No new local state houses after $11m in sales... p5
Community House marks 30 years... p14-17
Shared kai hits the spot at Bayswater School... p42-43
Massive Navy base works programme outlined
Seven projects have been identified as immediate priorities for a multibillion-dollar rebuild of the Devonport Naval Base. They are:
• Replacement of the Navy dry dock’s “caisson” gates.
• Construction of a small-boats facility.
• Redevelopment of the Stanley Bay gate entrance.
• Removal and replacement of the officer training facility at Narrow Neck.
• Replacement of the sea safety training facility at Ngataringa.
• Creation of a transitionary integrated office hub.
• Base-wide network infrastructure planning.
Design and planning for the seven projects is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, at a cost of $25 million.
To page 2
Radio stars hit the stage for festive frolics
Ready for show time… Broadcasting duo Toni Street and Sam Wallace host Jingle in the Park in Windsor Reserve tomorrow night. Story, page 18.
Asbestos-ridden facility among first to go in base upgrade
From page 1
The projects were selected to address immediate operational risks and compliance issues, and will enable future development.
The government last week committed $4 billion to a Navy rebuild over the next three decades. Devonport Naval Base commander John McQueen (pictured) told the Flagstaff more than 70 per cent of the “Defence estate” buildings had reached the end of their lives. The naval base percentage was probably even higher, he said.
A master plan divided the base up into precincts with works identified in each.
The low-lying and flood prone Northern Yard would be gradually decommissioned and its functions absorbed elsewhere.
One of the first buildings to go would be the asbestos-ridden Officer Training School at Narrow Neck.
Budget ‘will be based on business cases’
The initial $25 million for planning and design of improvements to Devonport naval base was announced last week by Associate Defence Minister Chris Penk.
Additional budget will be provided over the next 3-4 years based on individual business cases being developed, Penk said.
The government said $4 billion will be spent on upgrading the base from now until 2060. But how this plays out will depend on successive governments.
Penk said the long-term plans would enable capability, give personnel the facilities they needed and strengthen national security. “This will address decades of underinvestment at Devonport.”
North Shore MP Simon Watts said the upgrades would continue to anchor Navy families and careers in the local community.
done in the past two decades. Whangarei, Picton, Lyttelton, and Dunedin were all suggested at various times.
The cost of moving the base was always a major prohibiting factor. It is also the de facto government headquarters if disaster strikes Wellington, with its close proximity to Auckland CBD a key plus point.
While the last Labour government decided the base would stay in Devonport, last week’s announcement “draws a line in the sand” and provides a clear future, McQueen said. “It’s a really positive thing for the Navy and the community – no one likes scruffy infrastructure.”
McQueen, a former Westlake Boys High student who took over as base commander in August, said it was “a privilege” to be in a leadership role at a positive time for the Navy. “It’s investing in New Zealand’s future.”
History of the Devonport Naval Base
The base’s origins date back to when Lieutenant-Governor and naval captain William Hobson founded the city of Auckland, shortly after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Hobson wanted a place where Royal Navy ships could berth, but considered the waters on the southern side of the Waitematā to be too shallow.
The deep-water anchorage across the harbour was a far better option so a naval facility was established in 1841 in the very small settlement of Flagstaff – renamed Devonport in 1868, after the Royal Navy base in the United Kingdom.
In 1892, the naval facility at Admiralty Reserve –what is now Windsor Reserve –was swapped for five acres of land further west towards Stanley Bay, surrounding the Calliope dry dock.
The dry dock, which opened in 1888, was administered by the Auckland Harbour Board
and was the largest dry dock in the Southern Hemisphere at the time.
By 1899 the dry dock had become under-utilised and required maintenance. The board negotiated for the Royal Navy for them to have primary use of the dry dock.
In 1909 the naval facility was formally designated the Devonport Naval Base.
Building continued on a piecemeal basis over the years using the five acres and reclaimed land where the Ngātaringa Domain and North Yard of the base are sited.
During World War I, a training camp was built at Fort Takapuna – previously a coastal defence battery.
This was enlarged further during WWII, when 48 buildings, roads and parade grounds were builtd.
Today, the site has only a trade training school remaining, with the other buildings either demolished or vacant.
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McQueen said more than 30 studies, reviews and investigations touching on moving the naval base out of Devonport had been
Nothing else matters when cooking for Metallica
Metallica’s sold-out concert at Eden Park last month was fuelled by food from local chef and margarita producer Luis Cabrera.
Devonport resident Cabrera led a team of about a dozen people who cooked some 250 meals for the band and crew leading up to the 19 November show.
Cabrera ran two successful Mexican restaurants in downtown Auckland until Covid.
More recently he’s been concentrating on his Bessos Margarita business, but his reputation as a top celebrity chef endures.
In the past, he’s cooked for US President Barack Obama during a state visit to New Zealand, and grunge rock pioneers Pearl Jam.
A friend who organises catering for VIPs lined him up for the Metallica gig.
On the Sunday before the Wednesday show, Cabrera and his team cooked “breakfast, lunch and dinner” at the Eden Park kitchen for the Metallica entourage – a requested set menu of buffet-style food. “But you could do it in your own style.”
The cook-up set up the band with food for the subsequent days of rehearsals and sound checks.
The band ate with the rest of the crew and “were totally chill – you wouldn’t believe they were superstars”.
Cabrera especially enjoyed meeting Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, who has Mexican heritage.
The actual cooking took around 10 hours. “You don’t even realise the time – it goes by so fast.”
However, keen tennis player Cabrera said the next day his back felt like he had “played five sets – at the Australian Open”.
With all the cooking done, Cabrera and wife Cecilia had free tickets to the concert, with backstage passes to mix and mingle with the band.
Pedal to the metal... Luis Cabrera and another caterer at work on the meal production line at Eden Park in the run-up to the Metallica concert which drew 55,000 fans on 19 November. Right: an example of the menu requirements for the band and crew ahead of the gig.
Principal off for months after trips, amid grievance cases
A local primary school principal who raised eyebrows among colleagues and parents when she took a two-week Disney cruise during term time and has been cited in personal grievance cases taken by current and former staff is on stress leave.
The Flagstaff understands Stanley Bay principal Emma Tolmie has not been on the school grounds since June.
The school board is dealing with complicated legal issues surrounding her employment.
Tolmie joined the school as principal in April 2023. She went on the Disney cruise in December 2023. The Flagstaff has been told the keen Disney fan’s office is decorated with Mickey Mouse paraphernalia.
In April 2025, the school paid for her attendance at a principals conference in Finland, after which it is understood she “tacked on” a private two-week trip including visits to Madrid, Rome and Paris.
Helen Pelham, a long-time Stanley Bay teacher, has been acting principal at the school in Tolmie’s absence, but has recently been unwell.
Former Belmont Primary School principal Bruce Cunningham, who retired in April, is currently relieving principal.
All
Mickey Mouse fan... Stanley Bay principal Emma Tolmie was pictured in the Flagstaff taking part in the schools mud run in costume in 2023
The Flagstaff understands Pelham will resume as acting principal until a way forward is resolved.
Before joining Stanley Bay, Tolmie was deputy principal of Richmond Road School
in Ponsonby for almost nine years.
The school board has been discussing her situation in confidential sessions of board meetings. Given the sensitive nature of the employment discussions, communications to parents about what was happening regarding the principal have been limited.
The Flagstaff asked the board a series of questions, including what it had paid towards Tolmie attending the conference in Finland; whether it had taken legal advice over employment issues and what this had cost; and how the school roll today compared to 2024.
On Monday this week the board responded by email: “ We cannot comment on any matter relating to Emma Tolmie, Principal of Stanley Bay School, because we do not discuss individual staff or students publicly.”
The Flagstaff also sent a series of questions to Tolmie but did not get a response by deadline.
Tolmie mentioned the principals conference in a May 13, 2025, message to parents:
“Sixteen Principals from around New Zealand and four Australian principals visited the Finland education system for a week. They visited schools, talked with principals, teachers, learning assistants, and had lectures from experts in various education fields.”
$11m in local state house proceeds going elsewhere
Eleven state houses have been sold on the Devonport peninsula this year, fetching a total of more than $11 million, but Kāinga Ora plans no new homes in the area.
The agency (formerly Housing New Zealand) sold the following properties on the peninsula from July to October this year:
• 16a Fraser Rd, Narrow Neck ($1,010,000)
• 31 Philomel Crescent, Bayswater ($825,000)
• 37 Egremont St, Bayswater ($810,000)
• 59 Roberts Ave, Bayswater ($1,259, 500)
• 69 Roberts Ave, Bayswater ($928, 000)
• 9b Kerr St, Devonport ($900,000)
• 9D Kerr St, Devonport ($1,120,000)
• 9E Kerr St, Devonport ($830,000)
• 9F Kerr St, Devonport ($1,150,000)
• 9G Kerr St, Devonport ($1,425,500)
• 6 Moa St, Belmont ($850,000)
The sales so far total $11,108,000.
The money will go back into public housing but not in the Devonport area.
The last remaining Kāinga Ora house in the Kerr St cluster – a three-bedroom home at 9C Kerr St – is for sale through Harcourts with the tender closing on 9 December.
Taina Jones, Kāinga Ora regional director for North and West Auckland, said the six
older properties in Kerr St, Devonport, were being sold “so we can reinvest the money from the sales into new modern homes”. All tenants had moved to other Kāinga Ora homes or chosen to move to alternative housing, she said.
