PONSONBY NEWS - FEBRUARY 2019

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PUBLISHED FRIDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2019

Established: OCTOBER 1989 – CELEBRATING 29 YEARS OF PUBLISHING HISTORY!

FEBRUARY 2019

WOOF! THE AUCKLAND RAINBOW DOG SHOW IS COMING TO PONSONBY - P74 INSIDE THIS MONTH Valentine’s Day, Maintaining Good Health & Planning Retirement

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Love the Choice

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Brand New Apartments Selling* Now! Make 2019 your year to move into our new and exclusive Lakeview Apartments, where you’ll experience lakeside living in the heart of Auckland. Each apartment is warm, modern, finished to the highest standard and soon to be completed for you to make your own.

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From your apartment you can access the stunning rooftop terrace, take a stroll around the lake or enjoy the recreational facilities around the village.

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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P49: February is the most romantic month of the year with Valentine’s Day. This is the time to show your loved ones how much they mean to you.

FROM THE EDITOR DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW PIPPA COOM: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD MIKE LEE, COUNCILLOR FOR WAITEMATA & GULF JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS NIKKI KAYE: AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP U3A PONSONBY EAT DRINK & BE MERRY

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FUTURE GENERATION

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PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: CONNOR CRAWFORD

VEG FRIENDLY: GARY STEEL TRAVEL BREAKS HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH HELENE RAVLICH: LOCAL BEAUTY JOHN APPLETON ON HEALTH

PONSONBY PETS COVER STORY - WOOF! RETIREMENT PLANNING HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS HEIDI PADAIN: ENTERTAINMENT IN YOUR GARDEN ARTS + CULTURE PONSONBY PINK PAGES

PONSONBY NEWS+ is published monthly, excluding January by ALCHEMY MEDIA LIMITED POSTAL: P.O. BOX 47-282 Ponsonby, Auckland 1144, T: 09 378 8553 or 09 361 3356, www.ponsonbynews.co.nz Editor/Publisher Distribution Manager Ad Sales & Contributing Editor Advertising Sales/Ad Designer Operations Manager Contributing Music Editor Contributing Editor Proof Reader Designer

MARTIN LEACH; M: 021 771 147; E: martinleach@xtra.co.nz or martin@ponsonbynews.co.nz JAY PLATT; M: 021 771 146; E: jayplatt@xtra.co.nz or jay@ponsonbynews.co.nz ANDREA KAHUKIWA; M: 021 689 688; E: andrea@ponsonbynews.co.nz MELISSA PAYNTER; M: 027 938 4111; E: melissapaynter@me.com GWYNNE DAVENPORT; M: 021 150 4095; E: gwynne@ponsonbynews.co.nz FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT; M: 021 134 4101; E: finn.huia@gmail.com www.facebook.com/ponsonbynews JOHN ELLIOTT; M: 021 879 054; E: johnelliott38@outlook.com www.twitter.com/Ponsonby_News DEIRDRE THURSTON www.instagram.com/PonsonbyNews ARNA MARTIN; E: arna@cocodesign.co.nz

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: WITHIN NEW ZEALAND $49. BY CHEQUE OR POSTAL ORDER IN NZ$. NO CREDIT CARDS. PLEASE NOTE: we do not hold back issues of Ponsonby News. Our archive is all online as a low resolution pdf or from August 2010, as a high resolution E-mag - 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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69,000 readers per month (Nielsen Media), 17,000 copies distributed to homes and businesses in... Arch Hill, Ponsonby, Cox’s Bay, Freemans Bay, Herne Bay, Grey Lynn, St Mary’s Bay, West Lynn and Westmere. Plus selected businesses in Britomart, High Street, CBD, Kingsland, Mt Eden, Newmarket, Newton + Parnell.

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

CHRIS

BATCHELOR AUCTION

SOLD

SOLD

Herne Bay 4/151 Jervois Road

Westmere 42 Dorset Street - Dec 2018

Westmere 40 Warwick Avenue - Dec 2018

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Grey Lynn 64 Mackelvie Street - Nov 2018

Herne Bay 16 Sentinel Road - Nov 2018

St Marys Bay 62 Hackett Street - Oct 2018

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Westmere 20 Fife Street - Oct 2018

Ponsonby 22 Norfolk Street - Jul 2018

Herne Bay 23 Wanganui Avenue - Jun 2018

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

St Marys Bay (Off Market Sale) 54 Hackett Street - May 2018

Herne Bay (Off Market Sale) 34 Herne Bay Road - Mar 2018

Herne Bay 76 Albany Road - Dec 2017

With an extraordinary reputation built on his commitment to getting the job done, Chris has long been a trusted name in Real Estate.

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

Chris Batchelor 021 217 7026 | chris.batchelor@bayleys.co.nz BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, PONSONBY, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Re s identia l / Comme rc i al / Rural / Prope rt y Se rvi ce s

LETTERS + EMAILS GARY STEEL’S VEGAN COLUMN - DECEMBER ISSUE I happened to read your NZ First/Vegan contributor's latest article after someone suggested to me the contents were a bit at odds with the inclusivity most of us believe exists in Auckland and in particular the greater Ponsonby area.

It appears Mr Steel, on getting peckish, went into a Korean bakery and was given a meat pie when what he wanted and thought he was getting was a vegan pie.

He apparently brought this to their attention and they duly refunded him - he admits he had already chomped into the pie - which is probably more than a lot of other retailers would have done.

This, however, was not good enough for Mr Steel who it seems took umbrage at the lack of an apology - I would have thought the refund constituted some sort of apology - or explanation and felt he was somehow entitled to lecture us all on the need to 'educate' immigrants or, more particularly, Asians on their need to upskill on how important it was to appreciate and understand the importance of how the vegan world operates and how critical it is for them to operate accordingly.

when you are 800 miles away you gain an even greater appreciation of the quality of this publication. We look forward to finding it in our letter box monthly.

Lime scooters, the early closure of public toilets and the increasing number of footpath potholes are the only challengers we have found. If I was able bodied I would be racing on one of them too. They look like fun albeit with some risk for both rider and the public. I had a Vespa when I was 16 graduating to Suzuki by the time I was twenty and rode bikes to my mid-30s. A onetime girlfriend reckoned that what I paid in speeding fines was a deposit on a house and I avoided losing my licence was because I was at sea half the year.

Now I get around on a powered wheelchair that can hit 6kms per hour. The scooters have almost taken me out a couple of times luckily to date no collision has happened.

Helmets and road rules would help all. The thing that really annoys me is the thousands that we have paid for resource consents for simple things like adding a skylight and yet Lime gets an operating licence for a song.

Gerry Hill & Sally James, Ponsonby LETTERS continued p86

Mr Steel's comments regarding diversity, before ripping into them on the basis that in his opinion they didn’t understand or respect his choice to be a vegan, were patronising, arrogant and in my opinion racist and it was disappointing to see such thinking in Ponsonby News. Gordon Frykberg, Ponsonby GARY STEEL RESPONDS: I'm sorry if you found the observations made in my Veg Friendly column to be offensive.

All I can say is that I'm in no way an NZ First supporter, I love New Zealand's multi-cultural milieu and, in fact, my wife is Japanese. From my perspective, the column was quite the opposite of racist, as I believe that encouraging New Zealand Asians in the hospitality industry to recognise and be sensitive towards the range of eating requirements can only be positive. Veg Friendly as a column specifically about plant-based eating preferences is tasked with increasing people's awareness of veganism and vegetarianism, and it's no longer acceptable for a business to sell a meat pie parading as a vegetarian pie, just as it would be unacceptable for a restaurant to sell a peanut-free meal to someone with a peanut allergy.

LOSS OF LOCAL TREES Grey Lynn and Ponsonby have, according to research photos, lost the most trees of all Auckland suburbs. As humans we need trees to absorb the carbon dioxide from pollution and give back oxygen. So, shame on Ponsonby Central for clearing masses of trees from the edge of the car park, particularly the beautiful ancient, unusual tropical tree on the Richmond Road side which gave me such pleasure every year. Developers win again.

Marlyn Robson, by email CLAIRE O’SHANNESSY RESPONDS ON BEHALF OF PONSONBY CENTRAL: We, too, were saddened to lose the coral tree and some of the other trees to make way for our development. However, the hedging trees planted along the Brown Street Reserve were acemena and this is now considered to be a pest species. As part of our overall scheme we will be planting more trees along Richmond Road as we, too, love trees and recognise the importance of the role they play in our urban environment. This is as well as continuing our soft landscaping of low hedging, planter boxes and vines.

FRANKLIN ROAD WORKS What is the latest news regarding the Franklin Road road works? How long will the road closures be? Would be great to have an update.

Karin Hurrass, Kingsland FROM THE EDITOR: Auckland Transport tells us that the works should all be done by June. I’m pleased to report that the end is in sight - I know many residents will be pleased to see these works finished.

SALLY AND I ARE SO HAPPY BEING BACK IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD The warm welcome we have received in a city the size of Auckland could only happen here. The Ponsonby News kept us current with Ponsonby happenings in Wanaka and Views in Ponsonby News reflect the authors’ and not those of Alchemy Media.

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Congratulations to Carole Beu (The Women's Bookshop & John Elliott. Both locals who received honours in the New Year's Honours List.

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Photography: Connor Crawford

FROM THE EDITOR

The Ponsonby News team L to R: Andrea Kahukiwa, Jay Platt, Martin Leach, Melissa Paynter and Gwynne Davenport

Happy New Year everyone. I trust you’ve all had a lovely break and are still enjoying summer.

Ponsonby News columnist John Elliott, along with Carole Beu from the Women’s Bookshop are two locals in this New Year’s Honours List. Very well deserved and congrats to them both.

Over December we learned of the sad passing of Ivan Yelavich. Ivan's restaurant, which operated for over 30 years, was known for serving simple affordable food at 147 Ponsonby Road (now Chapel Bar). The photo of Ivan, standing outside the restaurant in 1976, was one of a series produced by Robin Morrison for The Ponsonby business calendar that year - P22.

Throughout this issue there are ideas for maintaining good health. One editorial this month is about a new Grey Lynn business called New Leaf Kombucha. Read all about it - P37.

As readers may already know, the Pride Festival Trust Board made the decision at the end of last year to cancel the parade along Ponsonby Road on 16 February. The PBA

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

tells us they are now organising a street festival on that day. The focus of the festival is connecting with locals and creating an event that celebrates Ponsonby. Starting at 2.30pm there will be music stations set up along Ponsonby Road with buskers and a live entertainment stage.

February is the most romantic month of the year with Valentine’s Day. This is the time to show your loved ones how much they mean to you - P49.

Woof! - The Auckland Rainbow Dog Show will be larger, furrier, showier and woofier than ever in March! Dogs and dog lovers from across the rainbow spectrum and everyone else are invited to an afternoon of four-legged fun in luscious Western Park, Ponsonby.

The event is proudly supported by Nutrience and Barkley Manor - P74.

Planning for retirement has never been easy, but it seems to be getting harder, and the amount of money needed for retirement is rising every day. We offer some ideas to help with a strategy - P76. (MARTIN LEACH) F PN

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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DAVID HARTNELL’S ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW Tejo van Schie has been a physiotherapist in Westmere since 1990.

What is the best thing about where you live?

I live in Grey Lynn and I love how close it is to all the excitements Auckland City has to offer. I am keen to partake in all that is just a bike ride away.

You are often seen around the area on your amazing bike, did you have it specially made?

I have two E-bikes from the Electric bike team in East Street. The more unusual one is a cargo bike which was imported from Christiania in Denmark. It was made electric by Maurice and my granddaughter Awatea loves it so much.

What was your childhood like?

I lived in the Westland area of the Netherlands as the fourth child of a six-piece Catholic market-gardening family. We worked hard, but in play we were free to roam. It was a privileged and safe childhood.

What brought you to New Zealand?

In 1985 I followed Doris de Pont when she returned from her OE in Holland; best choice I ever made.

Give your teenaged self some advice?

Don't worry about what other people think about you, they are too busy thinking about themselves anyway.

Your wife Doris de Pont is a respected fashion designer, do you have any interest in fashion?

Doris is now the Director of the NZ Fashion Museum so I get to help her with that. I am a frequent visitor to fashion exhibitions around the world and usually attend some shows at fashion week.

How do you chill out?

In my garden, listening to the cricket commentary on my transistor radio (yes, I still have one of those).

Your dream holiday?

We are going to visit Mali in West Africa next year; dreaming about that now.

Most treasured passion?

My passion for dancing never diminishes, must be because I was born in the same year as Prince and Michael Jackson.

The most Kiwi thing about you?

Speaking Te Reo Maori and singing waiata.

See yourself in 10 years - where?

Annabel Cave, my colleague at Westmere Physiotherapy Clinic, tells me I will still be working here.

Do you read movie or TV reviews?

Yes, I read movie and series reviews and it is a factor in where we go, although my clients are the most reliable source of recommendations.

How would you like to be remembered?

As kind and caring.

What do you love most about your age?

As I have aged my inhibitions and shyness have been shrinking, while freedom has increased.

Something you really disapprove of?

C.A.V.E. people - Citizens Against Virtually Everything whose resistances stop positive change.

Your biggest disappointments?

The opposition to the roll-out of bike infrastructure by local citizens.

Resistance against positive change locks us into our current harmful patterns.

What motivates you?

Music and dance. There is so much fantastic local music and independent dance being performed to get out to.

What's the best movie you've ever seen and why?

The Kaipara Affair by Barry Barclay, because it explained really clearly how society works.

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Which item of clothing can't you live without?

My Venetian captain’s cap to keep the sun off when I am on my E-bike.

Favourite time of the day?

Late at night dancing and the dawn chorus - this can create a dilemma.

Your dream home?

The pink house in Grey Lynn, which is where I actually live.

What are you insecure about?

The future of the planet causes me concern at times.

Tell us something very few people know about you?

I am an avid bird watcher.

What is your greatest fear?

Harm coming to my wife, my children or my grandchildren.

Which talent would you most like to have?

The ability to play music. However, it might cut into the time available to dance to music.

Your greatest weakness?

Trifle.

Your comfort food?

Lasagne.

Do you have a party trick?

I can wiggle my ears and I do a pretty good impression of a turkey.

Do you travel light or heavy?

Always ends up heavier than I would like.

Your all time favourite book?

A Fine Balance by Rohan Mistry is amazing in its unflinching description of life in India and the strength of the human spirit.

If you could change one law or policy in New Zealand, what would it be?

The regulation on pay-back rates for solar power. Electricity companies should not just be concerned with making money for shareholders, but should also consider social good.

PN (DAVID HARTNELL, MNZM) F PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FB.com/keithandsandydowdle @keith.dowdle

PIPPA COOM: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD REPORT In December, the local board made a decision on a new entranceway to Salisbury Reserve in Herne Bay. We have prioritised precious green space and amenity of the reserve over car parking. It has been a long process going back to the purchase by the Auckland City Council of the former Masonic Lodge on Argyle Street from an open space budget. The local board held two rounds of consultation to look at options for retaining the hall as a community facility. As that option was ultimately not viable for a range of reasons including the cost, we moved ahead with public consultation on proposals for the entranceway. In total, 68% of participants preferred the option approved by the board while 27% preferred a car park to provide additional parking in the area.

As part of the decision making process a Parking Utilisation Report was commissioned to better understand parking availability. The resulting data revealed that the total number of vehicles informally parked in all areas of the reserve never exceeded the total number of parking spaces available on-street within 200m of the site, even during peak use of the Herne Bay Petanque clubrooms.

We know that Probus and the petanque club members are concerned about parking especially for their many elderly visitors. We’ve therefore requested that Auckland Transport explores options for mobility parking and the local board is working to improve accessibility into the clubrooms. We’ve made a decision that takes a long-term view of the value of parkland in our city’s future.

The council’s annual budget consultation is coming up from 17 February. This is the opportunity to give feedback on whether we have got our priorities right. We’re not proposing major changes to the existing work programme for 2019/2020 as we continue to deliver the projects identified in the 2017 Waitemata- Local Board Plan.

Developing 254 Ponsonby Road as a civic space remains our major local initiative. Activating, improving and renewing our parks, guided by our Park Development Plans, will continue to be a focus. There is budget earmarked to upgrade the playgrounds at Western Springs Lakeside Park and Home Street Reserve, provide pathways in Basque Park and commence building of the Grey Lynn Park changing rooms.

New footpaths are being investigated for Basque Park Our stream restoration projects will continue, and we’ve got a new project underway to enhance the Western Springs-Meola-Three Kings Aquifer. Through our grants programme, we’ll support community and arts groups and local events, as well as stage our two flagship events - Parnell Festival of Roses and Myers Park Medley (a family friendly, free event on Sunday 17 February). We’re funding a new arts partnership with TAPAC and increased library hours at Grey Lynn Library and the Central City Library.

We’ll also continue investigating opportunities to reduce agrichemical use, including advocating to the Governing Body to take a regional approach to agrichemical-free park maintenance.

For information on the Annual Budget 19/20 consultation and engagement events visit the Auckland Council website.

(PIPPA COOM) F PN

Contact Pippa Coom, Chair of Waitamata Local Board, pippa.coom@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz, www.facebook.com/waitemata

Draft concept design for the Home Street playground upgrade

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS PONSONBY PARK UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED BY COUNCIL Ponsonby is iconic, diverse and urban.

The vision you informed for the whole site civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road involves the contemporary values of democracy, inclusiveness and sustainability.

Also, LandLAB’s design won the international ‘World Architecture News - Future Civic' category award. And was shortlisted in the ‘World Architecture Festival’, ‘Future Civic’ category.

On behalf of the community, we thank the ‘Environment & Community Committee’ for unanimously supporting the whole site civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road - with no prerequisite land sale.

The community has shown significant and sustained engagement for a whole site civic space. And why wouldn’t they when it has so much to offer? It will:

THE JOURNEY

• Protect our harbours by mitigating storm water run-off

2000 A Boffa Miskell report confirmed the wider Ponsonby area was undersupplied for public urban amenity space.

• Be an exemplar for sustainable development by sensitively and adaptively reusing the existing structures and includes a rain garden, green walls and green roof

2006 Land at 254 Ponsonby Road was purchased for a ‘Town Square’.

• It will encourage biodiversity • Be a green lung for the busy Ponsonby Road

2013 The Waitemata Local Board (WLB) released the ‘Draft Ponsonby Road Masterplan’ that included the civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road.

• Be a major connector and contributor to the pollinator pathway network

2014 Due to intense interest in the site, it was ‘de-coupled’ from the Masterplan and a site-specific consultation was held. 77% of the 698 respondents chose the whole site civic space option.

• Reduce the impacts of climate change by providing shade and carbon sequestration

2016 The project was devolved to the community by the WLB with a brief to:

• A place to build social capital

‘Develop a design concept with an indicative budget, for a whole site civic space using Community-led Design principles’.

It will also be:

• A place for Matariki, Diwali and other cultural celebrations and festivals • It will be a place to be married

So we all got down to work! Firstly, determining what such a process might be in our context and, secondly, how to effectively engage with our diverse local - as well as the wider - community.

• To learn to ride a bike • To rest and relax

Together we created a comprehensive communications strategy. One that reached out and updated people, and pulled in regular feedback.

We used email, social media, our website, letter-box drops, in-person events, information sessions and regular updates via local media publications (thank you Martin!).

We conducted a series of ‘needs based’ consultation cycles and the responses informed the creation of a design brief that was taken up by 11 designers. All working pro bono.

• Or to be energized and entertained • It will be a place for our hospitality and retail workforce to enjoy a break or to have their lunch • A tourist destination that will stimulate and support the local business community • A place for a farmers' market

2017 The final consultation (a physical and online virtual exhibition of the submitted designs) resulted in the LandLAB design being chosen.

May 2017 This design, with an indicative budget, was formally presented to the WLB. December 2017 The whole site project was included in Auckland’s 10 Year Long Term Plan (LTP) as the WLB’s ‘One Local Initiative’. This received strong support from 60% of local residents who responded to the LTP. November 2018 Council officers presented their report to the WLB, recommending: The development of the whole site (2326m2) as a civic space, with no associated disposal - as the preferred option.

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• It will be a place of diversity and inclusion - where everyone is welcome and will ‘buzz with the sound of people’ In short, it will be an urban oasis that will be good for the people, good for the environment and good for Auckland.

We are grateful for the WLB’s trust and support in both trialling, and championing the Community-led Design model. And we are delighted council has unanimously supported the vision chosen by the community for the whole site civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road.

We look forward to being part of the realisation of Stage One of the PN development. (JENNIFER WARD) F Contact: 254ponsonbyrd.org.nz For additional information visit 254ponsonbyrd.org.nz or Facebook ‘Ponsonby Park’.

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MIKE LEE: COUNCILLOR FOR WAITEMATA & GULF All along the waterfront. The battle goes on.

“Over the next 10 years, Auckland Council has a vision to transform the waterfront into an attractive, people friendly environment.

Auckland Transport will be delivering the first part of this vision from 2018 to 2021... Miharo (extraordinary) Manaakitanga (welcoming) Auckland to Tamaki (authentic and beautiful).”

sitting in the water, portrayed in council publicity as “an oasis inspired by our coastal and cultural environment”, is in reality just another unimaginative encroachment. This will restrict ferries operating from the ideal place for them, make berthing cruise ships more difficult and hinder navigation within the ferry basin.

So says the Auckland Council/AT blurb on plans for the downtown waterfront. But hype is hype in any language. All too often council ‘official speak’ is the flipside to reality.

A working waterfront and a ‘people friendly’ waterfront, as the present situation demonstrates need not be incompatible. While improvements and enhancements are always welcome, that requires a practical understanding of how the area works, if not vision. Such practicality, let alone ‘feel’ or vision, is not very much in evidence.

It appears to me that the objective of the exercise is to ‘transform’ a working waterfront into some sort of sterile playground for city hipsters. In other words the people currently in power despite all the hype and gush just don’t ‘get’ the waterfront. Someone who does is historian David Balderston, the author of a number of books including Auckland’s harbour ferries. David who is now resident in England is an old shipmate of mine. David’s whimsy ‘gets it’ as my fellow ferry commuters would agree: “We see these lucky people waiting at the lights at the foot of Queen Street…There is a vague aroma of salt and diesel oil about them as they stand with their feet slightly apart, their heads up and a faraway look (common to both explorers and sailors) in their eyes.”

Let’s leave the central waterfront for a moment and head west to Sentinel Beach and the saga of rich-lister Mr Duke’s boatshed-come helicopter pad-come entertainment centre. Auckland Council’s official line here has changed dramatically over the past few weeks from insisting that the work was compliant and the consents all in order, to, after Andy Coleman and the Herne Bay Residents Association took the matter to the High Court, doing a flip and admitting the work was not compliant after all. The court went further and found the council consents invalid.

But unfortunately for Herne Bay residents and the public who enjoy Sentinel Beach, unlike the words, council deeds have continued to support the development. Council officers have approved work continuing to make the supposed boat shed ‘watertight’. That is why Mr Coleman and and Herne Bay residents have gone back to court at their own considerable cost to force the council to stop the work before it becomes a fait accompli.

It shouldn’t have to be this way; the whole sorry affair is just more evidence that something is fundamentally wrong with consenting and enforcement in Auckland Council.

Let me now return to the downtown waterfront where radical changes are underway. What is happening is what I first warned about in ‘Ponsonby News’ in September 2017. It is the outcome of the Auckland Council’s behind closed doors ‘refresh’ of the popular Waterfront Plan, in the wake of the disbanding of Waterfront Auckland and its replacement by Panuku. It entails major changes agreed to

by Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and Panuku but with the people of Auckland shut out of the process.

First of all in regard to the stated objective, the downtown waterfront is already ‘a people friendly’ environment but it is also at the same time a working waterfront where along with freight and stores, harbour ferries and international cruise ships disembark and embark thousands of passengers per week. Adjacent Quay Street is also a vital arterial route conveying working commuters to the CBD. Currently underway is work to permanently reduce the present four lanes of vehicle traffic to two - without a notified resource consent.

Despite AT’s assertion that effects would be ‘no more than minor’ approximately 25,000 vehicles a day transit this area. This traffic cannot be simply wished away. Before Christmas I wrote to AT and warned them not to do this, explaining the reasons why. My plea was disregarded. Already people returning to work are experiencing considerable delays and this is just the start. This deliberately constructed choke-point will be disruptive, costly for businesses and is going to tick a lot of people off.

Among the many other changes is a new ‘Downtown public space’.

Ever since Auckland Council sold Queen Elizabeth Square (for a risable net price) there has been a push by council officers to replace the open space so willingly traded away, by reclaiming a part of the ferry basin between Princes Wharf and the ferry tee.

The people of Auckland have not asked for this, in fact it is the clearly stated consensus that there be no more encroachments on - The extension with an associated twee, arty ‘blob’ the Waitemata.

20 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

But once again the council is out of touch. (MIKE LEE) F PN Navigators & Naturalists - French exploration of New Zealand and the South Seas 1769-1824. Bateman Books. Hard back. RRP $69.99 available at all good booksellers.

