Beach path shelved after half budget spent... p8 Sunnynook welcomes new playground... p16-17
Takapuna RFC and WBHS win big derbies... p12-13
Public shut out of heritage tunnels at Kennedy Park
Kennedy Park’s World War II-era military tunnels at Castor Bay are being closed to all public access for safety reasons, despite visual testing for subsidence having shown little movement over a 12-month period. A consultant engineer thought “it wasn’t reliable enough to give us confidence the
tunnels are safe to reopen to the public,” Auckland Council project manager Roma Leota reported to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board at a workshop last week.
The engineer had recommended more invasive testing inside the tunnels to garner more information.
The Kennedy Park WWII Installations Preservation Trust, which has been allowed to run monthly supervised tours of the tunnels, would be notified of the total closure. Public access has been restricted to all but supervised tours for around five years. To page 2
Who you gonna call? Litterbusters take aim
Gloved up... Wairau Intermediate students Hashy Hussein and Caleb Loveridge are among a new crew from the school doing rubbish patrols in Sunnynook. Story and pictures, pages 4-5
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Caution on tunnels contrasted with continued access elsewhere
From page 1
News of the complete closure was a surprise to the trust, which had not been alerted when the Observer contacted chair Chris Owen. “No-one has told us to stop,” he said.
Tours include those scheduled during council’s annual Auckland Heritage Week.
“When we open them we clarify [to visitors] that there’s no movement that we can discern.”
Local-board members were split between abiding by health and safety concerns and wanting an “enter at your own risk” approach continued for future access.
After discussion they asked Leota to gain a second engineering opinion on the assessments made to date.
He recommended Leota “ask TMA and DOC for their engineers’ opinion”.
Busch said if the risk was minimal the tunnels should stay open. “Why can’t we put a simple sign there to enter at your own risk?”
Harpur said monitoring should continue, but he thought tours could go ahead. “Sign a waiver – like going diving.”
But chair Mel Powell and George Wood said the board had to take the consultant engineer’s recommendation of further investigation seriously.
“Do more work or a peer review,” said Wood.
Powell said hearing directly from an engineer would be useful.
“If that’s going to cost a bit more money to find out then I think we should know.”
He said he could report back within six weeks.
The board was last presented with options for the tunnels in 2023.
These ranged from the shock staff recommendation to permanently shut the heritage-listed tunnels, to doing $400,000 in localised maintenance or a more extensive concrete restoration costing $1.5 million.
Leota said the estimates for repairs had now risen to $500,000 for maintenance and to $1.6m for the full restoration.
Board member Gavin Busch jumped on the 25 per cent rise in the cost of maintenance work and questioned why tunnels on Motutapu Island were able to be kept open by the Department of Conservation.
Deputy chair Terence Harpur said tunnels on Maungauika / North Head also remained open under the Tūpuna Maunga Authority (TMA).
“Is our level of safety risk so high, compared to DOC and the TMA?”
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Both the trust and the Castor Bay Ratepayers and Residents Association (CABBRA) have long lobbied for restoration of the historically significant site, which they would like to become more of a drawcard for the area.
The board has prioritised fixing the exterior of another of the site’s WWII heritage assets, a former barracks building disguised as a state house at 139 Beach Rd, but held off on tackling the tunnels for lack of funds to do both.
Harpur said finding $500,000 for tunnel maintenance would mean cancelling two other major projects.
Leota also cautioned that maintenance gave no long-term guarantee
Owen said he thought the tunnels were relatively stable, in the absence of something happening like an earthquake. “But over time, I can quite understand they are going to degrade.”
Authorised by Hon Simon Watts, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.
New pool alarms neighbour but council happy
Intensification and development are affecting residents across the North Shore. The Observer spoke to a long-term Milford homeowner who has been left fearful about what is being built over her back fence.
What if the big one happened? That question became a reality for many Milford residents during the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods, with many homes flooded in the massive deluge.
Valerie Hotchin-Davies faces the same feeling due to the 77,000 litres of water soon to be sitting just a couple of metres away from her Inga Rd cliffside property.
Neighbours in Prospect Tce have started construction of a pool near her boundary which has left Hotchin-Davies “just terrified” the structure could collapse or the cliff slip.
Once finished, the pool will tower above her home.
Her property is already subject to flooding damage: paths and retaining walls at the rear have been cracked and split by earth movement and a basement flat suffers from inundation in times of heavy rainfall.
When the Observer visited, two retaining walls to the side of her home were being built to shore up the section.
She found out about the neighbours’ planned pool last May at a very difficult time.
Her second husband, John Davies, had just died, and it was just after the anniversary of the death of her son, Craig, who drowned 40 years ago in a rafting accident.
“I shed a few tears that month,” said Hotchin-Davies, who is in her 80s.
Auckland Council told her the pool had received planning approval as it was all within the regulatory frameworks.
She took her case to Auckland councillor Chris Darby, who investigated, and her MP Simon Watts.
