AA Directions Autumn 2021

AUTUMN 2021

aadirections.co.nz

HIGH ON THE ROAD Behind the wheel of a truck

LOOKING FOR ADVENTURE?

Take a Kiwi road trip

CLEAN & GREEN What’s the cost of climate change?

Back on home turf

CINDY & DEL

ENDURANCE CYCLISTS

WORRY-FREE ADVENTURES When they’re not on their bikes, you’ll most likely find Cindy and Del planning their next epic cycling adventure. Or playing bowls.

Or creating charcoal art. Or learning to dance. The couple seem to always have something going on.

Start talking to them, and it’s easy to see how they’re fulfilling their motto of “do it while you can”. It’s a philosophy that saw them move into a Ryman village several years ago so they could take advantage of all that was on offer.

Cindy and Del enjoy living in their Ryman apartment - it makes it easier for them to throw themselves into all the things they want to do, especially cycling.

Cindy and Del have been passionate about cycling for the last 10 years. In that time they’ve embarked on some extraordinary adventures. One of the biggest has been an unassisted circumnavigation of Australia that involved thousands and thousands of kilometres on their bikes, towing small trailers with everything they needed to survive - food, water, tent and clothes.

Their bike trips often see them away from home for long periods of time, and as Del explains, “A big thing about the apartment is, we just close the door and come back a couple of months later, and it’s just the same. We don’t have to worry about security. We don’t have to worry about maintenance or gardens. It’s all done”.

Cindy adds that before moving in “we did feel a little bit nervous about leaving the house, but not here - not at Ryman. We just come and go as we please, and we know that the place is safe and secure”.

“Whether we’re away for a couple of days or a couple of months, we can come home knowing our home is safe and secure.”

Security and maintenance are just some of the features that help put Cindy and Del’s minds at ease. Another, is having care facilities available should they ever need them down the road.

At Ryman we take care of everyday things, so you don’t have to.

It means your time is your own, and you’re free to do something new, or rediscover a passion that was lost when responsibility took over.

You can do your stuff, confident that we’re there to take care of the day-to-day.

rymanhealthcare.co.nz

Some health problems in the past few years highlighted to the couple that care was something they needed to think about.

“We feel as fit as fiddles, but we’re not going to be that for the rest of our lives. At some stage, we’re going to need these various stages of care. So we thought, well, why not do it while we’re still fit and able to settle into the village? And it was the right move.”

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PER LITRE

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CONTENTS AUTUMN 2021

43 TRAVELLER

44

Navigate north We discover some of Northland’s many gems; think pristine coastlines and iridescent bays, fascinating museums, eco-lodges and more.

50

Pooches in tow Dog-friendly travel is more popular than ever, as walking tracks, campsites, cafés, hotels and motels shift to accommodate our furry family members.

FEATURE Homecoming Thousands of New Zealanders have come back to Aotearoa since the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe, upsetting plans and unsettling futures. We speak to some of those returnees about their decision to come home.

IN EVERY ISSUE

29

63

7

MOTORING

HOME & LIVING

8

30

On the ladder

10

What is it like to drive a big rig? More focus is being put on truck drivers’ skills and responsibilities, to better understand and ultimately improve the behaviour of all motorists.

66

Chief Executive’s message Letters Compass We speak to the boss of the Hundertwasser Art Centre about the magic and allure that’s set to dazzle Whangārei when the museum opens this year, share exciting new initiatives including a sure-fire way to buy used cars and a sky-high addition to the AA Smartfuel family, plus give you the chance to win great prizes: a brand new bike and a year’s subscription to performances by the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Raising the bar

38

Easing the load New Zealand’s largest city ground to a halt when the Harbour Bridge was damaged last year. So when can Auckland expect another harbour crossing?

Having hunted for and finally found an affordable first home, an Auckland couple tells how patience and determination paid off.

Tides are changing Natural disasters and the impact of climate change could have a major impact on New Zealand property in years to come.

How do insurance providers prepare?

71 AA ANNUAL REPORT The financial year in review.

AUTUMN 2021

5

Free eye test for AA Members Includes OCT advanced 3D eye scan

Applies to comprehensive eye tests only, normally valued at $60. Excludes contact lens examination and visual field checks. Limited one per AA Member every two years. Available to current AA Members upon presentation of AA Membership card.

FROM THE TOP

PHOTOGRAPH BY JESSIE CASSON

STANDING TOGETHER WHEN FUTURE HISTORIANS look back at photos of the recent summer holidays in New Zealand they’ll wonder at just how unchanged everything seemed as the Covid-19 pandemic raged globally – with people gathering on beaches, at concerts and in parks; images from weddings and other large family gatherings, and not many masks in sight.

This is what happens when a community bands together to achieve something in the common interest.

Through a combination of kindness and self-discipline, New Zealanders held back community transfer of the virus and kept it contained. The contrast with the harsh lockdowns, the exhausted healthcare workers and the awful death toll in the northern hemisphere over the same Christmas period will doubtless make our country seem like an idyllic refuge in a time of global disaster.

But we must be mindful that the costs have not fallen evenly. For many families and businesses the loss of international visitors has meant a huge loss of income.

Before the pandemic, international tourism injected $17.5 billion into the New Zealand economy each year, slightly more than the dairy industry. We were providing 17 million international guest nights; the tourism sector employed 363,000 New Zealanders.

This is where we can all play our part to help one another. Before the pandemic, over a third of our international tourists were from Australia, with 1.5 million arrivals per year; over the same period there were 1.3 million Kiwi arrivals in Australia. If, instead of visiting Australia, all those Kiwis holiday at home this year, at least some of the damage to our tourism industry can be averted.

Your Association has played a key role in the New Zealand tourism sector for more than a century.

During the run-up to summer, our AA Traveller

division picked up the challenge and worked with Tourism New Zealand on a national campaign to discover those special, little-known places that make tourism at home such a delight. The We Love You New Zealand campaign identified over 100 special places including secret beaches, quirky attractions, hidden heritage and activities that ranged from hot pools to adrenaline-fuelled adventures.

We must each do our bit to help. It benefits not just tourism but all the sectors of the New Zealand economy. Because we’re not out of the woods yet.

Despite the development of vaccines, the world is still largely locked down, there have been over 2.3 million deaths globally and the virus is constantly evolving, raising both the danger and possibility of it breaking through our borders.

One thing we all know is that we have to work together to keep the virus out. It means recognising that if the virus does leak through into the community, it has a head start on the news of anyone testing positive. It means all of us being diligent about using the Covid-19 Tracer app, including the Bluetooth option if possible. It means all of us being more diligent in following the basic hygiene recommendations, staying home when sick, and getting tested when we aren’t sure.

It was easy to ignore the pandemic while we were enjoying good weather and socialising. But if we lose our focus and discipline, our freedoms will be very quickly lost. We have already seen examples of this over recent weeks. Only by remaining mindful of the source of the good fortune we enjoyed over the holidays and acting accordingly do we stand a chance of preserving it.

Brian Gibbons CHIEF EXECUTIVE AUTUMN 2021

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LETTERS

Hello

EDITORIAL TEAM Kathryn Webster Monica Tischler

Who knows what the situation will be when this issue reaches letterboxes, but one thing is for sure – this pandemic has changed us. Some of that change has been extremely challenging; some has been positive. One such plus has been New Zealanders coming back to their own country, bringing new energy and worldly experience with them.

We met a few for this issue; join me in welcoming them home.

DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION Julian Pettitt, Senior Designer at ICG

HOW TO REACH US EDITORIAL AA Directions, Level 16, AA Centre, 99 Albert St, Auckland Central PO Box 5, Auckland, 1140 Ph: 09 966 8800 Email: editor@aa.co.nz ADVERTISING Moira Penman Mobile: 027 563 0421 Email: moira@gsjadvisory. com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES: Ph: 0800 500 444 ISSN 1171-0179 Published three times a year Circulation 656,675 Readership AC Nielsen 937,000 PRODUCTION BY: ICG, Auckland PRINTED BY: Webstar, Auckland

Kathryn Webster

EDITOR

YOUR SAY In the Summer 2020 issue we asked readers:

Do you plan to take a road trip over the summer holidays?

YES:

90%

ON THE COVER Photograph by Tim Cuff Design by Julian Pettitt

NO:

10%

AUTUMN 2021

aadirections.co.nz

HIGH ON THE ROAD Behind the wheel of a truck

LOOKING FOR ADVENTURE?

Take a Kiwi road trip

CLEAN & GREEN What’s the cost of climate change?

Back on home turf

Alternative opportunities It is extremely difficult for any definite predictions to be made as we exit Covid-19 problems but the Government has stated it will actively review in some depth the ways we do business in New Zealand. One fundamental aspect of this must be a serious review of our dependence on fossil fuels – environmentally and economically – leading as we know to the eventual demise of this industry.

An excellent opportunity has presented itself – again – and one that we should now consider very seriously: the possibility of the production, use and export of hydrogen fuel. There are many potential plus points in the development of a hydrogen fuel industry, such as being able to make use of the oil industry skills and location of facilities in Taranaki, with more potential if Rio Tinto pull out of Tiwai Point in Bluff. It is highly probable that New Zealand can develop the highest grade hydrogen fuel that will be much sought after internationally.

The rest of the world is quickly developing hydrogen fuel production and if New Zealand does not start very soon we will be in global catch-up mode.

Phil Hickling PAPAMOA

NOTE: The views of contributing writers are not necessarily those of AA Directions or the AA. While AA Directions makes every effort to ensure that no misleading claims are made by advertisers, responsibility cannot be accepted by AA Directions or the AA for the failure of any product or service to give satisfaction. Inclusion of a product or service should not be construed as endorsement of it by AA Directions or by the Automobile Association.

That’s right

Are you working from home more than you were prior to Covid-19?

Go to aadirections.co.nz to have your say.

Regarding the ‘Ask Away’ story in the Spring 2020 Directions about right- and left-hand driving, I’d heard that in the USA right-hand drive arose in the stage coach era when there was a driver and someone ‘riding shotgun,’ for security. As a righthanded shotgun needed a clear field of fire, the driver had to sit on the left.

Bill Milnes AUCKLAND

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aadirections.co.nz

LETTERS

Crossing care

Houses as homes

The diamond shape before a pedestrian crossing is there to warn motorists that they are approaching a crossing and also for pedestrians, who must not step onto the crossing if a vehicle has passed over the diamond. I recently asked a police officer on crossing duty at a school if the above rule still applied, but he said he didn’t know. Kids at our schools often step out when cars are only metres away. Shouldn’t it be pointed out to kids in particular that a pedestrian crossing is a place to cross the road, not a place where the road crosses the footpath?

Having read Bernard Hickey’s commentary on the housing market, I was troubled by the lack of consideration of the social costs, or externalities of the current housing crisis. Let’s consider the cost to those who spend 80% of their meagre weekly income on housing, the insecurity of renting, the costs in national child health statistics. We will all pay for an increasing divide in wealth distribution as incomes fail to keep up with housing inflation.

A house is a home before it is an investment.

Without stable homes as a basic human right, society will falter, with painful consequences.

Stuart Oliver

NELSON

Davey Jones

GREYMOUTH

Not all pedestrian crossings have the warning diamond in front of it. While it’s not compulsory to avoid stepping in front of cars who have passed the diamond, we think this is good advice for young pedestrians – ed.

Driver distractions Cellphone use while driving is strictly prohibited, yet billboards – even the everchanging electronic versions – are completely acceptable, despite their undeniable purpose being to distract the attention of drivers.

Contributors

HAYLEY TWORT

Aucklander Hayley graduated from AUT University in journalism and public relations before becoming Communications Coordinator at the AA a year ago, just as the country went into its first lockdown. Hayley contributed to this edition’s Annual Report (p.71) and My AA (p.77).

Richard Mahoney DUNEDIN

HAMISH BARWICK

Previously a sub-editor in his hometown at The Gisborne Herald, Hamish has also worked as a business journalist for Review Publishing, Fairfax and IDG Communications Australia, and recently started a new editing job in Feilding.

He writes freelance business articles for AA Directions, including an insightful story on general insurance on p.66.

"What do we want? Sustainable kiwi populations! So what do we do? Avoid!"

See p.54 for the story.

Join the conversation online.

Follow AA New Zealand on Facebook or Instagram @aa_new_zealand We welcome feedback and views on articles in AA Directions and on any issues affecting motorists.

Because of the volume of mail we receive, letters cannot be personally acknowledged.

Only a selection can be published and they may be edited or abbreviated for print.

WRITE TO: The Editor, AA Directions, PO Box 5, Auckland, 1140 or email editor@aa.co.nz.

YOUR PRIVACY: This magazine may contain advertisements for products or services that are available through the AA. The provider may be the Association itself, a subsidiary of the Association, or a third party either under contract or a joint venture partner of the Association. Understand that any information provided by you may be used by the AA for administrative purposes and for the purpose of providing you with information relating to products and services from time to time. Where any Membership is an associate of another Membership, then products and services may be offered to both Members jointly or singly. We are always alert to opportunities for products or services to be made available as a benefit to Members, but if you prefer not to receive such personally addressed information, please write and tell us. The Association keeps a database of Members under its control and you have the right to see or correct any personal information that is held about you. If you wish to make an enquiry concerning a privacy issue, communicate with the Association Secretary, AA, PO Box 5, Auckland, 1140

VICTORIA BIRKINSHAW The Wellington photographer gets great pleasure from the variety in her job; no two shoots are the same. She’s also a keen traveller. She spent seven years in London but says the New Zealand landscape – particularly the coastline – drew her back.

See her work on p.77.

AUTUMN 2021

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COMPASS

In charge of what must surely be the country’s most exciting cultural project is Kathleen Drumm, Chief Executive of the Hundertwasser Art Centre and Wairau Māori Art Gallery, opening in Whangārei at the end of this year.

This is a major development for Whangārei – can you feel the excitement in the air?

This unique and ambitious project has taken many years to come to fruition, so there is tremendous excitement and anticipation ‒ not just because it is finally happening, but also because the Hundertwasser Art Centre’s remarkable architectural features are now visible behind the construction fencing.

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What sort of impact do you expect the Hundertwasser Art Centre to have on Whangārei?

We’re offering a premium new cultural destination, combining an art and nature experience unlike anything else in the southern hemisphere.

The Hundertwasser Art Centre will attract numerous visitors, fuelling urban vibrancy while driving social and economic growth for the region. It will

also provide New Zealand with a new national asset that helps build international tourism, once borders reopen.

Can you tell us how the Hundertwasser Art Centre came about?

In 1993, at the invitation of the Whangārei District Council, Friedensreich Hundertwasser chose a site at the city’s waterfront and drew a design for an art gallery. The building’s

COMPASS

hand-laid tiles clad the exterior and interior of the building. It will have exhibitions

by Hundertwasser and prominent Māori artists. Visitors will discover outdoor sculptures, a museum store, learning centre, theatre and a café-restaurant with a terrace overlooking the waterfront.

How many galleries will there be?

There will be a gallery featuring artworks

by Hundertwasser, and another with exhibitions of artwork by leading Māori artists in the Wairau Māori Art Gallery.

A sculpture garden on the rooftop and surrounds will present new and exciting works by recognised and emerging New Zealand artists.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JESSIE CASSON

There is a roof garden included in the design. Can you tell us the thinking behind that?

Hundertwasser believed in living life in harmony with nature and the restoration of the natural world. The rooftop will have 4,000 locally-grown plants including native trees, fruit trees and plants with medicinal qualities. It will be home to one of the rarest (and possibly the loneliest!) plants in the world – the Three Kings Kaikōmako, with just a sole plant remaining in the wild on one of the remote islands north of Cape Rēinga.

Tawapou Coastal Natives nursery has propagated the plant from a cutting and is also growing all the other plants for the roof, which are generously donated.

journey thereafter has been complex and often controversial, ultimately resulting in a local referendum which overwhelmingly favoured the Art Centre. Construction finally began in 2018, thanks to the initiative, generosity and dedication of many volunteers, donors and sponsors.

When will it open?

Our opening festivities are set for Friday December 3 2021, and we would love the community to come down to the waterfront and be part of the fun!

The doors will open to the public the following day.

What will it look like?

The Hundertwasser Art Centre is dedicated to the legacy of painter, architectural visionary and environmentalist, Hundertwasser.

It is being constructed in harmony with Hundertwasser’s philosophy, which replaces the grid system with an organic approach of “unregulated irregularities.”

The design favours diversity over monotony and features an afforested rooftop with many trees and plants.

Over 40,000 individually cleaned and recycled bricks and three kilometres of recycled timber were used in the building’s construction. Hundreds of thousands of

Can you tell us about the Wairau Māori Art Gallery?

Wairau Māori Art Gallery provides a permanent exhibition space for contemporary Māori art – a powerful form of expression that recognises, values and contributes to the unique bicultural character of Aotearoa New Zealand. It will be the national home of contemporary Māori art. The diversity of Māori art practices today will be showcased in exhibits of nationally and internationally acclaimed art. We are excited to be working with some of the country’s leading Māori art curators such as Nigel Borrell, who will conceive and deliver the programme of exhibitions.

Will it cost to visit the Hundertwasser Art Centre and Wairau Māori Art Gallery?

As we receive no local or national government support for our operations, we are obliged to charge an entry fee in order AUTUMN 2021

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COMPASS

to maintain the programming and operation of the building, and most importantly, to deliver an outstanding experience for visitors.

What is your background?

I have a background in business in the creative arts sector, across all aspects of marketing, from broad strategy to design and branding, as well as the business of sales.

Prior to joining the project in 2019, I was Industry Director for the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada, which also runs a year-round cinema complex, hospitality and event facility. I was previously Head of Marketing at Screen Australia where I oversaw the positioning of the Australian film industry domestically and abroad.

I did the same for the New Zealand screen industry, where on behalf of the New Zealand Film Commission I handled international sales and marketing of such films as Taika Waititi’s Boy and Roger Donaldson’s The World’s Fastest Indian. I’m a local girl ‒ I grew up in Whangārei ‒ and it’s been exciting to return to Northland after many years away. It’s a really special place with stunning beaches, magical weather and lovely people.

There has been a phenomenal amount of community involvement in this project. Will those who helped get the museum built have special privileges?

Thousands of people have played an essential role in bringing the project to fruition and, so far, it’s employed over 500 people on the construction.

We acknowledge the key players, without whom we simply couldn’t have made it and are working on a membership plan to provide benefits and opportunities for our many friends and supporters.

What will the opening party be like?

The biggest celebration Whangārei has ever seen! We are working on plans for events to take place throughout the day. It’s going to be a very special occasion for many, many people.

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Click right for kids Fitting a car seat safely and correctly is a vital skill that parents need to get right.

The child restraint industry isn’t well supported at Government level. It’s often difficult to find reliable information, says an expert in child restraint safety.

Child restraint technician, trainer and assessor, Danielle Beh, founded SitTight to streamline information and has created a series of online education programmes for parents, midwifes, anti-natal class facilitators, medical and childcare centres, Auckland Transport employees and rental car companies.

The initiative and courses are backed by the AA among other organisations that understand the importance of getting babies and children travelling safely.

The catalyst for establishing SitTight stemmed from Danielle’s background owning a retail store that specialised in the hire and sale of child restraints.

“Customers who’d rented a vehicle or car seat would come into the shop, saying: ‘I don’t trust this’,” Danielle says.

In most instances, she would find that the car seat was illegal or the wrong restraint for the child. “The vehicle industry needs guidance and assistance and while the rental car company isn’t responsible for the correct fitting of a child restraint – the driver of the vehicle is – the customer can’t fulfil their obligation with the law if the right information isn’t supplied.”

Danielle wrote and produced an online training programme designed specifically for the rental vehicle industry, and from that the rest of the courses were developed.

The online courses detail car seat basics and installation for child restraints.

Other safety tips for parents and caregivers include checking if a car seat is secure by holding the seat at the belt path (where the car seat connects to the vehicle) and pulling sideways. If the restraint moves more than 2.5cm, it is not secure enough and needs to be reinstalled.

“A car seat can travel at speeds of up to 100km/h – it has to be secure,” Danielle says. “If it can be moved like that with a simple hand motion, what’s going to happen in the event of a crash?”

She encourages the use of rear-facing child restraints as well as thoroughly reading instruction manuals to ensure a child fits not just within the weight and height limits of the restraint, but also the appropriate head height and shoulder-toharness height.

“While New Zealand law states a child must be in a car restraint until they are seven years old, it’s safest to ensure they are in a seat until they are 148cm tall, which in some instances will be until they are much older,” Danielle says. “It’s also important the seat belt fits safely, otherwise it can cause further injury to a child in a crash instead of protecting them.”

See sittight.co.nz for more information including a list of national child restraint technicians who can help you install your car seat safely. Stay tuned to the AA’s Facebook; the page actively shares information on SitTight initiatives and runs regular car seat giveaways.

IMAGES COURTESY OF MOTORSPORT NZ

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MAKING A KIWI CLASSIC

When documentary maker Wayne Johnson is considering a new project, he applies certain criteria. It has to involve a great story, be educational and be inspirational.

The day Sergeant Dean Hart, an airforce technician, introduced himself with the words: “I’m building a jet car by putting a jet engine in an old top-fuelled drag car.

I want to crack the New Zealand land speed record” – he knew he had found one. He picked up his camera and, six years later, Trash 2 Dash was in the can.

