PONSONBY NEWS - FEBRUARY '24

Established: OCTOBER 1989

CELEBRATING 34 YEARS OF PUBLISHING HISTORY!

FEBRUARY 2024

A CELEBRATION OF NEW ZEALAND DESIGN CITTÀ’S NEW GREY LYNN STORE & LATEST FURNITURE RELEASE - p4 ponsonbynews.co.nz

Number 1 in Ponsonby Branch (6 MONTHS ENDING AUG 30TH)

Recently Sold

by Matt

11 PICTON ST, FREEMANS BAY

Matt O’Brien

34 MARYLAND ST, PT CHEVALIER

Over $415m in Residential Sales

m.obrien@barfoot.co.nz 021 687 866

Specialist Obstetricians.

Auckland Obstetric Centre is a unique practice in Parnell made up of six leading specialist obstetricians and support staff. Together we have many years of experience and feel privileged to be able to share in the care of women during their pregnancy. To find out more about how we can care for you and your baby call our team or visit our website.

09 367 1200 obstetrics.co.nz

CITTÀ PUTS THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON ITS NEW GREY LYNN STORE The flagship store provides a new way to discover Città’s celebrated New Zealand designs.

It’s been an exciting lead-up as Città puts its finishing touches on its new Grey Lynn store. Located across the car park from their previous site, the flagship store provides a new way to discover Città’s collection of New Zealand designs.

Housed in a former postal warehouse, the space has been reimagined by renowned interior studio, Wonder.

The showroom combines a muted palette of soft hues and delicate textures to create a refined backdrop. The lightfilled space is softened with a minimalist approach and delicate residential cues.

At almost double the size of the previous store, the scale offers room for Città’s various displays to flow seamlessly from one to another, showcasing the best of kitchen, lounge and living.

At the heart of the showroom sits a dedicated consultation space equipped with Città’s trusted samples and swatches.

Customers can collaborate one-on-one with the friendly team to customise their lifetime pieces.

4 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

The expansive collection spans furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories to shape living spaces. The most recent addition includes the Bough dining chair, as designed by David Moreland and Nikolai Sorensen.

The chair’s curved T-shape back provides a distinctive modern silhouette and delicately connects to the elegant, tapered legs. The design considers residential and commercial spaces with the ability to be stacked up to five chairs high.

Alongside Città’s celebrated New Zealand designs, the Grey Lynn store also features iconic global brands including Vitra, Artek, Anglepoise, and Stelton.

Design enthusiasts can look forward to discovering the new flagship store from mid-February.

Visit the new store at 274 Richmond Road – just across the car park from the previous site. Open weekdays from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

COVER STORY: CITTÀ’S NEW STORE

LETTERS & EMAILS FROM THE EDITOR DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW HERNE BAY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION LIME BAR TURNS 25 MIKE LEE: AUCKLAND COUNCILLOR PUNEET OF PONSONBY

LISA PRAGER Photography: Erin Dippie

INSIDE THIS MONTH

004 008 009 010 016 018 024 025 030 031 032 033 034 038 039 040 044 048 050 051 052 056 063 070 072 076 080 082

WAYNE BROWN: MAYOR OF AUCKLAND

DESLEY SIMPSON: DEPUTY MAYOR OF AUCKLAND HELEN WHITE: MP FOR MT ALBERT

GAEL BALDOCK PONSONBY PARK CHLÖE SWARBRICK: MP AUCKLAND CENTRAL

If you haven’t been to Vinegar Lane lately, I encourage you to check out the recently completed Max Gimblett Mural @ 25 Pollen Street.

Artist Owen Dippie has done an outstanding job.

ALEX BONHAM: CITY VISION EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY FACES AT GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET ROSS THORBY

FASHION & STYLE HELENE RAVLICH: WELLNESS FOR 2024

LIVING, THINKING & BEING FUTURE GENERATION PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS ARTS & CULTURE THE PONSONBY PINK PAGES HOROSCOPES

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

6 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

Editor/Publisher: MARTIN LEACH M: 021 771 147 martinleach@xtra.co.nz or martin@ponsonbynews.co.nz Distribution Manager: JAY PLATT M: 021 771 146 jayplatt@xtra.co.nz or jay@ponsonbynews.co.nz Advertising Sales: JO BARRETT M: 021 324 510 joannebarrett@xtra.co.nz Advertising Sales/Ad Designer: MELISSA PAYNTER M: 027 938 4111 melissapaynter@me.com Operations Manager: GWYNNE DAVENPORT M: 021 150 4095 gwynne@ponsonbynews.co.nz Fashion & Beauty Editor: HELENE RAVLICH M: 021 767 133 helene@mshelene.com Contributing Music Editor: FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT M: 021 134 4101 finn.huia@gmail.com Graphic Designer: ARNA MARTIN M: 021 354 984 arna@cocodesign.co.nz Annual Subscriptions: Within New Zealand $49. By cheque or credit card in NZ$. Please note: we do not hold back issues of Ponsonby News. Our archive is all online as pdfs.

Please visit www.ponsonbynews.co.nz The entire content of this publication is protected by copyright.

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

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOVING, LIVING & SELLING GREATER PONSONBY

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

Ponsonby 2 Wanganui Avenue Auction: 2pm, Wednesday 14th February 2024

Westmere 5 Rawene Avenue Price by negotiation

SOLD

SOLD

Ponsonby 10 John Street SOLD

Westmere 194 Garnet Road SOLD ALTOGETHER BETTER

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

LETTERS & EMAILS

PETER WHO?

I was somewhat taken aback when I read the Letter to the Editor from one Peter Calder of Grey Lynn, in your December edition of Ponsonby News.

I do not know Mr Calder or understand his background or motivators, but why would a letter of such venom and vitriol be considered justified when ‘attacking' two of the stalwarts of the Grey Lynn, Ponsonby area and community, ie, Lisa Prager and Gael Baldock?

While I do not always agree with their views or their submissions, I very much value the keen interest and contributions that both these ladies take, and the efforts they make to IMPROVE Ponsonby and Grey Lynn.

Despite being an atheist, I strongly believe that both Lisa Prager and Gael Baldock are 'doing God’s work' by trying to protect our suburbs from the madness that is Auckland Transport.

Auckland Transport’s in-house 'make work' zealots, Bike Auckland and various business associations, all appear to have either been bought out or have 'sold out' to the almighty Auckland Transport (including the clearly failed, hideously wasteful and expensive and now dumped 'Vision Zero'), or Auckland Council.

It is well understood by the local community that neither organisation (AT or ACC) could run a bath successfully, let alone run a business that would actually HELP Auckland ratepayers and residents.

The total debacle that is the Ponsonby Offramp from the North-Western Motorway at Newton Road is just the latest effort of AT ‘engineers' to create chaos rather than help avoid it. (Worse still is their obtuse response to any questioning of the resulting chaos and the 'we will have died in a ditch before we admit we made a mistake' attitude that AT staff always adopt – both before and after the latest failed ‘improvement').

Their efforts in ‘improving' the intersection of Ponsonby Road, Great North Road, Newton Road and Karangahape Road are just further proof that intelligent community advocates and contributors to your magazine, such as Ms Prager and Ms Baldock, are even more valuable than ever before.

To both Lisa Prager and Gael Baldock, I say, “thank you” and wish them a happy and relaxing 2024 and beyond.

Roger Hawkins, Herne Bay QUIET SKY WAITEMATĀ CALLS FOR BAN ON PRIVATE HELICOPTERS IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES

On 21 November, Quiet Sky Waitematā presented to the Waitematā Local Board to request their support for a ban on private helicopters in residential zones.

That application, while on hold for the last year, is the thin end of the wedge. Herne Bay has three to four helicopter permits, and Waiheke is plagued by 62 helipads, causing considerable anguish to residents all over the island.

If this application goes ahead, then all Westmere and Pt Chevalier’s coastal properties are open for the same kind of development. Quiet Sky Waitematā argued against private helicopter use – the noise is infuriating, the environmental impact on coastal fauna is potentially disastrous, there are safety risks to users of the waterfront.

There is also the overall lunacy of endorsing a mode of commuter travel that so directly contravenes the city’s own sustainable goals for a liveable compact city.

The goal of Quiet Sky Waitematā is to prevent helipads establishing in residential zones in Tāmaki Makaurau.

If you believe that private helicopters have no place in residential communities, please support us and be heard. Go to www.quietsky.nz to sign our petition www.change.org/p/ban-private-helicopter-use-inresidential-auckland and get involved.

Jeanette Budgett

Quiet Sky Waitematā THE FOOTPATHS IN PONSONBY ROAD ARE SHAMEFUL

Ex-Transport Minister Simon Bridges got to experience the pitfalls of unmaintained footpaths when he hit a bump and fell off his e-scooter.

The state of the footpaths in Ponsonby Road are shameful. I have seen posts on social media of many people injured from tripping, including the editor of the Ponsonby News.

Auckland Transport needs to make that a priority instead of pushing bus stops out into the traffic as they are currently doing in Three Lamps. These so called 'inline bus stops' cause all vehicles to stop and wait while the bus is stopped, while they create more emissions, and traffic congests to the end of the block.

Mayor Wayne Brown suggested that we should be asking, “What problem is this designed to fix?” Of course the answer is that it will allow an excuse to charge a Congestion Tax. This project had 42 responses in the consultation process with 22 for the changes and 20 against. The dynamics of this whole area will change during the construction of the PoP development and again after it has opened.

The fiscally responsible thing to do is nothing until after that is completed and save ratepayers' funds.

Olga George, Herne Bay ratepayer

Quiet Sky Waitematā formed after an application for 28 weekly helicopter flights was made for the prominent headland on the western side of Coxs Bay. The point, known locally as Piper Point, is a vital habitat for endangered wildlife. Threatened Caspian terns, South Island Pied oystercatchers and Variable oystercatchers use it as a roost at high tide. NZ dotterels, banded dotterels, godwits and many other species forage around the point at low tide. The area is also used by Sea Scouts, kayakers, paddle boarders, and walkers with their children and dogs at low tide.

CONTINED PAGE 22

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

8 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FROM THE EDITORS

If you haven’t been to Vinegar Lane lately, I encourage you to check out the recently completed Max Gimblett Mural @ 25 Pollen Street.

Photography: Connor Crawford

New Zealand artist Owen Dippie has most recently been working extensively on his studio practice, developing a new body of work while continuing to create mural work.

Music lovers, don’t miss the Auckland Record Fair, being held at Freemans Bay Community Centre on Tuesday 6 February (Waitangi Day), running from 9am–2.30pm. Of course there will also be CDs, cassettes, VHS and DVDs. Tāmaki Makaurau is abuzz with activity as oOh!media installs Green Roofs across the city. Beginning 12 months ago, with a successful trial installation at Ponsonby Central’s bus shelter, oOh!media has continued its mission to re-nature urban spaces, installing 10 green roofs around the city.

Not the news we like to hear! We were sad that Golriz Ghahraman, the now former Greens MP, has had a fall from grace. We do feel for her mental health and having to deal with multiple sclerosis at the same time. However, we also know how tough retailers have found the last few years. Shoplifting costs our local businesses, including Scottie’s, a fortune and there is no excuse for theft.

A World of Wellness for 2024. It’s safe to say that for many of us, New Year’s resolutions have most definitely now fallen by the wayside. Mainly because choosing a single day to make a total life change just isn’t logical, with smaller, more achievable goals more likely to keep us on track. And now that indulgent holidays are well out of our systems, it is a good time to focus on

Living Hell Print Ad.indd 2

Jay Platt and Martin Leach

wellness. This month, Helene Ravlich is covering contrast therapy, ayurveda, tai chi, pilates, yoga, acupuncture and feng shui.

Nostalgic Ponsonby cocktail bar celebrates a quarter century. Ponsonby staple Lime Bar is getting set to turn 25, making it the longest continuously running bar on the Ponsonby strip. A wondrous achievement for Kevin Fraser and his team. We offer our congratulations.

Summer at Kelmarna Community Farm. Diary Date: 14 and 15 February. The Gardens are producing dinner’s with flavours of Filipino cuisine produced by Luntian founder Angel Apun. For this special event, the Luntian team has created an entirely vegan menu with a special Valentine’s theme. See you there! (JAY PLATT & MARTIN LEACH)  PN

23/01/24 10:08 AM + February PONSONBY NEWS 2024 9

LOCAL NEWS

ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS BIRMINGHAM

DAVID HARTNELL:

Chris Birmingham is the General Manager for megaSun NZ. The business has been based in the Ponsonby area for coming up 20 years.

Tell us about megaSun?

megaSun aims to be the industry leader in tanning for NZ. We are here to explain to our clients how the skin tans and how to get the most out of their experience with us. The directors at megaSun are from a medical background and they utilise advice from medical professionals to help people if advice is required. We offer world-class technology in the equipment, lamps and solar cosmetics.

Do people want a suntan all year?

Many people want to get a tan just before their holidays so they can reduce their chances of sunburn, but the majority of our clients want to keep their tan all year round.

Best thing about working on Ponsonby Road?

Ponsonby has a very eclectic and diverse street life. The range of things to see and do make the road a very interesting place to both work and socialise.

How have you survived the pandemic?