Both were sympathetic but said there was little they could do as no rules had been broken and council engineers and planners had signed off the development.
But Hotchin-Davies feels let down by the system and feels council “is inconsiderate and short thinking”.
With climate change and more extreme weather events happening, she believes council’s planning regulations, especially in flood-prone areas and for clifftops, need review and that rules should be strengthened.
Hotchin-Davies moved into the house around 30 years ago with her first husband,
Rex Hotchin, who was a property inspector with Auckland City Council.
“I’d imagined I’d see out my days here but now I’m feeling terrified about what would happen if the pool collapses.”
In major rain the pool could overflow, resulting in its own flood path, Hotchin-Davies said.
She believed the development had affected her home’s resale value.
“Because of what is happening next door, friends have said my house would be very difficult to sell and it could be worthless.”
With 41 steps up to her front door, she wanted the option of selling and moving into a retirement home; this would be an unlikely prospect if the home’s value fell, she said.
When the Observer inspected the pool site from over the fence, substantial concrete piles had been driven into the cliff face to stabilise the structure.
Council documents on the construction said the pool retaining wall, concrete piles and timber deck had been designed by a chartered professional engineer.
One of council’s in-house structural engineers “checked the design and calculations that were provided and was satisfied with the proposed design,” the documents said.
Building consent for the project was granted in April 2025.
Eight reinforced concrete piles measuring 600mm in diameter have been embedded five to seven metres to support the 10m by 5m pool, the documents said.
Stabilisation... Work has already been required to fix water damage on Hotchin-Davies’ section
Terrified…Valerie Hotchin-Davies looks across the pool site from another neighbour’s section
Generations come together to keep Sunnynook tidy
Local volunteers – individuals and groups, young and old – do much to help our communities and charities flourish. On the eve of National Volunteer Week (June 15-21), we highlight some of the many who make an ongoing difference.
A stroke kept volunteer rubbish collector Peter McNee off the streets of Sunnynook for nearly a year. But after a gradual recovery, the 84-year-old resumed his regular rounds at Sunnynook Park.
Over the decade since he began the task, he always hoped others would join in. A few locals did, but this month he got the snowballing effect he had truly hoped for, with Wairau Intermediate students adding to his efforts, by collecting around the shopping centre and basketball court. “It’s tremendous,” McNee told the Observer. “They were very excited and I asked them if they were coming back.”
The answer was a resounding yes.
School principal Yolanda East said the nine students who first volunteered would be joined by others in an ongoing weekly effort. “One of our intentions has always been to make our students visible in the local community by assisting with community projects and initiatives,” she said.
Helping it along is Woolworths in Sunnynook, which is chipping in with litter pick-up sticks and gloves and bags for the collectors.
McNee uses one of the pick-up sticks himself and these days doesn’t cover as much ground as he used to. Although he needs more rest than before the stroke impacted his walking, he is buoyed by being out and about again. “A lot of people say ‘glad to see
you back’, a lot of people say ‘well done’.”
He first began tidying building site rubbish in the streets around 10 years ago, after noticing a lot of it when walking with wife Elizabeth. Up until Covid times, when she stepped back, the couple walked and picked up together to keep the suburb neat. “Who wants to live in a rubbish dump,” he says.
He intends to keep going as long as he can and is grateful local Carol McNair joined in, allowing more ground to be covered. Another
local, Stuart Gaze, also picked up his duties when he was recuperating. Between them, they fanned out from the park, to pathways into it and along Sunnynook Rd to the slip roads to the bus station.
Having the students on board, fortuitously timed with Volunteer Week, is what gives McNee the most satisfaction. As a former director of World Vision New Zealand, promoting positive change has been part of his life’s work. The job took McNee overseas to work on aid projects.
After retiring to Sunnynook, he became active in the community association. Through a project to erect a suburb map, he worked with some Wairau students several years ago when the school signed up to make tiles to add to the map.
East said the school reconnected with McNee on visits students made to the Parklane retirement village, where he lives. The visits were part of an initiative to develop leadership opportunities for students. The school also connected with local kindergartens, where they read stories to younger children.
“We have a group of students called kaitiaki – their role is to care for our school and local environment, while also being involved in connecting with our community,” said East. A visit to Parklane several months ago, when McNee talked about his litter collecting, led to setting up the first joint collection in early June, tidying around shops and the community centre. Nine students were involved, but East expects around 20 kaitiaki students will step into the role each term.
“These students are taking meaningful action to protect and care for our shared spaces. It was a privilege to support them in this initiative, alongside Peter McNee, a well-respected member of our community, whose presence added extra mana to the occasion.”
Rubbish collector... Sunnynook man Peter McNee has been tidying up the neighbourhood for 10 years
Tidy effort... Wairau Intermediate students are helping Sunnynook resident Peter McNee (centre) keep the neighbourhood tidy. The school’s volunteer environmental service crew includes (from left): Hashy Hussein, Brooke Harris, Neve East, Meila Coyle, Caleb Loveridge, Zara Rahim, Malia Gannaway, Mira Oliver and (lying down on the job) Meiya Parseramen. They gather for weekly sessions to smarten up the suburb’s surrounds, armed with rubbish claws and gloves donated by Sunnynook Woolworths.
