PONSONBY NEWS - APRIL'21

Established: OCTOBER 1989

CELEBRATING 31 YEARS OF PUBLISHING HISTORY!

APRIL 2021

WOOF! THE RAINBOW DOG SHOW IN WESTERN PARK

STEVIE IVES (AKA DOLLIE) & BO THE ‘BEST-DRESSED’ WINNERS

ponsonbynews.co.nz

WE LOVE SELLING DESIGNER RENOS RECENTLY S °LD

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INSIDE THIS MONTH

008 LETTERS & EMAILS 009 FROM THE EDITOR 012 DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW 014 WOOF! THE RAINBOW DOG SHOW 016 PIPPA COOM: COUNCILLOR FOR WAITEMATA- & GULF 017 JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS 018 RICHARD NORTHEY, WAITEMATA- LOCAL BOARD 022 CHLÖE SWARBRICK: MP AUCKLAND CENTRAL 025 GREAT NORTH ROAD COMMUNITY-LED VISION 036 PONSONBY PARK 039 PREDICT WEATHER.COM 040 HELENE RAVLICH: WEDDINGS IN A NEW WORLD 046 TRAVEL BREAKS 047 EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY 052 VEGAN VIBE - SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS 053 LIVING, THINKING + BEING 058 FUTURE GENERATION 061 HONOUR MITCHELL: TEEN VOLUNTEERING 062 PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS 068 APARTMENT OWNING & LIVING 074 HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS 092 ARTS & CULTURE 096 AUTUMN STREAMING GUIDE 098 HOROSCOPES: MISS PEARL NECLIS 099 THE PONSONBY PINK PAGES COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Connor Crawford

PONSONBY NEWS is published monthly, excluding January by: ALCHEMY MEDIA LIMITED, P.O. BOX 47-282 Ponsonby, Auckland 1144, T: 09 378 8553, www.ponsonbynews.co.nz PONSONBY NEWS is printed on paper sourced from sustainable, well managed forests and manufactured under the environmental management system ISO 14001.

4 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

P40 - Helene Ravlich: Weddings in a new world.

P68 - Apartment owning and living. The way we are living is changing.

EDITOR/PUBLISHER: MARTIN LEACH M: 021 771 147 martinleach@xtra.co.nz or martin@ponsonbynews.co.nz DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: JAY PLATT M: 021 771 146 jayplatt@xtra.co.nz or jay@ponsonbynews.co.nz AD SALES & CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: ANDREA KAHUKIWA M: 021 689 688 andrea@ponsonbynews.co.nz ADVERTISING SALES/AD DESIGNER: MELISSA PAYNTER M: 027 938 4111 melissapaynter@me.com OPERATIONS MANAGER: GWYNNE DAVENPORT M: 021 150 4095 gwynne@ponsonbynews.co.nz CONTRIBUTING MUSIC EDITOR: FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT M: 021 134 4101 finn.huia@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: JOHN ELLIOTT M: 021 879 054 johnelliott38@outlook.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER: ARNA MARTIN M: 021 354 984 arna@cocodesign.co.nz ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Within New Zealand $49. By cheque or credit card in NZ$. Please note: we do not hold back issues of Ponsonby News.

Our archive is all online as pdfs. Please visit www.ponsonbynews.co.nz The entire content of this publication is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechaal, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the prior permission, in writing, of the copyright owner. Colour transparencies and manuscripts submitted are sent at the owner’s risk; neither the publisher nor its agents accept any responsibility for loss or damage. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher can accept no liability for any inaccuracies that may occur.

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LETTERS & EMAILS

WAITEMATA BOARD MEETINGS Since constituents can now dial-in via Skype for Business to the monthly Board meetings, there is a growing number who are doing so - 18 at the most recent meeting. In addition, there were 22 members of the public who attended. The sections that are most popular are the Deputations and the Public Forum. Unfortunately, the reports that the members present, are scheduled at the end of the meeting by which time most constituents have left.

In order to improve transparency and accountability, all members should be required to include written reports in the meeting papers, which are available two working days prior to each meeting. The members’ reports should be scheduled immediately after the Public Forum and members of the public should be allowed to ask members questions which they should answer on the spot, or if they can’t, to include the answer in their following months report.

Additionally, the Board meetings should be held at a larger venue so that more people can attend in person. This should be in a location that is readily accessible with videoing facilities so that the meetings can be broadcast live and immediately uploaded to the website (just as Council meetings are).

Doing this would increase the Board’s engagement with the community, overcome much of the criticism that the Board’s business is “conducted under the sheets”, and demonstrate that the Board is accountable to constituents. Keith McConnell keith@keithforwaitemata.com UPDATE ON WESTERN SPRINGS FOREST The resource consent to fell 200 canopy trees, when they are 2/3 of the way through their life expectancy, instead of allowing them to age gracefully, is expected to start on site about 6 April, just after Easter.

The plan is to start with a 4m wide road from the stadium, clearing native bush from their side of the wall. When the road enters the forest, an area of 10m either side will be cleared of native forest, cut into the bank and covered with wood chip from the tops of the trees being felled and left in place - all 200 trees about 40m high. That’s a fire hazard! This road is meant to be reinstated to the ‘significant ecological area’ after all this work is done... yeah right!

Over 200 trees won’t leave a lot of room to plant the native seedlings after the existing native forest is killed. Why kill a native forest, to plant a native forest?

There are designated “priority areas of protection” (PAP), where the native forest is even more valuable, yet the plan is to put security fences and silt fences through them and fell canopy trees to lay on the ground in there. The 24m wide area is unlikely to be able to be reinstated, especially the waterways.

Let’s see if the community can create an Easter miracle and save lives! Come along to protect our forest. Facebook ‘Occupy Garnet Road’. Gael Baldock, Community Advocate PONSONBY ROAD - STREETS FOR PEOPLE PROJECT I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in the three workshops for this project - as a resident for six years, Ponsonby Road is my neighbourhood. I have a background in urban design so have seen many of these consultation processes roll out and it’s heartening to see that the facilitators are striving to embed the community in the design decisions, and have gathered a wide range of voices.

It’s important that these voices are translated through to the finished product. Even as a ‘tactical urbanism’ approach, a trial - it’s been really clear through the process what people want to improve expanding on safety, bringing together the community, and enhancing the vibrancy of Ponsonby Road.

No one wants their livelihood ‘trialed’ with. This has set a pretty clear mandate to the team and steered towards outcomes that will have a real benefit. It’s fairly exciting to see some of these changes could be implemented this year.

It’s fair to say that the trial itself has been more in this community lead design process - which hasn’t been done before. It’s better than any process I’ve been involved in to date yet there are some things that could be improved upon. What has been really encouraging is getting such a spectrum of voices, ideas and some really great knowledge from the Ponsonby Road community.

Cory Manson, Ponsonby JERVOIS STEAK HOUSE LOCATION I am wondering whether you are able to help us discover the name of the restaurant that was on the site of the Jervois Steak House, Jervois Road back in October 1993. We were not living in the area at the time but went there several times as it was popular. We now live close by and pass the Jervois Steak House regularly but have been unable to find out what the name of the restaurant was in 1993.

I had hoped your archive of past issues of the Ponsonby News may have helped us, but of course the archive doesn’t go back that far.

Also I have asked at the Jervois Steak House when I have been walking past, but staff there have been unable to help.

We enjoy the Ponsonby News each month and realise you have been producing the magazine since 1989 and therefore you may be able to help. Or perhaps your wide readership may be able to recall the name of the restaurant.

Alister Benvie, Ponsonby

The health and safety of the whole hillside is questionable: Asbestos has been found on site and in neighbouring area by the stadium. Furthermore, there’s an open stormwater line that could be interrupted by felled trees if the stumps are left to rot out and possibly fill with water in extreme weather events. All these issues are a far bigger risk than a branch falling on the track in a storm.

The silt from these earthworks is likely to be highly detrimental to the endangered eels in Motions Creek. After all this area has been called ‘Te Wai Orea’ - Water of Eels, long before it became ‘Western Springs Lakeside Park’, when the Lake was expanded in 1970.

Opinions expressed in Ponsonby News are not always the opinion of Alchemy Media Limited & Ponsonby News.

8 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FROM THE EDITOR

Last month, after several postponements, Woof!, the Rainbow Dog Show was held in Western Park.

Host, Steven Oates, always has high standards, with judges including Annie Crummer, Tom Sainsbury, and Ben Barrington among others. Our cover stars, Dollie and Bo, walked off with the ‘best dressed’ prize.

photography: Connor Crawford

Putting the ‘Great’ into Great North Road A new community-led vision sees Great North Road becoming a great north boulevard of trees. Great North Road between Ponsonby Road and Grey Lynn village with its glorious ridge-top location and arterial access from the west is ripe for intensification. The potential for form and scale change is massive, as is its growth as a major arterial route to and from the west.

Business In Service to the Community (BISC) BISC is a networking organisation of business people who are community-minded and are looking for opportunities to meet likeminded business people while supporting local schools with their financial contributions.

Streets for People This issue includes an update from AT on the Ponsonby Road ‘Streets for People’ project. AT are working with the community to trial safer ways to travel and to create a more vibrant Ponsonby Road between Anglesea Street and Williamson Avenue. The changes will be temporary, installation will be quick, and adjustments can be made once the changes are in place.

Weddings in a New World The past year was one that we could never have planned for - and the pandemic’s impact on the wedding and events industry has been

Get THE team

Jay Platt, John Elliott & Martin Leach

monumental. Couples - along with event planners, designers, and vendors - worldwide have faced countless challenges, but now is the time to reschedule, research and rejoice in the possibilities that 2021 and beyond brings.

Apartment Living The way we are living is changing. A single dwelling on a large section with a stand-alone garage is fast becoming a thing of the past. City fringe living is becoming more and more high density and the urban buzz hums everywhere. (MARTIN LEACH)  PN

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PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

9

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

IT’S A TEAM EFFORT... WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT OUR CONTRIBUTORS CONNOR CRAWFORD I am a working artist and photographer with a colourful and rhythmic perspective. I enjoy shooting the front covers of Ponsonby News.

DAVID HARTNELL - MNZM For the last 53 years I’ve been a freelance entertainment journalist and author. I’ve lived in the Grey Lynn area for nearly three decades; I have met and interviewed some amazing people.

FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT I work as a booker, promoter and festival programmer. Active in all areas of the music community; folk music is my specialty.

HONOUR MITCHELL I have lived in the Ponsonby area all of my life.

I write the column ‘Teen Picks’ which explores everything on offer in the greater Ponsonby area.

HELENE RAVLICH A freelance writer and copywriter for almost 20 years, I have written for publications all over the world and couldn’t imagine myself in any other job.

JOHN APPLETON I have a keen interest in nutritional medicine and how it may be used to support people with chronic illnesses.

KEN RING My yearly NZ Weather Almanacs began in 1999. During the tragic 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, my work created international interest. I currently live in Ponsonby.

KERRY LEE I’ve been a freelance writer for a year now, and what I love most are the wonderful people I’ve meet along the way. #best job.

LUCY KENNEDY I am a young local writer who loves to read! Each month you will find my reviews of new books for people who love to read as much as I do.

PHIL PARKER Journalist and published author, I have had a career involving both wine writing and hosting boutique wine tours in the Auckland region.

PIPPA COOM

I am Councillor for Waitemata- and Gulf Ward on Auckland Council. Formerly, Chair WaitemataLocal Board.

ROSS THORBY I have had a wanderlust for travel ever since I was old enough to own a passport. Since I discovered cruising, I have become unstoppable.

JOHN ELLIOTT

SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS

I am the founder of Ponsonby News and write for the magazine. My career has included politics, education and publishing. My interests include the environment, the economy and social justice.

A vegan for over a year and vegetarian for over seven years with a passion for writing. I am a local student reviewing some of Ponsonby’s best vegan eats.

Join us on Sundays at 2pm... for our weekly service including demonstrations of clairvoyance.

25 New North Road, Eden Terrace / www.goldenlight.org.nz

10 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH LINDA LUXFORD Linda Luxford is the Friendship Officer for the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand and is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. We asked her a few quick questions.

What does a friendship officer do?

I am very passionate about our club. I really enjoy my position. We have an entertainers’ evening on the first Monday of the month at the Pt Chev RSA where the public are most welcome to come and enjoy the evenings. I make sure I go around all our tables and make sure I touch base with all our members. Covid-19 has been difficult as I couldn’t visit any of our members in hospital as there was only one designated visitor to one patient. I send cards, flowers and telephone calls to our members if I am told they are unwell.

What do you like about Ponsonby?

It is so vibrant and alive. The cafes and restaurants are fantastic. There is so much variety of where you can go and eat from food market’s to high end restaurants. A lot of the restaurants and cafes have live music, which really appeals to me. The shopping is so diverse; you can go to designer stores, upmarket recycled designer boutiques to hospice shops. It’s so easy to spend a day or evening in Ponsonby.

Did you ever go to the Cameo Picture Theatre as a child?

I was very lucky as my nana lived in the pensioner flats opposite The Surrey Hotel. Nana was a movie buff, so we would walk down to the Cameo Theatre on a Saturday for either the 2 o’clock or 5 o’clock movies. I don’t think there was any censorship in those days, so I saw a lot of the most inappropriate movies.

How did the pandemic affect you?

I found the first lockdown extremely hard. I am very social and I like to go out often. I usually go to one musical event per week, or visit friends, or go to dinner. I usually meet my friends once every couple of weeks to go to a movie. I live alone, as do a lot of people, and it was really depressing not being able to see your family or friends. After the first two weeks my son rode his bike down to see me, parked in the drive and I saw him from my front doorstep. Gosh that was just so fabulous, seeing another person. Yippee. Covid-19 has certainly changed people’s lives and lifestyle. I used to ring my best friends in the morning, but there really wasn’t any news, so the daily calls dwindled to chats with friends on messenger.

What was your childhood like?

I was very fortunate in my childhood. I had a stay at home mother as did a lot of children in my generation. I was a very independent child and was off on my bike after breakfast. Did the usual things, went down to the creek catching tadpoles and frogs. Hung out with my cousin and friends. I was lucky to talk my father into letting me have a horse.

Dream holiday?

Spain, my father made me promise to go there after he died. He thought it was my country. I have always wanted to go to Spain so it certainly won’t be too difficult.

What’s best about your age?

I accept myself as I am, and hopefully learnt a lot on my journey - realising that life is not just black and white and not to be judgemental as we don’t walk in that other person’s shoes.

Biggest disappointments?

Trusting people that didn’t deserve my trust in them.

Give your teenage self-advice?

Believe in your gut feeling and believe in your own ability. Get a good education if you can.

Most treasured possession?

My Mason’s china. I have been collecting since my late twenties. I have far too much now, as there is nowhere to keep it. I am no longer collecting.

What cliché do you most hate?

The cliché I probably dislike the most is “what will be will be”, as though there is nothing that you can do about whatever it is.

What gizmo can you not live without?

My vacuum cleaner. Since getting a puppy I have turned into an even more mad-vacuum-cleaning woman.

A handshake or a hug person?

I am definitely a hugger and if a friend, a kiss on the cheek as well. If I don’t know the person, a handshake.

Comfort food?

A roast dinner.

Favourite movie?

Pulp Fiction. Loved the plot and the music. (DAVID HARTNELL MNZM)  PN

12 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

When a strong result is expected, experience matters.

DAMERELL GROUP LTD LICENSED (REAA 2008)

photography: Connor Crawford

LOCAL NEWS

WOOF! THE RAINBOW DOG SHOW - WESTERN PARK, SUNDAY 21 MARCH 14 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

15

LOCAL NEWS

PIPPA COOM: OUR URBAN FOREST One of the final decisions I made as a Chair of the Waitematā Local Board was to approve Auckland’s first localised Urban Ngahere Action Plan.

The plan is a road map for replenishing the urban forest and delivering on Auckland Council’s Urban Ngahere (Forest) Strategy to achieve the - lead on goal of 30% tree cover by 2050. There are now 16 local boards who have either finalised or are in the process of taking Waitemata’s their own plan. There are numerous benefits associated with having, developing and maintaining a flourishing urban forest.

If the Recovery Budget is supported with a one off 5% rates rise there will be an additional $14m to invest in growing our urban and rural forests. We will be able to plant an additional 11,000 street trees. We will be able to partner with the community to establish a nursery and produce 200,000 native seedlings a year to support community and marae planting. There will be funds for planting an additional 200 ha of native forest. Surveying is currently underway to determine locations for street trees targeting local board areas with the lowest canopy cover.

This is part of a package of proposals to address climate change in addition to the planting and ecological restoration already underway.

We are currently deep into the second year of the Mayor’s million tree initiative. The goal of planting between 250,000 and 350,000 trees was well overshot last year by focusing on 4 major sites for new trees. The Waitemata- Local Board area has had an overall increase in canopy cover from 368ha of urban forest in 2013, increasing to 371ha in 2016/2018. This provides a promising indication that clearance of trees is not occurring as has widely been predicted even with the removal of tree protection rules over a decade ago.

All trees will reach a stage where they become unwell or unsafe, so if we can plan for the future we can achieve much better outcomes.

The Recovery Budget supports a 10 year programme that takes a long-term view of tree management and planting. Trees aren’t like other infrastructure, if they are planted properly they will give dividends well into the future. I fully support the Tupuna Maunga Authority taking this long-term view plan for the restoration of indigenous native ecosystems. The removal of inappropriate exotic weeds and trees is part of that process.

Wynyard Quarter is one of the best examples of planting to a masterplan. There are now over 800 maturing trees many of which have been successfully moved from Quay Street. However, planting is becoming more challenging because of changing weather patterns. Last year there was barely a winter. This year the traditional planting season is likely to move to July until September. In all maintenance contracts there are now standard clauses to ensure streets trees are well looked after for two years before being handed over as council assets.

When tree removal is required, for example, for much needed housing, improvements to community amenities or for safety, council has to ensure proper processes are followed, mitigation is provided for and appropriate tools are used to protect significant trees. At Western Springs I want to see council push ahead to remove the unsafe and failing pine trees so significant planting can get underway during the planting season and the track opened up again for the community. The long-term benefits will be enjoyed by generations to come. (PIPPA COOM)  PN pippa.coom@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

16 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

JOHN ELLIOTT: AUCKLAND COUNCIL - RECOVERY BUDGET - COMMENT All councils in New Zealand are between a rock and a hard place trying to strike a new rate after income has been slashed by Covid-19 restrictions.

In Auckland the proposal is not so draconian. Mayor Goff proposes to increase the 2021/2022 general rate from 3.5 percent to 5 percent.

He tells us Covid-19 has had a $1 billion impact on the Council’s earnings. I will vote for that 5 percent, not because I have plenty of money, but because I don’t want to see essential services cut and deficits left for our kids to have to pay off. We have enough deferred maintenance as it is.

Phil Goff also says they will continue to make cost savings and sell surplus property. You know my mantra on property sales, ‘you can only sell the family silver once’.

“Without this greater use of rates and debt, around $900 million of much needed investment in Auckland would be delayed,” says Goff.

I find it very hard to stop thinking about our harbour and our beaches.

We already have the indignity of fifty local beaches so polluted they are unswimmable; this is third world. Any thought of, ‘the world’s most livable city’, goes out the window when the s*** on our coast line is discussed.

The Council already has a ‘water quality targeted rate’ to fund improved water quality, and the Council proposes to extend that beyond the 2028 year, to June 2031. The Council also plans to increase this targeted rate annually. They don’t say by how much.

There are several other targeted rates, which worries me. Is this just a ploy to be able to say the rates increase is only 5 percent, when there are several more to pay? Councillor Coom assured me that targeted rates are ring fenced and spent only on what they are raised for.

I fear for some community facilities. The proposed budget suggests that leasing or shared facilities might become more common in

future. Some community facilities may be closed, focusing on ‘multiuse facilities and online services’.

I would have thought there are some dark threats hidden in there.

I would hope that school buildings can be better utilised than they are at present; they sit empty for many hours each day.

Many readers will know of my concern for loss of tree cover in Auckland in recent years. The Waitemata- Local Board undertakes to ensure 30 percent tree cover in our ward by 2050. This is an extraordinary aim, given the constant demolition of trees in the Waitemata- Ward in recent years. The Council is about to start demolishing the old pines in Western Springs park - quite unnecessarily in my opinion.

Council is also aiming for further population intensification in the city, which I fear will result in a continuous loss of amenity values like trees, views, and an increase in noise, traffic, loss of open space.

I greatly fear the loss of Leys Institute - our iconic library. It sits empty, needing some restoration. It would be criminal to leave it to fall into ruin. There will be a cost to the restoration, but it must be done. Bite the bullet on this one Council, and save it from sale or demolition.

Finally, another important issue in my book is the banning of the carcinogenic weedkiller glyphosate. If it costs a little more to control weeds, so be it. We cannot risk litigation if some of our residents die from glyphosate poison simply because they live, walk, and play on our street berms.

A five percent rates increase is plenty, but it might be lower than many other municipalities. Let’s hope Council pursues every effort to find savings - staff salaries, consultant costs among them. Let’s bite the bullet and pay. (JOHN ELLIOTT)  PN

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LOCAL NEWS

RICHARD NORTHEY: - LOCAL BOARD CHAIR WAITEMATA Covid-19 put a temporary halt to March’s Auckland Arts Festival, but it was able to resume and be a wonderful showcase for a great variety of Auckland’s artistic talent.

It was also notable for its commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Ponsonby-based Polynesian Panther Party.