Mike Lee is the Auckland Councillor for Waitemata & Gulf Ward, www.mikelee.co.nz

A MEETING PLACE - For conferences, seminars, meetings, workshops or launches - Situated in a central location with five versatile meeting rooms - AV equipment and Internet access available - Extensive parking available - Since 2001 the St Columba Centre has gained a reputation as a centre of excellence and as such has become a location of choice for many organisations FOR ENQUIRIES AND RESERVATIONS P: 09 376 1195 E: COLUMBA@CDA.ORG.NZ 40 VERMONT STREET PONSONBY, AUCKLAND SAINTCOLUMBA.ORG.NZ

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

Masonic Hall Removal in Argyle Street and future parking I do not intend to re-litigate the whole saga of the reasons for removing a perfectly good community hall from Argyle Street, Herne Bay, but the resulting planned removal has brought up the question of residual parking after the hall has gone.

Council intends to plant out the entrance, making access pedestrian only. The 86 Probus members who meet in the petanque club rooms every week will now find parking extremely difficult, with long walks for some of their over 70 members. So will the 77 petanque club members who come from as far away as Massey, Helensville and Orewa to play.

Both sets of club members have already been suffering pressure from locals to desist parking outside their homes on Argyle Street because it restricts parking for residents' visitors.

Could some compromise be reached?

It is not usual for council parks or reserves to include parking, but perhaps a few spaces could be planned just off Argyle Street where the hall will leave a gap.

Surely, we don’t want to have to tell these people to find somewhere else to go for their meetings, when a reasonable accommodation might be able to be reached. (JOHN ELLIOTT) F PN

A new entranceway to Salisbury Reserve is planned on the site of the old Masonic Lodge

34 SACKVILLE STREET, GREY LYNN SECURE YOUR FUTURE

This character bungalow is set in your dream family friendly location, directly opposite the refurbished Sackville Reserve playground. From here you can stroll easily to the West Lynn Village, Ponsonby and the emerging Grey Lynn design and artisan hub.

There is potential to renovate this home in the future if you choose. In the meantime settle in, get comfortable and enjoy the subtle modern touches added by the current owners. The bedrooms are large and the sunroom works well as a third bedroom or nursery.

With a huge back yard limited only by your imagination, this property has a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. Call for scheduled viewing times.

Charlotte Kofoed +64 21 241 9394 charlotte.kofoed@nzsir.com

View: nzsothebysrealty.com/NZE11000 On-Site Auction: 2:30 p.m. Saturday 2nd March 2019 (unless sold prior) 2

1

1

Floor: 107 sq m (approx.) | Land: 558 sq m (more or less)

Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated. Browns Real Estate Limited (licensed under the REAA 2008) MREINZ.

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

21

JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

Far too dependent on growth and GDP As economist David Pilling has said, the beauty of gross domestic product is its single figure. “It squishes all of human activity into a couple of digits, like a frog jammed into a match box.”

GDP’s inventor, Simon Kuznets, was adamant his measure had nothing to do with wellbeing. For seven decades fast growth, as measured by GDP, has been considered a mark of success in its own right, rather than as a means to an end. Clean air, public services, or equality of opportunity, are often sacrificed to get more GDP. Sickness, accidents, earthquakes all add to GDP, but are hardly positive occurrences.

Fortunately, suggesting alternatives is no longer controversial.

Former French president Nicolas Sarcozy commissioned a panel, led by famous American Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, to examine the issue. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron, Canadian leaders, and others around the world, have proposed wellbeing measures variously called happiness indexes, living standards frameworks, happy planet indexes, green GDP, genuine progress indicators, and others, as supplements to GDP. Now it is New Zealand’s turn. The previous government charged Treasury with coming up with a Living Standards Framework, which it has done. It will form the basis of Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s wellbeing budget this year.

The New Zealand coalition government is committed to reviewing New Zealand’s performance across some high-level indicators.

Budget 2019, The Wellbeing Budget, will broaden the budget’s focus beyond economic and fiscal policy by using the Treasury’s Living Standards Framework.

The budget will set out to improve the wellbeing of current and future New Zealanders. “This means,” says Robertson, “that we will look beyond traditional measures - such as just GDP - to a wider set of indicators of success.”

The five priorities for Budget 2019 are: • Creating opportunities for productive businesses, regions, iwi and others to transition to a sustainable and low-emissions economy.

• Reducing child poverty and improving child wellbeing, including addressing family violence.

• Supporting mental wellbeing for all New Zealanders, with a special focus on under 24-year-olds.

“The 2019 budget will show how we are building an economy that is more productive, more sustainable and more inclusive,” Grant Robertson said.

Robertson emphasised that strong economic fundamentals and sustainable economic growth remain integral to New Zealand’s success, but they are a means to an end, not an end in themselves.

“We are widening our budget focus to look at the wellbeing of our people, the health of our environment and the strength of our communities,” Grant Robertson said.

On budget day 2019, New Zealanders will get to see for themselves whether this immense overhaul is likely to make any difference. We’ll get to see what happens when a government assesses how each dollar it spends impacts wellbeing.

Rising GDP has been shown not to translate into greater happiness beyond certain levels. The world’s wealthiest country, the United States, faces an epidemic of suicide and drug addiction - clear symptoms of rising unhappiness.

Time will tell how our shift in budget emphasis works, as indicators like child poverty, quality housing and environmental sustainability are factored in.

In her valedictory speech to parliament in 2010, Green Party Leader, Jeannette Fitzsimons called on the government to “find better ways of measuring our economic success.

• Supporting a thriving nation in the digital age through innovation, social and economic opportunities.

“The aim should be a better economy, not just a bigger one,” she said. Fitzsimons anywhere near the treasury levers in 2010 would have been unthinkable. Now those ideas are moving closer to reality, and the current Government proposals are exciting.

• Lifting Maori and Pacific incomes, skills and opportunities.

PN As the saying goes - let’s do it. (JOHN ELLIOTT) F

IVAN YELAVICH - REST IN PEACE Ivan's restaurant operated on Ponsonby Road from 1964 until 1995 serving simple affordable food at 147 Ponsonby Road (now Chapel Bar).

photography: Robin Morrison

Memorable for the complimentary hot tea and the piled plate of white bread that always arrived at the table as soon as you sat down. Also the phenomenal memory of Ivan's sister, called by diners 'Mary' (as her name was too hard for them to pronounce), who never wrote anything down and always got the order right. It was a family affair with Ivan’s wife Angela and his brother also working beside Ivan. Many interesting characters flowed through those doors over the years.

The photo of Ivan, standing outside the restaurant in 1976, was one of a series produced

by Robin Morrison for The Ponsonby Business calendar that year. (JANE JACKSON) F PN

22 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

The China - United States trade war I have learned over the years to concentrate on issues within my sphere of influence, and to avoid pontificating on wider world issues outside my sphere of interest.

The trade war which has developed between China and the United States would seem to be an example of an issue outside my sphere of influence. However, it will impact New Zealand according to stories I have read, including by prominent economists.

For years now we have been building relationships with Chinese companies and now China is a massive importer of New Zealand goods and services.

Our relationship with the United States has been problematic since nuclear free days. Now Trump seeks to close the door, and already our steel and alumina exports have been affected.

Some experts are urging us not to get too close to the United States at the expense of our Chinese relationships, while others are urging us to be careful not to get too close to China, alienating America.

I think we need to do neither. New Zealand, like most trading nations, has consistently dealt with regimes where our politics is vastly different from theirs. We highlight human rights issues when and as appropriate, but generally leave other nations to decide their own

internal politics without our interference. We clearly told the USA we were going nuclear free. They didn’t like that, but we’re virtually over that contretemps now.

China may be reinforcing its Communist credentials, and flexing its expansionist muscles, with Xi now President for life, but China is a hugely important trading nation for our products. It is possibly still a more reliable trading partner than the USA. I have not been a huge fan of global trade agreements, which seem often to favour multinationals over our own companies. Some of those multinationals are bigger and more powerful than New Zealand’s entire economy. We potentially have much to lose. However, we are a trading nation, and we want our goods sold anywhere they can be sold, including China and the USA. Let’s not jump to take sides in the big boys spat. It may take Trump’s ousting and Xi’s death before it returns to any sort of normality.

Our export companies must carry on as normal, build relationships abroad and sell where they can. (JOHN ELLIOTT) F PN

THE PONSONBY COMMUNITY CENTRE AND LEYS GYMNASIUM HALL ARE OPEN FOR BOOKINGS Our regular programming will be starting up again in February. However, a few classes like our free Seniors Yoga classes, Head Held High’s drama school programme (for kids) and the Gym Kids holiday programme are already running.

Get in quick to re-enrol for term one classes - please contact our venue partners via their websites for bookings.

Riai Akido: www.aikido.org.nz/schools/ponsonby-auckland/ Matakana Moves: www.facebook.com/niamatakana/

Now enrolling for Term 1: Ballerinaschool: www.ballerinaschool.blogspot.com Head Held High Kids speech and drama): www.headheldhigh.co.nz Rudd School of Rock: www.ruddschoolofrock.co.nz

Ponsonby Playgroup is also back on Tuesday 5 February - all welcome! F PN For more information on Ponsonby Community Centre, our activities and venue hire, please visit www.ponsonbycommunity.org.nz

We’re back!

Ponsonby Community Centre’s regular timetable of classes and events will be up and running again during February - please check our website for details

www.ponsonbycommunity.org.nz

Please contact at julie@ponsykids.org.nz or on n 376 0896 for more information The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

23

LOCAL NEWS WESTERN SPRINGS FOREST SIGNIFICANT ECOLOGICAL AREA (SEA) - AN UPDATE The Resource Consent hearing on Auckland Council’s application to clear-fell the Western Springs Forest took place on 11/12 December 2018.

The outcome of the hearing was adjourned for further evidence from council. However, the commissioners determined that the Significant Ecological Area (SEA) protections were of national importance. They stated “The use of the forest for recreation purposes (i.e. the track through it) is secondary to its value as an SEA”, contrary to WLB and council views.

We had support from Forest & Bird in writing setting out the legal position of the forest SEA. One resident informed the commissioners that the late Professor John Morton, who persuaded council to turn Meola Tip into reserve, also championed the green corridor to the Waitakeres for our birdlife. Western Springs, its forest and Chamberlain Park are a vital and important part of the corridor so this application shows council contradicting its own policy.

Working as a team we exposed the clear-felling plan to be incomplete and the Geotech and Soil and Erosion Experts to be unreliable. The project leader from council was also exposed as being untruthful in his sworn evidence to the commissioners. We showed that their proposal was not the 'best' solution, as claimed.

When the commissioners issued directions for more detailed evidence, they pointed out that not only did the Geotech and Soil and Erosion Experts evidence conflict but also that "this brings into question the stability of the land between the processing area and the nearest properties on West View Road." Supporting our original submission that the clear-felling works could destabilise the hillside.

In this one project alone, Auckland Council is again 'a significant player'. Who are the beneficiaries of these best laid plans?

The commissioners discussed the WLB plans to install a circular road/track once the forest SEA has been destroyed. Council’s application was considered incomplete. WLB has already allocated $50,000 for the plan, showing that the clear-felling may be a disingenuous front by WLB to turn the forest into parkland. In addition, budgets do not stack up to enable council/WLB to afford their native forest restoration claims.

Going forward, residents are determined to preserve the forest SEA. This needs management of some pines by an arboriculturalist with skills beyond those currently managing this forest. The community wants to have a say in what happens to our valuable heritage forest amenity.

In the coming weeks, community members are developing a plan for regenerative management of the Western Springs Native Forest SEA, working with national and international experts. This is our opportunity as a community to create, for future generations, a unique wildlife sanctuary in the heart of Auckland. We will keep you informed of developments and how you may be able to volunteer to PN become a guardian. (WENDY GRAY) F E: treeadvocatewendy@gmail.com

This Resource Consent hearing also raised serious questions about the reliability of council employees and their expert advisers. When council penalises experts by withholding work if they don’t support council schemes, thereby undermining their independence and ability to consider all options, we have a serious credibility problem, the process is degraded endangering us all through corrupt, uninformed and flawed decision making.

Significantly, none of the surveys produced for the council looked at the number of trees of the native understory forest over 3m. The native understory being the largest portion of this SEA. Our presurvey estimated trees over 3m tall (3m is the threshold height used by council for inclusion in Auckland’s urban ngahere). Conservatively, the clear-felling plan will destroy over 7000 to 8500 native trees, not including thousands of smaller native shrubs. The numbers of trees to be lost by this proposal represent four to five years’ average of tree removal events in the WLB area, all in one event.

'Arborists' from Council Community Facilities (believed to be revolving door appointments from preferred tree removal contractor Treescape ) are the motivators behind this destruction. They are the same players in the nearby Chamberlain Park development, which will see another possible 1000 trees destroyed - a number are protected.

24 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

photography: Lisa Prager

WLB’s report concerning Tree Loss in the WLB area 2006-2016 recognises council as a “significant player when it comes to tree removal in the 'high' protection categories". Westmere also recognised as being among the suburbs suffering the most tree loss. By supporting this project, WLB is failing to join up its own and council’s policies.

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

Pip & Alleen's garden, 7 Winn Road, Freemans Bay

THE FINAL YEAR OF THE HEROIC GARDENS TOUR The Heroic Garden Festival is in its 23rd and final year. The festival gives attendees exclusive access to some of Auckland’s most striking private gardens.

This year’s festival features 28 diverse gardens across Auckland City with nine gardens new to the festival and for many it is their first time opening to the public. Three gardens are located in the Herne Bay area (262 Jervois Road) and two in Freemans Bay area. (5 and 7 Winn Road).

Heroic Garden Party: 10am - 4pm Friday 15 February 2019 hosted by Tony Murrell Heroic Garden Festival: Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 February 2019.

All funds raised will go towards Mercy Hospice to continue providing care and hospice services free of charge for patients facing life limiting illnesses and their families. F PN To purchase tickets or for more information on the gardens including bus tour options and the Heroic Garden Party, www.heroicgardens.org.nz

For gardening enthusiasts, the event provides a great way to see new trends in garden design, sustainability and self sufficiency, with the unique opportunity to talk to the creators and implement ideas in your own home.

The Heroic Garden Festival provides nature lovers a lovely way to spend a summer’s day with friends. The festival kicks off this month with the Heroic Garden Party hosted by garden guru Tony Murrell.

There is the option of a fully catered bus tour experience of the festival gardens on Sunday 17 February hosted by Tony.

Heroic Garden Festival tickets are $60 per person and give entry to all gardens. Or purchase individual entry at the gates for adult: $10 and children $5 (children under 12, where permitted). Heroic Garden Party tickets are $10 per person.

Don & Craig’s garden, 262 Jervois Road, Herne Bay The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

Pip & Alleen's garden, 7 Winn Road, Freemans Bay

Sally & John’s garden, 5 Winn Road, Freemans Bay PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

25

JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

It’s not the bike lanes that are the problem There have been lots of complaints about cycleways in West Lynn and elsewhere in recent times, and they are part of the problem that is the West Lynn Auckland Transport upgrade. And there are fishhooks in the bikelane design and layout.

But the problem is about more than just cycle lanes. The whole of our roading system is being dealt with piecemeal. There are arguments about motorway development, safety measures, bus lanes, park and ride, car parks being taken away, cars being banned from certain centre-city streets, speed limits for cars being reduced to 30kph, no speed limits at all for Lime scooters, where they should travel, whether riders should have helmets, not to mention trams and trains.

So what is the problem? Surely everyone wants Auckland’s transport difficulties sorted out?

Well, yes they do. It seems to me there are three main problems.

The first is inadequate or poor consultation, the second is ‘getting the cart before the horse’ or getting ahead of public opinion, and the third is a question of responsibility for what, in West Lynn’s case, is actually ‘town centre development’ - something beyond the brief of a purely transport organisation.

So, in Auckland Transport’s case, they need to be careful not to get too far ahead of public opinion. New Zealand must and will change, Ford utes can’t be the biggest selling car of the year for much longer, and public transport must improve.

The third problem is a worry that Auckland Transport is not sticking to its knitting. If West Lynn is a typical example, and I think it is, AT is trying to be a ‘local town developer’, dabbling in issues way outside its expertise and brief. Poor drainage is just one example. AT should not be redesigning West Lynn, it should be improving transport to and through the shopping centre. This must also be much better coordinated than is happening right now. AT has made a hash of it, and now ratepayers will have to fork out again for a makeover. Maybe staff who stuffed up should have to forgo some salary or bonuses instead of the long -suffering ratepayer.

There will always be people who object to everything. Some will, from time to time, have right on their side, but by the time they’ve pissed everyone off too many times, no one will listen to them.

I have talked about consultation and the lack of it many times.

The problem is Auckland Transport’s autonomous status, and its secretive behaviour. Yes it consults - but reluctantly, and not frequently enough. Too often it is consultation which consists of telling the public what it intends to do - not asking them for opinions. “We are the experts, we’re telling you how it will be done.” Never mind that it is our money AT is spending. This is ‘top down’ imposition on residents.

We should be encouraging ‘bottom up’ consultation.

The second problem is a political one. Governments and local councils have two major choices when it comes to spending discretionary money. They can be retro-active responding only to strong voter agitation, or they can be proactive, taking the lead and acting on what they think should be done now.

Most of us agree that climate change is a major worry, oil is becoming scarcer, pollution is a killer, and we should be getting out of our cars, taking public transport, cycling or walking, both for our individual health and the health of our city. The question is how quickly this should all be done. Ask environmentalists and they’ll tell you - yesterday!

But here’s the rub. Councils and governments can get too far ahead of the public - at their peril. It is often left-leaning administrations that risk getting ahead of themselves. They get accused of being ‘nanny state’, telling us how to live and what to have for breakfast.

And yet they are usually being proactive, and often know ahead of the general public what should be done.

26 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

It’s about consultation, stupid. Get everyone in a room and thrash out options. Eventually the vast majority will reach a consensus, and if there are still a few outliers, they will see that their views, while having been heard and listened to, have been rejected. All but a particularly recalcitrant handful will accept the majority decision.

But, if excluded from day one, those who oppose various proposals will rightly howl 'unfair'.

We must at all times try to improve our community, using social and political capital, while preserving the amenity values we treasure.

Auckland Transport and other Government agencies must not trample on those amenity values, creating noise, unwanted extra traffic, fewer trees, obstructed sea views and new, unwanted seven-storey walls suddenly appearing on our boundaries.

Get citizens heavily involved in discussion groups, thrashing out ideas, until consensus is reached and then tell our elected representatives, and the bureaucrats, what we want. Let them argue with us on technical difficulties, explaining why some ideas are simply not practicable by proving it to us. Then let them get on with implementation. No more bulldozers suddenly appearing outside our houses starting to tear up the footpath without consultation.

These days we question our doctors about medication they want to prescribe, so why can’t we do the same with our bureaucrats?

PN (JOHN ELLIOTT) F

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

NIKKI KAYE: AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP

Future of education meetings As National’s Education spokesperson I will be holding public meetings throughout New Zealand to listen to parents’ and teachers’ concerns and views on education issues.

The meetings will have a particular focus on the Tomorrow’s Schools Review. The review has the potential to impact every part of our education system. That’s why it’s very important to give parents, students, teachers, principals and the around 19,000 parents and trustees who currently sit on boards the opportunity to have their voices heard. The Tomorrow’s Schools Review Taskforce has undertaken significant consultation but it is clear from discussions with a number of parents, Boards of Trustees and some educators they are not aware of all of the recommendations. The changes proposed by the taskforce include changes to governance, learning support, and enrolment schemes. National has raised some serious concerns about the creation of around 20 new Crown entities called Education Hubs, which would transfer more responsibilities from parents to bureaucrats. We are concerned that parents will be disempowered as a result of the model. However, there are some positive aspects of the report in areas such as learning support and we believe there is a need to improve governance and collaboration in our education system.

The proposed changes are far reaching and must be carefully considered. The meetings will include main centres such as Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill but will also be held in smaller communities such as Stewart Island. This is a once in a generation chance to make some significant changes to our education system. I look forward to engaging with communities around New Zealand on these issues. Once the public meetings are complete, we will provide a summary of the feedback from the public meetings to the taskforce. At the moment, I have more than 40 meetings planned including at least eight meetings in Auckland. If you have interest in attending one of these meetings please contact my office. While it will be a busy time, I have scheduled the meetings to ensure that I can continue to be available for constituents over this period. I may hold some drop-in additional clinics if needed to ensure I am available over this period for people who need help.

Auckland central issues I hope you all had a great festive season and have been enjoying the summer weather. Over the break I visited some of the more isolated Islands in my electorate. These included Great Barrier and Rakino Island. Rakino is home to a close-knit community of approximately 120 properties and a small group of permanent residents. However, during the summer, events are held including their annual run or walk, dragon boat racing and beach races. It was great to experience the island and catch up on local issues, particularly ferry services. I have written to the Mayor on my concerns around the inequity in transport services to the Hauraki Gulf. I met with the Minister of Conservation recently regarding greater marine protection in the gulf and I look forward to chatting to constituents about these issues this year.

Prior to Christmas, Hon Simon Bridges and I visited the Auckland City Mission during its busiest time of the year. We dropped off some boxes of food and said thank you to the volunteers and staff. I know City Missioner Chris Farrelly well and I hugely value the work Chris and all the team at the mission do for some of our most vulnerable. Moira and her team at Lifewise do an amazing job, too. I have supported both the mission and Lifewise to secure funding for the Housing First initiative which provides wrap around support for people and for the Home Ground project, which is on track to be completed in 2020. This will include 80 supportive housing units with onsite wrap around health and support services to address many of the factors which contribute to homelessness. It will also deliver a large medical

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

centre, detox centre, educational and training facilities, crisis care emergency support, meals and food distribution services. Between central government, local government and philanthropic support, they have raised a majority of funds for the project (around 90% of the $90 million project).

In the next couple of months I will be posting and emailing an update on local projects and initiatives that I am progressing. If you have any local or national issues or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me or my office on 09 378 2088 or send me an email on mp.aucklandcentral@parliament.govt.nz. (NIKKI KAYE) F PN Authorised by Hon Nikki Kaye, MP for Auckland Central, 48c College Hill, Freemans Bay. www.nikkikaye.co.nz

Hon Nikki Kaye MP for Auckland Central I regularly work on local issues and meet with constituents.

Please contact my office if you would like to meet with me.

Drop In Constituency Clinic: 48C College Hill, Freemans Bay February 15, 1pm

Funded by the Parliamentary Service.

Authorised by Nikki Kaye MP, 48C College Hill, Freemans Bay, Auckland.

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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DEIRDRE THURSTON: ON MY MIND

I’m glad it’s over...

Here we are again - summer and a new year. And there is nothing like an Auckland summer with avenues carpeted in jacaranda purple and pohutukawa crimson.

On a 28 degree day, the sea is an opaque aqua blue/green that I have never seen in any other country. It is as Kiwi as the Kiwi. Everyone’s happy, chilled and traffic is sparse.

The year spreads before us for our taking.

Believe me, I am grateful and all that buzz-wordy stuff. But thank goodness the holidays are over and we can get on with real life. Those days between Christmas, New Year and beyond, I find ‘difficult’. It’s because I’m single. Single people get herded into their very own category during the holidays. A friend called it the ‘despatched category’. Within this category, us singles get despatched to the neighbours (who we do not know) a few doors down to sleep over because the couples have taken all the bedrooms where you are supposed to be staying.

If you are lucky enough to get a bed, the bedroom is really a storeroom between the laundry and loo into which a rollaway bed has been squeezed. Or you are relegated to a mattress on the floor in a corner of the lounge that has seen better nights. Also, within this category, you are the one despatched up the road for milk and washing powder - which you know has run out because you strip bedding, wash bedding and remake beds for all the new couples popping in and out. You also get to pay the same as a couple when the costs are tallied up at the end of stay. Seems like your invisible partner put away as much wine and cheese as everyone else and slept in an ensuite bedroom overlooking the beach.

I decided to spend New Year’s Eve alone after all the Christmas laundry, and my aching back needed a decent bed. There I was, lounging on my comfy sofa, a glass of Champagne, Pics peanut butter on toast, seemingly content, when a tear puddled. Thing is, I’m a romantic. Even though I was ensconced in my home, safe, and almost sound, I craved connection. Where were all my mates? Oh, that’s right - in ‘couple nirvana’.

Baying at the midnight fireworks-infused sky. Together.

Then I got a cold. One of those summery, high-temperature things that keeps you from your exercise and food resolutions, the beach and all the other people splish-splashing their days away in holiday mode - having fun! With ham sandwiches, juicy berries and a cold prosecco. There were a few broken crackers left from Christmas day nibbles in the pantry, a couple of wrinkly olives with a defeated frond of dill attached to them in the fridge. The cupboards were otherwise bare but the thought of leaving the bed to

dress then sniffle and sneeze around the supermarket was too exhausting to entertain.

A spoonful of peanut butter and a hot lemon and ginger drink would have to do.

On the plus side - I read about 200 books. Slight (massive) exaggeration. My bedside table was laden with novels. Reading helps everything. Even when your tissues have run out and loo paper is the only alternative. I read and read and read. Surrendering to lazing about for hours on end in an imaginary world does wonders for stress levels and helps mosey that coughy cold along, too.

So, several books and tens of thousands of milligrams of vit C later, I re-entered the new year with a laid-back attitude. So laid back, in fact, I’m still pretty much hanging back from the start line.