The film picks up the project a few years in, in 2014, when Dean is part way through the build – a mission accomplished on a tight budget. Most of the componentry was recycled: the engine was from an old RNZAF Strikemaster aircraft and it was attached to a secondhand race car.

Not even Dean’s fireproof jumpsuit and underwear were new.

Wayne documents the end of the build, the car being fired up for the first time;

being test driven and then put through its paces at record-breaking speeds at Ohakēā airforce base.

“I knew it was a great story but I didn’t know the outcome. That’s the nature of documentary making,” says Wayne, who made it the ‘old-school way,’ with one camera and ‘zero budget.’

The documentary was released in selected cinemas nationwide in early March. For details, see the Trash2Dash Facebook page.

ASK AWAY

AA Members ask the questions and we find the answers.

Q: In 2018, we hired a car in the UK for a month. We noticed

(but they mustn’t cross the line until the light turns green).

at traffic lights there was an additional amber phase

Most drivers here have their foot on the brake with the

before the light turned from red to green. This seemed

vehicle in ‘drive’ and the ability to move off instantaneously.

very sensible as it meant motorists didn’t have to watch

Some Australian states did have the red/amber

cross lights and could instead spend time looking around

combination but have now moved away from this, probably

the intersection; alert for potential hazards. Why doesn’t

because it was perceived as “go” to those in a hurry.

New Zealand adopt the additional amber light phase?

In short, there is little evidence to suggest New Zealand’s

A: The vehicle fleet in the United Kingdom is very different to New Zealand’s and, in part, this is behind the use of the differing traffic light phases.

The difference stems from the proportion of manual vehicles. While automatic cars are far more common than they once were in the UK, they remain a significant minority. Therefore, the need for a red/amber combined signal has far more relevance in the UK than in New Zealand, as it instructs the driver to get ready to release the handbrake and engage the gear in preparation to drive away

current practice is unsafe (or conversely that the UK’s is better). Any changes would need significant consultation, would have to safely mirror the current pedestrian light phases, and there would need to be a substantive case for change, like with the Give Way Rule several years ago.

Do you have a question? It can relate to motoring, travel, insurance, finance – anything the AA covers!

Send your question to AA Directions by email to editor@aa.co.nz

AUTUMN 2021

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WIN! A YEAR OF BALLET

TOI TŪ: LISA REIHANA

The Royal New Zealand Ballet is gracing stages across Aotearoa with its mystical and magical performances that will ignite the imagination of young and old alike.

STANDING TALL

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki has been transformed into a vibrant world of modern Māori painting, sculpture, jewellery, clay-making and more in its largest exhibition ever.

Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art is described as a spirited and celebratory exhibition that marks a crucial update to the story of the art of Aotearoa. Auckland Art Gallery Director Kirsten Lacy says the artwork serves as both an aspiration and a challenge to realise a future in which contemporary Māori art continues to stand tall – toi tū – and healthy – toi ora – while reinforcing the wisdom and ideas that empower Māori and indigenous ways of knowing.

“Contemporary Māori art, like Māori culture, is nuanced, vibrant and diverse. Toi Tū Toi Ora is a crucial update to the story of the art of our country and we invite all New Zealanders to take pride in Māori creativity and to explore

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the Māori creation narrative in a new way,” she says.

The free exhibition and the first major display of its kind in nearly 20 years includes more than 300 artworks by more than 100 artists spanning 70 years.

Work explores cultural histories, Māori knowledge, identity and place by some of Aotearoa’s most significant artists including Ralph Hotere, Buck Nin, Michael Parekowhai and Lisa Reihana, to name a few.

The exhibition is accompanied by a Toi Tū Toi Ora satellite site in the Britomart precinct which includes four new public artworks by Shane Cotton, Lonnie Hutchinson, Charlotte Graham and Lyonel Grant.

See aucklandartgallery.com for more.

AA Directions is giving away three premium double subscriptions to the ballet company’s 2021 season, touring Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Napier, Palmerston North and Auckland. The winners will have two tickets to the three performances issued at their local theatre of choice, plus two refreshment vouchers and a programme voucher for each performance. The season comprises of three shows: the quintessential and romantic ballet, Giselle, Stravinsky’s Firebird with Paquita ‘brought into the 21st century’ and, just in time for Christmas, lovers, fairies, mischief and moonlight conspire in Shakespeare’s classic tale A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

To enter, send your name, address and your preferred touring town, to: A year of ballet, AA Directions, PO Box 5, Auckland 1140. Or enter online at aadirections.co.nz by April 30, 2021. See rnzb. org.nz for more information. For terms and conditions see aadirections.co.nz

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Small Town

TREASURES

Te Kauwhata Monica Tischler enjoys the country charm of a north Waikato settlement.

Rounding a curve of road off State Highway 1, a sign promises that this small town brings 'a true village experience'.

Rows of grape vines lead over railway tracks to Te Kauwhata: population c.1,400.

It’s easy to reach as it sits bang smack between two major cities, Auckland and Hamilton, roughly 40-minutes’ drive from each. The main drag is lined with a scattering of shops – all the necessities for locals including a Four Square, pharmacy,

library and vet – plus a few treasure troves: op shops, cafés, a bric-a-brac store and a gourmet food shop.

At Peplers Fine Foods we buy jams, chutneys and vinaigrettes and then indulge in the offerings at Jack’s café.

Hanging on the eatery’s wall is a collection of photographs detailing life here from the early 1900s to 1980s. Horse-drawn carts parked up at the Taniwha Creamery that closed in 1917; vintage cars lining

the main street in the 1950s; women in wide-brimmed hats and gents in white shirts and braces at the opening of the Te Kauwhata Tennis Club in the 1920s.

While the town continues its traditional role of servicing a large rural area, it’s enjoyed recent growth from the Waikato Expressway upgrade, which has shortened commuter times to and from Auckland and Hamilton. Families opt to live here for the laidback country lifestyle. A new housing development sits on the shores of picturesque Lake Waikare, and an empty site on the main street that advertises the upcoming build of a modern supermarket also signals progress.

Soil here is fruitful in the agricultural world and in viticulture, too. In the 1900s, the Government built the Te Kauwhata winery – now known as Invivo & Co – to explore whether wine could be made in the region. Yes, it can; Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are the most successful.

Back on the main street, we wander into West’s Trading Co, brimming with furniture, homewares and knick-knacks. We chat to the retailer about the lifestyle here and how the town has put on a bluebird day for its visitors.

It’s this comfortable conversation that I like about our small towns. As promised, a true village experience.

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AUTUMN 2021

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COMPASS

WATCHING THE CLOCK

Importing a vehicle has never been easier. Many cross New Zealand’s borders every month, so car buyers need to be confident the speedo is a true reflection of the distance travelled.

New network launched

AA Motoring has launched an AA Preferred Dealer Network, giving the AA seal of approval to a selection of reputable dealers nationwide.

As the AA is often asked for dealer recommendations, this initiative identifies licenced Motor Vehicle Traders with a level of service the AA backs and trusts.

“We have been very thorough in our review and selection of dealers,” AA Motoring Services General Manager Jonathan Sergel says. “We expect the dealers in the network to conduct themselves at a very high level. We need to be sure that all those in the network are reputable dealers who stand by the vehicles they sell.”

When buying from an AA Preferred Dealer, AA Members can also be assured their vehicle would have had a series of checks carried out by the AA.

“The majority of the vehicles in an AA Preferred Dealer yard will have been through an AA Appraisal, and all freshly imported vehicles will have had an AA Odometer Verified window sticker and have completed AA Entry Compliance,” Jonathan says.

AA Motoring will carry out regular inspections to ensure AA Preferred Dealers continue high levels of service, and grow the network as more dealers are accredited.

“We understand that for many motorists buying a used vehicle goes beyond choosing the make and model that best suits their needs and budget; it’s also about who to purchase from.

“We hope this quality network will help reduce those risks and avoid unpleasant surprises.”

See aa.co.nz/preferred or call 0800 500 333 for more info about the AA Preferred Dealer Network.

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When buying a used vehicle recently imported from Japan, motorists should look for an AA Odometer Verified sticker on the inside front windscreen of their vehicle which shows that it has been inspected before it left the country. These checks include examining all available service records to ensure they match the car's stated odometer reading, checking the car's history and comparing it to other information about it, and checking the car's overall condition for signs of wear that are inconsistent with the odometer reading.

The AA partners with industry specialists JEVIC, Bordercheck and Jaccana, which provide the highest standard of odometer verification on Japanese used imports.

Used cars entering New Zealand from a country other than Japan often have very little information available about their history.

People looking to buy a used car should be aware that vehicles already registered and used on New Zealand roads can also have incorrect odometer readings.

AA Motoring Services General Manager Jonathan Sergel recommends car buyers purchase an online AA Vehicle History report, which looks for regular patterns and brings up warnings if something doesn’t quite line up.

“It highlights any security interest on the vehicle that can be inherited by a new buyer and also lets you know if it has been imported as damaged. Essentially, you want to make sure the vehicle condition reflects what you would expect for the age and mileage. The newer the vehicle or the lower the kilometres, the less acceptable any defects should be,” Jonathan says.

He adds that the best way to ensure nothing is untoward about a vehicle is to buy from an AA Preferred Dealer.

Visit aa.co.nz/odometer for more about AA Odometer checks and the online Buyers Guide for used cars, and where to find an AA Preferred Dealer.

COMPASS

A flying reward AA Smartfuel is proud to partner with Qantas Frequent Flyer to provide a new way to save on travels.

A stellar show To celebrate the appearance of the Matariki constellation dazzling our night skies in July, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will put on a spine-tingling, pulse-quickening show as part of its 2021 season. Ngā Hihi O Matariki, conducted

by Gemma New and composed by Gareth Farr, is a significant new work to commemorate the light show that traditionally signalled to Māori that it was time to plant crops.

Gareth Farr says the work celebrates Matariki as an event embracing New Zealand’s past and present, and a time to think about where we are going as a nation. “I am fascinated by the fact that this constellation has such importance in many cultures around the world, and that it links us all together in the recognition of a celestial event of uniqueness and beauty,” he says. Matariki refers to both the constellation and the beginning of a new year in the Māori calendar, symbolising new beginnings and humanity’s hopes for the future.

See nzso.co.nz for more.

AA Members and AA Smartfuel customers have been saving at the fuel pump for almost a decade. Now they can also choose from a range of rewards with Qantas Frequent Flyer.

“You can now link your Qantas Frequent Flyer account to your AA Smartfuel account and instantly turn some or all of your AA Smartfuel discounts into Qantas Points,” AA Smartfuel Managing Director Scott Fitchett says.

“Qantas Points can be used to book domestic flights with Jetstar and international flights with Qantas or more than 50 premium airline partners around the world.

You can also use Qantas Points to book accommodation through Qantas Hotels, or treat yourself to the thousands of products available on the Qantas Rewards Store.”

Scott says while the country’s borders are currently closed, New Zealanders are finding now is the perfect time to explore their country.

“This new partnership will help make travel more accessible for Kiwis and allow them to connect with family and friends or support local tourism

operators, by using their Qantas Points to book domestic Jetstar flights to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown.”

The move is about giving Kiwis more choice, Scott says.

“Fuel discounts at our fuel partners bp and GAS are still extremely popular; we’re simply wanting to give customers other options for how they can redeem the AA Smartfuel discounts they earn.”

Earn 15 Qantas Points for every 1 cent per litre AA Smartfuel discount that you convert. To celebrate the launch, Qantas Frequent Flyer is waiving the joining fee for AA Members and AA Smartfuel customers – a saving of $60.

See aasmartfuel.co.nz for more info about converting AA Smartfuel discounts to Qantas Points.

169

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SAVE $20 Buying a used car?

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Book online aa.co.nz/ppi or call 0800 500 333

Vehicle experts you can trust AUTUMN 2021

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COMPASS

PAUSE IN PROGRESS

Drivers on either their learners or restricted licence are being urged to book well in advance for a practical test, undertaken

by Waka Kotahi (NZTA) endorsed Testing Officers employed by VTNZ. In some parts of the country, those wanting to advance through the graduated driver licensing scheme are facing frustration as there can be a wait of several weeks for drivers seeking the mandatory practical test.

Historically, many New Zealand drivers have become stalled on their restricted licence and not taken the full licence test.

Statistically, drivers on their full licence are involved in fewer crashes than those on their restricted, so to encourage drivers to progress, the Government limited the period they could remain on their restricted licence to five years. That was extended by two years to allow those affected by the new restriction to catch up, but that extension is now coming to an end, creating the current bottleneck.

General Manager AA Driving School Roger Venn suggests drivers book early for their practical test. He also recommends using the wait time to practice behind the wheel as much as possible and also to consider taking professional lessons ‒ not only to increase their chances of a first-time pass for either the restricted or full test, but also to enhance their overall driving skills and risk awareness.

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This one is for the kids in your life.

AA Directions is giving away a Torpedo7-branded children’s bike valued at up to $429.99 to celebrate the new partnership between the AA and Torpedo7, New Zealand’s leading outdoor store.

To enter, send your name and address to: Two wheels, AA Directions, PO Box 5, Auckland 1140 or online, at aadirections.co.nz by April 30, 2021.

The winner can select their prize from the range of 14- to 24-inch bikes at their nearest Torpedo7 store and Torpedo7 will arrange delivery. Terms and conditions apply. See aadirections.co.nz for more.

AA Members can now receive a free yearly comprehensive bicycle safety check at Torpedo7’s 21 stores nationwide. Valued at $79, it includes a check and tune of a bike’s gears, chain, brakes and pads, tyres, hubs, housing and cables, spokes, pulleys and more by a fully qualified Torpedo7 bike mechanic. New Member Benefits also include discounts of 20% on Torpedo7 branded gear, including bikes, camping, water, snow, fitness and outdoor gear, and 10% on all other brands (excluding bikes). See aa.co.nz/torpedo7 for full details.

COMPASS

ROAD RULES

ROAD WORKERS HEAVY MACHINERY

POTHOLES

GRAVEL SURFACE

READING THE SIGNS

ILLUSTRATION BY PHILLIP SMALL

NO ROAD MARKINGS

‘Stop and go’ controls, reduced speed limits, and signs warning of potential windscreen chips and cement splashes: roadworks are a common sight on New Zealand roads.

It’s common for motorists to disobey the temporary speed limits and other signs at roadworks sites. These signs are mandatory – not advisory – and road users not only risk fines if they exceed the temporary limit, but compromise their own safety and that of other motorists and workers.

A high number of crashes at roadworks are due to loss of control of a vehicle where speed is a contributing factor.

Motorists should always slow down and be ready to stop when approaching roadworks. Any works will be clearly signposted, with different signs warning of the various hazards.

Different temporary speed limits depend on the type of hazard. Contrary to common perception, lower speed limits aren’t just because workers may be present. There may be other hazards that are not obvious to motorists.

Temporary speed is set according to the risk. It will be set at 30km/h if road workers are present, if the road is reduced

to one lane or if there are stop/go controls, either automated or remote-controlled. Where temporary barriers physically separate road workers and traffic on open roads, speed is set to 70km/h or 80km/h. Even with these measures in place, the lower speed is needed because the lanes may have been narrowed or the alignment changed, and there is a lot of distraction off to the side.

Other hazards may include areas of road with no seal, which could catch people out – especially at night. The temporary speed limits have to consider all road users, including motorcyclists and cyclists, whose tyres have very little contact with the road, creating the potential to lose control on a patch of repair more easily than a driver of a car or larger vehicle.

Even once a road is repaired, a temporary speed limit will stay in place to help the new surface imbed, if the road markings haven’t been redone or because loose chips are present.

For windscreen glass repairs call AA Auto Glass on 0800 300 120 or see aa.co.nz

AUTUMN 2021

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FEATURE

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RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND

W

hen the chips are down, you go home. That’s what happened last year, when thousands of New Zealanders returned, many of them permanently, in a very understandable response to the global pandemic.

Other countries were harder hit, with alarming fatality rates, lockdowns impacting economies and ongoing uncertainty around social and individual futures. Given the choice, who wouldn’t opt to come back to Aotearoa? It’s not quite as easy as that, of course. We talked to a few about how the transition has been for them and asked what inspired the big decision.

UPPING STICKS and moving to the other side of the world is stressful at the best of times, but doing it at the height of a pandemic certainly adds to the challenge.

For Kiwis Jude Osborne and Matt D’Herville, coming home after 19 years living on the outskirts of London is a blessing they’re grateful for every day.

It’s been an adventure that’s required adjustment, not least for their Britishborn 10-year-old son Reuben, who even at the age of three was required to wear a shirt, tie, and formal shoes at school.

As the family emerged from Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) at the end of New Zealand’s winter to an uncertain future in their homeland, the friends they’d left behind in the UK were about to see a surge in Covid-19 cases worse than the first round.

Prior to their departure, farewell hugs with those they were leaving behind in Ruislip had been out of the question.

With social distancing still very much part of everyday life, Jude and the family had barely left their two-bedroom flat for five months.

“It was like the country we lived in got cancelled,” says graphic designer and art director Jude, who worked for Publicis, one of the world’s largest communications groups. “We’d had good lives, a good network of friends, and the city was a 15-minute train ride away.

Matt had a great job carrying out technical and audio-visual elements of large corporate and live events all over Europe, my work was going really well, and Reuben had good friends and was settled at school. But the timing was right to come home. We’ve got family here and felt strongly it was time to embrace that.

We’d always intended to bring Reuben here for some of his childhood because there are more opportunities for children, and a better quality of education.”

AUTUMN 2021

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FEATURE

The couple had started planning to return to New Zealand a couple of years ago, until a sale on their house fell through. Fortunately, just as news of Covid-19 was developing, a friend’s mother approached them because she wanted to move nearer her grandchildren. Despite various restrictions and a lockdown, the sale went through.

Packing the 40-foot container was emotional, and a complication with the travel plans of the family’s beloved cat meant Jude’s departure was delayed, leaving Matt and Reuben to sit out MIQ in August without her. They’d already travelled on to Matt’s childhood home in Nelson – the city they’d dreamed of settling in – when Jude finally arrived in September.

“I felt very grateful to be allowed to come home and was incredibly impressed with the managed quarantine,” she says.

Reunited, the family enjoyed the freedoms their new lives afforded through the Antipodean summer,

with lots of outdoor time. They watched on in horror, though, as their friends back in the UK went into even tighter lockdown post-Christmas.

Matt secured work as a handyman and is now training with a local electrical company, and to Jude’s delight, a design job came up in Nelson with cycle company Tineli.

“Coming home has more than met our expectations, but missing friends has been the hardest part of the move,” Jude says. Reuben, who started school soon after their arrival in Nelson, has still been able to catch up with buddies in the UK via Minecraft and Skype, and Jude can still be a regular at the Skype meetings with her Ruislip sewing group, time differences allowing.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TIM CUFF

It’s refreshing to come home and find that people still have that ‘can-do’ attitude and don’t overcomplicate things.”

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All keen Tae Kwon Do practitioners – Jude is a black belt and Reuben isn’t far off – they’ve joined the local club, and that, combined with relatives, has given them a solid foundation. “Family have been so supportive and helpful here,” Jude says. “Matt’s parents have done a lot to help us get established and we are very grateful for their assistance and generosity. We’ve been fortunate, too, in that we’ve met some interesting people and we’re already proud to live here.”

An imminent move into their recently purchased 1960s four-bedroom weatherboard house will help further re-establish their Kiwi roots. Just around the corner from Matt’s parents, it’s also a stone’s throw from the beach, somewhere they’ve enjoyed heading for evening strolls. Their new place is a stark contrast to their compact UK maisonette.

“It’s been shockingly easy to adapt to life back here and we feel very blessed for that,” Jude says. “It’s refreshing to come home and find that people still have that ‘can-do’ attitude and don’t overcomplicate things. Now I really appreciate that! I love being in a country with a more relaxed approach to life.

It will take us time to adjust because we were used to having to be on our toes.

This is much nicer!”

Fiona Terry

PHOTOGRAPH BY TREFOR WARD

RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND

WHEN ACTOR Jake Byrom returned to New Zealand due to the impact of Coronovirus, little did he realise the move might actually prove to be one of the best career decisions he’d ever make.

Having left Nelson for the bright lights of London to pursue his dreams of performing in the West End at the tender age of 18, it’s ironic that the Kiwi’s flight home has enabled his career to flourish. While stage doors across the globe remained firmly closed, Aotearoa emerged from lockdown as one of the very few places in the world with a thriving musical theatre scene.

Jake had been starring in the UK as Barry Gibb in the hit show Saturday Night Fever and was about to embark on an international tour when news hit of its cancellation due to the pandemic.

“I was devastated at the time, but I don’t think any of us realised how much of an issue the virus was going to become,” says Jake, now 23. After studying at the London School of Musical Theatre, he’d gone on to perform in, among others, Camelot at the London Palladium, and Rent at the Shaw Theatre, as well as starring in Creedence Clearwater Reimagined and the international tour of Summer of Love.

He arrived back in New Zealand as quarantine rules set in, and despite concerns about the future for his work, put the time in MIQ to good use, continuing to write a musical Bandits! he’d started with friends, and finishing an EP from which two singles have already been released.

In the following weeks during lockdown at his parents’ house, he began writing another musical about prominent Nelsonian Ernest Rutherford, going on to develop it further after enrolling for the final year of a Bachelor of Media Arts (Hons) at Wintec in Hamilton.

“There had been a few performers who’d ended up back in Nelson, jobless and itching for work, including someone I know who’d been in a West End show,” Jake says.