“We align our housing delivery programme to Government direction which advises where homes are needed, based on housing demand. No new homes are currently planned for the Devonport area.” Jones dismissed local rumours that Kāinga Ora had bought new homes in Williamson Avenue, Belmont.
Navy open days could resume
The once-popular Navy Open Day at the Devonport base is likely to be reintroduced in 2026.
The open day was at one time held every year, then once every two years. It went into abeyance during Covid.
Navy base commander John McQueen said it wanted to resume the practice in 2026, though the format would depend on increased security restrictions, cost and any council requirements.
FOOD . WINE . MUSIC . COCKTAILS
DEVONPORT WATERFRONT
SATURDAY 31ST JANUARY 1PM – 9PM / R20
SUPER DISCO CLUB
DJ SPEN | SGT SLICK
Lewis McCallum | The Loneliest Hunk
Karn Hall | Marjorie Sinclair | Bobby Brazuka
Murry Sweetpants | Brydie Tong | Mamba | Lucas Datt
Technical glitch leads to ferry overcharging, refunds
A network outage led to overcharging for 440 Devonport-Auckland ferry trips and Auckland Transport (AT) having to pay back $1100.
A commuter who contacted the Flagstaff said that after forgetting his Hop card and using his credit card to pay, he later noticed extra payments didn’t match his trips on 5 and 6 November.
A network outage affected one of the four card scanners at Devonport Ferry Terminal for around 48 hours, AT ticketing pro -
gramme director Gary Van Rensburg said.
Around 440 ferry trips using contactless credit or debit card payments – but not Hop cards – were overcharged by $2.50 per trip.
“In total, we estimate approximately $1100 was overcharged but later refunded automatically once the validator came online and downloaded all the tags,” Van Rensburg said.
“On occasion, communication errors occur, however the systems are designed to cater for these scenarios.”
Targeted rates off the table
Targeted rates have been rejected as an option for dealing with the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board’s funding crisis.
The board faces a $650,000 budget shortfall this year. A targeted rate to meet the shortfall would cost each household around an extra $30.
Board chair Trish Deans said it was having to make budget cuts due to both council’s “fairer funding” formula and inflationary cost pressures.
“We have no other way to go,” she told the Flagstaff prior to taking the targeted rate to the board meeting for support last Tuesday. “It’s to fill in a budget hole. We’ve not been given any identifiable way to deal with the cost cuts.”
Funding cuts, if they went ahead, would mean reductions in local services, such as library hours, park mowing, and community grants and funding.
However Deans failed to gain support for the targeting rates idea from other board members.
Discussions on how to deal with the massive funding shortfall will continue into 2026.
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Retired farmer’s legendary golfing comeback
Retired farmer’s legendary golfing comeback
Danny thought his active days were behind him. Retired from farming due to dodgy knees and hips, he’d been watching his wife handle the calves and drive the tractor.
“Great woman,” he says with a grin.
Then that October, he fell off his chair while she was docking lambs and broke his arm. “Couldn’t even hold a bottle of draught, let alone get the top off.”
His wife’s response? “She couldn’t stop laughing.”
Searching online for something to help once the cast came off, he discovered Koru FX, a natural New Zealand-made joint and muscle cream. What happened next has become legend at Danny’s local golf club.
“My golf handicap improved by four strokes in the first week,” Danny says, still amazed. “Never been around in under 100, and suddenly here I am getting pars and birdies. Everyone thought I was on something illegal!”
Danny found his confidence returning with each swing. The natural cream, containing arnica, mānuka and botanical oils, had given him the support to play without hesitation.
Word spread through the clubhouse. An elderly couple who needed two days for nine holes asked about his secret.
Even the local priest pulled Danny into the confessional with an unusual request about his sore elbow from “dishing out communion.” Danny gave his blessing along with two bottles. The result? “The fella beat me at golf on Saturday.”
Danny’s discovered what thousands of Kiwis have found, natural support can make a real difference.
“Life’s too short to watch from the sidelines,” he grins characteristically.
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Boatbuilders find true delight in woodworking creation
After 18 months of hard work, a group of Takapuna Grammar School students has launched Delight, a 10-foot-8-inch (3.25m) sailing skiff built from scratch.
The project began as a carpentry extension club but quickly shifted course when it was discovered groundskeeper Mark Stevens was a seasoned boatbuilder and designer who had worked with legendary Young 88 designer Jim Young in the 1970s.
Tech studies teacher Cameron Allen spearheaded the initiative, which involved 12 students. Twice a week, before school, the team learned boatbuilding skills under Stevens’ guidance.
From plywood construction to epoxy resin work, the students gained hands-on experience in boatbuilding techniques. A carved gunwale featuring paua inlay was added, giving Delight a distinctive Kiwi touch.
The launch of the skiff at Bayswater was watched by around 40 students and parents. She was christened by Mark Stevens and year 9 student Oscar Woodhead, before Woodhead and George Renall took her for a first sail.
Allen said seeing the boat sail was amazing for all involved.
“It has been heartening to see traditional knowledge and skills being passed down from our in-house sailing guru, Mark Stevens,” Allen said.
“As design becomes more digital, Mark’s hands-on approach and problem-solving through trial and error show how valuable practical experience and teamwork still are.”
The project has drawn strong community backing, with businesses like Altex Coatings and Adhesive Technologies donating paint and resin, Burnsco Marine donating hardware and Fineline Marine supplying ropes.
The school plans to expand the programme, with students set to tackle the restoration of a donated Vindex 28 launch.
Making a splash... Mark Stevens and Year 9 student Oscar Woodhead christen Delight. Below: With the skiff mid-project are (from left) George Renall, Vienna Campbell, and Oscar Woodhead. Right: Students at work in the early stages.
Couple Counselling; What it is and how it can help
Whether a couple wants to enhance communication, rekindle feelings of closeness or address infidelity or other emergent concerns, couple counselling can help.
Couple problems occur when the dynamic interaction between partners increases conflict and reduces joy, trust, and shared dreams. Couple counselling focusses on enhancing that dynamic interaction. Whether a couple stays together or parts ways (or anything in between), couple counselling supports better relationship processes and outcomes.
I’ve noticed that couple counseling is more of an art than a science. As a couple counsellor, I find myself being warm and empathic, while also being proactive and direct. I need to be neutral while actively supporting each partner’s individual and relationship needs. I celebrate clients’ successes and empathise with their challenges and pain. Often, I am like a native guide through the peaks and valleys of intimate relationships.
Couple counselling success means different things for each couple. However, as a client said, “Working with Emily helped us improve our relationship while encouraging our individual growth and development. The experience was transformational for us as a couple and as individuals”.
I have specialist training in couple counselling using the internationally recognised Gottman Method and other counselling approaches. I welcome your enquiries.
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After 25 years of being located in Northcroft Street, YOU Travel Takapuna has now moved to a new location to Shop 16, No 1, The Strand, Takapuna.
This is the former council building across Lake Road from our current premises.
YOU Travel Takapuna is one of the most established businesses in Takapuna operating uninterrupted for over 50 years. Starting out as United Travel, the business was originally in the Griffith’s building on Lake Road. It has remained in the Shanahan family with Jim Shanahan first taking over the business back in 1975 from Alpe Travel. Jeremy Shanahan joined his father and took over the business after Jim retired.
YOU Travel Takapuna — aside from traditional holiday and business travel also operate a number of niche travel specialities:
YOU Travel — focuses on bespoke travel itineraries, cruising, tours, flight bookings, hotel and bookings world wide www.youtravel.co.nz
Island Holidays — Island Holidays specialises in surf holidays worldwide including resorts and charters. www.islandholidays.co.nz
Island Holidays phone 0800 336660, email Pete Head: pete@islandholidays.co.nz
Money raised for teacher’s parents after diving death
More than $60,000 has been raised to assist the elderly parents of popular Takapuna Grammar School teacher Kevin Hu (pictured), who died in a snorkelling accident in Fiji last month.
The school flew its flag at half-mast after news of Hu’s death on 14 November was passed on to the school community by principal Mary Nixon.
Nixon told the Flagstaff: “Kevin was a much-loved and valued mathematics teacher here, and he will be sorely missed.”
Hu has been praised as a teacher who made learning fun and engaging. The 36-year-old had been at TGS for three years.
A Givealittle page was set up to assist Hu’s parents with travel costs from China and to accompany his body back from Fiji.
Hu moved to New Zealand in 2018 and undertook postgraduate study in Wellington after earlier tertiary education in China.
Nixon said he had a passion for teaching and quickly fitted into the school, becoming an integral part of the team. “Students loved being in his class,” she said.
After news of his death, support was made available for students and teachers, she said. TGS staff had received a lot of support from colleagues across Auckland, including a morning tea put on for them by a local school.
Board wants Devonport coastline included in shellfish closure
The coastline from Devonport to Milford should be included in a two-year fisheries closure proposed to stretch from East Coast Bays north to the Hibiscus Coast and Rodney and some Hauraki Gulf islands, says the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board.
The closure would prohibit taking invertebrates such as shellfish, and seaweed from the intertidal zone.
Not extending the closure risked the local foreshore being stripped of shellfish, said board member Terence Harpur.
The community was already concerned
about the extent of stripping and this could worsen unless the ban took in the peninsula.
The board backed his motion for a closure extension at its meeting this week and will lobby Fisheries New Zealand, relevant ministers and local MP Simon Watts to that effect.
It also backed the initial application for the northern closure, which comes from the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust.