In 1971 this group of passionate young Pacific Islanders were granted an office space above the now ASB Bank in Three Lamps

by Mayor Dove-Myer Robinson. They campaigned against unfair and racist government policies like the dawn raids on family homes, established a homework centre so children could study away from their overcrowded homes and, with their committed combination of effective community work and political campaigning, helped build the fairer multi-cultural society we have today. I had the privilege of working closely with them then when I was chair of the Citizens’ Association for Racial Equality (CARE) and lived in Albany Road.

The Arts Festival honoured them with a mural on Gundry Street, an exhibition in Studio One and the unveiling of a special plaque on the pavement outside their former base at the corner of Ponsonby and Jervois Roads (see photo). Their former leader, Tigi Ness, (father of Che Fu) spoke movingly about the Panthers’ early experiences, made even more piquant by the death of his wife, much admired fellow Panthers leader Miriama, the previous day.

The Waitemata- Local Board met on 16 March. We heard deputations from James Watson on a pilot plan for composting and community gardens; Justine McFarlane on the Merge Community and homelessness action; Brigid Rogers about Wynyard Quarter transport; and David Batten about a Great North Road Vision project. At Public Forum we heard from, among others, John Elliott about amenity values in relation to population intensification; Suzanne Kendrick about the West End Scout’s Hall lease; and Gael Baldock and Bill Gruar about mobility impairment for wheelchair users in West Lynn, Western Springs Park, and other locations. The meeting approved seeking a new operator for the Central Library cafe; made detailed comments on the Regional Parks Management Plan about providing regular bus transport to them and the farming there more regenerative; - Paoa’s strongly supported Ngati rahui or ban on the taking of key seafood species around Waiheke; and provided detailed feedback on the Climate Change Commission’s draft report to Government.

We are seeking stronger and more comprehensive climate change action than is proposed, from Government, Auckland Council and in the Waitemata- Board’s own work plan.

reserve has been reopened giving children of all ages, including basketballers, a long-planned recreation space in Arch Hill.

Following the Board’s adoption of a strategic plan for the Western Springs Park, the playground on the zoo side of the lake has been designed and rebuilt with a nature theme. It is reopening this month and will be a great experience for children and families. It is intended to reopen the forest on the eastern side of the park once the old pines are taken out and the regeneration of a native forest there is progressed.

On another issue, Ponsonby community and business members are meeting regularly to develop low-cost tactical improvements to Ponsonby Road as part of the Innovating Streets programme.

Thank you for all of you who gave feedback on the Auckland Council’s proposed Long-Term Plan and Budget. The Waitemata- Local Board members and staff will be carefully reading the views and ideas coming from people and organisations in our area. We will then be reviewing our own budget and work programme, taking your views into account. Our next Board meeting will be on Tuesday 20th April held at the Board Office in Swanson Street, COVID willing. People can take part either in person or by skype. We will be considering our community grants among other matters. Alex Bonham will be succeeding Kerrin Leoni as our Deputy Chair at the end of this month.

I can be contacted at 021 534 546 or richard.northey@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz PN (RICHARD NORTHEY) 

The Board is gratified to see the Ponsonby News’ rival, or complementary monthly publication, the K Road Chronicle, secure and thriving after the Waitemata- Local Board made them a grant for their printing press. The upgraded play space at Home Street

18 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Top performing KiwiSaver strategy for 2020

KiwiSaver Scheme Growth Strategy NZ Funds calculations based on independent third party data – calculations available on request. Annual return NZ Funds KiwiSaver Scheme Growth Strategy, after fees before tax. Past performance may not be an indicator of future return. New Zealand Funds Management Limited is the issuer of the NZ Funds KiwiSaver Scheme. A copy of the product disclosure statement is available at nzfunds.co.nz/KiwiSaver.

LOVING, LIVING & SELLING GREATER PONSONBY

BLAIR HADDOW In excess of $450M sales in Greater Ponsonby #1 National Auction Agent 2017-2019 Top 5% Bayleys Salespeople 2010–2020

Blair Haddow 021 544 555 blair.haddow@bayleys.co.nz bayleys.co.nz/blair-haddow BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LIMITED, PONSONBY, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

A LT O G E T H E R B E T T E R

Herne Bay, 28 Trinity Street

Herne Bay, 2/97 Jervois Road

Set Sale Date (unless sold prior)

Auction (unless sold prior)

Grey Lynn, 40 Grosvenor Street

Ponsonby, 52 Pompallier Terrace

Auction (unless sold prior)

Price by negotiation

Grey Lynn, 12 Leighton Street

Herne Bay, 306B Jervois Road

Price by negotiation

Price by negotiation

Ponsonby, 26 John Street

Herne Bay, 25 Hector Street

Sold $3,900,000

Sold $3,457,000

Residen t ial / Co mmerci al / Rural / P ro pert y Ser v ices

LOCAL NEWS

CHLÖE SWARBRICK: AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP As Peter Burling led our top-notch sailors to an historic win, an estimated 1.5 million New Zealanders tuned into the America’s Cup final on free-to-air livestream.

Thousands more crowded the Waitemata- waterfront from the Viaduct along to Silo Park. Even I got an enthusiastic education on the engineering and technological prowess of superyachts from an oldschool Greenpeace activist while we were out on the Hauraki.

In a world still reeling from Covid-19, in a country well attuned to our ‘team of five million’ sacrifice and successes, there’s an especially profound sense of pride in watching our people win.

Please get in touch if we can help you with local issues 09 302 0166 chloe.swarbrick@parliament.govt.nz Auckland Council - 09 301 0101 COVID-19 advice from Healthline 0800 358 5453 Healthline: General health advice 0800 611 116 Inland Revenue - 0800 257 777 Ministry of Social Development 0800 559 009 Need to talk? Free counselling helpline - Phone or text 1737

Chlöe Swarbrick MP for Auckland Central

These things don’t happen in a vacuum. Team New Zealand and their effortless, necessary trust in each other’s skill built on tens of thousands of hours in training, Council and coordination of its associated organisations, Government and the firing up of Ministries and Departments, news media and their extensive coverage, New Zealanders and our dogged support. Heck, even the almighty wind had to be on side.

‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity’, so the saying goes. You identify what you want, work towards it, get knocked down and keep getting back up again. While opportunity is closer at hand when you’ve got the money, connections and social cache, sometimes it also literally comes down to which way the wind blows.

Just like that America’s Cup win, tackling the challenges facing our communities across Auckland Central won’t happen through mythical luck.

Which is why it’s easily one of my greatest privileges to work with people organising to end homelessness on our streets (special shout out to Bernadette Brewer for leading the charge forward on Karangahape Road), those mobilising for meaningful climate action and the folks researching, submitting and acting to protect the Hauraki Gulf – among so many other kaupapa. On just that first point alone, across these past few months, we’ve worked to tautoko Bernadette in bringing together neighbours, service providers, local businesses, government and council representatives and officials concerned with ensuring everyone has the support they need and a warm, dry, secure bed at night, plotting a pathway to achieve exactly that.

We can, and we will, win. Remember that it was unfathomable for polls and commentators to imagine a ‘third party’ candidate could win an electorate to represent our home of Auckland Central. Remember that our plucky, tiny nation at the bottom of the world invests in and hones its sporting excellence to excel against countries twice, thrice or ten times our size. Remember that so often, change takes a little imagination, a lot of coordination and a pinch of earnest naivety to PN take on the world. (CHLÖE SWARBRICK)  www.greens.org.nz/chloe_swarbrick

Authorised by Chlöe Swarbrick, Parliament Buildings Wellington

22 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS Aydin repairing the vintage radio landscape

LAST MONTH’S REPAIR CAFE - THE ORGANISERS TOLD US: “IT WAS SUCH A BUZZ!” The feedback we got was: “really happy to have it fixed”, “great vibe, very friendly”, “lovely electrical expert helped me”, “careful repair”, “excellent people”, “very helpful, friendly advice”.

In terms of electrical appliances, people came in with radios, toasters, blenders, a lamp, a hair dryer, a landline phone and so on, but there were some really interesting ones. There was a 1930s valve radio.

Its owner had no idea where to go to have it fixed and who would have the talent to solve its problems but our electrician did! He went away delighted and only too happy to put a goodly sum in the koha jar. The young woman who had a vintage portable vinyl record player had a similar story and she went away with a delighted smile on her face too.

Then there were the clothing repairs. One young man had a favourite jacket that he really couldn’t wear any more because it was torn in several places. Our clever seamstress invisibly mended it and was he ecstatic! His girlfriend got the hole in her jumper mended by the other lady at the same time. “So easy and quick,” someone commented.

Another person had the sole on his expensive Allbirds sneakers reglued by our DIY guy. Our other DIY guy, together with our electronics woman puzzled over the remote controlled car that didn’t want to go properly. They checked it all out from every angle and then realised that it was the batteries that were the problem – they all needed to be replaced – both in the car and in the remote controller. Meanwhile

the carpenter fixed the wobbly leg on the wooden chair someone brought in and the bike repairer worked out why the chain was falling off the bike all the time.

All in all, including the woman who had her necklace fixed and the guy who was advised to go down the road to get a new fuse for his CD/DVD player, which was then put in for him (but I won’t go on and on), 65 percent of the items brought in were fixed, and another 10 percent of the people got good advice on what to do or where to go to get their item fixed. All that was valued at $3,500. Not bad for three hours at your local café!

So once again the Repair Café movement has saved items from going to landfill, has added a little to the happiness quotient in these uncertain times, and brought people together in a sense of community.

This Repair Café was supported by the volunteers who gave their time, Une-Deux Café which provided the premises for free, a WaitemataLocal Board grant, and importantly Doughnut Economics Advocacy New Zealand (DEANZ), who put it all together as part of their vision to revitalise the Repair Café movement around New Zealand and encourage social and environmental balance.  PN For more information on DEANZ go to doughnuteconomicsnz.com

Sewing repair

Sydney repairing vintage record player

PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

23

LOCAL NEWS

JOHN ELLIOTT: A CATCH UP WITH COUNCILLOR PIPPA COOM It’s easy to forget, when you’re sitting at home, moaning about potential rate increases, criticising the way the City is developing, that most of our elected board members and councillors are dedicated to their jobs on our behalf, and work very hard.

I’ve been critical of tree loss, the refusal, so far, to ban the use of the carcinogenic glyphosate, loss of urban amenities during population intensification and other grizzles. So it was good timing to catch up with the Waitemata- Ward Councillor, Pippa Coom, and get some perspectives from her.

Coom is warm, friendly, and easy to relate to. Council does not seem to have dimmed her enthusiasm for her important role. She is widely criticised by the anti-cycle lobby, and at 82 years I am not a candidate for cycling around Auckland’s difficult terrain either. However, the more people we can get out of cars and onto bikes, or into public transport, the better for our planet.

Overall, Pippa Coom feels the Council is running pretty well. She says Mayor Goff has adopted a bi-partisan approach to governing, and sought to eliminate party politics from council discussions; Mayor Goff appointed Desley Simpson to the finance role. I am on record calling for that approach, and I’m pleased some progress has been made. There will be philosophical differences between councillors on some issues, but as I’ve said before, ‘a footpath is a footpath is a footpath, and neither right nor left politically’.

Pippa Coom is co-chair of the Hauraki Gulf Forum, so I talked to her about the sad state of kai moana in the gulf. She agrees there must be more of the gulf placed in reserve. I told her I was impressed to read about the rahui put around one nautical mile around Waiheke, which Chlöe Swarbrick supported and engaged with. But I asked Pippa should we be leaving this urgent task to Maori alone. I told her about the rahui my partner and I supported at Matapouri, when the Mermaid Pools were being trashed.

Pippa Coom reassured me that both Central and Local government are on the Hauraki case. She sent me a copy of a letter which Mayor Goff had sent to the Minister for Oceans, David Parker, supporting very strongly the action by Ngati Paoa. All well and good, but as Chloe Swarbrick said, “The anchors of economic consideration weigh disproportionately heavy.”

Let’s cut quotas to the bone, impose more sanctuaries like Goat Island, and give our plundered kai moana a chance to recuperate.

I asked Pippa about tree cover in the Waitemata- Ward, and Auckland– wide. She believes our board will achieve its target of 30 percent coverage by 2050. That is pretty ambitious, especially when more trees are being pole-axed every day, including some by AT on local streets, and some unnecessarily by developers. I have been quoting Easter Island, as outlined in Jared Diamond’s classic book, ‘Collapse’, and I saw a letter to the Herald quote the book too. I asked Pippa Coom to remember that exotic trees, especially mature ones, are excellent carbon sinks. Let’s not have tree apartheid - natives are good, exotics are bad. That won’t do anything for de-colonisation.

Those of us who care, must follow the evolution of the new Acts of Parliament which will replace the Resource Management Act, or more environmental damage could well eventuate. I’m not confident in David Parker as Minister of the Environment; I hope I’m wrong.

I also discussed the selling of assets with Pippa, including small pieces of land. I suggested school buildings should get more use out of school hours. She agreed.

I told Pippa I supported a rates increase of 5 percent to cover Covid-19 losses, but I’m wary about a plethora of targeted rates. She assured me these do not go into the big pot; they are ring-fenced for the job they have been collected for.

Of course I pushed again for the banning of the carcinogenic glyphosate. “Sometimes politics is the art of the possible,” Pippa quite rightly pointed out.

There is much to be done to make Auckland anywhere near the world’s most livable city - Covid-19 hasn’t helped - nor has a top heavy bureaucracy, and too many consultants gobbling up millions.

But this week I actually felt sorry for local politicians, especially board members. They get paid a pittance for hours of work, and most of us wouldn’t go near the job with a forty foot barge poll.

Phil Goff’s letter went on... “While the current initiative by Ngati Paoa addresses an immediate desire to improve the status of four shellfish species (koura, scallop, paua, and mussels) there is a bigger picture to consider.”

See elsewhere in this edition of Ponsonby News my articles on amenity values, with the Waitemata- Board’s response, and a forewarning of a desire to push for citizen’s assemblies in Auckland.

Pippa Coom assured me the target of 30 percent of the gulf in marine sanctuaries is desirable.

We can improve democracy, but let’s use our politicians, not abuse PN them. (JOHN ELLIOTT) 

NEXT ISSUE

MAY FEATURES: MOTHER’S DAY + BARS, CAFES & RESTAURANTS UPDATE

24 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

GREAT NORTH ROAD COMMUNITY-LED VISION Putting the ‘Great’ into Great North Road. A new community-led vision sees Great North Road becoming a great north boulevard of trees.

Great North Road between Ponsonby Road and Grey Lynn village with its glorious ridge-top location and arterial access from the west is ripe for intensification. The potential for form and scale change is massive, as is its growth as a major arterial route to and from the west.

The Great North Road precinct has the potential to become a boulevard of international significance with a thriving streetscape that is safe for both pedestrians and cyclists contiguous with the adjoining heritage communities of both Arch Hill and Grey Lynn.

The genesis of the community-led vision arose out of a well-attended public meeting in 2014 involving various community groups and Auckland Council planners following the Bunnings consent and planning debacle and the realisation that there was no overarching vision or plan that might influence those pulling the levers of a perceived ad-hoc process.

Observing that precinct plans for Karangahape Road, Ponsonby Road, Newton and other areas were in train or enacted yet nothing was in place for Great North Road, the opportunity for a truly visionary plan was going begging. Hence the Grey Lynn Residents Association (GLRA) applied for funding from the Waitemata Local Board and received $10,000 to complete the project.

There was more than a year of consultation with stakeholder organisations and individuals, including architects, designers and developers, local business, AT and Council design staff and elected representatives. Concurrently, a community-centric survey which aimed

to gauge the thoughts and aspirations for Great North Road from the adjacent residents, users and wider community was also conducted.

Because the community-led plan is a local initiative, it gave our community the opportunity for a greater degree of input than usual. It also added pressure for GLRA to develop a vision that is constructive, measured and plausible so that developers, designers and planners will be inclined to be more mindful of the impact and enhancements that their inputs could have on the Great North Road precinct in its entirety.

David Batten and Brandon Wilcox, the project leads from Grey Lynn Residents Association, say they are well aware they have no status to force change in attitude, statute or plan other than through influence. They know that the usual outcome of similar initiatives is relegation to a rarely-opened bottom drawer. Batten and Wilcox will therefore be embarking on an extensive follow-up process with all stakeholders.

In a remarkable timing co-incidence, AT’s Great North Road - bus, cycling and safety improvements consultation process is soon to open. Batten and Wilcox hope their recently completed communityled vision will influence change and a greater sense of vision than just AT’s planned removal of parking and addition of cycle lanes, bus stops and pedestrian crossings.

There are links to the download file on both GLRA and Arch Hill Matters Facebook pages and a hard copy can be viewed at the Grey Lynn library.  PN

The Community-led Vision for Great North Road document can be downloaded from the GLRA website at www.greylynnresidents.org.nz.

PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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LOCAL NEWS

PONSONBY U3A: APRIL 2021 Promoting the quality of life as we age.

The 90+study led by Dr Claudia Kawas, is one of the largest studies of the ‘oldest-old’ in the world. More than 1,600 people have enrolled, and it has resulted in a public health priority to promote the quality as well as the quantity of life.

Apart from superagers having a certain type of brain cell, the study also found that in the main, they are not ‘skinny’, they drink moderate amounts of coffee and alcohol, they exercise, and they develop relationships that are central to their lives through social and mental activities with family and friends. One participant, when asked, “Do you wish you had achieved more?” replied, “No, I wish I had loved more.”

And Ponsonby U3A sees as its focus to do just that - promote the quality of life through facilitating relationships established through frequent social, cultural, and intellectual activities. Not that the general membership is in the 90 plus cohort. Ages range from late 50s to indeed, 90 plus. And within the organisation there is something for everyone who has reached the stage where they are looking for more to stimulate them, who are lonely perhaps and need to widen their social relationships, or who are new to the area and need to meet people from the community. What stands out in the organisation is the number of close friendships that have developed over time.

Every month, Ponsonby U3A holds a general meeting and hosts a guest speaker on topics covering matters of scientific, social, economic, and cultural import. This is the time when members meet most of the membership with opportunity to catch up and exchange news and views with friends and new members and visitors. While unable to hold a general meeting in March, the scheduled speaker, Anna Willison will now speak at the April meeting.

Ponsonby U3A has been running for almost 27 years and has a fast-growing membership. For example, six new members joined last month and there is a constant stream of visitors. Real friendships are forged in the 30 special interest groups where there is something for everyone. Kathy Walker, co-ordinator of special interest groups, reports a burgeoning of new groups adding opportunities for people to exchange skills and knowledge and consolidate their learning by passing it on to others. Each group comprises about eight to 12 members and covers a huge range of topics. Groups generally meet at a member’s house or in the cases of gallery visiting, viewing art or architecture in public spaces, or rambling to special places and garden visiting, at a specified venue. Other groups include antiques

Anna Willison

and collectibles, armchair travel, writing, poetry, drawing and painting, play-reading, wellbeing, current affairs, vintage film evenings, te reo Maori, music, ukulele, mah-jong, dining out in local restaurants and organised visits for theatre and concert going.

There is always a welcome to be found at Ponsonby U3A. Guests are invited to attend monthly meetings to check out the vibe for themselves but are asked to first telephone Philippa Tait on T: 0274 523 108.

Guest speaker for the April meeting is Anna Willison, Senior Fisheries Officer, Ministry of Primary Industries.  PN NEXT MEETING: 10am Friday 9 April at Herne Bay Petanque Club,

Salisbury Street, Herne Bay. ENQUIRIES:

Philippa Tait, President, Ponsonby U3A, T: 0274 523 108, www.u3a.nz

Photography: Everall Deans, Ponsonby Business Association

HOMESICK FOR PONSONBY? If you, your friends or family are missing Ponsonby, why not subscribe to New Zealand’s BEST read community magazine?

An annual subscription is only $49 and can be posted anywhere in New Zealand.

News + Local Politics + Fashion + Style + Celebrity + Eat, Drink + Be Merry + Travel + Living, Thinking + Being + Pets + Future Generation + Sports + Home + Real Estate + Arts + Culture

Visit ponsonbynews.co.nz or email jay@ponsonbynews.co.nz for more information.

26 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

VISION + PASSION + ACTION =

RESULTS SOLD SOLD

Parnell The Strand

“All my thanks to Cheryl Regan for achieving an amazing result selling my two bedroom leasehold apartment under trying conditions due to lockdown. Through your experience you put together a comprehensive marketing plan to attract the right people and worked tirelessly following up potential interested buyers. I can absolutely recommend Cheryl to anyone wanting an enthusiastic, warm, hardworking, knowledgeable professional who will go the extra mile for her vendors.”

Cheryl Regan 021 772 583 cheryl.regan@bayleys.co.nz BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, PONSONBY, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

LOCAL NEWS

Western Springs College, BISC Donation, Chris Casey, Ivan Davis, Rick Thevenard and David Wren

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BUSINESS IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY? Business In Service to the Community (BISC): supports local schools with financial help.

It’s all about the kids!

BISC is a networking organisation of business people who are community minded and are looking for opportunities to meet like minded business people while supporting local schools with their financial contributions.

All members feature on the website and are also published in all of the schools’ newsletters. There is also a business card holder in the entrance to each school, where members’ business cards are displayed.

BISC meets monthly giving the opportunity to network with the other BISC members. Our mission is to donate money raised from the yearly

subscriptions, to be used for such things as sports equipment, books, solar panels and other items schools may need.