During the pandemic I was working in the kiwifruit industry and had been for 13 years. Managing two large packing and cooling facilities, we had to operate that industry very differently to what it was like previously, and it proved to be rewarding but very stressful. During that time megaSun had to look for a new home and we wanted to still be in Ponsonby after being on College Hill for 18 years. It’s a family business and my parents needed help to rebuild and relaunch.

Consequently, I took the opportunity to come back and head up the project for them.

What was your childhood like?

Really good. I grew up in a very small town of Louth in Lincolnshire, in England, which is very rural and very flat. The townsfolk were always interested in other people’s business; as it wasn't very large, rumours would circulate at the drop of a hat with little or no truth to them. This often proved to be quite funny as at one point we had our garden landscaped and someone decided we were putting in an indoor iceskating rink. Where that came from I will never know. I would have used it if we’d put one in, but sadly we didn’t.

Bucket list?

To own a McLaren. Failing that, driving one on a race track would be enjoyable. I would love to go to Hawaii.

Most Kiwi thing about you?

As I am English, I possibly don’t have a lot of Kiwi things about me, although I have just had my 25th anniversary of living in here this year! If I had to pick something, I would say it's the use of cheese in a pie. In England we didn’t do that. It was a revelation when I came here. So, when I make my own at home, it’s a must to add in tasty cheese.

Best day of your life so far?

It happened quite recently. I was given a driving experience at Hampton Downs. I got to drive a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus Exige and an Aston Martin – I was a very happy boy that day.

10 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

See yourself in 10 years?

I am hoping to be alive, well and to have won the Powerball Jackpot, spending my days being generally quite lazy.

If you were reincarnated what would you be?

A pampered pooch with rich owners, home cooked food and a soft comfortable pillow to sleep on. I will be honest, if I could get that now in this life I wouldn’t pass it up.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I’d like to have hair again.

Like to be remembered how?

Someone that had an answer for everything, regardless if the story to win the argument was true or not.

What do you love most about your age?

Looking younger than most of my friends. It’s mostly down to them having kids. It seems to have aged them terribly.

Which item do you wish would come back into fashion?

Orange juice as a starter on a posh restaurant menu – not that I would order it. More to bring back the absurdity that it was considered an appetiser. (DAVID HARTNELL, MNZM)  PN www.megasun.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Be your best. Own the best.

AUCKLAND FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty is the country’s premium residential real estate brand, synonymous with exceptional service and continued success.

We are looking to expand our national footprint of 31 offices by establishing the brand in three key Auckland territories: Inner West, West and South.

Join us as a franchise brokerage and give your business every advantage.

JULIAN BROWN AND MARK HARRIS MANAGING DIRECTORS AND CO-FOUNDERS

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CLOSE FRIDAY 8 MARCH 2024.

BEC WILLIAMS GM OF FRANCHISE

+64 21 246 9260 bec.williams@nzsir.com

NZSOTHEBYSREALTY.COM/FRANCHISE-OPPORTUNITIES Each office is independently owned and operated.

Browns Real Estate Limited (licensed under the REAA 2008) MREINZ.

A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE Since its establishment in 1976 Sotheby’s International Realty® has been the international leader in premium real estate. Powered by innovation and expertise, it has leveraged its exceptionally powerful brand to develop an unrivalled global network. The growth of the brand was reflected in a record breaking and award-winning year in 2023.

This New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty franchise offering represents a unique opportunity to elevate your business by joining a brand with legacy of excellence and proven success. Why would you choose anything less than the very best? Contact us today and upgrade your business to the highest level.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

IT’S A TEAM EFFORT...

WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT OUR CONTRIBUTORS CONNOR CRAWFORD I am a working artist and photographer with a colourful and rhythmic perspective.

I enjoy shooting the front covers of Ponsonby News.

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

GAEL BALDOCK We each follow our moral compass shaped by training. Mine is sculpting, architecture, sociology, anthropology and betterment of our shared world by community advocacy… and saving trees.

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

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

PUNEET DHALL I am an Aucklander of Indian origin, Punjabi and Sikh. I have a keen interest in food, wine and politics.

KEN RING

SARITA SOLVIG BLANKENBURG I am a passionate Ayurveda practitioner based in Ponsonby for the last 15 years.

Inspiring others to live a healthy and fulfilled life is my higher purpose.

LISA PRAGER

Photography: Josh Griggs

MIKE LEE I am the councillor for Waitematā & Gulf.

A former seafarer, former chair of the ARC, conservationist, PT advocate, and author.

I have represented the Ponsonby area since 1992.

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

A life long advocate for community issues, I am passionate about protecting and enhancing our natural environment and built heritage.

12 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

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

ROSS THORBY - QSM I have had a wanderlust for travel ever since I was old enough to own a passport.

Since I discovered cruising, I have become unstoppable.

New Cocktail and Food Menu for 2024 Enjoy Snacks & Drinks Al Alfresco Walk-ins Welcome 23 Ponsonby Road T: 021 379 700 kolauckland.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Space to do your thing Character spaces in the heart of Auckland’s most vibrant suburbs. Bookstores to bakeries, architects to art shops, whatever your business, find a home for it with us.

Retail and Office spaces leasing now:

PH 09 522 0039

LOCAL NEWS

LIGNE ROSET AUCKLAND FLOORSTOCK CLEARANCE View the full selection at ligne.nz

BEDS

40% off RUCHE beds

in stock

OUTDOOR 50% off LAPEL teak dining table + set of 6 chairs

30% off LETTINO

white sun loungers

14 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

SALE FLOORSTOCK CLEARANCE all beds & outdoor furniture reductions from 30% up to 50% off this month while stock lasts* mention this ad in Ponsonby News for an additional 10% off

Auckland showroom open 10-5 weekdays and 10-4 Saturday 299 Great North Road, Grey Lynn

09 393 5636

www.ligne.nz

*offer valid until stock is sold out or until 29 February 2024. See our website for full terms and conditions.

LOCAL NEWS

HERNE BAY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION SAYS… Apartment and townhouse owners should not be given street parking preferences by Auckland Transport (AT) because their development doesn’t provide off-street parking.

Developer Williams Corporation is asking for limited street parking at 16 Shelly Beach Road, where it plans to develop 47 studio units where there will be no carparks. If this is approved, the losers will be other residents with existing parking permits.

Each apartment in the Williams' development is planned for 35 sq m, will have a storage area for bicycles, but no garaging for owner vehicles. Williams Corporation says the units will be for “quality affordable housing targeting first home buyers."

Williams Corporation purchased the property adjacent to, and previously owned by, the Westwater Apartment Building in March 2021. Since then, Williams has received Resource Consent for 12 units on the site.

The new proposal for 47 units without carparks has superseded the previously approved plans. Stephen Pike, Williams Corporation Auckland Sales Manager, says the Resource Consent application for the 47 units was expected before Christmas.

Consultants for Williams Corporation are PTM Consultants, who are managing the proposed new street loading zone for the units at 16 Shelly Beach Road.

PTM is asking residents in the Shelly Beach Road area to support a plan that takes away 25 metres of current on-street parking on the western side of Shelly Beach Road.

PTM Consultants want four or five carparking spaces removed and replaced with a new 25 metre section of 'P10 parking'.

This new zone “will help service the new development with loading and servicing demands (pick-ups and drop-offs, ride sharing, deliveries, loading zones and building maintenance),” say PTM Consultants in a letter to local residents.

PTM Consultants say in the letter that they are seeking feedback from property owners adjacent to the development plan “on pending changes.”

Local residents are incensed by the ‘Plan' that they say shows little regard for neighbours and infers that Auckland Transport has already approved the change. The general theme of objections is that this proposal reduces the amenities of neighbours by taking away parking.

Herne Bay Residents Association contacted PTM Consultants to clarify the position of its employer.

PTM Consultants is listed as a company that provides expertise in traffic, transportation and roading engineering specialist advice.

It lists its clients as Auckland Transport, Auckland Council, Waka Kotahi, Eke Panuku and other private sector companies.

Traffic Engineering Technician for PTM is Shamar Robinson who wrote the letter to Shelly Beach Road residents on 13 September 2023. He said the company’s discussions with Auckland Transport had “mostly been supportive” but AT was keen to know how locals felt about the matter.

Mr Robinson said most public feedback had been to oppose the changes with, to date, 22 opposing letters received from residents. He said the information would be supplied to AT’s traffic control committee and he had hoped for a decision before Christmas, but thought this was unlikely.

The proposed development would not be finalised until a decision had been made on Williams’ 47 unit resource consent application, says Mr Pike. If approved, he believed that at least 50% of the purchasers would be first home buyers.

The absence of off-street parking for the units was simply to reduce development costs and keep the units as affordable as possible, he says.

Local resident Tom Birdsall says it is a “bad idea” to remove existing resident parking.

In a letter to Robinson, Mr Birdsall says: “I note Williams Corporation were very clear that all units to be built at No 16 would have carparks/garages, so surely the loading and services demands could be accommodated without robbing the permitted residents of their parking option.

“Existing users of the parking need to be accommodated.”

He also notes that parking on the eastern side of Shelly Beach Road is already restricted by a clearway in the morning and afternoon.

He notes that by contrast, the Westwater Tower at 10 Shelly Beach Road has 15 apartments and has operated for 30 years “without 10-minute parking”. He says that as a neighbour he observes couriers and other vehicles regularly accessing the site.

HBRAI joint chairman Dirk Hudig says of the Williams Corp parking proposal: “It’s a grab from the public for private car parks. Why can’t the developer make space on the site for one car park that can be used as a drop zone,” he asks.

Mr Hudig says a survey has revealed that if all the developable properties in Shelly Beach Road sought similar concessions from AT, the residents would lose 70% of their current street parking.

In response to questions, AT says that it will consider the report from PTM, look at the level of support and who was consulted.

As the road controlling authority, its report would go through various AT approvals before being put before its Traffic Control Committee to make the final decision on the application.

AT has been at pains to point out that it is the responsibility of developers and owners of buildings that were constructed post 2016 to provide parking on their sites for their owners’ use and for their guests.

The AT spokesperson reinforced that residents of new developments like the Williams one would not be eligible for parking permits and Williams had been informed of this. www.hernebay1011.nz

16 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

SEMANIE CATO ENERGY ENTHUSIASM EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE What I love most about real estate is helping prospective clients and buyers achieve more than they ever thought possible. I love every part of the sales process and ensure buyers and sellers understand every step.

Being Auckland born & raised - I know this city and I list, sell and market in your area.

I have only one objective –to achieve the best results possible.

My #1 priority is you!

If you’re looking for any real estate advice, call or email me for a chat anytime, I can’t wait to assist you with all your real estate needs.

021 803 137 semanie.cato@raywhite.com RAY WHITE PT CHEVALIER RAY WHITE PT CHEVALIER

HEREFORD RESIDENCES - PANORAMIC PERFECTION!

712/8 HEREFORD STREET, FREEMANS BAY, AUCKLAND CITY 2 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | 2 carparks | plus storage lockup

ASKING PRICE $1,875,000 Semanie Cato 021 803 137 semanie.cato@raywhite.com

SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE rwptchevalier.co.nz/PCR32075

Von Group Limited | Licensed (REAA 2008)

LOCAL NEWS

Tom, Kevin and Olivia

LIME BAR TURNS 25

Nostalgic Ponsonby cocktail bar celebrates a quarter century.

Ponsonby staple Lime Bar is getting set to turn 25, making it the longest continuously running bar on the Ponsonby strip.

A wondrous achievement in the fickle world of hospitality, making the milestone even more remarkable, is Lime’s Kevin Fraser, who has been at the helm of this family owned business since its inception.

A familiar face behind the bar for decades, those of a certain vintage might also remember Kevin’s other ventures in the early 2000s, including the underground Hobson Street Lounge, followed by Pickle, Plum in the Viaduct, Ruby in Kingsland, Coco Club on Fort Lane, Boogie Wonderland in Auckland and Wellington and Alice, also in Wellington.

Taking over the space that would become Lime in late 1998, a then 28-year-old Kevin and his builder dad spent several weeks renovating, before opening the doors on 23 January 1999.

A champion of classic cocktails, good times and a nostalgic soundtrack to sing along to, fast forward 25 years and Lime (with the odd nip and tuck) has aged gracefully, moving with the times while still retaining its original charm.

With his family happily pushing him out the door most nights, Kevin says the bar has been humming along since lockdown lifted and he finds he still gets a kick out of chatting with customers and just enjoying the vibe.

At heart, Lime is a neighbourhood bar, says Kevin, but folks come from all over. “There’s the loyal wider-Ponsonby faithfuls, but plenty come from far and wide in search for a good time.”

Occupying a special place in Auckland’s cultural history, staff past and present have many a story to tell. One particularly raucous night saw $350 in cash (back when cash was still a thing), a pair of tights, a pair of heels and someone’s anxiety pills all found on the floor on closing.

18 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

"We’re really quite old now," says Kevin. “Whole generations have come and gone and come back again. And, in the meantime, their kids are joining in the fun now too.”

Part of the appeal no doubt is that the team use only premium pours for the creation of their alcoholic beverages. “Even our house pours. Customers might notice we also use a greater volume than most bars. Yes, our margin gets reduced somewhat in the process, but the focus is on quality and on keeping our customers happy.”

