12 February 2016 Devonport Flagstaff

February 12, 2016

Public acess battle lost at Torpedo Bay… p2

First division Lotto win in Devonport … p3

Interview: mindfulness practitioner Maya Nova…p18

Teenager survives five-metre cliff fall at party A top young surfer has survived a five-metre fall off a Stanley Point cliff during a teenage birthday party last Friday night.

Lewis Mennie suffered a fractured skull in the fall into shallow water.

Lewis (17), who was Surfer of the Year at Takapuna Grammar School in 2014 and 2015, was initially helped by surf lifesaver Hannah Williams, who was attending the party.

The function was held at the home of North

Shore ward councillor Chris Darby, whose middle daughter Taija is about to turn 17.

Darby called emergency services immediately the accident happened at 10.42pm.

Lewis “landed first on a pohutukawa branch, which likely broke his fall, before hitting the oyster-shelled rocks,” Darby said.

Hannah said: “As soon as I saw Lewis I knew I had to get down there to help him. So I ran down the jetty and waded through the water to

where he was lying on the rocks. Oliver McFarlane was already there and he was doing a really good job. I checked his responsiveness To page 3

Injured…Lewis Mennie

Devonport ballerinas in high spirits

Relishing the chance to perform Phantom of the Opera… Alice Cunliffe (left) and Gabrielle Jones. Full story p 11.

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Public access to Torpedo Bay to be restricted A marginal strip of only six to 10 metres has been set aside at Torpedo Bay in the recent Treaty settlement with Maori.

Generally 20-metre marginal strips are provided when the Crown sells off land.

The Devonport Takapuna Local Board and Auckland Council fought for a wider strip, but failed to gain much traction.

All meetings about the Crown sale of the Torpedo Bay land and the marginal strip were held behind closed doors. This is a government requirement when dealing with Treaty of Waitangi settlements.

Marginal strips are required under law to allow the public and future generations access to the coastline.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson confirmed to the Flagstaff: “The marginal strip to be reserved from the transfer of the Torpedo Bay property is of varying width of between 6 and 10 metres.

“The marginal strip provides for public access to, and use of, the coast for recreational activities. The marginal strip will be reserved when the NZDF lease (that will commence on the settlement date for the Torpedo Bay property) ends. The initial term of the lease is for 21 years with six further rights of renewal of 21 years each.”

Councillor Chris Darby said after protracted negotiations council wanted at least an 8-metre marginal strip over the length of the coastal edge, “but with increased depth at the arrival

point adjacent to the boat ramp and King Edward Parade” something over 10 metres.

Council and the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board had originally wanted a 20 metre strip and had “reluctantly” entered into negotiations, said Darby, who is a member of Council’s Treaty of Waitangi Settlements Committee.

“It is highly unlikely that Auckland Council will pursue a greater width through the select committee process.

“Sometimes it’s hard to back down, but my view is council and the community need to now knuckle down and cement a strong relationship with iwi to allow for generous public use and access into the future.

“If any redevelopment on this site occurs in the decades ahead, a framework plan will be required and that’s our opportunity to take another look at boardwalks, adding to the now-confirmed 6-metre marginal strip.

“I fought hard on the Narrow Neck settlement and behind the scenes I have scrapped hard for this one. But don’t see value in pursuing further through a select committee process that our community knows all too well is pretty much procedural on Treaty settlements,” Darby says.

• The Defence land at Torpedo Bay was sold to Maori for $2.3 million after years of behindclosed-doors negotiations. The 0.58 ha block was part of the Ngai Tai ki Tamaki Settlement with Ngati Whanaunga, Ngati Tamaoho, Ngati Koheriki and Marutuahu Collective.

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Local writer, gardener and father battles cancer The Devonport community is rallying around Virgil Evetts and his family. The local writer, beekeeper and gardener is battling cancer.

Evetts (39) has been receiving treatment for 18 months, but is now in the final stages of the disease.

Friends and neighbours set up an online Givealittle page for Evetts’ partner Charlotte Perry and their two daughters Olive and Violet Evetts-Perry. This has so far received more than $7,000 of donations.

Members of the Devonport Locals Facebook page are giving practical support via a roster of helpers cooking and shopping for the family. And parents at Devonport Primary School have offered a helping hand with playdates and school runs.

The donations will help the family through this financially difficult time. Perry, who is a contractor, had to take leave from work and the family is without an income while she cares for her partner.

Members of the Ngataringa Community Garden are looking after Evetts’ four chickens Kenzie’s Gift founder, local Nic Russell has also reached out to the family. Her charity offers

Devonport helps family…

Virgil Evans with partner Charlotte Perry and their two daughters Olive (5) and Violet (1) help to families affected by cancer.

You can support the family at givealittle. co.nz/cause/evettsperry

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February 12, 2016

First Division Lotto win in return for a favour A Devonport couple has won a $500,000 Lotto prize – from a ticket bought by another Devonport local as a thank you for a favour.

The winning ticket was sold at Hayward’s Paper Power and shared half the $1million prize in a Wednesday Lotto drawn in January.

Hayward’s Paper Power owner Grant Hayward said the couple was “over the moon” with the win.

He said he understood the winning ticket was bought by another Devonport local as From page 1

a thank-you gesture for “looking after his daughter-in-law.”

“It was a much appreciated favour and in return he bought them a Lotto ticket.

“It is a great feel-good story and how good things come to fruition, karma and all those sorts of things.”

It is the 15th First Division Lotto ticket Haywards has sold since Lotto began in 1987. The Victoria Rd stationers sold the first ever Lotto winning ticket and for many years was the luckiest Lotto shop on the Sold winning Lotto ticket…

North Shore.

Grant Hayward

Surfer survives Stanley Point cliff fall

tial injury to his skull.

“Oli and I continued to try our best to calm his friends, who were really distraught throughout the event. Then the paramedics arrived and we handed over to them.

“Honestly I just did what anybody else would’ve done in my position,” said Hannah, who was last year named Under 19 Sportswoman of the Year by Piha Life Surfing Club.

Darby said two boys were Accident site…the cliff Lewis Mennie fell down also injured while trying to help. “They started descendand Oli and I held his head in place, because I ing the cliff to get to the boy knew that due to the mechanism of how he fell despite my clear commands not to. Both fell, it could possibly be a spinal injury. one lacerating his legs and the other spraining “We made sure that one of us was holding his an ankle,” he said. head at all times, and tried as best as possible Around 40 teenagers attended the party. They to assess the damage around his head without were invited through a closed Facebook page moving him. Once he started talking to us we that included a warning about the cliff at the made him squeeze our hands, keeping him as bottom of the house. conscious as possible. He originally said that he Lewis was not on the party list but he and sevdidn’t feel pain anywhere and was fine. I noticed eral other boys arrived with one of the invitees. he had blood on his shirt and his body was bent Taija Darby said she became aware of extra at a funny angle.” boys at around 10.15pm, about half an hour “I verified that he was most hurt around his before the accident. “I said to my friend that head and knew that because that it was a poten- we should kick them out and that’s when it

Two centuries for Shore cricketers Centuries by Michael Olsen and Graeme Beghin against Waitakere last weekend have given the North Shore Cricket Club Premier side a real shot at promotion to Auckland’s first division.

Olsen hit 133 and Beghin 111 as Shore posted 353-6 against Waitakere in the Tom Hellaby Cup second division. Waitakere was in deep trouble at 10-3 in the two-day match.

• Shore wins Auckland 20/20 title. Pictures and story p 38, 39.

happened,” she says.

“I knew them and they are nice people, but next time I would tell my mum and dad straight away about them rather than wait,” she says.

Darby says he and wife Diana did not supply alcohol to the teenagers, but some of them brought beers and pre-mixes.

• In January 2015, Lewis was one five surfers who saved a mother and her two teenage sons from drowning at Bethells Beach. The surfers hoisted the swimmers, who were caught in a rip, onto their boards and paddled them to safety, a New Zealand Herald story said.

First responder… surf lifesaver Hannah Williams was quick to help Lewis Mennie when he was injured

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February 12, 2016

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February 12, 2016

Victory in Wellington a passport to Mexico Katherine Badham’s win in the New Zealand Junior Triathlon champs automatically qualifies her for the Triathlon Junior World Championships in Mexico in September.

Katherine (17) says she went to the Wellington Sovereign Tri Series qualifying event determined to win. “I knew the first person across the line would gain automatic qualification for the junior worlds, and I would have been disappointed with any other placing. It’s good to know where I am going with the rest of the year and what I am building towards,” she says.

Her improved swim time was a big part of the win. “I came out of the water nowhere near as far back as I have done previously, which is a big positive for me in what is my weakest discipline,” she says.

On the bike, Katherine moved to the front of the field halfway through the race. “The competitors - including myself – were a bit shocked that I managed to do this, I think.”

When she exited transition with seven girls onto the run, the pressure was on. “I ran out of transition hard and the only way I know how to – go hard from the start and then tough it out until the finish,” she says.

The race plan worked and Katherine finished around 20 seconds clear of the chasers.

The Wellington win in late January has opened multiple doors for Katherine. “I have now been given the opportunity to go the Gold Coast for two two-week training camps, races in Fiji and Japan, training camps with the high-performance squad down in Cambridge and training in Florida, USA – all to gain international experience Determination… Katherine Badham dug in on the run at the New and to ensure I have an ideal build-up for Zealand champs to guarantee her a spot at the worlds September,” she says.

Until then, Katherine is also working ing healthy and injury-free, and of course The junior worlds are part of the World away in her last year at Takapuna Grammar trying to keep on top of my school work as Triathlon Series Grand Final being held on School. “I’ll now be training very hard, keep- Year 13 is a big year,” she says. the Mexican island of Cozumel.

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February 12, 2016

No end in sight to turf wars at Ngataringa Park A new $19,560 feasibility study to integrate Ngataringa and Dacre Parks has resulted in three options, which still see North Shore United Football Club and nearby residents at loggerheads over how the area should be developed.

Option one has a full artificial pitch and a slightly smaller one on Dacre Park, where North Shore’s Allen Hill Stadium is located. It retains a grass field on Ngataringa Park for the club to use. Additional parking is proposed, adjacent to the fields.

Option two is an artificial soccer pitch on Ngataringa Park. The current grass pitch at Allen Hill Stadium would become sand-based.

Option three is a full artificial field at Allen Hill Stadium replacing the grass pitch on Ngataringa Park with a sand-based pitch.

The soccer club prefers option one, its spokesman Steve Browning told a Devonport-Takapuna Local Board workshop last week.

It emphasises sporting activities and comes closest to the club’s own vision for Allen Hill Stadium, he said.

The residents of Abbotsford Terrace and Victoria Road prefer option two, where the Allen Hill pitch would remain sand-based and a native glade would be planted near Abbotsford Terrace, shielding residents from noise. Car parking would be provided within Ngataringa Park.

A further report on the contamination of the site and the stability of the closed landfill is yet to be released and could throw yet another spanner into the works.