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Gardening volunteers dig in for Harbour Hospice
For those who love to garden, there’s nothing more therapeutic than a morning spent pulling weeds or pruning – and that’s what you’ll find five cheerful volunteers doing every Monday morning at Harbour Hospice North Shore.
Takapuna resident Janet Braid has been helping out for 15 years, with Gay Southern from Northcote working alongside her for 10 years.
Martin Brockwell from Takapuna and Alicja van der Poel from Greenhithe are recent additions to the group that tends the Shea Tce gardens, with Jeanne Warmington, a former member of the charity’s Family Support team, having signed up when she retired last year.
Southern says it’s not just being outdoors and gardening that the group enjoys. “It’s that the people and families who come into hospice are so appreciative of everything everybody does. A lot of people stop and say how pretty the garden is, and it’s just such a nice atmosphere.”
She feels humbled to know she is contributing to providing a calming sanctuary for patients and their families. Southern spent 25 years as a medical receptionist and said after retiring a friend suggested she help at the hospice gardens. “And I’ve been there ever since.” She hopes to continue for another decade.
Switching her gumboots for loafers, she also helps out on hospice reception twice a week, enjoying the social interaction.
“The other gardeners are just a really good bunch. We get on really well together and talk about all sorts of things.
“We just get on with whatever needs doing and we come rain or shine, and even on public holidays!
• People interested in volunteering at Harbour Hospice, whether in the garden or in various other roles such as in the kitchen or with patient visits, can email the organising team at volunteer@harbourhospice.org.nz
Volunteers: the more the merrier
Every week is volunteer week in our area, where community-minded folk make a real difference. As well as doing good, many find volunteering builds their sense of connection to place and people. In my job, I see and hear daily the impact volunteers make. Singling anyone out runs the risk of overlooking others, but we do so to acknowledge those wider efforts. From school students to seniors and many in between –who help at clubs and charities, visit hospitals and care homes, keep sports
and community events ticking, and serve on neighbourhood and migrant support groups – volunteers create a more vibrant and caring community for us all. Organisations such as Rotary, Pupuke Birdsong Project and many others are always happy to welcome new members. Follow your own interests locally, or check out other opportunities at volunteeringauckland.org.nz.
Thank you
– Janetta Mackay, Editor
Gardening group... North Shore Hospice volunteers (from left)
Martin Brockwell, Janet Braid, Gay Southern, Alicja van der Poel and Jeanne Warmington
Briefs
Liquor store nabbed
Forrest Hill Liquor Centre was one of 11 stores across the city busted for selling alcohol to under-18-year-olds. It was penalised by a 48-hour licence suspension after being found in breach of the law during a sting involving Auckland Council’s Alcohol Licensing Unit, police and the Auckland Regional Public Health Service. The suspension has been served.
Arrest after thefts
Police have charged a 42-year-old man with offences across the North Shore, including stealing a defibrillator in Takapuna. He has been remanded in custody and will face at least 18 charges when he reappears in court, including some related to thefts of scooters from park-and-ride stations. Area commander Stefan Sagar said police had pieced together a series of burglaries and shoplifting offences, leading to an arrest in Takapuna last month.
Claudia Orange speaks
The Friends of Takapuna Library are hosting acclaimed historian and author Dame Claudia Orange next week. The session – The Treaty, the Government and Aotearoa New Zealand: Where are we now? – is on Wednesday, 18 June from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. Attendees are asked to RSVP to TakapunaEvents@ aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Venue recognised
Fantail & Turtle at Smales Farm in Takapuna has been named best northern venue in the annual Lewisham Awards, which recognise hospitality excellence in Auckland.
Path shelved after half budget spent
Plans for a $476,000 concrete pathway between the Takapuna Beach playground barbecue area and a new ramp to the beach have been shelved, with more than half the money already spent on preliminary work.
The project – aimed at improving accessibility to a relocated beach mat for wheelchair users and others with mobility issues or pushing prams – was found to be too problematic.
Auckland Council staff said issues had been raised in a design review about steep gradients and the height of safety barriers on the reserve. Council’s coastal team was also opposed to having permanent structures onto the sand.
Project manager Roma Leota told a Devonport-Takapuna Local Board workshop last week that feedback from members was needed on next steps.
One option was to cancel the project and persist with the roll-out beach mat in the position it had been placed in for several summers at the bottom of The Strand footpath.
He noted the risk of reputational damage from community expectation that an accessible pathway was to be built and intermittent issues with the mat, caused by the sand beneath being undercut.
Deputy chair Terence Harpur said the path design was “bigger than Ben Hur” and was best cancelled. Members agreed, with Gavin
Busch saying “we made the effort”.