After all, I still have a stack of books to get through. A small voice keeps wittering away in my head about my job. “Start work!” it keeps whining at me. Yeah, yeah. Tomorrow.

I’m still a little under the weather...

Another voice - much more insistent - harps away constantly: “What are you going to do with this year? Plans? Goals? Dreams? Changes you always insist you really want?”

Yeah, yeah, I’m getting there. I’ll just finish this chapter...

Already the year is forging ahead. I have dates in my diary for work, events, hairdresser and other humdrum daily chores. None of them excite me. I’m awaiting a clap of thunder, a proclamation from above. A scroll handed down with “What You Must Do This Year” written on it under which is a list of mind-boggling excitement in the form of people, places and things which will occur.

Obviously there is something very wrong with this picture. Perhaps my temperature has not dropped to the required degree. I know I am the mistress of my own life and I need to make things happen, not merely loll around waiting for a scroll out of nowhere. It’s just that there is a teensy bit of me that believes it could happen.

Whatever you, me, we all do, let’s be kind to each other. Piglet has it sorted: Pooh: “What do you think this year will bring, Piglet?”

Piglet: “365 opportunities, Pooh.”

Thanks for the prod, Piglet. (DEIRDRE THURSTON) F PN

LUCIA MATAIA: LEYS INSTITUTE LIBRARY NEWS Kia ora koutou we are looking forward to an exciting new year at Leys Institute Library.

Firstly, congratulations to all the children who joined our summer reading programme - Kia Maia Te whai. Great work kids for keeping up with your reading over the holidays.

We are very proud of your achievements.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMES RESUME AFTER WAITANGI DAY Pop in and pick up our timetable of kids’ events.

BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK 4 - 24 FEBRUARY Check out our display in the library and take out a bundle to go in the draw for some fabulous prizes. These include High Tea for two or a luxury stay at Cordis Hotel Auckland.

AUCKLAND PRIDE FESTIVAL 4 - 9 FEBRUARY Pride Poetry Speakeasy Samesame but different and Auckland Council Libraries present the fifth Pride Poetry Speakeasy. Share your poetry or come and listen in a welcoming word nest. This free event will be held in our courtyard. Monday 4 February, 5.30pm - 7pm Auckland Council Libraries at Big Gay Out Libraries will be at The Big Gay Out at Coyle Park on Sunday 10 February. Do come and say hello.

Unicorn Storytime for Children Join us in celebrating Pride with a special fun-filled storytime full of rainbow themed stories, songs and rhymes Friday 15 February, 10.30am.

Book Chats Recommends You may have read Matt Haig’s Reason to Stay Alive, his account of moving through depression and anxiety. His new follow-up book Notes on a Nervous Planet looks at how social, commercial and technological ‘advancements’ can stop us from feeling happy. This may sound gloomy, but it isn’t. One of our group said, "this book makes you feel better."

John Boyne’s A Ladder to the Sky had a lot of positive responses from Book Chats. The protagonist is a ruthless, ambitious young writer who commits an act of literary theft.

He’s a nasty character but let’s face it, it is fun to read about horrible people. If a Book Chats' recommendation isn’t enough, The Guardian described this book as confirming Boyne as the ‘most assured writer of his generation’. (LUCIA MATAIA) F PN

LEYS INSTITUTE LIBRARY, 20 St Marys Road, T: 09 377 0209, www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

28 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS GREY LYNN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION UPDATE One of the most frequent and challenging questions asked is why should any business belong to a voluntary association such as GLBA? Well, in my view the answer is quite simple - it’s about being committed to the community that you are part of and reinvesting time, effort and energy in the things that matter to businesses within that community.

For many business owners this is quite a novel idea particularly when business is based in one location and you live in another.

However, if you really think about it, businesses are clearly impacted by what’s going on in the community and it really doesn’t matter where you live. Just ask the businesses that are now being impacted by the new Residents Parking Zone (RPZ) in the Grey Lynn District.

This RPZ was imposed after extensive consultation. However, we have found that consultation was very much a single edged knife - in other words it just cuts one way. Even though the local government agencies tried their best to accommodate business concerns they are hamstrung by what’s gone on before. In other words, solutions developed for residential zones with excellent public transport are imposed on areas with minimal public transport options.

To do this we are looking for an individual to join our team on a paid part-time capacity of up to eight hours a week and become our Communication-Marketing Coordinator. We want someone who absolutely loves Grey Lynn and can help us become a world leader in urbanism, with a focus on growing innovative businesses, environmental responsibility, conscious consumers and directional design. If you think you fit this role we invite you to express an interest with your cv to info@glba.co.nz.

(IRENE KING AND PAUL STEPHENSON, JOINT CO-CHAIR GLBA) F PN www.glba.co.nz

With change, there are inevitable unintended consequences. In this instance GLBA advised the council that the flow-on impact to the rest of Grey Lynn would be significant. Streets previously not congested would become so, and that redefining the RPZ may be a better solution than proceeding with a third of Grey Lynn RPZ and the rest not. It’s not that the agencies didn’t have sympathy for the problems now evident, it’s just that they are hamstrung by the very concept of 'consultation'.

As residential parking zoning moves outward from the inner city, there needs to be much greater thought as to what, how, why and when to consult on such matters - this is where business associations have a pivotal role.

The RPZ is a particular example where the community - businesses and local residents - must work together. If we don’t, we’ll end up with solutions that force business away from the city fringe and make it so much harder for communities to access services. To my mind, businesses no matter how large or small cannot effectively take up the challenge of interacting with the community constructively on their own or in isolation. When they do there are inevitable accusations of 'feathering one’s own nest'; working together brings diversity of view and better quality outcomes for all.

Taking opportunities to work collaboratively together builds better communities and thus better business in Grey Lynn. The first of these is for businesses in post code 1021 to join the GLBA. Visit www.glba.co.nz and become part of the Grey Lynn project. Further, a number of ideas that emerged from the strategic visioning work of First Retail New Zealand and our very successful Beer, Burgers and Brioche evening are starting to crystallise. These include: • beautification and urban-scaping of the various villages within the Grey Lynn business districts; • working with the New Zealand Police to enhance and improve the safety of our employees and security in general in district 1021; • working on an events promotional billboard for the Grey Lynn district; and • becoming part of the whole Art Week concept.

There are also exciting developments within the Waitemata Board as they, along with ATEED, work on an inner-city fringe strategy to promote Grey Lynn and what we have to offer.

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PONSONBY U3A: DECEMBER 2018 One of the great advantages of being a member of U3A is meeting people with similar interests that can lead to new and interesting friendships.

Members can join special interest groups, often referred to as 'the lifeblood of U3A' that are most often held in members’ homes. There are also organised leisure activities and social events.

work well because Ponsonby U3A has members who attended the first meeting in 1994 and are still actively involved and enjoying the group 25 years on.

A popular meeting in the U3A calendar is the December Christmas lunch meeting with entertainment provided by members. Last December’s meeting was no exception. Eighty members took part in a quiz organised

by Norman Stanhope and Winifred Lamb, followed by an outburst of talent from the poetry group and music and singing from the Ukulele Group.

Ponsonby U3A meets on the second Friday morning of the month, with an invited guest speaker, as well as a 10-minute speaker from the U3A membership. Reports are given from some of the special interest groups, which offer members a host of topics and activities.

Details of these can be found on the Ponsonby U3A section of the U3A website.

At the December meeting, long-time member Rod Melville was awarded life membership of U3A. In presenting the award, president Christine Hart spoke of the enormous amount of time and skills he has cheerfully given and the patience and downright reliability that he has contributed to U3A over many years.

Ponsonby U3A will celebrate its 25th birthday this year. In that time it has provided a large number of mainly local people in the third age the opportunity for informal study and learning experiences, coupled with leisure and social activities. In the words of Peter Laslett, founder of U3A UK, “The aims of U3A are the opportunity to learn about fascinating subjects, share views on contentious issues, keep your brain active, make new friends with similarly active minds and become involved in the local community.” The U3A recipe must

Guests are welcome to attend a meeting, but are asked to first contact Christine Hart on 027 289 5514.

The February guest speaker will be Dr Lesley Mynett-Johnson speaking about Starship, New Zealand’s national children’s hospital and the work of the Starship Foundation. The 10-minute speaker will be U3A member Denny Lyttle.

(PHILIPPA TAIT) F PN Next Meeting: 10am, Friday 8 February at Herne Bay Petanque Club, Salisbury Street Reserve, Herne Bay. ENQUIRIES: Christine Hart, President Ponsonby U3A, T: 027 289 5514, www.u3a.nz

OUT + ABOUT

Daria promoting Why Tea

Cian

Sunglasses anyone?

Rachel, Agate, along with Garden Party's Jen

Stephanie from Trade Aid

photography: Kerry Lee

Alex promoting Why Tea

PONSONBY MARKET DAY - SATURDAY 8 DECEMBER - PONSONBY ROAD

30 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY CHILLI GARLIC TEMPEH Chu Thai is the latest Thai restaurant to open. This delicious recipe is on their vegan menu.

Fresh plain tempeh with spicy and garlicky sauce - serving for 2 Ingredients 1 tbsp Canola oil 4 garlic clove, minced 1 red pepper, small diced 1 green pepper, small diced ½ white onion, small diced 1 spring onion, small dice and divide some for garnish 1 fresh chilli, small diced onion add spicy (up to your choice) 2 tbsp water 1 tbsp light soy sauce (low sodium preferred) 1½ tbsp sugar ½ tsp of salt Black pepper Instructions 1. Pan fried tempeh each side in medium heat until light golden and transfer on a plate.

2. Add Canola oil into skillet. When heated, add garlic and cook until fragrant, add red and green pepper, onion, spring onion and stir together a bit.

3. Add water then remaining ingredients. Stir quick and let it simmer until the sauce thickens.

4. Return tempeh into skillet and toss to coat with sauce. Add fresh chilli if you love it more spicy.

5. Garnish with spring onion. Serve with rice or salad.

CHU THAI, 244 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 9909, www.chuthaieatery.co.nz

Ask for our set menu including a vegan option 244 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 9909

Special Offer: Wednesdays only Purchase any main meal and receive no surcharge on BYO wine only (normally $8 per bottle) Terms & Conditions Apply

Order online

www.chuthaieatery.co.nz Parking behind the restaurant Home delivery within 5 km

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY NEW CHEF AT THE GREY LYNN RSC The Grey Lynn RSC is proud to introduce our new chef, Ben Macdonald. Ben has recently taken over from the renowned Jimmy Gerard who retired in November.

Now named ‘Ben’s Kitchen’, the seasonal bistro menu has been refreshed and retains some of Jimmy's classics while offering plenty of fresh seafood, hand-made pasta, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes along with some delightful desserts.

After living in Europe and travelling extensively for almost two decades, Ben brings with him plenty of inspiration and a wealth of culinary experience. More recently, Ben was a finalist in Masterchef Australia 2014, learning from and cooking alongside iconic chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Marco Pierre White. He has also spent time in several top Australian restaurants and now looks forward to bringing his love of food back home.

Ben, his partner and two young daughters live locally and have relished the community feel that the GLRSC has offered them.

Ben is also planning some exclusive pop-up dining events in the upstairs restaurant (see www.benskitchen.co.nz for more details).

The GLRSC supports quality live music every Friday and major sports events can be viewed on our big screen TVs. We welcome new members, so why not join? It’s your local community gem in the West Lynn village.

To plan your special occasion, fundraiser, quiz or ask Ben to assist with your catering needs - please email greylynnrsc@hotmail.co.nz or visit our facebook page. F PN THE GREY LYNN RSC, 1 Francis Street, T: 09 376 2909, www.greylynnrsc.org.nz

The GLRSC is not only a venue for returned service people, but also a gathering place for more than 90% associate (local) members. The upstairs function room 'the Grey Lynn Ballroom' is regularly booked for weddings, celebrations, meetings and as a film set. With a capacity of 140 it is a great choice for affordable events and Ben has plenty of catering options available.

Visitors are Welcome

GREY LYNN RSC OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR Ben Macdonald

Ph 376 2909 / www.greylynnrsc.org.nz

HAPPY VALENTINES

32 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

TINA PLUNKETT: PONSONBY CENTRAL

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is being celebrated throughout February and we can’t wait! This year is the Year of the Pig, with celebrations spanning 15 days from the 5th of February.

The Pig is the 12th and last of the Chinese zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said he would decide the order by when they arrived to his party. Pig was late because he overslept. Another says that a wolf destroyed the pig’s house (perhaps he huffed and he puffed?). He had to rebuild his home before he could set off. When he arrived, he was the last one there. In Chinese culture, pigs are the symbol of prosperity.

Their chubby faces and big ears are signs of good fortune as well.

The Chinese New Year is embraced and celebrated by many Kiwis. Decorations, food, fireworks and family. Many of these traditions stem from the Chinese legend about the Nian, a man-eating beast. In traditional Chinese the phrase ‘to celebrate the New Year’, literally means ‘the passing of the nian beast’.

And we love food! Over time, many dishes have been introduced to the celebration table.

Favourites like chicken and fish, prawns and oysters - thought to bring liveliness and happiness. And, of course, a crowd favourite, dumplings.

So what a better excuse to gather your family and book our favourite go-to Chinese, The Blue Breeze Inn. So many crowd favourites - Steamed dumplings: Black Tiger Prawn & Sesame, Pork & Black Truffle or the Fried Spicy Chicken Dumpling. The trick is to come with a crowd then you can try them all.

Finish it all up with a Lantern Festival. Lanterns of all shapes and sizes are hung around the streets, and for Auckland it hits the domain with market stalls and performers creating a mardi-gras atmosphere topped off with fireworks displays. Happy Chinese New Year!

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GARY STEEL: VEG FRIENDLY

Fine Fare Night time is the right time. Anyone would think that vegans only need to eat during the daytime.

Perhaps the assumption is that plant eaters all go to bed early. There must be some explanation for the number of vegan eateries that only open during the day, leaving starving legions of vegans on the hunt for tasty after-dark nutrition.

The reason, I guess, is that most of the vegan or vegan-friendly establishments are either daytime cafes or ethnic restaurants with vaguely religious connotations whose idea of late-night closing is 8pm.

Now that so many meat-based restaurants are adding vegan menus, the night-time options for plant eaters are increasing rapidly. Last month, one of our favourite vegan cafes, The Butcher’s Son on Jervois Road, rejigged its hours to open for dinner. We’re ecstatic about that and will review the revamped menu next month.

In the meantime, we figured it was about time to revisit one of our favourite morning, noon and night vegan destinations, Hector’s in the Heritage Hotel, which recently became the first New Zealand restaurant to win the Vegetarian Society’s first Vegan Accredited Restaurant honour in its Vegan Certification scheme.

The Vegan Certification Programme, which is run in collaboration with the NZ Vegan Society, is a guarantee that the consumer will have an authentic vegan experience, and that every ingredient in its vegan food has been thoroughly researched to make sure it’s plant based.

This isn’t an easy process, when you consider the complexities of the supply chain.

Hector’s is located in The Heritage Hotel in Hobson Street and since 2011 it’s been the go-to place for those wanting a swish plant-based

experience. This is not ‘cheap and cheerful’ territory - our meal for two cost $140 - but the prices are on a par with any good hotel restaurant, and few other hotels offer much, if anything, for vegans.

The Heritage is a magnificent hotel with a remarkable history as the original Farmers department store and Hector’s (named after the golden crested cockatoo that was so much a part of the Farmers cafe back in the day) is in a lovely setting. Obviously, eating here isn’t an every-day experience but something for those special occasions, and one of its great attributes is that vegans can entertain their meateating friends knowing that the plant-based food will be cooked in its own section of the kitchen without any chance of cross-pollination!

We got off to a great start with the wood planked tofu with eggplant relish, black garlic, kumara salsa, bokchoy and salsa verde ($18) - doesn’t that just sound delish? - and cauliflower spinach cakes with coconut yoghurt and floral salad ($19), both of which were as good as they sound and really got the tastebuds prepared for more.

For mains we chose the soba noodle stir fry ($23) described as soba noodles tossed with chef’s sauce, crispy tofu and mushrooms, and the pumpkin nut ravioli ($28) with toasted hazelnuts, cashew nut ricotta, sage ‘butter’ and pumpkin puree. The soba noodles were tasty and fresh to the palate, though we felt that it would have been twice as nice with a touch of spice. The pumpkin nut ravioli belonged in the ‘interesting’ category. Purely as a taste test it was superb, but we both felt that it was swimming in a rather sticky base.

The Heritage is worthy of support, as it takes a big investment for a hotel chain to commit to what so many people still look as fringe cuisine. I look forward to returning to try out their other vegan meals along with their selection of vegan wines. (GARY STEEL) F PN

Gary Steel is an Auckland-based journalist who runs online vegetarian resource www.doctorfeelgood.co.nz He can be contacted via beautmusic@gmail.com

34 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY 5 Fort Lane, CBD T: 09 379 9702 cassiarestaurant.co.nz

Modern Japanese Main Beach Takapuna Beach Bookings essential Ph 09 390 7188 www.tokyobay.co.nz

Japanese Izakaya Dining Bar Ponsonby Central No bookings required Ph 09 376 8016 www.tokyoclub.co.nz

SIDART, Level 1, Three Lamps Plaza, 283 Ponsonby Road T: 360 2122 www.sidart.co.nz The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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The Auckland Rainbow Dog Show will be larger, furrier, showier and woofier than ever in March! Dogs and dog lovers from across the Rainbow spectrum and everyone else are invited to an afternoon of four-legged fun in luscious Western Park, Ponsonby.

The event is proudly supported by Nutrience and Barkley Manor.

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www.ponsonbynews.co.nz

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY NEW LEAF KOMBUCHA IS NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST PURE KOMBUCHA TAPROOM What do we mean by that? When we say 'pure' we mean two things. Firstly, we only have kombucha! Please don’t come in looking for a flat white or eggs Benedict.

Plenty of places do that way better than we can! We just focus on what we think we are good at - brewing kombucha. Secondly, our kombucha is pure as can be as we never use any colourings, flavourings or, gasp, preservatives.

We make all our kombucha with the same four ingredients: filtered water, organic tea leaves, organic cane sugar and our organic scoby, or kombucha culture. Our aim is to showcase the flavours, colours and beauty of the individual tea leaves which we import directly from Asia. No tea bags here! We are tea importers and we respect the leaf.

How did we get into the kombucha business?

I used to brew a lot of beer. Really, a lot. I got very interested in brewing and did a fourmonth online course at America’s oldest beer school, the Siebel Institute in Chicago.

They have been teaching brewers for over 150 years so I thought it would be a good place to start. My other classmates were real brewers and worked professionally for breweries around the world. They were there to burnish their already deep knowledge of the brewing process. I was there to learn the basics and just try to keep up. And I did!

Beer brewing began to take over the house, however, and my normally tolerant and always wonderful wife was less and less tolerant (but still wonderful). One day she asked me, “If you like brewing so much why don’t you brew something that is good for people?” And from that moment, I was firmly nudged in the direction of making kombucha. My first batch failed. My second batch was from a scoby a friend mailed to me from Golden Bay. It worked! I was thrilled. I played around with the process and ratios until I felt I had it right. We started giving our kombucha away and people couldn’t get enough of it. And that is how this business began.

What flavours do you offer?

As I said before, all our kombucha is based on the organic tea leaves we source ourselves directly from Japan, China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and India. We also use some teas from Africa. Many people don’t realize that kombucha is a fermented tea beverage

and that you can’t make good kombucha with bad tea. In the taproom we always have our 'core four' kombucha on tap: Indian Assam tea kombucha, Indian Darjeeling tea kombucha, Sri Lankan black tea kombucha and Gunpowder green tea kombucha (from China). Our fifth tap is our guest brew. This is experimental and changes every week. As I write this, we currently have South African rooibos kombucha on tap and last week it was Japanese matcha kombucha.

Please describe the brewing process.

We brew our kombucha in our climate-controlled fermentation room that you can see through a big observation window when you enter our taproom. We are a plastic-free brewery and only use brewer’s grade stainless steel brewing buckets. Each one is 25L, so we are brewing very small batches at a time which allows us to strictly control quality.

First, we make the tea using organic tea leaves. Then we add the organic sugar and stir it up. Cold filtered water is added to the mix to bring the temperature down and get the right amount of dilution. Finally, our scoby is added, the bucket is covered in clean cotton cloth and we are done. Fermentation takes about 12 days, more or less, depending on the tea. When the brew is done, we keep 10% and use that for the next batch. This way our scoby, or culture, is always fresh and regenerating itself.

What is your personal favourite?

A tough question as it depends on my mood. I think my go-to kombucha is our Darjeeling, but I do have a soft spot for the rooibos kombucha, too. Best to have both!

Why Grey Lynn?

We have been fans of Grey Lynn for a long time and see lots of potential here. Our taproom is at 37 Crummer Road, which puts us right next to Ponsonby. With its focus on health and 'new trends we feel the area is a good match and we have fantastic neighbours'.

NEW LEAF KOMBUCHA, 37 Crummer Road, T: 09 360 0199, wwwnewleafkombucha.nz

We are New Leaf Kombucha, New Zealand’s very first pure kombucha taproom and we’ve just opened in Grey Lynn.

LOCATED AT 37 CRUMMER ROAD, we serve five different kombucha flavours on tap and all made on site.

Kombucha Taproom Not your grandmother’s tea!

Have a glass and see where we brew

We only use organic ingredients and everything for us begins and ends with the organic teas we import directly from Asia. You just can’t make good kombucha with bad tea.

Cold, crisp and refreshing, all our kombucha is made with four ingredients... filtered water organic tea organic sugar and our organic kombucha culture!

OPEN Wednesday – Sunday 10am to 6pm 37 Crummer Road T: 09 360 0199 www.newleafkombucha.nz @newleafkombucha

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PHIL PARKER: WHOSE WINE IS IT ANYWAY?

What I drank in the holidays Our Auckland summer keeps going and going and long may it last. Grapes love dry, hot weather - so bring it on.

Most folks will now be in denial, having returned to work after the summer holiday break. Summer is my busy season in wine tourism - driving people to drink in Kumeu and Waiheke Island.

Still, there have been many wines to sample over the last month or two and here are some highlights. Happy New Year - and cheers!

Loveblock Marlborough Pinot Gris 2018 - $21.99 (Glengarry) From Kim Crawford’s organic boutique winery. Aromas of stone fruit and citrus. Lush and fruity, with crisp pear, rock melon and a lengthy finish. Great with seafood.

Pegasus Bay North Canterbury Sauvignon / Semillon - $32 (Glengarry and Caro’s) Sauvignon blanc and semillon 70/30 blend in a full-bodied, flavoursome style. Semillon was oak aged to add texture. Flinty aromas with a whiff of gooseberry. A big lengthy palate of gooseberry, pineapple, green capsicum and grass. Good match with seafood. Try a Thai fish curry.

Church Road McDonald Series Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2017 - $22 (widely available) Church Road chardonnay was the gateway wine that led me on my journey of discovery about 20 years ago. Respect. It has varied a bit in style over the years, but has always been a good value chard from the Brancott stable (formerly known as Montana). Nice nose of hazelnut and stone fruit. Creamy palate of grapefruit, nectarine and a dry crisp finish. Great with chicken and mango salad.

Main Divide North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2015 - $25 (Glengarry, Vino Fino, blackmarket.co.nz) Knockout, great value pinot from Pegasus Bay’s second tier label.

Aromas of spices, black cherry and ripe plum. Flavours of cherry, spice, black pepper, savoury truffle and silky, lengthy tannins. Fab with any red meats and spiced duck.

No 1 Family Estate Marlborough Rosé NV - $47 (Glengarry) Stunningly good traditional methode. 100% Marlborough pinot noir rosé from Daniel Le Brun. Smells like sour cherry and nougat. Rich, ripe and voluptuously frothy in the mouth with creamy almond nougat, sour cherry, a hint of sweetness. Lengthy finish. Drink any time!

(PHIL PARKER) F PN

Phil Parker is a wine writer and operates Fine Wine & Food Tours in Auckland.

See: www.finewinetours.co.nz. Phil’s new cellar door book ‘NZ Wine Regions - A Visitor’s Guide’ is now available on Amazon Kindle.

FINE WINE & FOOD TOURS “No. 4 Auckland Food & Drink” – TripAdvisor Your host, Phil Parker wine writer.

Boutique tours for small and large groups.

E: Phil@finewinetours.co.nz

38 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

www.finewinetours.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

Our contemporary brunch menu utilises the best fresh mainly local seasonal produce, sustainably harvested fish and free range grass fed meats.

SABATO Surprise your Valentine this year with something special from our range of indulgent Valrhona and Peluso chocolates, Leone sweets or gorgeous Cudié chocolate gift boxes.

1 Fourth Avenue, Onetangi, Waiheke T: 09 372 2565 www.boathousewaiheke.co.nz boathousewaiheke The Boathouse Waiheke Island

IT’S BACK! 6TH -10TH FEBRUARY

Our delectable Sabato Valrhona triple chocolate brownie and Andreola Bolle Rosé would also go down a treat!