With the focus on classic cocktails, flowing Champagne and refreshing beer, one standout on the drinks list is the plum daquiri – a signature at Plum from back in the day and still one of Lime’s most asked for drinks. For sour lovers, the options range from whiskey, to blackcurrant, pisco, and gin and lychee, and the chilli Margarita and espresso martini are much loved. Customers also like the gin and tonic pairings as they take the guesswork out of ordering.

Anyone who’s visited Lime may notice something else that’s still going strong, and that’s the music. “Yes, we love retro.

Stevie Nicks, Tom Jones, the Stones, Dr Hook, Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond. It’s the stuff we all grew up on, it takes people back. It’s fun, unpretentious.”

At just 33 sq m, peak hours can be a bit of a squish. “We like to call ourselves ‘fun-sized’, but a bit of a tight squeeze never hurt anyone,” says Kevin.

While still doing well as a late night joint (the bar is licensed to 3am), Kevin says one change he’s noticed in recent years is people going out earlier. A popular spot for a pre- or post-dinner drink, the warmer months see the bar become a suntrap, with many a group enjoying a cocktail in the late afternoon sun.

Older customers will remember Sumo, Rob, Dave and Selena from the early days, but there are younger faces who’ve added an essential layer to Lime’s character more recently.

Kevin’s son George ticked the intergenerational box and brought fresh enthusiasm to the family business, with Brit Tom and American Olivia currently doing Lime proud.

So what of the 25th birthday? Kevin says he and wife Alex are planning a party in late January and are looking forward to celebrating with their many customers, friends and staff from over the years. With big plans but a very small footprint, neighbour Ponsonby Road Bistro has agreed to help co-host.

Will Kevin still be here in another 25 years? “I hope not,” he laughs. “But if people still want those classics, then Lime may still be here.”

Open Monday-Thursday from 4pm and Friday-Saturday from 2pm.

LIME BAR, 167 Ponsonby Road, www.limebar.co.nz @lime.ponsonby

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 19

LOCAL NEWS

“There are many happily married couples who met at Lime over the years – we love when they visit on their anniversary – and a few kids floating around whose middle name should probably be Lime. They’re more than welcome to come in for a beer when they turn 18.”

LOCAL NEWS

NEWS FROM HERNE BAY PETANQUE CLUB Tucked down the end of Salisbury Street in Herne Bay is an exclusive sports facility that caters for all ages and abilities as well as community groups.

The Herne Bay Petanque Club has been at Salisbury Park for 28 years. It is the largest Petanque Club in New Zealand with, we feel, the best facilities.

Here early in each New Year, the prestigious and fiercely fought New Zealand Open Tournament is held with participants coming from overseas to compete against some of New Zealand’s best. It is a very active club with many tournaments held here throughout the year.

We have regular club times of Tuesday and Thursday mornings, except the 3rd Tuesday of the month when the members have to give way for the local Probus monthly meeting.

Friday nights are also regular club nights and it is here that those who can’t make the day sessions can practise and socialise.

U3A also uses the Herne Bay Petanque Club hall for its monthly meeting, which is held on the second Friday of each month and a number of Martial Arts groups have their weekly practise at the club.

Membership of the club runs at about 80 people of all ages and it is one of the few sports where women and men can compete on a level playing field or, in this case, piste.

Petanque is easy to learn, easy to play and as long as you can throw a ball you can play with anyone. We get exercise all year round, not even rain will deter some of the stalwarts. We relax, socialise and enjoy being in beautifully kept, garden-

like grounds. Our volunteer gardeners do an excellent job; the roses at the moment are looking magnificent!

Our club rooms are used and enjoyed by the local community as well. Often we host events such as birthday parties, the children’s probably with bouncy castles and the adults with more adult things. Most often, these events include a game of Petanque where we supply the equipment and a club member will come and give instructions on how to play. All this free of charge as we want the game to grow in popularity.

(TRICIA BROWN)  PN www.hernebaypetanque.nz

KEN RING: WEATHER BY THE MOON

AUCKLAND WEATHER DIARY, FEBRUARY 2024

In early February an ex-tropical storm system is expected to affect the whole North Island.

The first week is expected to be very wet, then drying out for the rest of the month. The second week brings a heat wave and is possibly the hottest week of summer. The third week is the sunniest, and the fourth week has the highest pressures.

The barometer should average around 1014mbs. The best weekend for outdoor activities may be 24th/25th.

For fishermen, the highest tides are on 13th. The best fishing bite-times in the east should be around dusk of 9th-11th, and 24th-27th. Bite-chances are also good around lunchtime of 1st-4th and 16th-19st.

For gardeners, pruning is best on 8th-9th (waning moon descending), and planting is best on 21st-23rd (waxing moon ascending). For preserving or longer shelf-life, harvest crops or flowers around the neap tides of 6th and 20th.

Allow 24-hour error for all forecasting. (KEN RING)  PN For future weather for any date, and the 2024 NZ Weather Almanac, see www.predictweather.com.

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

20 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

A summary of What’s On at Ponsonby Community Centre in February and March.

Our usual free seniors yoga classes are continuing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday mornings at 11am – all are welcome and no bookings necessary. We provide the mats and equipment, just bring yourself!

We have a free after school class for ages 7-12 years with the ReCreators, every Tuesday 3:30pm – 5pm, held at the Freemans Bay Community Hall. To register your child to attend this class for Term One, please email us on info@ponsonbycommunity.org.nz. Places are limited so registration is essential.

We have several AA and NA groups meeting at Ponsonby Community Centre: on Tuesdays 6pm, AA Rainbow, Wednesdays 6pm, AA Expect Miracles, Thursdays 5pm is AA Rush Hour and on Saturdays 6:30pm, NA Saturday Night Live.

For more information on these groups please visit aa.org.nz and nzna.org/meetings Plunket Nurse Jo Shanley, is at the PCC on Tuesdays, email northernregionadmin@plunket.org.nz to make an appointment.

Ponsonby Playgroup is also at the PCC on Tuesdays, all morning from 9:30am – 12 noon – you can attend playgroup while waiting for your Plunket appointment! First playgroup session is 13 February. Check out their Facebook page for more information – @PonsonbyPlaygroup.

Venue hire Meetings www.ponsonbycommunity.org.nz @ponsycommunity

Ponsy Kids Preschool

Events

WE'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON! Adult Classes

Ponsonby Playgroup!

Kids Classes PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 21

LOCAL NEWS

TERM ONE AT PONSONBY COMMUNITY CENTRE

LETTERS CONTINUED

CONTINED FROM PAGE 8 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

On my way to the Waitematā Local Board November meeting, I caught sight of Westmere resident Lisa Prager in her signature Stetson, before she spoke about Auckland Transport.

Lisa articulately expressed concerns that the redesign of Auckland’s vehicle thoroughfares to include cycleways, speed bumps and narrower carriageways, are being decided upon largely behind closed doors. Many residents and business owners share similar concerns, leading me to the conclusion that 'fake and flawed' public consultation is not an isolated case of oversight but rather a strategy.

Gael Baldock’s December article pointed out that of the SuperCity’s 21 Local Boards, only four boards are actually dedicated to serve their public with 'open workshops'. Our own Waitematā Local Board is yet to pledge a similar dedication.

Whose interests are at play in their 'closed-door workshops'?

The 'Local Board Capital Transport Fund' selected projects worth $1,464,000 in ‘closed workshops'. Further debate at the Local Board meeting appeared confusing and straightforward questions to an employee of AT (via video link) received inadequate responses. You can view here and make up your own mind. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ohK-go5b1c It was also unclear why $357,000 of our hard-earned money was allocated for another unnecessary speed bump, additional to the existing five on O’Neill Street, Ponsonby.

Similarly, the Mayor refused to answer questions on the Downtown Carpark sale on the pretext of “commercial sensitivity.”

In what circumstances would council, boards or CCO Auckland Transport, shun consultation with the people who elected them while ignoring governance rules that state they must consult? Is genuine public consultation a thorn in the side of centrally planned projects being dutifully executed by councils throughout the country?

There is good news. There are unpaid, dedicated people working on your behalf holding council and Local Bodies to account on what is happening in your neighbourhood.

I tip my hat to Gael Baldock and Lisa Prager who are motivated by a sense of correctness, community spirit, and who for years have provided voices of commonsense and reason to Local government on behalf of their communities. Their voices, although heard, are frequently ignored and shut down by the hard-left controlling faction of the Waitematā Local Board.

However, on occasion, I’m happy to say they have also been instrumental in successes that owe a lot to their abilities to build strong relationships with those who really count.

Grant Mountjoy, Rock the Vote NZ AUCKLAND COUNCIL’S 'HAVE YOUR SAY'

It was only by chance that I found out that there was a consultation on the current configuration of Queen Street when a friend told me about Auckland Council’s 'Have Your Say' aucklandcouncil.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/

are a big part of the lifeblood and success of the CBD and need to be supported as much as possible.

The extremely narrow one way each way road must be extremely challenging for fire trucks and hard to navigate, especially when gridlocked, and therefore an unacceptable fire risk – just imagine if there was a building on fire! This is a major concern of the Fire Department. I know this because myself and a colleague visited the Central Fire Station last year and spoke to them directly about this matter.

Overall this whole project was a really bad idea. It needs to be put back to how it used to be which perfectly balanced the needs of residents, businesses and shoppers and therefore much more inclusive.

Michael Avenell, Rock the Vote NZ THANK YOU GLBA FOR BEING INCLUSIVE

The ‘road calming’ on Surrey Crescent with over 100 hitsticks, artworks painted on the road, humps leading towards and away from the school, and the removal of parent carparking were installed as a temporary measure intended to slow traffic and improve safety of the children of Grey Lynn Primary School.

Most temporary measures are usually in place for a short period of time but these have been here since July 2021.

Auckland Transport has been criticised for only consulting with pro-cycleways' ‘stakeholders’, those ‘converted’ to these unproven techniques, in the September 2022 Ponsonby News.

AT's official feedback says, "During the consultation period, meetings were held with the following stakeholders: 8 February - Waitematā Local Board; 14 February - Grey Lynn Business Association; 22 February - Cohaus; 11 March - Bike Auckland.” at.govt.nz/media/1989212/grey-lynn-and-westmereimprovements-engagement-report.pdf

Aligning with announcements from Transport Minister Simeon Brown halting further cycleways, Auckland Transport CEO Dean Kimpton has said, "In that emissions reduction plan, cycling is supposed to rise to 17 percent of all trips. But it's still stuck on 1 percent.”

This area is about to have permanent features, without a cycleway and AT are consulting with parties.

Occupy Garnet Road would like to thank Irene King and Darryl Ojala of the Grey Lynn Business Association for encouraging Auckland Transport to engage with ALL stakeholders including Occupy Garnet Road GR and the residents of the Issac. We are looking forward to that engagement and hope it also includes the resurfacing of the arterial roads in the area where we will be advocating for the retention of median strips.

We also suggest that the business at ‘Black Box Corner’ (Surrey Crescent / Garnet Road intersection business) be included too.

Key stakeholders within the community have been ignored until now.

Occupy Garnet Road, www.facebook.com/occupygarnetroad

SV_5oGgudQEjE4mDXw

I wonder how many other people would have responded if they had known about it. As a city centre resident, I now find it really difficult and hard to get around. Worst of all is the now what seems like constant gridlock, which is not only really frustrating for residents and businesses but has become a big deterrent for shoppers wanting to come into the CBD. The lack of parking has already negatively impacted retailers and can be seen by the number of empty shops. Businesses

22 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

A JOYFUL GATHERING OF COMMUNITY Greg Moyle, Sarah Trotman, Desley Simpson, Santa and Allan Matson, C&R Waitematā Elected Members, hosted a large group of community advocates and C&R supporters at their Christmas Update. Held at the Auckland Bowling Club, only Santa upstaged our wonderful Deputy Mayor, Cr Desley Simpson. The Deputy Mayor's significant contribution, throughout a challenging 2023, was warmly acknowledged by attendees.

The C&R team updated the community on a range of issues from security at local parks and the proposal for Ponsonby Community Centre to manage Freemans Bay Community Hall to preserving heritage and the upcoming Waitematā Good Citizens Awards.

info@c-r.org.nz

Sarah Powrie, C&R Orakei Local Board Member and Annie Coney

KARANGAHAPE ROAD BUS LANES ARE EXCESSIVE

Business precincts are important, as they are the heart of any community. They bring people together, to socialise, to strengthen by bonding friends, families and fellow business operators. Auckland Transport should not underestimate the vital role a business precinct plays in society, especially one like Karangahape Road. We are vibrant, we are accepting of all people, we are passionate, we actually look out for each other and will fight to protect each other. What Auckland Transport is doing is harming us and our businesses. And is a very real threat of undoing all the good a business precinct means to society.

People choose to come here because 70% of us are locally owned and operated. We are not just any shop you would find in a mall, actually you won’t find us in any of the malls!

I am writing as a businesswoman working on Karangahape Road, who has been part of this business precinct since 2002.

I am a Cambodian immigrant who loves Karangahape Road.

My view on Auckland Transport’s appalling conduct regarding the bus lanes is nothing short of dismay, anger and utter disappointment.

The sudden and non-consulted 7am-7pm bus lanes seven days a week prompted a huge outcry from the businesses.

Their supposed 'U turn' to 7-10am and 3-7pm bus lanes on both sides of the road seven days a week is unwarranted and negatively impacting many businesses.

Their own data shows buses are now running slower during peak times and only faster by 3-59 seconds during non-peak times.