Moreover, no additional funding has been secured for any of the upgrades proposed in the feasibility study (apart from $2.4 million, which would cover only the artificial turf pitches). Numerous unknown factors associated with the site made any cost estimates virtually impossible at this stage, council staff told the board.

The Opus International Consultants report aims to resolve a number of other issues, including the possible relocation of the skatepark, a separation of recreation and business traffic around the new recycling centre and the provision of further activities in the park, such as playgrounds, basketball courts and even a cafe.

This is not the first study into the sites, with three sepaprate reports in less than four years.

In 2004, a Ngataringa Park, Dacre Park Reserve Management Plan was conducted. There was an eight-year hiatus until the Ngataringa Park Development Plan in 2012. Last year a proposal was issued to recap much of Ngataringa Park.

Furthermore, the new operator for the adjacent recycling centre plans to reconfigure the layout of and access to the centre in the near future.

The most recent (Opus)feasibility report was triggered by residents, who expressed concerns about potential issues – traffic, noise, light, and smells – the after the soccer club had secured council funding for artificial turf pitches at Allen Hill Stadium.

Board member Mike Cohen said relocating the artificial field to Ngataringa Park (option 2) could impact residents on Bulwer Street and Ngataringa Road.

Option 1 (above)

Option 2 (above) and option 3 (below)

The Flagstaff Notes

February 12, 2016

By Rob Drent

v

Once again the public has missed out in a government-sanctioned sell-off of Devonport land as part of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement.

This time it is Defence land at Torpedo Bay that has been sold to Maori for $2.3 million.

After years of behind-closed-doors negotiations, the 0.58 ha block was sold as part of the Ngai Tai ki Tamaki Settlement with Ngati Whanaunga, Ngati Tamaoho, Ngati Koheriki and Marutuahu Collective.

At issue with this piece of land is the marginal strip, which the Crown has set aside as six metres up to 10 metres in some places.

The laws governing marginal strips are set out in the Conservation Act 1987: “There shall be deemed to be reserved from the sale or other disposition of any land by the Crown a strip of land 20 metres wide extending along and abutting the landward margin.”

The Crown can reduce the size of the marginal strip and it can also publicly notify the reduction so people can make submissions. It chose not to notify.

Local MP Maggie Barry, who as Conservation Minister, has the final say, told the Flagstaff

last year she was happy with the marginal strip provisions at Torpedo Bay. But once again Devonport people have had no say in what happens to a publicly owned piece of coastal land.

Likewise the public was shut out in the sell-off of Narrow Neck land to Ngati Whatua – land earmarked as parkland when Defence vacated. But which the National government circumvented by a law change.

In that case submissions to a select committee held at Orakei Marae proved a farce.

And now Auckland Council’s ability to influence Treaty claim detail appears to be limited.

Added to the government sell-off of reclaimed coastal land at Bayswater – again with no public consultation – National has a very poor copybook on consultation with Devonport.

But would it have been any different under Labour? Probably not, given the party’s silence on the issues surrounding Treaty claims.

Council-commissioned consultants, rather than laughing all the way to bank, must be standing in the front the tellers with a permanent smile on their faces. The latest fiasco is the Opus plan for Ngataringa Park. Various options have been put forward, but there is no money to pay for them (expect budget for improvements to the soccer pitch).

And all the options could be blown out of the water after a further report on the status of the clay cap over the park.

Some of the blame for these ‘road to nowhere’ concepts must fall on the board members who commission them.

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New Year, New You?

So we are all back from our beach houses (mine is towed behind the car), the kids are back at school, work has restarted and life has resumed….

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It’s a milestone in life, a chance to start afresh, and to refocus on what you have underachieved at the year before….

Gym memberships are booming, however as with the ‘as seen on TV’ exercise equipment, they fail to mention the enormous discipline and effort required to achieve the ‘before and after’ photos!

Dating websites are on heavy marketing rotation, waving promises of dreamy romance (or tanned, sweaty torsos, depending on your persuasion) at the emotionally unfulfilled, and jobsites paint pictures of a workplace Garden of Eden with financial abundance and work-life balance for all.

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Councillor seeking notification for Masonic changes An application to change a planned cafe at the Masonic apartment development to offices should be notified, says Councillor Chris Darby.

“As one who was around through the Environment Court hearings when much was made of retaining the historic use of hospitality in the building through the provision of a café, I believe there to be a strong case for notification of any change in use.”

Darby said notification of the change sought should be, at the minimum, to submitters to the original application, and participants in the Environment Court hearing on the Masonic apartments. Both groups should be able to put their views forward.

McKenzie hits century Promising schoolboy cricketer Jock Mckenzie scored a century for Westlake Boys High School in the New Zealand Community Trust Year 9 tournament.

McKenzie scored 116 against Macleans College. He followed that up on Wednesday with 77 against Auckland Grammar the next day.

February 12, 2016

Three storey house given ok in heritage zone: Council signs off rule-breaking development A Cheltenham developer, who demolished, lifted and partially extended his 1933 bungalow in the Residential 3C Zone has been granted retroactive consents by council with no fines for the illegal work.

Steve Barrett’s plans to turn the one-storey hipped-roof bungalow at 84 A Vauxhall Rd into a three-level, five-bedroom, three-bathroom house complete with media game room, cellar bar, library and scullery, have been green-lighted with resource consent approval.

Barrett has been on the radar of council’s consent team since July 2013 for a string of offences. Since then he has received two notices-to-fix orders, plus an abatement notice to stop work.

Now, an independent commissioner has granted retroactive consent for the demolition and construction work already done and further planned. Barrett has not been fined for any of his previous breaches.

The plans for the rear section, located on a cliff and within the foreshore yard area, include numerous works restricted under the

operative North Shore District Plan, such as excavations in the foreshore yard area deeper than 1.5 metres. Barrett will excavate to nearly twice that depth.

Developments are not permitted to intrude into the 15-metre foreshore area, But 65% of Barrett’s house, (or 121 square metres) does and and consent has been granted for this by council as a non-complying activity.

Height in Relation to Boundary infringements on neighbouring properties have also been approved.

The retroactive consents leave Barrett’s neighbour Robert Weber completely disillusioned with the regulatory process. “The moral for every developer: don’t worry about the rules, just do whatever you like and find a pliable commissioner to sign off all your deeds retroactively,” he says.

“As neighbours our only option for redress would be applying for an injunction against council at the High Court on very narrow permissible grounds – something that would cost several hundred thousand dollars,” he says.

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February 12, 2016

Budget for wharf developments resurfaces Bayswater ferry terminal appears to be back on the radar.

The project has been on again-off again over the last decade. It was finally dumped due to lack of budget.

However, it now seems to be on again ,with Auckland Transport (AT) holding confidential workshops for local boards and briefings for councillors and council officers.

If the ferry terminal redevelopement does get the go-ahead, it’s likely to be allocated less than half the original $8 million budget.

The Flagstaff understands that as part of the wharf project at Bayswater, greater security would be offered to Takapuna Grammar Rowing, which has been in a temporary location at Bayswater for years. A briefing about Bay-

swater was given to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board last week by AT officials.

Briefings to the board are supposed to be public after a succesful Flagstaff campaign to attend the meetings. However AT has always been uncomfortable with the set-up.

Sources close to the briefing have told the Flagstaff that they could see no reason the Auckland Transport item needed to be considered under commercial confidentiality.

Takapuna Grammar Rowing Club president Chris Hume refused to comment when asked by the Flagstaff how the rowing club was affected by recent AT plans.

The Flagstaff has filed a request under the Official Information Act to make the briefing documents public.

Further work on Devonport Wharf likely The partially renovated Devonport Wharf looks likely to be completed, with Auckland Transport showing some desire to front up with the money.

One-third of the wharf has been upgraded over the past couple of years. But there was no budget for the remainder, which has left some, especially tourists, bemused. Toilets on the wharf remain in an appalling state.

A source close to the project said there seemed to be some impetus from Auckland Transport to complete the renovation.

The time frame is unknown.

Wharf security cameras missing the point or scooters, only in the vicinity of them.

The wharf has been under 24-hour surveillance since its spruce-up for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. • In the January 29 Flagstaff, Devonport Community Constable Jasmine Bundle reported an attempted bike theft on the wharf.

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Stolen bike…cameras and guards at the wharf were not much help for Sebastian Clark and his mother Nicki Sumicz A surveillance camera on Devonport Wharf has been easily outmanoeuvred by bike thieves.

The camera, located on the roof of the ferry building, points close to the bike rack located under an awning on Victoria Wharf – but not at it.

Sebastian Clark (14) found this out last week after he returned on the ferry from St Peter’s College and found his white Mongoose mountain bike was gone.

Sebastian and his mother Nicki Sumicz returned to the wharf at 6 pm to investigate.

“We also grabbed the security guard and he said he already knew about it,” says Sumicz.

He told them that two witnesses had spoken to one of his colleagues in the morning.

“They had seen two people with bolt cutters at around 11 am. He also told us that more than one bike was stolen,” she says.

Encouraged, Sumicz then called Auckland Transport (AT) asking them to check their surveillance camera footage to identify the thieves.

“At first I was told that there was no footage because the cameras were not linked up because of budgetary issues.

“Then they called back and said they had checked the footage but the security cameras were not aimed at the bike racks, which are also hidden under an awning,” says Sumicz. AT also said they are waiting on a report from Armourguard.

Sebastian says he often wondered whether his bike would be stolen from the wharf one day. The security guards rarely patrol the side of the wharf where the bike racks are located, he says.

The Flagstaff found two security cameras attached to the roof of the ferry building.

They were not pointed directly at the bikes

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February 12, 2016

Wakatere’s golden year on the water continues Wakatere father-and-son team Andrew and Cam Brown have won the 2016 Sunburst Nationals in Lyttleton – their third title in row.

Cam had his ninth birthday a few days before the nationals.

The 2015-16 season is turning into one of the Narrow Neck-based club’s most successful ever.

In other results, Paul Snow-Hansen and sailing partner Dan Willcox won the New Zealand 470 Nationals held off Manly, Whangaparaoa.

Josh Shon came first in the Auckland Opti champs in Maraetai, with Brayden Hamilton in third, from an Open fleet of 105 sailors.

In the age-group results, George Rush was first and Robbie Woolridge second among the 11-year-olds in the Open fleet. Joshua Hyde was second among the 12-year-olds. Alex Norman was third among the 10-year-olds and Brody Cooper third in the 12-year-olds Green fleet.

Henry Haslett and sailing partner Josh Berry came second in the Australian 420 Nationals at the Woollahra Sailing Club, Sydney.

Francesco Kayrouz (13) came third overall in the Starling National Match Racing Champs at Glendowie Boating Club Francesco was the youngest competitor, with sailors representing regions from all over New Zealand.

Wakatere’s commodore Ben Morrison won this year’s OK Dinghy Hurricane Classic in

Top team… Andrew and Cam Brown in action on the water Wellington and was second at the OK Dinghy nationals a few weeks earlier in Napier.