The large playground, which has added equipment and toilet facilities for disabled users, is a drawcard for visitors. Board chair Mel Powell said: “We want to get it right.” She was worried that more than half of the $476,000 budget set aside for the project had been spent and wanted an explanation.
The board requested Leota report back on the possibility of siting the mat on the other side of The Strand. Busch suggested this might also provide space for a small wooden structure to be built to store the mat when it was not in use, such as during storms.
The area was less busy than the playground side, he noted.
Harpur, who has helped organise community members to be responsible for rolling the mat in and out and checking on its stability, said compromise was needed from the coastal team to allow such structures. “I don’t want a hard no from them. It’s not kind to the community.”
The mat offered a lot, not just for the disabled community but also to seniors and parents with prams, he said.
Leota said moving the mat would be “worth investigating”.
Member George Wood noted the presence of international communications cables on the side being suggested. Powell: “We don’t want to cut off the whole internet.”
Matariki gathering returns to Lake House
Matariki will be marked at the Lake House in Takapuna with a community gathering on the public holiday on Friday 20 June. The Puanga-Matariki Twilight Market from 4pm to 8pm, one of the larger events in the area to commemorate the season, is in its third year. It features kai, arts and crafts stalls and waiata under the stars. People can explore the arts-centre buildings and
exhibitions, including weaving displays. Carving can be witnessed in a centre studio. The next day, a more commercial Matariki Saturday market is being held on Takapuna’s Waiwharariki Anzac Square
It will feature boutique goods with a distinct Kiwi or Matariki flavour. Food and entertainment are also on the menu from 10am to 3pm.
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Primary
throws pyjama party for good cause
Pyjamas and slippers were school uniform for a day for around 550 students at Milford Primary School.
The Pyjama Day last Friday was the culmination of a week of fundraising for the Give a Kid a Blanket charity the school has supported for 10 years.
Donations of pyjamas and slippers were made by pupils during the week, and pupils brought in a can of food to take part in the Pyjama Day.
Teachers also got into the spirit of the day, wearing dressing gowns and sleepwear.
School goes robe... A group pyjama class on Milford Primary School’s field. Teachers get in on the act (below, from left) Keegan Jones, Camille Heslin, Chelsea Beaman and Katie Pine.
Fun times... Student trio Emilia Anderson, Kezia Henshall and Natalie Frith, all aged 10.
Colourful quartets... PJ-clad senior students (from left) Riley Kaneko, Olivia Kumaran, Amber Ho and Claire Wang and Akshaj Vipin, Eason Wang, Charlie Reid and Henry Chen-Forsyth
Local trees slated for protection
Seven trees in Takapuna and Milford are included in a schedule of notable trees
Auckland Council proposes to add to its protected list under the Auckland Unitary Plan.
They are among 12 trees nominated from across the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area, with the others in Bayswater and Belmont. Most are on private property.
Public submissions on the proposed additions to the schedule, known as Plan Change 113, are open until 23 June.
The trees involved include: a pin oak at 132 Shakespeare Rd, an English oak at
68-72 Shakespeare Rd and a puriri at 23 Auburn St, plus pohutukawa in Takapuna at 3 O’Neills Ave, 19 O’Neills Ave, the O’Neills Ave road reserve outside No. 4 and 2 The Terrace.
Trees chosen from nominations were assessed as significant for their age, size, rarity, cultural or historical significance, or the habitat they provide to wildlife.
If added to the schedule, they gain greater legal protection and cannot be removed or significantly altered without an approved resource consent from council.
The full schedule is available online.
Choppers gather data for flood study
Helicopters seen and heard overhead this month may well be those involved in a council flood-resilience data gathering project.
Healthy Waters and the Flood Resilience team of Auckland Council are doing a high-tech aerial survey. Areas of interest include: Takapuna Beach, Milford Beach and around Lake Pupuke and parts of the Devonport Peninsula, including Hauraki, Narrow Neck and Devonport.
At times an E120 three-bladed helicopter may fly at low levels (250m to 400m). Brief periods of low-level noise should be
expected, council says.
Information on exact times and locations for the flights is not available, as they are weather dependent and subject to change. The flights will use Lidar (laser imaging, detection and ranging) to provide 3D insights on managing flood risks more effectively.
The wider project, which includes other areas of the city, is part of the Making Space for Water programme, following the extreme storms of early 2023.
The Wairau catchment is one of the key areas the programme is focused on.
A drop-in centre for all current and former service personnel and their families will be held in the Takapuna Library every Wednesday 10am-12pm commencing 18th of June 2025.
If you or your family require support, we are here for you and those who depend on you.
We help by:
• Using Our Connections: with government, Veterans’ Affairs, RSAs, and community groups to provide information, mentoring and support.
• Providing Advice: by maintaining relationships with organisations in order to provide you with timely, relevant and accurate health, employment and well-being advice.
• Advocating: We recognise the rigors of domestic and overseas service and advocate on your behalf for Government recognition, assistance and redress.
• Financial Assistance: by grants based on the need, to alleviate financial, medical and education hardships for you and your dependents.