Auckland Transport needs to understand businesses would support them, if only we were properly consulted, if there was a need for change and if the changes have a positive impact.

Businesses are there to make money, not lose money!

Auckland Transport needs to understand that cars are still a valid choice of transport. That choice should not be taken away from us. Why fix something when it is not broken?

Do the right thing and return Karangahape Road to how it was. Our business precinct was running smoothly with buses, bikes AND cars! Let our business precinct thrive, we are an important part of society too.

Muy Chhour, Owner of Lim Chhour

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

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 23

LETTERS CONTINUED

The Waitematā C&R team is focused on Better Value Rates and Better Council Services. They can be contacted at

LOCAL NEWS

THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS IN THE HAURAKI GULF AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

MIKE LEE:

I have always been well aware that the name of the council ward I represent is Waitematā & Gulf.

In this month’s column I wish to talk about the Hauraki Gulf and a meaningful way to improve its ecological health which has been under stress for decades. We’ve heard a lot in recent months about the invasive seaweed species Caulerpa, currently spreading around Great Barrier Island and beyond.

From media reports and public comments, one could get the impression all was fine until Caulerpa turned up. But of course it was not.

However, the previous government’s ‘Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill’, introduced a few weeks before the General Election, was a modest step forward but left too late. It proposed five ‘Seafloor Protection Areas’, 12 ‘High Protection Areas’ and two marine reserve extensions.

The Bill has now been inherited by the new National-led Government. I want to cite here extracts from a submission to the Bill on behalf of the ‘Friends of the Hauraki Gulf’ which I am the chairperson. For the last three years we have been promoting a marine reserve off northwest Waiheke. Extracts are paraphrased as follows: First of all, in regard to these ‘protection areas’, how effective these will be in restoring a damaged, stressed and depleted marine ecosystem is an important question. ‘Seafloor Protection Areas’ for instance, will not protect the sea above and the fish species within from continued over-exploitation.

Nor will they stop the continued exploitation of marine life, such as crayfish which inhabit the seafloor.

Similarly, ‘High Protection Areas’, while excluding recreation and commercial fishing, will be reserved for customary fishing.

These two functions, ‘protection’ and ‘fishing’ (however defined) are conflicted in our view. Again, continued harvesting is likely to impact an already damaged ecosystem.

We are not opposed to customary fishing areas but question whether they can be logically defined as ‘High Protection ’.

Just as one would expect on land, for example native forests and wetlands, a joined-up holistic approach is needed to achieve full habitat and wildlife protection. No-take marine reserves fulfil that function.

And herein lies the problem, the Bill will introduce no new marine reserves in the gulf. The ‘two marine reserves’ mentioned will be extensions to the existing Cape Rodney to Okakari Point (Leigh) and Whanganui a Hei (Cathedral Cove) marine reserves. Totally inadequate given the crisis of collapsing biodiversity, well-recorded and acknowledged in scientific circles. And especially given the fact that no-take

marine reserves are far and away the most effective way to restore marine biodiversity.

After almost 10 years of official ‘Sea Change’, ‘Revitalising the Gulf’ and finally this Marine Protection Bill process, two modest marine reserve extensions will still mean less than half of 1% of the waters of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park are fully protected.

The glaring omission in the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill is that it completely overlooks the most currently advanced marine protection proposal for the Hauraki Gulf, the Hākaimangō-Matiatia (NW Waiheke) Marine Reserve.

This community-led marine reserve proposal was formally notified under s5 of the Marine Reserves Act in early 2022, drawing c1300 public submissions from across the country, with a remarkable 93% in support.

At 2350ha it would be the largest marine reserve in the gulf, at one stroke almost doubling the size of the totally protected marine environment.

The proposed marine reserve would protect an area located in an ecological transition zone between the inner and outer gulf and of which no other representative example is protected.

According to marine scientists the area has high biological values, remarkable geology, with intact kelp reefs, including one of the few identified breeding areas for rare Packhorse Crayfish inside the Hauraki Gulf.

The area is an important feeding ground for seabirds and marine mammals and could become much more so.

Finally, the proposed Hākaimangō-Matiatia Marine Reserve is within an easy 10-minute walk from the Matiatia ferry/ bus terminal, (35 minutes from downtown Auckland). The unique proximity of public transport links and excellent coastal walkways would make it very convenient for scientific research and visits by students of all ages and, unlike the other ’protected areas’ in the Bill, uniquely accessible to the general public.

The Friends of Hauraki Gulf request the proposed Hākaimangō-Matiatia Marine Reserve be added to the Bill and included in the Order in Council to be declared a marine reserve. We believe this would make administrative sense and immeasurably strengthen the stated marine protection and restoration objectives of the Bill, while adding public credibility to the legislation. (MIKE LEE)  PN www.mikelee.co.nz

24 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ORANGE IS THE OLD WHITE

LOCAL NEWS

PUNEET DHALL:

Wine is one of the most ancient products known to humankind.

The natural yeasts that magically infuse the juicy flesh of fruit and divinely create wine reside endemically on the skin of all grapes. The best explanation we can give at this time is that this combination is completely organic and quite simply a gift from God, and that is why we love it so.

And because of its ancient status, it is one of the few industries in this day and age that is almost impervious to ‘disruption’. Year after year, decade after decade, century after century, citizens go about their daily business and for reward imbue delicious wines of their choosing, from Queens to peasants.

So it is wonderful to see the most ancient winemaking techniques see a revival since the turn of the millennium.

“De Martino, one of the most dynamic and enterprising among the experimental and entrepreneurial companies in Chile.” – Jancis Robinson At De Martino you might think that you had landed on the world of ‘Alien’ as you survey a landscape of strange looking pods in their cellars. These are the ancient clay amphorae in which the grapes are deposited at harvest and allowed to ferment and then age under their own weight, with their skin on and with no additions of any kind. For white wines fermented in such a manner they are given the term ‘Orange wines’ This is because the grape skin which remains in contact with the juice during fermentation can transfer some hues often orange but also open to gradations of greens, golds and pink.

At Gochu in Commercial Bay, Sommelier Camilo Deichler always has an orange pairing on the list with one of their aubergine dishes. Camilo claims that, “Aubergine with its combination of salt and bitter components pairs so well with the perfume, freshness and waxiness of many orange wines.“ Camilo knows his stuff. He trained at the top sommelier school in his home country of Chile and has been in New Zealand for eleven years, working at legendary Antoine’s in Parnell, Mr Morris and now here at Gochu.

Chef-Owner Nathan Lord, apron on, pencil behind ear, twinkling eyes and smile, meets us at the table. Nathan is from the wonderful Taranaki. From a young age he loved cooking with family. Studying cookery and cheffing at W.I.T (Western Institute of Technology), he then learnt his trade in some of the coolest and highest rated restaurants in New Zealand and

Australia including our own wonderful Prego for five years and also Attica and The Press Club in Melbourne.

In 2019 he teamed up with David Lee of the Namu group and they opened Gochu in newly created Commercial Bay in downtown Auckland. Inspired by Korean cuisine, their aim was to provide both a classy and fun experience with amazing experimental flavours and dishes.

For example, Chef prepares for us his Chargrilled Chicken marinated in Gochujang (a fermented chilli paste and amazing!) and topped with a comté cheese and leek sauce.

The dish sizzles and looks sensational and in fact pairs so nicely with the 2018 De Martino Viejas Tinajas Muscat. The succulence of the chicken, the tang of the paste, the texture of the cheese, with the most beautifully perfumed and floral Muscat with its steely and umami finish. With the wine's brassy greenish golden hues I can safely say to you that ‘Orange is the Old White’. (PUNEET DHALL)  PN @puneetofponsonby

The World’s Greatest Vineyards

@dhallandnash

@demartinowines

De Martino 2018 Viejas Tinajas Muscat

Aged traditionally in clay amphorae or ‘Tinajas’ Age

“Like many of the wines, this is the finest bottling for this cuvée in an almost-perfect vintage. This very high acidity, cuv something quite unusual for the variety, and it gives a lively som character to the palate with citrus freshness. It has varietal cha notes, but more than that, it is very clean, complex and floral, not with notes of orange peel.”

- The Wine Advocate, 93 Points

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 25

LOCAL NEWS

ELYSIAN – REDEFINING LUXURY LIVING In the heart of Parnell, a new landmark – Elysian, a masterpiece developed by HR Group and envisioned by Crosson Architects, is poised to become the city's most exclusive development.

This groundbreaking project offers a new level of luxury and elegance unseen in Auckland until now.

Spread across five levels, Elysian presents 16 impeccably designed two, three and four-bedroom apartments and penthouses. Each residence epitomises boutique luxury living, with panoramic views, high studs, top-tier materials, and premium fittings including Gaggenau appliances and Zuchetti tapware. The spacious balconies invite residents to immerse themselves in the exceptional outdoor ambiance.

Jerome Buckwell, Principal at Crosson Architects, shares the inspiration behind Elysian’s design, "We took much of our inspiration from the site’s location. The exterior features a scalloped façade which is a nod to the organic, undulating curves of the nearby original shoreline. Rough stone that speaks to the area’s iconic Waitematā geology is paired with sleek limestone for a refined quality. We’ve created a timeless, elegant piece of architecture that we know will stand the test of time and become an iconic landmark in Parnell."

The interior of Elysian echoes this coastal inspiration, featuring scalloped timber paneling in the expansive lobby and curved quatrefoil artwork. Even the fluted glass in the bathrooms and the intricate details on the tapware reflect the site's coastal history. Buckwell adds, “We’ve been really obvious with some of the details, but we’ve also been really careful and considered with others. Elysian will be elegant and effortlessly refined; it won’t have to shout about its design from the rooftops. Elysian will stand on its own in a timeless, understated way.”

With only 13 apartments remaining, HR Group emphasises quality over quantity. Elysian is envisioned to be more than

26 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

a residence; it's a sensory experience. From Max Gimblettcommissioned artwork and Tim Webber-designed furniture in the foyer, to the pioneering wellness space, Elysian offers a unique lifestyle option.

Elysian boasts a prime location, offering views of Rangitoto Island and Devonport to the east, and the Harbour Bridge and cityscape to the west. “We were very fortunate that this was the site HR Group presented us with," Buckwell states.

"The site is elevated, runs east-west, faces north, and enjoys uninterrupted views out to the Hauraki Gulf and beyond. This sort of site is incredibly rare and it empowered us to design something uniquely special for it.”

The development also features a unique wellness studio designed by Vicky Cullinane of Studio Red Wellness. “Every detail has been considered to connect to the organic design of the building whilst giving the studio its own sense of place and space," explains Cullinane.

HR Group CEO Hannah Williamson highlights their focus on customisation, “Elysian has been designed to complement how people live, not the other way around. For example, we understand that many people view their collections of handbags, scarves and belts as works of art, so we have display options that will enable residents to showcase these designer pieces too. Elysian will celebrate the finer things in life in an elegant yet understated way.”

Elysian is set to become a new benchmark in luxury living in Auckland, combining expansive views, bespoke details and architectural brilliance to offer a sophisticated urban living experience. elysian-parnell.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

137 RIDGE ROAD, MAHURANGI EAST AKA LINTON HOUSE IS ON THE MARKET… Ponsonby News talked to the vendor to hear first hand about the wonderful history of the iconic Linton House. As they told us, “Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling.” We asked them to tell us more.

What do you love most about the house?

Home isn't a place, it's a feeling – what I love the most about Linton House is the strong presence it holds when you first see it; you then set sights on the spectacular view over the bay to Mahurangi West.

Not only does it hold New Zealand's history, it has been lovingly restored to fit modern-day living, every detail has been preserved down to the stained-glass windows, original hand-forged hinges on the doors and impressive handcarved staircase.

It provides comfort with open plan living and functionality with all bedrooms ensuited. Home is where you spend time with family and friends and this home offers the spaces and entertaining areas to make any visit memorable.

Can you tell us about some of the history and what drew you to the house?

Linton House was built in 1865 and was the former residence of James and Margaret Hardie. James was a lawyer, originally from Scotland and set up Hardie Bro Hardware Merchants. The home was designed by renowned architect Edward Mahoney who also designed St Marys Convent Chapel in Ponsonby in 1866.

We have always loved villas – we’ve owned them in Herne Bay and Mt Eden. When Linton House came on the market we couldn’t resist, it really is magnificent on this waterfront location.

There are extensive gardens, tell us a bit about how these were created?

Linton House has sat proud on its site for 23 years, and has mature planting around the grounds. A brick path leads you into a beautiful bush walk down to your own private waterfront access where you have riparian water rights. Here you can take in the view from a seated platform.

28 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

The retainer walls have been planted with low maintenance native plants, at the top the original bricks from the fireplaces have been used to create a path to a viewing area over the house.

Xanthe White has developed an ongoing garden plan that her team has worked on. The first phase of border planting around the front entry and front deck has been completed with buxus hedging, topiary balls, iris, Iceberg roses, star jasmine and alba.

The house and apartment offer lots of options, what do you think it would best be suited for?

Linton House offers a variety of options – first, a wonderful family home with freedom to move from indoor living to outdoors and enjoy the infinity pool.

It's such a special property it lends itself to endless business options – a private hotel, AirBnB in the guest accommodation, wedding functions and photo opportunities in the grounds.

Artist's retreat and corporate catered events.