Peter Kempkers came third overall in the Standard Masters and first overall in the Grand Masters at the New Zealand Laser Nationals in Wellington.

The results follow on from Wakatere sailor Robbie McCutcheon winning the rare double – Tanner and Tauranga Cups in P-class sailing – and Alice Haslett finishing top girl in the Tauranga Cup (both featured in the January 29 Flagstaff).

February 12, 2016

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 11

Phantom of the Opera the real thing for dancers Devonport ballerinas Gabrielle Jones (16) and Alice Cunliffe (18) are currently performing in the New Zealand production of Phantom of the Opera that is being staged at the Civic Theatre, Auckland.

Both girls have been studying dance with Christine Snowball at the Devonport School of Dance – Gabrielle since she was four and Alice since she was seven after moving from the UK. The pair have been rehearsing since November. But in the lead up to the show, late nights now occur daily. “Now that school has started Star turn at the Civic… dancers Alice I get by with very little sleep,” says Gabrielle, who is in Year 12 at Takapu- Cunliffe (left) and Gabrielle Jones na Grammar School (TGS) She is also part of the TGS Cactus Dance Company.

But the girls say it’s all worth it just to be fessionally following in the footsteps of her mother Maxine, who was a teacher at on stage at the majestic Civic.

Alice, who is about to start an arts degree St Leo’s Catholic School and is now is a at Auckland University, says: “It just takes professional theatre and TV-commercial your breath away when you look up at the actor. Alice recently signed on with her three tiers; the red and gold and the starry mother’s agent.

Gabrielle just started the International sky.”

Both Gabrielle and Alice have danced on Baccalaureate programme at TGS. “But other Auckland stages, including the Aotea being involved in amateur theatre on the way Centre, Maidment Theatre, Q Theatre, Sky- is something I really love,” she says.

The show runs from February 11 until city Theatre and the Bruce Mason Centre.

Alice eventually wants to perform pro- March 5 at the Civic Theatre.

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 12

February 12, 2016

Another childcare centre in the pipeline Amidst the furore about the proposed Butterbee Childcare Centre at 159 Victoria Road, the Flagstaff has discovered alternative plans for a community owned childcare centre have been in the works since 2014.

Tessa Dunleavy is behind the proposal and says she has even found the ideal location, in a council-owned villa at 56 King Edward Pde. Dunleavy has worked at the Devonport Community House crèche for 21 years, has been its manager since 2006 and has provided care for hundreds of local children. In 2008 she won a national teaching excellence award.

Dunleavy has made some progress with the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board.

“At the end of 2014, we were shown through one of the three former park-ranger houses on Torpedo Bay and it met all of our requirements.

And last May we gave council our business plan,” Dunleavey says.

The villa has plenty of safe and unused weekday car parking, it has fencing and it meets Ministry of Education (MoE) licensing criteria, she says. It has no neighbours and the site offfers easy access to Devonport’s natural environment, including parks and beaches.

Dunleavy believes it is an ideal place to provide quality full-day child care for 30 children and part-time care for an additional 10 children.

Quality is her guiding principle. “It’s all about staffing and group sizes,” she says, adding that MoE requirements of one teacher per five babies or ten children two years and older, are the bare minimum in her view.

“From there you build quality because actually five babies can’t be looked after by one teacher. It’s impossible,” she says.

Planning a centre for a group of 40 children is also about quality, she says. “With larger groups the children simply get too much noise stimulation over a whole day. It would be like working in a loud factory for 12 hours if you were an adult.

“Anything more than 50 we call ‘farming’ in the industry,” she says.

Affordability is Dunleavy’s second priority.

“The cost of real estate in Devonport means it’s not possible to set up a commercially viable childcare centre. To make it financially viable either the quality has to go down or the cost has to go up,” she says.

If run under the umbrella of the Devonport Community House, like the crèche, all funds would stay in the centre and benefit the children and their parents, she says. “I personally just

Not-so-Mellow yellow

don’t believe you should make money out of children.

“At the crèche, for example, we cap the cost of childcare at $40 a week, no matter how many sessions a child attends, because that’s what we consider affordable. And if there is a single parent or someone loses a job or has a hard time, we consider that as well,” she says.

Location of the centre is also key.

Dunleavy rejected another council-owned building along Lake Rd because of traffic safety. “These are stressed parents who pick up tired children at the end of the day. Getting in and out of the centre needs to be safe,.”

Advocating communitybased childcare…Tessa Dunleavy

In conjunction with the Devonport Business Association, The Devonport Flagstaff is launching a shop-local initiative.

Each month an advert for the association will feature three Devonoport businesses providing special offers available to Flagstaff readers.

The deal is valid for a fixed period of time.

If your business has a special offer for Flagstaff readers, please contact the Devonport Flagstaff at devonportflagstaff@orcon.net.nz for more details and costings.

If the initiative is successful we will look at running it each issue.

Shop local • Take care of the environment • Keep cars off Lake Rd!

Yellow no-parking lines will be painted all the way along the Lake Rds cycle lanes this May. The line-marking is part of a city-wide programme by Auckland Transport and a new approach to keeping parked cars out of cycle lanes. Even though parking in cycle lanes is illegal, cars are often found parked blocking the lanes along the side of Lake Rd.

Rob Drent, Editor The Devonport Flagstaff

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 13

February 12, 2016

Zebra crossings for Africa A new $90,000 zebra crossing proposed for outside White’s Dairy has raised eyebrows among nearby neighbours, as there are two other crossings close by.

Helene Thomas, who has lived on Vauxhall Road since 2007, says the plan to upgrade a small traffic island into a pedestrian crossing makes no sense.

“We already have a crossing 120 metres to the right near the kindergarten and 150 metres to the left at Holy Trinity Church. “ I can’t see why it is a priority for Auckland Transport to spend $90,000 on a third one in the middle,” Thomas says.

Thomas, who has three children and whose husband sits on the Devonport Primary School board, has been lobby- Misdirected spending…Helene Thomas, pictured with daughters Noemie (12) and ing for a safer school crossing Rianon (9), questions the need for another crossing on Vauxhall Road on St Aubyn Street for years without gaining any traction Thomas says she also worries about the Submissions on the Vauxhall Rd crossings with Auckland Transport (AT). loss of car parking spaces indicated in AT close on February 12. AT did not respond to “And other areas like Albert Rd, which plans. “Parking around here is already com- queries about the reason for the crossing or has no crossing at all, that could really use promised during the rugby season, so I am a guidelines for the installation of pedestrian one,” she says. bit worried about that too,” she says. crossings, before the Flagstaff went to press.

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 14

Contributor to realestate.co.nz

February 12, 2016

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February 12, 2016

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 15

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Letters

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 16

February 12, 2016

Time for Devonport breakaway local communities are disempowered and their ability to make a difference reduced.”

This is especially true in Devonport, now we reside in the Auckland Supercity.

Whereas we once had six community board members looking after 19,000 people, we now have six local board members looking

A while ago I read something in Joel Crayford’s blog that resonated with me.

Joel said: “Local government amalgamation, centralisation and corporatisation has pretty well gutted local communities of the nucleus of local democracy. The same issues exist, but without that institutional focus,

Car owners custodians of double standards her car permanently parked opposite. Pity we have the double standards of bemoaning progress but staunchly using a busy main road for garaging. And yes, it’s a European car.

Perhaps the future generations will pass through that childcare centre and prove how selfish this generation has been with their handbags on four wheels.

Ian Ferguson

Your correspondent and cycling advocate, Chris Werry is bang on with his observations of heritage, cars and Lake Rd. The piece that is priceless is how enslaved Devonport residents are to their motors with no thought to the impact on ecology and future generations. How laughable it is that self-titled greenies buy cars from Europe and ignore the excellent and reliable product from our neighbours around the Pacific rim.

I saw a comment online from a protagonist to the 159 Victoria Rd childcare proposal, complaining about air quality and soot on

after 60,000. Everything is now removed.

Contact with our representatives, issues and most of all, local democracy – a chance to collectively voice our opinions.

It is my understanding that after two Auckland Council elections, which we have had, the opportunity to review the local board structure can be undertaken. But what I have found out is that it can only be reviewed by the Local Government Commission, and only after it has been established that there is enough community support. And that is just the start of the process.

What I would like to know is how many in Devonport would support an endeavour to disconnect with the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and establish a separate Devonport Local Board.

In the interest of greater democracy?

Roger Brittenden

Devonport Wharf: redevelopment or regression?

There is little evidence that Auckland Transport have any idea at all what they want to achieve with Devonport Wharf. At huge expense we have the extension of the Victoria Rd footpath and its indifferent connection with the old building. This footpath appears to have been built to support several ten-ton trucks. Several quite useful shops have been destroyed. But we now have a fully glazed east wall and new verandah which presumably is the “front” of the proposed restaurants. If these restaurant/s take up the whole of the inside of

Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor are welcome. They should relate to Devonport issues. Unsigned or nom-de-plume letters will not be published. Email letters to devonportflagstaff@orcon.net.nz or post to Devonport Flagstaff, PO Box 32275, Devonport.

the building, servicing will take place on the west deck, which ferry travellers also use.

Who provides the kitchens, stores, fridges, toilets and rubbish and where? It is hardly surprising that no caterers have jumped at this ‘golden opportunity’. And what has happened to the monstrous proposed bus shelter we were shown last year?

Of course everything is now so much better with these wonderful new standalone organisations, than in the bad old days of the city council.

Denys Oldham

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Letters

February 12, 2016

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 17

Childcare centre’s tactics shock local resident A woman representing the owners of 159 Victoria Road (proposed childcare centre), solicited my opinion on the resource consent application in a public location, without identifying herself or who she was representing, and without explaining her intent.

Once the representative established that I was unlikely to make a supporting submission, she refused to give me an Auckland Council submission form, which she had a pile of on her clipboard. Only after further questioning did I discover her intent and representation.

This practice of actively seeking supporting submissions and actively blocking opposing submissions is an unjust attempt to subvert the resource consent submissions process. I expect their method is also illegal.

Ironically, I was only slightly in opposition to the proposal before this event. This practice has set me decidedly against it.

In addition to these unfair practices, the location is already over-congested and difficult to navigate safely, as thoroughly discussed in 2015 issues of the Flagstaff. I live just over 100 metres south on Victoria Road, and

frequently pass through this intersection on bicycle, foot, motorcycle and motor vehicle.

I have had numerous near misses with buses, turning vehicles, and parked vehicles moving back into the traffic.

Additional traffic in this location will most likely cause an accident in the near future. It will also add significantly to traffic that is already frequently blocked up by Lake Road traffic, especially at peak times, when the centre will receive most traffic.

Having said that, I do support having more childcare centres in Devonport. I have a four-year-old who commutes to Takapuna for kindergarten because there are insufficient childcare facilities in Devonport. However, 159 Victoria Road is not the correct location for a new childcare centre in Devonport.

