or Wainuiomata, which is much
the same).

hat everyone comes away from a

session talking about, however, are the
interactions they had with other characters. Even
in the dire circumstances of the apocalypse,
characters have friends and enemies, and tempers
often run high. Lovers have been reunited on Skye,
and friends have been mourned. But each new
airship brings in fresh faces, and more souls to
help fight the demon scourge. We hope youll join
them.
The fourth session of 33AR, Bloody Valentine, will
be held in Wainuiomata in February 2014.
More information can be found at:

www.33ar.tetrajak.com
Photography by Norman Cates

67

68

hile in large part the point of this venture

is about me exploring and showing off
my design skills, what its mostly about is you,
my dear reader, yes, you! If you arent inspired,
enlightened, entertained or informed, then Im
not doing my job properly. Myself and the rest of
the delightfully wonderful and talented AetherNZ
team have put a lot of effort into delivering to
you a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience
that I dearly hope you will return for, again, and
again, with each consecutive issue. To ensure this
magazine attains the most desirable qualities, I
would love to hear from you.

mail us or post your feedback on our

Facebook page, tell us what you loved, what
you want to see more of, what you want to see
less of or any ideas you might have.

Would you lIke to

joIn our team?

Were always looking for more talent to join the

team, so if youd like to contribute writings or
imagery or any other form of awesomeness to the
magazine, either on a regular or occasional basis,
then get in touch.

www.AetherNZ.co.nz
www.facebook.com/AetherNZ
editor@AetherNZ.co.nz

Credits
Editor in Chief:
Krissy Wadek

Editors:
Serenity Aggus
Fiona Scott
Kim Wadek-Lovett
Aurora Firefly

Writers:
Neave R. Willoughby
Tim Baker
Aurora Firefly
David Clarkson
Lady Animalia
Krissy Wadek
Russ Cale
Cordelia Forward
Kura Carpenter
Fiona Edge
The Mini Mad Scientist

Fiction:

Featured works from:

A.W. Exley
Paul Joyce
Tim Baker

Ant Vaughan
Mike Hansen

Reviewers:

Photography: PixieMoon
Makeup and Body Art: Margo
JG at Lulus Body Art
The talent: Victoria Field,
Bridget Cheesman, Sian
Reynolds, Shelly Dawson.

Night Wing
Euphoria Looseleaf
The Mini Mad Scientist

Photographers:
PixieMoon
Norman Cates
Neave R. Willoughby
Aurora Firefly
Krissy Wadek

Illustration:
Krissy Wadek

Cover shoot:

Other thanks to:

My wonderful friends and
family for cheering me on while
I went mad with this project.
My tutors, Brenda Saris, Chris
White and Alice Moore.