This would be to take effect under the Fisheries Act as a temporary measure to allow keystone species to regenerate and assist in controlling the spread of caulerpa weed.
Trish Deans has stepped down as co-chair of Devonport Heritage due to recently taking up the role of DevonportTakapuna Local Board chair. Margot McRae remains chair of Devonport Heritage, which held its annual meeting last month. Its recent focus has been on submitting on Auckland Council’s draft plan change. Locals Pete Cronshaw and James Rohloff, who both ran unsuccessfully for the local board, were elected to the heritage group’s committee.
SPRING CLEAN YOUR PROPERTY
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Combined Churches of Devonport & Belmont
Join us after the Santa Parade for at Windsor
Dance in the Park
Reserve Stage
SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER
from 11:45 am till 2:30pm
For a lively, Kiwiana-inspired Nativity performance.
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AT YOUR LOCAL CHURCH
Bring the family and join in the fun devonportchurches.co.nz
Devonport Holy Trinity Church
20 Church Street, Devonport htdevonport.org.nz
Sunday 21st December
Nine Lessons and Carols at 7pm
Christmas Eve Christingle at 5pm
Christmas Eve Midnight Communion, 11.30pm
Christmas Day 8.00am and 9.30am services.
Devonport Methodist
Cnr Lake Road and Owens Road
Phone 09 445 6801
Email families@devonportmethodist.org.nz
Christmas Eve A Kids’ Christmas, 4pm-5pm
Perfect for preschool and primary kids and their families in the garden behind the church – inside if wet. Come on an adventure to get ready for Christmas. Join us for a sausage sizzle at the end.
Christmas Eve Carols by Candlelight, 8pm
Christmas Day Christmas Breakfast, 8am
Join us for a special Christmas breakfast.
To book a seat email families@devonportmethodist.org.nz
Celebration Service, 9.15am
St Francis de Sales and All Souls Catholic Parish
2a Albert Road Devonport
Phone 09 445 0078
Email office@devonportcatholic.org.nz
Christmas Eve Vigil Mass – 5:30pm Evening Mass - 9pm. Carols will start 30 mins prior to each of these services
Christmas Day Christmas Day Mass - 9.30am
Connect Church – Devonport
90a Victoria Road Devonport www.connectchurchdevonport.co.nz
Sunday 21 December Join us as we gather for our Christmas Celebration Service, 10am
Belmont Baptist
168 Lake Road, Belmont www.belmontbaptistnz.org
Sunday 14
December Carols on Westwell, 5.30pm
Christmas Day 9.30am All
Community House clocks up 30 years at former depot
Around 100 Devonport Community House supporters attended a celebration last Sunday marking 30 years at the organisation’s Clarence St premises. Driving forces behind the centre’s early years Wendy Bayley and Linda Blincko were in attendance, along with Devonport- Takapuna Local Board members Trish Deans and George Wood. A kapa haka performance was given before attendees took a stroll down memory lane, sharing past and present stories.
• Photos from over the years and a story about the house’s establishment at the site, pages 16-17.
Team work... the Community House staff, (from left) manager Gemma Dickinson, Tammy Theijs, Rixt Brownlow, Maddy Crawford and Jo Holstead
Marking the anniversary... (from left) Maria Bernard with Josephine Richardson and Linda Blincko; and DevonportTakapuna Local Board member George Wood with Lynn Dawson
Among the attendees... (clockwise from above) Anne McMillan and Renee Price; Community House patron Wendy Bailey and chair Natasha Strong; Linda Low of the Stitch Group, board member and tutor Joanna Steele and incoming treasurer Cliff Brown; and Josie Maskell and Steve Bolton.
Magic Broomsticks Segway Tours
Established in 2008 and operating from an office in the Devonport Ferry Terminal, this Segway Tour business is the only one of its kind operating in Auckland.
Offering guided tours around Devonport village, beaches and volcanic cones with the stunning views of the Hauraki Gulf and Auckland City makes Magic Broomstick Segway Tours a very desirable tourist activity.
And it’s ready for you to make it your
own, to reflect your sense of fun as you give international and domestic tourists an informative and fun introduction to Auckland City.
Active on Social Media, Google and all the major tourism booking sites, someone with good marketing skills would be able to enhance this already highly visible presence. The purchase price includes equipment, the website with a real time booking system and other marketing tools necessary to continue
this business and build upon its previous 16 years of successful operation.
Full training in the operation of the Segways, the tour routes, historic commentary and the set up for Team Building and events is all part of the deal.
Owner Pauline Baker has operated this business for the past 16 years and loved every moment of Segway fun with thousands of tourists. She is now wanting to enjoy Devonport in a more laid back way. For an appointment to discuss the purchase of Magic Broomstick Segway Tours please phone 027 3393 155 or email pauline@magicbroomsticktours.co.nz
Community hub could have been bowled for a car park
The Devonport Community House, which was established in the former Devonport Borough Council works depot in Clarence St, has been a thriving hub of activity for 30 years.
But without foresight and local commitment the building could have been demolished for car parking.
The former community house on Mt Takarunga – now known as Whare Toi – was well used and appreciated but too small.
By the early 1990s community services were overflowing and operating at seven other facilities:
• An after-school programme was run at the Presbyterian Church in Albert Rd.
• Women’s resources were at Pentlands, the former maternity hospital in Buchanan St.
• Overflow classes were held at the former National Party headquarters in Wynyard St (a house later moved to the Bay of Islands).
• A youth centre was at the Claystore, upstairs, with youth programmes in a building next door.
• A photographic studio and classes were held at Navy House on Calliope Rd
• Sunday recreation and sports programmes were held at the Navy’s Philomel gym
The support of then North Shore City mayor Paul Titchener was essential in turning the old works depot into a community centre.
Other options included sale or demolition for car parking – as advocated by Blue Secker, then-owner of Devonport New World.
Although the move was something of a no-brainer, North Shore City had to be convinced with surveys, designs and funding from sources other than the council.
Many locals volunteered their time and expertise including Barbara Cuthbert (planning), architect Bruce Macfarlane, who drew up preliminary designs, and interior designer Judith Cook. Council staff and politicians integral to the project included Titchener, town planner Warwick Blackburn, NSCC community development advisor Peter Loud, North Shore MP Bruce Cliffe,
Trish Joughin (a former Devonport Borough deputy mayor), and Jenny Thomas, a North Shore councillor, who revealed to the public that if the building failed to be retained for community use it would be sold.
Community House volunteers assisting with the project and relocation included: Wendy Bailey, Martin Bailey, Femke Darke, Betty Cuthbert, Shirley Thomas, Daphne Baldwin, Lilian Cuthbertson, Gill Fielding, Toni Kibblewhite, Sybil Tong, Pat Hardie, Colleen McLeod and Audrey Wynyard.
The new community house was officially opened by Paul Titchener in October 1995, with house co-president Richard Bennett welcoming guests including “Maori representatives,” according to a North Shore Times report.
Bennett made special mention of community worker Linda Blincko for “holding the vision” for many years.
Father Ryan from Ponsonby’s Mill Hill Fathers blessed the building.
Entertainment was provided by the De-
vonport Primary School choir and committee member Terrence Cassidy, who played the bagpipes.
Three ribbons were cut; the first by Titchener; the second by the oldest house users, Hazel and Maurice Bowers, and the third by youngest house user, Ellie Going.
In a comment piece on the opening, former North Shore Times editor and long-time Devonport resident Pat Gundry said the new Community House was “worth every day” of the four year wait for it.
“The dingy old depot has become a place for community activity that is spacious, bright and full of light.”
A one-day festival for women was one of its first events in late 1995.
Current Devonport Community House manager Gemma Dickinson said the house was “busier than ever and that’s a legacy they provided – we could do with a second storey.” Sources: notes from the first head of the community house Linda Blincko, and newspaper articles from the time.
you are planning a garden
or a full
let us work with you to define your vision so that you can proceed with a plan.
Dingy depot transformed... Original drawing of the new community house by Bruce Macfarlane, with suggestions for exterior finishes
Celebrity locals do their bit for Christmas knees-up
Hosting Devonport’s Jingle in the Park Christmas event will be something of a family affair for Coast radio hosts Toni Street and Sam Wallace.
Residents of Belmont (Street) and Bayswater (Wallace), they will each have their children in the audience for at least part of the show.
Street is mum to Juliette (13), Mackenzie (10) and Lachie (7), while Wallace has Brando (6) and twins Cosette and Sienna (4).
The pair, who have worked together for 15 years on TVNZ’s Breakfast, and The Hits and Coast radio shows, were only too happy to answer the call to host the first Jingle in the Park, part of a revamped Devonport Christmas Festival.
“It’s going to be a great event,” said Street. She helped facilitate the opening event for the Encore Theatre Collective.
Some of the pair’s families will be doing the “double-header” – attending the Devonport Santa Parade on Sunday as well.
Coast Radio plans to enter a float in the Devonport Santa Parade in 2026, said Street.
• Jingle in the Park, Windsor Reserve, 4.30 -9pm, 6 December, featuring. Encore Theatre, Joel Bird, Oni Kidman, Nathan Fry and Shane Cortese.
• Devonport Santa Parade 11 am, 7 December, followed by Dance in the Park and a market. Star team...Toni Street and Sam Wallace ready to Jingle
Top Location - Beach, Cafes, and Rugby!