Finally, the removal of the beautiful trees that shaded the yard of 159 Victoria Road has left it bare, exposed and sunny; this is not a good environment for toddlers, who need shade and thrive in natural surroundings.

If you wish to make a submission (for or against) the deadline is February 9.

Bevan Rudge

Speeding fines lessen respect for police I would like to second what was said in the “Tax collection masquerading as speed control” letter in the Jan 29 issue.

Every single person I know has gotten a ticket during the past month or so.

All were for going 53-55km/h, mostly 54km/h.

I used to respect and admire the local police, but not any more.

I’m retired now, but I used to do traffic studies for the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. The data shows that whatever is the average traffic speed on any given road IS the safe driving speed.

I’d say the average speed on that section of Lake Rd is around 55-60k/h. On the other hand, the average speed on Victoria Rd through the village is probably close to 35-40k/h. Both areas have speed limits of 50k/h. So what is that telling us? The speed limits are unrealistic and should be changed. The cops know this, and that’s why their camera van is located where it is.

My recommendation: when you see it, flash your lights at the oncoming traffic.

That’s not illegal.

Steve Nielsen

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deVonport coMMunity networK MeetinG thursday 18th February, 10am-12pm devonport yacht club, 25 King edward pde, devonport (wheelchair accessible) A quarterly meeting to promote networking among residents and local community groups.

All welcome and morning tea provided. For more info, contact Maria on phone: 445 9533 or email: maria@devonportpeninsulatrust.nz

FolK in the pArK sunday 21st February, 1pm-4pm Band rotunda, windsor reserve, devonport Sit back and relax while listening to free live music on Devonport’s stunning waterfront.

There will be food and drink for sale or bring a picnic to enjoy. There will also be a preschool play zone to keep the little ones entertained (caregiver supervision is required).

For more info call Hillary ph: 445 2227 or email: realmusic@xtra.co.nz

street Get-toGethers Devonport Peninsula Trust has some funding available to encourage people living in the Devonport peninsula area (Devonport to Hauraki Corner) to get together with their neighbours.

For further info please contact Maria on ph: 445 9533 or email maria@devonportpeninsulatrust.nz devonport peninsula community enews To receive the Devonport Peninsula eNEWS, a monthly email listing of community events, and other community notices, please email us at maria@devonportpeninsulatrust.nz with special thanks to the devonport-takapuna local Board for funding the devonport peninsula trust.

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 18

Interview

February 12, 2016

Maya enjoying the present moment Maya Nova arrived in Devonport 11 years ago as an ordained Buddhist nun, complete with orange robes and a shaved head. These days, the mother of two teenagers has settled on an outward style of her own and teaches mindfulness. She spoke to Maire Vieth.

Devonport has provided the ideal backdrop for Maya Nova’s path through Buddism to mindfulness.

In a society where materialism and earning a living can dominate people’s lives, Nova says it is possible to integrate mindfulness into the day.

Mindfulness is the practice of focusing attention on the present moment.

“Yoga is a big part of my life, especially my morning routine. When I wake up, I jump on my bike and ride to Narrow Neck, swim to the buoy and back and walk up to Fort Takapuna, where I spend about 10 minutes under a tree doing yoga stretches and meditating. It sets me up for my whole day.

“When I step on my bike, I am in the magic of life. I enjoy being out in the open and in my body while I happen to get from A to B. Sometimes less is more. The simplicity that giving up the car brings is positive and nourishing,” she says Another part of the richness of Nova’s life is parenting her teenage children Ananada (16) and Niko (14), who both go to Takapuna Grammar School.

Nova, who is Serbian born, came to mindfulness as an ordained Buddhist nun. In 2005, she opened the Compassion Buddhist Centre in an old villa on the corner of Calliope Rd and Summer St, with her Kiwi husband. The centre ran for two years until Nova’s marriage ended and she looked for a more mainstream life.

Nova sees that time as “quite an extreme path” to where she is now, but says following it was crucial to who she is.

“I rose a bit like a Phoenix from the ashes. I needed to find a more integrated way of being, and to have a more normal life with Incorporating mindfulness into everday life…Maya Nova two children, but I do like to honour that path.”

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Nova grew up in Serbia when it was part of communist Yugoslavia. It was a gentler version of the kind of communist country you normally think of, she says. “I had a beautiful childhood.”

Nova was one of three children. Her father was a pathology professor and her mother was “artistic and bohemian”.

The family lived in an apartment building on the edge of Belgrade where life was characterised by social equality. “There was no poverty gap. Even though we had an apartment, it came with a big backyard and the difference between the family of a cleaner and that of a professor was that our car and our apartment were slightly bigger than theirs. And we all benefited from things like free education,” she says.

But as an art student in late 1980s Belgrade,

Nova became increasingly aware of the system’s drawbacks. “I started to see the limitations, the propaganda, the brainwashing. Belgrade was very avant-garde, a bit like Berlin is now, a place where East meets West. Tlhose were formative years for me as a young person. I became involved in student protests against nationalism and in 1992, after the start of the Yugoslav war, I just wanted to get away,” she says. Slobodan Milosevic, (a Serbian nationalist) was President of Serbia from 1989 until 1997. He died in jail in The Hague in 2006 during a five-year trial for war crimes.

But Nova says her passion for mindfulness was ingnited in Belgrade as well. “I was studying fine arts, painting and sculpture, but I also did philosophy and psychology papers. I

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 19

February 12, 2016

remember being in our apartment’s library and hugely passionate about it because it can make for children and parents at Prana Festival on the coming across a book called Zen Buddhism and a big difference in people’s lives. It did in mine,” Coromandel.

She has also spoken at wellness and leadPsychoanalysis by Erich Fromm, D. T. Suzuki she says.

Mindfulness is not an escape from life’s chal- ership forums at Auckland Council, Tower and Richard De Martino. It changed my life,” lenges, says Nova. “It’s not a magic pill at all, Insurance and Price Waterhouse Cooper (where she says.

During the first years of an arts masters because life doesn’t go away. The same things she also runs workshops with their staff).

Nova has seen the field of mindfulness grow degree, Nova felt increasingly stuck in a “grey still happen, but our relationship to those things and landlocked country.” With the financial changes. They become more manageable, less since she founded Mindbalance eight years ago. support of her grandmother, she backpacked scary and less overwhelming for us,” she says. “More and more research into the neurosciences “It can make such a difference for those who shows evidence of how beneficial mindfulness to Greece on her own. A three-week trip to the Mediterranean island of Santorini turned into are perpetually stressed and anxious at work and practices are,” she says. Such evidence is two and a half years. “I stayed in this little village offer them a sense of ‘I can respond calmly’, moving the once less conventional practice of and was very much welcomed and looked after. rather than to fall into an unintended rehearsal Buddhist meditation right into the mainstream business world.

I was basically a refugee. It was almost like a for disaster.”

Nova coaches people on how to relieve stress movie,” she says. at work and at home. She is particularly pasOn Santorini, Nova also met her future Kiwi sionate about promoting “mindful leadership,” husband. After a brief stint back in Belgrade, which steps back from a hierarchical, male and they decided to try their luck again in the wider rational model and towards valuing intuition, world, “but with embargoes in place during the flexibility and cooperation when heading a Yugoslav war, my travel options were limited. professional team.

Only a few countries would offer Serbians even In her private life, Nova continues her own a tourist visa,” she says. mindful journey.“I want to live my life in a In 1995, Nova arrived in Auckland and loved place of happiness and joy. So I try to live each it instantly. “On my first walk through Ponsonby Mindfulness is not a cheap fix for stressed-out moment and each day well, because in the end I became completely enamoured with the Victorian culture that has evolved in the Pacific: the employees but a way of life. “It’s not like you those moments and days add up and they are mixture of villas, Pohutukawa, beaches, cabbage just ‘breathe, calm down and all will be well!’ my life,” she says. trees. Looking at them, I lost all sense of time Mindfulness needs to play out in the context and missed my flight to Wellington,” she laughs. of your entire life. It’s about integration and After travelling across the country, Nova helping people through the clutter at work and settled at Bethells Beach for the next eight at home. Life shouldn’t be a chore. It should years. “I had my babies in a barn in the bush. I be joyful. It’s short and we shouldn’t settle for hadOPEN a horse, aHOME garden and stayed home to raise less,” Nova says. A6 POSTCARD PROOF OPEN HOME “And you might have to use other tools to get my children. They were challenging but good there as well, such as a counsellor, exercise, or times,” she says.

Meditation slowly became a growing part not drinking five cups of coffee a day,” she says.

Nova has been part of groups like Devonport of Nova’s life at Bethells. “I guess it helped Member of the Real Estate Institute of NZ Licensed Real Estate Agent (REAA 2008) me with a sense of dissatisfaction I still had. I Transition Town, The Devonport Community discovered New Zealand’s Buddhist community Garden and Frocks on Bikes, but recently she Real Estate Sales has stepped back from community involvement and began to practice in earnest,” she says.

Fixed Commission!!   to have more time for her kids. “Sometimes less Job Number: 179763 Nova says it was Buddism and now mind  $12,500 plus GST of my two beautiful fulness that eventually brought her the sense of is more and being the parent  We are a new Real Estate company offering a simple Includes Advertising! cost effectivefor alternative for selling your property. teenage children is me right “satisfaction” she had been  craving for years, hugely important   not collapsing out of control both in Yugoslavia and New Zealand. “I am now. It’s all about   19 Years Selling Locally   and losing them on the way,” says.

Flat fee she commission of $10,000 plus GST   Information Website   Which can save you thousands!!

Nova is working on bringing mindfulness   www.sellingsimply.co.nz  to children and  teenagers as well. Last year,   she spoke to an audience of 130 teenage girls Joe Martin Devonport Devonport 4452010 2010 at Sacred Heart College, addressing issues09 of09445 0274 326 731 : 0274 326 731 bullying, self-esteem and self-harm. OverMobile New joe@sellingsimply.co.nz joe@sellingsimply.co.nz   Selling Simply www.sellingsimply.co.nz Year, she taught a course on mindfulness games  

“I try to live each moment and each day well” – Maya Nova, mindfulness practitioner

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• There are NO up-front fees

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• Extensive marketing coverage. Full signage, colour flyers - all included

•

• Personal service, you sell with the Agent you list with

  

• Joe Martin is an experienced agent, who has been selling  on the North Shore since 1995 including 10 years of  running his own successful company - Devonport Realty Ltd 

Member of the Real Estate Institute of NZ





Thinking of managing Devonport Devonport 49A 49A Albert Albert RdRd your rental yourself?

Auction: Auction: 10:00am 10:00am 18 18 Sep Sep 2014 2014 at at Central, Central, Sunny Sunny and and OhOh SoSo Quiet!

Quiet!