Phone 021 446 011
Supported by Birkenhead, Devonport and ECB RSAs
• Pain management
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Takapuna club and WBHS take the spoils in
Takapuna premiers break North Shore’s 34-match winning streak
A Moana Pasifika Super Rugby bomb squad helped propel Takapuna to a last-minute 22-20 win over arch-rivals North Shore in the North Harbour rugby premiership at Vauxhall Rd last Saturday.
Shore was up 17-7 at half-time, with its dominant pack shunting Takapuna back several times and Hunter Rice slicing through the Takapuna defence from fullback.
But just after the break the addition of Moana Pasifika players Lotu and Fine Inisi and Sam Moli for Takapuna changed the game. Lotu featured in a number of storming runs and Fine set up winger Sofia Maka with a try through a deft pass which brought the score back to 17-14.
Midway through the second half, Takapuna went ahead 19-17, with Lotu scoring out wide after outpacing several Shore defenders. Most importantly, the Takapuna pack were going forward and flanker Gage Jackson chipped in with some crushing defence.
With less ball, Shore was held tryless in the second half. But a late Rice penalty from 47 metres on the angle put the home side in front again and it seemed Shore would add to its 34-game winning streak over the last three seasons.
Then, from the restart, pressure by Takapuna forwards led to Shore losing the ball before offending at the next clean-out to gift Tyler Pulini an easy penalty from straight in front.
The Takapuna win creates new interest in the championship. The Inisi brothers have been released by the Moana Pasifika franchise, with Fine confirming he is taking up a contract in Wales. However Takapuna coach Nick Elrick said both would be available to play on the Shore for the rest of the season.
Brothers in arms... The bomb squad (from left) brothers Lotu and Fine Inisi and Sam Moli (right) joined their mate Tiki Lelenga to help topple Shore
Super power... Lotu Inisi on the way to scoring the decisive try. Below: Takapuna fullback Theo van der Mei on the burst
weekend of hard-fought local rugby derbies
Westlake knocks Rosmini off the top of championship table after trailing at half-time Westlake Boys High School’s first XV produced a dominant second half to beat frontrunners Rosmini 34-20 and claim top spot in the North Harbour schools rugby championship.
Rosmini were the stronger team in the first 35 minutes, occupying Westlake’s half for long periods and leading 13-12 at the break.
The score flattered Westlake, who scored a couple of breakaway tries in their only attacking forays.
The tables turned after half-time. The Westlake forwards began to dominate, giving greater latitude for attack. First five Luke Waller added some deft touches with his tactical kicking, the loose forward trio of Arlo Leith, Solomone Tuitupou and Travis Findlay began to run riot, and fullback Ollie Davis injected himself from the back.
The points mounted and at 34-13 it looked like Westlake would hold Rosmini scoreless in the second half. But to their credit, Rosmini never gave up, scoring a late converted try.
First five Hunter Johns was the pick of Rosmini’s players, scoring an excellent first-half try. Flanker George Lendich was prominent in the loose and a stout defender.
Hard yards... Westlake centre Matt Fleming on attack in a powerhouse second half. Below: Rosmini first five Hunter Johns scores after crashing through the Westlake defence
Supporters (from left) Andri Peens and Finau Anitoni backing Westlake and Rosmini fans Ofa and Koleti Taulani
Happy chappies... Westlake deputy principal Conor Pearson with son Joseph
Milford Tennis Club 2025 junior champions
Girls 10s and under: winner, Claire Wang. Boys 10s and under: winner, Hugo Payet. Girls 11-12: winner, Vivian Peng. Boys 11-12: winner, Jeremy Yang. Girls 14-15: winner, Cynthia Yang. Boys 14-15: winner, Kory Maire. Girls 16-18: winner, Fiona Yang. Boys 16-18: winner, Daniel Roberts.Junior Player of the Year: Andre Duggan. Most Promising Girl: Sienna Lee. Most Promising Boy: Leo Giordani. Coaches Award Boy: Patrick Moot. Coaches Award Girl: Chloe Paget.
Lake Pupuke Tennis Club champions
Seniors
Men’s Singles: winner, Tom Maclean; runner-up, Charles Chen. Women’s Singles: winner, Neev Hunkin; runner-up, Jo Neves. Men’s Doubles: winners, Charles Chen and Morgan Cairns; runners-up, Chris Dalton and Flynn Dalton. Women’s Doubles: winners, Jo Neves and Caitlin Goodin; runners-up, Neev Hunkin and Christine Pry. Mixed Doubles: winners, Caitlin Goodin and Chris Dalton; runners-up, Neev Hunkin and Morgan Cairns. Juniors
Under-12 Boys: winner, Ian Xu; runner-up, Matthew Muliadi. Under-15 Girls: winner, Sofie Gryniewicz Horgan; runner-up, Akemi Suzuki. Under-15 Boys: winner, Oban Sills-Jones; runner-up, Daniel Cheng. Under-18 Boys: winner, Luke Angjelinovic, runner-up, Dillon Pinto.