Where are some of your favourite places to visit in the area?

Stunning East Coast beaches Martins Bay, Algies Bay and Snells Beach are all five minutes away and Brick Bay Sculpture Park and Restaurant.

Matakana is 20 minutes away with the weekend Farmers Markets and array of eateries, excellent vineyards are also top of the list. Warkworth is 20 minutes where you can meet all your needs.

For further information contact Sue Hatton on M: 0272 799 696, E: sue.hatton@raywhite.com www.rwmatakana.co.nz/MKA30366

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Auction brought forward

A U C T I OEast N 137 Ridge Road, Mahurangi

5A6B4L4H2J1E4115F

56 Waiataura Road, Remuera For Sale Auction Live your Country and Coastal Dream You have probably walked past her numerous times before and

16 December 2023 at always wondered...have the years been kind to her? Well, this Price by Negotiation striking beauty hashas certainly stood the testtime of time, the character 11:00am at On-site, 56 This distinguished villa, steeped in history, transcended and charm have endured countless winters and been privy to the Waiatarua Road, Remuera through its graceful relocationcreation from of Auckland tomemories. its unique special family Nowwait's your opportunity to View write a new chapter and breathe some modern life into this period terfront position in Scotts Landing.

The home has sweeping water property. Closely held by only a select couple of families, this isView as advertised or View yourand moment to be the guardian this iconic home. views from multiple living rooms bedrooms, alongofwith a self by appointment by appointment

contained apartment. Linton House Details: presents an unparalleled world • Freeholdbusiness 657sqm section class opportunity as an exclusive residence, or both. Our vendors are moving on and instruct a sale. rwepsom.co.nz/EPS32233

Black Group Realty Limited Licensed (REAA 2008)

rwmatakana.co.nz/MKA30366

Sue Hatton 0272 799 696

Nick Lyus 021998004 nick.lyus@raywhite.com

Nicki Lambert 021 020 08000 nicki.lambert@raywhite.com SCAN TO VIEW

LOCAL NEWS

LISA PRAGER:

TOPPING UP THE TANKS!

Receiving an invitation to visit Los Angeles for a month over Christmas was like winning Lotto.

It was my Aunty Nina’s way of saying thank you for looking after her brother Len for so many years. Verity and I jumped at the opportunity. Running Garnet Station cafe, restaurant, bar and Tiny Theatre had been a real challenge during Covid. The problems continued: finding staff experienced or otherwise, keeping pace with inflation, communicating with customers who had gone to ground, all while imagining how we could utilise Artificial Intelligence in our business.

So we took the opportunity to alter our paradigm, refill our tanks, and see how the Northern hemisphere was handling things. On landing, we waited almost an hour for my cousin to travel a short distance through congestion, navigating the five lane madness that is LAX airport pick-up. Overhead snakes the sleek concrete lines of the Automated People Mover, designed to deliver travellers to their terminal without vehicles. This yet to be completed viaduct that weaves around the iconic defunct 1960s control tower is part of a $15 billion upgrade.

The fact that this is the most expensive public construction ever in the city’s history speaks to the enormous wealth dwelling beneath this expansive metropolis. LA remains the largest urban oil field in America with over 700 pumping wells still in operation. Ever since Edward Doheny discovered and drilled for oil in 1892, Californians have been infatuated by the car. They love them, race them, paint them, preen them and even live in them.

Nina relished the responsibility of driving her nieces around the vast city of her birth. She is revered by her family for her limitless knowledge of boulevards, streets and crossroads, the only one who doesn’t need GPS, and at 88 can read traffic flow better than Google maps. As we cruised around, she lamented the closure of so many old established eateries.

Signs in dusty windows read, 'Fully equipped restaurant for lease’. We ate a lot in the name of research, sampling burger joints, Jewish delis, kosher Mexican takeaways, rooftop bars, local patisseries, swanky market salad bars and popular cafes packed with customers.

The family run Apple Pan (1948) is an old fashioned, dimly lit smokey diner with classic red swivel bar stools fixed around a U shaped counter with front door screens that rattle with the

passing traffic. Note to self that their motto, 'Do simple things exceedingly well' is the answer to longevity. This maxim also applies to the beloved outdoor Original Farmers Market (1934) that teems with people all the time. Sure does help to have such a hungry population.

It reminded me how much people really value longestablished places because they add to their lives by creating a focal point and help create community in the rush of city life. The movie industry is the beating heart of LA and we caught sight of celebrities enjoying anonymity whilst lunching in a museum cafe. One of the most popular awardwinning comedy-drama series this season is The Bear about the 'soul crushing realities of small business ownership' and how strong willed recalcitrant kitchen staff become like family.

Which is one of the reasons why after four years we have decided to re-open the cafe side of Garnet Station. From 5 February we will be serving fabulous morning coffee and pastries, Monday to Saturday, 7am-11am.

Of course a getaway is not complete without art, so we took in the HAMMER, Luna Luna, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Academy Museum, Santa Monica Pier & Muscle Park, Griffith Observatory and finally the Autry Museum of the American West that had the hard hitting exhibition Reclaiming El Camino, addressing Spanish genocide of the original land caretakers, the Tongva peoples.

I did miss riding my electric bike while away from home, but we walked a hell of a lot, in fact often we seemed to be the only people traversing LA on foot. We also rode the metro and caught buses which bemused my family. Drivers there are more careful given the litigious nature of the place. I seriously think NZ needs a public service transport campaign that reminds people in cars to slow down near schools, crossings, in suburbs, to share the roads and basically to care about each other.

Radical I know, then we could remove the speed humps, bumps and hit sticks and I’d be really happy, almost as happy as I am after a long holiday away.

PN (LISA PRAGER, Westmere) 

Lisa Prager & Verity George swap Auckland for Los Angeles

30 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

WAYNE BROWN:

MAYOR OF AUCKLAND

Auckland City Council actually covers the most densely populated area in NZ, being the CBD where as Mayor I live, but it also is the largest rural council and includes two main islands – Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier – so this summer break I decided to take my boat to visit these low-density outposts with my wife.

How it came about that the heavily populated CBD is in the same electorate as these two islands is a mystery. Waiheke is a slow train wreck of the meeting of extreme wealth with hippy induced poverty but it seems to work. Massive vineyard estates mix with humble shacks and boat dwellers and a curious absence of middle class. I had a coffee with their equally curious councillor Mike Lee who is a friendly mix of local flavour and old fashioned socialism that doesn’t always fit well with the landed gentry of the island and is often at odds with the CBD dwellers that he also represents.

Next we visited Rotoroa Island which used to be known as Drunks Island when the Salvation Army ran their programme to dry out alcoholics. Recently, Neil and Annette Plowman used their wealth to rehabilitate the island into a nature reserve for us all to enjoy. Magically one walks past weka through some of the 400,000 native trees generously planted by the Plowmans. It is a treat for us all.

We crossed to Te Kouma Harbour in Coromandel then up to visit the old Coromandel mining town itself. This necessitates navigating the stream from the harbour into the town in the dinghy, to be rewarded by nice old-fashioned pubs and shops.

Nest stop was Elephant Cove in one of the tiny islands north of Coromandel, then up to Port Jackson at the top to wait for kinder weather before tackling the wild channel between there and Aotea. Thankfully the weather settled a day later and off we steamed to Port Fitzroy on Aotea Great Barrier via the Pig Islands reminiscent of Greece.

We had arranged a mooring in Fitzroy as Caulerpa, the festerous invasive seaweed has closed anchorages on the island which made the place delightfully empty for those of us lucky to be there. Local board chairperson Izzy Fordham kindly showed off the island and its excellent roads, the envy of Northlanders, and we discussed the issues associated with the least populated part of Auckland. She is a much loved icon of a real community.

I lucked into fabulous surf at Whangapeau, a 20-minute trudge from Okiwa airstrip. Glenfern regional park at Fitzroy

is a must visit but even here I found anger at some of council’s central bureaucratic approaches to enforcing silly building rules sent north from Wellington.

On to Kawau, another island in council’s area and the wonderfully safe Bon Accord Harbour. Mansion House, the home of laudanum addict and early PM of NZ is lovely but sadly a bit dead as a DoC run museum. The old days as a rollicking pub are well gone thanks to our woke culture but I was pleased to see Councillor Hills visiting this regional park and its unstable cliffs.

Next I took the challenge of taking my 14m boat up through Mahurangi Harbour and navigating the winding turns of the river all the way to Warkworth where we anchored right in town overnight and visited local shops and restaurants. We were treated to a Maori-themed light and sound show set in the tall native trees on the opposite banks of the stream. Sadly it was pouring so there was only an audience of three but we clapped and enjoyed it.

A dinner with fellow councillor Greg Sayers who shared his local knowledge, added to a fun meeting on my boat with local MP and minister Mark Mitchell finished off an excellent visit to fast-growing Warkworth.

Back in Auckland, it is reinforcing to be reminded of the wonderful asset our city has in the Hauraki Gulf and how important it is that we look after it. I am a huge supporter of Legasea and the pressure they are putting on the Minister of Fisheries to restrict some of the worst commercial fishing styles like bottom trawling and seine netting. Fish stocks are depleted and Caulerpa is a warning. Similarly, Sea Cleaners’ wonderful work picking up plastic waste from our harbours needs all the support we can give it.

Let’s hope this year sees worthwhile steps to make our city more physically and financially robust than it was shown to be last year. (WAYNE BROWN, BE FIPENZ)  PN Mayor.Wayne.Brown@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz www.facebook.com/WayneBrown4Auckland

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 31

LOCAL NEWS

DESLEY SIMPSON:

DEPUTY MAYOR OF AUCKLAND

Preserving Auckland's Heritage: Auckland Domain's Restored Band Rotunda Pays Homage to the Past.

In yet another wonderful nod to history, Auckland Domain's iconic band rotunda, a grand 111-year-old landmark, has undergone a meticulous restoration by Auckland Council.

The rotunda now stands as a beacon of historical accuracy, reverting to its original Edwardian colours that evoke the charm of the era in which it was constructed.

Originally gifted to the city by former Auckland Councillor James Mennie in 1913, the rotunda was envisioned as a central hub for musical performances. Over the years, it has become an integral part of the Auckland Domain, hosting various events such as Music in Parks, picnics and even wedding ceremonies. The recent upgrade not only enhances the visual appeal of the area, but it has also preserved the cultural richness embedded in this architectural gem.

If you haven’t visited Auckland Domain in while, now is a great time. Go and see the Edwardian band rotunda and then wander to the Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects' award-winning Wintergardens. The Wintergardens, designed by Gummer & Ford in 1928, were recognised with an Enduring Architecture award late last year. The barrel-vaulted Heritage 1 listed Victorian glasshouses have also been recently lovingly restored by Auckland Council and house a myriad of rare plant species PN and botanical displays. (DESLEY SIMPSON)  Chair – Auckland Domain Committee www.desleysimpson.co.nz www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Pages/default.aspx

The restoration project, completed in December 2023, was guided by the goal of returning the band rotunda to its former glory. Unlike earlier restorations, this recent endeavour focused on achieving historical accuracy. Using original water-coloured plans drawn by a city engineer in 1912, the council adhered to current conservation practices for historic places. This approach involved reintroducing colours that closely mirrored the original palette, providing a true reflection of the band rotunda's Edwardian heritage.

The upgraded bandstand, nestled within the heart of Auckland Domain, encapsulates the city's commitment to preserving its historical treasures. The restoration not only rejuvenates a beloved landmark but also shows the significance of acknowledging and safeguarding Auckland's rich cultural legacy. Now the band rotunda faces the future with a fresh lease on its historical identity and stands as a testament to the enduring importance of heritage preservation in shaping the character of modern cities.

32 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

MP FOR MT ALBERT

Like many New Zealanders, I was gravely concerned to see that the new National-led Government is planning to repeal our smokefree laws – meaning plans to make tobacco less available and addictive will be scrapped.

It will also end our hope for a smokefree generation.

Shockingly, the new Government has confessed that the revenue from repealing our smokefree laws would help them fund tax cuts. What this says is that they are okay with an increased number of people smoking to pay for a political promise we knew didn’t add up.

Successive governments, both National and Labour-led, have worked to decrease the number of people smoking.

It’s shameful that after decades of progress towards being smokefree, the new Coalition Government is sending New Zealand backwards. This decision will cause so much misery, thousands of deaths and billions in health care costs in the coming decades.

I was proud of the work that Labour did in government to guarantee a healthier, smokefree future for the next generation of New Zealanders. Last year, we passed a law that accelerated this progress with three big changes – reducing the amount of nicotine that is allowed in smoked tobacco products, decreasing the numbers of retailers that sell tobacco and making sure tobacco isn’t sold at all to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

Because of these changes, thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives and the health system will be $5 billion better off from not needing to treat the illnesses caused by smoking, such as numerous types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, amputations. Now, this progress is being put at risk.

I have heard from so many doctors, nurses, parents, students and teachers who want to fight to retain our smokefree future.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand, and I think the new Government has underestimated how strongly people feel about this.

There have also been several damning international news headlines, shocked that New Zealand would go back on the world-first move to have a smokefree generation. If Kiwis’ health and wellbeing going backwards isn’t enough, then it should worry the new Government that our international reputation is taking a hit as well.