The schools that benefit are Pt Chevalier Primary, Westmere School, Pasadena Intermediate and Western Springs College. Members do not have to have children at any of the schools and may choose to appoint a staff member to represent the company.

There is no school zone boundary restrictions so if you want your business featured on the school websites just follow the ‘JOIN NOW’ toggle and follow the prompts.

Pt Chev Primary, Donation Aug 2020, David Wren, Stephen Lethbridge & Rick Thevenard

28 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS Rick Thevenard, Jonathan Hughes, Pasadena Intermediate and David Wren

BISC is designed to present members and businesses with the opportunity to: • market their products and services to the 2000+ families in the local school communities • meet other business people through Network get-togethers • support Pt Chevalier School, Westmere School and Pasadena Intermediate and Western Springs College, through the donation of the nominal ‘joining fee’.

The BISC website is an opportunity and an environment where businesses can showcase their services and goods to the school communities.

Who is behind BISC? Originally, BISC was organised and managed by a small group of parents of Point Chevalier School students who either have their own business or are employees of businesses. However this has now grown and includes parents from Westmere School, Pasadena Intermediate and Western Springs College plus businesses not connected with the schools.

This initiative has the full support of Point Chevalier School PTA, Westmere School Parents Net, Pasadena Intermediate CAPS, Western Springs College Parent Action Group, their Board of Trustees and school management.

Rick Thevenard, Teresa Burn, Westmere Principal and David Wren

How will Pt Chevalier School, Westmere School, Pasadena Intermediate and Western Springs College benefit from BISC? Your membership fee, less any associated costs, will be donated directly to the schools. BISC is fully audited.

Why join?

• BISC provides networking opportunities for business owners or their employees from the local city fringe community to meet and network with each other.

• Interesting guest speakers attend meetings to offer BISC members insight into community issues or specific business’s of interest in area.

• BISC is an initiative to raise money for local schools.

Join now www.bisc.org.nz Contact personnel: President: Rick Thevenard: T: 0274 481 888 or r.thevernard@barfoot.co.nz Vice President: David Wren: T: 09 815 0543 or david@davidwren.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

29

LOCAL NEWS

John Gray and Roger Levie investigate an Auckland apartment complex with such serious defects it has become NZ’s most expensive repair job

NEW DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATES DEFECTIVE APARTMENTS After exposing the leaky home crisis 10 years ago in an award-winning documentary “A Rotten Shame”, John Gray from HOBANZ now turns his attention to apartments in a new documentary “A Living Hell: Apartment Disasters”.

Essential viewing for everyone who owns, or wants to own an apartment, this new documentary screens on Prime, Wednesday 14 April @ 7.30pm.

It reveals the shocking truth about the dreadful and dangerous state of many apartments in New Zealand. Buildings that look sound turn out to be seriously defective, costing millions to fix and in the worst cases only fit to be pulled down. The owners who thought they were making a good step on the property ladder now find themselves with an unfolding nightmare that will affect the rest of their lives. The documentary asks how did this building catastrophe come about and how can it be fixed?

After discovering his own home in a Ponsonby complex was a “leaker” in 2002, and eventually winning compensation, John Gray formed HOBANZ (Home Owners and Buyers Association) on Ponsonby Road.

He was joined by Roger Levie who had experienced his own leaky home ordeal. Over the years the pair have fought for better protection for home owners and have helped many apartment owners with their legal battles and expensive repairs.

In this new documentary, produced by Freemans Bay resident Rachel Stace, John and Roger take viewers to apartment complexes around New Zealand, including several in inner city Auckland. They see a relatively-new apartment block in Newton, which is so bad it can only be demolished, leaving the owners with mortgages but no apartment. Another complex in St Lukes has become New Zealand’s most expensive repair job of over $100 million. The financial and emotional impact on the owners is huge.

“The destruction of wealth, stress, anxiety, mental and physical health issues that is suffered by owners of defective homes is simply unacceptable,” states John.

John and Roger talk to building experts about construction defects, to politicians about what needs to be done, and to legal experts about how the Unit Titles Act is not serving apartment owners. They talk to Auckland Central MP (and apartment dweller) Chlöe Swarbrick who is backing Nikki Kaye’s bill to amend the UTA, now finally on the Parliamentary agenda. Prospective apartment owners often have no idea of what it means to be part of a body corporate where the building is collectively owned and the repairs become everyone’s cost, quite unlike a stand-alone house. And it seems that defective apartments are still being built.

30 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

“Despite the challenges we have faced over the last 16 years, it seems very little has changed,” says John.

When not involved with HOBANZ, John still manages to do his “day job” as the Captain of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.  PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

“It’s all about you” Rick Thevenard’s philosophy

Barfoot & Thompson Ponsonby’s winning real estate team celebrates Rick Thevenard.

Having worked for Barfoot and Thompson for 27 years, Rick has a wealth of experience. He has been a consistent high performer, known for his expertise in marketing and exceptional negotiating skills.

Rick is very much a community man, having lived in Herne Bay and Westmere for some 30 years.

This is where he and his wife raised their family.

When asked where else he would consider living his reply was “No where – This is home.”

A dedicated real estate professional working with his spirited management team; he is committed to providing the outstanding level of service your property deserves. Specialising in city fringe residential sales, Rick’s vision and comprehensive market knowledge make him one of the foremost formidable residential agents in the area, able to cater to each and every requirement of both vendor and purchaser. It’s all about you.

Trusted and hard working, Rick ensures that the selling experience is a most enjoyable one.

Rick Thevenard M 027 4481 888 r.thevenard@barfoot.co.nz

What do people say after having Rick sell their prized possession for them?

“We can assure you that we are completely satisfed with the professional and personal attention that we received from Rick, over all aspects of the sale of our house. From the initial discussions, to the advice (staging), even to the personal hands on help in cleaning out an attic, Rick was supremely helpful. In particular, his advice on issues related to the auction, pre-auction procedures, and the decision to go to auction early were superlative. We were thrilled with the outcome and the simplicity of the whole process. We have no hesitation in recommending Rick to our friends and colleagues and will actively seek out potential clients.”

- Ruth and Robert Rick lives and breathes real estate in the city fringe suburbs of Auckland, and in these neighbourhoods has become the “go-to trusted agent” on all things real estate. Let Rick’s high performance real estate experience work for you.

Thinking of selling – Think Rick Thevenard.

LOCAL NEWS

JOHN ELLIOTT: PLANS FOR SAVING HAURAKI GULF FISH STOCKS The inner beaches have faecal contamination and the Hauraki Gulf is facing underwater deserts as it is fished out.

These are international tragedies which we in New Zealand should be working hard to avoid, or at least mitigate. Various Maori groups are doing their part, but should we have to rely on rahui to protect and preserve our kai moana?

I was thrilled when our local iwi at Matapouri placed a rahui on the Mermaid Pools which were being destroyed by hundreds of visitors.

Councillor Cooms assured me that the Auckland Council and Government are determined to protect the Hauraki Gulf.

Back in 2015 or 16 the National Government tried to limit recreational catches on the Hauraki Gulf. A massive protest from selfish one percenters, all National Party voters, forced National to back down, in case their electoral chances were too severely affected - selfishness in the extreme by an affluent minority.

Jacinda’s Government must avoid that sort of partisan pressure. The Minister for Fisheries, David Parker, has the power to alter fisheries policy, and the Minister for Conservation has the responsibility for the creation of new marine reserves.

If central government had its policy settings right, mana whenua would not be having to lay down rahui to protect what little kai moana we have left. Both local and central government have a part to play.

Central government has recently announced in parliament that it is very close to releasing its long awaited Response Strategy to the Sea Change for the Hauraki Gulf. Now is the time to make it happen!

As Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick says, “We’re a long way off the consensus of international experts, who say at least 30 percent

of our oceans need to be protected to avoid fishery collapse, restore biodiversity and build ocean resistance to change.

“If we are committed to protecting and restoring our environment,” says Chlöe, “the rest of us need to step up and tautoko (support) iwi and hapu-led solutions like these.”

I agree. But it is critical that these decisions are not left to local iwi, and that the central government makes the right decisions, and soon.

Pippa Coom gave me some hope. She showed me a letter written

by Mayor Goff to the Minister for Oceans, David Parker, strongly supporting the Maori rahui initiatives.

The Hauraki Gulf Forum’s goals include at least 30 percent under marine protection, restoration of 1000km of shellfish beds and reefs, riparian planting and an end to marine dumping. We need to restore the whole ecosystem, ki uta ki tai, (from the mountains to the sea) not just snapper stocks. A snapper monoculture in the Hauraki Gulf is in no one’s best interests - not even the snapper.

And just as an interesting postscript, an article by Herald writer, Simon Wilson, supporting electric ferries on the Hauraki Gulf has caught my attention.

Bring back the kai moana, sell the car, and cruise around the gulf in an electric ferry.

Good things certainly take time, as the old ad says. But they can PN happen. (JOHN ELLIOTT) 

COUNCIL LOBBIED FOR LEYS INSTITUTE RESTORATION FUNDS In March Auckland Council consulted with the community on their “Recovery Budget”, the proposed Long Term Plan for 2021-31.

The Local Boards had the opportunity in the consultation document to advocate for their key priorities and it’s heartening to see that allocating funds to the upgrading of the Leys Institute was one of the top priorities for the Waitemata- Local Board. Local Board Chair Richard Northey has asked for the community to make submissions for funds for the Leys buildings, in his Board reports and in his Ponsonby News reports.

Friends of Leys Institute members, (now numbering 207), have been given strong encouragement and information to make a submission, and we know from our feedback that many had done so by the March 22 deadline.

undertake some seismic strengthening of community facilities.” The Leys Institute certainly fits this criteria.

Friends of Leys Institute also participated in an online hearings event, held by the Local Board on 9 March, to hear from community groups with their requests for the Long Term Plan.

We wait in hope for the final Long Term Plan to allocate funding for the Leys Institute and to return our much loved heritage buildings, facilities and library services back to us.

In the council consultation document there is a statement that it would like to be able to spend money on upgrading heritage buildings. Under the Parks and Community section on page 24 it says, “we could...

If you would like to join Friends of Leys Institute you can contact Co-ordinator Helen Geary at heleng@maxnet.co.nz, PN or T: 021 208 7490. 

32 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

MONMOUTH GLASS STUDIO, GREY LYNN IS EXCITED TO RELEASE A NEW SEASON OF HAND-BLOWN GLASS VESSELS The new season includes a range of hand-blown cups and carafes in four fresh colours – red wine, apricot, orange and lemon yellow – and a collection of six beautiful vases.

The vases are available in lemon yellow, red wine, amber and speckled apricot and will be available online and in-store alongside the dynamic offering of glass objects straight from Monmouth Studio.

Monmouth is a traditional glassblowing studio. The furnace holds 120 kilos of glass and is kept molten at a temperature of 1110 degrees Celsius twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Every piece is gathered from the furnace then hand shaped and blown using timehonoured glassblowing techniques that date back hundreds of years.

Isaac Katzoff and Stephen Bradbourne, the artists who founded Monmouth Glass Studio, maintain their individual practices (of sculptural pieces and murine-style glass respectively) while also producing a range of handmade glass objects for everyday use.

“There’s something special about using handmade objects in daily life”, says Bradbourne. “Instead of saving things for ‘special

occasions’, we like to think you can have things that are good-looking and well-made, now.”

Despite the disruptions of the past year, Katzoff and Bradbourne have found time for experimentation in the hot shop: “blowing glass is part of who we are and we’re not sure what to do with ourselves when we’re not able to get into the studio,” Katzoff says.

“But, we’re grateful for all the support we have received from our customers over the last year, which has kept us motivated and allowed us to experiment with new shapes and colours.”

The new collection will be available in-store and at www.monmouthglassstudio.com from Friday 19 March 2021.

MONMOUTH GLASS STUDIO RETAIL STORE: 5 Great North Road, Grey Lynn.

CLAY WORKS POTTERS’ MARKET - COMING UP SOON… Clay Works, held annually by St Columba Church in Grey Lynn since 2015, has become an institution in Auckland, a ‘go to’ event in our arts calendar.

Word of mouth ensures that hundreds of people turn up over the two days, and there have even been stories of people timing their visits from the South Island and Australia to coincide with the Clay Works weekend. That will be a bit more complicated this year.

In 2020, the event was postponed twice and finally took place in October - but the crowds of buyers and browsers were no smaller, and the St Columba site was buzzing with people, inside and out.

Although pottery was the primary order of the day, the legendary Nell’s chutneys, jams and relishes, Kiwi Tucker mussel fritters, and barbecued sausages were hot sellers in the garden.

It’s the quality of pottery that draws so many people. Forty-plus potters, from Auckland and beyond, from emerging to established, display their work in the community centre. The space is full of tables groaning (in a nice way) with pottery, and the selection is diverse in size, form, clay, colour and price. There is something for everyone.

This year Clay Works is again scheduled for Mothers Day weekend, providing an ideal opportunity to find a wonderful gift for the mother

in your life - or yourself, or anyone, really. Added to the joy of being able to buy beautiful, handcrafted pieces is the satisfaction of knowing that the proceeds of this fundraiser enable St Columba to continue its work in the community, the most well-known of which is their Friday Community Lunch, now in its fourth year.

In these times of intermittent Covid lockdowns, this support is essential to an increasing number of individuals and families. So, fingers crossed that Clay Works can go ahead as planned - keep the days free: Friday 7 and Saturday 8 May, 10am - 4pm. Nau mai, haere mai - all welcome!  PN Contact: lizcaughey@xtra.co.nz PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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LOCAL NEWS

AN UPDATE FROM AT ON THE PONSONBY ROAD STREETS FOR PEOPLE PROJECT We are working with the community to trial safer ways to travel and to create a more vibrant Ponsonby Road between Anglesea Street and Williamson Avenue.

The changes will be temporary, installation will be quick, and adjustments can be made once the changes are in place.

From 5 March to 21 March feedback was open on nine concepts for the changes. We have had a great response with 2,769 votes on the concepts, from a combination of our Social Pinpoint webpage, on street interviews, and a survey of businesses.

With limited time and budget, we won’t be able install all these concepts, and decisions on which ones to trial will be based on a combination of public feedback, expert feedback, and time and budget considerations.

Wednesday 31 March Detailed designs are created and will be reviewed by subject matter experts.

April 2021 All feedback will be reviewed, stakeholder engagement will continue, funding decisions will be made.

Mid 2021 We are aiming for changes to be in place by mid-2021.

There was lively debate through the comments, with strong support for six of the nine concepts (see voting results below).

Mid 2021 We will hold an open day if possible, monitor the impact of the changes, and allow for adjustments to be made in response to public feedback.

Public feedback, total support for concept:

Find out more: AT.govt.nz/ponsonbyroad

Barnes Dance Crossing

89%

Improve pedestrian crossings on side streets

87%

Expressing the Ponsonby character

84%

De-clutter the footpath

81%

Safety improvements to mid-block crossings

77%

Dedicated delivery & taxi pick-up and drop-off areas 61% Shared lane

39%

Parklets 35%

Restrict right-turn crossings 31% Next steps: Thursday 25 March We hold a workshop with Richmond Road School which we will report back on next month.

34 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

What else is happening in the area?

Great North Road AT are proposing to make a section of Great North Road (between Crummer Road and Ponsonby Road) safer for all road users, especially people walking and on bikes, make bus journeys more reliable, and help reduce congestion along the route. Have your say before 7 May. Collingwood Street AT has been working closely with Collingwood Street residents and affected parties to address safety concerns due to the increased traffic. Based on public feedback, we have implemented several traffic calming measures to reduce traffic and speed. We’re continuing to monitor traffic on Collingwood Street to determine if further changes are needed.

Karangahape Road Karangahape Road (K Road) Enhancements is a joint project with Auckland Council that aims to preserve the road’s unique character while creating a street environment that supports the local community and meets the needs of a growing population.

Construction is progressing well, and completion is expected by midMay 2021.

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

JOHN ELLIOTT: A NEW ‘SUNRISE AUCKLAND BUSINESS PLANT BASED, ZERO WASTE - THE SUSTAINABLE FOOD CO I was looking forward to meeting sustainable chef, Amy Klitscher, to discuss her new business, but I was quickly blown away by her business concept, the values and environmental beliefs that informed her start-up, and the professionalism with which she is going about her new venture.

Amy’s company motto is “Plant-Based/ Zero-Waste”, and she has from day one stuck to her original plan, serving only plant based food, and often accompanying the food with kombucha. Amy uses Kokako coffee and loose leaf tea. Her goal was to make the food so delicious, no one missed meat.

Amy Klitscher has dispelled the idea that ‘plant-based’ is just about a few lettuce leaves. Her food is wholesome and satisfying, as well as hugely tasty.

Her food is vibrant, colourful and sustainable for clients and the planet.

The excellent Sustainable Co. website shows mouthwatering platters of food, from grazing tables, buffet meals to canapés and desserts.

An Aucklander born and bred, Amy went to school at St Kentigern College. She went off to Otago University after leaving school and studied environmental management as she always had that environmental bent.

Next she joined Sustainable Coastlines for several years, before heading to Tahiti. On her Pacific sojourne she cooked for families in return for free accommodation, and loved it. I suggested she was ‘coofing’ instead of ‘woofing’.

As a private chef (somewhat akin to A Private Dancer - Tina Turner’s famous song), Amy crafts a menu, buys the ingredients, cooks in the comfort of your own home, serves it up, and leaves your kitchen spotlessly clean. Perhaps Amy could write a song like Tina Turner, but about cooking for you, and sing it as she cleans up!

Amy is a very interesting young woman, fully focussed on her new business and with a keen sense of humour and a sparkling personality.

The business caters for private functions, anniversaries, retreats, corporate functions, and she is proud to have catered for the Labour Party’s election-night party, and also for Chlöe Swarbrick’s Auckland Central launch party. There are glowing references on the web page from satisfied clients.

The Sustainable Food Company is immensely proud to offer a 100 percent plant-based menu and to be the first catering company in New Zealand to contribute absolutely zero waste to landfill throughout their entire process from sourcing to service.

The company also prides itself on using locally sourced food, GMO free, palm oil-free - all with zero waste.

Covid-19 certainly impacted on Amy’s start, but she used her time well, doing a Certificate of Plant Food Nutrition from Cornell University. She had already completed a vegan chef certificate in Bali. Amy has promised Ponsonby News readers a couple of recipes - they sound stunning.

We at Ponsonby News wish The Sustainable Food Co and Amy Klitscher all the best as she works away at her ‘sunrise’ venture, which has quickly PN become a success. (JOHN ELLIOTT)  THE SUSTAINABLE FOOD CO, 37D Crummer Road, T: 09 218 3242, www.thesustainablefoodco.co.nz

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Call 021 062 9104 Email eddie@reidpropertyservices.co.nz Visit reidpropertyservices.co.nz PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

35

LOCAL NEWS

PONSONBY PARK - THE IDEAL ‘SHOVEL READY’ PROJECT The vision for Ponsonby Park, the new civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road, has consistently been informed by the values of democracy, inclusiveness and sustainability.

It has been developed BY the community and FOR the community through a community-led design (CLD) process.

A Brief history In 2000 a report by Boffa Miskell Ltd. confirmed the wider Ponsonby area was under-supplied with public amenity space and in 2006, the land at 254 Ponsonby Road was purchased to address this shortfall.

The Waitemata- Local Board’s (WLB) ‘Draft Ponsonby Road Masterplan’ in July 2013 and a subsequent petition in 2014 - requesting the whole site be retained for the civic space - resulted in the Ponsonby Park site being de-coupled from the masterplan and a site-specific consultation was held.

March 2016 saw the project devolved by the WLB to the community, via a CLD process with a brief to: ‘Develop a design concept with an indicative budget, for a whole site civic space using community-led design principles’. So the CLD group got down to work!

In May 2017 we formally presented the LandLAB Park+ design and budget to the WLB - an extraordinary accomplishment by a small, voluntary group of community people. And in December that year, Ponsonby Park was included in the Auckland Council, Long Term Plan.

(The LandLAB Park+ design won the international ‘World Architecture News – Future Civic category’ award and was shortlisted at the prestigious ‘World Architecture Festival’ in the “Future Civic’ category that year too).

In 2018 Auckland Council voted unanimously to retain and develop the whole site as the preferred option and in 2019 additional funding was allocated to Ponsonby Park.

36 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

February 2020 saw the WLB approve the business case for Ponsonby Park and this was progressed to Council for the balance of the budget. Then in March 2020, on the very day the funding was to be approved, Covid-19 forced Auckland Council to move to an emergency budget and no further spending was approved – including that for Ponsonby Park.

March 2021 saw the latest Auckland Council Long Term Plan 20212031 consultation concluded. Which brings us up to date.

We are optimistic that the Ponsonby Park project will now be reactivated. It has been 21 years since the need was identified and 15 years since the land was purchased.

Ponsonby is iconic, diverse and urban, and the Waitemata- is one of the fastest-growing areas in Auckland - its population is projected to grow by 35 percent from 17,489 to 23,561 people in the next 30 years. Both the wider and local communities have shown significant and sustained engagement for the Ponsonby Park project. And why wouldn’t they when it has so much to offer? It will be an urban oasis that will be good for the people, good for the environment and good for Auckland.

It is an ideal ‘shovel ready’ project that will provide not only a phenomenal (and self funding) community facility, but also a social heart for the local and wider community.

Ponsonby Park - what’s not to love? Bring it on. Now! (JENNIFER WARD)  PN www.254ponsonbyrd.org.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

JOHN ELLIOTT: MAINTAINING AMENITY VALUES DURING POPULATION INTENSIFICATION IN AUCKLAND This is the paper I presented to the Waitematā Local Board on Tuesday 16 March.

