Kiwi creepy-crawly’s days are numbered
NEW Zealand’s Hollywood choreographer Parris Goebel has set her sights on becoming a film director. Already used to the limelight after working alongside music heavyweights such as Jason Derulo and Nicki Minaj, she’s revealed her plans to make her first film next year. And although she’s still keen to keep the theme and plot under wraps, she says she’s already worked out the storyline and it certainly hasn’t been a spur of the moment decision. She has hinted that she would likely end up making dance films, suggesting she took inspiration from classics such as and Fresh from receiving the inaugural Legacy Award for entrepreneurship at Friday’s Pacific Business Awards , Goebel told she’s already started getting used to life behind the lens by directing videos – including an ad campaign that starred the young women who have taken part in Goebel’s family charity.
‘‘It’s something I really wanted to get into,’’ she said. ‘‘I started this year, and have directed a few videos. But I want to get more into film, and hopefully direct a movie next year.’’
The Auckland choreographer, alongside her sisters, has been focusing her efforts on a charity aimed at building confidence and community among young Polynesian women.
Their charity, Sisters United, would soon reveal a photo exhibition featuring some of the charity’s participants. The ‘‘Brown and Beautiful’’ exhibit would feature photography and modelling from some of the Sisters United community.
‘‘This is an opportunity to celebrate our beautiful young Pacific girls, and inspire other girls to be proud of themselves and embrace their beautiful bodies, no matter what size or colour,’’ she said.
The charity launched last year, under the direction of social worker and Goebel’s older sister Kendal Collins.
‘‘We have the opportunity to change these girls’ lives, just by giving them more skills and building their confidence as young women,’’ she said.
The choreographer said her fans should keep alert for more music projects due to drop. Two video clips, both filmed in New Zealand, would be released soon, she promised. FOR nearly thirty years she was one of Auckland’s much-loved Hollywood stars.
Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Steven Spielberg and John Goodman was the norm back in the early 90’s – but now she seems to have scuttled off.
No, it’s not Lucy Lawless or Robyn Malcolm whose future is in jeopardy but our beloved Avondale spider.
The creepycrawly, also known as an Australian huntsman, is famous for its role in the movie Arachnophobia but it seems it’s numbers are on a serious slide.
It was first found in New Zealand in the early 1920s and is believed to have been brought over from Australia in a shipment of Wattle trees.
However, Landcare Research entomologist arachnologist Grace Hall, who has been studying the spider for decades, said we might not be able to find the spider in New Zealand anymore in the next 30 years.
Hall said when she was asked to collect the Avondale spider for its role in 1990 horror-comedy Arachnophobia she found more than 300 of them with no problem at all.
‘‘Nowadays you go out and its hard to even find one. I mean if we look at how many there were 30 years ago to now it’s just not going to happen.’’
Hall said she thinks the spider is on the decline as a lot of Wattle trees in the area where they live are being cut down to make room for more houses.
‘‘I guess there’s just not enough space and habitat for them. I used to get called out to people’s homes with people finding them there, but I don’t think anyone is going to find one in their home these days.’’
She said when she collected the spiders to become movie stars she was able to breed a lot of them and ended up releasing thousands of the spiders back into the area.
The spiders tend only to be found in the Avondale suburb of West Auckland, so those who live elsewhere don’t need to worry about finding one of these near them, Hall said.
Avondale resident Cliff Cole said he had an Avondale spider as a pet as a child.
However, he said he had not seen the famous spider for years, except for the occasional baby Avondale spider.
‘ I don’t think anyone is going to find one in their home these days.’ GRACE HALL