As social distancing rules relaxed he organised a workshop of Bandits! and volunteered as Co-Director of a production with Nelson Youth Theatre Company, the organisation through which his passion for musical theatre had developed. It was during this time a message arrived inviting him to work from October to January on Jersey Boys in Christchurch’s Court Theatre.

Sellout shows led to an extended schedule. “It was exciting to be on stage in front of an audience again! When there are so many other parts of the world unable to do that, it is kind of nuts when you think about it.”

Jake now has a lead role lined up in a musical at Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal, and a number of other promising opportunities are in the pipeline.

“I’m excited to see how things go in New Zealand, especially for the writing as that’s such an undiscovered scene here. There are so many amazing things to write about. Coming back makes me realise what an incredible country this is. I’ll always want to do stuff in the UK, but I’ve realised that the theatres of the West End aren’t everything. New Zealand is the place to be right now!”

Fiona Terry AUTUMN 2021

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FEATURE

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PHOTOGRAPH BY PHILLIP SIMPSON

RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND

WHEN RACHEL MORRIS came home from the United States late last year, it was with a mix of relief and sadness. She knew it was the right decision, but it was not an easy one.

Rachel had left New Zealand in 2002 for a backpacking holiday in Vietnam and, once there, landed a job working at a newspaper. A little later, she applied for the Fulbright Scholarship to attend journalism school in the United States and was accepted. The plan was to stay a couple of years, and, well, we all know how plans go.

Seventeen years later Rachel went on to become co-founder of Highline, the Huffington Post’s award-winning longform digital magazine: the go-to place for in-depth articles.

Then, towards the end of 2020, Rachel started to take more notice of something that had been percolating for some time: a desire to return to New Zealand.

“It wasn’t a sudden decision. It’s something that grows inside you.”

The catalyst for relocating came when Rachel was asked to take on the role of editor for North and South. The magazine had been a casualty of the first lockdown in 2020 but had been rescued, bought by independent publishers later in the year. The editor role was exciting.

The pandemic and the tense American political situation increased her resolve.

It was time to head home.

But moving from Washington DC, where her career had been forged, a home created and friendships fostered, was much more daunting than anticipated.

“It’s quite a big thing to leave a place you’ve called home for a long time, a place where you’ve built friendships and spent most of your working life.” Rachel says it’s a quandary. “You end up with one foot in each country.”

“The fact is,” she continues, “a country changes you. It changes the essence of who you are. And when you leave, in a sense, you leave a part of yourself behind.

You push your boat out on the water and although you’re heading home, you can

never be quite sure what to expect, how much you leave behind or the person you are going to become.

“I thought: I’ve probably only got one big move left in my life.

I asked myself, ‘Where do I want to live out the next stretch of my life? Where do I see myself permanently grounded?’”

New Zealand beckoned.

Rachel packed a container with her furniture, closed the door on Washington DC and flew towards a new life back on old home ground, to rediscover her home country, alongside a new journey of self-discovery.

“Things were quite unstable in America. It seemed hard to get people to agree on anything, whether on topics of science and the pandemic or politics.”

She arrived in New Zealand in September 2020, and, after the mandatory period of isolation, took the helm at North and South.

“When I started work, I felt immediately at home. Comfortable.

Like I’d been doing it for years.”

In the few short months since arriving, life has sped by in a blur: getting a new issue of North and South out – “It was really important to make sure our loyal readers got another copy on the shelf ” – and finding a place to stay. Then her furniture announced its arrival at the wharf. It would need a home.

Rachel spent time walking the streets, asking herself where she wanted to live, narrowing down neighbourhoods.

“There’s a lot more overt wealth in Auckland since I was here last,” she notes.

What are her immediate plans?

“I’m really looking forward to buying a car and heading out on some road trips. I want to head to the East Cape and down to the South Island. Get the feel of the country.”

Rachel has taken on the job of steering North and South into the future. It is a job that comes packed with challenges. The main difference between America and New Zealand, she notes, is size.

In the USA she thrived on the narrative style of journalism and is keen to use that story-telling style for North and South, with an underpinning of well researched, thought-provoking data. And every now and then she wants readers to “stumble across something different. Something out of the box.”

Coming back to New Zealand has turned out to be cathartic and she feels she has come back to a safe place.

“It’s been really reassuring to be in a place where there is a certain amount of stability, where people are prepared to sacrifice their individual needs for the common good. In that sense, it was a relief coming back to New Zealand.”

Chris van Ryn AUTUMN 2021

25

TO THE UNTRAINED eye, it appears simple enough: apply electrical pulses to the brain to block abnormal signals. But Aucklander Dr Viswas Dayal says Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is anything but simple. It’s why he headed to London in 2016, to do a PhD in neurology and work at London’s National Hospital for Neurology, specialising in DBS for patients with Parkinson’s Disease.

“I took advantage of recent technological advances to programme the stimulation and develop algorithms to improve clinical outcomes and reduce side effects,” Viswas says. “The overall result was positive, with dramatic improvements in many patients.”

They were the kind of opportunities he could never have had in New Zealand. The National Hospital of Neurology is the largest DBS centre in Europe, providing access to numbers of patients unseen in New Zealand, and the opportunity to explore cutting-edge research using technology that is not available here.

Even though his wasn’t the usual Kiwi kind of OE, Fijian-born Viswas still managed to play.

“I travelled a lot, including to speak at medical seminars across Europe and the United States,” he says. “I also made the most of London’s buzzing lifestyle and social scene.”

Life was good but the 37-year-old knew the ride would end sometime. “In early 2020, I reached a crossroads,” he says. “I’d finished my PhD and was looking at either coming home or finding a new job in London.

I knew I’d always come back to New Zealand at some stage, but it depended on wherever I got a job offer.”

He didn’t have to wait long: the day after Viswas was awarded his doctorate, he was offered a job at Auckland City Hospital.

“It wasn’t a hard decision to come home because I’ve always felt a sense of loyalty to New Zealand and wanted to bring back the skills I’ve gained overseas. I felt my experience could make a tangible difference here.”

Back in Auckland, he was relieved that managed isolation wasn’t as bad as he’d imagined.

“Isolation passed quicker than I expected and was far less daunting than I’d heard. The moment I walked out of isolation and threw off my mask, there was an immediate sense of liberation. My family was overjoyed to see me, knowing that this time I wasn’t here for a brief visit, but was home for good.”

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They were also relieved that their son and brother was no longer living in one of the world’s Covid-19 hotspots.

“Looking at the UK now, things have taken a turn for the worse and I can’t thank my stars enough for being able to come back to a place that I, and my envious friends and colleagues around the globe, feel is the best place to be.”

The transition hasn’t been without its speed-bumps. Viswas splits his time between Auckland City Hospital and Middlemore Hospital (in South Auckland) driving from his family's home in Albany, on the North Shore, where he’s staying until he finds a central city apartment.

“That’s one thing I’ve noticed since being back – how bad Auckland traffic is! I can spend up to three hours a day driving. I really miss the Tube... I didn’t need a car in London.”

Viswas is also missing access to the UK’s advanced medical technology.

“I’m hoping to share what I learned, but we have yet to introduce some of that DBS technology to New Zealand. It’s a bit frustrating but I’m pushing to get it as soon as possible, so we can offer our patients the best possible treatment.”

Although work is busier in Aotearoa than it was in London, Viswas admits he’s finding the pace of life more relaxed and the culture less formal.

“Overall, processes and systems in New Zealand are more efficient and adaptable. For example, I can walk into a bank with my passport, open an account and get my card issued quite quickly, whereas the bureaucracy in the UK is enormous and I had to jump through lots of hoops and had significant delays for simple processes, which was frustrating.”

His move home, he says, is permanent.

“So many Kiwis go overseas and never come back. But we’ve now got people returning, whether because of Covid-19 or other reasons, bringing with them a huge pool of talent, resources and experience which we’re able to tap into.

That’s a great thing for New Zealand.”

Sharon Stephenson

PHOTOGRAPH BY PHILLIP SIMPSON

FEATURE

RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND

AUTUMN 2021

27

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THIS ISSUE IN

MOTORING

Wheel Love

Jeff Tobin and his left-hand drive 2003 Mach 1 Mustang. if the owner had lived overseas and had the vehicle while they were there.

We wanted to be able to register latemodel enthusiast cars without having to convert them to right-hand drive, and we eventually succeeded. It was satisfying to help get this rule through for the many enthusiasts who supported the campaign.

There are a lot of cars on the road that we otherwise wouldn’t have in New Zealand if it weren’t for this law change.

I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing other enthusiasts able to drive the cars of their dreams on our roads. For me, it’s about freedom of choice.

A new perspective Understanding the responsibilities and challenges truck drivers face may help save lives on our roads.

34

Clean & green Becoming cleaner and greener will mean increased costs for Kiwi motorists. Do we mind?

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Easing the load Close to 200,000 vehicles rely on Auckland's Harbour Bridge each day. When will the city get another harbour crossing?

PHOTOGRAPH BY JESSIE CASSON

It’s an exclusive and collectable model; one of just over 2,500 Mach 1s manufactured in ‘Torch Red’ in 2003.

I imported it from the United States the year it was made. In 2004, there was an opportunity to lobby the Government to change the laws around the registration of late-model left-hand drive (LHD) vehicles in New Zealand; this car was the catalyst of it all. At the time, LHD classic cars could only be registered here if they were more than 20 years old, or

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AUTUMN 2021

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MOTORING

How can cars and trucks share the road safely?

Ben Whittacker-Cook investigates.

U

nderstanding the huge responsibilities and very specific challenges facing New Zealand’s truck drivers – and what big trucks are capable of – can help save lives on our roads. Deaths from crashes involving trucks account for 19% of the total road toll in New Zealand, according to roadsafetytruck.co.nz.

That’s way too high. There are also many non-fatal accidents and near misses involving trucks and light vehicles every day. The truth is that no one likes getting stuck behind a loaded truck, especially on a long journey with no passing lane in sight.

However, a more sympathetic understanding of how truck drivers have to respond to traffic, control the heavy weight and large size, manoeuvre the vehicle (especially at low speeds) and operate appropriately in a stressful and deadline-driven occupation can help reduce that 19%.

Trucks are a key link in our transport supply chain; it’s estimated that this mode of transport will be responsible for more than 90% of all domestic freight by 2042. It’s fair to say trucks are here to stay.

In an effort to reduce the number of accidents, trucking associations and related organisations are endeavouring to raise awareness of the rigours involved in keeping New Zealand moving – safely.

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February 2021 saw the launch of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week to acknowledge the critical role truck driving professionals play in keeping the New Zealand economy moving. Another project, Share the Road, is funded by the New Zealand Transport Agency and works to encourage positive behaviour between drivers of heavy vehicles and cyclists.

Organisations and truck safety campaigners are keen to point out that this is far from a ‘them and us’ situation.

“One of the recurring issues we face is educating non-truck drivers on blind zones and what the truck driver can’t see,” says Driver Assessor and Trainer at Rotorua Forest Haulage Jonathan Stewart.

“Car drivers assume you can see absolutely everything when you’re sitting so high in such a big vehicle but that’s not the case. Truck drivers have much less vision than you realise.

The cab has large blind zones in front, behind and along both sides, so cars and cyclists can be completely hidden. The mirrors only give the driver a narrow view directly behind the truck and vision is at its worst on the left side.”

Continuous vigilance from the driver is what keeps the near misses at just that and, while close calls are inevitable, it’s generally underestimated just how skilled New Zealand’s truckers are.

ROAD SAFETY

SAFETY FIRST

The New Zealand Trucking Association runs Share The Road and Healthy Truck Driver safety workshops; more than 37,000 participants have been through its programmes, including its flagship Safety MAN programme.

“We raise awareness through our Healthy Truck Driver programme around the importance of diet, sleep and exercise and how that links to mental health,” says Dave Boyce, Chief Executive Officer. “It’s a huge issue at present, so we’re going into our own industry and getting the drivers to look after themselves and keep an eye out for their mates. As an association, we’re so concerned that there are a lot of people who don’t have an understanding about the basic fundamentals around trucks, whether they be motorists, motorcyclists, cyclists or pedestrians.”

Part of that education process involves visiting schools, communities and events, sharing knowledge and resources and getting students into the cab to show them what drivers can and cannot see to put truck awareness front of mind for all.

“The drivers are actually keeping motorists safe because they can see what’s coming – they really understand the mistakes that motorists make,” Jonathan says. He explains that one of the hazards to look out for involves wide turns, particularly when a truck makes a left-hand turn into a driveway. “It’s one of the most common incident-makers. Because of the truck’s length, they will sit out towards the middle of the road or even on the wrong side of the road if it’s a small street, and then turn in to the left.

“However, once the truck turns, even slightly, the mirrors are no longer showing down the sides. They’re looking out the back, the truck is pointing the ‘wrong’ way, and truck drivers simply cannot see any motorists there. Some motorists might then zip up the left-hand side, which is incredibly dangerous.”

Understanding the practical problems facing truck drivers is a significant hurdle to overcome. Throw into the mix variable road, weather and light conditions, traffic volume and other drivers, and the truck driver has plenty to contend with.

“The simple fact is that a 50-tonne truck cannot stop as quickly as a car,” says Chief Executive Officer at the New Zealand Trucking Association Dave Boyce. “It’s a common sight to see a motorist come up the inside of a truck or follow very close behind one.

“The driver will keep putting their nose out to see if they can make a safe pass, but if they actually pull a little bit further back so they can see the driver’s mirrors, that means the truck can see them and be aware that they’re there.

“We’re also working hard with the motorcycling community and the key message we want to get across is that we know you’re going to pass – because you’re quick and light and nimble and all those things – but just sit far enough back so you can see the mirrors and when you’re ready to go, flick those headlights, and the driver will notice that and know that you’re coming through,” Dave says.

Learn & Live • Whatever you’re driving or riding, never travel up the left side of a turning truck.

• Motorists shouldn’t follow trucks too closely; if you can’t see their mirrors, the driver can’t see you.

• Understand that trucks are heavy and need more time than a light vehicle to slow down. Don’t pull out in front of a truck that is travelling at speed.

• A little patience goes a long way. If it’s not safe to pass a truck on the open road, wait for a passing lane.

• Cyclists should maintain control of their bike, ride predictably and ride to be seen with high-vis clothing and bike lights.

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MOTORING

three punctures in the space of six months, all of which were at highly inconvenient times and in the middle of nowhere...

You are a third generation racing driver, following your grandfather, your father and an aunt into the driver’s seat at the age of 13. How influential was that family connection?

Without it, I probably wouldn’t even be a fan of motorsport, let alone a driver.

For the first 12 years of my life it was just something cool my dad and grandad did, although I do have fond memories of the barbecues at Manfeild Circuit, which my grandparents set up near Palmerston North. Nana would treat everyone to her cheese scones and we had great camaraderie. My passion for driving came later. I didn’t compete in karting but went straight into cars at age 13.

I drove a racing car, caught the bug and the rest, as they say, is history.

T

ell us about the AA campaign you’re involved in.

We’ve created some social

media content around the theme of being ‘road trip ready.’ It highlights the convenience of being an AA Member, having access to an AA Plus Membership and AA Roadservice, should the unexpected happen.

Any tips for motorists preparing for a road trip?

Check your tyre pressure and fluids such as petrol, oil and water. And become an AA Member if you’re not already, or consider gifting a Membership to friends or family.

You have strong ties with the AA. Your grandfather, Rob Lester, was President of the Association and involved in an

AA-led young driver programme. Can you tell us more about that?

Pop was President in the 1990s and involved in the AA Driver Education Foundation in 2007, a world-first study conducted by the University of Waikato on how the frontal lobe of young people’s brains affects their driving skills. Being a racing driver, I was brought in to help with that study, working with a group of 17 year-olds over a two-week period in TaupŌ. The study was a success and is still referenced today.

When did you first sign up to the AA and have you ever needed to call on it?

It was the first thing I did after I got my learner licence, so Pop’s influence clearly rubbed off on me! I’ve had to call on the AA a few times; one year alone I had

What’s been your career highlight to date?

Winning a Porsche scholarship was special. As was becoming the world’s youngest Porsche Cups race winner when I was 17 and landing my first professional contract in Japan in 2012. I had Dad and Pop there for my first win later that season.

What do you drive as your everyday car?

A BMW 335i.

You recently became a mentor to upand-coming racing stars. What advice would you give anyone wanting to pursue their dreams?

Nothing worth having comes easily.

How has Covid-19 affected your career?

It has pretty much ruined it. I had to give up a massive 2020 contract in Japan and 2021 isn’t looking much brighter. I’m enjoying racing here in New Zealand for fun, driving an Audi and a Mustang, but it’s more hobby racing than career progression. I just have to treat it for what it is and enjoy my passion without too much thought of where it might lead. It’s a strange, strange situation.

AA Members can upgrade to AA Plus for extra benefits to help minimise the disruption of a breakdown away from home. Visit aa.co.nz/aa-plus to learn about the additional benefits of an AA Plus Membership.

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PHOTOGRAPHS SUPPLIED

New Zealand racing driver Jono Lester is accustomed to living life in the fast lane, competing internationally for podium wins behind the wheel of exotic machines including Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini and McLaren. He came home to Auckland from Japan amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

MOTORING

AA Motoring Advisor Ian Green compares a new Toyota Corolla with a ten-year-old model.

IMAGES COURTESY OF CITY MOTOR GROUP

K

iwis love the Toyota Corolla. It’s often the best-selling new car each year and is a very popular used-car choice, too. But how does the new Toyota Corolla stack up next to its older siblings? We decided to compare a 2011 Corolla with the latest model.

Our 2011 review car was a bread-andbutter GX model with classic manual transmission. It had no particularly dramatic design cues, but was goodlooking from all angles. The new, 12th generation model has had its side profile tweaked with bolder, sportier styling and a stockier stance. The most polarizing differences are in the front and rear, with a wide front grille and a larger rear diffuser. The interior of the 2011 Corolla is very practical, with everything exactly where you would expect to find it. The simple climate control dials feel like they’re mechanically connected to levers and flaps; there’s a very easy-to-decipher gauge cluster. Refreshingly, there’s also just one button on the steering wheel to cycle through the economy information.

As you may expect, technology has come a long way over the past eight years; the AM/FM radio and CD player

is nothing compared to the whiz-bang capabilities of the latest Corolla. Today’s GX model features a prominent eightinch touchscreen display, a 4.2-inch multi-info display and a six-speaker audio system with satellite navigation.

Performance-wise, the 1.8L engine in the 2011 Toyota Corolla develops 100kW at 6,000rpm. Our six-speed manual variant generated a respectable 175Nm of torque from as little as 1,800rpm; this essentially makes it an easy and forgiving manual car, even in heavy traffic or for new drivers.

The latest GX model has a 10-speed CVT transmission; it’s perhaps no surprise that no manual option is available for

today’s Corollas. Toyota also now has a GX hybrid option to choose from.

Economy-wise, the 2011 Corolla’s fuel consumption is rated at 7.3L/100km but during testing we managed to achieve an impressive 7L/100km over about 50km of mixed driving. That’s just one litre more than the very economical 2019 model.

Verdict The 2011 Toyota Corolla we tested was a good, reliable car. It embodied the classic practicality that Toyota is renowned for.

Later models have seen changes to its styling which may have reduced some of the practical aspects such as storage capacity, however the level of cuttingedge safety features on the latest Corollas are a big drawcard.

Key comparative view Make/ Model/Year

Toyota Corolla GX 2011

New Toyota Corolla GX

Original price new

$34,990

$29,990

Price used

$9,985 + ORC

N/A

Engine

1.8 2ZR-FE

2.0 M20A-FSK

Power

100kW @1800-4400rpm

125kW @6600rpm

Economy

7.3L/100km

6L/100km

Transmission

6 Speed Manual

10 Speed CVT (Only Auto)

Storage

283L

208L

Choosing a used car?

Begin by finding a vehicle that is stocked by an AA Appraised Dealer. AA Appraised used cars have received a 43-point mechanical check by the AA, focusing on the mechanical and safety aspects and giving an overall evaluation of the vehicle. Get total peace of mind with an AA Pre Purchase Inspection. See aa.co.nz/cars for more secondhand car reviews.

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MOTORING

H

ow New Zealand might meet its international climate change obligations is a hot topic. In February, the independent Climate Change Commission suggested a broad mix of policies across the whole gamut of transportation, including encouraging more electric cars and use of biofuels, more transport options and infrastructure. While it hasn’t responded fully yet, the Government has signalled it will raise the carbon price which would likely see fuel prices increasing by four cents a litre. It also plans to add a surcharge on imported vehicles that are less fuel efficient, so that over time people will be encouraged to buy more fuel efficient cars.

All of this will mean increased costs for the motoring public.

Before the last two elections (2017 and 2020) the AA surveyed Members on climate change costs. Unsurprisingly, the

* This article refers to all greenhouse gases which New Zealand is liable for under the Paris Agreement.

This includes carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. Absorption by forestry is not counted here.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

AA Members were asked to consider the cost of climate change action; Peter King reports.

CLIMATE CHANGE

big difference between the results of the two surveys was not the attitude toward climate change but the impact of Covid-19.

We asked about both grocery and fuel price increases of five percent and 25% and found sensitivity to even small price increases had grown by a third since 2017. It seems likely that Covid-19 income uncertainty had an impact on Member’s responses.