I have worried a lot recently about tree demolition in Auckland City. And I still do, despite a Local Board plan to achieve 30 perecent tree cover by 2050. However, trees are only one of the amenity values we should be considering.

While I have been considering and discussing population intensification in Auckland City in recent years with residents, developers, politicians and council officers, I have heard a lot about NIMBYism. I have always supported population intensification, and deplored urban sprawl, and I still do. However, after I read a report by former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, J. Morgan Williams, I have modified my views somewhat. His report, called ‘The Management of Suburban Amenity Values’, while supporting intensification, calls on Aucklanders to clarify their amenity values, and ask Council to protect and enhance the most important ones.

Morgan Williams is talking about an extensive list which might include vegetation, views, sunlight, heritage, architecture, noise levels, privacy, physical safety, and many more. He lists the threats to values, including changes to the streetscape, increased dominance of the built environment, loss of public and private open space, increased traffic generation, on-street car parking, loss of special character, and many more.

Morgan Williams advocated in his paper that local residents should get together and set down what amenity values they like best, those which they want retained and enhanced, and perhaps those which they would be prepared to sacrifice for excellent population intensification.

I think we have now reached the stage where this exercise should take place in local community hubs. It can be done in small bites, by a few streets getting together, or in larger groups like, say, West Lynn residents. Lists can be prepared and presented to Local Boards or Council. Council would accept that before amenity was lost, serious consultation would occur. Many NIMBY accusations might evaporate, when residents explain what values they care about and want to preserve.

Intensification will obviously affect amenity values, but good mitigation might be more possible with greater consultation. I’d like to see Waitemata- Local Board embrace the idea, and ask our local communities to engage with it. At the very least, I encourage all board members to read Morgan Williams paper.

My submission was well received. Local board member, Alex Bonham, who holds the planning portfolio told me she thought it timely.

The board had been attending workshops on the National Policy Statement on Urban Development in which the question of what made for a well-functioning urban form was central. There seemed to be a desire among board members to pass my report on to officials.

Subsequent to the board meeting I talked with Alex Bonham about her Auckland Fringe Festival play, An Extraordinary Meeting. This play, devised by Alex and the cast, is rooted in the Urban Growth Agenda, which is, in the Government’s words “an ambitious programme that aims to remove barriers to the supply of land and infrastructure and make room for cities to grow up and out.”

The play focuses on the National Policy Statement on Urban Development which demands a well-functioning urban form.

What this means is only partly defined, allowing councils to determine their own standards. In the play, the audience forms a council to discuss and decide what makes a city function well, not just for economic growth but for them as people, and that will serve for future generations too.

The theme of this play fits in perfectly with my paper about the preservation of residents’ favourite amenity values while Auckland’s population explodes.

The blurb promoting the play says the show “combines verbatim theatre and participatory theatre. It is inspired by the rituals and rules of real local councils that allow strangers to make impossibly hard decisions together.”

I look forward to attending the play, and I look forward too, to continuing to push Council to always consider residents attachment to certain amenity values near where they live.

An Extraordinary Meeting is at the Basement Theatre 30 March to 1 April and includes guest experts including Grant Hewitson of the Low Carbon Network, Tom Irvine of Ngati Whatua Orakei, Emma McInnes of Women in Urbanism, and Greer O’Donnell of The Urban PN Advisory. (JOHN ELLIOTT) 

PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

37

LOCAL NEWS

OLYMPIC AMBASSADOR SAM CHARLTON SHARES MEMORIES FROM CHILDHOOD This week, students from St Mary’s College in Ponsonby greeted Olympic Ambassador Sam Charlton with well-hugged teddy bears, orange-beaked puppets and wooden handled skipping ropes.

“This is my skipping rope I got when I was three. I love skipping,” says Lily, a Year 7 student. Sam’s face explodes in a wide grin as she shares her favourite memory from childhood.

“I was definitely a soft toy collector. They keep you company - you don’t want to leave them at home,” says Sam. But today isn’t only about sharing happy memories.

Sam and the students are stepping up to support Syrian children who have lived through a decade of war. Children who have lost their homes, their schools, their friends and been forced to leave their toys behind as the sounds of bullets echoed around them.

ReliefAid’s ‘BounceBack4Syria’ programme is delivering skipping ropes, hula hoops and soccer balls to children in Idlib so they can play and build resilience.

In Northwest Syria, ten-year-old Malak has been living in a small tent in a dusty displacement camp for several years. She quickly puts on a special dress and poses for the camera.

“I want to tell you that I love to play, but we have nothing here in the camp,” says Malak. Every day she makes up games with her friends using stones and rocks, longing for the toys she used to play with.

38 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

ReliefAid is the only New Zealand-founded organisation delivering aid in Syria – they’re experts at delivering life-saving supplies in conflict zones. Since December 2015, they have provided shelter and educational aid to over 210,000 people in crisis, including more than 142,000 at-risk children and 107,000 vulnerable girls and women, amongst other programmes.

For the first time ever, ReliefAid are now delivering toys to Syrian children with the support of generous New Zealanders, and Malak couldn’t wait to try out her bright green skipping rope.

“I liked this game very much and learned it quickly, it makes me jump in the air high,” says Malak.

Students from St Mary’s College are gathering donations to support the second delivery of toys and are urging Kiwis to help meet the $10,000 goal.

“If there are ways that you can help other children who aren’t as fortunate, then I think it’s important we do that. How can we spread that message around the world?” says Sam. To support Relief Aid and build children’s resilience for a better future visit: www.reliefaid.org.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

KEN RING: WEATHER BY THE MOON AUCKLAND WEATHER DIARY, APRIL 2021 April is drier than normal with average sunshine, warmer afternoons and cooler nights overall.

Only one or two days in each week are wet, heavy over a brief period, followed by 4-5 days of dry skies. Wet days are around 8th, 16th, and 23rd, so the 11th, 18th, and 24th are expected to clear. The first week, with winds averaging from the north, may see slightly higher temperatures. The second week sees southwest winds, and the rest of the month may be southeasterly. Atmospheric pressures may average 1017mbs.

For fishermen, the highest tides are around the 28th. The best fishing bite-times in the east are at dusk on 9th - 12th, and 25th - 27th. Chances are also good for midday of 2nd - 5th, and 17th - 20th.

For gardeners, it is best to prune between 6th - 11th (waning moon descending), and sowing is best between 20th - 26th (waxing moon ascending). For preserving and longer shelf-life, pick crops or flowers on neap tide days of 6th and 22nd.

Allow 24 hour error for all forecasting. (KEN RING)  PN www.predictweather.com

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PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

39

FASHION + STYLE

HELENE RAVLICH:

WEDDINGS IN A NEW WORLD

The past year was one which we could never have planned for - and the pandemic’s impact on the wedding and events industry has been monumental. Couples, along with event planners, designers, and vendors worldwide have faced countless challenges, but now is the time to reschedule, research and rejoice in the possibilities that 2021 and beyond brings.

Setting the Scene It has often been said that any truly memorable event starts with the space. Not only is it the first thing your guests will see when they arrive, but the atmosphere you also choose will be a direct reflection of what you like and love. It will also serve as the backdrop for many of your wedding photos, so you really want to choose a space that you’ll love to look at for years to come.

Season is also a significant consideration. If you’re looking for hot, sunny days and an outdoor location you really have to plan in advance, especially if you’re looking to secure an in-demand wedding venue on popular weekends. You can save a substantial amount by

40 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

having an off-peak or winter wedding, just make sure the venue you select has a great indoor vibe, or that you have a rainy day plan in place if not.

If you’re in the market for a special venue for your big day, there is a beautiful selection of local destinations on offer that can be dressed whatever your aesthetic. Auckland Museum bills itself as “the city’s most prestigious venue”, and you have to admit that it does make quite the impressive backdrop! With its striking neo-classical architecture and majestic columns, the Museum provides an elegant scene in which to set your wedding ceremony and reception, and superb photo opportunities are a given. You can hold your wedding PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Located in the heart of Mount Eden village inside a building once used by the Auckland telephone exchange, Mantell’s really is something special. And despite it making such an architectural statement, it is surprisingly easy to tailor to your personal style and it works at any time of year. The interior, with its high ceilings and chandeliers, is just one of its many charms – there’s also the beautiful outdoor courtyard, reminiscent of a villa in Tuscany with its hidden corners, carefully considered landscaping and fireplace.

Masquerade balls, weddings, private parties, conferences, art exhibitions, awards dinners, markets, bar mitzvahs, and fashion shows – it’s safe to say that at Ponsonby Central’s Sapphire Room, they’ve seen it all. With its high ceilings and air of industrial chic, it is a venue that can be dressed for any occasion, whether small and intimate, or stylish and grand. The perfect venue for an intimate urban wedding, the recycled wooden floors give The Sapphire Room the feel of a cool urban loft, and you can choose from one or two rooms depending on the size of your guest list. The main area is divided by giant barn-style sliding doors into two significantly sized rooms, with one featuring a huge kitchen bench that doubles as a bar complete with bar stools. There is also a hidden room which can serve as a cloakroom, hair and makeup room, as a place to tuck away any technical equipment, or as a quiet retreat away from the party.

FASHION + STYLE

within the splendour of the marbled grand foyer with its dramatic columns and spectacular stained-glass ceiling soaring three floors above. Or wow your guests in the Event Centre, with its stunning copper dome and breathtaking 360-degree views across the city.

Ponsonby favourite, Orphans Kitchen, is another great wedding venue which I hadn’t previously known was available as such until I started asking around. And I’ve heard only amazing things. A truly unique space – the restaurant is inside a narrow Victorian villa built in 1912 – it has white-washed walls, long rustic macrocarpa dining tables and a winding stairway to the second story, making it perfectly suited to those who are after an intimate city wedding with style. As well as truly inspired cuisine, they have three separate dining spaces to choose from: a private dining room, courtyard and main dining room.

The Fare It’s the simple things that mattered to us in 2020 after staying at home became the new norm for so many. All we wanted to do is go to a restaurant where we can order off a menu after struggling to choose between multiple entrees that all sound delicious. If nothing else, we just wanted cocktails mixed to perfection by someone other than ourselves!

Keep in mind that our support for the restaurant and hospitality industry is paramount now more than ever; so if you’re considering an event at a restaurant, book it now to support the establishment when it needs it most. If you’re working with a local restaurant or caterer, take that support a step further by ordering takeout if offered, or arranging a tasting at home for the whole wedding party. Maybe even host a welcome dinner or reception at a favourite restaurant of yours – they will appreciate the gesture and you’ll be able to pick from your faves.

PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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FASHION + STYLE

The Dress A minimal gown and mismatched bridal party are trends that aren’t going to go away in a hurry, and your choice of dress is another way to support local.

Whether you let your bridal party pick their own dresses, or prompt them on a specific colour or style that you love, the end result will be something elegant, and treasured for years to come.

Local designer Adrian Hailwood of the Hailwood label says that lately, “a lot of brides are looking to a more pared back silhouette as opposed to more traditional styles which maybe involve a lot of French lace or heavy Duchess silk satins. The old phrase ‘less is more’ definitely applies to the modern bride, who is stepping away from Cinderella white, and opting for shades like liquid black and silver.” Oscar-nominated actress and New York it-girl, Chloë Sevigny, is definitely on board when it comes to breaking from the norm, marrying last year in a black, long-sleeved, midi-length bodycon dress with matching tights and ankle boots. Hailwood’s satin gown is a perfect example of an elegant gown with a twist, and a definite favourite silhouette for many a bride.

And for the groom it doesn’t get much better than a visit to premium menswear store Working Style, who have produced custom suits for grooms for over 30 years. Their process is careful and considered, and you know you’ll have a suit to be loved for a lifetime.

Ingrid Starnes

42 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

Hailwood’s Satin Gown

Ingrid Starnes

Another local designer who creates truly unique and unabashedly chic bride and bridesmaid dresses is Ingrid Starnes, via her recently launched Ceremony collection. “We have been making special pieces for friends and family now for as far back as the label began, so it was a natural progression for us to venture into ceremony,” she says. “The Ceremony collection has evolved and taken inspiration from many of my favourite Ingrid Starnes pieces including the themes, icons and artworks that help to bring all of the collections together. Our new approach is to send samples out to be tried at home; we then make each piece to order. It means we can offer them at something closer to the ‘off-therack’ than custom pricing, but with the made to order touch.”

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FASHION + STYLE

A Modern Approach to Makeup A highly respected artist and educator for over twenty years, Amber Carroll is one of New Zealand’s top makeup artists and is renowned for her intuitive approach to helping clients feel beautiful in their own skin. A Ponsonby resident, her love affair with the art of makeup began in Australia in 1998, when she studied with renowned global makeup talent, Richard Sharah. Consistently inspired by the work of international artists and forever expanding upon her knowledge of the industry, over the years she has definitely developed a beauty language all her own.

Amber Carroll photography Maegan McDowell

With over 20 years of industry experience and having worked on hundreds of weddings and with women with very different skin tones and personal styles, Amber is well versed in finding the perfect makeup look - and hair, if required – for your wedding day. The end goal is to look like the best version of you. Talking to a professional will definitely help when it comes to deciding what approach you would like to take and what works with your dress and venue, too.

When asked what some makeup trends she has seen coming through for 2021 and beyond for a more modern wedding look she says: “I see a less contoured and stylised, and more softer makeup coming through for brides for 2021. Full fluffy brows that are not too painted on or large looking (try a brow lamination treatment for this effect), and more natural sets of lashes for really opening up the eyes. Eye liner with a beautifully contoured socket and a pretty soft pink lip is always a classic, totally timeless look that never dates.”

She says that it’s essential that brides “pick a look that suits them, have realistic expectations and remember the maintenance and upkeep needed after your makeup artist has left for the day. Heavier looks require more attention, especially if you’re out in the elements.

Pick something you can maintain, or a bridesmaid who is perhaps good with makeup and can check on the makeup do touch ups for you.” She adds that first and foremost, see a facialist in advance, start on some serious skincare and get your skin in truly great shape.

“This always is the best base for amazing makeup!”

The Ring

He says that the desire for custom made engagement and wedding rings is stronger than ever, “as the current generation of people getting engaged have grown up with the world at their fingertips, therefore tend to aim for originality and something they’ve had a part in creating. This is why more and more people are coming to shops like Polished Diamonds, where they can create a custom engagement ring and know it’s a design that won’t just be sold again, three hours later to someone else.”

When it comes to trends, antique and art deco looks are still very popular, with an old world feel but not the look of a local flea market find. “Recently we have been adding a specific finishing element called mill-graining,” explains Nick. “This is when little accent beads

Makeup by Amber Carroll photography Danelle Bohane

Nick Nielson is both the designer and owner of Polished Diamonds, which opened on Ponsonby Road four years ago. He is a great person to consult with when you’re ready to create your rings and he says that even with the tumultuous times over the past year, “I can’t say that styles, budgets, or specifically what people are looking for has changed. What I do believe is there are more Kiwis currently getting engaged, due to a lot of factors. A lot of 20-30-somethings traditionally would be going on a long trip or living abroad for a while, but haven’t done so and are considering other options like an earlier engagement. Also, I believe we have been through a very difficult time and are re-evaluating what is important to us, and what we want in our lives. Mix this with lockdowns and being with someone 24/7 for weeks on end, and you have a lot of people thinking ‘if we can get through this, we can get through anything’.”

similar to vintage jewellery can make a modern ring have a vintage feel without looking like it came out of your grandmothers drawer.”

He says that the biggest thing he tries to get across to new clients is that you don’t have to be a designer or jewellery expert to get a custom made ring. “You can come to me with any idea, concept, picture, drawing, and have a conversation about what you want,” he says.

“It’s then my job, as the expert, to create you a truly amazing ring.”

(HELENE RAVLICH)  PN

PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

43

FASHION + STYLE

Bella Freud, BF Striped T-Shirt Dress

hed Min i Ganni, C heck Ru c

Vanessa Bruno, Garisa Houndstooth Jacket

Bella Freud, Sunshine Cashmere Jumper

Bella Fr eu Hunky D d, or y Moh air

Jumper

Gann

i, Lin

en K

nit S

S Top

The Vampire’s Wife, The Villanelle Dress

Ganni, Country Boots

Dress

@ WORKSHOP

The Vampire’s Wife, Cat T-Shirt

Vanessa Bruno, Moon Raphia Shoulder Bag

Ganni, Recycled Rubber City Boots

WORKSHOP, Ponsonby, 74 Mackelvie Street, T: 09 361 3727, Newmarket, 18 Morrow Street, T: 09 524 6844, www.workshop.co.nz

稀攀戀爀愀渀漀

䐀攀攀愀渀渀攀 䠀漀戀戀猀

44 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

䴀攀最愀渀 匀愀氀洀漀渀

匀椀爀攀渀 䴀愀愀椀欀攀

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

The Perfect Ring

P

olished Diamonds – Jewellery Design, provides a unique experience allowing you to design the ring of your dreams.

Advanced technology ensures accuracy using architectural software so you can view the actual ring in perfect proportion, allowing for design adjustments. Clients can have any ring style and matched to any budget with the diamond or gemstone being the deciding factor. Virtual CAD modelling, MRI laser scan, 3D printing with traditional hand craftsmanship ensures the highest quality at an excellent price.

QUALITY ASSURED • Workshop Direct Value • Free Design Consultations • NZ Gold and Locally made • Digital CAD – future proof • Repairs, Valuations and Service • Free jewellery cleaning • Lifetime Guarantee

Auckland Showroom 269 Ponsonby Road Christchurch Showroom 30 New Regent Street

Freecall 0800 233 299

Online Showroom www.polisheddiamonds.co.nz

TRAVEL BREAKS

ROSS THORBY: WE MAY BE SKIRTING THE EDGES OF COVID ANNIHILATION, BUT THAT HASN’T STOPPED US TRAVELLING Relaxing with ever-changing scenery and accompanied by an agreeable companion and a chilli bin - what more could you ask for?

This day of departure we stand before a long steel behemoth - its modern streamlined contours detracting from its lack of private balconies.

Even though it’s early morning, the ‘berth’ is busy with the hustle and bustle of passengers; provisioners loading food and beverages for the coming journey and porters stacking luggage into the cavernous ‘hold’.

There, amongst the melee of passengers, I detect an air of palpable excitement.

Here we are, boarding at the beginning of a new journey. Some are along for the scenic wonders, others as a necessity of getting from one place to another.

In any other year at this time, I would normally be surrounded by stacks of luggage about to board a ship bound for some exotic locale, but today extra bags are unnecessary. Although we are about to board a ship of a type; it is the Northern Express train - Auckland to Wellington - I have only an overnight bag. I note that my travelling companion is holding only a chilly bin.

Ahead, instead of looking forward to days relaxing around a pool mesmerised by the calm of the Pacific passing by, I will be entertained by the sheer landbased beauty of New Zealand in all its glory.

Twelve hours of rail travel across the spine of New Zealand; the ravines, rivers, forests and deltas of the North Island; its history and grandeur within a stones-throw of the steel tracks laid in the 19th century when NZ was a very different place.

We are shown to seats rather than cabins, large picture windows, shiny modern interiors accented in wood, and featuring soft reclining seats. There’s ample room for carry-on luggage and that mysterious chilly bin. The aisles and ‘companionways’ too, have plenty of room to move about with ease. The bar, the restaurant, the observation car, are all waiting to be explored.

disembarked there for a few days before, reboard, continuing the journey south.

Lunch from the restaurant arrives for those unlucky enough not to be seated next to a gourmet foodie who is intent on ruining my post-Covid diet.

Our lunch of panini and salad is accompanied by a fine New Zealand wine from the bar, and (extracted from the depths of the chilly bin) an extravagant pavlova, fully dressed in whipped cream and berry fruits.

The Raurimu Spiral - a technological marvel of its day, heaves into sight. With the announcement of an afternoon negotiating Victorian viaducts arching high above raging rivers and gaping chasms, we rush, wine glasses in hand, to the open space of the observation car. We spiral ahead; the train’s tail reaching back into the distance as we wind our way up and back on ourselves, rising up gradually onto the Central Plateau only to descend slowly on the other side, with the slopes of Ngauruhoe towering above the landscape and overlooking our train snaking beneath.

Returning to my seat with the intention of a post banquet doze, I am unceremoniously nudged from my slumber with a cheeseboard - grapes, brie and a fine French gruyere, the scent masked by the New Zealand blue; its heady tang now filling the carriage.

A finishing course of prosciutto and preserved fruit accompanied by another glass of fine New Zealand red is consumed as we pass along the captivating rugged Kapiti Coast. Then, as Wellington rises up against the evening calm, the orange glow of the sunset lights up the distant hills of the South Island which have never looked so good.

Give me the calm majesty of train travel over domestic flights any day. Cheers.

PN (ROSS THORBY)  roscoesseafever.blogspot.com

Bruce, our ‘concierge du jour’ - like any great cruise director - will prove his versatility and acumen, doubling as entertainer, ticket master, conductor, station master, historian and general smoother of paths, and a knowledgeable repository of all things trivia.

Precisely at the appointed time, we begin moving alongside the Waitemata, the calm basin of Orakei and back-yards of Panmure, Onehunga and Takanini sliding effortlessly past the window; scenery ever-changing until the wide-open spaces of Pukekohe and the Waikato appear. It’s about here that the contents of the chilly bin begin to spill out across the aisle.