There’s still time for the Government to rethink this decision and I would encourage anyone concerned to write to the new Prime Minister Christopher Luxon or Health Minister Shane Reti, to make your voice heard. There are also petitions to sign and share and conversations to have with your family and friends to build awareness.

Improvement District. BIDs are very effective in supporting small businesses, including by tailoring security. Thanks to Mayor Brown for coming to support this idea and giving very pragmatic advice based on his own experience in Ōtāhuhu PN of setting up a BID. (HELEN WHITE)  As always, please feel free to get in touch with me and my team if there’s anything you would like to chat about: helen.white@parliament.govt.nz www.labour.org.nz/HelenWhite

Helen White

MP for Mt Albert

Get in touch: 09 360 5720 | helen.white@parliament.govt.nz /HelenWhiteLabour @helen_white_labour

With the start this Government has had, it’s clear how important Labour’s role in Opposition will be. We’ve already seen a lack of moral compass in their approach. As your MP for Mount Albert, I will continue to hold the Government to account and stand against policies that hurt people and families here in our community.

I have been loving reaching out to the community as the local MP. Highlights so far have included celebrating with Alberton as it reached 50 years of being open, the Gribblehirst Community Hub Summer Festival, the Crave street party and regularly going to the Grey Lynn market.

I also met with the small businesses at the Grey Lynn Business Association, who are considering becoming a Business

Authorised by Helen White MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 33

LOCAL NEWS

HELEN WHITE:

Photography: Gael Baldock

LOCAL NEWS

12 COUNCILLORS’ MYOPIC VIEW DAMAGES THE ENVIRONMENT

GAEL BALDOCK:

Claiming that removing 1944 carparks is beneficial for the environment when in fact demolishing the Downtown Carpark [DTCP] for $15 million is far more detrimental.

With 99,000 tons of concrete, requiring 5500 18-ton double truckloads belching diesel fumes through the city to a landfill site (with about 500 year decomposition time) or to the Onehunga concrete crushing machinery for recycling.

The Goff-led Auckland Council received an 'unsolicited approach' to purchase the Downtown Carpark according to Councillor Coom’s Motion FIN/2020/104 15.12.2020.

Councillor Darby’s Motion at the Planning Committee PLA/2021/52 3.6.2021 approved a 'competitive process', but that is not what happened. (Full details available www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz) Precinct Properties, owner of Commercial Bay and properties had all but one leasing agreement with the DTCP, which is held by the hotel on the seaward side of DTCP, who have agreed to waive these rights during construction for $13 million. So, Precinct had a competitive edge, no other developer could demolish it. Precinct therefore held Eke Panuku, council’s property division, ‘over a barrel’ during deal negotiations in a non-competitive market process.

They also knew the value of carparks (public $90K/private $200K) and have recently purchased the Viaduct carpark behind the Tepid Baths for their customers. Their two tower proposal, which would take five years for demolition and to build, includes 740 underground private carparks dug into this possibly toxic reclaimed land, requires an additional 10,021 truckloads carted through the city.

Everything changed when new information was presented by Save Queen Street Society Inc. [SQS] 23.11.23 showed that the sale price could have increased by at least $200 million.

By building a podium on top of the existing building, as is best practice worldwide, instead of demolishing thus having less impact on the environment, saving most of the carparks, whilst opening up a competitive market process and only take two years to build. youtu.be/C9BkXum8iu4?si=LidhNg52WfLWfm-s

This alternative strategy should have started a competitive ‘bidding war’ by opening the sale process to other developers.

Precinct’s $122 million offer doesn’t provide any public parking and is conditional on council demolishing the Hobson

Street flyover. First conceived in the Centre City Master Plan, it includes providing a public park and reconfiguring the surrounding roads. This has been moved sideways to the Long Term Plan and therefore the $75 million cost onto the ratepayers. Therefore the real net sale of the Downtown Carpark to council is $47 million. Certainly not worth the loss of this strategic regional asset.

Prior to the meeting, another developer had offered $180 million to build a podium on top of the existing structure, whilst retaining ownership of 1200 carparks for public use and without the cost of $75 million to ratepayers of demolishing the flyover. Therefore, $133 million more than the Precinct offer.

Council’s legal team stopped two presentations at the Governing Body meeting – Heart of the City with a petition from retailers wishing to save public parking and Gael Baldock on Downtown Carpark’s strategic location as a ‘Transport Mode Change Hub’. Waiheke Local Board, to whom these carparks are vital and had not been consulted, were moved to the ‘closed door’, confidential section, along with most of the debate.

Council voted to accept Precinct’s offer in their confidential meeting, Ignoring Councillor Lee’s motion to delay the decision until the new information was researched, therefore going against sections 77 and 79 of the Local Government Act 2002 that demands, “It is the responsibility of a local authority [in] making judgments, must have regard to the significance of all relevant matters, identify all reasonably practicable options, assess the options in terms of their advantages and disadvantages.” Council failed to comply, hence Save Queen Street Society Inc. applied for a Judicial Review, the court set a hearing for August.

The carbon footprint and the congestion to the city centre of the proposed demolition would be highly impactful. It could be avoided, along with expensive litigation by a design shift to a podium on top of the existing structure, by Precinct or another developer, then maybe those councillors wouldn’t be remembered in a bad light. 1200 public carparks could be retained, the Downtown Carpark could be sold for a fair price with its amenity value to the city, so avoiding possible PN rate increases in the Long Term Budget. (GAEL BALDOCK)  GaelB@xtra.co.nz

34 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

PONSONBY U3A:

FEBRUARY 2024 “Mrs Grace Says Don’t Give Up!”

So chorused Ponsonby U3A members at their last meeting of the year.

They had been enjoined to join in the chorus by entertainer extraordinaire Diane Ponzio. First, Diane told the story of a woman handing out thousands of pieces of paper bearing this message to bemused commuters as they scrambled for their trains in New York City. Next, she sang about it. This was just one of Diane’s musical numbers and not only did she have members laughing and opening their vocal cords with her music, she also moved their thoughts and their hearts.

Born and raised in New York, Diane Ponzio is a first-class writer, musician and performer. She graduated from both the Fame School (the high school of performing art in New York City) and the City University of New York with a degree in mathematics. Diane honed her performing skills in the cafes and bars of Greenwich Village. Chosen as a global ambassador for The Martin Guitar Company to perform on their behalf worldwide, for decades she toured tirelessly in Europe. In 2018, she relocated from Manhattan to Auckland.

Diane's songs blend musical motifs of jazz, pop and folk as a background for her intelligent and meaningful lyrics.

Her memorable melodies, laid over her percussive guitar style, are brought home with her saxophone-like vocals. The resounding applause Diane received from U3A members was testament to the impact she had made. Diane’s performance gave members a fitting end to a memorable year.

You may be a newcomer to the area, you may be at a bit of a loose end after retiring from work, or you may be a bit lonely.

As Simon Wilson reports in his uplifting article (New Zealand Herald 30 December 2023), there are eight billion people in the world, and we are getting lonelier. In May 2023, the United States Surgeon General called it a "loneliness epidemic." And it is hardest on the old. Loneliness can make illness more severe and death quicker.

Diane Ponzio

from all walks of life. At the same meeting is a 10-minute talk from a member which, without fail, demonstrates that each one of us has a tale to tell that is fascinating and absorbing.

The real opportunity to meet people and forge strong friendships comes from joining a special interest group.

Usually about six to 12 people, they are held in the homes of the members. They are popular, and they are fun. There are over 30 special interest groups to choose from covering such things as Public Art (walking group) and Art Appreciation, Architecture, Armchair Travel, Drawing, Painting, Gardening, Current Affairs, New Zealand History, Ad hoc History, Adlibs (improvisation), Play Reading, The Ramblers (visits to interesting venues), Writing and so on.

Ponsonby U3A welcomes newcomers. If you are interested in attending, first as a visitor, please call President Ian Smith on M: 021 130 2330. (CHRISTINE HART)  PN

Ponsonby U3A is mindful of loneliness and lack of purpose in the community. The club prides itself on providing a friendly and welcoming environment. Not only can you listen to interesting speakers, branch out into special interest areas and learn or teach new skills and/or knowledge, but also you can meet and make new friends. The belief is, if you are willing to get involved, you will not be lonely.

NEXT MEETING:

Friday, 9 February 2024.

GUEST SPEAKER:

Kirsten Lacy, Director, Auckland Art Gallery.

VENUE:

Herne Bay Petanque Club, Salisbury Reserve, Salisbury Street, Herne Bay.

Ponsonby U3A welcomes newcomers. There is a meeting every month which features well-researched top speakers

ENQUIRIES:

Ian Smith, President, Ponsonby U3A. T: 021 130 2330, www.u3a.nz

PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE...

Franklin Road locals Waldo Posthumus (the artist) and Wynand Claassen displayed this rather cool bee and the hibiscus outside their home. Thanks Gael for the great photo!

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 35

LOCAL NEWS

DAVENPORTS LAW:

UNTANGLING ASSETS AFTER A SEPARATION Frank and Beth had been having a rough time in their marriage for some time.

But things came to a head over the Christmas period.

Towards the end of January after some counselling, they decided to go their separate ways. They managed to sort out the care arrangements for their two young children themselves and thought that they could also agree to the separation of their assets.

They owned their family home jointly. There was a mortgage on the property to a major bank and Beth’s parents’ trust had also lent them some money when they first purchased the house.

Beth was the major breadwinner in the family. When they had kids, they had agreed that Beth would go back to work in her role as an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, working both privately and in the public system. Frank had left his job as a chartered accountant to stay home with the children until they started school and was now working part time in a local business as an accountant.

Beth and Frank agreed to sell the house, pay back Beth’s parents and the bank, and split the difference. Everything was amicable and then a friend told them that in order to make the agreement legally binding, they both had to seek their own legal advice.

Beth went to see a lawyer whom a friend had recommended.

The lawyer advised her that it would be unlikely that Frank’s lawyer would agree to the agreement that they had come to for a number of reasons. Firstly, the loan to Beth’s parents’ trust hadn’t been documented. Beth’s lawyer said that while the usual legal presumption was that unless money had been gifted, it was presumed to be a loan, in family situations it was the reverse. The Courts had ruled that there was a presumption that unless documented as a loan, money advanced by parents was a gift. This could mean that Frank

may disagree to pay back Beth’s parents’ trust and instead take half of what the trust had lent them.

Even though Beth and Frank had agreed that it was the best thing for the family for Beth to continue working and for Frank to stay home with the children, the lawyer explained that Frank could claim compensation for that. This is because Frank would be financially worse off as a result of staying at home and not being able to progress his career as Beth had been able to.

Lastly, Beth’s lawyer advised her that her KiwiSaver and all other savings would be relationship property and that they should be divided 50/50. Beth’s KiwiSaver was obviously far greater than Frank’s as she had kept working and he had been out of the workforce for at least seven years.

Beth thought about all of these things and went to meet with Frank prepared for some push back on what they had already agreed. Frank had received the same advice that Beth’s lawyer thought he would. However, despite the advice, he was keen to stick as much to their original plan as possible. He was in total agreement that the funds from Beth’s parents’ trust were a loan and should be paid back.

He understood the economic disparity position but said to Beth that it was something that they had both agreed to and he didn’t think it would take him long to re-build his career.

He did think though, that it was only fair that he take half of Beth’s KiwiSaver, and she agreed with that.

Beth and Frank managed to have the amicable split and separation of their assets that they had intended to have.

However, not all relationships finish on such a positive note.

While it is good to sort things out as much as possible by yourselves, getting good legal advice early on can save time, money and angst further down the track.

If you are helping children into property, it is important that this is correctly documented to protect your funds. While in this case, Frank was reasonable and happy to agree to the undocumented agreement, not everyone is as amenable as Frank. Legal advice is essential in these circumstances.

DAVENPORTS LAW, 331 Rosedale Road, Level 1, Building 2, Albany, T: 09 883 3284, www.davenportslaw.co.nz

36 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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

Documenting Loans And Gifts.

If you are considering a loan to a family member, either from personal funds or a trust, make sure that you protect your hard-earned assets with the correct documentation. Without it, loans to family members can be seen as distributions.

In marriages and de facto relationships, any gifts can be considered relationship property and would be shared equally if the relationship were to end.

If you need expert advice for your situation, contact Tammy McLeod or one of the Trust Team today.

DAV ENPORTSL AW.C O. N Z

0 9 883 32 84

LOCAL NEWS

PONSONBY PARK+

THE NEW CIVIC SPACE FOR PONSONBY – FEBRUARY 2024 UPDATE Ngā mihi o te tau hou, Happy New Year.

Prepare to be excited because 2024 is going to be a significant milestone year for Ponsonby. The long-awaited and much-anticipated new civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road (currently a LiquorLand outlet) is scheduled to commence on-site development soon. Detailed design continues while the resource consent is processed. We’re pleased to report that the O’Neill Street safety improvements have been supported by the Waitematā Local Board and AT, and will now be part of the project.

After so many long years of volunteer advocacy work, the Community-Led Design Group is delighted with progress on this exciting project.

BRAVO! The unloved and dilapidated site will be transformed into a beautiful and multi-functional civic space designed by LandLAB. It will provide common ground for the enjoyment and opportunity of everyone. It will be the green heart that Ponsonby has needed for over two decades, with the need for this amenity first identified in 2000. The project is due to be completed in December, so 2024 is truly going to be a transformational year.