Enjoy a leisurely stroll to the popular Vauxhall Road cafes, wander down to the beach for a swim, or step through the back gate to watch the North Shore rugby teams in action. There's even plenty of open space for children to play - perfect for active families seeking a safe, beachside environment. Lovingly owned for over 50 years, this ex-state home has evolved to meet the needs of a growing family. Multiple living spaces flow seamlessly out to the garden, which is currently bursting with the fragrance and colour of summer roses and blooms. The home offers three bedrooms, with the upper-level bedroom once cleverly divided into three separate spaces for the boys - a testament to how adaptable this home can be. Now, the next chapter awaits. This much-loved property is ready for a new family to make memories, celebrate milestones, and enjoy all that this sought-after location has to offer. Due to circumstances, any pre-auction offers will be seriously considered. Auction Thursday 11th December at 12.00pm (Unless Sold Prior)
Christmas tea returns for 2025
The annual Christmas tea organised for elderly members of the community by a Devonport New World staff member will be held this Saturday 6 December at the RSA. Misty Leong began the events in Devonport in 2017. Magician Danny Phillips would provide entertainment this year, she said. The gathering is on from 11.30am to 2.30pm. Those interested in attending are asked to email 979818@gmail.com
Band on hand for carols evening
Join the Royal New Zealand Navy Band for an evening of seasonal singing at Christmas Carols at the Navy Museum, Torpedo Bay, from from 6pm this Wednesday 3 December, weather permitting. (An alcohol-free event).
Actor aflutter in children’s show role
Devonport actor Meg Andrews has a starring role as a fantail in this year’s children’s production at the PumpHouse theatre in Takapuna, Piri the Piwakawaka Saves Christmas, which runs from 6-23 December.
Donations invited for City Mission
Devonport Library is among drop-off points for an Auckland Council Christmas collection for the Auckland City Mission. Donations of long-life food or unwrapped new gifts are welcome until 21 December. Gifts should exclude clothing and items with batteries.
Market offers ethical options
The Devonport Community House hosts an Ethical Christmas Market on Sunday 7 December from 10am-3pm. The house holiday programme runs from 17-19 December and resumes from 5 January. Bookings required.
Seasonal treats boost Waterwise
Festive treats tempted buyers at a Christmas Market last Friday, where Devonport Rotary volunteer Marilyn Allard (centre) helped Dolce baker Suzanne O’Connell (left) and her sister-in law Delly Davison at their stall. The event was organised by Rotary in conjunction with Bayleys, which turned over its Kings Pde office for the occasion. Raffles and a silent auction added to the proceeds, which will provide lifejackets and wetsuits for Waterwise classes at Narrow Neck. Bayleys agent and Rotary member Lynda Betts said around $7000 was raised. Takapuna Grammar School singer Ruby Jacobs performed.
Devonport 09 446 2030
Proud Sponsor Of North Shore Rugby Club
Devonport Home With Sea Views!
There's something special about waking up to water views like these - a peaceful, ever-changing scene that stretches from the sparkling harbour to the Harbour Bridge and beyond to Auckland's city skyline. Whether it's the sunrise over the water or the twinkle of city lights at night, this is a view you'll never tire of. Built with solid block construction, this home was made to last - strong, warm, and filled with heart. Step inside and you'll instantly feel the sense of comfort and calm. The internal-access garage makes life easy, and there's a reassuring sense of safety and security in this quiet, family friendly neighbourhood. There's no need for a pool when you've got some of Auckland's most beautiful beaches just minutes away. Spend your mornings walking along the water, your weekends exploring Devonport Village, and your evenings soaking in the sunset from your own deck with the sea view as your backdrop. Ignore CV – price guide $1.5m - $1.7m.
Ben Potter 027 953 0210 ben.potter@harcourts.co.nz
Gary Potter 021 953 021 gary.potter@harcourts.co.nz
Beaconsfield Street, Devonport
27 Queens Parade, Devonport
28 Queens Parade, Devonport
95 Vauxhall Road, Devonport
Ready for a Beach Lifestyle?
If your answer is yes, your stars have just aligned. Situated directly across from the Bath Street entrance to Cheltenham Beach, this charming villa offers the ultimate coastal lifestyle. Wander over in your togs for a high-tide swim, then stroll home via the Milk Bar for one of their legendary milkshakes or pick up a warm croissant and coffee from Chateaubriant on the way back. This beautiful villa has recently undergone a complete transformation, inside and out. Once a rental, it has been meticulously renovated with exceptional care and attention to detail, resulting in a stunning home that anyone would be proud to own. Whether you're downsizing or seeking a family home, the flexible floorplan suits a variety of lifestyles. The super-sized garage with french doors opening to the private, landscaped garden offers endless potential as a playroom, rumpus, studio, office, or gym. You can stop scrolling real estate websites and visiting open homes...this is the home you've been waiting for. Even better, there's nothing to do but unpack the boxes and move straight in for a perfect beachside summer. Vendors are open to pre-auction offers and can accommodate a quick settlement if required.
White Roses return for seasonal sing-along show
The Rose Singers are keeping up their tradition of a sing-along White Christmas show, which this year will be held at the Rose Centre in Belmont on Sunday 7 December. The singers dress in white for their seasonal show of carols and other Christmas songs. Ruth Chapman, who founded the group (pictured above) in 2008, said it had around 25 active members, retirees who meet weekly to practice in a private home.
Many come from Devonport or elsewhere on the peninsula, with a few from the wider North Shore.
Originally, the Rose Singers were a spinoff from the Rose Centre’s resident theatre group, Company Theatre. “We wanted to sing and dance more and they wanted to do dramatic things,” said Chapman. Membership and supporters still have crossover.
The Rose Singers perform a couple of
times a year. Along with the Christmas show and another held for Anzac Day, this year they staged a performance with a comic touch, Carry on Roses
Admission to the Christmas show is free, but koha is appreciated, with money raised going to charity. Doors open at 6pm, with the concert starting at 7pm, followed by a light supper. To secure a seat, email ruth. chapman216@gmail.com.
4.30pm Encore Theatre Collective 5.00pm Welcome from MC’s Toni Street & Sam Wallace 6.20pm Joel Bird, AIMES Award Scholarship Winner 6.55pm Oni Kidman, local singer songwriter 7.20pm Nathan Fry, AIMES Award Winner
8.00pm Shane Cortese & the 8-Track Band
By Rob Drent
None of the candidates in the lead-up to this year’s Devonport-Takapuna Local Board election campaigned on an open-government platform in particular.
So perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that several of the initial meetings of the board have been held behind closed doors – discussing budgets and no doubt what should and shouldn’t be cut from community spending in our area. Shouldn’t these debates on issues which affect lives in our community be held in full public view? What’s council/ the board got to hide?
A potential for controversy doesn’t justify confidentiality. The public has a right to know where cuts may be made and where money is projected to be spent as early in the decision-making process as possible. Isn’t this part of the reason why local boards exist in the first place?
Great to see to the Devonport shops getting into the Christmas spirit and decorating their front windows. Be sure to patronise them in the lead-up to the festive season
and also to vote in the Devonport Business Association best window promotion.
Lake Rd chaos seems to have reared its head again leading into Christmas.
Sculpture OnShore, held during an intense period of sunny weather and Black Friday sales all over the place, contributed to long queues in and out of Devonport in recent weeks.
Until light rail is introduced, traffic backlogs will be inevitable when events and good weather coincide. However, some work around the margins is needed to mitigate the congestion. More promotion of our ferry and peninsula bus services (public buses go right to the Sculpture OnShore site) is needed. And how about council offering free parking at its Toka Puia car park in Takapuna (little used on the weekends) so people can bus from the nearby stop.
Any residual thoughts of the Navy base moving out of Devonport appear scuppered by the announcement last week that $4 billion will be spent upgrading the base. It will be a staggered project over decades until 2060.
Many studies have been done over the past 40 years on moving the base out of Devonport, with Picton and Whangarei a couple of alternative options. However, a drop in the number of Navy personnel has lessened the need. The cost of cleaning up the base, ship
yard and seabed is among major obstacles to a move. Gradually, the pro-move noise has quietened, and the organisation has begun to consolidate in Devonport. That includes a deal for Ngāti Whātua to build houses in Bayswater which will provide accommodation for Navy staff.
The base occupies prime Auckland real estate so retaining it does seem somewhat at odds with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s talk of recycling assets to free up cash.
1950's charm, potential and location are found here in this multi-level solid brick and weather board home near the beach and great schools.
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20/53 VAUXHALL ROAD
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AUCTION
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The Promenade, Takapuna (unless sold prior) VIEWING By Appointment
Trish Fitzgerald 021 952 452
Tracey Lawrence 021 1720 681
VIEWING Saturday 12:00-12:30pm
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AUCTION
10:00am 4 Dec 2025 at 8-12
The Promenade, Takapuna (unless sold prior)
VIEWING By Appointment
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Barfoot & Thompson Limited
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Often admired and with great street appeal, this perfectly positioned and rarely available sunny Villa has many gorgeous original features .
Often admired and with great street appeal, this perfectly positioned and rarely available sunny Villa has many gorgeous original features .
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$2,495,000 VIEWING Saturday 11:00 - 11:30am
$2,495,000 VIEWING Saturday 11:00 - 11:30am
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Patricia Hinchey 027 222 3367
3/140 CALLIOPE ROAD
3/140 CALLIOPE ROAD
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4 Dec 2025 at 8-12 The Promenade, Takapuna (unless sold prior) VIEWING Phone For Viewing Times
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You will be simply stunned at the size of this unique and expansive apartment, terrific location, stunning city views day and night and low annual costs.