The tempting smell of fresh baking (home-made scones and Christmas cake) accompanied by barista-made coffee from the café, brought to sudden life the otherwise inert occupants of our carriage and they begin moving towards the restaurant car.

A quick stop at Hamilton precedes the Oakune station which seems to be from another era. The not too distant Chateau, a draw for some passengers who had

46 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY Photography Greta Kenyon

BESPOKE WEDDINGS AT SID AT THE FRENCH C AFE

210 SYMONDS STREET T: 09 377 1911 www.sidatthefrenchcafe.co.nz sidatthefrenchcafe

PROGRESSIVE INDIAN DINING SIDART, Level 1, Three Lamps Plaza, 283 Ponsonby Road T: 360 2122 www.sidart.co.nz

- Gusto Italiano GUSTO MEANING ‘TASTE AND ENJOYMENT’

Photography Greta Kenyon

When you dine with us, the focus is on freshly prepared classic dishes, featuring an excellent range of pasta, seafood, meats and our pizza classics.

We also offer our pasta dishes to takeaway, phone for details or check our website for the menu.

263 PONSONBY RD, THREE LAMPS, 09 361 1556 www.gustoitaliano.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

47

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

FACES AT GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET Terry Phillips is the driving force behind Real Dog Food at the market.

How did you get involved in making dog food?

I had a very sick dog. I was spending lots of time and dollars at the vet, and trying everything that I could. Then someone suggested that I try this food. Two weeks later, my dog was much better and lived a long and healthy life. I believe that all dogs deserve a healthy life.

So markets work well for you?

We love the market because a lot of customers bring their dogs with them - they can try it there or take samples. Owners know immediately whether or not their dogs will eat it. We love talking about dogs and the specific challenges they are facing.

So dog health is important to you.

I love dogs, and dogs are getting a raft of health problems at an alarming rate. I’m sure that the preservatives and other fillers that go into largescale commercial products aren’t good for dogs, just as they aren’t good for us. Preservatives kill a lot of the beneficial microbes in the gut that are needed to properly digest food.

What has pleased you the most?

We are blown away by the feedback that we get from owners about how our food has helped their dogs. Dogs are an important part of their families and owners are increasingly aware that dogs need better food choices.

And this mirrors your own health journey?

Yes - I was very sick myself. I needed a break, so we booked a bach and found out that we had booked in the middle of a healing retreat. I received a lot of advice and support to dramatically improve my own diet. Now our whole family has become vegan and we feel much better for it.

How is your dog food different?

It is locally made in West Auckland using locally-sourced, human-grade ingredients. We sell direct to customers so they get very fresh dog food and we don’t need to add preservatives. This food was developed for the genuine love of dogs. A lot of thought has gone into our recipes to make sure that we provide a complete and balanced food for dogs.

That sounds expensive.

Not at all. We think that all dogs deserve good food, just as people do.

Part of that is making the food affordable. Selling direct to customers at markets and online cuts out a lot of cost. I was shocked when I investigated the costs of selling through vets and supermarkets.

Has anything surprised you about customers?

I have been delighted at how important it is to customers that we are a local business. People are conscious that New Zealand has excellent quality food and lately everyone is making an extra effort to support New Zealand businesses.

Do you have an important dog in your life?

Yes - Jem Jem is a big dog and a big part of our family, along with my wife and four young children. We are all involved in the business. We really are a small Kiwi family business.

Do you have any time for hobbies?

Not really. I love fishing and watching sport but, at the moment most of my time is taken up by work and family. I’m an early riser so I focus on work before collecting my kids from school. My afternoons are focused on homework and our kids’ activities. I love spending time with my family. And of course, Jem Jem and I walk daily.  PN www.realdogfood.co.nz

GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET @ the Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Road, www.glfm.co.nz

Sunday mornings at the Grey Lynn Community Centre 510 Richmond Road 48 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

YOUR LOCAL – DIDA’S WINE LOUNGE Dida’s Wine Lounge encourages leisurely engagements with the comprehensive wine list and the ever-changing, always innovative food menu.

The small plates, called in Croatian ‘Mali’, pair perfectly with the multiple by-the-glass options of local and imported and hard to find wines. The superb skills of our talented culinary team are exceptional.

Open Tuesday-Saturday 4pm - 10pm and Sunday 3pm - 9pm.

Lounge is the perfect spot to lose a few hours while broadening your hedonistic horizons.

Built on the site where grandfather Josef Jakicevich started his grocery store 70 years ago, the lounge is the operative word here reflecting, as it does, both the relaxed vibe and the welcoming European hospitality style.

Alongside these vinous delights, Dida’s has an excellent collection of cocktails on offer around the clock - all crafted with the finest ingredients by the talented team. Whilst the ‘standard’ collection are anything but the norm, it’s the weekly cocktail specials that’ll no doubt leave you breathless - not to mention that the cocktails are all just $12.

For an after-work stopover, a conversational lunch, or a ‘because it’s what we do on Thursdays’ drink with friends, Dida’s Wine

Throughout April, there’s live music every Sunday at Dida’s. Cocktails and Jazz - that’s Sunday sorted.

DIDA’S, 54 Jervois Road, T: 09 376 2813, www.didaswinelounge.co.nz

$12 Cocktails E V

E R Y

D A Y

60 JE RVOIS R D | 376 2813 | DIDAS .CO. NZ PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

49

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

PHIL PARKER: EMPTY NESTER PART 2 If you read my last column, you would be aware that my dear stepdaughter has moved to Wellington to start her first year of studies at Victoria University.

And with her absence, the home has taken on a whole new (quiet) ambience. Maybe it was the right time. She was getting a wee bit tetchy. She had itchy feathers and was ready to fly as soon as year 13 finished. We did have one last summer together as a family, but we didn’t see much of her, other than regular huge piles of washing dumped in the laundry, random articles of clothing left abandoned throughout the house, and a bedroom that looked like a crime scene.

She would emerge mid-morning, grumpy and hungry and then disappear for the day – returning just in time for dinner. And then ... not that we were worried or awake or anything ...she would go out and then sneak in at about 4.00am. Anyway, there is wine for parental consolation in times of need.

price of Bogle (my fave Calif chardonnay), but more subtle at 13% alcohol. Good match for creamy seafood dishes or chicken.

Available: Point Chev Organic Wines.

19 Crimes ‘Hard Chard’ Chardonnay South Eastern Australia 2020 - $15 From the third largest Australian producer, Treasury Estates (who also own New Zealand’s Matua). A great value entry level priced chardonnay for fans of the big, bold and buttery. Generous palate of canned peach, mango, butterscotch and toffee. The label celebrates female English convicts who were exiled to Australia rather than face execution. Each screwcap details one of the pitifully trivial reasons for conviction. Erm. Cheers.

Available: Countdown.

De Martino Estate Carmenere (Chile) 2018 - $20 Formerly a French Bordeaux variety, carmenere (AKA carménère), has found a new home and loyal following in South America. Chile now grows more of it than anyone else in the world. This wine presents as a youngster with ripe blackberry, boysenberry, cigar smoke and spice.

Very smooth and ripe with soft tannins. Tonight’s match - BBQ steak and snarlers. Alternatively, ratatouille or tomato-based pasta dishes.

Available: Meldrum Philips, Advintage, Blackmarket

Land of Saints Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2018 - $45 Another ripper USA chardonnay for fans of oak and butter. Sealed with a plastic look-a-like cork that was nigh on impossible to extract from the bottle. Grrr. Otherwise, a creamy and medium bodied style with peach, honey, vanillin oak and a dry finish. Not quite as lusty and at twice the

De La Terre Hawke’s Bay Reserve Chardonnay 2016 - $40 Former Church Road winemaker Tony Prichard makes limited quantities from hand-picked fruit. 100% barrel fermented with a mixture of wild and commercial yeasts in 50% new French oak. Soft and creamy palate, like a scaled back version of the Land of Saints (above). A hint of tropical pineapple, with ripe stone fruit and a dry tangy finish. Great with crayfish.

Available: Prego and delaterre.co.nz

La Marca Prosecco Veneto - $22 Made in Veneto, North-Eastern Italy, using the stainless-steel secondary ferment ‘prosecco’ process from the native Glera grape variety. At 11% alcohol, it’s not a lightweight quaffer at all. Fine beaded frothy mousse, with flavours of apple cider and grapefruit and a dry yeasty finish. This is a great aperitif. Available: Fitzroy Lounge Bar, Herne Bay Cellars, Point Chev Organic Wines.

(PHIL PARKER)  PN www.finewinetours.co.nz

FINE WINE & FOOD TOURS “No. 2 Auckland Wine Tour” – TripAdvisor Your host, Phil Parker wine writer.

Affordable tours for small and large groups.

E: phil.parker@xtra.co.nz

50 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

www.finewinetours.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

THE BROOKFIELDS WINE RANGE @ GLENGARRY All too often we find ourselves talking about the newest wines we have tasted and looking forward to exploring new producers.

It is far too easy to overlook the tried and true, particularly when they are so understated. I have been selling Brookfields wines for almost three decades and throughout that time there have always been wines I have been supremely confident in recommending. Knowing that everyone who tries them will come back for another bottle, they are nothing if not consistent.

Tasting through the recent releases with Peter, a few notes stood out. Marshall Bank Chardonnay is wild fermented with 50 percent of the wine going into oak. The wine now only goes through a partial malolactic fermentation - the acidity and freshness enjoyable.

Brookfields Viognier is a wine to hunt out; Peter has been making this for many years. The style has changed and it is back to being a barrique fermented viognier, with only one of those barrels being new.

I recently visited with Peter Robertson at Brookfields and must say I find myself rewriting the story a little. The quality of the wines and understated value have not diminished at all. In fact, the quality has never been as grand, and the styles of the wines are evolving as this tiny winery in Hawke’s Bay continues innovate.

Bergman Chardonnay 2018 and 2019 were both wild fermented; the palate is broader and the texture impressive. Talking to Peter about this, he explained the ferment is not getting as hot which is allowing the freshness of the fruit to be retained. The 2019 Bergman is delicious.

Biochemistry graduate Peter arrived in Hawke’s Bay from Otago in the early 1970s, where he proceeded to work at the McWilliams winery with the legendary Tom McDonald. In 1977 Peter purchased the Brookfields Winery and redirected its focus towards producing fine table wines. Within a decade he had firmly established Brookfields as one of Hawke’s Bay’s premier wineries.

Robertson Pinot Gris 2020 is drier than it has been before. It’s a wine focused on food and is a delicious, fruit forward, leaner style of pinot gris.

Rose 2020 is a dry style and there is a great perfume to this wine which is made from free run syrah, with the roundness coming from a sweet reserve from partially fermented pinot gris being added to the wine.

As Peter puts it: “Our philosophy is to produce fruit-driven, balanced wines that are enjoyable in their youth, have the potential to mature, and are above all, good with food. We are currently planting new varietal clones with the aim of improving the quality of the yields because I believe that great wines are made from superior fruit.”

Ohiti Cabernet is one of the few straight cabernet’s made in New Zealand. My notes from tasting this read – ‘this is impressive plus!’

Peter has changed the clone of his cabernet from the earlier days to the Langhorne Creek Clone LC10. It ripens a week earlier than the old mass selection, which avoids the rain pressure that usually occurs a week after harvest.

I can certainly vouch for the aging ability of these wines. During the festive season we had the opportunity to open several older bottles and magnums of both the Hillside Syrah and Gold Label Merlot Cabernet; all excellent and all showing younger than expected, these wines do age beautifully.

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WWW.GLENGARRY.CO.NZ | P: 0800 733 505 | E: SALES@GLENGARRY.CO.NZ

PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS: VEGAN VIBE Forest @ Kelmarna Gardens ‘Farm Dinners’ Series.

Kelmarna Gardens is a city farm in Herne Bay, in a world where we are increasingly looking towards sustainability. Started in 1981 they’ve always been ahead of their time.

There is a growing movement towards local, organic and community initiatives in food production and in Herne Bay, Kelmarna Gardens is leading the way. A few years ago they launched a new initiative, teaming up with local restaurants with a series of “Farm Dinners” over the summer months where guests are welcomed amongst the rows of flowers and crops and a gorgeous set up which perfectly complements the food to come.

I joined them in late February for their evening collaboration with Forest - the Symonds St vegan and vegetarian restaurant which aims to source in the most sustainable way possible - through foraging. Because of this, there is an ever changing menu to suit the season’s best produce on offer and there is always something new to try. Founder, Plabita Florence, has put her own unique twist on plantbased dining, making Forest like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. We began with a pepino sorbet alongside pickled cucumber, smoked tomato salt, nasturtium oil, lovage and garlic chives.

Forest is well known for presenting dishes which on paper may sound wacky, but trust me when I say that savoury sorbet works - it was beautifully delicate and the flavours matched each other perfectly.

The next dish was beans, fennel, turnip and shiitake cream, mandarin mayo, herbs and garlic - something perhaps more conventional and with flavours a little more familiar.

Next up was banana and walnut mole, yoghurt (coconut for vegans), greens, and with a generous chunk of oregano bread to mop it all up - finger food but not as you may know it.

Sitting at communal tables, myself and my fellow diners were all intrigued by the next course - marrow custard, tomatillo caramel, Marmite, potato skin sherbet. Yes - you read that right...Marmite.

It was definitely unusual, but worked with the flavour juxtapositions together creating a party in the mouth!

The final course was a very pretty presentation of shiso jelly, rhubarb, pear and chocolate, and was the perfect balance of sweet and textured flavours to finish on.

To accompany the food, Forest created drinks made too with foraged ingredients. Both naughty and not so naughty were on offer; think fig leaf soda, mandarin, marigold and gin; or plum pit, burnt honey and vodka.

It had been a strange week in Auckland. The dinner had been rescheduled due to a lockdown, and happened fortuitously between that and a second lockdown only a few days later. Lucky us to have this in between. Myself and my fellow diners all left as the sun was setting, with a feeling of optimism.

There is a real sense of community about visiting your local garden and being fed kai which complements both the work of the chef and the farmers - it’s truly an experience like no other.

As we head into the colder months, these “Farm Dinners” will not be held, but instead Forest’s restaurant on Symonds Street is available for bookings - perfect for date nights if you’re wanting something intimate and special I think.

The “Farm Dinners” will be back in summer but sell out fast so keep an eye out with Kelmarna, and in the meantime get involved with some of their great workshop initiatives on offer - mushroom and banana growing workshops, “the fundamentals of fermenting” and “ways with weeds” - to name just a few.

(SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS)  PN

KELMARNA GARDENS, 12 Hukanui Crescent, T: 09 376 0472, www.kelmarnagardens.nz www.whatisforest.com

52 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

EIGHT SIMPLE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC SWAPS For most of us, going completely plastic-free feels overwhelming and impossible. If you’re looking for a place to start, here are some easy swaps for common single-use plastic items.

(You’ll barely miss them.)

Plastic produce bags – Once it’s your default setting to keep reusable produce bags with the reusable shopping bags, you can cut the plastic ones out of your life. Search ‘reusable produce bags’, or pick some up from our flagship store.

run out while you’re on the run, many cafes are happy to refill it for you.

Single use coffee pods – Nespresso admits that 71 percent of its billions of pods end up in landfill. Consider other ways to caffeinate that produce far less waste. Some local roasters, like Kokako, sell excellent organic, fairtrade coffee in home compostable bags.

Takeaway coffee cups – One takeaway coffee every workday adds up to around 260 single-use coffee cups (and lids) headed for landfill each year. And with so many beautifully designed reusable cups, you can enjoy your treat even more. Some cafes will incentivise BYOing your coffee cup with a discount.

Tea pyramids – What pods are to coffee, ‘silk’ pyramids (usually plastic) are to our other favourite cuppa. Most traditional paper teabags also use a thermoplastic in the heat sealing process. Consider using loose leaf tea, and make a ritual out of your morning cup.

Non-refillable plastic bottles – Ecostore is constantly working on solutions to single-use plastics: like the new aluminium refill bottle that can be topped up at one of 80+ refill stations. Or for your hair, switch to plastic free, solid haircare bars.

Takeaway utensils – It’s usually easier to refuse the cutlery than the takeaway container itself, although it does take some organising. Pop a set in your bag from your cutlery drawer, or buy a special set in its own container.

Dryer sheets – These are disposable, synthetic, and full of nasty chemicals. Instead, choose a laundry detergent and fabric softener combo with a fragrance derived from essential oils, and dry clothes outdoors – they’ll smell like fresh air and sunshine!

Bottled water – Hundreds of billions of single use plastic water bottles end up in landfill each year. Gulp. All you need for this (money saving) swap is an aluminium or glass bottle, and tap water. If you

To start your plastic free journey, visit our flagship store for reusable drink bottles, cups, cutlery and produce bags, plus refills of your favourite ecostore products.

ECOSTORE, 1 Scotland Street, Freemans Bay, T: 09 360 8477, www.ecostore.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

53

Parisian woman with her cat in her cannabis garden, 1910

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

BEST FOR WOMEN? MENSTRUAL PAIN AND CANNABIS? We are all yin and yang, a mix of masculine and feminine. We are also full of local hormones called cannabinoids. These balance ‘who’ and ‘how’ we are.

These vital molecules maintain our chi, our balance, our life force, our ‘well being’. They do this by providing cellular feedback, and regulating neurotransmission.

This allows our cells to self-correct and self-regulate things like pain, reproduction, skin health, weight, emotion, stress, anxiety, cramps/spasms, and much more. This fact, and thousands of years of evidence from many cultures (ancient and modern/scientific) suggests that cannabis is more a mild kind of ‘universal medicine’, than a tool of Satan.

It also suggests that this vegetable should be more widely available than it is. The fact that even whole hemp is prohibited to the public, (despite over 69 percent of Kiwis wanting THC cannabis to be decriminalised) strikes to the heart of the ‘cannabis paradox’. “Why is hemp hard, when half the country wants cannabis?”

It’s brazen. The biggest lies are the lies of omission though, where they just avoid talk of nutrition or cannabinoid deficiency, or the human cannabinoid system and talk instead about ‘safety’ and ‘equity’ while creating inequitable and ineffective systems.

China has long been a learned culture, and the Emperor Shen Nung (father of Chinese medicine) cited cannabis for use in menstrual pain, rheumatism, gout, and more, in 2750 BC. China still grows more than half the world’s supply of hemp today, and is planting more all the time. Traditional Chinese medicine, unlike its Western counterpart, draws from the wisdom of food herbs.

Queen Victoria herself used cannabis for her menstrual pain, and throughout the British Empire it was a common and popular herb until its unethical prohibition.

In New Zealand it was freely available and affordable to all at chemists.

From 1895 it was even exempt from customs duty, and, funnily enough, New Zealand’s first Catholic Saint is likely to be a trained nurse (Mother Suzanne Aubert) who used “cannabis as a tea for the nun’s menstrual cramps at her mission in Jerusalem on the Whanganui River.”

It’s obviously corrupt in the USA, where it’s a Schedule 1 drug (‘of no medical value and a high risk of abuse’), even though it’s medically legal to over two hundred million Americans, in 34 States, due largely to citizen action and protest.

But here in New Zealand people are slow to demand that politicians serve the public. Women should be able to grow plants for monthly teas and edibles. Patients should be able to grow their own too. Why can’t we?

Twice as many people voted for legal cannabis as voted for the National Party. What right do Jacinda Ardern and Andrew Little have to say ‘reform is off the table’? It’s not kind. It’s not decent. It’s not honest.

Even the Jesuits agree that cannabis is a case of “medical necessity verus political agenda’. But the ‘Public Service’ agenda seems to be this instead; prohibit access to consumers, unless through gatekeepers who can monetise it and control it.

Thanks to massive misinformation, cannabis in New Zealand is still at the fringes of healthcare; instead of in a home garden, as a good home remedy should be.

Now, ...why might that be? And what will you do about it today?

Why not Grow Your Own? (TADHG STOPFORD)  PN theHempFoundation.org.nz

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54 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

THC Free, Holy Hemp Oil... For all children of God!

www.tigerdrops.com / @tigerdrops PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

ACCENT YOUR SMILE Fatima initially came to see us because she didn’t like the shape and dark colours in her smile.

On close examination we found that she had relatively crowded teeth that were darkened with a large amount of aging fillings showing when she smiled.

This month we’re also delighted to welcome into the practice our new oral therapist hygienist Karen Hobbs.

Karen is extremely experienced, loves working with children and is getting wonderful feedback from our patients, including the following from Kim H.

“I had my 1st treatment with Karen Hobbs today, and I have to say she is the best hygienist I’ve ever been to.

She’s a total professional, who made me feel at ease instantly, and it was pain free which is a total 1st for me and hygienists!”- Kim H

After discussing her options together, we elected to first whiten the teeth, which worked really well. Then, to even out the crowding and discolouration, we prepared her teeth for veneers, which allowed us to rebuild them to a more pleasing colour and shape. ”What I particularly loved about doing this case for Fatima is the beautiful but natural colour that she selected, as things look stunning but have a really natural subtle look,” says Dr Matt Sumner.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING

JOHN APPLETON: D-RIBOSE – IS IT THE SUGAR OF LIFE? For many people this may be the first time they have heard of D-Ribose.

I have however been using it daily for many years primarily to limit the possibility of a cellular energy crisis during exercise and to assist with recovery afterwards.

and it really is hard to believe that D-Ribose hasn’t been headline news. When there is a totally safe option that shows remarkable benefits we need to know about it.