Women’s
winners… Jo Neves and Caitlin Goodin
Cream of the crop... (clockwise from top left): Girls 16-18 winner Fiona Yang (right) and runner-up Kiri Varchmin; and other age-group winners: Claire Wang; Cynthia Yang; Sienna Lee; and Hugo Payet.
Courting success... Lake Pupuke Club members at Taharoto Park, Takapuna
doubles
Why Claire Amos swapped gyms for Fit20 training
Claire Amos never gelled with traditional gyms. “I’d join, donate money for a while, and then stop going,” she says. “It never stuck.” Despite being active—roller skating, dancing, Pilates—she wanted something strength-based that didn’t eat into her workday or require a complete lifestyle shift. Strength training that fits into your day
Claire first came across Fit20 online. With a studio close by and a promise of just 20 minutes once a week, it felt doable. “I saw it was one-on-one, fast, efficient—and I wouldn’t have to change into gym gear. I could fit it into a work break,” she says.
The appeal wasn’t just convenience. Claire was looking for a sustainable way to improve her strength and support her health. “I saw results quickly—more strength, weight loss, and better core stability, which helped with roller skating and eliminated my backache,” she says.
Backed by science—and it works Initially, Claire was sceptical. “It sounded too good to be true,” she admits. But digging into the research reassured her. Fit20’s programme is based on slow-motion, high-intensity strength training backed by a longterm study of 15,000 people. That science, combined with the structure and support, helped her see measurable results.
“The difference in strength was obvious,” she says. “Even after stopping for six months over Christmas to save money, I noticed the change. I missed it and rejoined. It still amazes me how effective it is.”
Personal support that keeps you accountable
The one-on-one coaching has made all the difference. “You get to know your trainer. They watch your form closely and tailor the session to where you’re at. You’re looked after. It’s not like being left to figure things out on your own like at a regular gym.”
She says the accountability is powerful. “I know I’m being measured and monitored. Adjustments are made all the time to
keep me progressing. I don’t think I’ll ever plateau.”
20 minutes that change everything Now stronger, pain-free, and with improved core strength and flexibility, Claire is clear: “This is the most efficient use of time I’ve ever experienced. It’s hard to believe how much it helps, considering I’m only there once a week for 20 minutes.”
Fit20 has proven to be a lasting change in Claire’s health routine—one that fits her life and delivers real, ongoing results.
Have a look at our last article about Allie Mooney’s experience
BOOK YOUR ONE HOUR FREE INTRODUCTION TRAINING or reach out for more information at Fit20 Rosedale
Families welcome Sunnynook’s new playground
Belle Verde Reserve playground in a quiet cul de sac at the top end of Sunnynook was opened with a community gathering on 31 May, drawing a good crowd.
Pizzas and a coffee cart were popular, with hosts the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and North Shore Neighbourhood Support taking the chance to speak about community resilience, safety and emergency management measures. Local board chair Mel Powell emphasised the benefits of neighbours looking out for each other.
She told the Observer it was great to have the small existing playground upgraded within the three-year term of the board, when council projects often take longer.
A feature was consulting Sunnynook Primary School students on play equipment. As well as the usual slides and swings, agility gear is included.
Close to home... Francie (10) and Rebecca Sinclair at the revamped Belle Verde Reserve playground in their home suburb of Sunnynook
Geared up... Enjoying the new equipment were Chloe (2½) and her mother Yuan Cheng from Hillcrest, and Marko (2½) and his mother Vicky Tsyupka of Sunnynook
Taste of a new facility... Sunnynook local Tania Zheng (9) stops for a treat, while Madison (2½) tries the swing and Jasper the dog joins the queue for coffee with owner SJ who lives nearby
Tucking in... Nine-year-old Jemmy Chien (above left) and Kevin Zhang (7) were along to check out the revamped playground at Belle Verde Reserve, but like the adults (right) they were happy to pause for refreshments
Family outings... Sunnynook locals Zachary (9) with dad Sam Y and Peyton (7) and Jared (13) with parents Joe and Mari Van Zyl. Sam described the new play spot as “good for local people and for little kids”.
Hearing Care with a difference
There are many large chain audiology clinics in the hearing care sector. Being the sole audiologist in Goulart Hearing, Lisa Goulart knows she has to go the extra mile to make her clinic stand out from the big chains with big advertising budgets. Lisa knows her difference is striving to offer the absolute best quality hearing care possible, at a competitive price.
As an independent audiology clinic, she knows the importance of taking the time to really understand personal hearing needs, lifestyle and budget requirements. She says “We have no preferential supply arrangements with any hearing aid manufacturer, allowing us to fit the hearing aids you actually need, at competitive prices.”
The recent addition of one of the ‘world’s best’ wireless speakers to the clinic, a Linn Series 3 Wireless Speaker, enables patients to test hearing aids whilst listening to their favourite music like they’ve never heard it before. They also enable Lisa to play music and background noise at a very loud 100 decibels with no distortion, to demonstrate
how musician filters work.