OPEN OPEN HOME HOME

           

    A simple cost  effective alternative   to selling your  property   Member of the Real Estate Institute of NZ  

Bruce Bruce Mason Mason Centre, Centre, Takapuna Takapuna Tucked Tucked down down thethe driveway driveway in a very a us very Read this first and theninring . (unless (unless sold sold prior) prior) Selling Simply central central location location sitssits this this solid solid timber timber View: View: Sat/Sun Sat/Sun 2.00 2.00 - 2.45pm.

- 2.45pm.   • Over 20 years’ property Hi, www.barfoot.co.nz/527748 home. home.

AnAn exciting exciting opportunity opportunity forfor those those www.barfoot.co.nz/527748 We have just listed a home in your neighbourhood at: management looking looking to to ‘step ‘step in in or experience or stay stay in’ in’ thethe __________________________________________ Please give me a call if you may be interested.

Toni Toni Gregory Gregory Devonport Devonport market. market.

Warm Warm and and – we have seen and Regards M 021 M 021 044 044 3663 3663Joe Martin contemporary contemporary offers it offers four bedrooms, bedrooms, a a managedit them allfour Mobile : 0274 326 731 A/H A/H 0909 446 446 1023 1023 joe@sellingsimply.co.nz second second living living room room or or ‘work ‘work from from home’ home’ E t.gregory@barfoot.co.nz E t.gregory@barfoot.co.nzwww.sellingsimply.co.nz • A tax-deductible expense Devonport Devonport 0909 445 445 2010 2010 option. option.

A must A must seesee and and rare rare find find forfor those those • Find-a-tenant service lifestyle! looking looking to to livelive thethe Devonport Devonport lifestyle!

Trish Trish Fitzgerald Fitzgerald

Birkenhead Birkenhead55A 55A Tui Tui Glen Glen Road Road Lynette Ell

ForFor Sale: Sale: $999,000 $999,000 Hidden Hidden Gem Gem in Stunning in Stunning Location Location View: Sat/Sun Sat/Sun 12.00-12.45pm 12.00-12.45pm Devonport 09 445block 2012 This This spacious spacious four four bedroom bedroom block andand View: www.barfoot.co.nz/525323 www.barfoot.co.nz/525323 MOBILE 298With 5049 cedar cedar home home is just is 027 just perfect. perfect.

With open open plan plan lounge lounge andand well-designed well-designed kitchen kitchen devonport.rental@barfoot.co.nz flowing flowing beautifully beautifully outout to to an an idyllic idyllic Carol Carol Wetzell Wetzell entertaining entertaining area. area.

A huge A huge lower lower ground ground M 027 M 027 245245 3392 3392 floor floor gives gives flexible flexible living living options, options, andand onon A/HA/H 09 09 488488 7559 7559 thethe upper upper level, level, a master a master bedroom, bedroom, E c.wetzell@barfoot.co.nz E c.wetzell@barfoot.co.nz Devonport Devonport 09 09 445445 2010 2010 en-suite en-suite andand extra extra lounge. lounge.

Adjacent Adjacent to to a a mature mature bush bush setting, setting, thethe peace peace andand quiet quiet IanIan Cunliffe Cunliffe

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Devonport Devonport 100 100 Victoria Victoria RdRd M 021 M 021 952952 452452

24 Hour Towing 24 Hour Towing Devonport Owned Devonport Owned Operated andand Operated

1 Fleet Street, Devonport 1 Fleet Street, Devonport Phone Phone 445 445 04830483 email: fleetst@ihug.co.nz email: fleetst@ihug.co.nz www.fleetstpanel.co.nz www.fleetstpanel.co.nz

ForFor Sale: Sale: $2,499,000 $2,499,000 One One of of Devonport’s Devonport’s Finest Finest Homes Homes View:

By By Appointment Appointment This This grand grand historical historical home home is the is the perfect perfect View: www.barfoot.co.nz/511578 www.barfoot.co.nz/511578 E t.fitzgerald@barfoot.co.nz E t.fitzgerald@barfoot.co.nz combination combination of of charming charming villa villa andand 1971 ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED 1971 Devonport Devonport 09 09 445 445 2010 2010 modern modern lifestyle. lifestyle.

SixSix bedrooms, bedrooms, six six bathrooms, bathrooms, thisthis home home hashas previously previously Carol Carol Wetzell Wetzell been been operated operated as as a Ba&BB. & The B. The gracious gracious M 027 M 027 245245 3392 3392 home home with with fabulous fabulous views views of of thethe Harbour Harbour A/HA/H 09 09 488488 7559 7559 andand Auckland Auckland City, City, hashas so so many many beautiful beautiful E c.wetzell@barfoot.co.nz E c.wetzell@barfoot.co.nz Devonport Devonport 09 09 445445 2010 2010 features, features, all all showcased showcased onon a 961m² a 961m² site. site.

Close Close to to toptop schools, schools, thethe village, village, ferry ferry IanIan Cunliffe Cunliffe

Dennis Hale & Nathan Hale

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 20

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Devonport 09 445 2010

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Devonport 09 445 2010

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 21

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February 12, 2016

Devonport 09 445 2010

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Devonport 09 445 2010

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 23

Letters

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 24

February 12, 2016

Road users and residents afflicted by thoughtless cyclists I ponder why, even after the years since their establishment, I still feel offence at the seeming arrogance of the lycra brigade using the almost otherwise unused Devonport cycle lanes for velo-training.

And worse, forming earnest pelotons endangering both themselves and others, while residents pay a daily price of ongoing loss of civic amenity, especially those along cycle lanes who without consultation discovered that they and their visitors no longer have street parking or stopping.

There has to be a better way.

As Anzac Day appears on the horizon, my shame is that our precious Memorial Drive is also similarly seemingly thoughtlessly afflicted.

Philip Thoreau

Trees the jewels in Devonport’s crown Womens’

Summer Sale

30 - 50% Off

Women’s Clothing, Accessories and Sandals.

SALE ON NOW! Dedicated to delivering top quality service since 1945 DEVONPORT BIRKENHEAD

69 Victoria Road 18 Mokoia Road

www.yarntons.co.nz

445 6639 418 4011

As we greet our New Year, the anticipation, hopes and plans seem to be somewhat diminished when considering the weather.

Camping plans shelved; travel not so much fun; and swimming just for the hardy.

However, walks round Devonport can be rewarding. Much can be seen from our ‘steel chariots’ – the ubiquitous car – but when on foot much more unfolds. Of course, when it’s raining precautions are taken to enable us to concentrate on the surroundings as we walk.

Among the benefits you can expect in an hour or so walking in Devonport are: close-ups of newly painted villas, the beauty of well-tended gardens, and a historic feature or plaque.

You may even meet one of the locals. In Church St history abounds – an ancient cricket club, the museum, dozens of beautiful houses and of course, Holy Trinity Church, from which the road gets its name. A quick count revealed around 20 jacaranda trees. From the footpath outside Holy Trinity Church can be seen a

small blue plaque on a tree. It’s a historic tree, with a protection badge from the Devonport Borough Council.

We are told that it is a mature Norfolk Island hibiscus. Each delicate pink flower is a miniature of bigger brother hibiscus five times larger. Step into the grounds of the church and from the blue carpet underfoot, admire closeup a prime example of the many jacaranda.

If that were not a feast for the eyes, between these two trees is a bright splash of red. Is it a late pohutakawa? No, not the right colour or structure. It’s a rare rata. It would never be seen from the road. Probably best viewed with your back against the church wall, with gentle rain splashing on your face. I hope you are able to share this with others on your walk.

We spare a thought for the visionary from the Anglican parish who planted these magnificent trees. Surely the jewels in the crown of Devonport.

Frances and John O’Ferrall

New Patients 50% off* your first examination, hygiene and x-rays

If you haven’t been in for the past four years, we would love to see you again, and so extend the 50% discount to you also

445 0097

Using the latest Biometric techniques, which means less drilling & stronger teeth *some conditions apply

DEVONPORT DENTALCARE

healthy mouth = healthy life Dr. Andrew Steele Steele Dr. Andrew BDS (Otago)

445 0097

BDS (Otago)

February 12, 2016

Letters

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 25

Corporate greed masquerading as social service

GOD’S EARTH For All Peoples & All Generations A four-session small-group programme exploring our relationship with the earth in the light of Catholic Social Teaching.

Four Weds evgs, 7pm—9pm: 17, 24 Feb, 2, 9 March Venue: St Francis de Sales & All Souls Parish Hall (opp the church on Albert Rd). All Welcome. Gold coin entry. Further info: Stephen 0210608561, stpb@xtra.co.nz

Need to find a Justice of the Peace in Devonport??

There is a local Justice of the Peace available at Devonport Library each Monday (except Public Holidays) from 12 noon to 2 pm

No appointment necessary You are still able to book a personal appointment with a Justice of the Peace in your area by going online and typing in ” Find a Justice of the Peace” on the Royal Federation of Justices website: www.jpfed.org.nz

congestion but costs 30 bucks each time you get pinged for dangerous driving, and keeping left if you are looking at pretty girls allows others to pass. Racing off on a green light, not leaving five or 10 car lengths will relieve the hideous backlogs on Lake Rd. Most of you, I hate to say, are morons behind the wheel.

Cyclists have the delusional belief it’s OK to occupy the road three abreast using your lane – self-obsessed oddballs. I reckon these bikies turn ino the bad drivers of cars later in the day or on Sundays.

Taka to Devo in five minutes is possible, I’ve seen the cops do it, fly down here at 100km/h plus, lights and sirens on. Not sure why, driver training I guess. Anyway you lousy drivers are forcing automated cars on to our roads. Electric cars and Google cars on Lake Rd. We won’t need Auckland Transport (AT) to resolve the issues once automated cars arrive. It facilitates smooth fast safe transport, so we are belly-aching over nothing .

Reality is our MP and council staff appear to be puppets to higher powers. They don’t intend to solve local problems. Rather they are conspiring against us or creating problems using outdated tech. AT has no skills in traffic management or road design, evidently. Why are we not fighting our own rate-paid and elected representatives vandalising our town?

Our paper’s editor has been to India and seen what real crowding of housing and roads

is, real poverty – nice holiday to get you to adjust to Devo’s future. It’s a warning: conned by our leaders that growth of population and ever-increasing consumption is needed, big corporate companies are good too. Soon we’ll be a supercity like Bejing, where you can see the air you’re breathing and you can’t fall over in a crowded street. We need competition, they tell us in Wellington.

Devonport people love tranquillity, open spaces, clean air, beaches, good fishing, parks, family, community. This is all threatened by your MP: effectively she is attracting mass population growth right now, no true benefits to you, crowding our roads, housing and amenity areas. Speculation they call good foreign investment and growth. And the fishing is nearly stuffed. Sustainable policies and moderated redevelopment can maintain a good economy and a lifestyle we all want, without mass population growth.

The editor should be warned though about storing water and growing veges – that will cause Watercare to bill us harder; supermarkets will up the price of veges to recoup their profits caused by you greenies’ activities. Next thing you’ll want solar power and power will go up too. Mr editor, what are you doing to us?

Start by voting out those who vandalise our town and promote corporate greed.