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For Viewing Times
Patricia Hinchey 027 222 3367
Patricia Hinchey 027 222 3367
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barfoot.co.nz/923547
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VIEWING
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Kurt Piper 021 137 6450
Kurt Piper 021 137 6450
Build Your New Home Here
Concept Plans Available... for this exclusive site in elite Stanley Point. A part dilapidated building with Seabed to Home footings already secured, this is the opportunity to build afresh. Seldom is this chance available in this location with such close city and water views. Here To Sell.
2:00pm
Barfoot & Thompson Limited Licensed REAA 2008
Lunch on the wharf in Devonport? Swede as, bro
Sweden’s Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Klas Molin, enjoyed a seaside lunch in Devonport last week, hosted by his country’s Honorary Consul in Auckland, Catharina Andersson, who lives in Narrow Neck.
The Canberra-based diplomat will be back in New Zealand this week for the opening of Swedish homewares giant Ikea. In two months he has already made three trips here, including talks in Wellington, but he is keen to see more of the country.
“We are similar in many ways,” he says of the two nations, pointing to shared passions for the outdoors, sailing and skiing.
He is keen to develop burgeoning trade links.
Andersson, who has held her role for three years, and her husband Kjell Andersson, have been local residents for 27 years. “We sailed here and decided to stay,” she says.
After a stint in real estate for Harcourts, Catharina has joined her husband in their yacht-rigging business, Sailutions.
She first met Molin in Stockholm and was pleased to introduce him to Devonport on a visit including lunch at Devon on the Wharf.
The Ambassador told the Flagstaff he expected to spend plenty more time in New Zealand during his posting, mostly in Auckland and Wellington. Around 4000 Swedes live in New Zealand.
The arrival of Ikea would lift the profile of Sweden, he said. But there were already other businesses operating here, including
Essity, a big player in paper towels and other hygiene products, which manufactured here and provided 300 jobs. “We’re global, but we try to go local,” he says of the Swedish approach to building relationships.
The Swedish connection... Ambassador Klas Molin flanked by Kjell and Catharina Andersson. Catharina is Sweden’s honorary consul in Auckland.
Modern bar & eatery. Iconic setting.
24 Victoria Road, Devonport
Open 11:30am – late everyday m 09 445 0193 k info@signalhill.co.nz www.signalhill.co.nz
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When you select your agent from our local office, you’re doing your part. Check out our website to choose the right fit for you.
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We are happy to pack & post your purchases to your home 15 Victoria Rd www.bookmark.co.nz ph 09 445 2960
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Make house-zoning views clear, Shore residents told
Residents submitting on the massive house-zoning shakeup coming to Auckland are being told to be specific in their comments to council if they hope to effect change.
Devonport Heritage has already advised its members on how to oppose changes to the suburb’s special character area, but the most significant intensification envisaged locally is further up the peninsula, around Takapuna and through to Milford.
Heights in parts of Hauraki could go as high as 15 storeys, due to being part of the walkable catchment of the Takapuna metropolitan centre. More six-storey buildings may also be allowed close to the Belmont town centre.
A former town planner, Brian Putt, speaking at a public meeting called last week in Milford over draft Plan Change 120 (PC120), advised anyone submitting by the 19 December deadline to be clear on what they opposed or supported. If they were seeking local downzoning it would be useful to suggest trade-off areas where upzoning might better be considered.
New North Shore councillor John Gillon urged people to point out local anomalies if these were to be corrected. PC120 was largely but not wholly, a desktop exercise, Gillon said, pulled together to allow downzoning in hazard areas and more targeted intensification provided the plan retained a potential capacity for two million dwellings over time. While council has been allowed to get rid of the widespread three-storey, three dwellings rule that national Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) brought to bear several years ago, the impact of PC120’s expansion of the Mixed-Housing Urban Zoning is similar. It allows three-storey terraces as of right and up to four storeys with resource consent.
Putt said the hurried process lacked planning rigour to ensure a city had infrastructure capability ahead of increased development.
‘Oppose Devonport changes’
Devonport Heritage urges residents to make submissions seeking preservation of the whole of Devonport’s Special Character Area (SCA). It suggests being clear the removal of 258 properties from the SCA is opposed and that the removal would not result in any more dwellings being built. It also suggests highlighting the potential for unsympathetic development that would affect the surrounding heritage character, opposing the removal from the SCA of properties in the town centre and supporting the retention of the height-sensitive area related to both maunga.
Devonport Primary pupils dig deep for the needy
For an example of seasonal goodwill, look no further than the Devonport Primary students who have been using their own pocket money to buy food for those in need.
Pupils at the school have been learning about the Maori concept of whakaute – which embodies caring and respect for others.
As part of the programme, they have brought to the school hundreds of non-perishable food items to donate to Auckland City Mission’s “Feed it Forward” initiative.
Teacher Andrew Robinson said some of the pupils had taken the concept to the next level.
“Some kids spent their pocket money on it,” he said. They had “worked out what people might need and gone down to the supermarket to buy it”.
Can do... Devonport Primary School’s (from left) Joni Robinson (7), Isla Hill (9), Rosie Dorrington-Heron (10), Oskar Ibbotson (8), Dominque Ngawaka (8) and Jerry Lu (10)
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Nestled at the end of a private cul-de-sac, this delightful north-facing home bathes in all-day sun, promising an immediate sense of belonging and relaxation. Whether you’re a discerning family seeking entry into the area or a downsizer desiring effortless living, this meticulously maintained home offers the perfect blend of ease and comfort, complete with an internal access garage. The sunny open plan lounge, dining and kitchen opens to an outdoor patio and grass area. Experience ultimate peace of mind within your fully fenced sanctuary, while children or pets play freely, or cultivate your own kitchen garden. Recently freshened up with new paint and gorgeous soft new carpet, this freehold home is ready for you to move in and enjoy. Offering three well proportioned bedrooms, plenty of handy extra storage. Take a leisurely stroll to historic Devonport, where boutique shops, bustling cafes, and restaurants await, or effortlessly connect to Auckland’s Waterfront via the regular ferry. For the active enthusiast, both the prestigious Waitemata golf course and picturesque Narrow Neck beach are just a short walk away. In zone for some of the North Shore’s very best schools, plus only being a stone’s throw from Allen Hill Football grounds and the bush loop walking tracks. This is more than a home; it’s a lifestyle, offering an exclusive blend of natural beauty and urban convenience.
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Purpose-built school hāngī pit can feed 1000
Takapuna Grammar School has opened a new purpose-built hāngī pit - a two-bay brick structure capable of feeding up to 1,000 people.
This reflects the school’s commitment to Māori culture and values such as manaakitanga (hospitality) and whakawhanaungatanga (building relationships).
Designed and built by renowned hāngī master Rewi Spraggon, the first hāngī this term was a huge success.
Students from Tū Tangata, a class focused on Māori Kaupapa, led preparations - lighting mānuka wood to heat stones white-hot. Teachers and students prepared trays of meat, vegetables, stuffing, and fry bread. Baskets were placed on the stones, covered, and buried to steam for three hours.
“You get the flavour of the mānuka coming up, and then with the steam hitting the earth, you get that coming from the top,” said key leader Grant Simpkins. Simpkins highlighted that the hāngī was more than just a meal - it was a way to express the school’s values. The process included kōrero, music, and teamwork,
ending with a communal meal where everyone sat together.
"Everyone works together and then we sit down and eat together - it doesn't matter how important you are, if you are a teacher or a student," Simpkins said.
The hāngī pit would be used for special events and visiting groups, serving as a cultural and practical resource. It will also feature in the school’s 2027 Centenary celebrations, where alumni will enjoy a hāngī meal following a welcoming pōwhiri.
From Shore to Summit: Year 10s explore Rangitoto
Year 10 students recently traded the classroom for the outdoors, hiking to the summit of Rangitoto. For many, it was their first time setting foot on the iconic volcanic cone after seeing it countless times from land and sea.
Groups answered questions about Rangitoto’s unique history and environment, including native plantings, heritage baches, pest control, lava caves and the timeline of its first eruption.
Others were lucky to spot rare birds tīeke (saddleback) and the New Zealand dotterel (tūturiwhatu).
Principal Mary Nixon said the annual trip was important for the junior school.
“We look at this maunga every day from our school, so it is special for students at the close of the year to climb it, look back at the peninsula, and realise what a great place they live in every day.”
Year 9s embrace challenges at Chosen Valley Camp
Our Year 9 students have returned from an unforgettable experience at Chosen Valley Christian Camp. Over 360 students, split into two camps, spent three action-packed days in the scenic Ararimu Valley, south of Auckland.
The camp combined outdoor challenges and team-building activities to build problem-solving skills and resilience. Supported by teachers and parent helpers, students embraced every opportunity to learn and grow.
Highlights included a 100-metre zipline over the pond, kayaking and paddleboarding turned balancing acts, and a confidence course of tyres, beams, and ropes
suspended over water. Trolley rides delivered high-speed downhill excitement, while the Amazing Race tested teamwork with riddles and tasks. The Chosen Ones Challenge reinforced values of whanaungatanga (relationships), manaakitanga (care and respect), and kotahitanga (unity), with top teams earning the title “The Chosen Ones.”
This annual camp remains a highlight of the year, thanks to the dedication of our PE Department.