If you’re having a romantic Valentine’s dinner at home, try finishing the meal with these irresistible creamy Valrhona dulcey chocolate pots. Dulcey is a smooth, creamy blonde chocolate with a velvety texture and buttery, toasty notes. A sweet tooth’s dream! With Valentine’s Day being on a Thursday this year, it’s also the perfect make-ahead, stress -free dessert to enjoy after dinner with no fuss on the night.

Creamy Valrhona Dulcey Chocolate Pots - serves 2 125g Valrhona dulcey fèves Pinch of sea salt 150ml cream A little extra whipped cream or mascarpone, to serve Valrhona dark chocolate crunchy pearls, to decorate Fresh berries, such as blueberries or strawberries, to serve Place the chocolate into a bowl with the pinch of salt. In a saucepan, boil 75ml of the cream and then pour over the chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool. In a bowl, whip the remaining cream to soft peaks only (don’t over whip). Gently fold whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until smoothly incorporated. Divide mixture between two serving glasses. Place in the fridge to set for at least four hours or preferably overnight. Serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream or mascarpone and a sprinkling of chocolate pearls. Serve with fresh berries on the side. © Recipe by Julie Le Clerc For more summer recipe ideas visit us in-store or on our website. F PN SABATO, 57 Normanby Road, Mt Eden, T: 09 630 8751, www.sabato.co.nz

114 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011 P: 09 360 8803 www.longroom.co.nz @longroomponsonby

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY NEW ZEALAND TWIST ON TRADITIONAL AMERICAN BARBECUE Ponsonby smokehouse Miss Moonshine's has launched a brand new menu, showcasing New Zealand ingredients with deliciously smoky meats.

Hidden down the laneways of Ponsonby, Miss Moonshine's has been a crowdpleaser in the area since opening in 2015. Big fans of the ‘low and slow’ cooking method, its meats are sourced locally and smoked at low temperatures over a long period of time, making for melt-in-the-mouth goodness. The pit-masters here are determined to put Kiwi barbecue on the map.

The new summer menu sees more focus on the Kiwi aspect of its craft, making use of native New Zealand produce. Standout dishes include the kumara bread served with horopito chutney, delicious chicken wings with Kiwi onion dip and a smashed pavlova with seasonal berries. They’ve also re-introduced succulent pork ribs to the pit, glazed with fermented chili and smoked to perfection. These sit alongside the classics: short ribs and beef brisket, all smoked in the 1.5 tonne Yoder imported from Kansas. The Moonshiners are proud to use sustainably sourced native wood, smoking with pohutukawa for that unique taste of Aotearoa.

Bring all your mates as meats are served family style on sharing trays and wash it all down with a craft beer from the new whisky bar, featuring an extensive range of Scotch, world whiskeys and of course bourbon. Or you could book on to one of their many awesome events, including the ‘Meat the Brewer’ series which sees Auckland-based craft brewers hosting barbecue and beer-matched dinners.

Open for dinner from 5.30pm Wednesday through Sunday and lunch service from 12 noon till 3pm Friday to Sunday. Laneway access from Mackelvie Street or Richmond Road. F PN MISS MOONSHINE'S, Lot 3, 130 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 360 4075, hello@missmoonshines.com, www.missmoonshines.com

40 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY ECLECTIC ‘TRAVELLER’ FOOD IN AN ENCHANTED RESTAURANT Gypsy Caravan offers a delightfully creative menu, in a magical setting, for when you’re looking for dinner with a difference.

Nestled in an alleyway away from the hustle and bustle of Ponsonby Road, Gypsy Caravan developed from the exotic fare of food trucks that once occupied the space.

The well-thought out menu is the creation of Tongan head chef Touvai ‘Tee’ Poloniati, amalgamating casual and fine dining experiences. Tee loves to showcase the power of the vegetable, with a large and ever-growing list of vegan and vegetarian options.

He also pairs fresh New Zealand produce with interesting international ingredients, all alongside herbs and veggies from Gypsy Caravan's very own organic garden.

Expect bold flavours, delicate plating and experimental dishes.

Standouts on the brand new summer menu include a braised tongue with chili pangritata, the red pepper Baba Ghanoush with pistachio and a charcoaled beef bavette. Not to mention its famous ouzo-flamed cheese which has been on the menu since day one; quite a feat considering the menu changes quarterly with the seasons.

Delicious cocktails are served up from Herbie, the beautifully hand-painted caravan bar, along with craft beers and vegan wines. The whole restaurant is decorated with storybook charm; think paper lanterns, fairy lights, persian rugs and colourful cushions. In addition is ‘Spooky Rubies’ the speakeasy-style secret bar and private dining space available for hire, which you’ll find up a small flight of stairs, hidden away in the corner.

Open for dinner from 5.30pm Wednesday to Thursday, and 12 noon till late Friday to Sunday. Now taking bookings for Valentine's Day. Laneway access from Mackelvie Street or Richmond Road. F PN GYPSY CARAVAN, Lot 3, 130 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 360 4075, hello@gypsycaravan.co.nz, www.gypsycaravan.co.nz

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY PLUME, MATAKANA, TICKS ALL THE ITEMS FOR HOSTING CONFERENCES AND TEAM BUILDING EVENTS Budget, location, parking, ambience, amenities, capacity and general functionality plus great food, superb hand-tended wines, friendly service, time to breathe the rural fresh air away from city vibes/get away from social media, accommodation for up to 20 (single occupancy per bedroom) or 40 (double occupancy per bedroom).

Book your next Conference/Team Building event at Plume - stay in one of our luxurious Villas a short two minutes walk away from Plume Restaurant which will host the Conference/Team Building event. Well known for its superb food and gorgeous hand-tended wines!

The Conference Room will be set up for you exactly the way you want it with total privacy in the Rengarenga room which is a lovely huge room with panoramic views all around - we have all that you need for a conference plus of course the lovely Matakana atmosphere.

Need a break after the conference? Sample our wines at the cellar door and perhaps buy some to take home with you so as to ensure a lingering memory of good times at Plume! Or go for a swim in out heated swimming pool at the Villas, go for a stroll in our 'relaxation area' or simply park down on the grass somewhere and do yoga listening to the chirping of the birds - nirvana!

After a long day conferencing retire to your villas to freshen up and thereafter enjoy a fabulous dinner at Plume with our silky Matakana wines - you don’t have to worry about driving as you just have to walk across to your villa.

Morning breakfast at the restaurant can also be arranged for or visit Plume Café in the heart of Matakana Village to sample the best coffee in the village, the best artisan breads from our Plume Bakery and, of course, the best breakfast too.

And for those of you who think Matakana is all about wines - don’t worry, we have 100% non-alcoholic syrah for you to imbibe.

Stuck for a gift? - why not gift a Plume Gift Voucher - it can cover accommodation and /or restaurant - all dependent on what you want.

We can have the voucher couriered to you immediately, too. F PN Enquiries contact reservations@plumerestaurant.co.nz

42 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Experience the magic of Matakana, stay at one of our luxurious new Plume Villas and enjoy the superb food and À QH ZLQH DW 3OXPH 5HVWDXUDQW &RXQWU\ OLIH VWDUWV KHUH A one-hour scenic drive north of Auckland and 5 minutes from 0DWDNDQD WRZQVKLS \RX ZLOO À QG Plume Restaurant, an oasis for gourmet travellers in a coastal country setting. Recognised for its superb cuisine, and as the cellar door for Runner Duck Estate 9LQH\DUG¡V À QH ZLQHV 3OXPH Restaurant has gained quite a reputation.

Now, 12 new luxury Plume Villas, ranging from 1-3 bedrooms, have been added within the grounds.

These all share a swimming pool and are within a relaxed stroll of the restaurant. No matter the season or the length of your stay, you will À QG 3OXPH 9LOODV D FRPIRUWDEOH place to base yourself while enjoying the many delights nearby, including the fabulous food and wine at Plume Restaurant. $OUHDG\ ERDVWLQJ D SULYDWH OLJKW À OOHG function room, Plume Restaurant has just become the perfect venue for weddings, conferences, meetings and private events set within a peaceful country location.

www.theplumecollection.co.nz

37 Sharp Road, Matakana 09 422 7915 / 09 283 3630 SCL/PLU2018/15

49A Sharp Road Matakana 09 422 7915

1335 Leigh Road, Matakana 09 423 0390

Cellar door Plume Restaurant 09 422 7915

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY FACES @ GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET Louise Spear can be found selling her turmeric and ginger tonic at the market on Sundays.

How have you been enjoying the summer?

I love summer. I grew up on the beach in Gisborne, so I like to go back there every summer and spend time with family.

How has your regional upbringing influenced you?

Coming from a small town has given me a 'can do' attitude and I like to keep things simple. Often if we wanted something, we had to make it ourselves as we couldn’t just go out and buy it. This is how I ended up making my tonic.

What inspired you to start making your tonic?

A couple of years ago on a trip to Gisborne, I was introduced to a similar tonic. I really liked the idea of cold pressing the turmeric and ginger - products I was interested in as I have always had an interest in natural products. I got in touch with a tonic creator in Gisborne and we have been working together ever since.

How does that fit with your family commitments?

I have discovered it is a good fundraiser for my 15-year-old daughter’s national and international travel - she represents New Zealand in in-line hockey and ice hockey.

Do you have time for fun things?

Juggling juicing and hockey-mum duties, plus my day job, keeps me pretty busy. I also like to walk around our beautiful city most days.

Recently, I have discovered binge-watching Netflix which is filling in any other spare time I may have at the moment! F PN www.glfm.co.nz

What is in the tonic and how do you know it’s good for you?

It has three ingredients: turmeric, ginger and kawakawa. The health benefits of turmeric and ginger are widely documented. Kawakawa - medicine - I use it is a native plant which is used in traditional Maori instead of black pepper. This makes a smoother drink and gives my tonic a unique Kiwi twist. Kawakawa provides piperine which helps the body to absorb curcumin - the active ingredient in turmeric.

How did you go from making tonic for yourself to making it a business?

To begin I was just making it for myself and then I started giving it to friends, who gave it to friends who gave it to friends and so on.

Suddenly it was more than just making small batches and I knew I had to make it into a business so that more people could benefit.

What has delighted you most at the market?

Those regular customers! They tell me their stories and I love hearing about their health improvements. It was wonderful to hear about a customer whose arthritic hands have become less bent and more mobile. It’s loyalty to those customers that keeps me coming back and I feel guilty if I have to be away for a weekend.

COCKTAIL RECIPE Waterloo Sunset Celebrate Valentine's the right way.

Ingredients 30ml Gin 15ml Sugar Syrup 15ml Elderflower Syrup 15ml Strawberry Liqueur Moet & Chandon What you’ll need Champagne flute Measurer (jigger) Cherry In a Champagne flute mix in gin, sugar and elderflower syrup, and lastly top up the glass with Moet & Chandon. Then gently try to layer the strawberry liqueur on top. Garnish by dropping a cherry in the glass, or place it on the edge of the glass as I have done.

A special thank you to the Mikano Restaurant for letting me use their equipment and ingredients.

(KERRY LEE) F PN

44 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY CREATIVE MATAKANA 2019 LAUNCHES Creative Matakana is a week of workshops and events based around the Matakana area over the second week of May.

Mandy Thomsett-Taylor

Founded by friends Jo Connor and Vivienne Kerr, the week is modelled on the long-running Wanaka Autumn Art School. Participants benefit from solid workshops with an emphasis on experienced tutors, many of whom have won awards for their own art. The beautiful surrounds of Matakana, with its beaches, vineyards, boutiques and farmers' markets are also a wonderful drawcard.

The Creative Matakana team is excited to let you know that courses for 2019 are now online. Here's a brief list of what's on offer:

Five-day workshops in 2019 include iron sculpture with Jeff Thomson, writing with Joe Bennett, watercolour painting with Bernadette Parsons, painting and drawing with Mandy Thomsett-Taylor, wood sculpture with Louise McRae, Japanese textile Wood sculpture art with Alysn Midgelow-Marsden, non-toxic printmaking with Mark Graver, glass etching and vitreographs (printing from etched glass) with Elizabeth McClure, oral history with Judith Fyfe and making a Windsor chair with Richard Hare (due to popular demand this last has been extended to seven days).

Writing with Joe Bennett

Watercolour with Bernadette Parsons

Short courses include three one-day knife making classes with Adam Fromholtz, and a pair of two-day ceramics workshops with Jack Tilson.

In addition, each year there's an extra element to Creative Matakana – 2017 featured exceptional food demonstrations and meals with renowned chefs, and 2018 brought brilliant garden designers. In 2019 there'll be a Japanese craft and culture theme at three one-day workshops held at a beautiful, local home.

There's a craft day with kintsugi (repairing broken ceramics with gold leaf) and furoshiki (creative wrapping with fabrics), a botanical day learning sogetsu ikebana (and special angle on Japanese floral arrangement), and a hands-on day of shibori, the art of indigo dyeing. Each day will also explore Japanese food philosophy at lunchtime, with a bento box demonstration - and sake.

Yellow Blue Red Textile Art

There will also be two full-day 'Art and Architecture Tours', which will visit artists, studios, art collections and interesting homes on both coasts in our region, from Helensville to Mangawhai.

These will both include a delicious lunch and finish with a glass of bubbly.

Further events include our usual delightful opening drinks at the Vivian Gallery, Matakana, and the very special participants' dinner.

Iron sculpture The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

All information is now online at www.creativematakana.nz

Judith Fyfe PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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ROSS THORBY: SEA FEVER

Guatemala - not just the cocaine capital of South America Wedged in between Mexico and Costa Rica is one of those exotic places that you would never believe you’d find yourself in - Guatemala. But yet, courtesy of Cunard, here I am.

Yes, you might have heard about it on the news - the drug lords, (well it is South America) corrupt politicians, (again it is South America) or perhaps you might have heard of its biggest export - no not 'Antiguan Blow' - Guatemalan coffee.

The name conjures up images of a thick and exotic blend, its packaging - a hessian bag, sits on every Trade Aid shelf around the world. Second to coffee exporting is chocolate. The dark and bitter bean grown in great vast plantations, harvested and tended by hard working and simple native workers whose overseers sell the results of their toil for extravagant amounts in boutique stores all around the world.

We cruise into Puerto Quetzal, the main port of Guatemala, in the early dawn hours to find it surrounded by great mountains of coal. Huge black blots on the landscape that feed the power stations up and down the coast and fill the air with a thick, dark stink of burnt fossil fuel.

Through the smoke, we barely make out the small tropical outpost that houses the port buildings that will welcome us to the country.

Contemporary thatched buildings and a manicured green lawn hosting various fountains dancing playfully so as to distract us from the landscape outside the perimeter fencing. Fortunately the jungle thick vegetation that we experience once away from the harbour area is in complete contrast to the surrounding bare and blackened earth.

All of the offered excursions today involve long bus tours. An hour’s drive to Guatemala City (not recommended for those with a delicate disposition) an hour and a half to the World Heritage site of Antigua and its active volcano or, my choice, a two hour drive to Lake Atitlan and one of the Mayan settlements on its banks called Panajachel with the opportunity to sample some of Guatemala’s finest exports.

I board the bus to be jolted, rattled and rolled for two hours driving through the hinterlands, past massive plantations of pineapples and cocoa that later give way to vast plantings of coffee beans. Flashing before the windows, villages, markets and small farmlets intermingled with great dirt paddocks where cattle and horses swelter under huge trees, the spreading branches offering the only respite from the early morning heat.

Colourful buildings in Guatemala the opposite bank. A thriving Mayan community of plain low-rise concrete bunkers, painted in primary colours and tempered by bougainvillea and hydrangeas running amok along its walls. The narrow roads are alive with yellow tuk-tuks buzzing around like busy bees in a nest.

The clean waters of Lake Atitlan lap up against the foundations of a corniche running along the lake edge where hordes of families are out for a Sunday walk. All dressed in their Sunday best, colourful hand-embroidered skirts and blouses for the women, tightly woven, beautifully stitched and embroidered jackets and shirts for the men.

They promenade along the path stopping at the ice servers along the route.

A guy with big biceps is hand pumping the wheel and scooping the ice-shavings into a cup, then adding a sprinkling of various flavourful potions for the waiting populace. The sounds of a flute and guitar compete with the shouts of the young swimming in the cool waters of the lake.

Winding our way up narrow mountain passes with great panoramic views across the valleys to the mountain villages on the other side, we arrive 4000 feet up into the highlands with a vista of the three volcanoes that edge around Lake Atitlan.

We stopped for the area’s specialty - hot chocolate. It arrives with the spoon standing perpendicular in the hot, thick, delicious concoction.

Not sure whether to use it to stir the fluid or to spoon it out in great dripping mouthfuls, we choose the latter. The ensuing mess seems an apt compliment to those toiling for the beans further down the mountain, but before we know it, the time is nigh to rejoin the throng.

Crowding into the small ancient craft, we ferry back over the lake, past the dormant volcanoes and the milling crowd of gospel singers then back onto the bus - bags bulging with the delights of coffee and chocolate to be consumed onboard in the coming days.

Amongst the gospel singers gathered around the lake celebrating their Sunday communion, we board a ferry to reach Panajachel on

Guatemala - not just the cocaine capital of South America.

(ROSS THORBY) F PN

The ice seller

46 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

Lakeside swim and volcano PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

TRAVEL BREAKS: THE NEW THERAPY!

ITALY’S NORTHERN LAKES It is no wonder Italy is called il bel paese - the beautiful country! From the northern snow-capped peaks of the Alps and the idyllic hilltop villages of the renowned central Tuscany and Umbria area, to the rugged southern shores of Sicily, lies a plethora of distinctive regions and people.

To my mind, the northern Italian lakes offer some of the most spectacular scenery in Italy - placid waters, centuries-old villas draped with bougainvillea, charming villages, wonderful restaurants and the snow-capped Alps in the distance.

Just north of the fashion capital of Milan are Lake Maggiore and Lake Como - my absolute favourites. Shorelines dotted with picturesque villages, and a very peaceful laidback atmosphere make this a very relaxed Italian experience.

On Lake Maggiore is Pescatori Island, named after the fishermen who made the area their home. With simple houses, narrow lanes and stone portals, you can be sure to find a local cafe with the freshest of fish on the menu. For grander experience, stop in at Isola Bella to visit the Borromeo Palace with its magnificent gardens.

Lake Como has been a popular hangout for the rich and famous for centuries, and some of the most beautiful villas are (or have been) home to the likes of George Clooney, Gianni Versace, Richard Branson and Ronaldinho. Some were built in Roman times, the gardens are always spectacular, as the Mediterranean-like climate allows tropical and sub-tropical plants to grow year round.

a leisurely breakfast on the hotel terrace we strolled to the ferry pier and bought a ferry pass for the day. That day we decided we would have a progressive lunch - one course at each of four villages on the lake. We enjoyed antipasti at Varenna Mon Amour in Varenna, homemade pasta Il Ristorante di Paolo in Menaggio, freshly caught fish at Ristorante Belle Isole in Cadennabia and, finally, a fabulous gelato at Gelateria Helvetica in Tremezzo. We caught our final ferry back to Bellagio happily sated and convinced Italian cuisine is amongst the best in the world!

From Menaggio, you can even take a day’s excursion to Switzerland, driving to Tirano then taking the spectacular Bernina Express train to St Moritz. And, of course, when in Switzerland, lunch at a chalet is a must!

Delightful boutique hotels, charming villages, delicious Italian cuisine, and absolutely stunning scenery make the Northern Lakes my idea of il bel paese. (BRETT BARCLAY, DIRECTOR, WORLD JOURNEYS) F PN

Some of the villas are now museums and galleries, allowing visitors a glimpse of an elegant and opulent era. A favourite is the 17th Century Villa Carlotta in the village of Tremezzo. The gardens here are best in spring when the colours of age-old orange trees, rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias are at their peak. The waterfront villa itself is richly adorned with paintings, sculptures, tapestries and period furniture.

I have fond memories of my last visit to Lake Como, staying in the gorgeous little village of Bellagio in the central lake area. After

Enjoy Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, with centuries old villas draped with bougainvillea, charming villages and wonderful restaurants. Sightseeing includes a journey on the famed Bernina Express to St Moritz.

Order one of our 2019 Europe brochures at worldjourneys.co.nz/brochures 6 DAY TOUR from $4,578pp (share twin)

ITALIAN LAKES The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

T 09 360 7311 www.worldjourneys.co.nz /worldjourneys

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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TRAVEL BREAKS: THE NEW THERAPY!

THE SURREY HOTEL - CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF LOCAL OWNERSHIP THE LOCALLY OWNED SURREY HOTEL HAS BEEN PART OF THE GREY LYNN LANDSCAPE for many years, offering guests a quality of service and level of professionalism that has seen it thrive throughout the decades. Local, Richard Langridge has owned The Surrey Hotel for the last 30 years. During this time the hotel has consistently offered affordable accommodation and excellent dining experiences for a range of events and thousands of guests. Just like many residents of Grey Lynn, The Surrey Hotel has a strong sense of community and an appreciation of the arts. As well as being a popular location for reality TV shows like New Zealand Idol, and other entertainment industry events, the hotel sponsors the prestigious writers prize: The Surrey Hotel Steve Braunias Memorial Writers Residency Award.

This coveted, central-city writer’s residency attracts applications from all over the country and provides the winning writer with seven nights of accommodation to concentrate on their work in the vibrant Grey Lynn location. Megan Dunn, the 2018 winner, will be working on a book about professional mermaids during her residency.

SUMMER CRUISING & ACTIVITIES

Get out on the water these summer holidays with a range of activities from The Red boats.

THE RIVERHEAD CRUISER

MOTUIHE ISLAND FERRY

Cruise to the Riverhead – historic tavern

Spend the day on an Island paradise with the Red boats Motuihe Ferry

Trips depart daily from Pier Z Westhaven Marina $35pp Adults $15pp children

FISHING CHARTERS Catch the big one these summer Holidays on a Red boats Fishing charter!

Last year, due to the high standard of entries, three runners-up were announced and The Surrey Hotel generously agreed to provide five nights of accommodation to all three writers to work on their writing projects. When Spinoff’s literary editor Steve Braunias congratulated winners he described The Surrey Hotel as ‘the perfect retreat, a warm, private world of silence, carpets and dreams'. It’s a description that is testament to a wonderful local hotel that prides itself on friendly, professional service, excellent food and a commitment to the community. As well as having a great menu, an excellent wine list and a range of flexible conference rooms, The Surrey Hotel supports a number of local events and charitable organisations. The historic Richmond Rovers Rugby League Club, the Point Chevalier Amateur Athletics Club, Variety, the children’s charity, are just few that enjoy the support of The Surrey Hotel. (ANDREA KAHUKIWA) F PN THE SURREY HOTEL, 465 Great North Road, T:09 378 9059, www.thesurreyhotel.co.nz

Trips depart daily $35pp Adults $15pp Children

Public Trips depart Twice daily from $55pp

Book online at www.theredboats.co.nz Ph 0800 Redboats for more details

www.thesurreyhotel.co.nz

Retail, restaurants and recreation all on your doorstep ™ ™ ™ ™ ™

-BSHF TFMG DPOUBJOFE SPPNT BOE BQBSUNFOUT 4FMFDUJPO PG NFFUJOH SPPNT )PNF PG UIF 4VSSFZ 1VC 'SFF DPBDI BOE DBS QBSLJOH )BQQZ )PVS QN QN The Surrey Hotel 465 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand Phone + 64 9 378 9059 Fax + 64 9 378 1464 Email reservations@thesurreyhotel.co.nz www.thesurreyhotel.co.nz

48 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

THOUGHTFULNESS AND LOVE ARE AT THE HEART OF THE MODERN VALENTINE Valentine’s Day has survived for thousands of years, evolving from the folk stories about the love and kindness of two priests called Valentinus, to become a celebration for those we love and adore.

Whether it’s a single red rose for a secret admirer, a thoughtful romantic gesture for a long time partner or a lasting gift of fine jewellery that celebrates a milestone of togetherness, the options for celebrating Valentine’s are endless. In fact there are no rules about how we chose to celebrate on Valentine’s Day or whom we chose to celebrate it with.

These days friends don’t just send chocolates to those they secretly admire but give cards and gifts to their mates as a thoughtful way to celebrate friendship. Parents buy gifts for their small children and animal lovers buy special treats for their pets, all in the name of Valentine’s.

Today it can be a grand, extravagant, romantic exercise or a simple thoughtful gesture of love. You can treat your true love to the

traditional gifts of roses, Champagne and heart-shaped chocolates or you can buy or do something out of the ordinary for anyone you love and adore.

A special book about love to read to your children is a timeless and memorable way to celebrate unconditional love on Valentine’s Day. For the dedicated career man in your life, perhaps a classic silk tie can set a romantic tone for a day at the office.

Adding to the eight million roses that are sold every year in New Zealand for Valentine’s Day are a myriad of ways for us all to show someone we care. Whether it’s a simple picnic at a local park, coffee and cake with a friend, exquisite bed linens, or a swimsuit to make the most of the long, hot summer Valentine’s Day is a great way to celebrate love and kindness. (ANDREA KAHUKIWA) F PN

LOVE AND BOOKS FOR YOUR SMALLEST VALENTINE’S Valentine’s Day can be more than just buying roses for a secret crush.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to treat our children, who love us unconditionally. Mary, from the Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop has three wonderful suggestions to make bedtime reading this Valentine’s Day very special.