38 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

BRILLIANT! The Waitematā Local Board is due to formally approve the final design at their February 20 business meeting. The Community-Led Design Group would like to thank both the current, as well as the many previous iterations of the Waitematā Local Board, for their ongoing support and vision in creating this new public amenity.

We would also like to thank mana whenua and acknowledge their tāria te wā and kaitiakitanga (long-term thinking and guardianship) for the project.

The new civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road will be an enduring legacy, not only for the local community and businesses but for our national and international visitors to Ponsonby as well. Future generations will enjoy the shade of the trees we will plant there.

2024 is the year the new civic space finally becomes a reality. Harikoa! (JENNIFER WARD)  PN www.254ponsonbyrd.org.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

CHLÖE SWARBRICK: Auckland Central MP This time last year we were in the midst of cleaning up from climate-change-charged Auckland Anniversary flooding – just as Cyclone Gabrielle hit.

New Zealanders lost their lives in land slips and immense water.

Homes and businesses were destroyed. Community halls and marae were turned into refuges. Our long-underinvested infrastructure, once again, was overwhelmed.

After months and years of ever-increasingly severe weather ravaging the East Coast, West Coast, top of the South and Northland, climate change had arrived on the doorstep of our largest city. It was no longer abstract, or in the future. It is our now.

We are living in a climate changed by human activity. The question then, as it is now, is whether we are comfortable to continue pushing this boundary, knowing clear as day the consequences it brings in the form of all the more frequent and unequally felt destruction and devastation.

The Greens spent the following year, as we have the last 30, continuing to mobilise, advocate and work for climate mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation (changing our built environment to better cope with increased flooding, drought and extreme weather). Good climate policy, as it happens, tends to be both.

That’s why I’ve spent my time as your local representative so engaged with Auckland Council and successive mayors trying to plant and protect urban trees, grow the efficiency and connectivity of our public transport network, develop more accessible walking and cycling networks, build and encourage denser, high-quality housing, grow green infrastructure and support community food gardens.

These things also, as it happens, improve people's lives. Scientists and policy advisors call them ‘co-benefits’. Policies like those listed above can improve people’s physical and mental health, forge greater community connection and reduce loneliness, reduce household costs and benefit local businesses with more foot traffic.

In Parliament, throughout my past six years and the Greens’ constructively critical relationship with the former government, we wrangled more action on the climate than in the past 30 years.

We’re talking establishing the Independent Climate Commission, the Zero Carbon Act’s legal processes to help get us to carbon neutrality by 2050, ending offshore oil and gas exploration and

Photography: Tim D

We saw our communities’ values in practice as neighbours helped neighbours and strangers alike. In Auckland Central, we made a civil defence centre out of the city centre's Ellen Melville Hall, coordinated and directed hundreds of volunteers to assist in the clean-up effort and built our own working centralised support resources list, working in collaboration with NGOs and community services.

Chlöe Swarbrick and James Shaw with local firefighter Josh Nicholls following the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods in January 2023.

new drilling, improving water quality standards, reducing costs for public transport, increasing protection for food-growing soils and the Hauraki Gulf.

Almost all of this is on the chopping block under the new Government who, in their first few weeks, also killed the Clean Car Discount (which their own advice outlines will cost double what it saves and generate a colossal challenge for our transport emissions budget) among a slate of other legal changes to make life evidently more difficult and expensive for workers, public transport users and anyone who wants any decent, objective data on the fairness of our tax system.

The Government has also promised to re-open offshore oil and gas exploration and ‘promote the use of Crown minerals’ (read: mining) at the same time as The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Energy Agency, and the International Institute for Sustainable Development all conclude that new fossil fuel exploration would be inconsistent with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C. Still, I hold out an immense and earnest hope that has somehow kept me afloat the entire time I’ve been in politics that we can get on track with the evidence. Like partisan beliefs fell away in the midst of the flooding and people helped each other, I strongly believe New Zealanders will join the movement to organise and coordinate to keep politicians accountable to the future we all deserve.

As Paul Hawken said, “We see global warming not as an inevitability but as an invitation to build, innovate and effect change, a pathway that awakens creativity, compassion and genius. This is not a liberal agenda, nor is it a conservative one. This is the human agenda.”

(CHLÖE SWARBRICK)  PN

CHLÖE SWARBRICK, T: 09 378 4810, E: chloe.swarbrick@parliament.govt.nz www.greens.org.nz/chloe_swarbrick

Kia ora Ponsonby!

Let’s talk about our community.

Get in touch about any local issues or if you need support.

I’m here to help and would love to hear from you.

Chlöe Swarbrick MP for Auckland Central

chloe.swarbrick@parliament.govt.nz | 09 378 4810

Funded by Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Chlöe Swarbrick, Green MP for Auckland Central. 76 Karangahape Rd, Auckland.

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 39

Photography: David St George

LOCAL NEWS

Mayor Brown with members of the Waitematā Local Board

ALEX BONHAM:

LOOKING BACK

Myers Park Underpass

The pre-dawn ceremony to celebrate the new Graham Tipene light installation under Myers Park underpass and park improvements was an enormous treat at the end of last year.

In attendance was Ngati Whatua Orakei, the Mayor, confidently speaking in te reo, and members of the local board. The project was first initiated a decade ago under the leadership of City Vision’s team and it is a pleasure to get so much positive feedback around bringing this vision to reality – and more elements are to come so, literally, watch this space!

Katoa Ka Ora – Safer Speeds – endorsed in December

After hearing from Students Against Dangerous Driving, local police, academics and passionate local resident Boopsie Maran, the Transport and Infrastructure Committee voted unanimously to support the strategy to lower speeds on urban streets, in particular around schools. City Vision has strongly supported this important move which will make it easier and safer for kids and adults alike to move around locally whatever their travel mode.

Helicopter Havoc

Just as efforts are being made to reduce the climate and wellbeing impacts of land transport, high-emitting, noisy helicopters can land and take off from Auckland’s coastline, disturbing, upsetting and infuriating neighbours and beach users. In December, following pleas from the Herne Bay Residents’ Association and Quiet Skies Waitematā, City Vision’s Alex Bonham and Richard Northey led a notice of motion advocating to the Governing Body to prohibit nonemergency helicopter landings and take-offs in urban residential areas which passed unanimously. We urge that the Governing Body fund a plan change as soon as possible.

COMING UP… Long Term Plan – what Auckland should be doing for the next 10 years?

Public consultation on the Long Term Plan (aka the Ten Year Budget aka the LTP) will get underway in late February, and will set out the funding priorities for council services and projects for the next decade.

The LTP covers all council costs, from electrifying the ferry fleet to improving water infrastructure, to maintaining local assets like libraries and swimming pools.

It’s important your elected members know what you think. Does the level of rates rise reflect the amount of work you want council to do?

Should council: · reduce efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change? · reduce services and sell off assets to enable a lower than inflation rates rise? · establish and invest in a Future Fund as a means of self-insurance? · cut investment in public transport, walking and cycling?

Look out for local and online opportunities to give input from midFebruary, including the Waitematā Local Board’s hearing session on March 12.

The Ports of Auckland proposal

In December, the council voted on whether to consult on putting the Ports of Auckland out for lease. City Vision is concerned that leasing is a form of privatisation and locks the port into the current location for 35 years. After some bad years, Ports of Auckland is now operating well, safely and with a good relationship with staff. We note that overseas multinational-run ports often have poor relationships with their local workers, and we are worried about the impact on the harbour health and climate impact of the port operation being out of council hands.

Councillor Julie Fairey voted against putting the port lease proposal out to the Long Term Plan, joining with other councillors from across the region, but the numbers were slightly more in favour, so it will now go out for broader input.

Changes to the elected member structure of Auckland Council

The governance structure of Auckland Council is being reviewed. It is proposed to shift from 21 to 13 local boards for the 2025 elections, while keeping the existing 20 ward councillors plus a mayor elected at large (Governing Body). There will be a full public consultation process on this in June and July, before the Governing Body votes whether to put a new system to the Local Government Commission to consider. It is early days yet, and the status quo remains an option. Any changes need to bring tangible advantages that offset the disruption, and less local focus, oversight and democratic representation that would ensue. At this stage it is not clear what advantages there would be that could not be found through other means.

You can keep in touch with City Vision, and your elected reps through our website cityvision.org.nz, Facebook Page fb.com/cityvisionnz or email cityvision.org.nz@gmail.com.

40 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

The Karangahape Road Repair Cafes have been running monthly since March 2021, except for the odd break during Covid.

Twenty-six have been held since then, meeting the needs of close to 500 different visitors, not counting repeat customers.

55% of the items that were brought in were completely fixed and another 11% were partially fixed. In 21% of cases, advice was given. It is not uncommon that repairers recommend that visitors buy a part. They can then come back and get it put in the same day, or at the next Repair Cafe. $47,000 worth of items were saved from going into landfill over that period of time and it was estimated that it would have cost $20,000 to get the advice, or get those items repaired commercially.

became apparent that the t-shirt was a symbol of his love for her and their mutual heartfelt desire to have a child together.

That baby is now quite a grown-up girl as you can see in the photo.

The t-shirt became so well worn that Emmy felt she should really only wear it inside the house but she couldn’t bear to throw it away. She was delighted to be able to have it repaired at the Repair Cafe so she could keep having that feeling of surrounding herself with her husband’s love every time she put it on.

Our New Location

Often it would have cost more to get the object repaired than to buy another one new and other people are simply not in a position to do so in these inflationary times. Repair Cafes are not just about repairs either, they are also about social connection. The visitors chat to the other visitors and the repairers while they work, sometimes learning how to do the repairs themselves.

Some of the items have emotional or sentimental value and people express their gratitude by giving koha which helps fund the Repair Cafes and keep them going. There are lovely stories that emerge such as this one: Mary, who is very good natured, did wonder why she was repairing this t-shirt which was very old and very worn. It had a bad tear at the neck she attended to but she was quite concerned that the hole at the front she was carefully hand sewing would still be noticeable.

The writing on the front said 'Mom & Baby' with an illustration of a mummy panda and a baby panda.

Emmy, the owner of the t-shirt explained, “My husband bought it for me many years ago, before I had my baby.” It

From Saturday 10 February, we’ll be moving around the corner to a lovely new location. In the Unitarian Church at 1A Ponsonby Road, we’ll have more room for our repairers and visitors and we’ll be able to look at bikes as well as the usual small electrical items, sewing, general household goods and tech repairs and advice.

Calling for Volunteers

We are always looking for more volunteer repairers. If you can give this worthy cause a hand, please contact us at greylynn.rc@doughnuteconomicsnz.com.

New Repair Cafes Opening

Doughnut Economics Advocates New Zealand (DEANZ) currently has seven Repair Cafes running each month in Auckland. From March, we will have two more. On 16 March, we will open our first one at Te Manawa at Westgate, 11 Kohuhu Lane on the third Saturday of every month and on 23 March we will open our first one at Te Matawai, 139 Greys Avenue, CBD on the fourth Saturday of every month.

For more information go to: repaircafe.doughnuteconomicsnz.com

and doughnuteconomicsnz.com

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 41

LOCAL NEWS

SUCCESSFUL K’ ROAD REPAIR CAFES MOVE TO THE UNITARIAN CHURCH ON PONSONBY ROAD

LOCAL NEWS

Gladstone Park playground

TWO NEW PLAYGROUNDS TO CHECK OUT WITH THE KIDS Arch Hill Scenic Reserve and nearby Gladstone Park both boast newly refreshed playgrounds for local tamariki this summer.

Shiny new play equipment has replaced the old playground at Arch Hill Scenic Reserve which was nearing the end of its lifespan.

The celebratory event which was open to the public featured free ice cream, live Christmas music, storytelling sessions and a crafting station.

A nature trail, including stepping logs and balance beams, has also been installed in planted areas of the park.

The special guest in attendance was a high energy elf who entertained younger family members with an assortment of activities including tug-o-war and a treasure hunt.

At Gladstone Park, hundreds of excited tamariki came together to try out the improved playground with their parents at the opening in December.

Waitematā Local Board chair Genevieve Sage was one of the official ribbon cutters and is thrilled that local children have an upgraded outdoor space to enjoy this summer.

“It was a delight to see their faces glowing as they experienced the new play space for the first time,” says Genevieve.

“The board is committed to making our playgrounds fun for everyone, and we’re happy with the additions of accessible elements.”

The ‘springy car’, basket swing and inground trampoline are accessible features; and a wheelchair-accessible picnic table and drinking fountain have also been installed.

Mother of two, Maripaz Adonis, is at Gladstone Park every afternoon collecting her youngest from the local daycare.

“We come here for a play daily after we pick her up,” says Maripaz. “The kids love it. It’s looking fantastic.”

Have you seen the new-look playgrounds?

Take the whānau along to Arch Hill Scenic Reserve, 89 Ivanhoe Road, Grey Lynn. Or hop across town to Gladstone Park, 106A Gladstone Road, Parnell. www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/Pages/ park-details.aspx?Location=1699 www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/parks-recreation/Pages/ park-details.aspx?Location=19

Arch Hill Scenic Reserve playground

42 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

‘LIVING HELL’ APARTMENT DOCUMENTARY SERIES SCREENING THIS MONTH Anyone considering buying an apartment needs to watch the 3-part documentary series 'A Living Hell: Apartment Disasters' on Sky Open (formally Prime) from Sunday 4 February at 8.30pm.