Waterwise fleet upgraded but programme needs
On the beach... (from left) Harper Pope, Harper Bennie and Bel Fyle enjoyed their Waterwise experience. Below: (from left) Leo Bodle and August Downer; Jude Richardson and friends dig sandcastles between sailing sessions; Christian Martin suited up ready for action.
more volunteers
Devonport peninsula school pupils enjoyed the last weeks of their 2025 Waterwise classes, sailing at Narrow Neck in recently refurbished dinghies.
Equipped with new tillers and ratchet blocks for rigging paid for by Devonport Rotary, the sturdy 20-year-old hulls have been given a new lease of life.
The upgrade benefits all seven local primary schools whose students take the water safety and sailing skills programme.
Local Rotary president Anil Krishnan said he knew the value of Waterwise with his own three children having passed through it while at Vauxhall School. “As a parent it gives me confidence to know they’ve come through the Waterise system.”
The service organisation, which contributed $3400 for the new gear, is a long-time supporter of Waterwise. A further joint boost to the programme will come from real estate company Bayleys, which is contributing towards new wetsuits with funds raised at its Festive Bites event with Rotary held last week. .
Belmont Primary School Waterwise co-ordinator Clare Nikkel said the programme relied on such community support and that of its volunteer helpers. She remembers her own mother helping back when she did the course while at Stanley Bay School.
Children were not all going to grow up to be Olympic sailors, but they could learn important information such as telling if their life jackets fitted properly and advocating for safety, she said.
This had been underlined previously when Waterwise had received a letter of thanks from a family involved in a boating incident near the Noises islands in the Hauraki Gulf, when children had insisted on wearing the right size jackets.
The programme runs in Terms 1, 2 and 4, with classes winding up last week. Each school provides its own co-ordinator and trains volunteer instructors at the rate of one for every four children.
More volunteers are needed. “We’re at an all-time low,” says Nikkel. Anyone keen to help out is urged to contact their local school. To qualify, people go through a month-long course of two sessions a week.
Parents are often volunteers, but the role could also suit active retirees, said Nikkel. Two grandfathers had recently signed up. Krishnan: “The thing we love about this is it’s helping a whole lot of kids.”
Plastic fantastics... Charlotte Willets (top) is at the tiller while Belmont Primary Waterwise co-ordinator Clare Nikkel steadies her dinghy.
Right: Belmont Primary School Year 5 students Lola Datt (left) and Lily Price with Nikkel and Devonport Rotary president Anil Krishnan.
Shared buffet hits the spot at Bayswater School
Around 220 people enjoyed the resumption of Kaitahi community dinners at Bayswater School last month. The event also celebrated the development of a Kaitahi Hub through conversion of the school’s former dental clinic into a kitchen to cater for the community-building shared meals.
Principal Marianne Coldham said the school community looked forward to continuing to work closely with Kaitahi’s local founder, Brianna Parkinson, and her volunteer team. “We are also in the process of developing a garden next to the Kaitahi Hub for the Bayswater School children to produce, share and learn cooking skills,” Coldham told the Flagstaff.
Plans are also in train for a mural to decorate the building. With the support of the school, the Kai 4 Communities organisation applied for a grant and received funding for the project from the national Creative Communities Scheme.
Bayswater students will work on designs for the mural with University of Auckland students studying at Elam Arts School. Parkinson said the hub allowed Kaitahi to store rescued food and provided vital preparation and cooking space, an office and meeting space. Support and labour for the project came from Devonport Rotary, the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and local businesses.
The final Kaitahi dinner for the year will be on 18 December, with buffet service from 6.30pm, and dessert by 7.30pm. The meals will resume in 2026 on 19 February. Parkinson said the events are family friendly and alcohol-free. Guests are asked to bring their own plates and cutlery.
School and community... Kaitahi local founder Brianna Parkinson (left) and Bayswater School principal Marianne Coldham
Dig in... Bayswater School Year 6 student Elizabeth Renall (with plate) was among younger attendees queueing up for a shared Kaitahi dinner in the school hall, where teacher Jo Rea (right) helped with serving the food
THE NAVY COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
NAVY’S SAILOR OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Acting Petty Officer Marine Technician (Propulsion) Kristen Kotuhi, who was named Royal New Zealand Navy Sailor of the Year.
Her exceptional leadership, professionalism, sound judgement, technical expertise and commitment to excellence while serving in HMNZS Matataua has been critical to operational effectiveness of the Unit’s boat, diving, and Maritime Explosive Ordnance Disposal capabilities.
Her steady leadership, and mentoring skills with junior rates,
has strengthened morale, cohesion, and trust, reinforcing Matataua’s reputation for excellence.
Outside of the workplace, Acting Petty Officer Kotuhi represents the RNZN with distinction through sport, recruiting initiatives and volunteering with Ōtara Blue Light— contributions that elevate the Service and inspire youth.
A/PO Kotuhi brings great credit to herself, the Royal New Zealand Navy, and the New Zealand Defence Force, and is highly deserving of recognition as Sailor of the Year 2025.
Devonport Naval Base security reminder – for the safety of the community, please take care and remain outside the 60-metre perimeter of the Naval Base at all times. This includes when swimming, diving, kayaking, fishing and sailing.
Boat ramp getting quick fix Medical centre still closed
The Belmont Medical Centre (BMC) remained temporarily closed this week in relation to a member of the public becoming aggressive towards staff at the practice last month.
“Staff have been given the time and support they need and are doing well and feeling supported,” a statement from the practice said.
BMC patient care continued to operate from Devonport Family Medicine on Fleet St, ensuring continuity of services. A complaint has been made to police in relation to the incident.
“The practice also conducted an internal review to ensure safety protocols continue to meet best-practice standards.” Services would continue from BMC’s sister location until further notice.
No Shore voice on Maunga
Devonport and the North Shore will have no representation on the Tūpuna Maunga Authority for the next three years.
Despite the area having two of Auckland’s 14 volcanic cones – Takarunga and Maungauika – no Devonport-Takapuna Local Board members or North Shore councillors were appointed to the Maunga Authority last month.
Former Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Toni van Tonder had been a Maunga Authority member in the last council term, being appointed in 2022.
Although she left the local board early this year to move to Australia, Van Tonder continued on at the authority.
Her term expires on 9 December 2025. The three council representatives on the authority this term are councillors Alf Filipaina, Christine Fletcher and Ken Turner.
Temporary repair work on the Stanley Bay boat ramp was due to begin this week with the aim of having it reopened before Christmas. Work needs to be done during low-tide windows. “Our contractor is aiming to complete the repairs needed over two to three low tides, depending on the weather and site conditions,” said Auckland Council area operations manager for parks and community facilities Eloi Fonseca.
A new joist is required after regular safety checks found rot. Existing hardwood decking will be reinstated. “If any unexpected issues are uncovered once work starts, we will try to address those at the same time,” Fonseca said.
A full assessment of the wider structure’s condition would follow early next year to determine whether more extensive renewal work was required.
20 years ago from the Flagstaff files
• A Sunday handicraft market held in Devonport for 10 years considers pulling out after the Devonport Community Board lays complaints with North Shore City Council about its signage.
• Santa is missing from the Devonport Santa Parade after a muck-up with bookings for the man in red. “Mother Christmas” – Devonport librarian Fiona Brick – fills in and hands out lollies in the parade.
• A project to have Watson’s historic tidal pool rebuilt at Torpedo Bay gains traction with the support of the Devonport Community Board.
• North Head’s rare disappearing gun is fired by Conservation Minister Chris Carter to mark St Barbara’s Day. It is only its third firing since the early 20th
century. St Barbara is the patron saint of artillery forces.
• A temporary re-opening of the Victoria Theatre draws a crowd of 420.
• The 2006 Devonport Food and Wine Festival plans to offer locals a 20 per cent discount through a coupon in the Devonport Flagstaff.
• A leading biosecurity threat, a painted apple moth, is trapped near Takapuna Grammar School.
• A $120,000 extension to Devonport Museum is opened by North Shore City Deputy Mayor Dianne Hale, who is pictured alongside museum president Rod Cornelius.
• Methodist minister Robyn Goudge, celebrating 20 years in the role, is the Flagstaff interview subject.
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Kia ora and Hello
Devonport,
Welcome to ‘Ask Mrs. N0ughty’, your monthly advice column where we answer all your most pressing waste questions!
Dear Mrs. N0ughty: Can I recycle Christmas wrapping paper and crackers?
Signed, Mary Kriss
Dear Bea Frugal:
The answer is… some of them. If they are made out of foil or have a glittery finish, they cannot be recycled. But if they are made with standard coloured paper/ cardboard, they can (and if they are smaller than 10x14 cm pop them in an envelope). So keep that in mind if you are stocking up on Xmas supplies… or even better, consider wrapping your pressies in some beautiful fabric, or snuggling them into a reusable basket/kete instead!
Signed, Mrs. N0ughty
P.S. The savvy recyclers among you will note other common food items that are wrapped in gold paper - in particular chocolate blocks. Sadly, these foil inner liners cannot be recycled.
Send your burning questions to community@devonportrecycle.co.nz and let’s sort through this rubbish together!
Volunteer Shop Assistants wanted! Apply here
Free Zero Waste Christmas Workshops 7, 14, 21 Dec
School Holiday Programme Dec 17-19, Jan 20-22, 28-30
Woodall Park skatepark plan on hold as local board votes for pause
Plans for a skatepark on Woodall Park have been put on hold.
Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member George Wood says the location of the $945,000 project appears not to be a permitted use of the park’s open green space.