Broadly, four-fifths of AA Members support environmentalism in general, and a third consider themselves environmentalists. Support is strongest among younger and female Members and weakest among older and male Members, also depending on education and financial confidence. When asked how much action New Zealand should take on climate change, almost a third (30%) said “as much as it takes.” But here’s the thing: when asked how much those same people were willing to pay each month, given a range between $0 and $100, the average was $49. By contrast, half the Membership would not want to pay more than five percent extra for fuel.

This is where equity becomes important in the climate change problem. Statistics New Zealand income data shows younger people, and women in particular, currently earn less than older people and men so while they may be more sympathetic, there are limits to what they can afford.

That said, the impact of Covid-19 on climate change was not all bad. New Zealand saved 743,000 tonnes (about 10%) of greenhouse gas from petrol alone during lockdown and radically changed the way we thought about transport.

In 2017, few envisaged themselves using telecommunications instead of commuting, but in the 2020 survey almost half of working respondents were working from home at least one day a week. This is a significant change in outlook which could potentially reduce emissions.

Members also supported (two to one) the Government intervening in the car market with incentives for lower emitting vehicles (electric and hybrid) and disincentives for less fuel efficient vehicles. The key caveat was they want car prices to remain fair and not unduly expensive.

This policy will reduce emissions over two decades but it’s unlikely to be quick enough to meet our Paris Agreement targets, so other policies will be needed.

There was one thing Members were clearest about: they want the charges that are collected at the pump for greenhouse gas emissions to be spent on preventing

carbon emissions, or mitigating the effects of climate change, rather than funds going into the Government’s general account. This was also supported by the Climate Change Commission.

Given that each cent per litre of carbon charges added at the pump raises $58 million per year, 14 cents a litre would yield $812 million per year for the Government. Support for spending this on climate change was 75%.

This presents New Zealand with a challenge. Most people want action on climate change, but the Covid-19 recession in particular means they can’t afford much in the way of additional costs. Ideally they would find a way to travel in a way that doesn’t increase the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Nobody believes that getting to that solution is going to be easy but at least if there is funding for the task, we’ll make better progress.

The AA’s calls Transport has a vital role to play in reducing New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. No single response – be it around public transport, active modes, electric vehicles (EVs), car sharing, more efficient vehicles, carbon neutral fuels or trip substitution using telecommunications – will provide a silver bullet solution; a mix will be needed.

That said, the AA is strongly of the view that all of these solutions will require considerable investment, so the funding collected by the Government for making emissions should be spent on reducing emissions or mitigating the effects of climate change. Therefore, we call on the Government to dedicate emissions trading scheme revenues for such a purpose.

Also, while EVs will eventually form the basis of a decarbonised car fleet, the transition over the next few decades must also take other concerns such as safety into account. This will require a vehicle fleet strategy to manage the entry and exit of vehicles to the national fleet.

For more motoring advocacy and climate change stories see aadirections.co.nz AUTUMN 2021

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MOTORING

NEW TO MARKET MG ZS EV 16.98kWh /100KM Range: 262KM

There are two main stumbling blocks for people considering buying electric. The first is the range. Although the MG ZS EV is by no means class-leading, it can offer up to 263km between charges (and charges to 80% in around 45 minutes). The second issue tends to be price as, with a lot of new tech, early adopters usually pay a premium. More good news: the MG ZS EV has a sub-$50,000 price tag, retailing at $48,990 (+ORC). Plus, the fit and finish is very good so it doesn’t take long to feel at home in this zero-emission, small SUV.

KIA SORENTO Now in its fourth generation, the new Kia Sorento is a real game-changer and one of the best new SUVs to be launched in the second half of 2020. It has undergone quite a change since the last model – it’s the first to be based on Kia’s large SUV platform and is now grown up enough to compete with some of the luxury SUV marques on the market. The new Sorento features advanced safety technologies, has seven seats and AWD systems designed to take families on safe, comfortable adventures.

Priced from $59,990.

ISUZU D-MAX One of the surprise vehicles released this year was the D-Max. Isuzu has gone all out and transitioned from budget-priced, tough work utility to one more refined, more tech-laden, more advanced in safety and more expensive than earlier generations. And the D-Max lives up to the task, performing exceptionally well both on and off the road. It has gained a very impressive 5-Star ANCAP safety rating due to the screeds of newly-adopted safety features and assists, and is priced from $49,990.

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NEW TO MARKET

TOYOTA YARIS HYBRID The new generation Yaris line-up is quite expansive, including a standard Yaris hatch, a GR (Gazoo Racing) hot hatch and now Yaris Cross SUV and Hybrid variants.

We all know Toyota is a master when it comes to hybrid; the Yaris is just the latest to receive the fuel efficient technology. Its compact, lithium-ion battery and electric motor combination provides a zesty ride and decent torque around town, with the new engine developing 85kW of combined power and extremely good combined fuel consumption of just 3.3L/100km. The Yaris Hybrid is priced from $27,990.

AUDI RS Q3 The Q3 sits well in the SUV class and ticks all the right boxes, but car buyers who want to smash the boxes and go all-out should get behind the wheel of the new Audi RS Q3. This is a smaller SUV that really packs a punch. It’s beautiful to look at outside and in, with its RS fine touches and Nappa leather; it’s functional, fast and, best of all, has that great turbo 5-cylinder exhaust note.

The price for the RS Q3 is from $111,900.

PORSCHE TAYCAN EV 25.98kWh /100KM Range: 381KM

www.ancap.com.au

BUYING A NEW CAR? Get advice from the experts.

The AA Motoring Services team test-drives new models and makes of car.

Their detailed, impartial reports are available at aa.co.nz in the cars section, along with ANCAP safety ratings.

EVs are slowly filling up the different vehicle classes to suit a range of buyers, but to have a sports car EV from Porsche surely takes the cake. The Turkish name Taycan, pronounced ‘tie con,’ roughly translates to ‘soul of a spirited young horse’ which sums it up well.

This car can accelerate lightning fast and handles like it’s on rails, all in true Porsche fashion. The Taycan EV is 100% electric and when connected to a hypercharger can achieve up to 80% charge in just 22.5 minutes. It’s priced from $289,000.

Fuel economy ratings apply to the models illustrated. To compare fuel efficiency ratings across other vehicles, go to: energywise.govt.nz/VFEL AUTUMN 2021

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MOTORING

Barney Irvine looks at Auckland’s reliance on its harbour bridge.

I

t was the closest thing to ‘carmageddon’ that Auckland had ever seen. In September last year, a truck accident on the Auckland Harbour Bridge damaged part of the bridge’s central structure, forcing a partial closure. The disruption lasted for weeks (in spite of a remarkably quick and effective

1959

The four-lane Auckland Harbour Bridge opens, crossing the Waitematā Harbour connecting St Mary’s Bay on the city side with Northcote on the North Shore.

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repair job by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency), bringing Auckland’s transport network to its knees.

The incident highlighted the fragility of the bridge, and what that fragility means for the wider transport network.

Over 170,000 vehicles rely on the bridge to get across the harbour each day, and when something goes wrong, it goes

1965

Official reports show the volume of traffic using the Harbour Bridge is three times the original forecast.

1969

Two-lane extensions (“clip-ons”) are added to each side of the original bridge.

badly wrong. It also turned up the heat on a debate that has been raging for almost as long as the bridge has been in operation: when will Auckland get another Waitematā Harbour crossing?

When the bridge was built in 1959, the design was scaled back to just four lanes from the five or six that were originally proposed. Leaders at the time sought to keep costs down, and massively underestimated the number of vehicles that would be using the new crossing.

As soon as the bridge opened, new suburbs began growing like topsy on the North Shore; within ten years the number of lanes on the bridge had to be doubled to eight.

As the volume of traffic has increased, the structure of the bridge has struggled to cope, in spite of extensive

1984

The bridge toll is discontinued, as construction costs are paid off.

1990

A moveable concrete median barrier is introduced, along with specially designed barrier transfer machines.

Ahead of morning and afternoon rush-hours, the barrier is moved by one lane to create extra space for peak traffic, and ease congestion.

AUCKLAND TRAFFIC

What’s the AA’s view?

strengthening work. Heavy trucks were banned from using the outside lanes in 2007 (until strengthening was completed in 2009), and it’s a question of when, not if, further truck restrictions will be needed.

Meanwhile, the success of the Northern Busway (which is now approaching capacity) highlights the opportunity that was missed when a dedicated public transport connection was left out of the original design.

Auckland is also facing a highly complex and expensive process of retro-fitting the bridge with a walking and cycling connection (the project now called the Northern Pathway), because none was provided back in 1959.

So when will Auckland get a new crossing and what sort of crossing will

2003

Tourism operator AJ Hackett launches the bridge climb and bungy jump from the bridge.

it be? The current plan is to construct both a new rail crossing and a new road crossing close to the existing bridge.

The Government says that some form of rail crossing will be needed by the mid-2030s and that a road crossing will be needed a decade after that.

But no decisions have been made on whether the crossings will be bridges or tunnels, whether they’ll be built together or separately, or how they’ll dovetail with wider planning for Auckland's public transport and cycling networks.

All of that will come out of a business case the Government is currently working through, the next stage of which will get underway later this year.

Whatever the approach, the costs will be astronomical. A combined road and rail tunnel would cost at least $10 billion.

2007-2009

Trucks restricted to using centre lanes while clip-ons are strengthened.

2020

High winds cause a truck to tip over, crashing into the bridge structure and damaging it; city-wide traffic chaos ensues.

It’s too early to call for specific options or approaches but it’s clear that the crossing (or crossings, if done separately) will need to cater to all modes of transport – road, rail, walking and cycling. In a recent survey of AA Members (which garnered 500 responses), 39% of those who answered felt that road and rail should be built at the same time, ahead of 38% who felt that rail should come first and just 17% who felt that road should come first.

It’s also clear that the situation needs to be resolved as soon as possible – i.e. in 10-15 years, which is the fastest that a project of this scale can be built, not in 30-plus. That means the options need to be worked through with real urgency.

But it doesn’t mean rushing to a decision. This is a once-in-a-century project; we need to take time to review all the options and make sure we’re getting maximum benefit.

For instance, if the road and rail crossings were built separately, how feasible would it be to locate the road component further to the east or west of the bridge, in a completely different transport corridor? The route that Waka Kotahi has previously put forward – between Esmonde Road and Wynyard Quarter – would connect with badly clogged parts of the motorway network, both at the northern and southern ends.

Designing the crossing to bypass that congestion, rather than just providing another way across the harbour might be the only way to achieve a step-change in terms of traffic flows and the resilience of the network, which is what most people want and expect from the project. But it would come at a much higher cost.

More than anything, we need to learn from the mistakes of the past.

We can’t let short-sightedness or extreme thriftiness stand in the way of getting it right first time.

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MOTORING

Isuzu D-Max One of the largest utes released in 2020, Isuzu has gone all out and transitioned from cheap, tough work utility vehicle to one that’s refined and full of tech, albeit at a higher price. A large array of safety features are added as standard across the range and there are an impressive 105 different configurations to choose from to get the ute you want. We love the fit and finish of the D-Max. It has a great balance of on- and off-road poise and capability and also has a better turning circle than most other utes on the market.

Mazda CX-30

Peugeot 2008

Hyundai i30 N Fastback

Peugeot used its best weapon – style – to create an SUV for an excellent price ($33,990 + On Road Costs – ORC) using a Common Modular Platform before adding its compelling design. The end result: a compact SUV that stands out from the crowd in a competitive market.

The exterior has triangular accents, a bold grille and claw-like tail lights.

The signature ‘i-Cockpit’ features a high-end futuristic 3D instrument cluster that must be seen to be believed.

Coco Chanel once said: “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” The 2008 does just that.

Based on the i30 N hot hatch, the new Fastback has that special something that gives it an edge. Aside from the obvious coupe-like rear, the Fastback adds more space, a sunroof, a higher spec and comfort-focused ride. The i30 N Fastback appeals to the sophisticated sports car buyer; it’s seriously fun, looks outstanding and is priced competitively at under $60,000 (before ORC).

Toyota Yaris GX Hybrid The pint-sized Yaris was well overdue for a refresh but it was worth the wait.

The Japanese manufacturer gave us far more than we expected, and now offers the Yaris in multiple variants. The standout is the entry-level GX Hybrid – a sub$30,000 hatch with outstanding frugality; it consumes just 3.3-litres over 100km.

Volkswagen Multivan Cruise T6.1 We were very impressed with the VW Multivan Cruise, which raises the bar when it comes to passenger transport.

It includes a host of enticing safety aids as standard, such as Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping Assist.

The true stars of the show with this retro reincarnation are its rear seats which can be rotated to face each other, and the foldaway circular table that’s perfect for card games, a picnic, or even an occasional home office while on the move.

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MINI EV One of the funner cars we drove in 2020 was the MINI Electric. MINI has always been renowned for its excitement on the road and for its go kart feeling, and this isn’t lost in the emissions-free package.

Oh what fun we had on our launch test!

This car is thrilling to drive, goes very fast and looks outstanding. The claimed range sits around 233km and, at $59,990, it comes at a lower price point than the extremely popular Nissan Leaf.

Kia Sorento Perhaps one of the best new SUVs to be launched on the back of 2020 is the fourthgeneration Kia Sorento. Paired with a larger body to maximise cargo space, the new platform ensures the Sorento is one of the most versatile and spacious three-row SUVs on the market, providing ample room for seven occupants and their luggage. We enjoyed this one because it’s big, looks great, is easy to drive and has some pretty cool technology.

The Mazda CX-30 is a compact SUV that sits between two of Mazda’s other SUVs – the CX-3 and CX-5. Its build quality and good looks made the crossover one of our favourite cars to drive in 2020.

Four variants are on offer, from the FWD GSX to the AWD Takami, which boasts a new system combining petrol and diesel technologies to help create the ‘ideal combustion engine.’ We tested all of the variants and each was a pleasure to drive.

Mercedes-Benz GLB 250 The seven-seat Mercedes-Benz GLB was our pick of the best luxury SUVs for 2020.

The GLB is designed to sit between the smaller GLA and the larger GLC and has a tall, boxy look that equates to excellent driver visibility. As you might expect from Mercedes, the GLB 250 comes kitted out with all the latest mod cons including a superb infotainment system and wireless phone charging as standard.

The two-litre inline-four turbocharged engine is paired to an 8G-DCT eightspeed transmission that powers the 4MATIC AWD system.

MG ZS EV MG Motor New Zealand cut the price of the MG ZS EV before deliveries began, with the idea of attracting more New Zealanders to EV technology. With a sub$50,000 price tag and a claimed range of 263km on a full charge, this mediumsized SUV certainly has the potential to tempt buyers over to the ‘green side.’ The cabin is well equipped, with heated front seats and an electric adjustable driver’s seat. The 44.5kWh battery creates 105kW of power and 353Nm of torque, and allows the 1,966kg car to get from zero to 100km/h in just 8.2 seconds.

See aa.co.nz/cars for more car reviews.

IMAGE COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Despite the many struggles 2020 presented, AA Motoring experts managed to test more than 65 new cars. Here are the 10 standout new cars for 2020.

art

NORTHLAND Tutukākā

Take the road less travelled Unexpected journeys between Auckland and Northland

aatraveller.co.nz

AUCKLAND Matakana

Top Spot Jordan Watson aka ‘How to Dad’ has amassed more than a million YouTube subscribers with his funny videos on navigating parenthood.

His top spot to holiday is Port Waikato on the North Island’s west coast.

MY OLD MAN lives here. He bought a bach about seven years ago near Sunset Beach, which we all refer to as ‘Port.’ As a child, I holidayed at the local camping ground for close to 20 years but now Dad’s place has become its own mini campsite for the summer holidays. It’s religion for my siblings and me and all our kids to pitch tents on his lawn. Port is at the mouth of the Waikato River and there are sand dunes that make you feel like you’re in the desert, a great surf beach and good fishing spots, too. The kids can ride freely on their bikes and we enjoy boogie board trips, fish and chip trips, ice cream trips... I got married there in 2012 which was fantastically laid back. I love the roughness of Port. I love observing out-of-towners turn up in the summer not wearing jandals and burning the soles of their feet on the hot black sand.

Watch Jordan’s videos at youtube.com by searching ‘How to DAD'

THIS ISSUE IN

TRAVELLER

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Winterless North Journeying from Auckland to Northland allows for an easy dose of sunshine and good times.

56 PHOTOGRAPH CLAIRE MOSSONG

Bells & whistles

On board the famous TranzAlpine rail experience is luxury travel at its finest.

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Learning curve

A Wairarapa road trip reveals stunning scenery and surprising details of New Zealand's history.

AUTUMN 2021

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TRAVELLER

Whether it’s a day trip from Auckland, a long weekend to one of Northland’s coastal attractions or a few days spent in luxury with views of a stunning, wild beach – a road trip north from the big city will take you somewhere surprising.

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AUCKLAND–NORTHLAND

THIS PAGE: Sunrise at Tahi, a Pataua North farm which is the focus of a restoration project. NEXT PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Beekeepers at Tahi; Sup Bro stand-up boards at Horseshoe Bay, Matapouri; accommodation at Tahi; leaping in at Poor Knights Islands.

Exploring Tutukākā

Mary de Ruyter finds a piece of Northland coastline that's being well cared for.

‘T

ake only pictures, leave only footprints.’ When applied to the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, this mantra for responsible travel could easily become, ‘Take only pictures, leave only bubbles.

And squeals of joy as you encounter an incredible underwater world.’

This year marks four decades since part of the Poor Knights Islands, 24km off Northland’s Tutukākā Coast, became New Zealand’s second marine reserve.

The 1981 edict was expanded in 1998 to protect all the islands and surrounding ocean, 800m out to sea. The area has long been a mecca for divers; the late Jacques Cousteau, who knew a thing or two about the sea, rated it as one of his top-10 dive spots worldwide.

As part of exploring what’s sustainable, local and natural on the Tutukākā Coast, we sign up for Dive! Tutukaka’s Perfect Day trip. During the hour-long voyage out, we learn about the hapū, the way of life, for those who lived on the islands until a massacre in the 1820s. Today, the Poor Knights are managed by Ngātiwai and the Department of Conservation, and are the only nesting place of Buller’s shearwaters.

We nestle into one of Aorangi Island’s curves, parched cliffs of tan and grey looming overhead, pōhutukawa clinging to the sides. It’s time to play. As well as snorkelling gear, there are stand-up paddleboards, sit-on kayaks, and a large floating mat on which kids can lark about.

The water is remarkably clear.

Over by a large arch, hundreds of fish swirl in underwater dances and feed off rock surfaces. Shimmers of silver and blue, yellow and black, a mass of energy.

I lift my head above the water for a few seconds, and when I submerge my head again, roughly 100 fish have swum startlingly close to me. They’re in their element and unafraid. I’m amazed.

Sun filters through the water, illuminating floating specks suspended like dust motes in a ray of afternoon sun.

We drift around, swimming in and out of small caves until we get cold.

As we depart, the boat noses into Rikoriko (‘shimmering light’) Cave, the largest sea cave by volume in the world; during WWII, a Japanese submarine hid here for two weeks while undergoing repairs. The cave is also famous for its acoustics; Neil Finn, Herbs and Kiri te Kanawa have all sung here. Our treat is a rackety rendition of ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ from the kids on board as the sun hits the water and reflects a sparkling gold onto the walls.

Dive! Tutukaka also runs Lodge 9, boutique accommodation that mixes a relaxed vibe and beachy, tactile comfort.

Huge piles and boardwalk planks from the old Tutukākā Marina feature in the outdoor BBQ and social area, as do the harbour’s original channel markers.

We ate off gorgeous crockery by local potter Akke Tiemersma during the generous continental breakfast.

An eating-out option is Schnappa Rock Restaurant and Bar which takes pride in using local, sustainable kaimoana, ethical meat and, where possible, vegetables from their garden.

The New Zealand negroni, featuring a Terra Sancta botanical aperitivo mixed with kawakawa, horopito, Campari and gin is a winner, too.

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Over the hill in Ngunguru, Sup Bro offers a people-powered way to explore, with stand-up paddleboard tours from Ngunguru and Matapōuri to spots only accessible by water. After a quick lesson, we push off into the Ngunguru River.

The advice about getting back on the board after falling off comes in handy within a few minutes, but the water is warm and my pride only slightly dented.

It’s calm, the only sound is the wind rippling across the water. A white-faced heron perches on a branch, impossibly elegant. We attempt to look half as poised while paddling, but fail.

Our guide directs us to Pī Manu, Ngunguru Sandspit Scenic Reserve, a finger of land sheltering Ngunguru town from the Pacific Ocean. Once the scene of a battle where Ngāpuhi and their coastal allies fought with Waikato tribes, the sandspit was threatened with development in more recent times but, after decades of work by advocates, in 2011 the Department of Conservation bought most of the sandspit.

PHOTOGRAPH BY IAIN URQUHART

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Further south along Ngunguru Bay, at Pataua North, lies an enterprise proving it’s possible to successfully balance conservation, culture, community and commerce. Tahi is a 316ha restoration project, an award-winning honey producer, an accommodation provider, and a carbon-neutral example of how business can be.

Founder Suzan Craig bought the farm in 2004. So far, she and her team have planted 349,000 native trees and all the wetlands once drained for farming have been re-established. The number of bird species has quadrupled; native fish and repiles have returned.

All profits from honey sales and accommodation go back into conservation, culture and community. The most recent awards Tahi has won were at the 2020 Sustainable Business Awards, where it topped the Restoring Nature category

and walked away with the supreme Transforming New Zealand prize.