So what is D-Ribose (chemical name – alpha-D-ribofuranose)? It’s a simple five carbon sugar (glucose is a six carbon sugar) that is found in every cell in the human body. D-Ribose is a vital nutrient with a very significant role to play. Unlike sugars such as glucose which are metabolised to contribute to energy turnover, D-Ribose is not ‘burned’ for energy but is conserved by the cell for rebuilding the energy pool.

In 1973 German researchers reported that energy starved hearts could recover their energy levels if D-Ribose was given prior to or immediately following ischemia (reduced blood flow causing oxygen deprivation). In 1992 a study published in the Lancet showed that administration of D-Ribose to patients with severe stable coronary artery disease increased exercise tolerance and delayed the onset of angina. In 2003 University of Bonn Germany published the results of a heart failure study which showed that administration of D-Ribose improved the performance of the heart, increased exercise tolerance and significantly improved quality of life.

It’s the only compound used by the body to manage cellular energy restoration.

When we consume D-Ribose, the body recognizes that it is different from other sugars and preserves it for the vital work of actually making the energy molecule ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) that powers our hearts, muscles, brains, and every other tissue in the body. ATP is the energy ‘currency’ of the cell and D-Ribose provides the key building block for ATP. Without sufficient D-Ribose the cell cannot make ATP. D-Ribose is naturally present in foods but only in very small amounts.

Red meat is at the top of the list but the amount is insignificant. Dr Stephen Sinatra in his book ‘Metabolic Cardiology’ says “The dietary intake of D-Ribose is insufficient to provide any nutritional support, especially to those people suffering heart disease, neuromuscular disease and those hoping to recover quickly after exercise.”

Although the first research on D-Ribose in humans goes back to 1958, D-Ribose was first developed as a dietary supplement in 1997 by Bioenergy Inc in the U.S. and since then many studies have investigated this amazing, yet simple ‘sugar’. Much of the research has focused on the use of D-Ribose in association with heart disease and its use pre and post exercise. Results have indeed been exciting

As to who should consider supplementing with D-Ribose, it would be on my list for any condition where my cells might be energy starved e.g. heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and any form of exercise. D-Ribose comes as a powder which dissolves instantly in water and it makes a very pleasant drink.

Research shows that D-Ribose is very rapidly absorbed and approx 97% ‘gets through’. I take five grams daily (as a ‘sports’ drink). Even at high doses it’s a very safe supplement, but because it can lower blood glucose levels, diabetics should talk with their doctor first.

Cardiologists Drs Stephen Sinatra and James Roberts sum it up by saying – “we can’t overstate the effect of D-Ribose supplementation on maintaining energy levels. Any tissue that relies heavily on aerobic energy metabolism, such as the heart and muscles, will be severely affected by any amount of oxygen deprivation. The problem is ATP drain. The solution is to give it back.”

Is D-Ribose the Sugar of Life? As I see it, D-Ribose more than qualifies for this title. (JOHN APPLETON)  PN www.johnappleton.co.nz john@johnppleton.co.nz T: 09 489 9362

LET PONSONBY NEWS READERS KNOW ABOUT YOUR BRAND… ADVERTISING RATES START AT $235+GST Email info@ponsonbynews.co.nz www.ponsonbynews.co.nz

56 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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Lynda Batcheler Astrid Budden Eva Hochstein Katherine McKenzie Kirstie Peake Jason Waugh

FUTURE GENERATION

STANDOUT ACG PARNELL COLLEGE STUDENT NAMED TOP IN NEW ZEALAND When it comes to exceptional students, ACG Parnell College’s Rangimarie (Mari) Puttick is a force to be reckoned with.

The dedicated 16-year-old has not only topped her year level for the past three years, but in the 2020 Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards she was also named the top IGCSE student in the country. Plus, she received top in New Zealand honours for IGCSE English, Spanish and English literature.

Mari is certainly making her mark as a phenomenal academic talent, but despite her outstanding success, the teen remains remarkably humble and grounded.

“I was very surprised about my results, especially after 2020 was such a challenging year for everyone,” says Mari.

“I hoped that I had done well, but I had no idea that I had achieved so highly. I was particularly pleased and surprised with my English result because all year our teachers had warned us that it was a demanding and intricate set of skills that would be examined.

“I found the English course particularly interesting because it really demonstrates the incredible power of words and all they are capable of.”

Although Mari studied consistently throughout the year, she says she didn’t find the workload overwhelming or all-consuming, thanks to the formidable study skills she has developed at ACG Parnell College.

“I focused on studying effectively rather than for long periods of time. I think that this helped me keep a really good life-work balance, and when I look back on last year the studying aspects are well balanced with the socialising, card playing, reading, music and sport that I did.”

While excellent academic results are a priority, Mari sets great store on pursuits outside of the classroom. She’s been a member of the school’s netball A team for the past four years, used to swim competitively, has been in the school production and the debating team, competed in Mathex twice and co-founded the Christian Union. She also has a diploma in piano and is currently working towards her Grade 8 organ qualification.

A student at ACG Parnell College since Year 8, Mari believes the support and opportunities the school has provided have empowered her success.

“The wonderful thing about ACG is that as well as having amazing teachers who encourage you to challenge your limits, as a student I always feel that if I have any questions or worries, there’s always someone to go to. I love studying at ACG because of the wonderful academic opportunities offered, and the support given to all students.” parnellcollege.acgedu.com

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TOP IGCSE STUDENT IN NZ

1

TOP IN WORLD

12 TOP IN NZ

Early Learning | Primary | College

Open Day Saturday 8 May 9.30am – 1.30pm parnellcollege.acgedu.com PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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FUTURE GENERATION

MEET THE TEACHER Kerri McKay is the principal at Bayfield Primary School, and a co-lead of Te Kāhui Ako o Waitematā (Community of Learning).

What made you want to take on the co-lead role for the Kahui Ako? I believe in the strength of collaboration, using the skills and - Ako. I feel this is the resources of the 12 schools within our Kahui best way to ensure a consistency of teaching practice so that all the children in the inner city are given every opportunity to succeed.

We have some very successful and high performing schools in - and it is fantastic to work with a group of engaged and our Kahui passionate principals.

How does this fit with your role as Principal of Bayfield Primary School?

university, I found I was born to be a teacher and have never looked back.

It deepens our school’s relationship with other schools in our area. It is also an excellent opportunity to support the success of the Kahui Ako by offering the leadership skills, systems and processes around change leadership and planning of a principal.

Have you got a favourite local spot?

I am very fortunate to have JUK right across the road. I also really like Bread & Butter in West Lynn, and I often frequent Dear Jervois. There are so many choices around here.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

Where did you grow up?

I feel very lucky to be leading Bayfield School and I love the challenges and problem solving that comes with being a principal, growing leadership and capability in teachers and watching our children learn and grow. My daily walks around the school to see the children are always a highlight of my day. I really enjoy them sharing their learning with me and I relish the time that I get to spend with them in the learning spaces.

How did you get into teaching?

Actually, I was not planning on being a teacher. As a child I always wanted to be a doctor, then an anthropologist, and then a police officer/pathologist, but during my final year at school I decided to apply to be a teacher. Despite completing some other papers at

I grew up in Dunedin, and my entire immediate family is still in Dunedin, apart from one sister who lives in Christchurch. It was a great place to live as a child; lots of outdoor adventures.

What keeps you occupied when you aren’t teaching?

I am still that adventurous child. I love running and mountain biking, and spend a lot of time away on the trails, mostly in Rotorua. In 2019, I was privileged to ride in Whistler, Canada which is a mountain bikers dream.

I also really enjoy documentaries and love learning about people, places and history. There is still a budding anthropologist in me.  PN

I LOVE LUCY BOOK REVIEW:

THE OUTSIDERS - S.E. HINTON - 12+ “They grew up on the outside of society. They weren’t looking for a fight. They were looking to belong.”

This book follows the life of Ponyboy Curtis, a 14 year old boy trying to find his place in a society in which he believes he is an outsider living on the poor side of town as a Greaser. Ponyboy and his two older brothers, Darrel and Sodapop, have lost their parents to a car crash, leaving the older brothers to care for Ponyboy and earn a living.

Rivaling the Greasers are the Socs, those who grew up and live on the more privileged side of town, driving around their fancy cars looking for a fight with Greasers. Ponyboy is used to the Socs taking advantage of their privilege and he knows what to expect. He also knows that he can count on his friends and his brothers to stand up for him - but one night things get taken too far.

Something incredibly impressive about this book is that when S.E. Hinton wrote it, she was only 17 years old. Although it was written in 1976, and while some things have changed since then (such as EVERYONE smoking), I still think that this book’s message, that social conflict is pointless and destructive, is entirely relevant in this modern age.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 cats. (LUCY KENNEDY)  PN Available at www.dorothybutlerbookshop.co.nz www.lucykennedywriter.wixsite.com/reviews instagram @ilovelucybooks

60 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021



out of 5!

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FUTURE GENERATION

HONOUR MITCHELL: TEEN VOLUNTEERING In this crazy, busy world we live in, we often forget to give back to our community through volunteer work or by simply donating a few dollars to a deserving cause.

Volunteering ties in well with my last article on stress-busters.

Knowing you are helping someone out, generates a very rewarding feeling - boosting your wellbeing. Through my intermediate school years I tried out a range of activities, including baking for families at Ronald Mcdonald House and making animal toys for the SPCA. The happy buzz I experienced was unexpected but very welcome.

At the moment I am enrolled for the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award and one aspect of this award requires recipients to take part in voluntary community service. To fulfil this, I have just started a job at the Ponsonby’s Trade Aid shop - stacking shelves, dusting, packaging merchandise and serving customers.

I feel very privileged to have this opportunity as my family and I are long-times lovers of the organic Trade Aid products. In particular, we are obsessed with the Mint Crisp Chocolate and the Earl Grey tea - delicious!

As part of the job, I am learning some really interesting things about the organisation. For those who don’t know, Trade Aid was founded in 1973 in Christchurch as a social enterprise. Its main purpose is to create fairness in trade by bringing handcrafts and organic food from around the world to sell to we Kiwis. This benefits hundreds of thousands of small-scale farmers and artisans from organisations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Palestine and the Pacific. Because they are paid a fair price for the work they do, it enables them to achieve a reasonable standard of living. Without this support these communities might still be struggling to achieve their aspirations and find solutions to their issues.

With shops located from Whangarei to Dunedin it’s easy to pop in and support this very worthy enterprise. We are especially lucky to have a shop located on Ponsonby Road - so convenient!

Even if you can’t get to a physical store you can always jump online and grab a few staples (including chocolate!) and select some gifts while you’re at it.

I have found a number of things in the store that would appeal to people my age group. But my

favourite are the soaps: the pretty, pastel packaging in an array of gorgeous colours is visually enticing. Let’s not stop there, the exotic smells of coconut, cinnamon, pomegranate and rose will leave you wondering which one to choose.

At $3.49 each, why not grab a few? Apart from enjoying the fragrance and colours, you’ll also be helping the soap producers of Palam. This group has gained economic independence through the trade of soap, allowing them to relinquish some of the discrimination of belonging to a lower caste in India. (HONOUR MITCHELL)  PN

LIVE ON STAGE Celebra ng TI

M

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• Since 1991 •

AY T

H E AT R E C O

NY

30 Years A MP

adapted for the stage by

Tim Bray

songs by

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PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS

LOGAN GRANGER: IT’S OUR HOUSING PROBLEM New Zealand needs more houses, but despite the simplicity of that goal it’s been impossible to keep up with the demand. This problem has persisted through both National and Labour Governments. As much as we might juggle LVR restrictions and interest rates, the problem is with supply and how we think about it.

To take the pressure off the housing and rental markets, our local and central governments including us as citizens of our country will need to make big changes. We need to work together to build more houses, and I don’t mean physically! But in order for this to happen we need to stop short-term-thinking and old ways of thinking about home ownership. This is holding us back and creating unnecessary problems in what should be the best country to live in.

Every time we hear about the government “borrowing” we get comments about them “mortgaging our future” and “debts that will cripple future generations”. But our reluctance to acknowledge that our national debt will need to increase in order for this to happen is holding us back. The investment we make in the housing market will increase the health and well-being of huge numbers of New Zealanders. If we invest in affordable living, New Zealanders won’t need to spend their time worrying about where they’re going to live.

Instead they can think about having a family, starting a business or working towards a promotion at work. All these things improve our productivity which then increases the wealth of our society.

Most of us are focused on our own immediate goals; deadlines, bills to pay and to-do lists. Thinking about national productivity or future standards of living and infrastructure are, not really boring, but not our job! We should be focused on us and our families and your business, if you have one. But this thinking also extends to the construction industry and others that support it. But without working together, we’re not going to get anywhere.

We need faster and more cost effective building techniques. That means using a full range of prefabricated types to their fullest capacity. This would mean we could build houses in factories, in any weather, then assemble on site.

We’re not talking about the old type post-war prefab house and school classrooms. The modern equivalents are better and outperform our existing homes for warmth, comfort and ease of construction. Plus they are more cost effective.

A large number of us own houses already and enjoy that they keep increasing in value, but some of us are guilty of the “not in my back yard” sentiment when it comes to change in our suburbs.

Our lack of houses is a national problem that’s stifling our productivity and leaving younger New Zealanders and first home owners, feeling helpless. Solving the housing crisis depends on us working together, on some wealth distribution, and on a shift in mind-set. We need government, both central and local, and our businesses to work together. They need support in funding to build faster and cheaper homes and to make New Zealand a better place to live for everybody, not just those who’ve already made it onto the ladder.

This last year has demonstrated that we can pull together to protect and support each other. Let’s keep doing that.  PN

JOHNSTON ASSOCIATES, 202 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 361 6701, www.jacal.co.nz Disclaimer – While all care has been taken, Johnston Associates Chartered Accountants Ltd and its staff accept no liability for the content of this article; always see your professional advisor before taking any action that you are unsure about.

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PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS

LEGAL ADVICE FROM DAVENPORTS LAW Geoff and Dianne set their trust up in the early 2000’s when their children were in their primary school years.

Tammy McLeod

It was set up on the recommendation of their accountant and while there were some asset protection reasons, the main driver at the time was tax efficiency. The trust owned their family home and the shares in their company, which was a successful car mechanic business with a number of branches across Auckland.

The business had provided great cashflow over the years, and on the recommendation of their accountant, they had used the trust to their advantage and allocated income to the beneficiaries. Their accountant had explained that trust income can be taxed in two different ways.

Either the trustees pay tax on the income at the trustee rate which is currently 33 percent - and then most often the trustees can make tax free capital distributions to beneficiaries. Or, the trustees can allocate income to the beneficiaries at the beneficiaries’ personal tax rates and the beneficiaries then declare the income in their tax returns and pay the tax at their marginal rates.

As Dianne wasn’t working, for many years the trustees had allocated income received by the trustees to her to take advantage of a lower tax rate. They had also allocated income to Geoff and Dianne’s two children, Jane and Tom, once they reached the age of 16. However, more often than not, rather than actually distributing the cash to Jane and Tom, the trustees would simply allocate the income to them and then use the actual cash to pay down trust debt. The trustees then ended up owing Jane and Tom what had been allocated to them.

This was reflected in their beneficiary current accounts in the trust’s financial statements.

Over the years because of the profitability of the business, Jane and Tom had ended up with sizeable current accounts. Jane was owed just over $175,000 and Tom, as he was younger, $152,000. With the changes to the Trusts Act, Geoff and Diane understood that as their children were now over the age of 18, they had to know that

they were beneficiaries of the trust, but they also could ask for a copy of the trust deed and the financial statements for the trust. If either Jane or Tom asked to see the financial statements for the trust, they would then be able to see that the trust owed them both large sums of money and could potentially ask for those amounts to be paid to them. Neither Geoff nor Dianne wanted this to happen.

Geoff and Dianne were actually not too concerned about Jane. Jane was a in a stable relationship with her husband of five years and Geoff and Dianne felt that even if Jane did see that the trust owed her $175,000, they would be able to explain the tax nuances to her and she would be able to see the bigger picture. Their accountant even suggested that they could ask Jane to gift her beneficiary current account to the trust in order to clear the balance.

Tom on the other hand was more of a concern. Geoff and Dianne were not that keen on Tom’s partner. They thought that she influenced Tom in a way that made him quite focussed on money and she was always hinting to Geoff and Dianne that she thought that they could be helping her and Tom with a deposit on a house. Even though Geoff and Dianne’s business had been successful, they didn’t have the ready cash for that kind of assistance and were firmly of the view in any event, that the children should be forging their own paths.

They were very concerned that if Tom knew that the trust owed him $152,000, then he would tell his partner who would then encourage him to call up the loan.

Geoff and Dianne were in a tricky situation. They really needed to get some advice as to how they might be able to restrict the information that the trustees had to give the children if asked. However, that would still not get around the fact that the trust did owe their children that money.

As we move into a new tax year, it is an opportune time for trustees to review beneficiary current accounts, take specialist legal and tax advice and decide how to deal with them in the context of the new law.  PN

DAVENPORTS LAW, 331 Rosedale Road, Level 1, Building 2, Albany, T: 09 883 4400, www.davenportslaw.co.nz

64 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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C RAFTED L EGAL ADV ICE FOR PE ACE OF MIN D.

Trust law has changed.

Does your trust comply?

The previous Trust Act had been in place since 1956, so when the new Trusts Act 2019 came into force in January, it brought many new changes to Trust law as we know it.

Making sure your trust complies and is fit for purpose is paramount when reviewing existing trust structures or establishing a new trust.

Contact us for more information.

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LETTERS & EMAILS

PEDESTRIAN CROSSING AT FRANCIS STREET/RICHMOND ROAD In 2017, Auckland Transport built a cycleway through the Westmere shopping and social centre. Richmond Road was raised and a new ramp leading away from the Francis Street crossing was created with a gradient of 1:8. As a paraplegic I found this gradient very dangerous, as I imagine it is for mothers with prams, the elderly and any others having difficulty in getting around.

Meetings were held with up to 40 attendees at AT’s headquarters which discussed this matter. In September 2018, with others, I created a complaint to the Human Rights Commission, which was eventually heard in April 2019. AT representatives promised the HRC to do something about the danger, and to correct the pooling water which collects and remains here, and on other footpaths in Westmere after rain.

In 2020, and in March this year I raised the matter with the Waitemata- Local Board, supposedly our conduit to the Council and its subordinates like AT.

Council regulations for private and public building will only consent to ramp gradients of less than 1:12. This ramp continues to threaten well after three years of the completion (or abandonment) of the AT contractors who built to Council plans which I have examined.

AT has informed me that some time in the future the same contractors who created this danger will rectify it, but AT will not show me any plans. No tenders were asked for which is against standard Council practice. Reparations will be slow and very disruptive to commerce.

An AT engineer told me in 2018 that the cost of reparation would be at least $22 million.

All this to raise the crossing, (with another nearby on the same cycle lane), while all other crossings in Richmond Road, two outside schools, have the standard flat contour. It could be easily, speedily, and less expensively lowered, but this may affect the cycle lane.

I remain aghast... William Gruar, Westmere

APARTMENT LIVING - THE MODERN LIFESTYLE NEW APARTMENT DEVELOPMENTS - APARTMENT FURNISHINGS AND HOME DECOR

LET OUR READERS KNOW ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS OR PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CONTACT martin@ponsonbynews.co.nz www.ponsonbynews.co.nz 66 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

View from a two bedroom Ponsonby Apartment that is available through crowd sourced property investment start up Opoly

APARTMENT OWNING & LIVING The way we are living is changing. A single dwelling on a large section with a standalone garage is fast becoming a thing of the past. City fringe living is becoming more and more high density and the urban buzz hums everywhere except in the pockets of protected heritage homes in our more leafy streets.

The pressure on inner city suburbs to ease the burden of Auckland’s housing crisis is real and the number of consents to January 2021 in Auckland for apartments, flats and townhouses is almost equalling that of stand alone houses.

The most visible increase is the number of new and redeveloped apartment blocks in the wider Ponsonby area. If you are looking for an apartment the range of options is now vast, from old to new, small and modest to large scale luxury. There are complexes designed with the view to rent out and there are those developed especially with owner occupiers in mind. Along Great North Road there are multi

million dollar luxury apartments that are snapped up by offshore investors and then there are more simple buildings that were built over a decade ago that may suffer from water tightness.

Whether you want to rent, buy, become an owner occupier or invest in an apartment for your future, it’s a way of living that’s set to dominate our city fringe landscape. However, it shouldn’t be viewed as a compromise on how you live. In fact people are now recognising just how attractive apartment living is and the many advantages that come with it. Whether you’re already on the property ladder or about to begin the climb, apartments should definitely be on your radar.

Outdoor apartment living on Vinegar Lane - Craig Watkins family home

68 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS Perfect for modern apartments, Torii modular seats play with round edged volumes and thin profiles, available from ECC

If you are wondering how you might break into property investment in these times of skyrocketing house prices, Opoly, the property investment company launched last month by Issac Williams and Felix Watkins, might be just the ticket. We talked to Issac about how their inaugural crowdfunding model for property investment works and what it could offer those who are yet to buy their first home or investment.

No matter which way you look at it, apartment style living is no longer considered a compromise.

Julie Emmerson of the design store ECC agrees, and provided some pragmatic tips that ensure even the smallest apartments need not suffer from poor interior design.

We also talked with city fringe apartment specialist, Craig Watkins of Apartmint, to get an understanding of what he believes are the most important things to consider when looking to invest in an apartment and what to avoid.

Not all apartments are equal and what might have been a great investment a decade ago isn’t necessarily the same now. According to Craig, apartments that were bought solely for the purpose of renting out to international students, have seen their values suffer in a post-covid environment, whereas those bought as homes to live in by owners have continued to appreciate.