Wood cited a 1997 parks management plan that envisaged a skatepark on the council land, but in the tennis courts area.
Member Terence Harpur said the issue was a technicality raised by Wood to stymie the project, given a new draft parks management plan is expected to be in force next year. It too allows for a skatepark, but with no specific site mentioned.
At the board’s December meeting last Tuesday, Wood put up a motion, seconded by Gavin Busch, and supported by Trish Deans and Garth Ellingham that overturned the last board’s vote in September to proceed to detailed design work on the skatepark.
Members Terence Harpur and Scott Macarthur opposed the delay.
It was earlier agreed to build away from the courts and their proximity to houses
YOUR LOCAL
along Wairoa Rd, and site the skatepark on the open field on the seaward side of the park pathway and pump track.
Wood wanted any further work to stop pending staff advice on possibly amending the existing parks plan regarding location.
He also wanted further reports on the cost implications of dealing with removal of asbestos and other harmful substances from the site’s historic use as a dump site.
These matters were raised in September by Wood and Busch, when the former board decided 3-2 to proceed.
It had earlier heard from consultants who said the site could be built upon, as was common with former dump sites, provided necessary safety measures were taken.
Previous chair Mel Powell said the exact site and other matters were worth considering, but would anyway come back to the new board next year as planning progressed.
Officers’ updates on the skatepark – supported by 69 per cent of people in a public consultation – will be presented sometime next year.
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TGS girls cricketers take another crack at big Cup comp
Takapuna Grammar School girls first XI cricketers will seek national honours next week while their mates head to the beach.
The team won the Auckland qualifying competition in term one and heads to Lincoln in Canterbury as one of six sides contesting the Gillette Venus Cup from 11-14 December.
After finishing third in the cup in both of the last two years, coach Johan Kirstein hopes the experience of some of the players will be an asset in the T20 games.
They lost just one school leaver from the 2024 squad, although that was star spin bowler and handy batter Rishika Jaswal, who is now signed to the Auckland Hearts.
Kirstein said the current squad of 15, which includes three players from each year group from Year 9s to 13s, is a well-bal-
anced collective. They drew on this at the qualifying tournament, when he thought they looked dead and buried.
After a rocky start in pool play, they won essential knockout games but were again in trouble early in the come-from-behind final against Baradene, played on the outer oval at Eden Park (pictured) .
“The girls that were there grew in stature as it went on,” said Kirstein. “We pride ourselves on fielding well.”
The team missed a round crossover game against old rivals Epsom, who were dispatched in later play by a rising Rangitoto side. As a warm-up for nationals, Rangitoto offered to play TGS. Other preparation included a trip to Australia for tournament play in the September school holidays and a day trip for a quadrangular tournament
in Hamilton.
Kirstein says a plus for this year’s Gillette Venus tournament is the addition of a reserve day, with rain having nixed some opportunities previously. He’s not making any predictions and is yet to see the draw, but says the team captained by Orla Langdon is determined.
“I just want the girls to represent themselves, their school and their families with pride.”
The team is: Rahia Jeory, Orla Langdon (captain), Audrey Melhuish, Pippa Priddy, Eva Steckler, Isabella Watson, Ava Clentworth, Keely Shaw, Lucia Sweetman, Dorothea Waldron, Louise Pickering, Annabel Priddy, Emmelyn Barber, Lucy Clentworth, Saskia Hill, Deanna Mathew, Belle Newman.
Top Takapuna Grammar athletes head to national champs
Takapuna Grammar School has a team of seven athletes competing at the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Track, Field and Road Race Championships in Hastings this weekend.
The three-day event runs from Friday through Sunday 7 December, pitting the best athletes from all regions against each other.
TGS has a strong history of success at the championships.
Those competing are:
• Senior runner Asha Edwards, who was a member of a New Zealand Athletics agegroup squad that travelled to the US this year. She is entered to contest the 800m, 1500m and 3000m track events and the 4000m road race.
• Senior age-group multi-sport competitor Connor Brady, who competed in heptathlon in Australia this year. His events at nationals are discus, javelin, pole vault,
shot put and the 110m and 300m hurdles.
• Senior Jessica Lathwood, who is contesting the long jump, pole vault, triple jump and 100m hurdles.
• Paige Burrows, contesting the junior 100m and 200m sprints.
• Alex Haillie in junior discus and shot put.
• Romey Jewell in the junior 200m and 400m.
• Kate O’Connell in junior pole vault.
Merry Christmas Devonport Community
As the year comes to an end, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Devonport community for your warmth, support, and trust throughout 2025. Our Devonport Appreciation Projects and our work with Dress for Success have been enriched because of your generosity and involvement. This is a remarkable community filled with people who look out for one another and contribute to the spirit that makes our neighbourhood truly feel like home.
This season is a time to slow down, reflect, and appreciate the chapters we have lived and the ones still to come. Whether you are spending the holidays with family, reconnecting with friends, or simply enjoying the magic of summer in our beautiful seaside village, we wish you joy, rest, and renewed energy for the year ahead.
To everyone we have worked with - buyers, sellers, neighbours, and local businesses - thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey. Our focus has always been on helping individuals and families move with confidence, creating opportunities, and supporting people through meaningful transitions. We believe in growth, in community, and in bringing out the best in every home.
As we step into the New Year, we are here and ready, whether you are considering your next move, curious about the market, or simply seeking advice. We look forward to supporting you, empowering your decisions, and helping you start your next chapter with clarity and confidence.
Kim Pausina
021 201 7488
kim.pausina@raywhite.com
Eden Thomson
021 790 552
eden.thomson@raywhite.com
New choir ready for debut show
Devonport community choir Noteworthy performs publicly for the first time this month in a concert at the Vic Theatre.
The all-comers choir, which formed in April, has been meeting weekly at the Community House since then.
Upbeat members heading into practice last week told the Flagstaff they were loving the sessions led by choir director Chloe Jane. Their repertoire is a mix of popular songs spanning the decades, through Queen, Toto and Coldplay to musical theatre numbers, including songs from Wicked
“I’d seen the ad and had been looking for a community choir for ages,” said Devonport resident Roz Johnson. She and others have sung in choirs before, while some members are new to singing in public.
Piano accompanist Sarah Christie said Noteworthy had begun with about 20 people, but had grown to 42 as word got out. “The sound has improved incredibly,” she said.
Members come from across the North Shore, with a couple from Mangawhai, but the mix includes a good number from Devonport. Some used to sing in a choir that practised at Harmony Hall but went into recess when its director became ill.
Others are giving it a go for the first time.
“We take everyone, regardless of age and experience,” says Jane.
Her background is as a professional singer overseas. She teaches music theatre in Auckland and says she was initially sounded out by a couple of people about setting up here.
The Milford resident says: “The main reason I chose Devonport is it’s the real artistic heart of the North Shore.”
Her philosophy is to make singing welcoming to all, but upskilling is aided by splitting the choir into sections for parts of its practice.
Jane and Christie met when they were both teaching children’s music theatre holiday programmes. The concert will draw on contacts of both.
Young performers from Norris Fit Dancers and Studio 256, based in Forrest Hill, will have cameos in the show as will the 15-piece Papakura Big Band. Johnson says: “I’m nervous they’re going to be louder than us.”
Jane says the choir is lapping up the performance opportunity. Another will come in mid-January, when it sings at Holy Trinity Church on a programme with a visiting Californian community choir.
• The Noteworthy Naturally concert is on Monday 15 December at 7pm and 8.30pm.
&
Tuning up... members of Noteworthy community choir under the direction of Chloe Jane (centre, in white)
Sidelines Playbox brings new play opportunities to Sunnynook
North Shore families now have more ways to play thanks to the first Sidelines Playbox, delivered by the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board to the Glenfield Greyhounds Rugby League Club in Sunnynook.
Funded through the board’s 2025 Devonport-Takapuna Play Plan, the Sidelines Playbox includes giant games, crawling tunnels, swing poles, and gear from local sports clubs. It gives children something fun and active to do while their siblings are playing weekend sport.
“These playboxes are really awesome and the kids have been loving them,” says Chris Wilkinson, Captain of the Glenfield Greyhounds Rugby League Club.
“Having something like this to get our younger members active and outdoors is amazing. It’s not just the little kids, the older ones and even the parents have been joining in too. Big thanks to the board for making this happen.”
Auckland Council’s Play Team plans to roll out another 15 Sidelines Playboxes to participating local board areas across Auckland, mainly on the North Shore and in West Auckland.
The 2025 Devonport-Takapuna Play Plan gives the board a clear roadmap for investing in new kinds of play spaces that go beyond traditional playgrounds. It focuses on low-cost, low-maintenance ideas that make the most of local resources and community partnerships.
Other initiatives in the Play Plan include:
• Playful street art and installations
• On-site adventurous nature spaces (pruning or modifying a felled or fallen tree to use as a natural play element)
• Working with existing community partners (libraries, community centres) to deliver more play-oriented activities
• Beach activation programmes
• StoryWalks.
Read more about the 2025 Devonport Takapuna Play Plan at tinyurl.com/DT-playplan
A mature Norfolk Island hibiscus tree at 45 Clifton Rd has been poisoned, Auckland Council has confirmed.
The Flagstaff contacted the council after a reader alerted us to the sickly tree and apparent drill holes at its base.
A council inspection confirmed “that the tree has been poisoned, with three drill holes found on the rear side of the trunk,” David Stejskal, Auckland Council’s Urban Forest, Arboriculture and Ecology Manager said.