There are three walking tracks and on the annual open day (usually the Saturday before Easter), Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday, they’re open to the public.

But if you’re staying at one of the cottages, the tracks are available year-round.

Hiwi is a 1930s roughcast two-bedroom cottage, done up in natural tones and textures to emerge as a contemporary bungalow that honours its heritage. Bifold doors and windows open to sea views and abundant birdsong. The compendium explains the myriad ways, large and small, that Tahi considers the environment, plus the many outdoor activities on offer.

And there’s Pataua North beach to visit, that golden stretch of gorgeousness where you can swim, lounge, or wander at the tide’s edge – leaving nothing but footprints that will soon be washed away.

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Kathryn Webster ventures from Auckland to Northland on a day trip.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY KATHRYN WEBSTER

D

ownstairs in the gum room we spy strings of amber-coloured beads, translucent golden bibles, carved globes, birds and busts.

Lighthouses, compete with cranes, chains and steps perch on carefully rendered rocks; elsewhere in the golden room are detailed boats and a castle.

There are hundreds of kauri gum lumps in their natural form, too – shiny and liquid-looking, streaked, smooth, flecked, some darkened by bush fires – all beautiful, glowing and filled with light.

The gum is just part of the story of The Kauri Museum – a massive, impressive project showcasing the glorious kauri tree and the history of a district which thrived on its gifts of resin and timber.

Over several galleries we learn about the gum diggers, timber milling and local early settler lives.

We wander past frozen scenes of days gone by: tables set with willow pattern china, fireside spinning wheels, mannequins posed at play, dressing for marriage, rocking cradles. Close up, we inspect colonial furniture, boats, trinkets and ornaments made from kauri. Photographs show massive trees before they were felled; others tell the stories of Matakohe families, Kaipara communities, Ōtamatea’s progress.

The evidence is fascinating. Freakishly big planks, a bush tram loaded with a log nearly eight metres in girth and at its end, its rings showing the time-line of history over the tree’s 800 years of growth. There are huge, ungainly saws and spiked poles

and models of bush dams, learning that the booming of logs as they went over the dams would have been heard for miles around. There’s a full-size sawmill, driven by steam engine – one of many examples of truly impressive engineering.

In another gallery, a boarding house has been reconstructed, providing the backdrop for more scenes of life. History moves closer to today with displays of coopering, milking sheds, workshops with small engines running pumps, lathes and other tools.

There’s a lot to absorb; some visitors take advantage of their entry ticket being valid for two days but we were on a day trip. We’d driven two hours from Auckland, stopping for coffee at Kaiwaka and secondhand shopping at Paparoa; on the way home we stopped for food at Matakohe and a swim at Wenderholm Regional Park just north of Ōrewa.

In many ways it was the perfect outing, incorporating history, culture, a little bit of retail and time on the beach.

And home before dinner.

The Kauri Museum at Matakohe, a short drive from Auckland, is a treasure trove of kauri gum samples and craft and, above, tableau recreations of the local timber industry.

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TRAVELLER Te Arai Lodge hosts, from left: Moni and partner, Doug, Kathy, Vince and Nicola Moores.

North Auckland hospitality

Monica Tischler discovers the magic of Te Arai.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT QUEREE

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here’s an immediate sense of heading somewhere special, somewhere off the beaten track en route to Te Arai Lodge.

Turning down an unmarked, gravel road off the Twin Coast Discovery Highway just shy of the AucklandNorthland border, there is no signage guiding guests to their destination until reaching the lodge itself.

Ascending the driveway and rounding a bend, we’re greeted by a family standing at the front door. Welcoming us is the Moores family, lodge owners Vince and Kathy and their children Nicola and Doug.

Bags are taken care of and we’re shown the lay of the land. From the balcony off the kitchen and lounge area is a sweeping view to the Brynderwyn Hills. A ribbon of cobalt blue wraps around the horizon, framing the jagged peaks of Whangārei Heads, golden sand dunes of Te Arai beach, Poor Knight Islands and 20 acres of ancient podocarp forest and native bush: our playground for the weekend.

The iridescent white sand coastline of Te Arai is a treasure. Accessible from another unassuming gravel road, it’s on the edge of a regional park where endangered New Zealand fairy tern and Northern New Zealand dotterel live.

Children splash in gentle waves fizzing on the shoreline; a lone yogi salutes the sun further along the coast.

Experienced surfers carve along lengthy swells; learners sharpen their skills under the guidance of the local surf school, and a solitary silhouette reads a book overlooking a little keyhole cove.

The sleepy east coast settlement is set to be injected with new life and energy from the construction of multiple substantial houses across more than 550 acres in Te Arai Estate & Truffiere.

At the heart of the estate is New Zealand’s

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY MONICA TISCHLER

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largest truffle plantation with more than 17 hectares growing périgord black truffles. Alongside the new development is the construction of two more golf courses by an American billionaire, in addition to the world-renowned 18-hole course – Tara Iti. In the meantime, I am grateful for the slower pace.

We drive to nearby ‘Magical Mangawhai’ where the weekend market is on. Laden with punnets of fresh berries and other produce, we make our way to the irresistible chocolatier, Bennetts of Mangawhai, tucked inside a European-style courtyard, to sample more of the local wares.

The tide is low, allowing access to the Mangawhai Coastal Walk track. Rated as one of DOC’s Top Ten Short Walks, the nine-kilometre trail delights with mesmerising vistas around every corner.

Turquoise cove after emerald bay leads to a pebbled beach complete with a hole-in-the-rock archway. We journey a short distance further north to The Cove – a charming eatery overlooking Waipū beach – to replenish energy levels.

Back at Te Arai Lodge, Nicola and Kathy are busy in the garden, picking produce for tonight’s menu.

Sustainability and organic garden-totable dining are principles the family holds dear; rather than using toxic chemicals, Vince spends hours each week weeding the grounds and gardens.

He tells us that upon settling on the piece of land and building the vision for the lodge, the family embarked on a pest eradication initiative, trapping possums, stoats and rats. The efforts paid off, with

the regeneration of native birdlife; kōtare, kererū, tūī, ruru and kiwi now thrive in the region. In fact, we’re woken in the depths of inky morning darkness to the shrill calls of a kiwi.

We get to know our hosts like friends and learn each family member plays an integral role at the lodge. At the helm is Vince – a chef by trade but an entrepreneur by nature, with a passion for projects, having built and designed a number of properties with the lodge being the crowning glory. Nicola has inherited her father’s culinary skills; the trained chef can often be found preparing meals for guests in the open plan kitchen. She’s working on a cookbook to showcase her creations. Kathy’s vocation is instructing yoga, pilates and tai chi. Doug has followed in his mother’s footsteps, teaching yoga to guests in the studio overlooking the lodge’s swimming pool.

We devour nibbles and chat to other guests before breaking off into our own parties to dine at one of the many picturesque spots around the lodge. We choose to be nestled inside a glasshouse, with the sweet perfume of tomato vines.

When it’s time to go, the family bids us farewell in the same way they greeted us – wearing warm smiles and casting big, exuberant waves.

A WORD OF THANKS The writer stayed courtesy of Te Arai Lodge.

See tearailodge.co.nz for more.

Tutukaka

Paparoa Matakohe

Kaiwaka Te Arai

Take the roads less travelled between Auckland and Northland.

Visit aatraveller.co.nz to find new itineraries, special AA Member offers, Must-Do's and other highlights to explore on your next road trip.

Wenderholm Trip 1 Trip 2

AUCKLAND

Trip 3

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TRAVELLER

Fiona Terry takes her entire family on the dog-friendly Nydia Track. For more stories on travelling with dogs see p.54-55.

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TRAVELLING WITH DOGS

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TIM CUFF

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eaving our youngest family member behind when we’ve ventured off on multi-day tramps has always felt a little unfair. Despite having shorter legs than us, we knew the energetic five-year-old would have loved some great walks, but would never have been welcome.

So we were excited to discover a 27-km trail in the Marlborough Sounds on which she could join us for a two-day trek. What’s more, on hearing about our youngster, managers at the midway On The Track Lodge, Adrian and Kayla, were happy to accommodate the whole family. Our border collie Willow was finally in for a pooch-perfect treat.

Transport was sorted to and from our car, parked in quaint Havelock, by Link Bus owner-operator Helen Coleman, who’s well used to ferrying trampers with their four-legged friends to the start and from the finish of the Nydia Track in the stunning Pelorus Sound.

Together with two other trampers, our family of five boarded her immaculate Ford Transit for the 30-minute transfer to Kaiuma Bay. I remembered a similar sense of trepidation when taking toddlers to a restaurant and hoping for best behaviour, but by the time we’d reached the trail, Willow had got off to a great start, sitting contentedly through the winding half-hour drive.

It was only 10am but already 24 degrees as we set off across the meadow.

The recently mown path led into a shady expanse of native bush. There were definite advantages to being the leash-holder of an energetic puller when heading uphill with backpacks. Our bags were comparatively light though, since an advantage of staying at On The Track Lodge was not needing to carry food or sleeping bags.

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The off-grid gem, only accessible via the path or water, offers a variety of accommodation, including cute wooden two-storey cabins and a masterfully converted en-suite 1930s train carriage. sniffing experience for Willow. With our Department of Conservation dog permit she was able to enjoy running alongside us, at times testing the five-metre-long retractable lead we’d bought especially for the occasion. A carpet of pine needles and beech leaves cushioned paws as the path wound through the forest and passed over small bridges crossing bubbling streams.

So dense was the cover I’d almost forgotten how sunny the day was until, in parts, ferns were highlighted by long shafts of sunlight through gaps in the canopy. Giant trunks of beech were wrapped in vertical spindly, vine-like roots sent down by lofty epiphytes.

As the path steepened towards the saddle, Willow remained fleet-footed and far more interested in an edible treat at the top than the magnificent views that captivated us. It was our first tantalizing glimpse of the almost glacial blue waters of Nydia Bay.

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Over the saddle, the cacophony of cicadas must have been tough on an animal with such sensitive hearing, but our hound still seemed thrilled to be part of the gang as we passed through kānuka and neck-craning beech. We emerged into a rolling meadow, where a thick veil of bees circled above colourful hives at the fence line.

After crossing the stile at the Sound’s edge in Nydia Bay, it took less than 20 minutes to reach the rustically stylish On The Track Lodge. We were greeted on the deck by manager Adrian, who delivered cups of tea and homemade muffins, while Willow was offered a cooling drink and pats from fellow manager Kayla. The off-grid gem, only accessible via the path or water, offers a variety of accommodation, including cute wooden two-storey cabins and a masterfully converted en-suite 1930s train carriage. We were booked into the yurt ‒ glamping at its best! Inside,

TRAVELLING WITH DOGS

this immaculate circular structure was bright, fresh and spacious. Wooden beds were decked out with comfy mattresses and plump pillows sporting crisp white linen, and the colourful curtains picked up the accents of the beautiful russets and reds of the grain in the varnished wooden floor.

We were staying two nights, for a rest day in the middle of our trek, to enjoy the idyllic location and make the most of the accommodation’s facilities, including kayaks and paddleboards, hammocks, and muscle-soothing hot tub. At every turn there were surprising and delightful details – decorative shells inlaid into the flooring of the bathrooms, carved animals in the deck’s timbers, beach-combed bottles used to help create ornate structures in the least likely places. Love, energy and creativity had clearly been poured into this tranquil and welcoming place.

Holidaying canines are regularly welcomed by the lodge’s resident Jack Russell terrier, Bob Dylan, happy to share his territory, and even his bunk room, although on this occasion he’d been taken on his own holiday. To our surprise, our usually indoor hound happily bedded down on the veranda outside our yurt (dogs are not allowed inside the buildings), but not before she’d refuelled with her usual biscuits and the rest of us had dined on Kayla’s delicious chickpea chilli, creamy broccoli salad and mouth-watering brownies.

Though meals were provided, guests were responsible for washing their own dishes in the communal kitchen, helping create a hut-style sense of camaraderie, swapping stories and tips for where to find nearby swimming holes and offshoot walks.

One trail Tim and I followed the next day took us an hour along the old tramway to reach a pretty waterfall.

Teenagers Felix and Charlie instead stayed to keep Willow company, plunder the lodge’s extensive library and take a run to the jetty further around the bay.

That afternoon we shattered the peace with a water fight while playing on the kayaks and paddleboard. A warming soak in the bush hot tub as raindrops fell,

followed by blissfully hot showers was a perfect way to warm up before another of Kayla’s delicious meals and the best night’s sleep in a long time.

We breakfasted on eggs from the resident free-range chickens and collected picnic bags pre-prepared on our behalf.

It was rush hour at the community jetty as we set off, with a small group – including three lively dogs – gathering to board a water taxi for Havelock.

The path led around the bay up to Nydia Saddle, through lush, shady gullies with mature podocarps. One giant rimu’s trunk was so broad it would have taken the outstretched arms of at least three of us to encircle it. Throughout, Willow patrolled between the leader of our pack, back to tail-end, or beside whoever held the most promise of food.

As we descended into Duncan Bay, thick tree roots fractured the path.

This is also a mountain biking route, though in places some steps were a stretch even on foot. We passed a couple carrying collapsible chairs and fishing gear; out in the bay, a jet ski buzzed.

When Helen arrived to collect us we sank into the seats of her van, happy with our achievements but also relieved to rest and share our tales. Ironically, after the day’s 16km walk, the only one sleeping through the hour-long journey was our energetic five-year-old.

Dogs must have a permit from DOC to walk Nydia Track and must be kept on leads. Pick up a Must-Do’s Walking Guide from an AA Centre or download the digital version at aatraveller.co.nz, where you'll also find more travel ideas in Marlborough Sounds.

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Hollie Beaumont with Freddie in Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa Forest.

Changing behaviours How responsible dog owners can help keep kiwi safe, by Monica Tischler.

N

ew Zealanders love their fur babies; dog ownership has skyrocketed over the last few years. And, more than ever before, pooches are accompanying their people to the bach, beach and bush as petfriendly hotels, motels, campsites and walking tracks gain popularity.

But where does that leave our vulnerable national icon? The truth is dogs and kiwi don’t mix. Dogs are the second biggest threat to the flightless bird, following stoats.

While not a silver bullet, there’s a new movement sweeping the country that’s helping to reduce the threat dogs pose

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to kiwi. Responsible owners from the tip of the North Island to the bottom of the south are enrolling their dogs in kiwi avoidance training.

Outdoor enthusiast Hollie Beaumont lives close to The Redwoods, regularly frequenting the network of trails in Rotorua’s native bush-clad Whakarewarewa Forest. When Blue Heeler Freddie joined the family in 2020, it was only natural that he’d join in the odd adventure. Hollie felt it was her duty as a responsible pet owner to have Freddie kiwi avoidance trained.

“Most of what I like doing is based outdoors. I love mountain biking and

hiking, enjoying the many tracks across the country,” she says. “It was really important for Freddie to complete the training so that he could accompany me in a way that’s safe for kiwi.”

More and more dog owners across New Zealand share the ethos, with enrolments in avoidance training surging. The nationwide programme is developed by environmental trust Kiwis for kiwi, in partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC), working to bring awareness of the critical and devastating impact dogs have on kiwi populations.

Subsequently, many private landowners as well as DOC will only grant access or provide hunting permits to those with certified kiwi avoidance trained dogs.

Blake Cole is one of close to 40 certified trainers across the country who teaches all kinds of canines, including pets like Freddie as well as hunting and farm dogs, to steer clear of kiwi in exchange for a donation from their owners.

The training regime is quick – about 15 minutes. Dogs are tempted to get close to visual props containing the bird’s scent – such as a taxidermied kiwi or a kiwi nest doused in poo and feathers – and then given a zap via a special collar. It’s a painless and effective way to stop them getting close in future, as proven when the dogs complete the course a second time round, with trainers monitoring their behaviour.

“Dogs learn incredibly quickly; as soon as they get a second whiff of the kiwi scent, you can tell they are not keen. It’s very effective,” says Blake, who facilitates trainings in the central North Island. Testing is repeated in six to 12 months with official certification granted a year later.

Blake talks about the often overlooked proximity of kiwi to highly populated areas, now closer than ever before with the number of conservation projects and environmental missions underway.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MEAD NORTON/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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“It’s a real eye-opener to learn just how close kiwi are to us,” he says. “I find pet owners want to do the right thing but they don’t quite understand the risks dogs pose. It takes just one dog to get a taste of the bird and an entire population can be wiped out in a matter of days.”

Blake says it’s important that owners understand that their dog is not ‘kiwi proof ’ once training is complete; it’s simply a tool that helps reduce the threat and gives owners a better understanding of the potential harm dogs pose in every environment where kiwi may be present, from visiting a friend’s farm to being on DOC land. The best option is to always keep dogs on leads and away from kiwi areas.

Kiwis for kiwi Executive Director Michelle Impey agrees, and while she encourages all owners to enrol their dogs in kiwi avoidance training, she stresses the importance of thoroughly researching a destination before embarking on a day trip or holiday with your pooch.

“Do kiwi live near where you’re headed? If so, perhaps consider leaving your dog at home altogether or booking a dog hotel,” she says. “And just like the All Blacks need to keep training to stay in shape, dogs also need to be trained regularly so they stay on top of their kiwi aversion game.”

See kiwisforkiwi.org

Have dog, will travel

Pooch-friendly accommodation, eateries, events, beaches and walking tracks are on the increase. Here’s some pretty pawsome inspiration for your next pup day out.

• QT Hotels & Resorts in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown has launched Pup Yeah! with suites to accommodate dogs. Indulgent features include designer bedding and bowls, a pooch-approved mini bar and a decadent in-room doggy dinner menu designed by each property’s executive chef. See qthotels.com • On the first Saturday of every month, Two Mile Bay Sailing Club in Taupō holds its Dog and Grog event. Bring your dog, purchase a glass of beer or wine and you’re treated to a free pizza to woof down. See 2miletaupo.com • Lace up your running shoes and clip on their leash; the 4 Paws Marathon in Christchurch’s Bottle Lake Forest takes place September 2021.

Complete with vet checks along the way, the event is a salute to loyal, four-legged exercise allies and brings together a community of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts.

See 4pawsmarathon.co.nz See dogfriendlynewzealand.co.nz for more ideas and doc.govt.nz for tips on holidaying safely with dogs.

Bruce and Cleo in the car.

Photo courtesy of the SPCA.

ALL PAWS ABOARD Dogs can be excellent adventure companions but can be distracting in a small confined area such as a vehicle.

The SPCA advises pre-trip planning to ensure the safety of all on dog-inclusive road trips.

To keep pets safe, either use a contained crate that is well secured in the back of the car, or a harness made by a company who has carried out rigorous safety testing. Online research can help find the best ones; set up the harness following the manufacturers’ instructions.

It’s not uncommon for some dogs to experience motion sickness, particularly if they are not accustomed to travelling.

When you first introduce your pet to the vehicle, take them on shorter trips to get them familiar with car journeys, and use treats and positive reinforcement to foster a good relationship with your pet and the car. If you notice signs of motion sickness – excessive panting or drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, smacking or licking lips – then consult your vet before the next trip.

While on the road, plan regular toilet breaks for your dog and keep water on hand to avoid dehydration. Keep them on the lead when taking them to the toilet on stops. If it’s a warm day, leave the window down to keep a breeze flowing through the car. Dogs like to put their heads out the window; be mindful that if they can put their whole head out, they have enough room to jump out.

• Portable water bowls are ideal for dogs on road trips.

• Keep a lead and poo bags stored in your vehicle at all times.

• Create a road trip music playlist with soothing tunes that your animals would like too – music therapy is proven to help decrease stress and anxiety in animals.

• Extra towels are good to have in the boot, especially if the road trip includes beaches.

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Kathryn Webster takes the luxury option aboard the famous TranzAlpine.

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IMAGES COURTESY OF KIWIRAIL/KATHRYN WEBSTER

I

nitially, we couldn’t stop laughing.

The contrast between what we’d been doing and where we then landed was extreme; we reacted in a slightly hysterical way.

We’d boarded the TranzAlpine train, seated in the luxurious comfort of a Scenic Plus carriage, being presented with cheese platters laden with delicious tidbits and being asked to choose wine. The utterly professional and super-friendly stewards either didn’t notice or did a very good job of pretending not to notice our daggy clothing, damp hair and soggy shoes.

They welcomed us on board at Moana and directed us to the rail equivalent of business class; from that point on we couldn’t wipe the grins off our faces and it turned into a bit of a giggle-fest.

THE TRANZALPINE

Former Virgin International flight attendant, Gary, now keeps guests happy on board the TranzAlpine.

My sister and I had been cycling on the West Coast. After a four-day tour, we’d opted for one last burst of activity, riding a few kilometres into Moana, where we were meeting the train to get back to Christchurch. The skies had opened up, letting several days of pentup rain out in one generous flourish, and while we were equipped, we weren’t very well equipped. We got pretty wet.

In classic Kiwi fashion, it didn’t matter. Some of the other passengers in Scenic Plus had flashed-up a bit, making an occasion of this special journey, but others were casual – albeit not quite as casual as us. But we were made to feel

at home and quickly got into the right mode: enjoying the rolling beauty out the window, keeping an ear on the running commentary, chatting with the stewards and indulging in the victuals.

Our steward was Gary, formerly a flight attendant for Virgin International.