The Most-Loved Bear by Sam McBratney (Macmillan $24.99) A gorgeous story from the author of ‘Guess How Much I Love You'. Growly Bear is the hero of this gentle tale of a girl's undying love for her special teddy. It’s a beautiful example of the strength of a child's love.

The Lion Who Wanted to Love by Gilles Andreae (Hachette $19.99) How can you be a lion if you can't bring yourself to hunt other animals? Leo just wants to help his animal friends not chase them down! It’s a timeless book that reminds us about the importance of love.

The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Colfer (Walker $22.99) A heart warming story for six-to nine-year-olds about a boy and his dog. Though they both have problems, Oz the dog and Patrick grow to love and heal each other. Enhanced by stunning drawings, this is a book to treasure for years to come. F PN DOROTHY BUTLER CHILDREN’S BOOKSHOP, 1 Jervois Road, T:09 376 7283, www.dorothybutler.co.nz The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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VALENTINES FEATURE @ MOONTIDE

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1. Oasis Plunge Suit - $139.99 2. Mono Bloom U/W Wrap Suit - $159.99 3. Mosaic Tri Bikini - $139.99

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4. Manhattan V Neck Suit - $99.99 5. Morocco U/W Plunge Suit - $159.99

6. Amalfi D/DD Wrap Bikini - $149.99 7. Tokyo Short Sleeve Rashie and Pant - $159.99 8. Paradise Tankini and Pant - $199

MOONTIDE, 24 Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn, T: 09 551 7720, www.moontide.com

50 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

MOONTIDE.COM

NEW STORE NOW OPEN 24 WILLIAMSON AVENUE, GREY LYNN PH: 09 551 7720

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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VALENTINES FEATURE @ CARATS

HIDDEN HEART COLLECTION...

A selection of Carats Jewellery's beautiful creations from past and present.

CARATS, 25 Vulcan Lane, Auckland CBD, T: 09 309 5145, www.caratsjewellery.co.nz

52 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

VALENTINES FEATURE NEW ETON SHIRT COLLECTION HAS ARRIVED @ FIFTH AVENUE

FIFTH AVENUE, 216 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 360 9700, www.fifithave.co.nz

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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VALENTINES FEATURE @ ZEBRANO – NEW SEASON STYLES PREVIEW

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Step boldly into the new season in a multitude of meticulous prints and subtle hues.

Embrace luxury fabrics in cutting-edge statement styles for round the clock sophistication. Stay ahead of the game this season - preview new looks from Curate, Obi, Chocolat, Euphoria, Mela Purdie, Megan Salmon and more. www.zebrano.co.nz/lookbooks

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1. Obi Black Drape Back Dress from Zebrano - $327

6. Euphoria Wild Child Top from Zebrano - $419

2. Lemon Tree Viola Linen Dress from Zebrano - $167

7. Obi Jungle Fever Dress from Zebrano $407

3. Euphoria Curious Top from Zebrano - $329

8. Travellers Travel Sleeved Tabbard from Zebrano - $199

4. Chocolat Medusa Sanctuary Dress from Zebrano - $397

9. Obi Black Sioxsie Drape Cami from Zebrano - $299

5. Chocolat Super Nova Illusion Dress from Zebrano - $367 ZEBRANO, 10 Kingdon Street, Newmarket, T: 09 523 2500, www.zebrano.co.nz

54 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

VALENTINES DAY

FEEL THE LOVE THIS VALENTINE'S DAY WITH DIAMONDS ON RICHMOND February welcomes an abundance of red roses, heart-shaped cutouts adorning shop windows and restaurants eagerly advertising specials.

Valentine’s Day, you either love it or loathe it. Even so, Diamonds On Richmond is feeling the love and has some exciting announcements coming your way just in time for cupid.

With an array of gift jewellery ranging from dress rings, bangles, bracelets, earrings and pendants, the boutique jewellery store has you covered when searching for the perfect gift. Unsure of what a perfect gift may entail for your special someone? Try out the ‘Tailored Gift Service’. With a simple questionnaire on the website, this acts as an online (non-pesky) shopping assistant, which works towards finding the ideal gift. All within your chosen budget too.

Along with the arrival of Valentine’s Day, Diamonds On Richmond is celebrating its 10th year anniversary by launching the highly anticipated ‘Proposal of the Decade’. If you are a previous client and have purchased an engagement ring within the last decade, stay tuned and you could be in to win an epic prize. All will be revealed on 14th February.

@ DIAMONDS ON RICHMOND 1. Diamond Pendant & Chain (9ct white gold) - $1650 2. Morganite & Diamond Ring (14ct rose gold) - $1950

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3. Diamond Tennis Bracelet (9ct white gold, 0.50ct TDW) - $1950 (also available in yellow gold) 4. Six Stone Diamond Ring (9ct white gold) - $3900 (also available in yellow gold) 5. 9ct Yellow & Rose Gold Bracelet - $1250

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6. Sapphire & Diamond Ring (18ct white gold) - $8500

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7. Diamond Ring (9ct white gold) - $1950 8. Diamond Earrings (9ct white gold) - $600 4

DIAMONDS ON RICHMOND, 98 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, T: 09 376 9045, wwwdiamondsonrichmond.co.nz

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PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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VALENTINES FEATURE @ MAGAZINE CLOTHING

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Chocolat Allure Lila Dress (Magazine Exclusive) Holiday Bahama Top - Natural Holiday Carribean Silk Wrap Natural Flower Print Maud Dainty Tick Tock Tee Obi Jungle Fever Shift Dress Obi New Order Tabbard Ruby Yaya Jasmina Pink Dress

MAGAZINE DESIGNER CLOTHING, 4 Byron Avenue, Takapuna, T: 09 488 0406, 937 Mt Eden Road, T: 09 630 5354, www.magazineclothing.co.nz

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56 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

VALENTINES FEATURE RAGS & ROMANCE, A SENSORY SHOPPING EXPERIENCE Rags & Romance at 260 Onehunga Mall Road is a destination store devoted to the shopping experience. It is interesting, relaxed and smells divine.

The team at Rags & Romance personally selects a collection of unique pieces offering everything from special occasions, weddings to classic street wear styles. These include European designer range Liliano, exquisite silk dresses by Perth-based designer brand Queen of Everything, Swedish jewellery brand EDBLAD, and bags and shoes by artist Sarah Molloy.

Rags & Romance also carrys the handcrafted, New Zealand, natural organic health and beauty range, Surmanti. Personal favourites of owner Marianne Shirley are the Sleep Easy spray and Surmanti Luxury Bubble Bath products.

With a hand picked selection of pre-loved designer clothing Rags & Romance offers a broad range of fashion options to suit different tastes and budgets.

By arrangement, Rags & Romance hosts special Girls Night Out shopping evenings, popping the corks and opening the doors for groups of women looking for a tailored fashion and shopping experience. Whether it’s a hen’s night or a group of dedicated shoppers wanting styling advice, Marianne and her team can organise an incredible PN experience that won’t disappoint. F RAGS & ROMANCE, 260 Onehunga Mall, T: 600 1222 or 021 0287 7482, www.facebook.com/ragsandromance

Shoes and Bags by Sarah Molloy

KISS ME ON THE LIPS New and Pre-loved Fashion

Chu Thai has created a wonderful Valentine's Day cocktail. It's easy to make at home. Mix a dash of Bourbon, a slice of lemon, a splash of soda, some cranberry juice topped with jelly and Chupa Chup.

Accessories and Curiosa

RAGS & ROMANCE

f

ragsandromance 206 Onehunga Mall, 09 600 1222

58 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

CHU THAI, 244 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 9909, www.chuthaieatery.co.nz PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

VALENTINES FEATURE @ FABULOUS FAUX FLOWERS

FABULOUS FAUX FLOWERS, 293 Ponsonby road, T: 021 174 8393, email: anthonyhartesq@yahoo.com, www.fabulousfauxflowers.co.nz

Fabulous Faux owers Fill Valentine’s Day With Love...

4QNM Q[ \PM Æ W_MZ NWZ _PQKP TW^M Q[ \PM PWVMa H Victor Hugo I

Call 021 174 8393 or email fabfauxflowers@yahoo.com | 293 Ponsonby Road | www.fabulousfauxflowers.co.nz | Follow us on &

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LOCAL NEWS WESTERN SPRINGS AFC In what is thought to be a first for Auckland football, if not in New Zealand, Western Springs AFC has implemented an innovative new sustainability project that is dramatically shrinking the club’s environmental footprint.

The Westmere-based club has installed a new recycling and composting system at its grounds which is successfully diverting large amounts of waste away from landfill.

“We’ve grown substantially over the last few years to become one of the football biggest clubs in the country,” Club President Grant Russell says.

“But that growth has also seen increased pressure on our facilities and the local environment. We’ve recognised the need to safeguard that and to do something about it.”

With the help of a passionate club volunteer and a grant from Auckland Council’s Waste Minimisation Fund, Western Springs has procured and installed commercial recycling and compost facilities all around its Seddon Fields pitches and clubrooms to complement the existing council-operated landfill bins.

Glass, plastic and aluminium waste is now recovered and sent for recycling while organic waste, including the traditional half-time oranges at junior games, are commercially composted and used to grow new plants and trees.

All the food packaging and takeaway coffee cups sold at the club’s popular cafe are also now 100% compostible.

Since its inception earlier this season, the club’s new sustainability system has diverted more than 10,000L of recyclable waste away from landfill; the equivalent weight of two elephants.

“We’ve always recycled bottles from our bar but this has taken it to the next level by offering recycling options for players and spectators right around our grounds,” Russell says.

“It has taken a bit of a behaviour change but most people are used to sorting and recycling their waste at home these days, so why should it be any different at their football club?”

Western Springs has also stopped supplying plastic drinking straws - one of the most common forms of plastic pollution found in our waterways and oceans.

“Given we’re located right beside Meola Reef, that was a no brainer for us,” Russell says.

Members and visitors alike have embraced the new eco-friendly initiatives and the club has received only positive feedback from the community.

It has also attracted interest from other Auckland football clubs keen to know more about the Springs’ sustainability project.

“We’re really pleased about how it’s working so far and it’s great that it’s captured some attention,” Russell says.

“We’re hoping it will inspire other Auckland sports clubs to take notice and perhaps follow a similar path at their grounds, too,” Russell says.

“We can all do our bit to reduce club-generated waste and be PN friendlier on our local environment.” F www.wsafc.org.nz

SHOE REPAIRS KEY CUTTING + KNIFE SHARPENING

NEW

Photo Printing Framing

Shoe Repairs Key Cutting Shoe Care Products Photo Printing / Framing Knife Sharpening

09 376 3289 / www.onestepahead.co.nz 287 Ponsonby Road / Three Lamps (next to Salta Café) / e: onestepahead@xtra.co.nz

60 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY

A more conscious approach to life in 2019 This year, I’m trying to look at life from the perspective of the ‘bigger picture’: how my personal choices affect others, the planet and my own wellbeing.

Taking a more conscious approach needn’t cost the earth or require deprivation, and even adopting just one or two of the suggestions below can make a significant difference to how 2019 rolls out for you.

See what you think.

Consider yoga Multiple studies have confirmed the many benefits of yoga, be it a daily home practice or a weekly yin with mates. Incorporating it into your routine has been proven to help enhance your health, increase strength and flexibility and reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety, and there really is a style for everyone. My favourite spot is the warm and welcoming Urban Ashram in Brown Street, where superstar yogini Nikki Ralston and her small team of teachers spread much love every day. Kara Sweney, owner of Yoga Ground has also come highly recommended, both for her knowledge and her unique style.

Clean, green makeup Most of us don’t realise the impact that the multiple ingredients found in most makeup can have on our skin, and the environment. For me, avoiding brands that test on animals is a no brainer, as well as an absence of fragrance and fillers that can cause sensitivity over time.

One of my all time favourite makeup lines is rms beauty, which is available at Mecca. A pure colour cosmetic line created by legendary MUA Rose-Marie Swift, it is based on organic principles and was created to hydrate and illuminate the skin. It’s also incredibly simple and no fuss, which in busy times gets a big tick from me. Closer to home I love the Aleph makeup line created by Auckland MUA Emma Peters. Similar in ethos to rms, the foundation is simply one of the best I’ve ever used. You can grab it at alephbeauty.com.

containing huge amounts of chemical components to keep them moist, effective and preserved. These all help to dissolve make-up, but without rinsing them off you run the risk of subjecting your skin to an array of chemicals that will sit there, then potentially be absorbed into your blood stream while you sleep. I prefer a great cleansing balm and cloth, and New Zealand’s Corbin Rd. has created a stellar cleansing balm as part of a luxurious new skincare system with its Viteve Silk Exfoliating Cloth. Made of pure silk, the cloth’s unique texture and proteins exfoliate away debris and clear congestion, and can be thrown in the wash after every use.

Retreat yourself Many people use significant financial outlay and time away from work and family as a reason they haven’t attended a wellness retreat, despite professing an obsession with the idea. Well, I say forget about all that and embrace some of the options we have quite literally on our doorstep, many of which are just a day in length but can be really transformative. Sattva Soul holds regular half-day retreats at venues like the Sapphire Room at Ponsonby Central, whilst I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural Barefoot Retreat at Te Henga earlier this year.

Helmed by local vegan chef and yogi Angus McLean (who created the menu at The Butcher’s Son and did time at award winning Aro Ha- in Queenstown), it was a day away that has set me up for the year.

Push play on Pilates Pilates changed my relationship with the problematic back that has been with me since my teens, helping keep the worst at bay and transforming my posture as an added bonus. If you’re looking to find a class that keeps you strong, long and lean, you can’t go past the Pilates Sculpt class at iconic Grey Lynn studio re:ab on Selbourne Street. Classes are small and instructors incredibly highly trained, and once you’ve tried one class I guarantee you’ll be hooked!

Minimise your beauty arsenal I’m a huge fan of oils - body oils, hair oils and facials oils - and love the fact that nine times out of ten, they are brilliant multi-taskers and great travel companions too. Fewer product lines in your bathroom mean a simpler routine and less packaging sent out into the environment, and brands like Sans (ceuticals) offer oils that cleanse, hydrate and nourish all in one. My favourite facial oils at the moment have eliminated the need for serums, creams and even eye creams, and come from local brand Hunt Skincare (available at maneproject. online) and Votary, which you can pick up at Spring Spa. Step away from cleansing wipes Cleansing wipes are one of my biggest bugbears, with many

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

Shop consciously Step away from fast fashion and invest in New Zealand made, and if possible, sustainable. One of my favourite local labels that does well in both areas is Mina, founded by the preternaturally talented Natalie Procter. The label’s beautifully crafted collections are described as 'refined and effortless staples for the modern woman', and each piece is designed with the desire for less. One of the few designers left in New Zealand that does craft her wares within her home country, she works with individuals locally who are at the top of their game when it comes to craftsmanship. To the designer, a human connection is vital at every touch point, and she hopes that the women who buy Mina hold a similar point of view. Find her collections and stockists online at minaforher.com. (HELENE RAVLICH) F PN

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MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH WHAT A FANTASTIC YEAR 2019 IS SHAPING UP TO BE Last century, Portugal proved that we can improve societies' health and wealth by treating drug policy as a health issue. I applaud Jacinda Ardern, Winston Peters, David Clark, Chloe Swarbrick, Helen Clark and others for leading New Zealand in that direction. Bravo!

But there is still a lot of fear and misinformation being printed, largely due to ignorance and structural opposition. According to a neurosurgeon (CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr Sanjay Gupta), we have all “been terribly and systematically misled” about hemp and cannabis for nearly one hundred years. (‘Why I changed my mind on weed’, CNN.com, 2013).

“I apologise... It doesn't have a high potential for abuse, and there are very legitimate medical applications. In fact, sometimes marijuana is the only thing that works.” in fact, the evidence is so strong that last year Brazilian Judge Antonio Jose Pecego ruled that parents could grow cannabis for their child as “a protection of the human rights to life, dignity and health”; although cannabis is illegal in Brazil.

This is because this unique plant can be used to support our body’s own defense systems. Its prohibition has always lacked reason, and was fought by the American Medical Association from 1937-42.

Evidence from the US DEA, Harvard University, and our own Ministry of Health shows being “terribly misled” is a result of the market's war against the categories of herbalism and nutrition in healthcare. So, although hemp was once used to successfully treat conditions that are ‘untreatable’ today, its uses are denied today because a blind eye is turned to the evidence. At the end of last year the WHO even refused to release its own long coming review on cannabis, surely a political response to prevent disrupting the status quo.

Furthermore, being “terribly and systematically misled” since 1937 means that ignorance about hemp medicine is now baked into everyone’s understanding of the issue, including medical professionals, institutions and even cannabis users.

Recently Helius Therapeutics advertised that 'Cannabis is a medicine'. But it doesn’t have to be a $1000 'medicine' for you to avoid mental illness, grow stronger bones, modulate pain, lose weight, fight cancer, or support your health in many other important ways. It's a health plant; it just needs to be available in the right forms, and you need to know how to use it properly.

We should learn that, and use it to replace the products that are destroying our environment and undermining our economy. It’s time we built this country, and our health system, on a new foundation.

(TADHG STOPFORD) F PN www.thehempfoundation.org.nz

FITNESS ALL TOGETHER Whether you're a creative or a suit, a couch potato or a fruit, Fitness All Together also known as FAT welcomes all shapes, sizes and fitness levels.

FAT is an outdoor training community based in Auckland’s Silo Park lead by Elliot de Lautour and Nikki Crerar. It’s no surprise this unique duo have made a name for themselves with their infectious and motivating energy combined with their holistic and functional training approach.

If you thrive in a social environment, then grab a friend and jump into their weekly group sessions.

If you prefer a more personal experience, then book in for their private sessions.

Get in touch if you want a social, fun yet challenging experience with a heavy dose of vitamin D! F PN @fitnessalltogether www.fitnessalltogether.co.nz

62 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH ENROL YOUR CHILD NOW FOR A FREE DENTAL CHECK UP

THE DENTAL FAMILY FOR YOUR FAMILY

WWW.KEITHNELSON.CO.NZ

ANY PAGE IN PONSONBY NEWS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE SEEN

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JOHN APPLETON: ON HEALTH

International Vitamin C Symposium Attention: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, hospital administrators, students, researchers and New Zealanders.

Don’t miss your opportunity to attend the International Vitamin C Symposium, Friday 15 and Saturday 16 February AUT Auckland.

This symposium brings together the widest group of international experts working in the field of vitamin C, cancer and infectious diseases ever gathered in New Zealand.

On Friday 15 February there is a one-day Science and Medicine Symposium specifically for medical professionals. A separate session on Saturday 16 February is for the general public. This will feature speakers from the Friday symposium, so if you are unable to make it to the main symposium, you may want to attend this public event.

The International Vitamin C Symposium is endorsed by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, and The College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand has registered the event for CPD accreditation.

To register visit www.vitaminc2019.co.nz or for more information: AUT Auckland Friday 15 and Saturday 16 February Vitamin C for Cancer and Infection from Bench to Bedside Featuring Scientists and Clinicians from Universities in Europe the USA and New Zealand One Day Science and Medicine Symposium Who should attend? Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, students and trainees, biomedical and clinical researchers, hospital administrators and policy makers.

Public Session featuring speakers from the Friday symposium Who should attend? Anyone with an interest in finding out more about vitamin C and its potential for use in treating human illness.

PN (JOHN APPLETON) F APPLETON ASSOCIATES, T: 09 489 9362, appletonassoc@xtra.co.nz, www.johnappleton.co.nz

VITAMIN C SYMPOSIUM 15-16 February 2019 AUT – AUCKLAND – NZ Vitamin C for Cancer and Infection from Bench to Bedside A Symposium to share the latest scientific and clinical research on the potential use of vitamin C for cancer and infectious diseases FULL PROGRAMME INCLUDES ONE DAY SCIENCE AND MEDICINE SYMPOSIUM

PUBLIC SESSION Saturday 16th February

Featuring scientists and clinicians from Universities in Europe, the USA and New Zealand.

Featuring speakers from the Friday Symposium.

Who should attend? Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, students and trainees, biomedical and clinical researchers, hospital administrators, policy makers.

Who should attend? Anyone with an interest in finding out more about vitamin C and its potential for use in treating human illness.

To find out more and to register for this special event Visit vitaminc2019.co.nz The “Vitamin C for cancer and infection – from bench to bedside Symposium” activity has been endorsed by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) and has been approved for up to 8.4 CME credits, for the General Practice Educational Programme (GPEP) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) purposes.

The College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (CICM) has registered the ‘Vitamin C for cancer and infection – from bench to bedside’ activity for CPD accreditation: Lectures – Category 2A: Passive Group Learning – 1 point per hour.

64 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FUTURE GENERATION STARTING A NEW SCHOOL YEAR? For many children, the start of a new school year can generate a range of conflicting emotions.

Whether your child is starting a new school or returning to a familiar place, he or she may experience nervousness about whether they’ll have friends in their class or apprehension around approaching a new classroom environment. Settling your child into the new school year can be an uncertain time for the entire family.

A recent report, Growing Up in New Zealand: Transition to School, identified that the greatest concerns that mothers had for children starting their first year of school were 'fitting in socially' and 'making friends'.

Principal of St Cuthbert’s College, Justine Mahon, has a wealth of experience across the New Zealand education sector and says that, irrespective of whether their child is starting or returning to school, it is imperative that parents talk to their children positively about the beginning of the school year as they can often pick up on whether their parents are feeling apprehensive.

“Being positive and building up a child’s confidence and self worth helps them to settle in to a new school year and a different classroom environment” says Mahon.

One of the most effective skills that parents can utilise during this time, says Mahon, is their ability to listen to their child’s concerns and gently encourage their child to explore new ways of engaging with their school community.

Justine Mahon, Principal of St Cuthbert’s College interacting with other students that have similar interests to their own, leads to our girls making life-long friends.”

In addition, says Mahon, investigating whether a school places emphasis on social, emotional and physical health is another way of ensuring that children are learning in a supportive environment.

“As an independent school, we have the freedom and resources to develop programmes where we get to know each girl individually to allow her to shine both in and out of the classroom,” says Mahon.

“At St Cuthbert’s, we ensure that every girl is given the opportunity to discover her unique strengths. We encourage our girls to join co-curricular activities such as sports, community service, or the performing arts.

“It is this emphasis on valuing individuality that is so reassuring for parents when they are making choices about their children’s education.” F PN

“We place equal weight on those girls who go on to shine as athletes, artists, scholars, or those who excel in their loyalty and service to the school. Most importantly though,

ST CUTHBERT’S COLLEGE, 122 Market Road, Epsom, T: 09 520 4159, www.stcuthberts.school.nz

Amazing friendships Open Day 23rd March 2019 Register now: www.stcuthberts.school.nz

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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MEET THE TEACHER Irish-born, Andrea Fale has been a teacher at Grey Lynn School for 10 years.

What brought you to New Zealand?

Twenty years ago New Zealand had a teacher drought and were marketing heavily to Canadian teachers, so I took a chance and moved here with a friend. I think I get my emigrating spirit from my parents who emigrated from Northern Ireland to Canada when my brother and I were toddlers. We grew up Irish-Canadians. We learnt to eat an Irish fry as well as Canadian pancakes! Life was good!

Where did you first teach when you got here?

I taught at Point England School for 10 years. I also worked with the Auckland Police Community Approach supporting families with literacy learning support for their children.

What prompted your move to Grey Lynn?

My husband’s family moved to Grey Lynn from Samoa and his dad still lives here so we are lucky to live and work locally. We love Grey Lynn and the close-knit feel of the area while being so central to everything Auckland has to offer.

Tell me more about your family I met my husband, Filo, through my friend and teaching partner Otalani. We now have three beautiful Irish-Samoan children. We are a bicultural family - Samoan and Irish with strong Canadian roots. My youngest is a maker. Everything in our house gets turned into something else if you leave it around too long! We also have our wire-haired dog, Misty.

LUCY MARTIN SCHOOL OF DANCE Providing children with fun and educational dance classes in jazz, ballet and open pre-school classes for children aged two and upwards. All classes are taught by a qualified teacher.

How do you juggle living in New Zealand with keeping up with your global family?

We take turns having holidays in Canada or Samoa and having my family over here for our wonderful summers. They get to escape the Canadian winter by having our Kiwi summer and we can escape the wet Auckland winter and have some warm Samoan weather! Then, when we really crave a white Christmas, we head back home to Canada to the snow and a white Christmas.

How has your family affected your teaching?

Having my own children changed my perspective with teaching. I know how it feels to send your kids to school and hope someone will take notice of who they are as little people, and build on those talents. My youngest son is autistic and has ADHD - he struggles with most traditional aspects of school so I work hard to ensure that his learning needs are being met. I am driven to do this both as a parent and teacher of any kids in my class.

You were recently appointed an Across School Leader in Te K-ahui Ako o Waitemat-a, what attracted you to this role?

I’ve been a team leader for four years and I was keen to see what 20 years in the classroom looks like in a different role. I was eager to join the collaborative team of experienced classroom teachers. I am looking forward to digging deep into our teaching to discover what we can do to differently to promote student agency and lift student achievement in writing - both passions of mine.