It is this higher end owner-occupier market that Craig believes is a clear sign of a continually maturing local apartment market. “It’s partly driven by returning Kiwis who are used to apartment living, but it’s also a changing psyche where people are now happy to forego the 1/4 acre section to eliminate the commute,” he says.

With the cost of building new apartments continuing to rise, buying off the plans offers some distinct advantages. “Buying ‘off plan’ often results in a windfall gain for the purchaser at a cost to the developer,” Craig explains. “When the purchase price is fixed, the buyer gets leverage on their 10% deposit and unlike buying an existing property there are no management or maintenance issues during the two to three year timeframe it takes for delivery.”

In Craig’s mind this makes for a no hassle investment where on completion of the development you can choose to either: move in, rent out or sell for a profit. “As an example, if you place a 10 percent deposit on a $1M apartment and prices appreciate at a modest 5 percent per annum, the apartment is worth $1,157,000 on completion.” However Craig suggests caution with older apartment blocks as buyers run the risk of having to deal with issues like weather tightness or more tricky, a building with a dysfunctional body corp.

Thoroughly reading historical body corporate minutes to understand how well they function is something Craig recommends is a ‘must do’.

The round top versions of the Linha dining tables offer elegance and versatility for apartments with smaller footprints, available from ECC

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Views from Craig Watkins’ Vinegar Lane apartment

“Ask to see the minutes and look to see whether issues are being resolved quickly. Identify what problems the building has and look to see how funds are being accrued for long term maintenance - items like elevators,” says Craig. It’s often the case that a smaller building with less owners can be a better option as there is less likely to be friction within the body corporate. This is an important consideration regardless of whether you plan to live in, or rent a property out.

Craig knows first hand what it’s like to be part of Auckland’s apartment living movement. “My family home is no longer a large villa but an apartment in Vinegar Lane. It offers the same size as a villa but has exceptional sun, views, security and privacy. I wouldn’t go back to a stand alone dwelling,” enthuses Craig.

It’s sometimes the nuanced choices that really make urban spaces distinct and functional homes. “Swivel chairs are great and are really useful in apartments with views. You can turn towards the view without the need to reposition the chair.” A swivel chair from ECC is a perfect example of great form and functionality.

“Beyond the traditional nesting coffee tables you can also overlap low tables with ottomans. Both are good space savers,” says Julie.

It’s about identifying how you are going to live in your apartment that should guide your choices. If seated dining and entertaining is a priority, then a large table could be a feature, but if you are after more of a functional balance, round dining tables are often the best choice.

It‘s a trend that Julie Emmerson, furniture showroom manager of design store ECC agrees isn’t one that dictates a compromise on how you live or your ability to create great interior style. Timeless well designed furniture and home decor aren’t limited by apartment living.

“Many leading European furniture designers craft models specifically for apartments, which is a more common mode of living overseas,” explains Julie.

While some new luxury apartments are extra large, other’s have a smaller footprint and if yours isn’t super sized Julie’s advice is to seek out design pieces that have been developed with this in mind.

It’s about considering the scale. “In an apartment where space may be more limited it’s best to choose sofas up to 220-240cm in length and to look for designs with thin profiles. Sofas with small armrests and compact seat depth are better choices and angled sofas are great for creating an intimate conversation space without taking up a lot of room,” says Julie.

The Andersen Slim 103 sofa features slimmer armrests placed at the same height as the seat back perfect for apartments with smaller proportions, available from ECC

70 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

The Davis Pouffs are perfect for overlapping under low tables, they offer compact style and an appreciation for refinement, available from ECC

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Of course it all comes down to what you are wanting an apartment for: do you want a place to live? Are you wanting to generate regular cash flow, or are you wanting a means to grow your capital?

When you are looking to purchase a new apartment Craig recommends considering the following: • What are the proposed body corporate fees and watch out for the fact that shared amenities like pools and gyms often come with higher price tags.

• Is the developer reputable and do they have a good history.

• What’s the level of specification detailed in the marketing information.

• Is there efficient apartment design that minimises circulation space.

• What’s the general outlook.

• What local amenities - including green spaces, shops or transport hubs is the apartment close to.

“Round dining tables in the 120-140cm range are really well suited to apartments, especially the ones with a central base that makes walking around them easy. This is also true for barstools that have a stem base because they avoid the obstacles created by chairs with four legs,” she adds.

ECC are experts when it comes to innovative interiors and lighting and a key part of their ethos is appreciating that form and function are essential partners to good design. “Mirrors are useful to give the impression of a larger room and also bring reflected light and views into the apartment,” shared Julie. A slimline console placed under

the mirror is a great way to both create space and storage and there are some really innovative options to be discovered within the ECC collections.

CRAIG WATKINS. Since the 1990s Craig has worked in the apartment development market, and his company Apartmint sells development sites, off plan apartments and manages apartment rentals in the greater Ponsonby area.

Remembering to consider the logistics of getting your new furniture into the apartment is also important. Most service lifts cater for objects up to 2m in length so it is good to know that you can purchase dining tables with tops that are in two halves, or beds that have a split base. It all makes the practical side of moving them in considerably easier.

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PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

Making things easy when it comes to property investing is one of the key motivators for the brains behind new tech startup, Opoly. Set to change the way we invest in property through the development of a crowdfunding model, Felix Watkins, and Isaac Williams are making investing in real estate accessible to a much wider range of people.

Starting with a fabulous Ponsonby apartment, Opoly offers potential investors the opportunity to buy blocks of this popular city fringe property. Once an investor owns a block, or blocks, they can enjoy an ongoing rental return, plus a potential capital gain for their share of blocks when the property sells at a predetermined date in the future.

“We chose Ponsonby because it historically and consistently offers a high capital return rate. It usually sits just over 8 percent per annum, and in terms of a rental investment it’s a highly desirable and highly demanded area to live in,” explained Isaac. These are all important factors for a crowd sourcing model that aims to provide investors with both a regular return and a capital gain.

rental income and when the property sells at a predetermined date by auction, you receive your return of capital and any gain on sale made over the hold period.

Just before the official Opoly launch last month, Felix and Isaac were optimistic that the sale of blocks in the first property would be fairly swift. “We already have a lot of investor interest so I don’t imagine there will be many blocks left by the end of April.”

This of course is only the first of many properties set to be marketed and made available on Opoly, so there will be other opportunities to invest in your first apartment as the year goes on if you missed your chance with this one.

A qualified real estate agent, Isaac saw a gap in the market. “There are a good portion of people keen to get on the property ladder but in the current conditions, it is more than a little difficult. By developing a crowd sourcing model we are giving people a chance to invest starting from just $100.”

But how does ‘block investing’ work? It’s an approach that allows a really low entry point to investing in property. Each block of a property is valued at $100. The more blocks you buy the more you have invested in the property. Your blocks earn you a portion of the

Felix Watkins of tech start up Opoly

Opoly investment property in Ponsonby. ‘Blocks’ available for sale from $100

72 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Herne Bay 2 Lawrence Street HERNE BAY’S MOST WANTED - LUXURY HOMES Jervois & Lawrence is a high end boutique development consisting of 28 apartments. The utmost attention to detail has been given to the design, the specifications and construction to create a masterpiece landmark in the heart of Herne Bay. Each apartment offers designer bathrooms and Arclinea Italian kitchens with high quality appliances such as “Gaggenau”. Kitchen and living spaces are complete with gorgeous herringbone wooden floors and zone controlled air-conditioning is available for all year round comfort.

Many apartments have stunning wide views which is the perfect backdrop while entertaining your guests.

Completion is estimated for 1st half of 2021!

1-3

1-2

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Starting from $1,690,000

Contact to view show apartment

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Alex Kramarenko

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021 612 642

barfoot.co.nz/805657

021 049 4824

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

FROM TOP Shimmer bar cabinet in faceted glass and flat brass

by Timothy Oulton $11,989, Whitecliff 3 seater sofa in natural linen by Timothy Oulton $5879, Kyron coffee table in moonstone by Timothy Oulton $6,389

DAWSON & CO., Northshore Showroom, 38 Constellation Drive, Rosedale T: 09 476 1121, Parnell Showroom, 115 The Strand, Parnell; info@dawsonandco.nz www.dawsonandco.nz

74 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

WESTMINSTER FEATHER SOFA

www.dawsonandco.nz

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Showroom: 366 Great North Road

09 376 2895

76 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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Grey Lynn

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Newport bedside dark light finish

Trenail 3 seat sofa

Newport hall table in dark light

Newport bedsides in clear ash

Astrid 6 drawer lowboy in black and whitewash

Newport bed with one drawer motif bedsides

Trenail sofa whitewash and linen

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

City Fringe Living At It’s Best Proxima Residences will become a new landmark for Eden Terrace and set a new standard for luxury living in the area. Freehold, pet friendly apartments with proximity to the best of Auckland.

In zone for Auckland Girls Grammar and walking distance to Universities.

Offering spacious 1, 1 plus study, 2 and 3 bedroom options starting from only $669,000 plus parking with electric charging options.

A 10% deposit is all you need to secure your apartment (or 20% for overseas residents) and then nothing else to pay until settlement.

Visit proximaresidences.co.nz for more information.

Enquire today! Construction commencing shortly.

EDEN TERRACE 45 RANDOLPH STREET

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

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HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

TRENDING SOFTLY WITH NATURE New textile trends emerge each year offering tempting ways to restyle or refresh our interior spaces so that our homes reflect how we feel and who we are.

Inspiration can be drawn from current events, like those we find ourselves in now, follow directional fashion trends or they can be the slow evolution of a look that’s been developing over time.

Two new collections that have fast become a Lahood favourite are Fusion and the Fusion Cocoon collection by James Dunlop.

Fusion is a beautiful range of fabrics that explores the natural nuances of form, texture and technique. It is inspired by nature with organic shapes and natural colour palette.

“All the fabrics in this collection have a natural beauty that brings balance and harmony to the home. This is a very current style direction and works well in both modern and traditional villas,” says Susan Brooke, Lahood Senior Design Consultant.

James Dunlop design states the collection’s perfection is in its imperfection, underscoring its artisanal approach to textile design grounding its authenticity and honesty.

Available in a range of linens, cotton, jute and polyester linen blends, the collection comes to life through its earthy colour palette which uses natural dyes in hues of inky blue, vibrant ochres and warm terracotta.

“It’s part of a resurgence of the global folk aesthetic that has a focus on a handcrafted look and the feel of the fabrics. Textured and tactile yarns are offset with botanical inspired patterns and traditional block printing means finished textiles ooze colour and individuality,” explains Susan.

Not dissimilar is the James Dunlop Fusion Cocoon collection featuring soft dream like textiles that evoke a calm and contemporary feel.

“As a collection it follows in the same footsteps of Fusion but really embodies the nurturing qualities of tactility and comfort. It’s all about making the home a sanctuary and has a much more feminine touch,” adds Susan. And indeed, James Dunlop say the collection was inspired by a feminine sensibility with natural linens and semi sheer fabrics that are embellished with frayed edges, fringing and needlework.

“It is an exquisite range that’s grounded with handmade craftsmanship.

With muted tones and on-trend shades of warm pink and dusky purples, it’s ideal for residential and commercial interiors,” explains Susan.

To view these fabrics please visit our showroom or book an in-home consultation with one of our experienced design consultants. www.lahood.co.nz

80 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

INVEST IN 4/388 PONSONBY ROAD FROM JUST $100 AT OPOLY.CO.NZ Where work and play meet at the heart of Ponsonby, this executive 2-bedroom apartment capitalises on the best of its pivotal location and casts a sharp point of difference with water and city views.

Located in Three Lamps in a tightly held block of only 14 bespoke units is where this apartment resides, covering a substantial two floors. Freshly refurbished, from room to room the approximate 87sqm floor print flows smoothly and is enhanced by natural sunlight from its northern-aspect and quiet vicinity; ideal for investors, professional singles or executive duos who enjoy lifestyle and seek immediate accessibility to the central city and all-directional motorway access. Easy to live in full time or as the lock-up-and-leave holiday home combining style, space and functionality with an all inclusive furniture package to boot!

On the first floor, an open kitchen, living and dining create a relaxed environment to timeout in or entertain, where the smooth transition to the balcony unites with harbour and urban views that will undoubtedly elevate any moment of impromptu gatherings. The separate guest bathroom and utility/ laundry room complete first floor living. Catching the sunrise and sunset, the private balcony off the main bedroom provides sanctuary after a long day and is accompanied by the main bathroom and second well-appointed bedroom. Distinguishing inner-city features are two secured car parks and an additional storage locker.

Walking proximity to Jervois Road and Ponsonby’s acclaimed restaurants, bars, cafes and bespoke shopping will bring about an appreciation for the sought-after pivotal location, in addition to quick passage to the North Shore over the Harbour Bridge.

From January 2000 – December 2020, the average historical capital growth rate of properties in Ponsonby grew at an annualised rate of 8.75 percent.

With such a limited supply of properties within this price range around the Ponsonby area, at this price this property offers a good combination of value and elegance.

To create an account and take advantage of this unique opportunity head over to opoly.co.nz

82 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

OW N A BLOC K

INV E ST I N RE A L E STATE FR OM JUST $ 1 0 0.

4/ 33 8 P ONS ONBY ROAD, PONSON BY, AUCKL AN D, 1011

INVEST

EACH BLOCK IN

EARN

GET PAID YOUR

CASH OUT

A PROPERTY

SHARE OF

SHARE OF PROFIT

COSTS $100.

RENTAL INCOME.

AT AUCTION.

O POLY.C O.NZ 0 2 1 085 9 2 760

COLLECT YOUR

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

CREATING YOUR DREAM SPACE - TRUE CUSTOM MADE WARDOBES AND STORAGE Innovative Interiors are passionate when it comes to customised storage solutions; transforming spaces from ordinary, to serene and beautiful.

Innovative Interiors provide New Zealand custom made wardrobes and storage solutions. From the bedroom to the laundry, they pride themselves not only on the quality of their workmanship, but also the fact they are a one-stop shop, offering a complete service, from design to manufacture and installation.

Innovative interiors don’t do cookie cutter experiences. They know you are unique, and their wardrobes and storage solutions are too; they are truly passionate about space. Every home is different and each person has its own individual needs. Every piece of furnuitue that Innovative Interiors creates is designed to be functional, add value, and style to your home. They take the time to listen to you and present a customized storage solution that is made in New Zealand by their experienced team and installed by their own installation team.

Innovative Interiors create stylish and practical spaces that are completely bespoke - from Traditional reach in wardrobes through to Euro luxury, they provide solutions for your entire home. From granite tops through to feature display cabinets and LED lighting, Innovative Interiors offer some of the most premium finishes avaliable in the market today.

The Traditional wall mounted range is high on quality but lower on price. The advantages of a wall-mounted system include minimising disturbances to your floors, and maximising casual storage beneath the units for items such as shoes, bags or baskets. The Traditional range is typically used for reach-in wardrobes and handy when you’re short on space.

The Classic range is a floor-mounted system that can be used in both a reach-in or a walk-in setting. Like the Traditional wardrobes, the Classic wardrobes are made in 18mm MDF, but come with a broader range of customisable options and finishes. With the extra built-in space of a Classic, you can include things such as pull out drawers for shoes - every girl’s dream!

Finally there is the Euro range which is the ultimate pamper package, a premium walk-in wardrobe and dressing room option. This highly sophisticated range is floor-mounted, and made from 25mm or 30mm MDF; the weight making it suitable for larger spaces. Euro wardrobes come with a range of luxurious accessories such as trouser racks, mirrors, and jewellery drawers, to name a few. The

84 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

Euro is more than just a wardrobe. It’s a statement piece about how you live your life.

To experience first-hand what Innovative Interiors deliver, talk to one of their design consultants at the Innovative Interiors showroom in Mt Wellington.

Their showroom is located at Unit S, 24 Allright Place, Mt Wellington open weekdays 9am-4pm and Saturdays 10am -2pm. www.innovativeinteriors.co.nz PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Our reputation is built on being able to provide our customers with a complete service from design through to manufacture and installation.

Effective storage is a key element of a well-planned and highly functioning living environment.

We work closely with architects, builders and our customers to develop the perfect personalised solution for your space and your budget.

www.innovativeinteriors.co.nz

0800 80 30 50

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

@ MELUKA Meluka offers a wide range of Danske Mobler imported sofabeds and quality lounge suites online now!

Pipi: Bring modern style to your living space with the Pipi single seat sofa bed which doubles as both a comfortable chair and fold-out single bed. Available in dark grey fabric, the Pipi single sofa bed chair will come in handy for overnight guests.

Russell: The Russell sofa bed is a modern alternative to the traditional fold-out sofa bed. Available in mustard coloured fabric, the Russell sofa bed is just as comfortable in an upright position as it is fully reclined and is a stylish and contemporary option.

Ria: The Ria sofa makes no compromise on style or quality.

Beautifully presented, this tufted sofa offers an elegant look to your living area and is an excellent choice for those who enjoy a more traditional style. Available in a choice of two fabric colours.  PN www.meluka.co.nz Pipi

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86 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

FOR LEASE 41 Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn

Prime city fringe location on busy arterial route, suitable for retail or office.

• Area - approx. 60sqm.

• Rent - $35,000 per annum + GST. • Available from 1 April 2021.

• Flexible lease terms by negotiation.

Contact owner to arrange inspection 0274 599 506 or info@buckinghamelectrical.co.nz

Auckland Central 4A/132 Customs Street West 3

2

3

Set Sale Date (unless sold prior) 12pm, Tue 13 April 2021 View Sat 2.30-3.15pm or by appointment Suzie Paine 021 976 008 suzie.paine@bayleys.co.nz BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, PONSONBY, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Private park serenity This beautifully formed spacious residence has space for the whole family.

Well appointed kitchen with gas cooking and a bath in the main bathroom.

Elegant dark floors with sublime full-length drapes envelop the senses with rich texture. East & west facing balconies with stunning park/city views. Storage more than 12sqm. LEASEHOLD.

bayleys.co.nz/1671587

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PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

LOCAL MARKET WRAP WITH CHARLOTTE KOFOED Excluding new-build apartment sales, the greater Ponsonby marketplace (Saint Marys Bay, Herne Bay, Freemans Bay, Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Westmere) saw the median sell price for February jump a heady 36% from February 2020.

Supply constraints for freestanding character homes in the area remained an issue with only 51 properties sold in the month compared with 71 in February 2020.

A significant proportion of those properties sold were freestanding, 3 or more bedrooms, and all bar a handful, selling by the auction method of sale.

Over 50% of February sales were completed in Grey Lynn, where buyers can still find freestanding quality homes on freehold sites that tick ‘most of the boxes’ from the late $1M mark onward.

One shift in buyer behaviour currently influencing stock constraints has been a strong move by many toward ‘buying before selling’ – a potentially beneficial strategy to help reduce the possibility of getting ‘priced out of the market’ during the time gap between the more traditional process of ‘selling then buying’.

RESIDENTIAL INVESTMENT PROPERTY CHANGES In last month’s column we discussed the impact of investment property LVR changes for those looking to purchase an investment property. Following on from that we have seen a second tranche of changes announced affecting those already holding investment property – namely the phasing out of tax deductibility for interest rate costs against rental income, along with the extension of the ‘brightline’ test from 5 years to 10 years. These are significant changes, and investors may benefit from discussing their individual situation with an Authorised Financial Advisor before deciding on a course of action.

New builds again have been spared some of the changes, with the five-year brightline test remaining and the Government yet to determine if the removal of interest rate deductibility will also apply to new builds. Watch this space.

First home buyers will likely have less competition for entry-level homes, however supply may still be constrained as many investors hold onto their properties for longer. Also, investor demand for new

builds may leave a higher proportion of older, more basic homes available for first home buyers.

Other potential beneficiaries of the changes are investors purchasing without the requirement for debt funding, or with a low level of debt required. These investors will not have to worry about interest deductibility, and will likely enjoy higher average market rents.

Certainly plenty to consider for many, and as always, we recommend that you seek independent advice when making any property decision.

BEAUMONT QUARTER – GREATER PONSONBY’S BEST KEPT SECRET Many of you will have noticed that I sell a lot of property in the Beaumont Quarter in Freemans Bay. In my opinion it truly is greater Ponsonby’s best kept secret. I am a little biased in this regard having lived in the Beaumont Quarter for many years, however it is definitely a great option to consider for those looking for a true community amenity, security and a modernist yet timeless architectural feel. Comprising of 258 homes, the Beaumont Quarter (or ‘BQ’ as it is known by residents) features a diverse mix of 1 to 4 bedroom apartments and townhouses built over three stages during the 2000s.

Built on the historical Auckland Gasworks site, many of the historical landmarks are woven into the tapestry of the development, which includes plenty of shared green-space, a sun-soaked ambience and a true sense of quiet and serenity so close to the city. One of my favourite aspects of living in the BQ was the short walk to New World, Victoria Park and the Three Lamps Shops just up College Hill.

Having sold two Beaumont Quarter homes off-market in March, and eight over the last two years, it is always a pleasure to sell a product that you believe in and love. Further, as a previous body corporate committee member I have a deep understanding of the BQ that can help sellers with planning their campaign and buyers with understanding the long-term benefits of owning in such a wellmanaged complex.