He’d been grounded, due to Covid-19, but was thoroughly enjoying this gig, looking after Scenic Plus passengers and entertaining with his charm and hilarious story-telling.

When we boarded, the TranzAlpine was already an hour into its four-anda-half hour journey across the South Island. Wide river valleys stretched away

to soft-coloured hills that steepened and folded into a rugged, mysterious distance, climbing away from the coast.

Soon, the train was climbing, too, and rounding deep-shadowed corners, edging up toward the mountains. Then we slid into the incredible Ōtira Tunnel – climbing eight and a half kilometres in darkness; everyone hushed, stilled, waiting to emerge.

At Arthur’s Pass the train stopped for a while and we climbed out to feel the cool of the air. We were right in the thick of it here – in the midst of incredible, other-worldly beauty with mountains rising around us and the sky close. Trails lead away into valleys; the landscape seemed altered by the seasons. We could sense the winter snow line and imagine the short days.

Back on board, another drink? A Kiwi beer or another wine? Thank you, yes – and more food! Canapés of New Zealand: Marlborough salmon blinis, lamb roast, tiny Kiwi bacon and egg pies. A delicious light meal of chicken on roasted vegetables.

Out the window the land revealed itself in another fashion, another channel, clearly heading east but still mountainous as we dove into several short tunnels and crossed several viaducts with views of aqua-blue rivers winding in ribbons over broad stony river beds. Down into Springfield we went, then across the plains, where rain streaked across the train windows. Rain fell in Christchurch, too – but nothing could spoil our high spirits.

The TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth is one of The Great Journeys of New Zealand.

There are two classes available on this journey – Scenic and Scenic Plus. AA Members can save 10% off the rate of the day on The Great Journeys of New Zealand Scenic trains. See aa.co.nz/travel for details.

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POINTS

in the landscape

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here is something gravitational about lighthouses. They’re the pinpoints on a map marking wild and interesting spots, rich with stories and the whiff of historic danger. However, for this road trip, I begin my journey not with a lighthouse but a windmill.

It’s impossible to miss De Molen, the full-scale replica of a 17th Century Dutch windmill, standing alongside Foxton’s main street. De Molen means ‘The Mill’ in Dutch, and the windmill still grinds

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flour today using the same technology from centuries ago.

De Molen is just part of Foxton’s Te Awahou Niuewe Stroom cultural precinct – the only tri-lingual cultural institution in New Zealand, with signage throughout the expansive museum and gallery in English, Māori and Dutch.

Exploring the exhibits, I am astonished to learn just how much influence the Dutch had in introducing the things we take for granted in New Zealand today.

Paramount in bringing exotic cheeses and cured meats to the country, they were also pioneers of New Zealand’s early coffee house culture, back in the days when tea drinking reigned supreme. I pay tribute to the culinary trailblazers by stocking up on Gouda and smoked sausage from the shop in the base of the windmill.

On the road south from Foxton I pass hand-painted signs advertising locally grown produce for sale; one advises to “toot in the driveway” for service. I buy garden-

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JO PERCIVAL

Jo Percival follows the southern coast of the North Island.

ROAD TRIP

fresh vegetables, along with a bottle of ruby-red pinot noir from the cellar door at Ōhau Wines, to make up my dinner.

At the Tiny House where I’ll be staying the night at Waikawa Beach, a trio of rabbits lollop lazily across the front lawn and I hear the rusty squawk of a pheasant in the sand dunes. As I unload my car, an elderly man walks back from the beach with a handful of toetoe and nods hello. “Someone asked me to get them for decorations,” he explains, assessing the fronds glumly.

“But they’re not looking so great. Bit mouldy,” he shrugs. “At least I tried!”

As I explore the beach, the clouds split, spilling shimmering silver streaks across the sea. The haunches of Kāpiti Island sit on the southern horizon. I retreat to the warmth of the Tiny House.

In the morning, I continue south. The navy blue Tararua Ranges lurk in my peripheral vision like a sullen teenager, draped in a grey gauze of clouds.

Heading towards Wellington City, it is aggressively wet. This is not outdoor weather. Abandoning my plan to explore the Capital’s rugged southern coast, I instead hop puddles and scuttle around hunch-shouldered pedestrians on Cuba Street to find a warm café for lunch.

I browse art galleries; spray perfume samples on my wrists and smell like a stranger to myself. On Willis Street, amidst the rumble of buses, a busker plays a haunting melody on a steel drum which resonates and fills the rainy street with a soothing, meditative calm.

The following day I head north, skirting the edge of the frothy, coffeecoloured harbour, swollen with rain.

The motorway carves through the Hutt Valley alongside the eponymous river, roiling like shiny toffee.

On the other side of the Remutaka Ranges, C’est Cheese in Featherston has been recently transformed from a tiny shop into a full-scale deli, café and cheese bar, where Remutaka Pass products are made onsite. I’m told they focus mainly on blue cheeses and washed rind, the latter created in collaboration with Martinborough wineries, using their wines to create the wash. I add a selection to the stash in my chilly bin.

Featherston is also a ‘Booktown.’ With seven bookstores, Featherston has – for its size and population – more bookstores than anywhere else in New Zealand. From English literature to military history and

OPPOSITE PAGE: The lighthouse at Castlepoint.

ABOVE: a cosy tiny house at Waikawa Beach is home for a night. LEFT: the flourgrinding mechanisms of De Molen in Foxton.

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children’s fiction, the literary bases are well covered. On this quiet morning, many of the shops are shut and I am left to squint wistfully into dark windows, vowing to come back for a weekend visit.

Arriving at Lake Ōnoke on the southern coast, the cloud thins to tepid sunshine. I pass modest baches named things like ‘Lazy Daze’ and ‘Boonsville,’ with hardy, succulent-filled gardens and driftwood borders. In the distance, Palliser Bay is a sheet of crumpled aluminium foil. The Lake Ferry Hotel is packed with tourists. I order the pub’s famous fish and chips and eat sitting next to the fire crackling in the corner.

Driving further south, small settlements cling to the rocky coast. The road is scarred by slips and washouts, with signs advising to proceed with EXTREME caution. Further along, stock graze the grass verge next to the sea, wandering placidly across the road. In Ngawi, next to the famous beachful of bulldozers, a cow munches on the hedge outside a weatherbeaten Fibrolite bach.

Foxton

Waikawa Beach

Castlepoint Lighthouse Carterton Greytown Featherston

WELLINGTON Lake Ōnoke

Visitor information

Ngawi

Wairarapa is at the heart of the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail with several boutique vineyard areas including Martinborough, where cycling cellar door

The lighthouse at Cape Palliser dressed in its distinctive red and white stripes.

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Cape Palliser Lighthouse

to cellar door is a popular way to go. For more Wairarapa travel ideas, Must-Do's, road trip itineraries and to book accommodation, see aatraveller.co.nz

Towards Cape Palliser, sheep are joined by seals lying so close to the gravel road they are at genuine risk of being run over. I open the car door and one yawns ambivalently at me from just metres away.

Finally, the lighthouse emerges as I round the last headland, its distinctive red and white stripes dwarfed by the cliffs behind it. There are 252 steps to reach the lighthouse. My fingers fizz as I climb higher, holding tightly to the wooden railing. At the top I stop to catch my breath and talk to the two maintenance workers – today’s lighthouse keepers – working on the site.

It’s lucky timing; they’re only onsite twice a year, and offer me the chance to look inside. I climb even more steps – steeper and metal – to marvel at the original Fresnel lens of the light itself. Made in England in the 1800s, its layers of beautiful carved class refract the rotating light through a glass ‘bullseye’ which generates the pattern of flashes – twice every 20 seconds – that can be seen for 26 nautical miles.

In the morning, my heart lightens as, finally, I set off into a shining blue-sky day, crystal and clear. Everything seems to shimmer, washed clean by days of rain.

My first stop in Greytown is at a cute cottage that’s home to a small chocolate factory creating remarkably innovative confectionary. Schoc Chocolates has

ROAD TRIP

Unfurling in the sunshine, Tikara Country Gardens on the outskirts of nearby Carterton is a heavenly five-acre site filled with fragrant and colourful blooms. been in business for 19 years and has perfected the art of ‘chocology’ with its award-winning flavours. I sample shards of chocolate at the counter: ‘Fennel’ has an aniseed zing. ‘Apricot and Rosemary’ evokes a Sunday roast chicken. And who would have thought that a ‘Curry and Poppadom’ flavoured chocolate could be so delicious?

Unfurling in the sunshine, Tikara Country Gardens on the outskirts of nearby Carterton is a heavenly five-acre site filled with fragrant and colourful blooms. The passion project of Mary McCullum, Tikara was established 11 years ago when Mary and her husband Bruce fell in love with the sweeping views of the Tararua Ranges and built what is now one of Wairarapa’s loveliest spots for a wander. The gardens are filled with neat rows of burgundy Japanese Maples,

magnolias, colourful lupins, irises and sweet-smelling roses that seem to be enjoying the sunny day as much as I am.

Later, I arrive at Castlepoint Holiday Park, a slice of pōhutukawa-packed, tūī-filled Kiwiana, with grandstand views of Wairarapa’s other famous lighthouse, sitting like a discarded chess piece on the headland. The beachfront site is postcardperfect, with perfectly blue sea and crisp white waves on a windless afternoon.

The pace is like molasses. Couples smile in camp chairs, soaking up the sun. A man ambles slowly back from the beach. It is comfortable, communal, convivial.

On my final morning, I explore Castlepoint’s jumble of geology.

Smooth, barnacle-crusted rocks, cracked and warped into terraces, cliffs and headlands that curve around powdery sand dunes and the shallow, tropical-

looking waters of the lagoon. I walk along the briny cliffs where gaps in the rock funnel waves in dramatic surges to fill the lagoon. Further along, seals are disguised as dark clumps of seaweed. I stop at a crevice churning with sea foam and notice a seal pup close by, watching me from the seaward edge of the cliff.

The tidal lagoon has shrunk to half its size by the time I’ve circumnavigated the white lighthouse, basked in the sunshine and drunk in the magnificent views all the way north to Cape Turnagain. I wonder if there is a lighthouse there, too.

Walking back along the hard sand I have birds in stereo – the plaintive wail of seagulls on one side, a cacophony of tūī on the other. But I have to leave, reluctantly, with sandy feet and smelling of sunshine, for the drive home.

See aatraveller.co.nz for more ideas and inspiration in the region plus other road trip itineraries.

G R E AT N Z R O A D T R I P

This year visit the

Wairarapa Discover big skies, wide valleys and small towns full of character at the heart of the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail, State Highway 2.

Just over an hour from Wellington and two and half hours from Hawke’s Bay, the Wairarapa’s diverse and interesting towns have plenty to offer: Martinborough, Greytown, Featherston, Carterton and Masterton. Close by is the spectacular Castlepoint and Cape Palliser coast.

PLENTY TO DO ON

2

VISIT US AT

www.wairarapanz.com

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Because homes break down too.

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Subscription price excludes parts and any additional labour required. See aahome.co.nz for details.

HOME & LIVING

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JESSIE CASSON

With a bit of luck and a lot of work, an Auckland couple turn a house into a home.

Home & Living

THEY ALMOST missed The One. On that particular weekend, feeling dejected in their hunt for an affordable home in Auckland, they almost didn’t bother. Fortunately, Anna and her partner Mark, found the energy to visit yet another open home and, within a week, they had bought it.

“We saw it on a Saturday and it went to auction the following Thursday,” Anna says. “We didn’t think we’d get it, but we were told to go to the auction just for the experience... and we got it!

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There was only one other bloke going for it. It was very exciting.”

Anna and Mark hunted for their first home for a year and considered about a dozen properties quite seriously.

“It was hard, we both got tired of it – and it got a bit depressing, visiting awful old houses every weekend. And we had put an offer in on another house that we’d missed out on, so we were a bit over the whole thing.”

The couple knew which pockets of Auckland’s North Shore they could afford to buy in and concentrated the search on those areas. They wanted a home with at least two bedrooms and, as Mark is a builder by trade, they wanted something with potential, something they could add to.

“Because Mark is a builder he knew how much work would be needed to make a house OK and how much money we would need to spend... it was very good to have a builder on the team, so we knew we weren’t buying a dud!”

Anna describes the house they bought as a ‘bit of a shocker.’

“It was built in the 1980s and hadn’t been updated. It was yuck and a bit daunting for me, but it has three big bedrooms, a huge deck and good views.

And a garden! It ticks lots of boxes.

“Mark knew it needed a new roof and lots more besides, but nothing insurmountable.”

They moved in August, just as Auckland was going into the localised Covid-19 lockdown. First things first: they adopted a cat. Then they got to work.

Within six months they have made the house watertight, replaced the roof, repainted the exterior walls and renovated the deck. Inside, the walls of all but two rooms have been re-jibbed, plastered and painted. They’ve removed a wall in the kitchen, extending to fit a dishwasher; the rest of the kitchen fit-out is underway now.

And they’ve taken out all the carpet and re-levelled the lounge and dining rooms before putting timber flooring down.

“The floors are oak hardwood and they look outstanding – really nice,” Anna says. “There’s just the bathroom and two bedrooms to go, now. Then the garden.”

Anna says that Mark has driven the project, treated it as he would a

professional job with a deadline. She has been chief painter and wallpaper-stripper and has enjoyed learning other DIY skills.

Lots of mates have helped and Mark’s contacts for other trade services and supplies have come in handy – another perk of being in the trade. As they’re on a tight budget, they’ve had fun scoring recycled bits and pieces, too, including a cabinet, dining room chairs and a solid wood table.

Anna concedes they got lucky, finding a three-bedroom house in an area they liked, without crippling themselves financially.

“When we were looking for a house Mark kept saying that we had to think with our heads, not our hearts. But what we ended up with is actually both – what we’re doing with the house is about heart.

“I love it more and more. And I love owning a home, the package of it, of what you can do. You can have a pet, you can decorate and knock a wall out, put your own stamp on it. It’s liberating.”

A subscription to AA Home Response gives you access to expert tradespeople 24/7, 365 days a year.

Our tradespeople can help with a range of household emergencies and will aim to be there within the hour or at a time that suits you. To find out if AA Home Response is available in your area and for your type of home, go to aahome.co.nz, call 0800 AA Home or head to your nearest AA Centre.

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HOME & LIVING

Safe SAVING

IMAGES COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

To KiwiSave or not to KiwiSave?

That is the question, writes Rob O’Neill.

HISTORICALLY LOW interest rates, booming stock markets, a property market that defies all logic – all of these developments present challenges for investors and pose serious questions for anyone planning to save for their retirement in the traditional way.

That traditional way was by putting money aside regularly into some sort of superannuation fund. Since 2007, for many of us, that has meant one of the many KiwiSaver funds on offer.

On a very basic level it is still a simple decision to join KiwiSaver; where else, for $1,042.86 invested a year would you get an immediate 50% bonus of $521.43?

That is a significant, largely risk-free, guaranteed return on investment every year. It even makes sense for anyone saving for their first home, because they can still access their savings and the subsidy for that specific purpose – as well as in cases of significant financial hardship.

But what if you want or need to save more than that minimum amount each month? Should that also go into KiwiSaver or should it be used to chase higher returns elsewhere?

To answer that question, the first consideration is your appetite for risk.

KiwiSaver is designed to accommodate different risk appetites, with funds ranging from low risk, low return options to higher risk ones with potentially (and historically) higher returns.

As a rule of thumb, your appetite for risk should diminish with age as your retirement nest egg grows and your retirement target date approaches.

The reason for this is simple; someone at 30 years of age has a lot more time to recover from their investment mistakes than someone aged 60. If you are abiding

KiwiSaver is designed to accommodate different risk appetites, with funds ranging from low risk, low return options to higher risk ones with potentially (and historically) higher returns. by that rule, KiwiSaver investors should consider moving their retirement savings progressively from high growth funds to more conservative ones over time.

Because KiwiSaver is not compulsory, however, New Zealand investors can opt to divvy up their capital into an array of different investments, each with their own risks and potential returns.

They can be in KiwiSaver, with all its benefits (not least being higher levels of regulatory oversight), as well as in other types of funds. You can also choose to invest directly in shares, property or a business of your own.

People investing outside of KiwiSaver should also consider reducing exposure to risk over time, playing safe with at least a core portion of their capital to create a financial safety net.

The fact is governments, including our own, have been ‘printing’ money for over a decade in a process called quantitative easing to stimulate economic activity.

There is a lot of money out there looking for a profitable home because interest rates are at historic lows. That flow of investment has driven up the value of all sorts of assets.

For first home buyers, surging property prices are disheartening. It is hard to keep up, let alone get ahead. The temptation to take increased risks is high. But investors should take note that it isn’t just property and stocks at historic highs, but gold as well. Traditionally, gold prices surge when people search for safety in volatile times.

That could be a warning to be wary.

It is just a decade since many nearing or already in retirement lost their life savings when the finance company sector collapsed, often for the sake of chasing just one or two per cent more in interest. Before that, back in 1987, it was the lightly regulated share market that did the damage.

For most, KiwiSaver provides a solid base for savings in reasonably transparent regulated funds. That is a combination that can help investors match risk and reward far more accurately than elsewhere.

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HOME & LIVING

How do insurance providers prepare for climate change and natural disasters?

Hamish Barwick investigates.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY PHILLIP SIMPSON

HOME & LIVING

RISING SEA LEVELS and other disasters could have a major impact on New Zealand in the future. With the Government announcing a climate emergency in December last year, how have insurance providers responded?

Chief Executive of AA Insurance, Chris Curtin, says that while it does not specifically make allowance for climate change and rising sea levels associated with it, the insurer looks at previous claims data for guidance.

“Every event is different, so when setting premium levels our pricing strategy is updated based on our claims experience,” he says.

For example, if a coastal city builds sea walls in preparation for rising sea levels, homeowners living near the ocean would be more likely to be able to buy insurance in the future. Insurance relies on many customers paying a relatively small amount in premiums to fund losses or claims, but this model only works when losses are unexpected and have a low chance of happening.

“Without mitigation, the risk of losing your home from rising sea levels may become more inevitable for some properties. If that occurs, then insurance would no longer be the solution to the problem,” Chris says.

“But if the risk of damage to the property is reduced, for example by building sea walls, this can help ensure ongoing access to insurance for losses caused by flooding. In situations where the risk wasn’t mitigated, insurance for flooding may become unavailable, but other events like fire and accidental damage may still be offered,” he says.

Considering the Government’s declaration of a climate emergency, Chris says a coordinated response between Government, councils, the insurance industry, businesses, and communities is needed for a balanced response to mitigation and adaption strategies.

“AA Insurance considers market conditions, including what a climate change emergency may mean, through our assessment of a property’s overall risk, which then helps us to calculate the appropriate price,” he says.

“There are companies that undertake modelling of risk for individual

properties throughout New Zealand, reflecting factors such as closeness to the sea, a river or slope based on local government data and other data.

“Climate change means we’re seeing more frequent and severe weather events, sea level rise and droughts. These in turn lead to flooding and fires, which impact livelihoods and properties.”

In addition, Chris says the location of property developments has an impact on how those homes may be affected by climate change. This may prompt local authorities to consider building in lower-risk locations to prevent significant costs for insurers and property owners in the future.

"For AA Insurance, this means understanding the potential risk that climate change presents and providing affordable, accessible and appropriate cover.”

It is challenging for insurers to specifically plan for all natural disasters, as they are all different and have a varying impact on customers. However, what insurers do have is experience

a customer’s insurance premium. This forward planning means that when disaster strikes, the insurer can get on with the job of helping its customers during major disasters, such as the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010-12 and the flooding in Napier last year.

One way insurance companies prepare for disasters is through reinsurance, effectively insurance for the providers of insurance. This limits the insurer’s losses and helps keep premiums affordable.

Chris explains that reinsurance transfers some of the risk from the insurer, particularly from the costs associated with a natural disaster, and places it with reinsurers who have access to large amounts of capital.

Given Wellington’s potential for earthquakes, some insurers have moved to a risk-based assessment and have raised home insurance premiums there.

Analysis from recent earthquakes are being applied to underlying earthquake models that are used to assess the risk.

Climate change means we’re seeing more frequent and severe weather events, sea level rise and droughts. These in turn lead to flooding and fires, which impact livelihoods and properties.” in dealing with natural disasters, and knowledge of how to scale-up and respond when something happens.

“We have a specific team of claims people who look after customers directly, including helping with repairs and organising temporary accommodation, should they need it,” he says.

When events are localised and damage is evident, the insurer applies mapping programmes to plot its insured properties.

“We can then proactively contact customers we suspect have been impacted. This also helps us prioritise where our event response teams need to assess damaged property,” he says.

Chris explains that data modelling for earthquakes, floods and windstorms helps to understand potential risks and likely costs from natural disasters, which is one component that contributes to

Chris says the results of these models may start to be reflected in insurance prices more broadly, as each insurer chooses how to apply this new information.

“Other insurers may also decide not to offer insurance for some particularly high-risk properties. The earthquake risk in Wellington is also a consideration for reinsurers, which will impact how much, and at what cost, insurers need to buy reinsurance. Insurers are required to ensure there is adequate cover, either in reinsurance or capital, to cover a one in 1000-year event in Wellington.”

“However, despite the uncertainty these once-in-a-lifetime events bring to the lives of Kiwis, one thing is guaranteed: the role of the insurer. And that’s to ensure we can be there for our customers before, during and after,” Chris says.

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A hands-on cookery school takes Monica Tischler on a culinary journey.