What do you do when you aren’t teaching?

I love reading, writing and just hanging with my family. I wanted to be a writer growing up.

I’m lucky enough to get to use those talents in my job and just wrote our latest school production, From the Ground Up, a musical representation of the history of Grey Lynn and Grey Lynn School. I also love cooking and we have just started the dreaded Grey Lynn renovations so I can cook in a proper kitchen and not the Barbie kitchen I now use!

Providing children with fun and educational dance classes in Jazz, Ballet and open pre school classes for children aged 2 and upwards.

All classes are taught D[ C SWCNKƂGF VGCEJGT Grey Lynn Community Centre 510 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn

F Lucy Martin School Of Dance I @lucymartinschoolofdance www.lucymartin.co.nz

66 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FUTURE GENERATION

BUILDING CHARACTER AND TURNING BOYS INTO MEN This year the powerful film, ‘Celia’, launched during the Auckland Film Festival, showing the extraordinary down-to-earth insight the late Celia Lashlie had with respect to boys and young men in New Zealand society today.

In the area for which she was probably best known - raising boys into good men - Celia Lashlie espoused common sense. Boys need laughter, boundaries and good mentorship from significant male role models in their lives. Adults need to recognise the desire of boys to live in the moment and their reluctance to plan their lives.

It is a journey that Headmaster of King’s School, Tony Sissons, strongly espouses. “We unashamedly teach boys here in the way they learn best. We build strong relationships between the teacher and each boy by keeping our staff to student ratio at 1:11 across the school.

The power of peer pressure should never be underestimated, she reasoned, and to her the key to raising boys was to set clear boundaries and realise they have to see and appreciate the consequences of doing or not doing something before it becomes real enough to matter and to motivate them.

As a staff we are always reflecting on how we best prepare boys for their secondary education. We are exploring best practice in character building and continue to look at building resilience in our boys. The challenge we have as a school and in parenting is it can be different for each boy and in every situation. We need to continue to work in partnership with the home as we fine tune our responses in an ever-changing environment.”

She believed that boys and young men do think differently and we need to teach them in their way to find their feet in this world, make good decisions and become ‘fine young men’.

OPEN DAY: THURSDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2019 at 9am. F PN KING’S SCHOOL, 258 Remuera Road, Remuera, T: 09 520-7770, www.kings.school.nz

King’s School

Open Day Thurs FEB 21 9.00am-10.30am Register at kings.school.nz

FOCUSED ON BOYS The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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BILLY HARRIS: KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY

The exciting life of Amaya, Adventure Girl You’ve heard of Spider Man, Wonder Woman, Batman and Super Girl. Now strap yourself in and prepare to hear about the amazing Adventure Girl.

At school, nine-year-old Ponsonby Primary student Amaya TanPeters appears to be a regular kid. She didn’t win the cross country.

She’s not top of the class in maths. But when the bell goes at the end of the day, and especially at the end of term, Amaya transforms into an adventure chasing, globetrotting thrill seeker.

It could easily be a Marvel comic. Here’s Amaya with a python wrapped around her neck in Malaysia. Here she is snorkelling in Borneo. Next she’s swimming in caves, before playing with moray eels, sharks, giant stingrays and sea snakes in Niue (exciting though that is, she prefers feeding the colourful reef fish). On the next page she’s surfing in the Philippines. In Vanuatu she tried some caving and canyoning, before going horse/swim riding. Where will Adventure Girl next show up?

Sailing in the Mediterranean, night skiing in Japan, kayaking in Samoa.

What? No swimming with the whales in Tonga? Yes, she swam with the whales in Tonga. In all, she’s visited, and conquered, more than 20 countries, many of them multiple times.

“Dad brought along a grass skirt from the previous night’s cultural dance show to entertain the calf, and she was super curious and came up really close to see it.

“People ask if I heard the whales singing. I didn't, but you can hear them singing on the video my mum took. The calf was communicating with her mother while she played with us and Mum napped at the bottom of the ocean. Maybe she was telling her mum what funny looking things we were, or that she was hungry and needed a feed.

Her mum was probably hungry too, because adults don’t eat for about three months while they’re nursing.

“Every now and then Mum would come up to check on things.

I thought she looked like a dinosaur. My mum called her the Mother Ship.

“From land we could see them from our room, breaching or blowing their spouts. And Mum (my mum, not the baby humpback’s) flew her drone out to film them."

And then there’s all the fun stuff she does here in New Zealand, like Extreme Edge rock climbing, slacklining, circus school training, whitewater rafting and camping round the country. It’s hard enough for Amaya to remember all the adventures let alone pick out her favourite, but swimming with the humpback whales is one of the most magical.

Amaya’s confidence in the water was central to enjoying the experience. She takes swimming lessons, and her parents hope she’ll become an endurance swimmer so she can join them on long distance ocean swims.

“This year was my second time swimming with the whales. I saw more than 20, and we managed to swim with three families. Some of them were 16m long, definitely bigger than our camper van!” says Amaya.

Special though the whale adventure was, it’s not Amaya’s favourite.

That title goes to skiing in Japan, which she’s done twice, because nothing beats the combination of skiing in perfect powder, and Japanese food!

“We were very lucky that we had a very energetic, playful calf with us, who would swim up close to look at us with her big eyes and touch us with her pectoral fin. We weren’t supposed to go within 5m of the whales, but nobody told that to them!

But Amaya’s holidays aren’t all fun and adrenalin. When she was four, the family spent a couple of months in Cuba for a different kind of experience. The trip taught Amaya valuable lessons about poverty and oppression. Spending time with the locals, who want to give you what little they have, was a particularly humbling experience.

“We had to be careful not to get whacked by her tail. She also liked to copy us, so when we slapped the surface of the water, she would slap her pectoral fin, or if we twisted around in the water, she’d do the same.

Fortunately, Amaya even enjoys the part of travelling that most people find a drag - the actual getting there and back. With no TV in the house, Amaya’s allowed to blob out on the in-flight movies which helps pass the time.

What does Amaya regard as the benefits of travel? “Seeing different cultures, eating different types of food, learning new skills and not having to clean my room!”

So where to next for Adventure Girl? She’s not sure, but her options will grow when she gains her junior open water diving qualifications next year. That will allow her to join her parents on dive trips and PN explore a whole new world under the ocean. (BILLY HARRIS) F You can share Amaya’s whale adventure on: www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9psCUoUznU

68 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY PONSONBYPROFESSIONALS: PROFESSIONALS: LOGAN LOGANGRANGER GRANGER

Payday filing coming into effect 1 April 2019 for employers From 1 April 2019 employers must file employment information every payday instead of normally filing an employer monthly schedule (IR345 & IR348) on the 20th of each month.

Currently, payday filing is voluntary and you can opt into it through your myIR account, Once you've opted in, a Payroll returns account will show in your My business section. This is where you'll file your employment information and employee details.

• payday, or

Once you've opted into payday filing during the voluntary period, you can't revert back to monthly filing.

• 15th and end of month if you choose to send us information twice a month.

What is payday filing?

Payday filing is an online filing option where you'll: • send your employment information (the pay details of your employees) with your normal pay cycle • Provide employee details for new and departing employees to us. This includes your employees' start and end date, contact details and date of birth (if they provide this to you). These details need to be filed on or before any new employees' first payday. We don't require these details for existing employees. You should let your employee know that this information will now be provided to us.

• File electronically if your annual PAYE and ESCT deductions are $50,000 or more. You'll need to file your information within two working days after the payday.

Exception: If you file your own PAYE to us as an IR56 taxpayer, you'll have 10 working days after the payday to file this information.

• File by paper if these annual deductions are less than $50,000. If you file by paper (only available from April

2019) you'll need to file your information within 10 working days after the:

• correct your employment information online. This means you'll no longer complete an Employer monthly schedule amendments (IR344) form, however we still aren't able to accept negative adjustments.

How do I opt in to payday filing?

Payday filing is currently voluntary and you can opt in through your myIR account.

Once you've opted in, a Payroll returns account will show in your My business section. This is where you'll file your employment information and employee details.

Once you've opted into payday filing during the voluntary period, you can't revert back to monthly filing.

If someone currently files your employer monthly schedule through the IR-file service in myIR, then you will need to reset their access so they can file through the payroll returns account.

The ir-File service isn’t available for payday filing.

What happens once I have opted into payday filing?

Payday filing will start at the beginning of the month after you

opted in. You'll need to file your employment information to us online within two working days of the payday.

For the first month you'll: • delegate others or reset access for others to use the Payroll returns account • file your final Employer monthly schedule (IR348) for the previous month • file your Employment deductions (IR345) and make the payment for that IR348 on the required due date • file your employment information each payday • Submit any new employee details before or on their first payday.

What does my employment information file look like?

What you submit will look similar to your IR348 and you'll include the same information you do now. However, you'll also need to provide the following: • ESCT (employer superannuation contribution tax) for each employee • pay period start and end dates • pay cycle, eg, weekly, monthly, ad hoc • payday date • Additional information about new and departing employees.

(LOGAN GRANGER) F PN Disclaimer - While all care has been take, 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.

JOHNSTON ASSOCIATES, 202 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 361 6701, www.jacal.co.nz

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PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS: METROLAW Got a legal question? Ask michael@metrolaw.co.nz

Q:

I want to set up a will which gives my wife some kind of right to occupy our home after I pass away. I have children from my first marriage who I want to leave the house to eventually. Can I do this in my will? Thanks, Greg.

It used to be quite common to draft wills with a 'life interest' being left to a spouse or some other beneficiary under the will. The issue that you have is that under the Property (Relationships) Act a surviving spouse has an option to either accept what is provided for them in your will or reject it and take a claim against your estate under the Act.

A:

A home that you live in is likely to be regarded as relationship property and their potential claim is likely to be more valuable than the life interest. Your spouse may tell you that they are okay with the arrangements but the only way to be certain that they would not make a claim would be to sign a contracting out agreement with your wife that addresses this issue.

Among other things, you can agree as to how you want relationship property and separate property to be treated if you separate or if one person dies. By agreeing to not make a claim under the Act against each other’s estates, your intentions in your will can be preserved.

Thanks for your question Greg, please feel free to give me a call and we can discuss drafting the will and the contracting out agreement for PN you. (MICHAEL HEMPHILL) F Disclaimer - This article is for general information purposes only. If you have a legal problem you should seek advice from a lawyer. Metro Law does not accept any liability other than to its clients and then only when advice is sought on specific matters.

METRO LAW, Level 1, 169A Ponsonby Road, T: 09 929 0800, www.metrolaw.co.nz

70 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS

SPCA CALLS FOR ANIMAL LOVERS TO COLLECT FOR ANNUAL APPEAL SPCA is calling for animal-loving volunteers across New Zealand to collect much-needed funds for animals during their 2019 Annual Appeal.

These volunteers will take to the streets between March 4-10 to raise funds for sick, abandoned and abused animals. The SPCA Annual Appeal is the charity’s biggest fundraising event of the year, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for animals in need.

Signing up for two hours of collecting makes a lifetime of difference for neglected and injured animals across the country. Pets are welcome to join in on the fun, with dogs, goats, horses and even a llama and a chicken accompanying their owners in the past and taking part to encourage donations from generous Kiwis.

SPCA helps protect 41,000 animals every year, and relies entirely on the generosity of the community to do their critical work saving the lives of animals. SPCA is the only New Zealand charity entrusted to uphold animal welfare law and has the power to prosecute those who offend against animals.

Donations help SPCA Inspectors rescue animals, give them love, care, provide a warm bed at SPCA shelters, give them critical medicine and veterinary support and help them find new homes with their loving forever families.

Volunteers can register at: www.spca.nz/appealcollector

Make a bucketload of difference.

@ SPCA – PLEASE CAN I COME HOME WITH YOU? Adopt an SPCA animal today and in return you will be rewarded with a lifetime of unconditional love. www.spcaauckland.org.nz/adopt

Help collect for SPCA’s Annual Street Appeal Join the team at www.spca.nz/appealcollector

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Anise

Bastian

Bumble

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PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS

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PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS

WOOF! THE AUCKLAND RAINBOW DOG SHOW Woof! will be larger, furrier, showier and woofier than ever in 2019!

Dogs and dog lovers from across the Rainbow spectrum and our friends and whanau, are invited to an afternoon of four-legged fun in luscious Western Park, Ponsonby.

MC Steven Oates will have a celebrity panel on a loose leash as they judge categories including Best Dressed, Best Dog/Owner Look-a-like, Campest Dog, Butchest Dog, Best Junior Dog Handler, Best Talent or Trick - and, of course, the coveted title of Best in Show!

Thanks to our friends at Nutrience and Barkley Manor, we have a king-size kennel full of prizes for the taking! Register your prize-winning pooch at 1pm. The paws will be hitting the dog-walk at 2pm sharp!

Above: One of the many entrants at WOOF! 2017 Below: The judging panel 2017

Woof! will again be located in lower Western Park, near the tennis courts, with the closest road access via Beresford Street West and Howe Street. After being rained out in 2018 and because nobody likes wet fur, we will move indoors at Barkley Manor on Great North Road should it rain again.

Come celebrate all things K9 at New Zealand's biggest and most furrrbulous Rainbow community dog show! There will be heaps of goodies to purchase for all your furry friends, and human refreshments will be available as well. F PN Sunday 3 March, 1pm Western Park (Beresford Street West Entrance) Ponsonby/Freemans Bay Competition entry: $5 donation to the SPCA Accessibility: Wheelchair access via Beresford Street West Media enquiries: steven@stevenoates.co.nz Stall holder enquiries: prose500@gmail.com

photography: Martin Leach

When: Where:

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Delivered fresh, means a noticeable improvement in palatability. Nutrience is made with minimally processed ingredients and a multi-protein approach to more closely mimic a carnivore’s ancestral diet.

Nutrience Grain-Free SubZero is for dog owners who will not compromise on their pet’s nutrition. Nutrience Grain Free SubZero offers your dog at any life stage, a complete and nutritionally balanced diet in a convenient to eat kibble, with the added nutritional benefit of a raw, freeze-dried inclusion.

We use fresh, never frozen meat with multiple protein sources for variety, plus NutriBoost: delicious, nutritious chunks of freeze-dried raw meat. Ideal for dogs sensitive to gluten, wheat, corn or rice - or for an owner who simply wishes to feed their pets a grain-free diet.

A complete and balanced, ancestral-based diet. No by-products, no fillers, no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, no grains... just wholesome nutrition in every bite!

Like us on our Facebook page @NutrienceNZ and our Instagram nutriencenz for product updates and promotions. For more information on Nutrience Grain Free SubZero, or any other Nutrience formula check out our website at www.nutrience.co.nz. F PN

74 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PROUDLY SUPPORTING SUPPORTI Buy any Nutrience Grain Free SubZero 10 kg Dog bag and receive a FREE food storage bin! * How? Simply show this Ad at, Ponsonby * While stocks lasts

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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PLANNING RETIREMENT

FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT Planning for retirement has never been easy, but it seems to be getting harder, and the amount of money needed for retirement is rising every day. It’s not all about smashed avocados.

According to Hannah McQueen, of enableMe, Parnell, most people are not on track to a comfortable retirement. In fact it is a topic most people don’t even want to talk about it.

But, McQueen told Ponsonby News, no one has left their run too late.

She often starts with teenagers. Her value, she believes, is in being an unconnected person (parents and school guidance councillors don’t cut it). Most kids want to succeed, but often don’t know how, and they don’t and wont listen to family members.

“No child leaving school wants to fail,” says Hannah McQueen.

In addition to working with adults for 12 month blocks, McQueen works with teenagers for 12 weeks, at the end of which savings patterns should be established, career paths forged, and investment strategies honed.

Young people have to be better than previous generations to get ahead. McQueen quoted graduates with a $60-80K student loan debt, having just completed a degree in a field they do not want to pursue as a career. It’s a huge noose around their neck, and can constrain their future home buying till 40 or later, McQueen told us. “Equipping your children for financial success early on, is an investment in your own retirement planning.”

We also talked to Rutherford Reid director, Henry Ford, who is a financial planner. He told us everyone needs a good day-today system for cash control. “Set out your weekly and monthly commitments,” says Henry, “and put some aside for a rainy day.”

Ford also recommends joining Kiwisaver, emphasising the employer and Government contribution. McQueen reminds clients that Kiwisaver investments are locked in.

Ford warns about property investment. It’s getting harder to get more than 3% on investment properties, he told us. No more than you can get from a bank.

He also told us that Australian shares had shed more than 10% in the last two months, which was a warning against short-term speculation. We were also asked to warn our readers against short -term investment, and to be wary about the Government’s new bright -line tests. These tests may incur tax if properties are sold.

McQueen echoed that call. “Pay off your mortgage in 10 to 12 years,” she advised. Then you can plan to continue saving the amount you were paying on the mortgage, building up a cash reserve which you could use to buy a rental property or invest in the share market.

Of course, in these ever changing financial times, it is virtually impossible to work out how many dollars you will need in retirement.

It depends where you live. It depends whether you still have any dependents. (Many couples are having children later in life, and they may not be off their hands by the time they reach 60.) I know 80-year -old men who have 10-year-olds at home.

The aim is to have as much flexibility as possible as retirement looms.

Few, I was advised, can live comfortably on superannuation alone.

Both in New Zealand and Australia there has been a big trend to downsize. It may be about selling your Auckland or Sydney home and going rural or provincial. That is impossible for those whose work is in the big city, and can’t survive eating grass in the countryside.

However, if someone works in, say IT, and can work from home, it may not matter where that home is.

Others may choose to live more cheaply, eschewing a consumer ethos of buy, buy, buy. They will give up trying to keep up with the Joneses and opt to live a simpler life.

Two frightening statistics for young people are: In 1968, that is 50 years ago, the average New Zealand salary was $2500 dollars. The average house cost $10,000, four times the salary. The average house in New Zealand, but not Auckland, now costs at least 10 times the average salary.

Here is one more frightening statistic. In 1980 a teacher near the top of the primary salary scale received a salary of $17,000 while a member of parliament received $18,000. Now that same teacher receives about $60,000, while the MP receives $160,000. Inequality is rampant in New Zealand, and is very unhelpful when people are trying to plan for their retirement.

Our advice would be to seek professional guidance to give you the best possible options for saving for retirement, remembering that if you want to retire a little early at 60, you probably have another 30 years of good living time ahead. So you must have a financial plan for PN those 30 years. (JOHN ELLIOTT) F

Ford’s advice was to pay off debt as quickly as possible.

76 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PLANNING RETIREMENT

LET ELDERLY ASSIST HELP YOU IN ALL ASPECTS OF DOWNSIZING, DECLUTTERING AND MOVING Meet the team trusted by our customers and their families.

These teams use years of specialist experience in all aspects of downsizing, decluttering and moving to make your journey to your new home the best it can be. Our team will work with you, listen to your needs to meet your expectations.

Just call 0800 839 874 and we will get you sorted.

ELDERLY ASSIST, www.elderlyassist.co.nz

HOW TO DOWNSIZE YOUR HOME Are you thinking about moving into a smallerhome or retirement village but feeling daunted by the amount of work involved?

Elderly Assist is here to help. We have a large, experienced, ethical team ready to help you with downsizing, decluttering, packing and moving. We can manage the whole process or any part of your move – you choose. We can also facilitate the sale of unwanted possessions without taking a commission on any sales.

Visit www.nocowboys.co.nz for authenticated testimonials from dozens of our happy customers.

For more info and a brochure, contact founder/owner Janice Willis on 0800 839 874 or visit www.elderlyassist.co.nz

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We take the stress out of moving by assisting you to declutter, pack, relocate and unpack.

Our specialities include: Preparing your home for sale Downsizing and decluttering Packing and moving Unpacking and layout assistance Assistance with the sale of furniture and belongings Estate dispersal

We work in the greater Auckland, Hamilton and Bay of Plenty areas

Janice Willis

Phone: 0800 839 874 www.elderlyassist.co.nz www.movingassist.co.nz PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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PLANNING RETIREMENT

HERE THEY COME! THE 70-PLUS “There are changes about to happen in the way we live our lives in later years, the likes of which we have never seen in New Zealand before,” says authorised financial advisor (AFA), Maurice Mehlhopt.

Maurice has shared some insightful and compelling advice, gained from over 40 years experience in business and finance with the Ponsonby News. He describes an older generation who are no longer defined by the number of their years but are increasingly re-defining what it is to be over 70.

How attitudes to retirement and retirement finances have changed Past generations saved hard, went without luxuries, lived skimpily in retirement and only died happy (usually living with one of their children), when as much wealth as possible was passed on to the next generation. If this philosophy still existed today there would soon be some very rich rellies indeed. This is because over $100 billion in real estate value is about to be released as older folk, who own homes, pass on.

Moving to a new town for instance only works if you are in a biggish city like Auckland. Smaller towns tend not to vary much in dollar value from one side of town to the other, so by the time you pay agent’s fees and removal costs there may not be too much left.

Some will choose to borrow from their bank if they have income to support a facility while an increasing number of people will take out a ‘reverse mortgage’. This much maligned product will be the answer for many who wish to stay in their home, but enjoy the ‘third age’.

It will be the biggest exchange of wealth this country has ever seen, it will happen over a fairly short number of years, and it will have a marked effect on the economy.

While many try to devalue this type of borrowing, many thousands of loans have been activated throughout New Zealand over the last 10 years and clients love them.

So, are the benefactors grinning already with plans to book first -class air fares or luxury holidays? No, they’re not, and that’s because attitudes to inheritance have changed dramatically in recent years. No longer do those who are over 70-years-old believe they should go without so they can give everything to their family. The Peter Snell ‘third age’ has arrived. Oldies now want to be out doing stuff; travelling, eating out, enjoying life to the full and then whatever is left over will be the inheritance.

I have often read articles criticising this type of loan but I have never had complaints from a client with a reverse mortgage. They are happily enjoying the new life a loan like this provides. Not to mention there can be benefits of using some funds this way before you end up in care.

Should you stay or should you go?

That old idea of selling up to release some cash then living with family is no longer happening as much. Even the most loving families tell me that the thought of mum and dad moving in with them is just not where it is at anymore. Likewise, parents want their own space and don’t want to be live-in babysitters or groundstaff.

So where will the money come from to enjoy this ‘third age’? About half of all those over 75-years-old have very little cash left (even though up to 80% of them will own a home). Many will ‘sell down’, move to another part of town, or a new town to release some money and while this does not always work for various reasons it is still the most popular fund provider.

So, there you are next generation!

Nowhere near as much of that $100 billion is going to be passed on to you so quickly, but the good news is I often find that the next generation are okay with this. Children are increasingly encouraging their parents to enjoy the retirement they have earned by initiating the conversation about home equity release.

In most cases there is ample equity for parents to enjoy the ‘third age’ - and for family to enjoy that time with them, while still leaving behind a considerable amount of wealth to be passed on.

Best wealth management in older age is necessary to ensure the best use of that $100 billion windfall. I specialise in providing support and financial options to retirees who may be wanting to do more with their retirement years but struggle to do so. If you want to maintain your lifestyle it’s important to know what your choices are. Sometimes all it takes is a chat with someone who understands.

MAURICE MEHLHOPT, RETIREMENT FUNDING, 4 Collingwood Street, Freemans Bay, T: 09 361 5137, M: 021 639 574, www.retirementfunding.co.nz

78 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PLANNING RETIREMENT

HEARING LOSS - A SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE

“Blindness separates people from things; deafness separates people from people,” Helen Keller Hearing loss affects nearly 1 in 5* New Zealanders, but too few of those with hearing loss are aware of the impact this will have on them, and those around them. Hearing loss can cause or contribute to social isolation, feelings of depression, impaired memory, fatigue, stress and tension, poorer overall health and reduced job performance. Many people with hearing loss do not associate the fatigue they feel at the end of the day with the straining to hear, they feel it is normal - but it doesn’t need to be like this.

a decrease in communication (words are kept to a minimum) and significant others can also experience loneliness.

Signs of hearing loss include: • You can hear but not understand what is being said • You find it harder to hear in noisy situations with groups of people • You have difficulty understanding people unless they are facing you • You think people mumble or don’t speak clearly • You need to turn the TV up louder than other people • You have ringing (tinnitus) in the ears.

Hearing aids have come a long way in a short amount of time, they are small, discreet and comfortable to wear. Worn all day, they can help you to continue to hear the world around you and connect with your loved ones. The technology has improved vastly to help you hear conversations better in background noise, to assist you to join in the family conversation and so you can hopefully enjoy going out to restaurants and cafes again.

Hearing loss can be present at birth, caused by exposure to noise through work/recreation, through diseases of the ear and through natural aging.

We know the first step is the hardest. Begin your journey today contact the team at HearingLife Grey Lynn - our staff would love to assist you to better hearing. (DIEM SMITH, MAud (Hons), MNZAS, CCC, Audiologist, HearingLife) F PN

A publication from The Lancet International Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care identified hearing loss as one of the risk factors that is associated with dementia**. Numerous other studies have also indicated an association between hearing loss and dementia***.

The impact of untreated hearing loss not only affects the person with the hearing loss but also the people around them. Friends and family may feel frustrated, there is a decrease in shared activities,

Come and visit us for a FREE* hearing check!