If you are looking for a great value home or investment option in the greater Ponsonby area, or if you have a property in the BQ that you would like appraised, please contact me for a no-hassle obligationfree chat. Thank you for reading.  PN

CHARLOTTE KOFOED, M: 021 241 9394, T: 09 353 1220, www.ckre.co.nz, E: charlotte.kofoed@nzsir.com

Properties Sold Average Sell Price Median Sell Price

February 2021 51 $2,114,196 $2,205,000

February 2020 71 $1,795,322 $1,625,000

January 2021 24 $1,768,208 $1,620,000

REINZ statistics for Freemans Bay, Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Westmere, St Marys Bay and Herne Bay. Excludes 18 new-build sales.

88 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

@ LEYS LITTLE LIBRARY Kia ora Ponsonby, though in the northern hemisphere Easter means it is springtime, for us here it means autumn and it’s time to dust off those winter coats, set aside the salad and barbeque recipes, and dig out those soup and casserole cookbooks.

April also brings the school holidays. If like me, you have read through the pile of books you were given for Christmas, our library team are here to help you and the little ones find some fresh reading materials to get you through the holidays.

As a further incentive to get the children reading the Hell Pizza challenge is back for another year. Students in years 1-8 can earn pizza just for reading. Come into the library and tell us about the books you’ve read. When you’ve read seven books you are entitled to a free Hell’s Pizza. Drop by and ask for more details.

- drop Auckland Libraries have all sorts happening across Waitemata; by or check the website for details for events at Parnell, Grey Lynn and Central City libraries these school holidays. Film club kicks off for the year this month too. On April 9 Film Club restarts in its new home at Grey Lynn Library. Ask at Leys Institute Little Library or Grey Lynn for more information.

After a stop-start beginning to our regular programmes, the last session of Wriggle and Rhyme for the term is Wednesday 14 April 10am and 11am.

We return to the Ponsonby Baptist church hall on Wednesday 5th May. Please note our children’s programmes only run at Alert Level 1, as maintaining social distancing at Level 2 with little ones is too tricky.

Our eBook platform Libby just got even better. Now through Libby you can not only enjoy a huge array of eBooks and eAudiobooks, but also you can enjoy a wide range of eMagazines - all for free with your library card. There is a huge range of over 2000 titles to browse, with no wait-lists and no limit to the number of eMagazines you can check out.

Library Hours in April: Good Friday 2 April - Closed. Easter Monday 5 April - Closed. ANZAC Day 25 April - Closed.

All other days normal hours Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm, Saturday 9am - 4pm, Sunday Closed.  PN Chloë – Community Library Manager LEYS INSTITUTE LITTLE LIBRARY, 14 Jervois Road, T: 09 377 0209, www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

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Call 021 062 9104 Email eddie@reidpropertyservices.co.nz Visit reidpropertyservices.co.nz PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

NEW HOME PURCHASE GIVES LEADING REAL ESTATE AGENT A TIMELY REMINDER ON THE AUCTION BUYING EXPERIENCE Buying and selling a home for the first time in nearly eight years has given leading real estate agent Blair Haddow of Bayleys Ponsonby a timely reminder of how nerve-wracking the auction process can be.

Last month Blair was in the Bayleys auction rooms – a place he is more than accustomed to being on a weekly professional basis, acting on behalf of vendors and trying to secure a deal for hopeful purchasers.

the past 17 years, the single level home has been tenanted for the past few years while they were overseas. Now back in New Zealand, they are selling the opportunity to someone wanting to make the quaint abode beautiful once again through a renovation.

However, this time it was Blair in the purchaser’s seat as he went up against two other parties in a bidding battle over a beautiful newlyrenovated home in St Mary’s Bay. After some frenetic high-value arm waving, Blair was the auction’s winning bidder – securing his new home in time to move in later this month.

And for those buyers looking for something more central city-fringe, Blair Haddow is selling a two-bedroom/one-bathroom terraced town house in Dock Street opposite Victoria Park. All of the listings are featuring on Blair’s Bayleys website.

“The process was a timely reminder of how emotional and nervewracking the auction procedure can be. Knowing how auctions work, I went in with a set strategy on opening the bidding and what increments to raise the bidding by. Being prepared is exactly the type of advice I give potential buyers coming to my auctions,” said Blair.

“Thankfully the auction went according to plan, although it got quite tense there for a while as the other bids came in,” said Blair.

“Personally going through both the selling and buying processes this year has refocused my attention on those aspects of working with purchasers and vendors in the listings I’m managing. And I’m confident my latest experience will resonate with all parties I’ll be working with in the comings months and years because I know firsthand what they will be going through,” said Blair. www.facebook.com/BlairHaddowResidential

“While I had an opening bid ready to get the ball rolling, and it would have been nice to have bought the home for that, I also had a final higher figure in mind too, and the bidding process drove my value up.

“The day really reinforced how transparent the real estate auction process is, and how auctions really do achieve the best market price for a vendor on the day. The sales agent and the auctioneer are there to simultaneously get the best price for the vendor and find a solution on the other side of the equation that works for the one lucky buyer left at the end of the bidding process.”

Blair went into the St Mary’s Bay home auction fully prepared after selling his stylish home near Ponsonby Central, where he had lived happily for the past eight years. Selling at the beginning of the year, Blair had a long settlement clause in place – giving him plenty of time to find his next dream dwelling… which duly came along. And the new home in St Mary’s Bay means Blair can stay in the area he loves so much.

40 Grosvenor Street

Blair’s personal home buying and selling experience replicates his professional activity with Bayleys Ponsonby in the first quarter of the 2021 calendar year, where much of the listing stock he started the year with has sold under the hammer, and the next batch of desirable homes is coming up for sale.

Treading that fine timeline as Ponsonby News was going to press, was a completely refurbished and modernised home in Grosvenor Street, Grey Lynn - the three bedroom, two bathroom, open plan residence packed with designer chic features multiple living spaces, a relaxing deck space overlooking a spa pool and flat lawn.

Meanwhile, topping the list of homes coming onto the market for Blair Haddow’s autumn tranche is a totally renovated four-bedroom/twobathroom residence featuring new kitchen, dining room, and living room spaces inside, with the addition of a magical swimming pool and surrounding garden landscaping outside. Located on the Ponsonby/ Herne Bay border, the home is ideal for families.

Next is a three-bedroom/one-bathroom cottage-style ‘do-up’ in Murdoch Road, Grey Lynn. In the possession of its current owners for

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28 Trinity Street

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ARTS + CULTURE

CONFIDENCE AND CREATIVITY ABOUND Hit the Stage! School Holiday Fun This coming April, Tim Bray Youth Theatre will be offering their ever popular Hit the Stage! - a five day holiday programme for children aged 7-12 at TAPAC in Western Springs from 19 - 23 April.

During five exciting days, under the direction of the creative team from Tim Bray Youth Theatre, young actors will take part in rehearsing and performing their own unique theatrical creation, ready to ‘Hit the Stage!’ at the end of the week with a performance for family and friends in the TAPAC theatre.

Term 2 Youth Theatre Tim Bray Youth Theatre begins its Term 2 drama classes for ages 5 - 19 the week of 3 May at TAPAC. Classes are also offered on the North Shore in Takapuna and Browns Bay. These weekly classes encourage self-confidence, self-expression and focus, where students can explore their imaginations, harness and express their creativity and also learn various acting techniques such as improvisation, voice, characterisation, movement and scene work.

In Term 2 2021 Tim Bray Youth Theatre will continue two new programmes launched in Term 1: The 17-19 years Performance Class at TAPAC is ideal for young actors who need a place to learn and to perform and who are passionate about theatre and all it involves. Extraordinarily Creative (endorsed by Children’s Autism Foundation) on the North Shore, are drama classes for children and teenagers who are differently wired to find their own voice and place.  PN For more information: timbray.org.nz/youth-theatre

TIM BRAY

YOUTH THEATRE A 5-day creative escape for children for ages 7-9 and 10-12 from April 19-23

Engaging our students with all aspects of theatre

Western Springs, Takapuna and Browns Bay locations for 5-19 year olds.

Weekly

DRAMA

Enrol for April School Holidays & Term 2 now www.timbray.org.nz

92 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ARTS + CULTURE White Terrace: Coffee Cups, 760mm x 1010mm, Oil on linen, 2005-2020

White Light 2, 800mm x 1800mm, Oil on linen, 2020

@ OREXART Martin Ball - Echo Opening Saturday 10 April, Closing Saturday 1 May Best known for his super-sized, hyper-realistic portraits – frequently of other New Zealand artists – Auckland painter Martin Ball has changed tack and dipped his brush in the past. In this new series, entitled ‘Echo’, he explores one of New Zealand’s most famous landmarks, The Pink and White Terraces, buried in the eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886.

As his painter grandfather Thomas Ball did more than a century ago, Martin has drawn on archival and historical photographs of the Terraces

by Valentine Blomfield to resurrect this natural wonder - a site that continues to haunt the national psyche.  PN OREXART, 221 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 378 0588, www.orexart.co.nz

Martin Ball

est. 1990

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The St Matthew’s First Tuesday Concert on 4 May features the highly anticipated return of the Royal New Zealand Navy Band.

Gill Gatfield, x 2013

ARTS + CULTURE

ST MATTHEW‘S FIRST TUESDAY CONCERT

@ SCOTT LAWRIE

The band consists of thirty two full time musicians who tour the country playing concerts, giving workshops and demonstrations and providing entertainment and where required, the formality and solemnity at civic functions. They are a National cultural asset we are rightly proud of.

Gill Gatfield: Survey 10 April – 2 May

However they are also highly accomplished soloists and chamber music players in their own right, and they chose repertoire to showcase these skills.

GALLERY

Auckland-based sculptor Gill Gatfield has had a stellar decade. From largescale public commissions overseas and the monumental sculpture ‘Zealandia’ in Venice and now at Government House, to her show-stopping work ‘The Snake Charmer’ at Auckland Art Fair – she has just launched a groundbreaking augmented reality sculpture ‘Native Tongue XR’ at Sculpture by the Sea in Western Australia.

This beautiful survey show – her first with Scott Lawrie Gallery – will highlight a specially curated selection of works, with new sculptures presented alongside key works created over the last 10 years of her practice, including from Sydney the reflective black granite sculpture ‘x’.

Gill’s work draws deeply from the materials she sources; from crystalclear glass to exceptionally rare stone found in hidden locations in Aotearoa New Zealand, she will literally look around the world to find the optimal material for the work she’s making.

In their 2020 First Tuesday Concert from the opening line of their arrangement for Debussy’s “Girl with the Flaxen Hair”, it was clear this would be a programme of fresh ideas and masterful ensemble playing.

Their performance of “Cuicidado: Sarajevo” by Guillermo Lago for Saxophone Quartet was also unforgettable. Performed over our heads from the upper gallery, but with no more programme note than a title and a composer to go on, their hauntingly sombre sounds instantly recreated images of that city, and other nearby parts of the world, where warfare has given us reason again to pause and remember.

The Navy Band playing in a church building like St Matthew’s was for many a perfect place to experience this art. For many of us this was the stand out surprise concert of the 2020 year and we are looking forward to hearing them play their new programme with great anticipation.  PN www.stmatthews.nz/concerts

The forms in Gill’s work are pure and elegant, and make timeless statements designed to last 100 years or more. Her practice extends to large-scale installations such as the magnificent ‘Glass Ceiling’ in 2019, where she smashed 16.5 tonnes of glass, filling the Silo on Auckland’s waterfront – a potent political metaphor and a sensory hit!

For this survey show, Gill is making a new smashed glass sculpture that captures the emotion of this time.

The show is on at Scott Lawrie Gallery in Grey Lynn with free weekend parking at 15 Williamson Avenue. Opening preview is Saturday 10 April at 3pm, with the artist giving a talk at 4pm. All welcome.  PN SCOTT LAWRIE GALLERY, 2 Murdoch Road, www.scottlawrie.com

Gill Gatfield

Royal New Zealand Navy Band and Ensembles Brilliant Brass and Winds

~ Survey 10 April – 02 May 2021

Tuesday 4th May, 12.10-12.50pm Entry by koha.

2 Murdoch Rd, Grey Lynn (Off 15 Williamson Ave) Thurs to Sun, 11 – 5pm

scottlawrie.com

94 PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

Ponsonby News 5.indd 1

22/02/21 3:19 PM

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ARTS + CULTURE

UPTOWN ART SCENE As shifting Levels concertina work into fewer days, I took a short walk to clear my mind and see what art was on within a block or two of Studio Art Supplies.

Objectspace, at 13 Rose Road, is wonderful in its breadth and depth of arty things, 3D from design to raranga. Passing with sandwich in hand, I saw Kauri Hawkin’s sculpture standing in the forecourt, proudly monumental – until one recognises the plain, cast concrete shape is a pokie machine.

Titled Everybody WiNZ, the work points to the source income for much of the arts funding in this country. Gambling involves a disproportionate number of low-income people, with proceeds used by Creative New Zealand, via the Lotteries Commission, to fund art projects and charitable organisations such as Objectspace, who commissioned Hawkin’s sculpture.

Everybody WiNZ describes the money-go-round perfectly.

At 2 Murdoch Road is Scott Lawrie Gallery. The extremely affable Scotsman, recently running The Vivian at Matakana, has been at this location just six months, presenting works from New Zealand and Australia, including from such established artists as Patricia Piccinini, and the estate of Sally Gabori.

Everybody WiNZ, by Kauri Hawkins at Objectspace

Currently showing at the time was the thick oil paintings of Toby Raine, taking a refreshing turn towards soft colours and his daughter as subject matter. While characteristically abstracted in an Auerbach way, one can identify intimate scenes in paintings like Irene cuddling an undeserving cat and Irene in mum’s hat.

Next block down is Grey (37 Scanlan Street), an exhibition space where artists can organise their own shows. Three art school colleagues presented their post-Elam works in Ways Forward, paintings different from each other, but surpringly complementary.

Local artist John Hodgson positions a pink figure awkwardly in the landscape, like it’s trying to make sense of its place. A large tenderly painted head sits precariously on a slope. Trevor Newman applies colours in diffused lines of light and dark, while Bonco favours thicker paint in strict grid positions.

So much art within a couple of blocks – I love our neighbourhood!  PN (EVAN WOODRUFFE/STUDIO ART SUPPLIES)

Irene in mum’s hat, by Toby Raine at Scott Lawrie

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ARTS + CULTURE

It’s time to get your binge fitness up. The last of the long sunny days are behind us. Daylight Savings has ended and there is every excuse to snuggle in and binge. Let the anticipation build.

NETFLIX

Behind Her Eyes This is the Netflix version of a page turner. Just when you think you know exactly what’s happening there is an uncomfortable twist, you gasp and click ‘next episode’. There is always a thrill when you watch a halfway decent psychological thriller; it has your heart racing and sometimes you just have to turn away from the screen. It’s all a sign that you have been truly transported into the story world - have suspended belief and gone along fully for the ride.

Behind Her Eyes does all this to you and more with great performances by the cast who are able to portray the complex and destructive relationships that drive this story forward. Eve Hewson (Bono’s daughter) plays the beautiful, vulnerable yet unsettling Adele. Opposite her, delivering a disarming yet powerful performance is Englishman Tom Bateman who plays her Scottish husband - a part he received some pushback from as a result of his less than perfect Scottish accent.

The final piece in this complicated love triangle is Lousie, the secretary without the cliche, played by the very talented Simona Brown.

This series has a deliciousness about it that comes from beautifully developed characters. The three leads are so distinct from one another

Behind Her Eyes on NETFLIX

Behind Her Eyes on NETFLIX

AUTUMN STREAMING GUIDE

that they are not just clear in your head, but are all equally lovable and dislikeable at the same time. I would challenge anyone to pick a favourite at the start of the series and then stick with them without wavering until the end. 

The Covert Theatre in Mackelvie Street, Ponsonby is NZ’s home of improvised comedy.

With workshops and shows every night of the week there is something for everyone.

Be sure to check out www.coverttheatre.com You can support all the good giggle’s by donation right here, www.coverttheatre.com/how-to-help Registered charity CC53421

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ARTS + CULTURE Ans Westra, Te Rere a Kapuni, 1965, archival pigment print, 950 x 950mm

Lupin on NETFLIX

Lupin In just the first five minutes of this subtitled French series your curiosity is piqued. The lead character Assane, has been so very cleverly painted that even though you don’t know his story, you somehow are already on his side: but have you just been conned?

This is again a show that asks the audience to suspend belief. The schemes and cons of Assane are sometimes a bit of a stretch for the imagination but his character is so beguiling and richly drawn that you will quickly forgive this.

Lupin starts off at a gentle pace - it’s in no hurry to solve the ‘big crime’. Instead the mystery is teased from a desire to understand what makes the characters tick, and where they are on their own avenging journey. 

@ {SUITE} GALLERY Ans Westra Exhibition of Colour Photographs.

On show at {Suite} from 6 April is an exhibition of colour photographs by one of New Zealand’s most significant and important photographers, Ans Westra, who is well known for her documenting of Maori history and culture.

Them on Amazon Prime

Included in the exhibition are images that are being shown for the first time ever. The images were made in Easter 1965 when a pilgrimage of over 4,000 people descended on Te Rere a Kapuni, a waterfall on the southern slopes of Mt Taranaki.

Amazon Prime

Them This new limited anthology series is set to be released on Amazon Prime on 3 April, just in time to watch or binge during Easter. The trailer is chilling and confronting; you can almost taste the terror and suspense.

If the trailer is an indicator of what this series will be like, Easter viewing on Amazon Prime will be more than satisfying.

Them is set in the 1950s and the first season centres on a Black family who move from North Carolina to a White Los Angeles neighborhood.

Soon after arriving, their picture perfect home becomes ground zero for neighbours who lack humanity as well as otherworldly forces which threaten to taunt, ravage and destroy them.

We will be reviewing this series properly next month, but if you can’t wait till May, check it out on Amazon Prime this Easter.

Star rating pending

From 1919 to 1939 T.W. Ratana, the founder of the Ratana Church, made frequent visits to Te Rere a Kapuni to meditate and refresh his powers. In 1925, Ratana prophesied that the marae at Opunake would be ‘over-run by people’ in the Easter of 1965. To fulfil the prophecy, a huge Ratana meeting took place that Easter at Opunake.

Organised by the Ratana Youth Clubs of New Zealand, it was attended by people from all over the country with busloads of people coming and going from Ratana Pa to the mountain all weekend.

Ans Westra was on-hand as photographer for Te Ao Hao magazine.

She spent the weekend documenting worshippers and activities going on that weekend, which included dances, brass band contests, Maori cultural competitions, a talent quest as well as the religious services. The large colour prints, made with Ans’s twin-lens Rolleiflex camera, capture the excitement and vibrancy of the event and the huge crowds in attendance. Other images on show in the exhibition include colour images of Rotorua in the early 60s.

For more information visit www.suite.co.nz/answestra.

A full catalogue of available works by all gallery artists can be viewed by contacting the gallery.  PN {Suite} Gallery, 189 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 218 4399, www.suite.co.nz PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2021

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HOROSCOPES: MISS PEARL NECLIS – WHAT YOUR STARS HOLD FOR APRIL

Aquarius (the Water Carrier) 21 January - 19 February The hard work that you put into all aspects of your life are about to pay off. You’ve always been focused on living a stress-free life and the signals you send out enable others to feel calm in your presence.

Pisces (the Fishes) 20 February - 20 March You’ve always gravitated towards people who are like yourself - open, honest, and secure in who they are. But just lately someone has come into your life that has different values. You have to accept people for whatever they stand for, whether you share those beliefs or not.

Aries (the Ram) 21 March - 20 April Saying what needs to be said is the key this month. Stand up for yourself and you’ll see changes being made. Standing out isn’t usually your thing, but appearing confident and being confident are slightly different. You have to decide who you are.

Taurus (the Bull) 21 April - 21 May Whether you want it or not, the help is always there if you need it. If you’re not hearing or seeing the help offered take a listen to those around you. With good things happening to you this month why not repay the kindness in some way.

Gemini (the Twins) 22 May - 21 June You could be just the individual that is there with a helping hand this month. Be the person that you’ve always wanted to be. You have plenty of energy to support others and just by being available, you’re providing support.

Cancer (the Crab) 22 June - 22 July If you find that your stamina levels aren’t what they used to be, it might be because you’re not taking a break when you should be. Let others into your orbit. Life can be much easier if you let many hands do the work.

Leo (the Lion) 23 July - 21 August You’ve finally confirmed to yourself that this is the way working life is going to be. All our lives are different now and the way we all work has changed. Accepting this will allow you to move and work independently.

Virgo (the Virgin) 22 August - 23 September A windfall or promotion of some kind could be coming your way. But before you get too excited it might not be of any monetary value just yet. You seem to be working hard and the results are being noticed.

Libra (the Scales) 24 September - 23 October Don’t let negativity get you down if you can this month. You might feel it around you and the people you encounter might be suffering from it. You have to rise above it. Be as positive as you can as you’re in a better place than most people.

Scorpio (the Scorpion) 24 October - 22 November You’re able to see who is just on your side and who isn’t playing fair. If you keep playing it safe by looking after yourself and those close to you, a lot is going to go right in your life at last. Flaunt your assets if you have to but your conduct speaks for itself.

Sagittarius (the Archer) 23 November - 22 December Whatever barriers have been in your way in the past have vanished now you look towards the future. You’re passionate and enthusiastic about everything you do and your attitude has shifted. You want to enjoy life now, rather than just live it.

Capricorn (the Goat) 23 December - 20 January Friends can come and go but the relationships with your family can be forever.

Try not to cut off communication as a flow of dialogue will help to heal relationships. Move forward as much as you can but don’t leave the past behind without trying to heal first.

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