“Despite this damage, the tree retains a significant amount of healthy foliage, and our arborists believe there is a good chance of recovery.
“We are taking immediate steps to flush the drill holes to remove any residual poison.
“The tree will be monitored over the coming months to assess its health and stability, and any dead branches will be pruned if required to maintain public safety.”
Council’s compliance team is investigating.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact council on 09 301 0101.
Toxic attack... a council inspection confirmed a sickly hibiscus tree in Clifton Rd was poisoned, finding drill holes in the trunk
WHAT'S HAPPENING
at the Devonport Community House in December and January!
As the year comes to an end, we would like to thank everyone who has visited, participated and been part of the Devonport Community House this year. Term 4 at the House will end on Tuesday 16th December 2025 and Term 1will start on Monday 2nd February 2026
PRE XMAS SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME
Wednesday 17th December — Friday 19th December
JANUARY SUMMER SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME
Monday 5th January- Friday 30th January
The time has come again to book your slot in the ever popular School Holiday Programme at the Devonport Community House.
With market days, cooking spectaculars, box cities, skating sessions, movie trips, hikes, water fights, robots and even a trip on a sailboat under the harbour bridge!
DIGITAL HELP
Fridays 10am-12pm
Digital Help is for anyone who is needing help with their technical device. For your iPad, tablet, laptop or phone, our technical professionals are here to answer your questions. Every Friday we will be holding these sessions (during term time) and you will be able to bring your device and questions for some one-on-one help from one of our professional support team members FREE!
TAMARIKI & PĒPI PLAYGROUP
Wednesday 9.15-11.15am and Fridays 12.30pm-2.30pm
Come along with your little babies, toddlers and preschoolers and enjoy playing, singing and meeting other families. Our wonderful Playgroup leader Tami always sets up fantastic activities for the little ones- creating a nurturing and fun environment for the whole family!
$2 Koha per family
WHAT’S ON @ Devonport Library
Tēnā Koutou Katoa
Warm festive wishes from Devonport Library. Coming up.. The Christmas Parade then two birthdays on December 16th - not only Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, but also Benjamin the Cat Statue’s 3rd birthday. We are open as usual throughout the summer and only close on the statutory days. Hope to see you at all these fun and chilled holiday events.
CREATIVE CRAFTS FOR TAMARIKI
Tues 13 and 20 December and Wed 14 and 21 January 10am-11am
PRESCHOOL COFFEE GROUP
Thurs 15 and 22 Jan 10am-11am For kids and families
TEEN SONGWRITING WORKSHOP
Friday 16 Jan 10am-11am
TEEN DROP-IN
Sat 17 and 24 Jan 10am-11am
WONDERFUL WORLD OF TIGER WORMS
Fri 23 Jan 10-11am
Register via compost.collective.org.nz
RAUMATI READS
A brilliant summer reading challenge with prizes. Ask us for the details KŌRERO AND KEMU
Every Sunday 11-12 noon
Practise or learn new Te Reo kupu in a fun way. All ages welcome.
PLUS..
Scavenger Hunt, Grab and Go Activity Kits, A Good Book Tree, great Staff Picks and Displays..
2025 has been a wonderful 10th anniversary year. Warm thanks to all of those who volunteered with us: Citizens Advice Bureau, Digital Seniors, Justices of the Peace, Devonport Library Associates and the Library Bus volunteers and many others gave their own time and energies to our library and our community. We are very lucky to have them. Special thanks due to Lynda Betts for sponsoring this important column every month. Here’s to 2026. Meri Kirihimete Merry Christmas
Musician of many projects brings
Musician Nick Edgar is a hard man to pin one sound on, having multiple projects in different genres always on the go.
This weekend the Narrow Neck resident is showing the folkier side of his talents, in five-piece band Hoop, which is playing as part of the Depot’s open day.
“It should be a great day and we wind it up in the evening,” he says.
The ticketed Hoop gig is at the Depot’s Clarence St base. Edgar is looking forward to an atmospheric backdrop being supplied for the band by the giant Sarah Cowie puppets from her show The Moon Looked at Me Funny
He enjoys a creative mix, and locally is probably best known for his role as band leader on vocals and guitar in the soul-funk Wonderfish Collective, a large combo with a fluid membership that went into hibernation around five years ago.
Before that it performed for around a decade, including at the Vic Theatre, with proceeds given to charities.
At various times, all of Hoop’s lineup had stints in Wonderfish. The band members, drawn from across Auckland, are fellow songwriter Al Baxter (also of The Mollymawks), the rhythm section of Rusty Knox and Glen Coldham and vocalist and violinist Emily Allen.
“Hoop is centred in folk music and of course that’s a wide genre,” says Edgar.
Baxter, who started ongoing Ministry of Folk events in Mt Eden, is rooted more in the Celtic rather than the Americana folk tradition. “My songwriting is on the poppy
Hoop Dreams... Nick Edgar’s other bands have included the Wonderfish Collective and the Helium Project
American side,” Edgar says.
The pair set up Hoop as a sideline around 10 years ago. “It was a vehicle for me and Al to write songs.”
In the lead-up to what is the launch of the band’s fourth EP, Wrap Me Up in Winter, Hoop played at the Grey Lynn Festival last month, then at the Whangateau Folk Club near Leigh, where Edgar switched from
Depot spaces issue open invitation
Step inside artist galleries and studios for Depot Day Out on Saturday 6 December.
It’s a relaxed chance to simply browse or pick up a creative gift from local makers. Or you could book in to turn your hand to painting your own ceramic Christmas decorations with the kids.
The Devonport arts organisation’s two main creative spaces will be open from 10am to 4pm.
• Depot 3 Vic Rd is offering the rare opportunity for the public to head upstairs from the ground-floor gallery, ceramics
studio and shop in the old council building to see the Studio D3 set-up above, where local artists work. Then check out the mini market the artists and friends have set up to sell their wares.
• Depot Artspace around the corner at 28 Clarence St has an exhibition of work by Depot staff. Activities there will continue into the evening, with the official opening of the exhibition from 4-6pm, followed at 7.30pm by the Hoop record launch, with performances by duo Moon Goose and Hoop. (See main story above).
Gallery hosts talk on local architecture
A talk on the Architecture of Devonport is part of a collaborative venture at Time Capsule gallery in Victoria Rd this week.
Architect Jackie Gillies, who retired from Queenstown to Devonport several years ago and has assisted Devonport Heritage in building conservation advocacy, will share her perspectives.
A backdrop of images by artist Sarah-Jane Smith will feature, from part of her show of Devonport scenes which opened at the gallery on Monday evening.
Paradox books will also have architecture titles on display.
The talk is on Wednesday 3 December from 6pm.
folk to the fore
electric to acoustic guitar and also played flute.
He is also a regular playing at the Ministry of Folk and hosting its revolving mix of musicians every six to eight weeks. He relishes the deep connections with fellow musicians built over the years.
At secondary school, Edgar was heavily involved in music, mainly classical. He was in the orchestra and choirs. But life moved on and he says: “I waited for 20 years for someone to ask me to join a band and they never did.”
So he and a cousin began Wonderfish and soon his music-playing horizons rapidly expanded.
Along with Hoop, he also set up the instrumental and ambient electronic Helium Project.
Having stepped back from full-time roles in sales and recruitment, Edgar has had several jobs helping at the Depot, first with marketing and now assessing applicants for a place on its Artslab creative programme. He says motivation is a key thing he looks for in anyone looking to upskill into a creative career.
It’s not something he is short of. In tandem with his Hoop activities, he’s working on ideas for the Helium Project. “I had that vision for a 12-piece juggernaut,” he says.
The vision lives on: Edgar is composing for a show next year, promising lush soundscapes that will include strings.
• Hoop’s EP release show, with seating for 50 people, the Depot, 28 Clarence St, Saturday 6 December. Doors open 7.30pm.
Comedy directors in Q&A at The Vic
Cosmic comedy Notes from a Fish screens at the Vic Theatre from this week, with a question and answer with co-directors Romy Hooper and Tom Levesque on 5 December.
The film was made on a shoestring budget of $10k, and shot in 10 days.
The New Zealand International Film Festival called it, “The sleeper comedy hit of this year’s film festival”, where it had multiple sell-outs and encore screenings to meet demand.
www.takapunamovies.co.nz Facebook and Instagram @takapunabeachsidecinema 09 666 0714
SHOWING NOW
Bolero (PG)
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (M)
Nuremberg (M)
Pets on a Train (PG)
Twiggy (M)
Die My Love (R16)
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (M) 144min
Zootopia 2 (PG)
Familiar Touch (PG)
SPECIAL EVENTS & NEW RELEASES
Notes From a Fish (M) 84min with Filmmaker Q&A 5 Dec Austen Found Live Comedy (E) 12 Dec Noteworthy Choir Live Show 15
ALTOGETHER READY
FESTIVE SEASON
Grateful for a year that has given us plenty to che er about
Bayleys salespeople across Devonport have spent the year helping their neighbours step into new homes, new chapters, and new possibilities, many just in time for Christmas. We would like to thank our local network of vendors and buyers for continued support through this extraordinary year. We have really enjoyed becoming a bigger and better part of our special community, and we couldn’t do it without you.
Looking forward, we’re excited for what 2026 will bring. Bayleys continues to put more energy into selling your home, and our team is here to help you take the next step in your property journey with confidence.
We wish you and your loved ones a safe, sunny, and joy-filled holiday season.