Do you recognize yourself in the descriptions above? If you do, it doesn’t have to be this way - it’s almost always never too late to do something about your hearing loss.

* Listen Hear! New Zealand Report February 2017 - Social and Economic Costs of Hearing Loss in New Zealand ** The Lancet, Vol. 390, No. 10113. Published: July 19, 2017 *** The mechanism underlying cognitive decline associated with hearing loss is not clear, and it has not been established whether correction, such as with hearing aids, can prevent or delay the onset of dementia. There are a number of other risk factors for dementia.

www.hearinglife.co.nz

Introducing Alex, Diem & Nhung: your local hearing care experts from HearingLife Grey Lynn.

PHONE 360 1124 | Ground Floor, 64 Surrey Cres, Grey Lynn

*Free hearing check is available to adults 18 and over, excludes GP/ENT referrals. New Zealand Audiology Limited, Auckland, New Zealand.

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PLANNING RETIREMENT

RETIREMENT LIVING YOU CAN TRUST For more than 30 years, Ryman Healthcare has grown to become the largest retirement village operator in New Zealand, and a trusted operator in Victoria.

Care is at the heart of what it does, and there is a range of retirement living options, from independent living apartments and townhouses through to serviced apartments, as well as resthome, hospital and dementia-level care.

The villages include resort-style facilities such as indoor swimming pools, movie theatres, cafes, bowling greens and hair and beauty salons.

Ryman Healthcare also offers some of the most resident-friendly terms in New Zealand. These terms were designed with care and consideration in mind and include: fixed weekly fees, deferred management fee capped at 20% and no hidden costs.

With nine wonderful locations in Auckland, one may be perfect for you.

• • • • • • • • •

Bert Sutcliffe - 2 Rangatira Road, Birkenhead Bruce McLaren - 795 Chapel Road, Howick Edmund Hillary - 221 Abbotts Way, Remuera Evelyn Page - 30 Ambassador Glade, Orewa Grace Joel - 184 St Heliers Bay Road, St Heliers Logan Campbell - 187 Campbell Road, Greenlane Murray Halberg - 11 Commodore drive, Lynfield Possum Bourne - 5 Lisle Farm Drive, Pukekohe William Sanders - 7 Ngataringa Road, Devonport

There are also proposed villages for Henderson and Hobsonville.

If you would like to find out more about life in a Ryman retirement village visit www.rymanhealthcare.co.nz or phone Josie on 0800 000 290. F PN *Terms and conditions apply

80 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Nine retirement villages in Auckland Independent living • Assisted living • Resthome • Hospital • Dementia care

2 Rangatira Road, Birkenhead 482 1777

30 Ambassador Glade, Orewa 421 1915

11 Commodore Drive, Lynfield 627 2727

795 Chapel Road, Howick 535 0220

184 St Heliers Bay Road, St Heliers 575 1572

5 Lisle Farm Drive, Pukekohe 238 0370

221 Abbotts Way, Remuera 570 0070

187 Campbell Road, Greenlane 636 3888

7 Ngataringa Road, Devonport 445 0909

For more information about our Auckland villages, visit www.rymanhealthcare.co.nz or phone 0800 000 290

PLANNING RETIREMENT

LOVING OUR CHOICES, LOVING OUR COMMUNITY Summerset Retirement Villages offer more than just modern well-designed homes for retirement, they offer choice, freedom and community. “We’ve made instant friends,” says Summerset at Heritage Park resident Raewyn Francis.

Raewyn and her husband Chris lived locally before moving into their brand new villa in Summerset’s fifth Auckland village in Ellerslie.

“Our children and grandchildren are often at the village. Our family feels like part of the wider Summerset family. Being able to bring our dog Daisy with us to live in the village was a bonus.”

The couple say there is always something happening at the village.

A recent event was an off-the-cuff pot luck dinner for an All Blacks game. “There is a real sense of community here,” says Raewyn.

The pair are among hundreds of residents who have chosen to move into one of Summerset’s five Auckland villages situated in Ellerslie, Hobsonville, Karaka, Manukau and Warkworth.

The community spaces, cafes and village lounges at Summerset offer so many options to entertain friends and family that in combination with a full calender of village events and activities such as the weekly happy hour, whereby residents are able to socialise in as much or little as they choose blending old friends with new.

82 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

It is the sense of community and freedom to live the way they choose, with complete peace of mind that makes a high-quality modern house in a Summerset Village quickly feel like a home.

Raewyn and Chris Francis highly recommend retirement village living.

“Having the reassurance that someone, either our neighbours or Summerset staff, is always nearby if we require help, is the key to our peace of mind.

“The hardest thing when you move into a retirement village is downsizing and letting go of memories attached to items, but we found it quite therapeutic. For us it was the right time to let go.

There is a sense of satisfaction in donating your unwanted items and knowing someone else will benefit from them.”

To discover the right home for you, visit any one of the Summerset villages and see why so many residents love the choice they made.

SUMMERSET AUCKLAND VILLAGES, Ellerslie, Hobsonville, Karaka, Manukau and Warkworth. T. 0800 786 637 (O800 SUMMER), www.summerset.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

STAY ON TOP OF HOME MAINTENANCE

Q: A:

Now that the warmer weather is here, what should I be doing to maintain my early 1900s bungalow?

Summertime is a great time to complete maintenance that will not only keep your home in great condition, but also add value to your home. With an early 1900s bungalow, it is even more important to ensure regular maintenance to ensure your home retains its original features and charm. Here are my eight top summer maintenance tasks.

1. Wash the exterior and windows of your home. Mould and moss on dingy roofs and grotty decks are not only horrible from the curb, but can also contribute to an array of other household problems and even shorten the lifespan of your home.

While pressure washing can damage your home and lead to expensive repairs, soft washing is a safe, eco-friendly, biodegradable option that can boost curb appeal, increase energy savings and extend the lifespan of your home.

2. Check the roof space, and any space between the ground and your home. You want to be checking for any pests, water leakage and daylight poking through.

3. Spray for spiders, ants, cockroaches and other creepy crawlers. This will eliminate damage caused by insects, as well keep it free from any unwanted visitors.

My advice is to try and stay on top of home maintenance; your pocket will thank you.

4. Check the silicone joins in your bathroom and kitchen. A well maintained silicone seal means that you cabinetry, tiles, sinks and benchtops are easier to clean and are less prone to water damage and discolouration. If you find any gaps, there are plenty of tutorials available on YouTube to help you replace the silicone.

Brendon Sowerby is the Founder of Next Level Construct, an award-winning, end-to-end residential construction company specialising in renovations, extensions and new builds.

Brendon has worked in the building trade for over 17 years, meaning he knows the ins PN and outs of the industry. F

5. Have you checked to see if your shower / bath are leaking? If left to leak, you may end up with rotten flooring. Tell-tale signs of a leaking shower or bath is excessive mould. It is relatively easy to see if your shower or bath is leaking by following these steps:

Got a building question? Ask Brendon on brendon@nextlevelconstruct.co.nz

1. Place several strips of duct tape over the drain. The tape should be about as wide a paper plate. Cover the drain entirely and make it as watertight as possible.

2. Fill the shower pan/bath with water. Pour enough water from a bucket or use another source of water other than the shower/ bath tap to make the standing water about 3cm deep. You don’t want to use the shower / bath tap because you want to know if the leak is coming from the tap or the pan / bath.

3. Look for water around the base of the shower pan / bath. You may need to remove carpeting or look for pooling beyond the tile. Go to the floor below, into the basement or into crawl space to see whether there is any evidence of water.

You should also check to see if there is any leaks in the silicone in your shower’s wall channels. This can be done simply by pointing the shower head at the wall channels and checking for leaks.

WHY MOVE WHEN YOU CAN IMPROVE? If your home isn’t working for you anymore, let us show you how it can.

6. As you own a home that was built in the early 1900s, it is important to check all of your exterior timber joinery for rot. Rotten timber joinery can mean that your home is not watertight, or secure from burglary. If you find that you do have some rotten joinery, our sister company Next Level Joinery can help you decide if it is worth repairing or replacing.

7. Keeping your gutters clean is a simple job that can help prevent problems like blocked downpipes and rainwater leaking into your ceiling cavity. Dried-out leaf litter can also be a fire hazard, so make sure you clear all of it out.

8. If your home still has the original chimney, it is worth inspecting the brick work for any cracks or damage. This will ensure it stays watertight, and maintains its original character. Leave cleaning your chimney to a professional as they have the tools to make sure it is done safely.

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Fixed price

One invoice

Dedicated Project Manager

Extensions | Renovations | New Homes 0800 NEXT LEVEL | nextlevelconstruct.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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GAMING REVIEWS: KERRY LEE

Spyro Reignited Trilogy Nostalgia’s a heck of a drug.

For me, Spyro the dragon conjures up memories of staying up late into the early hours of the morning, playing with what’s still considered to be some of the best games ever made. Fast-forward 20 years and those games that I loved so much have come back, and they're just as fun as I remembered them.

All three games in the series have been lovingly re-mastered, and the addictive gameplay is, thankfully, still intact.

The game puts you in charge of the title character of Spyro as he alternates between saving other dragons, their eggs or the world from an evil dictator. All three titles are pretty thin when it comes to the plot, but each game is chock full of little collectibles and minichallenges that help to flesh out the experience and gives each one more replayability.

Unfortunately, there are some gameplay issues that seem to hold it back from becoming a perfect 10 in my opinion. The first issue I ran into is the clunky camera controls that sometimes seemed to have a mind of their own, and almost always moved away from the action at the worst possible times. For anyone who's ever played a 3-D platformer before then you know what I’m talking about and why its absolutely crucial to have a camera that stays focused on you and the action at all times.

The second problem I encountered was that the enemy A.I. was pretty limited, with enemies in the game simply standing around and waiting for Spyro to one-hit them. While it's not a major problem, it’s a real shame that the A.I. couldn’t have been given some sort of upgrade, especially when you consider the amount of detail that went into the visuals of the game.

Its really disappointing when you consider that these problems were in the originals and for some reason, they’ve managed to crop up in the 2018 remake.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

Being too faithful to the original source material is what seems to be Spyro’s biggest problem. While I enjoyed the nostalgic feel that it brings, I wish that the developers would have taken the time to remove what didn’t work in the originals, because it honestly feels like a cut and paste as far as gameplay goes.

Dumb A.I. remained a problem throughout all three titles, and this included some of the bigger boss fights that were painfully easy to beat. I would have really liked the option of being able to adjust the difficulty levels in the game.

As it is, the Spyro Trilogy is a very, very easy game and is clearly aimed at younger audiences, and while that doesn’t take away the fun of the game, it might turn off some of the hardcore among you.

Eye candy for the 21st Century.

By far the best part of the trilogy has got to be the stunning visuals that the game brings to the table. The graphics have been rebuilt from the ground up, and this remake has clearly been a labor of love for the developers of the game.

Big bright colors saturate the world of Spyro and immediately grabbed my attention. Despite the cartoony visual style that these games are going for, they’re really well detailed and full of life. All three titles run at a smooth 30 fps (frames per second) and despite a few framerate dips here and there everything was near perfect in terms of graphical fidelity.

A special mention has to be given to Spyro himself, who has been given more then just a fresh coat of paint. Not only does he look great but he’s just such a fun character to play as. Bounding around the different worlds in the game and setting fire to the various plants and wildlife that I came across was actually more fun then I thought it would be.

And my verdict is... Despite the problems that I encountered with the poor camera controls and the unintelligent A.I. of the enemies, I really enjoyed Spyro and would wholeheartedly recommend it.

Whether you are a long-time fan whose nostalgic for the old days or you were just too young to play it when it first came out, the Spyro Trilogy is a worthy addition to anyone’s collection. 8.5/10.

PN (KERRY LEE) F

PONSONBY NEWS+ MARCH FEATURES INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES ON OUR DOORSTEP ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TRANSPORT – BIKES & CARS BOOKING DEADLINE: Friday 15 February 2019 COPY DEADLINE: Wednesday 20 February PUBLISHED: Friday 1 March - CALL 09 378 8553 TO BOOK

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ADVICE FROM CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU, GREY LYNN Christmas is long forgotten, the holidays a distant memory, which in itself can be hard enough but then the credit card bill arrives and it can be a shocking reminder of our summer spending.

Most people with reasonable incomes are able to live within their means most of the time. In other words, they spend less than they earn and only borrow money (eg, a student loan or a loan to buy a house) if they are confident of their ability to pay it back, In these times of easy credit though, it is easy to just let the credit card spiral towards the limit and forget how much interest you are actually paying if you do not pay the balance each month.

And, it takes only one unexpected event, such as loss of a job, a relationship breakdown, illness, or even a spur of the moment large purchase, to push people out of their comfortable situation.

At CAB we tend to see people who have put their head in the sand for a while about their financial situation. Luckily they have realised there’s a problem, often someone else has encouraged them to contact us.

One person we saw recently had been made redundant and he’d been ignoring some fines which had gone to Ministry of Justice. His head was in the sand about a phone account that’s now with a debt collector. When we worked through the levels of debt, he, like many people, understated the levels. Understandably, the thought of the real dollar figures can be frightening for anyone. But we reminded him, there is always a way through. He’d turned up to CAB, and was ready to set out the situation.

to day. It is a 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' situation. In some homes, one day the TV is there, the next day it is at Cash Converters or at a similar business.

When people are in severe financial difficulty, they often come to CAB as they are applying to withdraw some or all of their Kiwisaver on hardship grounds. It is possible to do this (only your contributions and your employer’s contributions not government contributions).

But providers require that people declare their complete financial situation, why they need the money and often proof that they have sought budget advice.

There are other options for people in severe financial distress: some financial institutions offer debt consolidation. But there can be fish hooks with this, such as fees and time constraints, so people should take advice. There are insolvency procedures such as Debt Repayment Plans, No Assets Procedure and bankruptcy. If you are in this level of difficulty, CAB can refer you to organisations who can recommend the best options and talk through the pros and cons.

Whether you are wanting a financial health check-up and some forward planning advice or you are in need of help to deal with debt that has become a problem, don’t put your head in the sand. Come and see us. We can help. (MARGARET ANTUNOVICH) F PN CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU, 510 Richmond Road, T: 09 376 0392, Email: ponsonby@cab.org.nz

This is the first step to getting yourself on track. Even if you are not in financial difficulty this can be an extremely useful exercise at the beginning of the year to discover how your finances look and set some money goals for the year ahead.

The first step is to list your total income and all your expenses. Here are some links to tools for doing this exercise and further advice on managing debt. www.cab.org.nz/vat/money/bd/Pages/home.aspx www.fincap.org.nz/resources/ www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/living-expenses/managingyour-money.html#null sorted.org.nz/tool/budgeting-tool#/welcome www.goodshepherd.org.nz/about-us/ www.insolvency.govt.nz/ CAB offers budgeting advice appointments to do this on a one-to-one basis. We can also refer you to Auckland Budgeting Service. These services are free, help you put a budget together and work out ways to reduce your spending or increase your income, depending on your situation.

One useful exercise can be to buy a small notebook or use one of many online apps available and list all items of expenditure for a period - being very honest with yourself! It’s very revealing, especially when you add up how many flat whites you drink in one week! Try this for a month and include all bills such as power, telecommunications, insurance, dentist, etc, that maybe appear just once a month or annually. This doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. But it does help you set boundaries, if you need to repay debt, save for a car, an overseas trip or buy a house.

At CAB, we are clear people should avoid what we call ‘fringe lenders’.

But some of our clients are on low incomes or income support. They continually face financial pressure, and may use credit to get by day

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LETTERS + EMAILS WESTERN SPRINGS LAKESIDE PARK SIGNIFICANT ECOLOGICAL AREA Auckland Council, whose job it is to protect our Significant Ecological Areas (SEA) applied for a Notified Resource Consent in December 2018, to cut a road into the forest to clear fell all the 95-year-old Monterey pines in a plan that will wipe out up to 75% of the native forest underneath.

Professor John Morton had this SEA applied to the tallest trees in Auckland as part of the bird corridor to bring native birds into the city from the Waitakere Ranges.

While we are awaiting that Resource Consent decision from an independent panel, AC/ WLB applied for an emergency Health and Safety Resource Consent to remove 13 pines.

In my opinion, the true issues of H&S to these houses on West View Road comes from removing these trees and the method proposed.

This variety of tree has interlocking roots and act as one living organism whose primary benefit is that they hold together the bank that is deemed fill/weak in the AC Soils Register.

The stability of the bank would then be a H&S issue for these houses. And the silt from the bare bank would threaten the safety of the endangered eels in the creek below.

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The mill cottages on Old Mill Road and West View Road were built in double brick with stucco plaster finish long before any earthquake building codes. The biggest H&S issue to these houses is the falling of large sections of the trees as they smash to the ground in this logging operation.

These won't be the only vibrations to destabilise these historic buildings. The planned 'clear felling' of the forest includes a 5m wide, 'temporary' road with processing circles.

The largest circle is 40m diameter with an 8m high retaining wall that will require steel piles to be driven into the bank at least another 4m. There's no way steel piles will be temporary.

The Soils Engineer says the hill is too unstable for fill so the road can only be cut into the bank so how is this hillside going to be returned to its original slope? The vibration from pile driving on the structure of these houses and the subsiding from potential slips in the bank is pretty damn scary to say the least. Gael Baldock, Westmere

TOP 10 things to do when thinking g of selling your home this year!

1. Call Anah & Greg...

GREG NELSON 021 842 235 g.nelson@barfoot.co.nz ANAH JORDAN 022 127 9080 a.jordan@barfoot.co.nz 09 376 3039 / barfoot.co.nz

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS www.jihome.nz | home@ji.net.nz | 09 930 6268 | 36 Pollen St, Ponsonby

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HEIDI PADAIN: ENTERTAINMENT IN YOUR GARDEN In the past few months, a kereru runway has appeared in the sky, on the east side of our house.

It took some time for us to become aware of its existence. You see, it's not unusual to see kereru here, but what is out of the ordinary, is witnessing their aerobatic displays in the same location throughout the day.

We can't see the tree where the kereru are launching from, but there is a gap in the trees on our property where their favoured airspace can be seen. It happens so regularly now that we have rearranged our deck furniture to face it.

In thick forest, kereru are noisy and not exactly graceful. They crash through branches scattering leaves as they go, particularly when drunk on puriri berries.

In contrast, witnessing a kereru soaring skyward and diving deeply with acrobatic twirls is incredibly impressive. It's hard to believe that this is the same bird as the one with the noisy flight and near-miss landings.

Being so heavy, the kereru requires a deep and powerful wing beat. The sound can become louder as they struggle to gain altitude.

I can hear them coming, of course, so in order to get photographs of them I’ve taken up counting the wing beats. On average it takes around eight wing beats before they are high enough to appear in the gap and perform a flirtatious trick.

This dive and twirl is a mating dance, and although performed by both males and females, it is mostly the ‘boys’ showing off.

Needless to say, we are rather pleased with this recent form of entertainment. When the weather is fine, we dine outside. Dinner and a show. What a lovely start to the new PN year. (HEIDI PADAIN ) F To see some of Heidi’s other photographic work, go to www.flickr.com and type Heidi Padain into the search box, or you can contact Heidi by email hidihi@xtra.co.nz, or look her up on Facebook... Heidi Padain Photography.

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OUT + ABOUT

Chris & Jane Day

Ken McAnergney & Tony Murrell

Sharm Ring & Bev Blampied

Tessa Copland, Jane Westaway & John Shaw

Jo Paynter & Barb Rogers

photography: Melissa Paynter

Flourish by Barb Rogers & Juliet Nicholas

FLOURISH BOOK LAUNCH @ WOMENS BOOKSHOP - 105 PONSONBY ROAD

“I’ve moved up.”

Locals will recognise Andrew as the owner of Herne Bay Local on Jervois Rd. A neighbour for many years we are thrilled to add someone of his commercial acumen and fresh enthusiasm.

His passion for people shows.

“I’ve always wanted to scratch the real estate itch – and I wanted it to be with the up brand and inside the culture of the company I have long admired.”

In spite of reports of a flat property market, up’s year on year growth is impressive. It’s called R E A L E S TAT E | BY D E S I G N .

If you are thinking of selling, I’d love to explain the difference. uprealestate.co.nz

Andrew Clapham 021 467 878 andrew@uprealestate.co.nz

LICENSED AGENT REA 2008

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REAL ESTATE UPDATE: KAREN SPIRES Each New Year brings the promise of a fresh start, and the chance to assess our lives and set goals and aspirations for the coming year.

Inevitably, many of these goals relate to our home, whether it be buying a first home, upsizing or downsizing a home, moving to a new location, or tackling some renovations.

number of sales increased by 4%, while the average number of days to sell decreased from 45 to 37.

The good news for first-time buyers is 2019 is so far shaping up to be the best opportunity for years to get a foot onto the property ladder.

REINZ chief executive Bindi Norwell said the 2018 property market had been dominated by a number of key themes including the stabilisation of pricing in Auckland, the foreign buyer ban, and the continued plight of first-time buyers trying to save for a deposit and cope with rising house prices.

The stabilisation in Auckland’s residential property market experienced throughout much of 2018 is likely to remain in place in the coming year, with increases or decreases in average values throughout the regions so far being minimal either way.

“2018 was certainly an interesting year for the real estate industry,” she said.

Home loan interest rates remain at historical lows, with the OCR expected to remain at 1.75% for at least another year, with banks stumbling over each other to present enticing offers to would-be borrowers.

In January, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand moved to lower the loan-to-value ratio restrictions on all new lending, making it easier to gain access to credit. The changes, which came into effect on 1 January, allow banks to make up to 20% of their new mortgage loans (increased from 15%) to borrowers with a less than 20% deposit.

All of this, combined with a sound New Zealand economy, stable employment levels, and good business confidence, feeds into the sentiment that this is a good time to purchase a property.

The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand has released its figures for 2018, reflecting a stable year for the market.

The median sale price for Auckland increased by 5.7% between January and November 2018, according to the figures. The total

“We’ve seen record median prices reached in many parts of the country, strong sales volumes, a significant amount happening on the regulation front and just recently the foreign buyer ban and the changes to the LVRs. All in all, we expect 2019 to be another good year for the industry.”

Bayleys Real Estate Managing Director Mike Bayley agreed that all the signs point towards it being a really exciting year for those looking to buy their first property.

“There’s an increase in affordable properties coming onto the market, interest rates are low, and with the relaxation of LTRs, banks have been given a green light to help more people take their first step on the property ladder.”

At our office in Ponsonby we noted the usual pre-festive season surge in sales as both purchasers and vendors looked to cement a deal for themselves going into the new year.

As always, activity in the market tends to ease off in January as many people head away on a Christmas or New Year’s holiday, stepping back into gear by the beginning of February which marks one of the peak months in the real estate calendar. (KAREN SPIRES) F PN

Karen Spires AREINZ, M 027 273 8220, E karen.spires@bayleys.co.nz, www.karenspires.bayleys.co.nz

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SAFE AS HOUSES How property management can make property investing easier and less stressful.

One of the main reasons people invest in property is that it’s tangible, won’t disappear overnight, generates a good return, is less volatile than other types of investment and it’s easy to understand.

Property investing is a great retirement plan and, with excellent management and advice, can allow investors to retire early. Over time, increase in wealth can be substantial.

Currently, with mortgage interest rates at the lowest they have ever been, and demand for rental property at its highest, it’s still a very good time to invest.

However, potential landlords do have concerns. These include how best to manage the property, how to get excellent tenants and, importantly, how to keep abreast of changes in legislation to ensure compliance. Both the Residential Tenancy Act and the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act impose more stringent rules and need careful consideration. Non-compliance can be costly.

A Herne Bay local for over 10 years, Sandie Casano owns a boutique property management business, ‘Catalise’.

A property investor herself, one of the reasons for Sandie’s success is that she is hands-on, focuses on understanding her clients’ objectives and will advise how to maximise returns for owners.

Other questions include how and when to increase rentals and by how much, inspections, bonds, insurances, notices to tenants and in the unfortunate situation where the tenancy is unsatisfactory, resulting in how to terminate the tenancy.

With a background in Project Management, Sandie is organised and noted for taking the stress out of letting and managing rental properties, which can be a minefield.

Catalise is a property management company that makes life easier for landlords. Sandie Casano, says, "With the increase in complexity of the regulations, many ‘do it yourself’ landlords see the peace of mind and freedom from micro-managing their properties that using Catalise services provide."

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL There was no fear in getting in contact with Catalise, in fact it came highly recommended as a property management service.

Good property managers will vet potential tenants, look after your best interests, optimise returns, carefully document and use their detailed knowledge of the law to safeguard your rights as a landlord while honouring landlord’s obligations to tenants. They take potential hassles and headaches out of the equation so investors can enjoy a passive income.

Catalise provides a personal service and understands that investments should make you money, not create work and stress. If you own a rental property but you’re sitting on the fence on whether to hire a property manager, we invite you to have a chat to us to help you determine the right fit to manage one of your largest assets.

Catalise Ltd , 203a Symonds Street, Eden Terrace, call Sandie on T: 021 352 670 or the office T: 021 023 20257, www.catalise.co.nz

After looking around, we found that this company suited all our needs and requirements. We found the company and its personnel were brilliant to deal with and took good care of handling the property. Catalise quickly resolved any issues with the property and kept me fully informed of what was happening.