Surfers and swimmers can also benefit from Lisa’s expertise in custom made ear plugs to help reduce the effects of cold water in the ear, which can cause abnor mal bone growth in the ear and can lead to hearing loss.
“My mission is to provide the highest levels of hearing health care, protection, diagnosis, intervention and rehabilitation for adults and children with different hearing loss and needs.”
Originally from Brazil, Lisa is a Mil ford local with two primary school aged children and with many years experience working at Starship Children’s Hospital, she knows how to make young as well as elderly patients feel at ease.
Lisa’s passion is to help people with
ing – from hearing impairment to hearing loss prevention. Her clinic is located in the modern, comfortable and convenient Northmed Centre in Northcote.
Sweet success for caring schoolgirls at lemonade stand
Cookie time... Enterprising friends (from left) Emma Sowden, Betsy Bott, Maddi Parker, Clio Ingle and Lucy Longstaff set up their stand near the crusing club at Milford Beach Reserve last Sunday. It proved a hit.
Company puts on fundraiser
Milford Cruising Club served up a Pink Ribbon Dinner for more than 100 guests last month for a fundraiser that raised $1279 for the Breast Cancer Foundation.
The event was put on by North Shore business Clean for Good, which in January opened its second office, employing eight full-time staff in Milford, after setting up in Devonport four years ago.
Master of ceremonies was the Honorary Consul of Chile in Auckland, Felipe Rojas, who is a club member and husband of Clean for Good director Stephanie Ray.
Ray was born in Chile, to American and German parents. Rojas, who works as a lawyer at Fonterra, is on the Latin American Business Council. The couple live in Bayswater.
Ray said supporting the foundation by getting community members and other small businesses together fitted with her company’s approach. It has a sustainability focus and employs a total of 20 staff, rather than running them as contractors.
Five determined seven-year-old school friends cooked up a scheme to raise money for animal welfare, with a stall in Milford that raised more than $500 in two hours last Sunday.
Maddi Parker, Clio Ingle, Betsy Bott, Emma Sowden and Lucy Longstaff who all attend Milford Primary School, came home one day telling parents they really wanted to set up a lemonade stall and to sell cookies. “They started making signs,” said Lucy’s proud mother Michaela Longstaff.
Initially the Year 3 girls wanted to donate what they raised to vets, but they were steered towards the SPCA charity. It proved a popular choice with passersby, friends and family giving generously. By taking donations, rather than pricing goods, the stand was also accessible, with one boy only having 50c for a cookie, but other people chipping in $10.
Parents supported the set-up and bought ingredients, but say the plan was all from the from the girls. They had an impressive story for show and tell at school, with teachers surprised how much they raised.
In the pink... Clean for Good founder Stephanie Ray (right) and husband Felipe Rojas, Honorary Consul of Chile, with her team at the Milford fundraiser.
Widening culvert to estuary could immediately cut flooding risk
I read the article in the Observer (30 May) about the speed of the flood prevention discussed at the Eventfinda meeting.
I made a point at the meeting about the existing restriction at the end of the Wairau Creek into the estuary.
I think the community should be aware of the risk of that restriction.
The flooding of Stratford Avenue is due to the level of the water in the culvert of the Wairau Creek and therefore to the restriction at the end of the creek.
The bends of the creek between Stratford Ave and East Coast Road could also be part of the problem, but the real constraint is the size of the opening under East Coast Road into the estuary.
That opening could even be partially blocked by all sort of debris, therefore making it even smaller.
Widening that outlet could also be the most immediate form of action that can
achieve an appropriate result, reducing the risk of future flooding.
Clearly, turning the golf course into a wetland or lowering parts of the golf course can help to mitigate possible future events that could be worse than in 2023, but those projects will take years to be completed.
I think that in any case, widening the outlet to the estuary would still be necessary to increase the discharge of the water into the infinite capacity of the ocean.
Why not do it immediately?
The project could be planned and approved very quickly and also completed even before starting with the work in the golf course.
After that they can then decide if it is also necessary to increase the width of the Wairau Creek, but that would only be a long-time possibility due to evident planning issues.
Franco Belgiorno-Nettis
Intensification brings street-parking woes
Intensification throughout Auckland is creating major problems on our roads as off-street parking is no longer a requirement of the Unitary Plan.
The result? Cars galore parked on each side of often narrow streets and higher insurance costs for their owners.
It is heartbreaking to see how many cars and tradies’ vehicles are broken into.
On the other hand, residents are vocal
about the need for dotted yellow lines as their narrow streets are no longer safe to drive on. (Hart Rd in Hauraki is an example where residents recently got Auckland Transport to agree to yellow lines.)
Result? Anguish for each and every resident. But a financial gain for the developers.
A review of the Unitary Plan is urgently required.
Jan O’Connor
We welcome letters. Please limit to 300 words on local topics. Noms de plume or unnamed letters will not be printed. Email news@rangitoto-observer.co.nz or write to Letters, PO Box 32 275, Devonport.