Ron Dykman

Devonport Folk Club Presents..

Youth Group

WITH SUPPORT FROM DEVONPORT-TAKAPUNA LOCAL BOARD

for Secondary School Students Fridays at 7.30pm during term time

The Gap

Q

for Intermediate School Students Sundays at 4.30pm during term time

Super Sunday Club

for Intermediate School Students

Q live loc

... al music and dancing

Sundays during the 9.30am service

Come along, check us out and bring a friend!

Holy Trinity Church

20 Church Street, Devonport WANT MORE INFORMATION?

Call the Vicar on 445 0378

ou gy

brin

Let’s face it, most of us are devoted to Devonport. We love it. It’s positive to fight degradation. It was heartening to see several people opposing the Maori-Ryman proposal in the last edition. It’s our council and MP allowing, behind our backs, this degradation.

We should be mad with them, not Ryman. One thing I can say is that the speculators are not trying to build a monster out of concern for our elderly or to provide well-paid salaries for working people. They are cost/profit focused.

Two hundred units, at say $500,000 a buyer, plus ongoing expenses – living with Ryman in Ngataringa Bay with expansive city and sea views – sounds right. That’s $100 million straight. When you die you lose a third of your buy-in. They resell at the new price, plus annual body corp, medical, service fees etc.

Good idea, that’s a lot of money driving sensitive souls caring for our elderly. It warms my heart to see such social responsibility. Most people don’t realise this mob can go broke like Southland Finance and the power would go out, the nurses and cleaners gone. Don’t worry though, the ABs and our MP would ask our leader to step in I guess, like they did for BNZ, Air NZ and Southland Finance. I love six-storey houses – hundreds of happy campers living in them waiting for God. To divert for a moment, it was positive to read Ian Ferguson mentioning that we could all learn to drive better – 55kmp/h can relieve

r fam

ily & a picnic!

Sunday 21 February 1-4PM

Windsor Reserve Band Rotunda, Flagstaff Tce

For more information, call (09) 445 2227

Trades & Services

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 26

den electrical ltd

Piper Painters Ltd

OEL EST1971

OGDE N ELECTRICAL LTD

February 12, 2016

phone 0274 937380

Call Carl for all your electrical needs 0274 937380 or 445 7528

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 27

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 28

February 12, 2016

Park littered with cars upsets residents Residents say the Stanley Bay foreshore is increasingly turning into a car park.

Peter Blackwell contacted council’s call centre on three separate days over Christmas, and was put through to Auckland Transport without getting anywhere.

“Then Auckland Transport notified us that officers no longer ticket vehicles in parks and that this was an Auckland Council parks department issue – not that they can ticket either,” he says.

Auckland Council Manager By-laws and Compliance told the Flagstaff that the issue of motorists parking on parks is a breach of the Public Safety and Nuisance By-law and can lead to court action with up to $20,000 fines.

“We encourage the public to report instances of breaches to council on 09 301 0101. It is important witnesses take down identifying features such as licence plate numbers, date and location of offending, and the make/model of the vehicle. Staff can then follow up directly with vehicle owners,” he says.

Blackwell says that “at the very least, I would have expected an officer from Auckland Transport or Auckland Council to attend and tell people to move on.

“Given that my wife and I have made numerous calls to Auckland Transport, it

Cars parked illegally on the Stanley Bay foreshore leave residents frustrated by officials’ lack of response would be interesting to see if there has been Auckland Transport did not respond to any follow-up or action,” he says.

Flagstaff queries before this issue went to press.

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Obituary

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 29

Devonport helped mould Brickell’s unique character Barry Brickell, one of New Zealand’s best-known potters, , who recently died aged 80, spent his formative years in Devonport and had a lifelong connection to the suburb.

It is probably as the creator of the Driving Creek Railway near Coromandel Town that Brickell achieved his greatest notoriety, attracting tens of thousands of visitors a year.

He spent more than 30 years designing and building New Zealand’s only narrow-gauge mountain railway, which weaves and spirals through spectacular native bush.

Brickell spent his childhood growing up in Devonport and returned in his 70s for a stint as a writer in residence at the Michael King Writers’ Centre on Mt Victoria.

He launched two of his books at the Depot Artspace: Rails Towards the Sky and Plastic Memories. The Depot also hosted his sellout exhibition, My Last Ever Pottery Sale? in July 2014.

The Brickell family lived at 1 Tui Street in Cheltenham in a kauri villa, where Barry had kiln, and made pottery there from third form onwards.

He first went to Devonport Primary and then Vauxhall School, followed by Takapuna Grammar, where his love of art and the arts was encouraged as he had no desire for sports.

Devonport artists such as Keith Patterson also encouraged the young Brickell into painting and showed him how to make coiled sculptured pots.

His parents, Shirley and Maurice Brickell, were heavily involved in the original Devonport Arts Festival. Shirley was also a founding member of the Devonport Library Associates.

In a rare 2009 interview with the Flagstaff Brickell said of his father: “I was a bit of a disappointment to him because being the oldest of four siblings, a male, and the firstborn of all the cousins who lived in the vicinity as well, my father had great expectations of me.

“He expected me to have a secure profession in life, because he didn’t have one thanks to the War and he wanted his sons to have stability and good professional careers.

“He expected me to have a nice wife and

Always had a soft spot for Devonport… Barry Brickell produce lots of nice grandchildren for him and it didn’t work out like that. It went the other way.”

Brickell was something of a rebel from the start.

“I used to go around Devonport really fast on my bike. I knew every little corner, every street.

“I crawled through all the old tunnels at Duders brickworks and pinched bricks for my own kiln; explored the gasworks – that was a fantastic place.

“The gasworks was a Dantes Inferno sort of a place. I used to love its furnaces and fires and flames. There was a steam engine going, which quenched the glowing coke with a water jet to produce a spectacular volcanic-like eruption.”

Brickell’s love of fire was what got him started as a potter.

“I was in line to get the black-stick treatment (after lighting a fire). But mum said, ‘you can’t stop him, give him a plot out in the garden to play with fire.

“That’s how I was given a garden plot where

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I finished building all my kilns and having a potters’ wheel and doing all my pottery there.”

Brickell said his parents were supportive when he began making pottery, “except when I pinched coal and wood off them”.

“The very first pots that I sold were beer mugs for Rex Fairburn, who lived round the corner more or less, and wine cups for Anthony Elpers, the author who lived at Torpedo Bay. “Keith Patterson knew all these people and my father always made copious home-brewed beer. Keith would came along to my firing sessions. I fired my kiln into the night, and would crack open a few beers. He’d tell Rex and Anthony and other artistic people that lived around us, who came over and joined in.

“The world of artists was a new one to me and I just took it all in. I started doing masses of drawings, and I started painting as well as making pots.

After university Brickell moved to Coromandel Town because the place suited him.

“There were three reasons I went to Coromandel. The wild landscape and native forest that I loved.

“There was plenty of clay suitable for a potter. I knew that from my geology lessons at university. And it had direct access by sea to Auckland markets so I could be independent of cars and roads.

“All this was made possible by the railway.

If it wasn’t for the railway, which took me 32 years to build, mostly with my own hands, I’d be struggling to survive now as a potter.

“I was absolved from all of that because of the railway. Income from the railway now surpasses income from all other sources combined.”

Devonport Museum has several examples of Brickell’s work in its collection.

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 30

February 12, 2016

Devonport family survives burning White Island boat fire Being caught on a burning boat is far from an ideal start to a holiday.

But the Laking family from Devonport did not let the dramatic event spoil their plans for an idyllic road trip around the East Cape in a 1982 VW Kombi van.

Anne and George Laking, their sons Robert (20) and Julian (16) and Anne’s mother Karin Bittmann were among the 60 passengers on board the PeeJay V, which caught fire off the coast of Whakatane on January 18 and sank two hours later.

The family lost most of what they had with them, including car keys, Eftpos and credit cards, driver’s licence, phones, prescription glasses, backpacks and binoculars.

“It’s all at the bottom of the ocean. And without it we asked ourselves, shall we go on or just go home?” says Anne.

“But my mum said let’s keep going. So instead of dwelling on what had happened to us, we now also have lots of nice memories of a great holiday together,” she says.

The trip to White Island was an early birthday present for Karin, visiting from Germany and about to turn 78.

On the return trip, George noticed smoke.

“We started to evacuate the main cabin, below which quickly filled up with dark smoke. Robert grabbed his phone and camera on the way out,” Anne says.

“The captain dropped the anchor and we asked for a life jacket for my mother. Then the flames started coming. The captain told us we had to jump, called a mayday and three or four other boats came to help us.

“I took off my shoes, my mother jumped first and Julian and I jumped straight after on either side of her before we were all pulled into one of the inflatable rescue boats. I have to say, being able to see land was a big relief during all of this.

“For a moment we didn’t know where Robert was, but he had jumped to a different rescue boat and was helping pull other people in. When we were all back on land and reunited that was quite an emotional moment,” says Anne.

Having the old VW turned out to be a blessing. “We were the only ones able to drive again the next day because our key is so basic and could be easily recut,” says Anne.

The Lakings also received help from Whakatane locals. “George got a pair of temporary prescription glasses from a local shop, we could stay an extra night at our bach for free and we got a new Eftpos card right away. So a day later, we set off again,” she says.

Anne estimates the family’s loss at around $6,000.

An official inquiry into the cause of the fire is under way.

Back on firm ground.… Anne Laking (right) and her mother Karin Bittmann

Drama at sea… Robert Laking took this photo of the burning boat from a rescue craft. The captain was still on board.

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 31

February 12, 2016

Pensioner persistence puts parking police in place She had to post three letters and a Flagstaff photograph to Auckland Transport, but Margaret Ridge has finally won her fight over the $111.50 fine issued for parking her car along Windsor Reserve a day before last year’s

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Ridge (77) parks her car on the reserve most days while going for a walk along the waterfront. She says there was no sign nearby to warn her of the temporarily changed parking restrictions on the eve of the marathon.

She told the Flagstaff she would not pay the fine on principle.

Auckland Transport (AT) reviewed Ridge’s first two letters but proceeded with enforcing the fee. “According to the parking officer’s notes, the signs were approximately 22 metres to the left of the vehicle and approximately 22 metres to the right. It is a driver’s responsibility to ensure that their vehicle is parked legally, in accordance with any signs in the area,” was the AT response.

Ridge did not give up. She sent AT a December 4 Flagstaff photo of her car being towed, to demonstrate how far away the signs were from her park.

On December 23, Ridge received an early Christmas gift in the form of an apology. “Upon further investigation we will cancel the ticket.

You therefore do not have to pay anything. We do apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused,” the AT letter says.

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History of vandalism repeats itself on Muldoon sculpture

Seeing red… Muldoon still incites strong feelings Bright-red lipstick, rouge and nail polish appeared overnight on Mt Victoria’s stone sculpture of former New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon .

The graffiti vandalism has drawn renewed attention to the Allan Williams sculpture, which is called Anx. The piece was moved to Mt Vic from Western Park in Ponsonby in 1987 after it was attacked with an axe. Williams was living in Devonport at the time.

Roger Giles, President of the Devonport Folk Club, which is located a few steps from the sculpture, says Anx is often mistaken for a large Tiki.

“I have heard the Bush and Beach tour guides from out west tell people it is an old Maori carving and I’ve told them what it is really about,” says Giles.

The Maunga Authority, which administers Mt Vic, cleaned off the graffiti after being told about it by the Flagstaff.

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 32

Professional Services

February 12, 2016

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WE’RE BACK IN

DEVONPORT Clean Green is delighted to have relocated back to Devonport, servicing the local community.

Now located at The Old Post Office 1st Floor - 3/10 Victoria Road SALES, SERVICE & SUPPORT - PC’S, APPLE, LAPTOPS, iPHONES & iPADS W: CGC.CO.NZ | E: KARL@CGC.CO.NZ TEL: 0800 622815 | MOB: 021 622815

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 33

February 12, 2016

Shellfish ban remains on Cheltenham Beach A long-standing ban on collecting shellfish from Cheltenham Beach remains in place despite warning signs of the ban having been temporarily removed.

Last month, two Cheltenham Beach residents notified the Flagstaff that the signs were missing and that they have regularly seen people collecting shellfish on the mudflats this summer.

A Ministry of Primary Industries spokesperson told the Flagstaff the ban remains in place. What started out as a rahui (ban) in 1993 is now a regulation under the Fisheries

(Amateur Fishing) Regulations 2013.

The ministry is currently applying for resource consent to put in larger permanent signs.

Meanwhile, people seeing anyone gathering shellfish from Cheltenham Beach should call 0800 POACHER. The current fine for taking shellfish is up to $10,000.

A local environmental group is surveying the beach’s cockle population annually and found in December that numbers had grown from 685 to 1,352 within a year. A 2010 survey had found only 10 cockles.

Rat poison in cemetery not up the mountain Auckland Council’s signs, warning passers-by about rat-bait stations along the bottom path of Mt Victoria, were moved last week after council noticed they were in the wrong spot.

The signs were placed on the mountain on January 19, after a member of the public complained about rats in the cemetery ground abutting the maunga near the Lake Rd roundabout.

Council rat traps have also been placed alongside a Norfolk pine on Memorial Drive that has been ringbarked by the rodents.

6 - 24 February

Anderson / Claxton / Giles / Mickell:

Hunter Dreamer Stranger Thief Themes of space and time, the ghostly, the dreamlike and the poetic criss-cross throughout Hunter Dreamer Stranger Thief and create parallel lines of investigation.

More money but no action yet on Clarence Street The Auckland Council planning wheel keeps on spinning on Clarence St – where a planned upgrade has been on and off for years with no firm works in the pipeline.

The Devonport-Takapuna Local Board in December, voted another $10,000 “to progress preliminary detail designs and to obtain rough cost estimates” for the upgrade.

Movement on old council building A seismic assessment of the old Devonport Borough Council building in Victoria Rd is being carried out to determine what earthquake-strengthening works may be required.

Following that, the building will be marketed for a commercial tenant, council property officers have confirmed.

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and the Devonport Business Association have been lobbying to keep the building in community use, with the possiblity of a visitor centre located on the ground floor.

TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Daif King: Still Tho Paintings inspired by the ‘aspirational language’ of commodity fetishism.

Host Families needed for Takapuna Grammar School International Students Applications to become a host family for International students at TGS are always welcome from families who would like to host, either short or long term.

Please ‘spread the word’ to your friends, family and contacts who live not too far from TGS. For further information please contact homestay.coordinator@ takapuna.school.nz

Bevan Smith: Animal Portraits “My drawings are an attempt to feel the evolved, created, miraculous beauty of the animal.”

www.depotartspace.co.nz Monday 12pm to 5pm Tuesday – Saturday 10am to 5pm Sunday and Public Holidays 11am to 3pm 28 Clarence St, Devonport Ph 963 2331

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 34

February 12, 2016

Fussy eating the recipe for children’s book Maria Sardi dealt with her young daughter Natalie’s fussy eating habits by creating a picture book.

Thirteen years later she has just published it to celebrate the love of food that Natalie, now 17, has developed.

Mandy the Little Elephant is the story of a young African elephant who runs away at dinner time and whose favourite food is chocolate.

“That’s exactly what I used to do when I was little,” says Natalie Fleissner, now in her last year at Takapuna Grammar School.

Sardi wrote the book for Natalie’s fifth birthday. “She was so fussy and I didn’t know what else to do about it. Natalie loved the story but I can’t say it changed her immediately,” she says.

The book’s plot, however, predicted the course of Natalie’s transformation.

“There is a giraffe in the story who becomes the catalyst for Mandy eating healthy food. Metaphorically speaking, for us the giraffe turned out to be Ms Wingrove, Natalie’s food technology teacher at Belmont Intermediate School. She wasn’t a parent and added a new dynamic to our little mother-daughter power battle,” Sardi says.

Natalie found cooking at school was great fun. “And we ate what we made and I realised how good it all tasted. I still have the recipes for BIS cheese scones and home-made pasta,” she says. Natalie even won school cooking competitions two years in a row.

She is still mad about food. She watches Master Chef on TV and meticulously keeps a folder with her favourite recipes in it. “I cook and bake all the time. It’s one of my favourite things to do in my spare time,” she says.

Sardi, originally from Colombia, had sent off her story to New Zealand publishers when she first wrote it but found the response discouraging. “It was rejected in part because the elephant was not a New

Jacko smashes NZ record and qualifies for Olympics Shot putter Jacko Gill achieved a personal best 20.83m throw on Monday smashing the 20.79m NZ resident record held by Tom Walsh and surpassing the Rio 2016 Olympics qualifying standard.

The Flagstaff caught up with Jacko towards the end of 2015. He had had a quite year of achievement by his standards but outlined all the hard work he was doing to qualify for Rio. It has now paid off.

Thirteen years in the making…Natalie Fleissner can now smile about her fussy eating as a child, which her mother Maria Sardi turned into a book Zealand animal,” she says.

Last December, Sardi took matters into her own hands and self-published the story, hiring a professional illustrator to enhance her own drawings. “Set against the background of the African grassland, I like how the story addresses issues of food and hunger, of those who have too little to eat and those who have

too much,” she says.

Sardi, who speaks four languages and holds degrees in industrial design and the arts as well as an MBA from Boston University, is already working on two other books – a memoir written in Spanish and a second children’s book about Camilla, a wild white goat.

Push for new seats at old theatre The Victoria Theatre Trust is launching a fundraising campaign to buy new seats for the Vic. The new cinema seats will cost $500 each and the trust aims to get at least 52 seats installed this year, throughout the three cinemas.

Trust Co-Chair Margot McRae said the present seats were acquired six years ago.

“A Hamilton cinema was getting rid of them

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To kick off the fundraising, the trust is holding a special preview of the Coen brothers’ movie Hail Caesar on Thursday 3 March. Starring George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes and Josh Brolin, the film is a musical comedy set in 1950s Hollywood.

The new-seat initiative is part of the trust’s push for improvements in audience comfort at the Vic this year. Interior acoustic work and better foyer access are also planned.

“Our audiences have been very patient and now we are in a position to reward them with improvements that will make the Vic as comfortable as modern cinemas” McRae said.

The trust is making applications to fundraising organisations, but is also hoping local people will get behind the Vic and show that the community supports the historic theatre, which is now in its sixth year since reopening in 2010.

• Hail Caesar is on Thursday 3 March at 8pm. Tickets are $25 (including a drink) and can be purchased from the trust by emailing, Show@thevic.org.nz

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Ph Pauline 445 6471.

Stunning Cheltenham Beach Cottage, metres from the beach.

Available for short or long-term holiday accommodation. Beautifully refurbished, one bedroom, self-contained cottage with a private garden. Phone Rebekah 027 694 3933 or email devonportbeks@gmail.com FOR SALE Business Opportunity for Teacher Devonport area.

Love teaching but not paperwork and meetings? Looking for lifestyle and to work from home?

Would like to earn 70k plus for a 20-hour week? Full training provided. $52k and some set-up costs. Contact Eve 022 341 1716/ iywalton@gmail.com REST HOMES Ascot House Retirement Home, quality care with dignity in a friendly, family atmosphere. Phone Shona, 445 2518.

Komatua Care Centre – We care for older people who have memory loss and behavioural difficulties. Professional care is given in a nurturing environment.

For all enquiries - phone 445 1707.

SERVICES OFFERED 10 YEARS’ experience.

Home cleaning. Husband and wife. Honest, reliable, careful workers. All equipment supplied. References available.

Ph Joyce 022 073 1550.

Affordable Websites - do you need a website or does your existing website need updating? Prices for a new website start from $500 plus GST. Contact Vanessa on vanessa@penman.co.nz for a free quotation.

At Your Request Home Cleaning. Our local team is ready to deliver 5-Star services in your home for weekly cleaning, spring, moving or open-home cleaning.

Call Yvonne for a free quote 415 0028.

Bookkeeping/Payroll Are you a small business located in the Devonport area? Do you need someone for a few hours each week to help you keep your accounts in order? I can do your bookkeeping/accounts/payroll and IRD returns so that everything is ready for your accountant at the end of the financial year! Contact Vicki on 021 845543.

Builder available Small job specialist, repairs and maintenance. Skilled, reliable and local. Please phone Clive Melling. Hm 445 2485, Mob 027 29 222 84.

Cars wanted dead or alive. Top dollar paid $360 to $1700 for any small car, $800 to $15,000 for vans, utes, 4WD and trucks. Free retrieval 0800 3333 98.

Cleaning Maid Easy Use own cleaning products and gear.

Reliable/trustworthy/mature lady. References available Please contact Sharon - 021 405 596.

Counselling Low cost counselling offered by experienced narrative therapist (BA Psychology) completing practicum hours. $30/hr.

Please contact Sarah for confidential, no-obligation discussion: 022 678 1880.

Curtains & Roman Blinds Free measure, quote and design advice. 20 years’ experience. Phone Sara 027 625 5844.

Devonport upholstery. Recover specialist. Antiques and contemporary styles. Recycling furniture for 36 years. John Hancox, phone: 446-0372.

Devonport Window Repairs.

Sash and casement windows, wooden doors. Rotten sills and window components repaired or replaced. General carpentry.

For your local window specialist. Phone Hubert Strang 446 6174 or 021 274 4191.

Diggadrain. Drain unblockers and drainage experts. CCTV drain locating. Repairs. New drains.

0800 your drain.

Real Estate

buying, selling, renting www.devonport.harcourts.co.nz licensed agent, REaa

CoopER & Co REal EstatE limitEd mREiNZ dEvoNpoRt

OFFICE SPACE For lease

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 35 Dog grooming available. Full groom, bath and blow dry, puppy introduction to grooming. Devonport-based. Call Barbara 021 141 0331.