Catalise is efficient in the way it carries out its business. All billing is easy to understand and monthly statements are clear and concise. Catalise has given me a way to run the rental property with ease, through its excellent communication and property management skills.

I would recommend this service to anyone in the rental market.

From Dennis G, 2018

unlock your property potential providing a pathway to To look after your biggest asset, you need someone you can trust - contact Sandie:

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Residential/ Commercial/ Air BnB

Step by step, we partner with you to bring out the best in your property, attract the right tenants, and succeed with your investment

success 021 352 670 sales@catalise.co.nz 203a Symonds St, Eden Terrace, Auckland 1010 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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COASTAL CLASSIC Great design demands a keen eye for detail coupled with flawless finishing - both of which were provided by kitchen designer Shane George, from Kitchens By Design, in this beautiful beachside home at Scotts Landing.

A successful design also relies on collaboration and a shared vision of everyone involved, says Shane. “When Mary (the homeowner) and her interior designer walked into our showroom in Newmarket we immediately clicked and she was soon on board with all of the materials and finishes I showed her. She particularly liked the leathered finish of the Titanium Granite benchtop of the contemporary kitchen we have on show - and that’s exactly what we ended up using for the benchtop of her new kitchen.”

The basic shape and position of the kitchen in the house had already been drawn up on the architect’s plans, but Mary was keen to bring on the services of a specialist kitchen design team to expand on these initial concepts and to work on the design details and the material palette.

“She didn’t just want a white kitchen,” says Shane. “It had to gel with the rest of the home in terms of its earthy tones and tactile finishes, so, together with the granite benchtop, I suggested a warm taupegrey for the cabinetry, together with an aged-bronze metallic finish above the central cooktop.”

From the outset, the designer says he was very mindful and respectful of the architecture, particularly the form of the vaulted, open-plan living space. “Directly below the apex of the ceiling, I lined up the tap and sink on the island and also the cooktop on the back wall. I then continued the symmetry by flanking the central cooking bench with the fridge on one side and the wall ovens on the other, and gave the cabinetry a regular rhythm across the width of the room.”

To enhance the functionality of the new kitchen, Shane designed a built-in ‘entertainment area’, hidden by bifold doors, as an extension to the back wall of cabinetry. This clever addition contains a small sink, benchtop, glass storage, and under-bench drinks fridge. He also included a small study nook at the far end of the space.

The signature design element in the kitchen is the large, multifunction island that doubles as a casual seating area or dining option for up to six people. The distinctive I-beam design was an extension of an idea first muted by the architects, who also specified the rustic, wideplanked oak floor that grounds the whole space.

Shane says that his client also took the opportunity to work with Kitchen By Design’s team of independent fabricators and craftspeople, with whom they have built trusted relationships with over many years. “They are the best in the industry, and that certainly shines through in the quality of finishings in the completed kitchen,” he says.

“I deliberately didn’t want this kitchen to shout too loud in the space - it just needed to sit there and look understated, but at the same time feel earthy and timeless,” says Shane. “It really is a stunning location, right on the beach at Scott’s Landing, and I feel my design fits well within this modern, sophisticated home by one of the country’s top architects.

KITCHENS BY DESIGN’S showrooms can be found at 7 Melrose Street, Newmarket, T: 09 379 3084, and 3 Byron Avenue, Takapuna, T: 09 488 7201 The showrooms are open Monday-Friday 10am-4.30pm, Saturday 10am-2.30pm, or by appointment. www.kitchensbydesign.co.nz

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GREAT KITCHENS DON’T JUST HAPPEN...

THEY HAPPEN

BY DESIGN.

VISIT OUR AUCKLAND SHOWROOMS NEWMARKET SHOWROOM: 7 Melrose Street, Newmarket | 09 379 3084 TAKAPUNA SHOWROOM: 3 Byron Avenue, Takapuna | 09 488 7201 kitchensbydesign.co.nz

HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

@ DESIGN WAREHOUSE 1. Dining set Create an outdoor dining space that looks stylish and is just as enticing as your indoor space with this dynamic set. It features our new Stella Outdoor Dining Table, our famous Raw Concrete Bench and the popular Alix Chairs. Not only are the different materials interesting and exciting, they complement each other wonderfully.

2. Urban bar stool Bar furniture can be modern, sleek, and chic, and the Urban Bar Stool is the perfect example. These stools can be used for commercial or residential spaces, they are constructed with beautifully woven outdoor rope and topped with a Sunbrella® seat cushion.

3. Studio two tone sofa The new Studio Two Tone Rope Sofa has that wow factor that will make your and your guests fall in love with the design. It will be a statement piece that will take your relaxing space to the next level. The style has European influences that are chic and sophisticated, yet cozy and inviting.

4. Westside club chair Looking to add sophistication to your outdoor space, yet still want it to be relaxing and chill? Then look no further than the Westside Club Chair.

The bold frame is striking in dark charcoal aluminum, with a small teak accent that is the perfect finishing touch.

DESIGN WAREHOUSE, 137/147 The Strand, Parnell, T: 09 377 7710, www.designwarehouse.co.nz

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T: 378 9560 M: 0274 746 507 E: Phillipa@hotpropertyrentals.co.nz 1/1 Franklin Road, Ponsonby www.hotpropertyrentals.co.nz

“TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF BEING A LANDLORD – CALL US”

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A very approachable property expert with over 27 years in Auckland Real Estate

2017 TOP Salesperson Barfoot & Thompson, Grey Lynn branch Year ending 31 March 2017

Over 27 years selling Auckland real estate has awarded Repeka a substantial knowledge base and 27 years of shining testimony

027 499 0855 I r.lelaulu@barfoot.co.nz

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LET OUR READERS KNOW ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS OR PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT Contact martinleach@xtra.co.nz www.ponsonbynews.co.nz The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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CELIA VISSER DESIGN: AN AWARD-WINNING LOCAL BUSINESS Multiple award-winning interior and kitchen designer - including the internationally acclaimed 2018 SBID KBB (kitchen, bedroom and bathroom) Award.

At Celia Visser Design we believe it’s crucial for us to fully understand the particular needs and desires of each of our clients so that we can deliver a truly personalised service to an uncompromisingly high standard.

Our goal is to inspire our clients and to provide them with a tailor -made design that will transform their personal dreams into reality.

We pride ourselves in providing excellence in all aspects of our designs, craftsmanship and attention to the smallest detail.

96 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

Success for us is in creating homes that are sanctuaries with soul and a spark of magic - spaces and environments where our clients can escape life’s everyday demands.

If you have a special project that requires an extra special touch, come and see us at our design studio at 54 College Hill, or give Celia a call on (09) 917 1794 to make a one-on-one appointment. F PN For more inspiration, visit: www.visserdesign.com

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@ ROSE & HEATHER

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406 Great North Rd | Grey Lynn | t: 09 3762895 www.roseandheather.co.nz The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT

New Zealand Irish Festival Kiwis love the Irish, and with over 600,000 New Zealanders claiming Irish ancestry, it’s no wonder.

Yet there has never been a National Irish Festival in New Zealand, until now. For the first time, this November, Kiwis and Irish alike will come together to celebrate everything Irish with a massive four-day celebration, with over 60 events, across three cities, as part of the inaugural New Zealand Irish Fest.

Damien Dempsey is largely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest singer-songwriters. He delivers a hugely powerful live show. For the uninitiated, his music crosses between traditional Irish music, add a bit of rock, folk and reggae and throw in a singer rooted in a consciousness that is grounded in the working class.

Mick Flannery is one of the new breed of singer-songwriters out of Ireland in recent years, and is quickly making a name for himself. He is a double platinum-selling artist and was the first Irish musician to ever win awards at the International Songwriting Competition in Nashville, when he was just 19. He’ll be joined by Lisa O’Neill as they perform for the New Zealand Irish Fest. Lisa is from County Cavan, with an accent to prove this. She has a unique and totally original voice, singing as the most folk-rooted of the three international guests. She’s spent the last two years touring in support of Glen Hansard.

Irish Fest will also see the premiere of four Irish films in New Zealand and marks the very first Irish Film Fest. Irish Film Fest NZ is being curated by Bryan Glick, who has worked for Sundance Film Festival, AFI Fest, Outfest, and Los Angeles Film Festivals. When Bryan heard what was planned for the New Zealand Irish Fest he knew he needed to be a part of this amazing Island to Island showcase. Highly anticipated in the festival is the New Zealand premiere of gala title 'Black 47'. The actionpacked revenge western set during the potato famine has grossed over $2 million at the Irish box office and stars Hugo Weaving, Jim Broadbent and Barry Keoghan.

Following this are the four films in our documentary showcase. These four docos show the extraordinary in the ordinary. Leading the lineup is SXSW breakout Making the Grade. Director Ken Wardrop will be in attendance at select screenings for a question and answer session.

The film looks at piano teachers and their students from year zero to eight as they prepare for their exams. Each lesson gives the audience a joyous peak into the lives of everyday Irish citizens.

photography: Nolan Knight

From 15 to 18 November three celebrated songwriters will travel from Ireland to play shows in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch alongside Irish comedians and local musicians. The feature artists are: the iconic Damien Dempsey from Dublin; award-winning songwriter Mick Flannery from Cork; songstress Lisa O’Neill from Cavan and Dublin comedian Alan McElroy.

Julien Baker Shelter Me: Apollo House tells the stranger than fiction story of how an abandoned building became a make shift shelter and an inspirational event for millions.

Central subject ‘Damien Dempsey’ is performing as part of the New Zealand Irish Fest.

Finally, back by popular demand after selling out in Auckland, they could not deny the power of those octogenarians who are literally Older Than Ireland. 30 people who pre-date the modern Republic of Ireland tell their stories in this 100% fresh Rotten Tomatoes' gem.

For those seeking more formal enlightenment they have True/False darling, Lovers of the Night. This beautiful mosaic of seven Irish monks living in a secluded monastery is full of anecdotes not on religion but on decades of a life lived. As if musical performances, comedy, film, Irish dancing displays and Gaelic football showcases weren’t enough of a reason to celebrate, the All Blacks play Ireland in Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road in Dublin, the same weekend on Sun the 18th of November at 8am (New Zealand Time).

The festival has been curated by Gerry Paul, an Iris-born Kiwi who has lived in Ireland for over 20 years and played with some of the biggest names in Irish music including Sharon Shannon and New Zealand/ Irish band Gráda. While directing the music for the Irish President’s State visit in 2017, Gerry noted the joy when the Irish community united to celebrate Irish culture and what it means to be Irish. He decided it was time for an annual event.

(FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT) F PN www.nzirishfest.co.nz www.facebook.com/nzirishfest

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FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT

Tiny Ruins release Olympic Girls on 1 February Tiny Ruins, once the solo project for Hollie Fullbrook, and now expanded to include the band that surrounds her, release its third album, Olympic Girls, on 1 February.

It’s been nearly five years since the band’s second album, Brightly Painted One, won Best Alternative Album at the New Zealand Music Awards, and four years since Hollie collaborated with New Zealand music legend Hamish Kilgour to produce a long EP. In that time she released a single recorded and produced with award-winning filmmaker and musician David Lynch. This makes Olympic Girls the first major body of work for Tiny Ruins in some time, and audiences have been itching to see what the band has been working on.

“We started recording in the middle of 2016. It has been a long and gradual process. I’d been listening to a lot of noisier bands, seeing a lot of gigs, going to lots of festivals, and having my horizons broadened by traveling. I think of this material as a lot more mature.”

One of the biggest changes for Hollie in the process leading up to Olympic Girls was the acknowledgment that Tiny Ruins had grown from a solo project to a band with musicians who needed parts that showed their talents. Alongside this, Hollie was challenging herself, becoming a better guitarist and eager to write and create songs that were harder for her to play. The quieter folk songs that had brought Hollie to the attention of audiences hadn’t been written with other musicians in mind.

“I found myself experimenting more with different tunings, made up chords, and fingerpicking that I wasn’t able to do before. The songs I wanted to write were harder to play. I had to practice them over and over as I was writing them, to get where I wanted to go. Maybe because we were playing these more simple folk songs live on tour, there was something fun and interesting about writing songs that were physically challenging. They were definitely more interesting and exciting for the band to play, up until that point their parts had been superimposed onto these simple folk structures. I knew that Cass and Alex were world-class musicians and jazz trained and had so much to offer. The older songs needed more space and minimalism. They weren’t really allowed off the leash. These new songs I was building with the band in mind.”

Tiny Ruins

100 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

Hollie has written an entire batch of new songs, some of which audiences have been lucky to hear in the past year or so live, others will be brand new to listeners.

“The songs on the new album could be interpreted a new way, maybe more political. That’s an interesting one because I do feel like I’m quite a political minded person, but I’ve never made the jump to being a blatantly political songwriter!”

Hollie’s songs are tangible, they have basis in reality, as all good folk songs have. They tell stories, of Hollie’s life, and of the experiences she’s had.

“I think it’s very rare that there’s nothing tangible in a song.

I think it would be difficult to write a song that had no relation to something you’ve experienced. I can’t even imagine it. How do you write something you don’t know anything about. Songs, for me, are definitely about making sense of experiences or little time capsules, capturing experiences forever, by putting it in song. Part of the fun of it is to trawl through memories.”

Tom Healy has become an integral part of Tiny Ruins, having produced the previous record. He again took the helm alongside Hollie to produce Olympic Girls. Hollie recalls looking back at the process for Brightly Painted One and wishing they’d pushed it more.

“I came out of that thinking maybe we’ve been too restrained, so I definitely had this feeling of making sure we were bolder on the next one. My feeling aligned with Tom, he was very excited. Tom’s life work is his pedal board and the crazy sounds he can evoke from it.

It’s awesome being able to play quietly and minimal, but it’s almost more fun to be able to have an arsenal making it crazy - a wave or wall of sound.”

Tiny Ruins release Olympic Girls on 1 February and celebrate with a release party at the Point Chevalier RSA on 16 March. Tickets are PN available through Under the Radar. (FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT) F www.tinyruins.com

photography: Si Moore

Hollie is the principal songwriter for the band, and spoke to Ponsonby News in the lead-up to the release.

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ARTS + CULTURE GREAT BARRIER: LAND AND PEOPLE A striking new book on Great Barrier Island was recently launched at the Royal Yacht Squadron. A roguish raconteur stole the show.

No one tells a story like an old sailor. And Simon Gundry - eyes twinkling, Teddy Roosevelt moustache bristling - had his audience metaphorically on deck as he regaled them with tales of Whitbread derring-do.

Part of Sir Peter Blake’s Ceramco New Zealand crew in 1981-82, he returned another lash in 1985-86 with Lion. As guest speaker at the launch of Chris Morton and Peter Malcouronne’s Aotea: Great Barrier, he was witness for the case, made forcefully by Lady Pippa Blake in the book’s foreword, that the Barrier was Sir Peter’s favourite island in the world.

“I remember we were on Ceramco, third leg, heading to Mar del Plata,” the old salt recalled. “The weather was pretty ugly as we sailed out past the Coromandel and Peter turned to us and said, “We shouldn’t be going to Cape Horn: we should be off to the Barrier.

“The Barrier, the Barrier - whenever we were in Auckland, it was always ‘Let’s go to the Barrier’. And whenever we were anywhere else in the world, no matter how idyllic it was, there’d be this voice piping up. ‘It’s okay. But it’s not as good as the Barrier’.”

Sir Peter’s crew would roll their eyes. But they knew.

@ OREX Joon-Hee Park - Sweet Dreams 12 February - 2 March 2019 Joon-Hee Park is a self-confessed, constant day dreamer. She often revisits her memories and dreams to replay, recreate and re-craft them.

Being a painter, she loves to ‘see’ her imagination come alive on the canvas.

Sweet Dreams is another adventure with her little toy friends, this time, up in the clouds. Park has developed her obsession with clouds from photography to painting. After seeing a spectacular cloud that reminded her of fluffy vanilla whipped cream and lavender meringues she imagined a fantastical world of escapism with bunnies jumping about pooping jelly beans. Park relished in painting clouds; crafting, altering and creating unique clouds. Her cloud scenes enjoy total weightlessness, flying ability, and masses of tasty sweets. Her perfect world.

Escapism 2018

Christened by Captain Cook, this was the barrier, the island fortress that shielded the - it has always been Aotea, a name that is even mainland from Pacific’s licks. But for Maori, more fitting now, for this spectacular, craggy 285 sq km island really is a little Aotearoa, a microcosm of New Zealand the way it used to be. There is no mains power on Great Barrier, no supermarkets, no banks, just unpeopled beaches, great brooding forests and a wild interior.

She wants viewers to be drawn into a whimsical dream world and encouraged to dream their own sweet dreams.

And 1004 hardy souls. In Morton and Malcouronne’s book, we meet a dozen of them.

Their stories are super. “A love story of a hard, beautiful place in the sea,” reviewed Steve Braunias. “Author and photographer stand in awe - so will the reader.”

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ARTS + CULTURE @ WHITESPACE

@ WHITESPACE

Ioane Ioane - O le malaga malosi tele 17 February - 8 March

I never cared about the games they played - Jimena Travaglio Exhibition on until 15 February

This exhibition is the final presentation of work made as a partnership with the National University of Samoa. With support from the New Zealand High Commission in Apia, the residency offers three months in Apia for a mid-career or established New Zealand artist of Pacific heritage to work on an arts project and to develop their skills and practice. Ioane, who spent six years in Samoa as a child, has researched how to construct and then build a 10m va’aalo, which he has completed on his return to New Zealand.

“The residency will be a chance to reconnect with my roots through living and working in my ancestral island. My goal is to promote the ancient craft of va’aalo.”

At the end of his residency, he has produced an audio-visual art installation, using sound, sculpture and video projection that will be influenced by all his experiences in Samoa.

Occupying the space between, Ioane Ioane's multidisciplinary practice acknowledges the spiritual and transitional nature of va. Ioane completed a Bachelor of Fine Art from Elam School of Fine Art, The University of Auckland in 1985. In 1996 Ioane was the finalist for the Saatchi and Saatchi Art Awards and in 2005 he was awarded the Creative New Zealand Prize for Innovation and Excellence Art Award. As well as receiving a number of public commisions, his work belongs in a number of private and public collections including the Cambridge Museum of Anthropology, England, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland, Tijibou Cultural Centre Noumea. F PN

Jimena Travaglio was born in Viedma City, Argentina in 1986, she is professor of Visual Arts at the School of Visual Arts L.E. Spilimbergo, Bahía Blanca 2009.

Her specialisation is in Public Art. Jimena participated in the Artists Program 2010, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (YPF Foundation, Scholarship) and work clinic with Ernesto Ballesteros in 2011, she was part of the Scholarship ADI 2015 (clinic with Carlos Huffmann and Javier Villa).

I never cared about the games they played, is a series of paintings produced in 2018, during her stay in Auckland city. It takes as reference, landscape features, posters of heavy metal and symbols of the masculine world, to recreate images that differ and contrast with the stereotypes of the feminine.

The deformed, visceral, grotesque and darkness appear as constitutive components of that rupture. These elements are appropriated in post to recreate an environment outside of reality, but which alludes directly to it. Insomnia, fire, wounds, cracks, holes, debris, chains, vomits, snakes and volcanic lava, is what we face in this world at times too hostile and this looks to get worse if you are in a woman body.

The title of the series is based on a fragment of Metallic song and refers in some way to an awakening, I never cared about the games they played. F PN

WHITESPACE, 20 Monmouth Street, T: 09 361 6331, www.whitespace.co.nz WHITESPACE, 20 Monmouth Street, T: 09 361 6331, www.whitespace.co.nz

IOANE IOANE

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ARTS + CULTURE TAKE AN ART ROAD TRIP AROUND EASTERN-COROMANDEL PENINSULA A road trip where you not only enjoy art to your heart’s content and explore the creative nature of the Coromandel from Tairua to Opito Bay, but also where you can combine beach life at world-renowned places, art and seriously good food options.

The Open Studios weekends are over March 2nd and 3rd, March 9th and 10th, 2019 on the Eastern Coromandel Peninsula.

The Open Studios weekends give everyone an opportunity to experience a wide range of styles practised by the 36 member artists and three art groups. Encounter woodworking, pottery, sculpture, harakeke weaving, glasswork, mosaics, jewellery, painting, photography and printmaking.

Renowned artist Chris Charteris will host the popular public sculpture event at Kuaotunu on Sunday March 3rd and, for 2019, Mercury Bay Art Escape has introduced an exciting programme from 4th - 8th March.

Undertake new and exciting enterprises by participating in a range of Art Workshops in the midweek. These fun workshops are for all levels and include photography, flax weaving, painting, mixed media and printmaking. You will be tutored by Mercury Bay Art Escape artists and invited tutors.

“Benefits to viewing and participating in arts events are well documented. You can expect to be inspired, challenged, motivated, energised and refreshed,” says Raewyn Hildreth, Whitianga-based flax weaver who will be teaching the weaving workshops. F PN To find out everything visit www.mercurybayartescape.com

The festival will feature internationally recognised street artists Flox, TrustMe and Charles and Janine Williams. Alongside Mercury Bay Art Escape artists including their patron Michael Smither and popular street artists from the Coromandel, Hamilton and Auckland.

photography: James at Studio Jubb

During this week marvel at the new Street Art Festival Mercury Bay Art Escape has organised to highlight the national Tuia - Encounters 250 commemorations. Te Whanganui a Hei (Mercury Bay) has great seafaring significance. This is where the great navigator Kupe visited many centuries ago and in 1769 was one of four landing sites for Cook’s ship The Endeavour.

Street Art Fest Artists TrustMe and Flox

Visit the Mercury Bay

ARTISTS OPEN STUDIOS 2 & 3 and 9 & 10 March 2019

Studios open 10am to 4pm, free entry - Tairua to Opito Bay

1 March Gala Opening 2 March-22 April 2019 Showcase Exhibition 3 March Collective Sculpture with Chris Charteris 4-8 March Art workshops – Chasing Mercury 2019 4-8 March Tuia 250 Whitianga Street Art Festival 8 March Whitianga Music Club Concert For details, tickets & the free art guide see www.mercurybayartescape.com The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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ARTS + CULTURE

UPTOWN ART SCENE “Make more art” is the New Year’s resolution for many an aspiring artist, and Summer School offers the perfect kick-start.

Browne School of Art celebrated its 5th birthday late last year, and had record numbers enrol for Summer School. Ten classes provided students with skills in printmaking, illustration, painting and drawing, taught by experienced tutors in the relaxed atmosphere of their Grey Lynn studios.

geometric forms in the urban environment to use as their inspiration.

Oil painting was shown to be a quick and direct way of painting by Evan Woodruffe, who worked with students to progress through several studies to improve their confidence and material knowledge, in a fumefree blend of modern and traditional processes.

Tutor Zarahn Southern has an amazing grasp of painting the figure from direct observation. Working with the model directly before you, and not from a photograph, creates a unique ambience and sense of space within the painting. Using traditional oil painting techniques to analyse what we are looking at in terms of colour, shape, and subject matter, Zarahn’s class mixes the 19th Century Academy with 21st Century realism.

Wallace Award winner Sam Mitchell encouraged painting confidence through an exploration of one’s own mistakes and discoveries, while Sofia Drescher set out clear processes for narrative illustration. The art of printmaking also requires a robust step-by-step approach, and Alexis Neal uses this as a steady platform for creative experimentation.

Two other oil painting workshops demonstrate the diversity of teaching at Browne School of Art. Matt Carter took students outside to observe

Nearly a hundred students were given a creative boost to 2019 by Browne School of Art over the holidays. We look forward to seeing the results later in the year, as many go on to enrol in the BSA Year Long Courses. The future looks colourful.

(STUDIO ART SUPPLIES) F PN

Intensely worked studies from Anton Chapman's life drawing class

Zarahn Southern's live figure painting workshop

104 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2019

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photography: Connor Crawford

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FRANKLIN ROAD LIGHTS 30 NOVEMBER 2018

Thanks to the Topp Twins for switching on the lights and an even bigger thank you to all those residents who participate. Your community and the world love you.

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PONSONBY NEWS OUTLETS Ponsonby News is published on the first Friday of each month excluding January. Copies go quickly so be quick to collect yours from any of the following outlets. The issue is also published on our website www.ponsonbynews.co.nz FREEMANS BAY Ecostore, 1 Scotland Street Glengarry, Corner Sale and Wellesley Streets New World, Victoria Park GREY LYNN Barfoot & Thompson, 533 Great North Road Barkley Manor, 400 - 402 Great North Road Grey Lynn Community Centre, 520 Richmond Road Grey Lynn Community Library, 474 Great North Road Ripe, 172 Richmond Road Tapac, 100 Motions Road Vetcare, 408 Great North Road HERNE BAY Herne Bay Post & Stationers, 240 Jervois Road Five Loaves, 206 Jervois Road Icing on the Cake, 188 Jervois Road KINGSLAND Atomic, 420c New North Road K'ROAD K'Road Business Association, 59 Pitt Street MT EDEN Citta Outlet Store, Corner Enfield & Normanby Road Sabato, 57 Normanby Road Studio Italia, 25 Nugent Street

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