“AS A CHEF, it’s nice to have somewhere tangible, where people can see and feel what you do,” Michael Van de Elzen says as he welcomes guests onto his Muriwai property on Auckland’s beautifully wild west coast.

“There can be a perception that you’re not a chef if you don’t have a restaurant, but that is just not true.”

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While there’s no doubt the chef and restaurateur turned television celebrity isn’t short of industry experience and highly regarded credentials, he hasn’t operated from a physical establishment since selling his Auckland restaurants including Molten and, more recently, The Food Truck Garage. So Michael’s latest venture, Good From Scratch

Cookery School, is all the more special as it provides a concrete base – and a spectacular, architecturally-designed one at that.

The venture, shared with his wife Belinda (known as Bee), allows Mike to connect with people and to share his ethos of creating nutritious and seasonal meals with a farm-to-table, or seed-toplate approach.

Set on the 4ha site are gardens and orchards scattered with beehives and more than 190 trees. The grounds provide everything served at the cookery school; what’s in season dictates the menu. Orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, cider apple, plum, peach, macadamia and apricot trees provide fruits for students to learn new recipes, cooking techniques, flavour combinations and the best ways to grow seasonal food at home – all under Mike and Bee’s guidance.

Laden with woven baskets and secateurs, Bee guides us to a greenhouse framed with lilac-hued lavender hedges, where the gardener imparts secrets on keeping the soil and produce nutrient-

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MONICA TISCHLER

HOME & LIVING

HOME & LIVING

dense. The more biodiversity in a garden, she says, the less likelihood of pests; crop rotation after every harvest is also good for eliminating pests and diseases.

“We need chilli, coriander, microgreens, silver beet, rocket…”

Bee says, pausing to ensure she’s remembered everything that needs harvesting for today’s menu.

Wrapped in the warmth expelled from the fireplace in the school’s dining area and an open pizza oven in the kitchen, we lace up our aprons and rinse the produce in a polished concrete sink.

“Today is your day; you can be as involved as much or as little as you like,” Mike says. Students split into small groups; some knead the dough for yoghurt flat breads to be baked in the pizza oven, while others crack fresh eggs for the crème brûlée. We busy ourselves making lime dressing and caramelised onion jam for fresh salads, learn how to carve chicken and get tips and hints on plating-up dishes.

What’s special about the cookery school is that the techniques shared by Mike aren’t intimidating. They can be easily replicated at home, which is perhaps why we all opt for a hands-on approach.

When we come together at the banquet-style table to devour the day’s creations, Mike and Bee share the motivation behind establishing the cookery school. It’s inspired from time spent at a small luxury hotel in Ireland, where they worked before returning to New Zealand in 2003.

It took five years to find the perfect piece of land. But the minute they laid eyes on the Muriwai property – the pair laugh about not even setting foot inside the house they now share with their two school-aged daughters, Hazel and Ivy, and dog, Hector, prior to signing the deal – they knew they’d found ‘the one’. “The place almost chose us in a way,” Mike says.

They spent a further five years building the school and transforming the grounds (converting an old equestrian arena into the vegetable patch) and opened the doors early in 2020.

Hospitality seems to be in Mike and Bee’s blood; they have a way of making those who step inside their school welcome. As we’re all leaving, swapping handshakes for hugs, a student turns to Bee and Mike, exclaiming: “It feels as if I’ve known you forever.”

From the source Cooking classes are a fun way to build culinary confidence. Here’s a selection of schools around the country to tantalise the taste buds:

Homegrown Kitchen: The Nelson-based cooking workshops include insight into preserving harvests and the art of making sourdough bread.

Nourish Cooking Classes: Foodie and editor of Nourish magazine, Vicki Ravlich-Horan, opens her Hamilton home to small groups, running classes full of fun and inspiration.

The Akaroa Cooking School: Located in the quaint Canterbury township and with a healthy selection of classes on offer, the school shares recipes, cooking ideas and secrets to successful entertaining.

Kinaki Food Tours: Absorb the history of traditional Māori food harvesting – such as gathering pikopiko, kawakawa, horopito, and other native plants for both medicine and food – with a tour along the shore of Lake Rotomā, near Rotorua.

Breckenridge Lodge: The Hawke’s Bay establishment offers lessons on preparing a three-course gourmet dinner menu with ideas for matching wines. Cheers to that!

See goodfromscratch.co.nz for more details.

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Money matters

Comedian Jeremy Corbett might make money by being funny but he is dead serious about managing his finances.

DESCRIBE YOUR relationship with money.

Respectful. I've always been careful with it. I've always known that being without it makes life tough, so I’ve tried to keep a bit of it around.

Are you a spender or a saver?

I'm evolving from a saver to a spender as I age. If you save to begin with, you have the luxury of being able to spend, but you also know how hard it is to save; that makes you a boring spender, not a splurger. As a kid I was an annoying saver.

Not just money: gifts, Easter eggs, lollies, stickers, anything of 'value'. I'd wait until everyone else had used theirs and then get mine out. What a goober. My brothers stuck a Scrooge McDuck sticker on my piggy bank. They thought it was an insult.

I took it as a compliment and inspiration.

Who hasn't wanted to dive into a giant swimming pool of money? I suspect it would hurt, but it would be worth it.

PHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED

How do you like to treat yourself in ways that don’t involve big splurges?

Tech. Even a new charging cable can brighten a dark day. When it comes time to upgrade my phone I'm beside myself.

It's a big day. It only happens once every three years or so.

Who has influenced your relationship with money?

My parents initially. Somehow, they ingrained that you have to work to get money and money is important to a point. Wealthy people I have met seem to be driven by a passion for what they do, not solely by making money.

It's a happy by-product. I think that's educational. Find the thing you love doing rather than the thing that appears to offer the most money.

Has there been a particular milestone in your life (like buying your first home

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or starting a family) that’s made you reconsider your relationship with money?

I had some shares in The Warehouse that halved in value back in the early 2000s. A good lesson in the 'risk' side of 'risk and reward' is that I couldn't bring myself to sell and realise the loss. They're still worth half.

Are you working toward a financial goal?

My wife Megan and I are the same in that we both get excited by saving. We've been meaning to upgrade our car for about five years. Every time we save enough, we just look at that lump sum and can't let it go.

We use it to pay off the mortgage instead.

Best financial advice or words of wisdom you’ve ever received?

Focus on working harder and earning more rather than trying to reduce your tax.

What does ‘retirement’ look like to you?

I hope that it still involves some sort of 'employment' even if it's not paid. I think it's important to still have jobs to do. Maybe it's just around the house. We dream of spending time between New Zealand's awesome beaches and annoying our kids. At the moment that's still a dream.

Jeremy Corbett is co-host of The Project, airing 7pm weekdays on Three and host of 7 Days, returning to screens in April 2021.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020

ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020

Foreground: AA Roadservice Contractor Firooz Bhikoo (right) repaired a flat tyre for grateful AA Member Debbie Haretuku (left). Background: AA staff who facilitated the callout, Georgia Wharton-Benedict (left), Rhys Deam and Rita Gathercole.

Standing strong in testing times PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX WALLACE

T

he year in review, more than any other for many decades, has been unprecedented in terms of its challenges – and also the growth of services and their delivery – during the testing times brought on by Covid-19.

As will be etched into the history books, Covid arrived in New Zealand in February 2020; just one month later it forced us into various stages of lockdown. Each of these stages meant significant changes in the Association’s ability to service Members’ needs and at its worst, in Alert Level 4, saw AA Centres and offices closed and staff working from home.

A degree of normality was restored post-lockdown, but the threat of continuing

disruption still persists. This has meant we must be prepared at all times to deal with further outbreaks, while not letting it remain our sole focus.

We should be proud of the way the Association faced the Covid-19 pandemic.

While a number of our service areas, particularly those related to travel and tourism, suffered significant business impacts, all employees were paid in full during lockdown, including those who could not work from home.

The Association chose not to seek the Government’s wage subsidy support. This was made possible due to the prudent management that had built up the financial reserves necessary to weather the storm.

At all times, our objective was to meet the ever-changing needs of Members while looking to the future. As President and CEO we are resolved to respond as the times dictate, without ever compromising on service standards, which are critical to maintaining relevance and value to Members.

Certainly, from our perspective, service never faltered during that lockdown period.

While there was less demand due to fewer vehicles on the roads, service was maintained. Member feedback on how the Association responded was positive right through those trying times.

When lockdown eased, business quickly bounced back, with different impacts on our various services. With all factors considered, in many ways it was a year of multiple successes. From a financial perspective, the Association finished the year with a morethan-acceptable result.

Fortunately, Roadservice was never compromised or at risk under any level of lockdown, as it was deemed an essential service; when lockdown eased there were record-breaking demands by Members.

The Association’s Battery Service saw a phenomenal increase in battery replacement, after many cars had not been used for some time. Battery-related Roadservice callouts doubled at Alert Level 3 from 40% to 80% of all jobs.

Conversely, with less traffic on the roads during lockdown, AA Insurance experienced fewer claims. As a company that prides itself on putting the customer at the forefront of the business, AA Insurance quickly moved to rebate back to car insurance customers the full benefit of those lower claims; in total some $19.5 million premium rebates were passed on. That was in addition to the hardship claims fund that was also set up, mindful that AA Insurance was in a position to help customers in these difficult times.

The Association’s Tourism services suffered a decline in demand during lockdown. As a leading provider of travel insurance, international driver permits and other tourism related services reliant upon offshore visitors, this sector of our business still remains in decline with the continued closure of New Zealand’s borders. We look forward to normality being restored once the pandemic is under control.

Membership, which is the Association’s life blood, continued to grow during the year, with record levels of enrolment; our total affiliation reached 1.75 million Members.

The fact that the value of benefits Members can access exceeds the annual cost of the average subscription clearly helps.

In dollar terms, the average annual saving an AA Member makes is $70.97 through discounts with Member partners, without counting the benefit of free services such as AUTUMN 2021

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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020

MOBILITY AND SAFETY

PHOTOGRAPH BY JESSIE CASSON

Roadside Solutions

AA Chief Executive Brian Gibbons and AA President, Gary Stocker.

annual free eye exams at Specsavers or spot checks at Skin Institute.

During the year we consolidated AA’s Government Services as a delivery arm for assistance, specifically adding two new services to the portfolio – RealMe and Kiwi Access Cards.

RealMe makes it easier to confirm your identity and prove that you are who you say you are online, while the Kiwi Access Card replaces what was formerly known as the 18+ card for those without a driver licence or other form of photo ID. Both services are available in AA Centres or Agents nationwide.

The Association also amalgamated its ownership position in respect of AA Auto Glass, which became an AA-owned and operated business, which now has 12 mobile glaziers and calibration technicians, six administration staff and more than 20 contracted businesses for nationwide coverage.

AA Money was also launched in February 2020. AA Money’s initial focus was providing access to vehicle loans covering cars, motorbikes, caravans, boats and jet skis, aiming to be fair, simple and transparent in all its fees and interactions and provide customers with exceptional service that is worthy of the trust New Zealanders have in the AA. Behind this expansion is the underlying belief that each of these successful innovations, in the midst of such a turbulent year, supports our primary focus on being a Member-centric organisation.

Finally, we would like to pay a special tribute to General Managers David McLister, Stella Stocks and Trevor Pilkington, who retired during the year. Throughout their many decades of service, they always put Members first, providing confidence that despite challenges – whether pandemic-related or otherwise – New Zealanders will continue to join the country’s largest Membership club.

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Membership

Despite the challenges of the year, AA General Manager Club Developments Dougal Swift continued to introduce new Member Benefits and innovation.

“We launched a strong new partner in Torpedo7, with Members now able to get a free bicycle safety check each year, and discounts on cycling gear, bikes and e-bikes.

We’re seeing more and more Members interested in utilising new cycling infrastructure,” Dougal says.

Membership retention was well supported over the year by some enhancements to the renewal process, with the vast bulk of Members now renewing either in response to an email renewal notice, or online.

“It’s really pleasing that despite the economic climate we have been able to hold the subscription at current levels, and there are no plans to increase it,” Dougal says.

AA Plus subscriptions, which offer additional towing and emergency accommodation benefits, also continued to be very popular.

The focus is now on continuing to build on Member experience and engagement.

“I’m excited to make our Member Benefits more visible and accessible. We are also enabling more common transactions and functions to be done on a self-service basis, for those Members who wish to do so, making it easier for people to engage with us,” Dougal says.

“Consumers clearly gravitated towards trusted brands and organisations during the Covid uncertainty so it makes us more determined to live up to those expectations, and to continue to protect the very strong service culture the AA has developed over a long time.”

As New Zealand locked down, our service providers were given essential worker status and new procedures were established to ensure the health and safety of all. The callouts continued as Roadservice helped both the essential service workforce and Members get to the essential services they required.

Despite a reduction in roadside jobs during the lockdown, things quickly picked up as alert levels shifted.

“The first day of Alert Level 3 saw 2,098 call outs and 2,110 the following day, nearly double the amount the team would usually see in a 24-hour period,” General Manager Roadside Solutions Bashir Khan says. “This was again the case for the move to Alert Level 2.”

Overall, Roadservice attended 478,780 roadside jobs throughout the year, over 100,000 of which were flat battery-related.

Although not without Covid interruption, other arms under Roadside Solutions have seen some significant growth. As of July 2019, AA Auto Glass is now a fully AA-owned and operated business under the Business Vehicle Solutions (BVS) team.

BVS has also had a successful year with several major vehicle dealerships and dealer groups signed on for service retention and used vehicle roadside assistance programmes.

One of BVS’s newest customers is SHAREaCAMPER, offering a platform for campervan, motorhome and caravan owners to share their under-utilised vehicles. The AA will be providing roadside breakdown assistance services to hirers of these campers across New Zealand.

AA Battery Service

It’s been 20 years since AA Battery Service was launched; now the AA is a 60% shareholder (with Club Assist a 40% shareholder) and it is a leading provider of mobile battery solutions in New Zealand.

The team now has 15 people at its head office and warehouse, 12 battery vans (which only do battery jobs), 23 AA Assist vans (which respond to all Roadservice callouts), five sales reps and about 500 wholesale customers.

Nothing could prepare AA Battery Service for the extraordinary numbers due to Covid-19, with battery-related AA Member breakdowns doubling at the start of Alert Level 3.

“The beginning of Alert Levels 3 and 2 were our busiest time in history,” General Manager AA Battery Service Mandy Mellor says.

“Our vans went to 30-40 callouts a day, with more than 10,000 new batteries fitted in Members’ vehicles in April 2020 and more than 14,000 in May.” AA Battery Service also spent lockdown preparing its first EV charging van for a July

ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020

2020 launch in Wellington. The van has been fitted with a lightweight EV charger which enables Members to drive up to 10km home or to a nearby charging station after a free 20-minute roadside charge.

The company is also proud to report that approximately 63,000 batteries were collected for recycling during the year.

AA Motoring Services

Early in 2020, Jonathan Sergel joined the AA as the new General Manager for Motoring Services. “I thought my new job at the AA would be the biggest change of 2020 for me, but then Covid-19 arrived and the motoring industry effectively stopped for six weeks,” Jonathan says.

AA Motoring pressed on, opening AA Auto Centres in 15 locations nationwide at Alert Level 4 for appointment-only Warrants of Fitness (WoF) and urgent repairs for vehicles involved in essential services and their supply chains.

AA Motoring was also able to provide contactless Motor Vehicle Registration and supply of number plates for new vehicles for trade customers in some areas at Level 3, as well as Third Party Entry Verification for the backlog of Japanese imports which had arrived during Level 4.

AA Auto Centre Kāpiti was opened in June, while other new sites were prepared for opening in the next financial year.

“We also continued to support our Members’ motoring needs, with almost 3,000 free motoring advice consultations, weekly motoring advice articles on our AA Motoring blog, and providing advice in the media,” Jonathan says.

AA Driving School

Despite Covid-19 interruptions, the AA Driving School (AADS) team of 114 instructors delivered over 110,000 lessons to more than 27,000 students, and over 14,000 students completed the AA Defensive Driving Course.

This year marked the second year the Motorcycle Training arm of the AADS has been a facilitator of the ACC-funded Ride Forever programme, teaching riders how to stay safe on their daily motorcycle commute and advanced riding techniques.

During the year, 50 new instructors completed the introductory course and ongoing professional development was delivered for existing instructors in the network.

In a successful collaboration between AA Government Services and the AADS, the in-school road code training on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development to lower decile schools continued. Classroom-based road code tuition was offered, followed by the Mobile Driver Licensing units being brought to schools so students could complete their Learner theory tests.

The Fleet and Business Training arm launched a telematics product service,

monitoring driving style and risk rating via an app and plug-in dongle, and also improved their e-learning offering.

Largely due to the effects of Covid on business, the decision was made to suspend the Ignition programme which offered three free driving lessons for Learner drivers who are Members. In the year ahead, the Ignition programme will undergo a detailed review.

Government Services

It was a big year for AA’s Government Services, adding two new services to the portfolio: RealMe identification verification and Kiwi Access Cards.

AA Government Contracts General Manager Roger Venn says: “As the cross-counter identification verification specialist, the AA is constantly looking for new services we can offer to assist our Members and customers.

“These new services join the existing suite of identification services on offer at our Centres and Agents, including personal IRD number applications and SuperGold cards.”

Despite being subject to Covid-19 restrictions, more than 800,000 Driver Licence renewals were carried out.

Advocacy and AA Research Foundation

The Motoring Affairs team led by General Manager Mike Noon had one clear focus this year – developing the AA’s Election Calls.

“These calls define the key actions we want from the next Government, so a significant amount of time and effort goes into their creation. Using a combination of surveys to gather Members’ views, input from our 17 District Councils, academic research and our own analysis and expertise, we came up with 12 changes that the next Government could make to create better, safer and greener transport,” Mike says.

Even before the global pandemic, the policy-making environment around transport was complex and challenging.

“At a national level, we made 21 submissions on proposed Government policy changes, ranging from issues like the new Government Policy Statement for transport investment to the Emissions Trading Scheme and new regulations in the fuel market. Our District Councils also represented their Members on numerous local transport issues,” Mike says.

The Government began developing a new system for how authorities will approach managing speeds on the roads and the AA provided feedback on this as well as using Member surveys and data analysis to respond to a number of significant proposals for speed limit changes over the year.

The team also introduced the AA Auckland Panel, a representative panel of Auckland AA Members that regularly responds to quick-fire surveys on transport issues of the day.

The AA Research Foundation delivered or contributed to four completed projects during the year, including: alcohol interlocks, and the proportion of drunk drivers being sentenced to them; opportunities to reduce distraction from cellphones; using artificial intelligence to gather Member views and whether ‘back-seat driving’ can be helpful to drivers. The AA was also able to develop a response to the Government’s calls for ‘shovel-ready’ infrastructure projects to boost economic recovery from the pandemic.

Students Against Dangerous Driving

Faced with national lockdown, Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) moved its mission from the roads to New Zealand’s homes.

This saw the not-for-profit form SADD Digital Crew, which became a permanent fixture, helping students across the country collaborate on everything from creating a new information pack for young drivers to having lively discussions on how to encourage their peers to ride e-scooters safely and encouraging those on their restricted licences to not take passengers.

Youth wellbeing became another focus, with SADD Digital Crew providing support to fellow students, sharing self-isolation tips and tricks and inspiring their peers to stay motivated, SADD National Manager Donna Govorko says.

Prior to Covid-19, SADD ran its annual September road safety awareness campaign with a new name (SAFER September) and refreshed tagline – Students Advocating For Everyone’s Road Safety. It saw 111 schools across New Zealand run more than 300 individual activities.

AA Insurance

Several high-profile events punctuated the past financial year for AA Insurance (AAI), allowing the team to showcase its award-winning customer service along with the company purpose; to care, help and get things sorted.

On 22 October 2019, firefighters worked to extinguish a blaze on the roof of the SkyCity Convention Centre. While other insurers waited over 100 days for access to customer vehicles trapped in the flooded basement before processing claims, AAI settled its 32 customer claims immediately, without the need to assess the damage.

On 20 November, a hailstorm in Tīmaru turned into AAI’s largest ever motor claim event. A team was onsite for over three weeks to help customers, and by 27 November had lodged over 1,000 claims and assessed as many vehicles.

The executive team began preparing for Covid-19 as an event in January, so when lockdown was announced in March the immediate focus was on getting people working effectively from their homes: almost all staff were set up to work from AUTUMN 2021

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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020

SUMMARISED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THE NEW ZEALAND AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE REVENUE AND EXPENSE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020

2020 2019

$'000 $'000 Revenue Share of profit or loss in joint ventures Other gains/(losses) TOTAL REVENUE Employee entitlements Delivery and distribution Plant, office and property overheads Advertising and promotion IT and telecommunications Motor vehicle expenses Driver education programs Other expenses TOTAL EXPENSES Operating surplus before tax and grants Grant to NZAA Research Foundation Grant to SADD Aotearoa – Students Against Dangerous Driving Charitable Trust Taxation benefit/(expense)

137,437 23,992 21,408

137,168 27,467 5,456

182,837

170,091

75,891 35,149 7,591 3,686 9,139 2,848 2,926 6,298

72,099 33,453 8,024 3,945 8,729 2,893 3,400 6,501

143,528

139,044

39,309 188

31,047 200

400

200

-

NET SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ASSOCIATION ACTING IN THE INTERESTS OF MEMBERS

38,721

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE REVENUE AND EXPENSE, NET OF TAX: Gain/(loss) on revaluation of properties 500 Share of other comprehensive revenue and expense of joint ventures 5 OTHER COMPREHENSIVE REVENUE AND EXPENSE FOR THE YEAR, NET OF TAX

505

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE REVENUE AND EXPENSE FOR THE YEAR ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ASSOCIATION ACTING IN THE INTERESTS OF MEMBERS, NET OF TAX

home over the first few days of lockdown, which meant little disruption for customers.