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Local talents take key roles in much-loved show
The beloved story of orphan Annie navigating the tough hand life has dealt her is coming to the Bruce Mason Centre next week in a musical production employing Takapuna talent.
One of the lead roles in the 50-year-old family-friendly show is played by 21-yearold local MacKenzie Cuthbert. She is Grace Farrell, the kind-hearted secretary to billionaire “Daddy” Warbucks.
The show’s musical director is a Takapuna Grammar School performing arts teacher, Campbell MacKenzie, who was co-director of the school’s recent production of Shortland Street: The Musical
The whopping 150-strong cast of Annie! includes other North Shore and wider Auckland talent, drawn together by Encore Theatre Collective.
Cuthbert began performing with Encore in 2017, in her early teens, and MacKenzie as a young adult. “He started in the cast when he was at university,” recalls the company’s artistic director Hamish Mouat. His talent shone through, developing from acting into what is his first time as sole musical director for Encore.
Mouat – who is the show’s director and choreographer – says the aim with Annie! is to follow up on the success of the company’s previous big shows, including the Matilda musical he co-produced last year.
“The goal is taking more theatre to young people in New Zealand, at a high level,” he says.
Cuthbert agrees Encore provides young performers with great opportunities.
When she went through Carmel College, where she was involved in drama, she says “sadly” musicals weren’t on the menu. But she discovered Encore.
Now finishing a drama degree at the University of Auckland, she says she’d like to continue with a career in performing arts.
Even in her early years, growing up in Takapuna where she still lives, she was drawn to the stage. “I always wanted to perform,” she says.
Luckily her mother was happy to support her. She had singing and dancing lessons from around age six, although Cuthbert laughs that her mother later admitted this was partly because of Cuthbert’s “not so great” early efforts singing along in the car.
Musical theatre became her main love and she says her favourite show to date has been The Sound of Music. “I played Maria, that was really lovely.”
Playing the Grace role in Annie! is another sweet-natured but multi-layered character.
“She’s quite maternal with Annie, but she can be all business with others,” says Cuthbert. This includes dealing with the show’s resident baddie, manipulative orphanage
manager Miss Hannigan.
The production features even more preteens than usual for Encore, with those aged nine-plus auditioning in December last year, and main roles allocated later.
It has a multi-cast approach, with three different Annies rotating as the 11-year-old heroine. This is also the case with the Grace Farrell and Miss Hannigan characters.
Along with Warbucks, they have all been figures of American pop culture since debuting in a comic strip called Little Orphan Annie in the 1920s.
The Annie! musical debuted on Broadway in 1977. It has a Tony Award-winning score of songs including Tomorrow, Easy Street, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without
a Smile and It’s The Hard-Knock Life Mouat says there is still an audience for musicals, but that these are testing times for a company relying on ticket sales.
The former artistic director at Kristin School, who also works in professional theatre, is hoping for a good season. “We strongly believe in what we do,” he says.
“Because we do musicals with children, these shows will always appeal to families.”
For her part, Cuthbert promises Encore will put on another “really good show –there’s something for everyone”.
• Annie!, staged by Encore Theatre Collective, at the Bruce Mason Theatre in Takapuna, 19-22 June. Tickets from $45, through the theatre box office or ticketmaster.co.nz.
Finding family... The main cast of the musical Annie! includes Takapuna actor MacKenzie Cuthbert (left) as secretary Grace Farrell, with Annie, played by Gracie Bradley, and Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks played by Adeel Surendran
Now and then... The Royal New Zealand Navy Band was preceded by Royal Marines bands
Navy band marks 65 years of music
The Royal New Zealand Navy Band is holding a special 65th anniversary concert for North Shore locals this month.
It will perform at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna on Saturday 14 June at 2pm.
The band – subject of a special exhibition at the Navy Museum in Torpedo Bay – is a regular at Anzac Day ceremonies in Devonport. The concert gives a chance to enjoy a wider repertoire from its 22 professional musicians and former band members who will make guest appearances.
The programme includes military marches, virtuosic solos, familiar tunes and the big band sound.
The band’s role is to play for the Navy, Defence Force and Government, both in New Zealand and overseas. Performances range from formal parades and state events to providing entertainment for service personnel at camps and bases.
Tickets to the concert, supported by council arm Auckland Live, are $7 plus booking fees.
Meanwhile, people wishing to learn more about the band’s heritage, and the Royal Marines Band which came before it, can explore this at the museum. The special exhibition, Instrumental in Defence, runs until the end of January 2026. It features artefacts, instruments, photographs and sound recordings.
SHOWING NOW
How to Train Your Dragon (PG) 126min
Materialists (M) 116min
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (R16) 125min
The Surfer (R16) 100min
Bring Her Back (R18) 104min
The Phoenician Scheme (M) 101min
Lilo & Stitch (PG) 108min
Tarrac (M) 95min
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