Gardener Available Qualified and experienced landscape designer. Enjoys getting his hands dirty. Good plant knowledge.

Hardworking, reliable and creative with plantings. Contact Paddy 022 502 2122 or 446 6188 paddyvogt@gmail.com Gardening. Do you need regular help? No time for a tidy up? Let me help. Experienced gardener. Ph Carolyn on 446 6517 or 027 292 8167 for a free on-site consultation.C Handyman. Mature professional in Devonport, Bayswater area. Repairs, painting, those jobs you just don’t have time to do. Free quote. References.

Ph. Brian 021 150 8898.

Housekeeper. Home cleaning, including windows, washing, ironing, furniture polishing. Experienced. References. $25 per hour. Ph 442 2273, 027 4926220.

Housewashing, prof. service, 10 years-plus experience, reliable and prompt. Free quotes, also decks, driveways, paths, fences, roof moss treatments etc.

Phone Rod 021 390 800.

Housewashing. Get your house clean for the holidays by contacting Bubble Boys house washing. We clean windows, doors, weatherboards, garages and outbuildings.

Support local, hard-working and reliable high-school Devonport boys by contacting us at seanslreeves@gmail.com or call 021 0621 750 to get a free quote. We are very reasonably priced. We protect paint by using soft brushes only. We can also provide water blasting for concrete driveways, paths and patios if needed.

Ironing: Professional, reliable, fast turnaround. Call Denise or Peter 486-1614/0223-552-350.

Landscaping – Format Landscapes, 18 years’ experience, Dip. Landscape Design. Design and build. We undertake all aspects of hard and soft landscaping including decks, paving, fences, retaining walls, planting etc.

Small to large projects. Free quote www.formatlandscapes.co.nz.

Call Matt 021 599107.

Locksmith, Devonport’s own Scott Richardson. mob 021 976 607.

Tagbuster, graffiti looked after Devonport to Hauraki Corner.

Call the Tagbuster 0800antitag, 0800 2684 824.

Window Cleaning for houses and businesses. For a free quote call Ivan 473 6631.

SITUATIONS VACANT Gardener wanted - who is able to look after a good sized garden involving sweeping and waterblasting paths, removing or spraying weeds, trimming hedges & trees, watering & caring for plants, general maintenance etc etc. All tools needed and garden bin are onsite. Must be fit, have some garden knowledge, be reliable & honest and able to work 3-5 hours each week in central Devonport over summer. Prefer someone living locally. Phone or txt James on 0274 340 300.

TUITION Acoustic and classical guitar, music theory. Fun, comprehensive, tailored to you! Devonport-based.

Michelle Birch, BMus (Hons) michellebirch@zoho.com, www.michellebirch.com ART CLASSES @ D’Port Community house: Wednesday night, life drawing; Friday morning, mastering art; Wednesday after school, art for teens. ph Lucy Bucknall - 446 0389.

Art Classes for Children.

Wednesdays 3.20 - 5.20 in artists home studio by the sea, Devonport. Term One “Pet Apartment” Painting, Drawing Project. Contact Erica Soman MFA Dip Tchg 021 127 9671 erica_artist@xtra.co.nz Learn piano/keyboard. Lessons from $17.00. Private, Professional, Affordable, Enjoyment for all ages. Competitions, Practical, Theory Exams.

NZ Modern School of Music 0800-696-874.

Mathematics and Statistics.

Individual lessons with a friendly, experienced tutor. NCEA 1 & 2, school years 3 -12. Weekdays and Saturdays, $40/hour. Phone Gillian Steele BCom 488 7059 gillrsteele@hotmail.com Mathematics Tuition, Sensitive tutoring offered at all levels of the secondary school curriculum.

NCEA, IB and Cambridge welcomed. 100% pass rate in 2014.

NCEA 3 calculus specialist. Ph Peter Ridge BE,Dip Tchg (sec) 445 2283.

Singing lessons in Devonport.

Contract Dr Sue Braatvedt 473 9113 or 027 3402884. All ages.

SLSS Swim School, 11 Evan Street, Belmont (off Eversleigh Road). Specialists in pre-schoolers. Phone 486 6728 for more info.

WANTED TO BUY Devonport Kindergarten would like to replace its much-loved small dinghy with another wooden replacement in good condition. Can you please help us: Please call (09) 445 3504, Monday – Friday.

Spacious Deck | Meeting Room | Fully Air-Conditioned Architecturally designed office space available.

Enjoy a modern environment right in the heart of Devonport, situated on Level 2, 31 Bartley Terrace, (beside the New World supermarket).

Join a group of separate businesses working in modern open-plan offices. We have six desks all up and currently have four desks available.

Suit self-employed or office-based business.

Rental approx. $650 per month per desk including OPEX. Term of rental negotiable.

The office comes fully furnished with modern furniture including ample storage. make an appointment to view!

For more inFormation please Call one oF Us maria Clarke (Head Tenant) 09 445 2891 / 027 549 0043 Julia lobb (Landlord Contact) 021 450 063

Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor are welc o m e . T h e y s h o u l d re l a t e t o Devonport issues. Unsigned or nom-de-plume letters will not be published. Email letters to devonportflagstaff@orcon.net.nz or post to Devonport Flagstaff, PO Box 32-275, Devonport.

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 36

February 12, 2016

Takapuna

Grammar

School NEwS

FEBRUARY 12, 2016

2015 Young Designer Awards

Karate World Champ Hyunji Jo (pictured) won second place in the senior 2D drawing and painting category in the 2015 Young Designer Awards. She won the prize at the Re-creative International Arts Festival, which was organised and prepared by UNIWORLD –(NGO), in collaboration with Globally Aware Teen Exchange.

Nina Edgar (above) won gold at the Goju Karate World Championships at the end of November and automatically qualifies for the next Goju Karate World Championships in Romania in 2017. Nina represented New Zealand, competing in two events and winning both. She is now the world champion in the Individual Female Cadet 14/15 years Kata and the Junior Individual Female Kumate U48kg.

Top outcomes for International Baccalaureate students With four students gaining 41 and one on 44, the second cohort of IB Diploma students have done themselves proud, and the teachers and school are celebrating them.

The school’s Proxime Accessit at Senior Prize-Giving, Muyu (Naomi) Liu gained the 44. With only one 45 result in New Zealand, this places Naomi second for the whole country. A score of over 40 is highly sought after and Mera Conger, Danielle Desvaux de Marigny, Tracy Zhang and Yuxuan (Tom) Zhang all gained a total of 41.

Ha Yeon Kim has received a scholarship to the prestigious Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where she will be studying engineering. In addition, Sol Hye Park has been unconditionally accepted into Korea’s most prestigious University, Younsei University, based on the skills she acquired in completing the IB Diploma at Takapuna. Sol attributes her success to the strength of her interview, the skills she gained in her CAS components and to the support given to her in the programme.

Naomi Liu with the Principal, Mr Simon Lamb, at Senior Prize-Giving

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 37

February 12, 2016

Takapuna School NEwS

Grammar FEBRUARY 12, 2016

Well done to our cricketers

Takapuna Grammar 1st XI wicketkeeper Jasper Edgar in action Cricket finished off a successful 2015 with two major awards at the December Auckland Secondary Schools Cricket Association Prize-Giving, appropriately held in Eden Park’s Bert Sutcliffe Lounge.

First XI player Jasper Edgar won the award for Top Wicketkeeper in the Premier 1A competition. And the First XI was awarded the ASSCA Spirit of Cricket Award, out of all teams in all grades of Auckland Secondary Schools Cricket.

In some ways this second award is even more satisfying for the school and players.

The trophy is given to the team that has the highest aggregate ‘Spirit of Cricket’ rating over the year, as judged by opposition teams and umpires, and submitted in match reports by captains and official umpires after each game.

It’s been a long time since 1940, when Takapuna Grammar won the Auckland Secondary Schools Competition with Bert Sutcliffe as Captain. But in its first season back in the Premier 1A competition for

some years, the team did the school proud.

After a mixed bag of results in Term 1, players benefitted from an unprecedented three-month off-season development programme, run by 1st XI Coach, Dean Flyger, and a four-game pre-season tour to Queensland. Over this period they had first-class coaching input, including from Paul Strang (Aces, Zimbabwe), Jason Mills (Auckland), Paul Hitchcock (Black Cap), Andre Adams (Black Cap, Aces) and Pat Cole (ND, Aces).

As a result, the boys had a flying start to Term 4, and ended the year topping the Shield section of the competition, and taking first innings points in all of their twoday matches.

As a gauge of the depth of cricket talent that the school can draw from, 12 boys were capped last week to represent North Harbour at the Auckland Districts Tournaments held over the summer break.

Another eight North Harbour representatives capped last week will form

the nucleus of a Girls First XI next year, one of whom (Year 9 Samantha Petherick) was also selected to play for an Auckland Under-18 Girls team in January.

Cycling: the national development squads named In the past our school has had up to three students named in either the U17 or U19 squads for road cycling.

But the recently released list has nine of our students named for the 2016 programme. This shows the growing depth of this sport. Under 19: Aidan Nicholas and Elle Wintle. In the Under 17-squad: Renee Young, Fletcher Pearson-Riley, Joshua Kench, Callum Erskine, Jack McKinney, Oscar Elworthy and Harry Waine.

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 38

February 12, 2016

North Shore wins Auckland 20/20 competition

It’s been a long time coming…the North Shore Premier side celebrates its first trophy win in 25 years

Into the trophy cabinet… captain Michael Olsen receives the cup from Austin Parsons, Auckland Cricket Association president

Stalwarts… John Gore and Ross Parlane celebrate after North Shore’s gripping win

The Devonport Flagstaff Page 39

February 12, 2016

The crowd goes wild…North Shore Cricket Club fans pose with the team after the 20/20 win second division Tom Hellaby Trophy, North North Shore Cricket Club premiers beat bowled Takapuna out for 151.

Takapuna by 10 runs to take out this season’s Shore won four out of its six preliminary Shore is currently topping the table.

But it was in a similar situation last year Auckland 20/20 cricket championship. matches to make the final.

It was the first major Auckland trophy the Captain Michael Olsen said it was a great where it was the front runner for the whole premier side had won in 25 years. None of team performance and a confidence boost for season, only to miss out on promotion due to the winning team were born then. the rest of the season, where the team was results in the last session of play.

The players in the winning 20/20 team The side beat arch-rivals Takapuna in the trying to regain promotion to the top division were: Jared Sun, Matt Selby, Graeme Beghin, final – all the more impressive as the match of Auckland cricket. was played away at Onewa Domain.

“This team knows how to win a trophy,” Mike Olsen, Aakash Choudhary, Ryan Thomson, Chamal Rajapaksha, Carl Brungar, Tim Shore batted first and scored 161 for five Olsen said. (with Aakash Choudhary hitting 32). It then With four two-day matches left in the Duncraft, Matt Strain and Stephen Newey.

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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 40

February 12, 2016

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