AAI very quickly determined, and announced on 17 April, three initiatives that were considered the right things to do to help customers, many of whom were affected financially; a $2 million genuine hardship fund to look after vulnerable customers; a freeze on premium increases across personal car, home and contents products, and a $19.5 million premium rebate for all car insurance customers, as car claims plummeted.

The company was also aware of the increase in domestic violence incidents over lockdown, and made a $30,000 donation to the Women’s Refuge in Auckland, North Shore and Waikato.

While the number of customers using digital options continues to increase year-on-year, there was a significant digital use uplift over lockdown. Customers can achieve more things on AAI’s digital channels such as logging claims, cancelling or renewing policies.

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39,226

30,647

793 43 836

31,483

THE NEW ZEALAND AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 JUNE 2020

2020 2019

$'000 $'000 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Other financial assets Sundry receivables & prepaid expenses Dividend receivable

65,396 169,967 8,302 -

37,714 162,334 10,395 165

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

243,665

210,608

Property, plant and equipment Investments Capitalised lease Goodwill Other intangible assets TOTAL NON CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES NON CURRENT LIABILITIES TOTAL LIABILITIES

39,955 61,761 - 3,118 2,874

35,215 56,296 11 3,118 2,995

107,708

97,635

351,373

308,243

27,139 2,731

22,738 2,957

29,870

25,695

321,503

282,548

ASSOCIATION FUNDS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS IN ADVANCE Accumulated comprehensive revenue and expense Asset revaluation reserve

281,993 13,809

244,042 12,534

TOTAL ASSOCIATION FUNDS

295,802

256,576

25,701

25,972

321,503

282,548

NET ASSETS

Subscriptions In advance TOTAL ASSOCIATION FUNDS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS IN ADVANCE

For and on behalf of the Board, G T Stocker, President M R Winger, Board Member 18 September 2020

In January, AAI reached its goal of achieving 25% car insurance market share, and by June had almost 35% of AA Members insure with AAI. At this time, nearly 800 staff were dedicated to looking after over 440,000 customers with more than 880,000 policies.

Finally, AA Insurance continued to receive external recognition for its outstanding customer service, winning several national awards.

HOME AND LIVING

AA Home AA Home Response had its busiest year and AA Home Commercial Manager Bek Wall believes that’s partly due to the new appreciation Kiwis had for making sure their homes were running smoothly during the Covid-19 lockdown.

“We certainly experienced a surge in calls for help, with 412 emergency callouts during Level 4 and Level 3 of the first lockdown. Even after lockdown we were inundated with fresh queries as people wanted to get their homes sorted ASAP,” Bek says. The number of AA

Home Response and AA Home Response Plus subscriptions soared to 121,888, with the service available in 37 locations nationwide (wherever there is an AA Centre).

The AA Home Response team grew to six employees over the course of the year, with three joining during the Covid-19 lockdown.

AA Money

During the financial year, the former AA Finance wound down its operations and AA Money, the trading name for a new finance joint venture with Suncorp New Zealand, launched.

AA Money General Manager Ana-Marie Lockyer started her new job in challenging times.

“In February 2020 we launched with our first product: vehicle loans covering cars, motorbikes, caravans, boats and jet skis,” she says. A month later, Covid-19 emerged.

“While we had a steady start to business, we were met with a drop in credit demand applications across the country.”

In response, AA Money reset its initial projections and prepared to diversify sooner

ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020

THE NEW ZEALAND AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS/EQUITY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020

2020 2019

$'000 $'000 ASSOCIATION FUNDS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD Net surplus for the year attributable to the Association acting in the interests of members OTHER COMPREHENSIVE REVENUE AND EXPENSE Gain/(loss) on revaluation of properties Share of other comprehensive revenue and expense of joint ventures TOTAL OTHER COMPREHENSIVE REVENUE AND EXPENSE TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE REVENUE AND EXPENSE, NET OF TAX ASSOCIATION FUNDS AT END OF PERIOD

256,576

225,093

38,721

30,647

500

793

5

43

505

836

39,226

31,483

295,802

256,576

THE NEW ZEALAND AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020

2020 2019

$'000 $'000 Net cash from / (used in) operating activities Net cash from / (used in) investing activities Net cash from / (used in) financing activities

17,051 10,631 -

2,599 508 -

Net increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of period

27,682 37,714

3,107 34,607

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT THE END OF PERIOD

65,396

37,714

REPRESENTED BY CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

65,396

37,714

FULL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AVAILABLE These summarised financial statements are unaudited and have been extracted from the full financial statements for the Association for the year ended 30 June 2020.

The full financial statements have been prepared in accordance with New Zealand generally accepted accounting practice ("NZ GAAP"). They comply with Public Benefit

than originally planned. After lockdown, the business gained momentum again, growing its core customer base for vehicle loans while also developing a new product – secured personal loans – which launched later in 2020.

WELLBEING AND REWARDS

Wellbeing Protection: AA Pet, Life, Health and Travel Insurance

Our Partner Insurance portfolio consists of AA Life (with Asteron Life), AA Health (a joint venture with nib), AA Travel Insurance and AA Pet Insurance (both joint ventures with Allianz Partners).

A large focus of the year was laying the groundwork for major regulatory changes that will come into effect in 2021 surrounding compliance requirements for selling insurance and financial products. This represented an opportunity to integrate the various delivery channels.

A major step in this process was a change to the way AA Life works with Asteron Life.

NEW ZEALAND AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED NOTES TO THE SUMMARISED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020 MEASUREMENT BASE The financial statements are presented in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). The functional currency is New Zealand Dollars (NZD).

ACCOUNTING POLICIES There have been no material changes in accounting policies covered by these financial statements.

EVENTS SUBSEQUENT TO BALANCE DATE On the 1 July 2020 the AA Life Services Limited joint venture agreement was terminated and the company will be wound up over a transistional period of up to twelve months. There were no other material events post 30 June 2020 which would require adjustment to the amounts reflected in the 30 June 2020 financial statements or disclosures thereto.

RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING SURPLUS TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

2020 2019

$'000 $'000 Net surplus for the year attributable to the Association acting in the interests of Members Movement in non cash items Movement in assets and liabilities

38,721 (28,047) 6,377

30,647 (28,385) 337

NET CASH INFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

17,051

2,599

Entity International Public Sector Accounting Standards ("PBE IPSAS") and other applicable financial reporting standards, as appropriate for Tier 1 not-for-profit public benefit entities.

The full financial statements were issued by the Board, and approved for distribution by the National Council on the 18 of September 2020.

The summarised financial report may not contain sufficient information for a full understanding of the financial affairs of the Group, but copies of the full financial statements and the unqualified auditors' opinion, dated 18 September 2020, can be obtained by members from: The Secretary, The New Zealand Automobile Association Incorporated, P.O. Box 5, Auckland 1140.

After more than a decade in partnership, the AA is now working directly with Asteron Life to bring AA Life Insurance to the market.

General Manager Channel Strategy and Delivery Mark Savage says placing the various products in the heart of the AA will help Partner Insurances align.

“We’ll be able to ensure that we complete all the work necessary for the upcoming changes in the regulatory regime, including bringing together our digital, phone and Centre Network channels. We believe it will also prepare the AA to become a bigger player in insurance and financial services in the future.”

During the year, despite reduced face-to-face sale numbers, the Partner Insurance portfolio remained on track, selling over 40,000 policies.

This included AA Pet Insurance’s first full year in business. Adding a total of 2,793 new policy holders and 1,332 claims during the year, the product continues to be a successful addition to the Insurance portfolio.

As expected with heavy border restrictions and grounded planes, Covid-19 had the

largest impact on Travel Insurance. Despite the hard financial hit, the product proved its value with 2,640 claims paid out.

Meanwhile, AA Life added 5,861 new policies and had 1,589 claims; AA Health added 3,107 new policies and had 8,755 claims.

AA Smartfuel

AA Smartfuel ensured the network of over 1,200 participating retailers in the AA Smartfuel village was fully supported during lockdown, which Managing Director Scott Fitchett says dramatically altered spending habits.

“We informed our cardholders which of our retail partners were ‘essential service providers’ and therefore still open for business, and we helped with communications, advertising and running promotions to get customers back once doors were re-opened. We also kept our customers’ hard-earned discounts safe, alongside bp, Gas and our other key partners, by ensuring that no discounts expired during times when Kiwis weren’t able to drive.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020

“Despite all the upheaval over the year, we issued $52 million in fuel discounts to AA Members, with the total value of fuel discounts earned by all cardholders sitting at $97 million,” Scott says.

AA Smartfuel also managed to grow the range of retailers available to cardholders, with Briscoes and Rebel Sports brands brought on board.

Tourism Benefits

When domestic trips suddenly became the only travel possible, AA Traveller was already in a strong position to provide AA Member tourism benefits and a plethora of information and resources to plan holidays.

“We were in a very strong position to help Kiwis explore their backyard when border closures came into play,” AA Travel and Tourism General Manager Greig Leighton says.

“As well as encouraging Members to take advantage of all the tourism benefits we offer, including some exciting new ones, we had a strong focus on giving the operators we partner with as much support as possible to help them remain sustainable.”

This included promotion on digital channels and the publication of more than two million maps and guides, which continue to be popular with Members.

In October 2019, AA Traveller launched a partnership with Hertz New Zealand. In November it launched a partnership with Expedia Partner Solutions, giving AA Members the ability to take advantage of Member-only discounts (on average an extra 10%) on selected properties.

Financial results

In spite of the unprecedented challenges that the world, and in turn New Zealand, faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Association recorded a net surplus of $39.2 million for the year.

Part of that strong result was due to a one-off extraordinary receipt of $13 million for the termination of a brand licence agreement, but AA General Manager of Finance John Ramaekers says the AA was well-placed heading into the year’s market disruption, due to its strong cash reserves and diversity of income streams.

“The Automobile Association’s Club activities recorded a small loss of $1.5 million because of the effect of Covid-19 in the last quarter of our financial year,” John says.

“However our Membership levels held up well and a number of our activities bounced back post lockdown.”

The performance of the commercial joint ventures and investment funds was on par with the previous year’s pre-Covid returns, while the Association doubled its level of support to SADD, the Students Against Dangerous Driving Charitable Trust, with a grant of $400,000.

“We can be proud of the fact that over the years we were able to save money for a rainy day. The fact that we had the financial reserves and the income streams that we did enabled us to pay all our staff in full over lockdown, including those who weren’t able to work from home. We know that we, like many Kiwi organisations, are likely to continue to be impacted over the next couple of financial years, but the diversity of our revenue streams remains key during these uncertain times,” John says.

The full annual report and detailed financial results of the AA for 2019-2020 financial year are available at aa.co.nz 76

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Getting it right Ensuring the best possible outcomes for our Members is a priority, AA Chief Executive Officer, Brian Gibbons, says.

FOR THE PAST two years the AA has been working on a programme which provides assurance that we deliver the best possible outcomes to Members when giving them advice on insurance products.

During this period, the AA has been focused on ensuring our Members’ interests are prioritised and that we exercise the competence, knowledge and skill to ensure our products meet our Members’ needs and are, to put it simply, fit for purpose.

We committed ourselves to that aspiration, mindful of concerns that within the wider financial services industry high level of consumer focus wasn’t always being delivered.

Further catalyst for change for the entire industry is the Financial Services Legislation Amendment Act (FSLAA) which introduced a package of changes to the regulation of financial advice. This new regime for financial advice will shortly come into force.

The legislation will enshrine the right processes and procedures through a code of conduct to ensure that those that sell financial services products have a truly customer-focused culture. Among other things, the legislation requires that customers are treated fairly, with integrity, and understand the advice they are being given – as well as emphasising key principles such as the protection of client information.

Motivated by the expectations of our Members and the growing emphasis the new Act places on the industry to comply, the Association has embraced the changing environment.

We are proud of what we have undertaken to ensure we are not only compliant, but may be held up as an exemplary example of how all financial services should be developed, sold and delivered to everyone’s satisfaction.

That early commitment has seen us: • develop a Customer Relationship Management system that is now in every AA Centre to support each and every customer interaction.

• introduce a brand new Quality Assurance (QA) function to ensure consistency and continuous improvement in our sales activities.

• improve our ability to listen to our customers by developing a brand new customer feedback and complaints management system.

• expertly train frontline staff on our new ways of working.

These changes are now well embedded, and have received external validation that they meet all the requirements of the new legislation. However, I want to emphasise that should any of these changes not meet your expectations, we would very much like your feedback, as our only motivation is to ensure that we deliver the very best insurance products and financial services, with your interests at heart.

Brian Gibbons CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

PHOTOGRAPH BY VICTORIA BIRKINSHAW

STAFF PROFILE

When AA Central Regional Manager Centre Network, Brian Roberts, isn’t busy managing an extensive team of staff, he’s saving lives.

As one of New Zealand’s most generous plasma donors, the Greytown resident visits his local blood centre as regularly as he can to help those who need it most.

What was the catalyst for you becoming a plasma donor?

I lost my father to cancer. Plasma and blood is extremely important to cancer and road trauma patients, so I had been thinking about donating for a very long time. In 2010, I made it a New Year resolution and I’ve been donating ever since – more than 160 times.

How does it differ to giving blood?

The plasma is separated from the blood, which is then transferred back into the body. That way, because your body isn’t required to regenerate

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MY AA

STAFF PROFILE CONTINUED blood, you can donate plasma more regularly. I aim for once a fortnight. You don’t feel a thing and it’s about an hourlong process. The New Zealand Blood Service is short on donors, so I send a plea to all Members to donate if they’re healthy and able to do so. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing you’re helping someone in need.

in me and has become part and parcel of my every day. While good organisational skills are important, I’m a people person first and foremost. I need to understand the lives and dreams of staff; where in their career they want to get to and how the Association can help get them there.

That’s a long tenure – you must love what you do.

The AA is a wonderful, family-focused organisation. When I tell people I work for the AA, 99% of reactions are incredibly positive. People love sharing how the Association has helped them over the years. It’s a wonderfully warm feeling to hear that; it gives me goose bumps.

What does a typical day look like when you’re not saving lives?

No two days are the same. My job comprises of a range of functions and activities geared to ensure that every manager and staff member in the 17 AA Centres throughout the region I manage understand all aspects of their roles. It’s important they deliver quality customer service to everyone who comes into their Centres. There are eight districts in the region I cover – including Bay of Plenty, Whanganui, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.

What are the most notable changes you’ve witnessed within the Association during your three decades?

The launch of AA Insurance under our own brand in the mid 1990s. And later, when we gave up travel as a major part of

Sounds like you’d need to be pretty organised to do your job!

I’ve been doing it for so long now (I’ve been with the AA for 31 years) that it’s ingrained

Centre activity in the late 1990s. AA Travel used to be one of the largest travel agencies in New Zealand. Another huge milestone was introducing driver licencing to the Centres on May 3, 1999. I remember the day clearly.

What can Members expect from their local AA Centre today?

Driver licencing and vehicle registration is still a big part of what we do. So too is selling our insurance policies: general, life, health, pet and travel.

Where will we find you when you’re not working or donating plasma?

I am retiring at the end of 2021. I have seven grandchildren and another on the way, which will keep me busy, and I plan on spending more time river fishing.

Once travel resumes, I will live in Poland with my wife who’s of Polish decent three months of the year, enjoying the European summer.

See nzblood.co.nz or call 0800 448 325 for more information on blood or plasma donation. See aa.co.nz to find your nearest AA Centre.

MOBILE EV CHARGING For electric vehicle batteries ●

Fast, smart and reliable charging service

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Powered directly by the AA Battery Service van

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Free service available to AA Members

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Currently the service is available only in Wellington

ENABLING THE EV REVOLUTION!

Call 0800 500 222 or request assistance via the AA Roadservice app 20126_AABS 78 a a d iEV r e charger c t i o n magazine s . c o . n z ad_Final.indd 1

3/8/20 1:26 pm

MY AA

AA Members and AA Smartfuel customers can now choose to offset some, or all, of their carbon emissions.

AA SMARTFUEL has partnered with New Zealand-based CarbonClick to make it simple for its 2.8 million customers to take action on climate change. Inside the AA Smartfuel app, Kiwis can now convert some or all of their AA Smartfuel discounts into carbon offsets that fund the world’s top climate projects.

A one cent per litre AA Smartfuel discount can be converted to $0.25 CarbonClick credits, which makes over 50km of driving ‘climate friendly’.

The credits go to certified and gold standard projects that make a real traceable difference, like regenerating and reforesting New Zealand’s native forests and international clean energy projects.

If just 5% of AA Members and AA Smartfuel customers choose to use the service, more than 260,000 tonnes of carbon would be offset (the approximate amount of CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere by 13 million trees in a year).

AA Smartfuel Managing Director Scott Fitchett says: “We really like how easy and transparent CarbonClick is to use and know many of our customers will like it, too.

Even if you just offset some of your AA Smartfuel discounts, you’ll become an AA Smartfuel Climate Friendly Traveller and see the impact you and other Members are having.”

CarbonClick CEO Dave Rouse says: “We are incredibly excited about the potential benefits this partnership will have on our environment. By offering voluntary carbon offsetting, together we’re making it possible for millions of Kiwis to take measurable action on their carbon footprint. Our platform is 100% transparent and any offset purchased can be traced right back to the source.”

See aasmartfuel.co.nz for more information about how you can convert your AA Smartfuel discounts into carbon offsets, or choose CarbonClick as your reward in your AA Smartfuel app.

See carbonclick.com for more information about CarbonClick.

3Servicing 3Repairs 3WoF AA Member Benefits: • Save $10 - $30 off your next service • Save $7 off the cost of your WoF • Up to two free AA 10-Point Checks each year • Boost your AA Smartfuel discounts with 5 cents off per litre^ Terms and conditions: ^AA Members can save up to 5 cents per litre with AA Smartfuel, when they spend $58 or more at AA Motoring sites.

Book at aa.co.nz/autocentre or call 0800 456 654 AUTUMN 2021

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MY AA

KEEPING SENIORS ON THE ROAD The popular AA Senior Driver programme was paused last year during the height of Covid-19 restrictions, but is now back on track.

AA SENIOR DRIVER is the programme available to AA Members aged 74 and over, designed to keep older motorists driving. Free one-hour practical sessions provide the chance for seniors to have their driving style checked and their confidence boosted.

AA Driving School General Manager Roger Venn says the refresher programme acknowledges that much has changed on the roads over the years. “We know from our research that new developments can intimidate some senior drivers.

Giving them a chance to navigate these changes with an instructor, and in their own car, helps to

confirm their awareness of their own skills and build confidence, which also makes them safer on the road.

“For others, it’s a matter of raising awareness of how the features of modern cars work in practice, this could be explaining how adaptive cruise control works or using GPS navigation. Even basics like using seat, steering wheel and seatbelt adjustments to ensure correct driving position can have a positive impact on the safety and comfort of the driver,” he says.

These are all aspects covered in the free one hour AA Senior Drivers session; Members become eligible for the benefit again every two years.

AA Members aged 74 plus can book their free Senior Drivers session online at aa.co.nz/senior-driver or by calling 0800 223 748.

MORE FOR ALL

Small towns now have more access to AA services.

THE AA HAS bolstered its support for the regions by introducing a mobile driver and vehicle licensing service in Taihape and reopening AA Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agents in Paeroa, Kawerau, Ōpōtiki, Wairoa and Hokitika.

Services provided include driver and vehicle licensing, personal IRD number applications, RealMe identity verification, Kiwi Access Card applications and the ability to add a photo to SuperGold cards, meaning locals no longer have to travel out of town to do so.

The twice-monthly Taihape mobile service visits the Ruapehu REAP on the second and fourth Monday of every month, or Tuesday if a public holiday, such as ANZAC Day, falls on a Monday.

See locations.aa.co.nz or call 0800 822 422 for information on agent locations and opening hours.

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To advertise on these pages and to reach 640,000+ New Zealand households, contact Moira Penman M 027 563 0421 E moira@gsjadvisory.com.au

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Since 1971 we’ve been busy preserving and showcasing The West Coast’s 19th-century story. Making our heritage accessible for all ages.

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Will you leave 1% to give them a life worth living?

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Want your brand to reach 937,000 readers?

Contact AA Directions Advertising Manager, Moira Penman on 027 563 0421 or moira@gsjadvisory.com.au (source: Neilson Q1 2020- Q4 2020)

AA Auto Glass will get you back on the road ENT DOCTOR DEVELOPED

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0800 300 120 In some areas we come to you!

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To advertise on these pages and to reach 640,000+ New Zealand households, contact Moira Penman M 027 563 0421 E moira@gsjadvisory.com.au

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In this exclusive 316 page book released by Health Pride, “Grandma’s 1001 Uses For Baking Soda and Vinegar”, you’ll find everything you need from health and beauty remedy suggestions to cleaning including sanitising and disinfecting, gardening, uses in your garage, pet care and even cooking. It’s a unique collection of Grandma’s traditional remedies and recipes, passed down through the generations.

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