It follows the top rating 2021 expose which is repeated Sunday 28 January. Although apartments are often an affordable way to get on the property ladder, hidden defects can later cause enormous financial and emotional stress for owners.

Sadly, many of these apartment blocks are in Ponsonby and the Auckland CBD In 'Living Hell 2', leaky home experts John Gray and Roger Levie uncover heartbreaking stories of unsuspecting owners whose lives have been ruined by skyrocketing repair bills and dysfunctional bodycorps.

It is estimated that over half the apartments in New Zealand are defective and John and Roger point out numerous faulty buildings within a 10-minute drive of their Ponsonby Road office. John and Roger set up the consumer organisation Hobanz 20 years ago after dealing with problems in their own apartment buildings.

“The stress, anxiety and health issues we see owners suffer in these situations and the waste and destruction of wealth is simply unacceptable,” says John Gray.

They point to a building in Hargreaves Street just off College Hill. Originally an office block badly converted to apartments, owners had to vacate when remediation began.

The remediation ran into problems and the block now sits as an empty shell while owners continue to pay mortgages on unliveable apartments.

When defects surface, all owners as part of a body corporate are responsible for repairs, with costs often running into

millions. Many owners cannot afford repairs and are forced to sell to investors who let the building deteriorate, as seen in another inner city apartment block.

The documentary producer Rachel Stace also has first-hand experience of apartment problems.

When balcony leak issues surfaced five years ago, due to lack of maintenance in her solid 80s-built Freemans Bay apartment complex, costs escalated to the point owners have just had to sell the whole block to a developer, losing their homes and millions in equity.

John and Roger discover the problem is not confined to Auckland. They also find disturbing evidence that defective apartments are still being built today, even by our most respected construction companies.

These problems will affect future owners as well as rate payers who end up bearing the burden when councils are sued.

“Despite our efforts over the last 20 years, in which time we have helped thousands of owners, the problems are ongoing,” says John Gray. “We remain committed to seeking change in the industry and improving the legislation that should be providing much greater protection to New Zealanders.”

In the final episode of 'Living Hell', John and Roger find some promising solutions from other countries plagued by defective apartments. They hope that by exposing New Zealand’s issues, it will lead to improvements in our building industry.

“We want the housing future for our children and every New Zealander to be safe, sound and secure,” says John.

www.neontv.co.nz/series/a-living-hell-apartment-disasters www.skygo.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 43

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

THE CHAMPAGNE OF MINERAL WATER COCKTAILS Looking for the perfect spot to unwind, socialise and savour a refreshing cocktail?

Look no further than Didas Wine Lounge.

We're excited to invite you to indulge in our Perrier mineral water-based cocktails.

Referred to as the Champagne of mineral water, known since antiquity, this famous 'water in a little green bottle' is the world’s number one sparkling mineral water. Located at Vergeze in the Gard, the Perrier spring was formed 100 million years ago and discovered by the Romans. A source of purity, with specific characteristics unequalled anywhere else in the world. Origins dating back to 1863 this French mineral water is exquisite, owing to the purity of its source.

Perrier's source in Vergeze, France is deep underground, the bubbly natural mineral water eagerly fizzes its way to the top where it is then fashioned into its iconic green bottles and cans. This connection between water and earth is at the heart of Perrier mineral water. The spring has a unique balance of minerals and light effervescence – providing a distinctively fresh, clean taste. It is this blend of bubbles and minerals which have made the Perrier brand the world leader of sparkling mineral water.

Through February, the team at Didas will be serving four exquisite cocktails based around Perrier mineral water. La Piscine is a delicious pale pink cocktail that’s based around Provence rose and Perrier mineral water. Le Sparkling gin mixes Haymans gin with Perrier lime mineral water. Le Whisper is an historic cocktail for Perrier, mixing The Famous Grouse scotch with Perrier mineral water. Le Sparkling Tequila mixes El Jimador Blanco with Perrier lime mineral water.

All brilliantly refreshing and just the thing on these balmy Auckland summer days.

WHERE WINE MEETS FOOD

Convivially yours, the Dida's Wine Lounge encourages leisurely engagements with the comprehensive wine list and the ever-changing, always-innovative food menu. The small-plates style cuisine and the superb skills of our talented culinary team, who work hard to pair perfect morsels with the multiple by-the-glass options of local and imported and hardto-find wines.

Open Tuesday-Thursday 3pm-10pm. Open Friday 1pm -10pm, you can now come in for lunch as well. Open Saturday 3pm-10pm.

DIDAS WINE LOUNGE, 60 Jervois Road, T: 09 376 2813, www.didaswinelounge.co.nz

FL A VOU RE D

COC K TAI LS

Check out these refreshing cocktails with Perrier at Dida's

44 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY 210 SYMONDS STREET T: 09 377 1911 www.thefrenchcafe.co.nz thefrenchcafe

BOOK NOW FOR VALENTINE’S DAY WEDNESDAY 14 FEBRUARY

photography: Alex McVinnie

Come and visit us in our new intimate 35 seat dining room Dinner: Thursday to Saturday Lunch: Saturdays

SIDART, Level 1, Three Lamps Plaza, 283 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 2122 www.sidart.co.nz

- Gusto Italiano GUSTO MEANING ‘TASTE AND ENJOYMENT’

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

Modern Asian Eatery Opening Friday 2 February Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday Lunch: Saturday

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

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

210 SYMONDS STREET T: 09 377 1911 anise.co.nz Email: info@anise.co.nz Instagram: @anise_auckland PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 45

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

PHIL PARKER:

WELCOME TO 2024, FOLKS

Here’s a lineup of fab wines to enjoy in the New Year. And here’s hoping for a dry and lengthy Indian summer and good vintage, with no deluge surprises. Cheers!

Vavasour Awatere Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 - $24

Classic dry and grassy sav. Bone dry, but with ripe honeydew melon, blackcurrant, fresh cut green bell pepper, thyme and passionfruit. Lengthy herbaceous finish. Available: Herne Bay Cellars thegoodwine.co.nz whiskeyonline.co.nz Whyte Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 - $16

Soft and herbal, restrained and elegant. Guava, passionfruit, hint of citrus and feijoa.

Available: Dhall & Nash blackmarket.co.nz Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 - $37

Award-winning superb sav. Full-flavoured and complex, with ripe passionfruit, pink guava, roast bell pepper and cape gooseberry, with a lengthy crisp finish.

Available: Caro’s saintclair.co.nz blackmarket.co.nz Whyte Estate Chardonnay Marlborough 2022 - $16

Light style, easy drinking chardonnay. Minimal oak influence, with a creamy soft palate of poached apricot, with a hint of nougat and a tangy yeasty finish.

Available: Dhall & Nash blackmarket.co.nz Bohemian The Poet Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris - $26

Unctuous and rich, with canned peach, ginger, honeysuckle jasmine and clover honey. A hint of sweetness and a lengthy, dry tangy finish. Available: Dhall & Nash blackmarket.co.nz Saint Clair Pioneer Block 28 ‘Camp Block’ Marlborough Pinot Blanc 2020 - $20

Bone dry and elegant and a tad funky, with flavours of quinine, dried apricot, a hint of herbs and wild honey. Very lengthy and tangy, dry finish. Available: Caro’s saintclair.co.nz Bohemian The Composer Gewürztraminer Alsace Germany 2022 - $22

Just nudging dry, but in a lush and voluptuous style. Almost creamy and spicy with poached pear, a hint of lychee and

Turkish Delight and a tangy, yeasty lengthy finish. Available: Dhall & Nash winebohemian.com Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Otago Pinot Rosé 2021 - $27

Complex, dry and seriously good. Not remotely a quaffing porch pounder. It has a tannic backbone from oak barrel fermentation. Flavours of cranberry, guava, strawberry and red apple skin with a tangy dry finish. 14% alcohol. Available: thegoodwine.co.nz whiskeyonline.co.nz mtdifficulty.nz Bohemian The Dancer Hawkes Bay Rosé 2023 - $26

A blush of apricot pink, bone dry and slightly tannic. Restrained and elegant with hints of red summer berry fruit, minerality, yeasty tang and savoury spice. Available: Dhall & Nash winebohemian.com blackmarket.co.nz Martinborough Vineyard Te Tera Pinot Noir 2021 - $31

Soft, silky and ripe. Classic Martinborough pinot noir. Spicy, with a hint of manuka chip smoke, dark cherry and red berries, liquorice and cassis. Available: Widely. Also Caro’s Bottle-O blackmarket.co.nz Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 - $45 approx.

Trophy-winning wine. Seductively smooth and integrated.

Predominantly umami savoury flavours of Cuban cigar, liquorice, roast meat and smoked mushroom. Opens up with cassis, plum and dark cherry. Superb. Available: winecollective.direct and saintclair.co.nz Santa Ana Eco Cabernet Sauvignon Argentina (organic) 2021 - $24

Ripe and softly generous with a core of earthy flavours. Black Doris plum, cherry nougat, a hint of spicy clove, cassis, liquorice, Cuban cigar. A soft dry finish. Great value. Available: Dhall & Nash advintage.co.nz www.insidertouring.co.nz (PHIL PARKER)  PN www.finewinetours.co.nz, phil.parker@xtra.co.nz

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

Affordable tours for small and large groups.

E: phil.parker@xtra.co.nz

46 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

www.finewinetours.co.nz PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

SUMMER AT KELMARNA COMMUNITY FARM Summer at Kelmarna Community Farm is shaping up to be something special for our local community with the revival of our popular Harvest Festival and an exceptional eight-night series of Farm Dinners.

Both events are our invitation to come together to share in the food that our land and mahi tahi have produced this summer.

Nothing much beats a summer’s evening in the garden eating and drinking with friends. Except, maybe, if that beautiful fresh food you’re eating is chef prepared and grown metres from your table.

Tom and the Orphan's Kitchen team have put together a bespoke menu for 21 and 22 February that celebrates the bounty of peak summer produce off the farm as well as wild line-caught kai moana and Fiordland wapiti. Focusing on the social and sustainable significance of how we eat, the team hopes diners will be inspired to elevate the vegetable in their home cooking too.

Kelmarna Community Farm Dinners are back in February, with even more evenings and more chefs. Fresh, organic vegetables grown all around the diners will form the focus of the set menus, also drawing on flavours foraged from our food forest and additional ingredients sourced locally and sustainably.

This year we are thrilled to partner with another very special not-for-profit. Everybody Eats (23 and 24 February) run pay-as-you-feel dining in their restaurants in Auckland and Wellington, where food that would otherwise go to waste is turned into restaurant quality meals.

This year we welcome four exciting new chef partners, each creating a one-off four-course menu.

Drawing on the seasonal harvest from the garden, the menu will be inspired by Kelmarna's produce, both farmed and foraged, with other rescued ingredients.

First up on 14 and 15 February is Luntian, the first all-vegan Filipino food business in New Zealand. Marrying the flavours of Filipino cuisine with the freshness of New Zealand’s local produce, Luntian founder Angel Apun hopes to inspire New Zealanders to be more conscious of the impact of our food choices. For this special event, the Luntian team has created an entirely vegan menu with a special Valentine’s theme.

Our Farm Dinners are our main annual fundraising events so come along and enjoy a unique summer’s evening out while supporting our mission to create a better food future.

Chefs Joe O'Connell and Chino Salazar (ex Ozone Coffee Roasters) are joining forces with hospitality legend James Prendergast and the team at Kelmarna to deliver a four hands sustainable dining experience on 16 and 17 February. With their ethos of close-to-zero waste cooking, they will look to showcase the best of the season with a relaxed and friendly vibe.

A programme of workshops, live music and delicious food is on offer throughout the day. The Kids’ Field is back with a host of farm and outdoor activities for younger locals to get stuck into.

We’re excited also to confirm the revival of Kelmarna’s much-loved community event – our Harvest Festival on Sunday 10 March.

Entry is free for all, and guests are encouraged to bring picnic blankets or chairs and settle in for a fun day on the farm. www.kelmarna.co.nz

R ig ht n ow we nee d yo u r h elp to weather a challe nging p er io d

BEC OM E A

FRIEND OF KELMARNA

Join us by making a meaningful contr ib ution to nur ture and grow your community far m, helping to b uild a more resilient and connected community.

Our Fr iends Of Kelmar na memb erships star t at $ 8 per month or $ 96 per year Find out more at kelmar na.co.nz /donate

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 47

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

FACES AT GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET Julian Milanesi is busy harvesting microgreens for customers at Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday mornings. We asked him to tell us more.

Where did you grow up?

I moved to Taranaki where I went to a farm school for much of my primary and intermediate school years, before moving back to Auckland for high school.

Farm school – is that how you learnt to grow food?

It was certainly the spark – we grew food, looked after animals and did a lot outdoors, like camping and eel fishing. After that, I have always been growing food – even as a teenager, I always had some tomatoes and a few vegetables growing.

Why microgreens?

I was living with a dietician and I caught her passion for microgreens – they are so nutrient dense. A microgreen contains significantly higher concentration of nutrients than the mature plant. We harvest them when the first two leaves have fully grown, because those are the 'true leaves' that contain all the nutrients from the seed that would otherwise go into growing the full plant.

Our previous microgreen growers, Tony and Sho, recommended you when they both accepted big promotions in their day jobs. Tell me about how you know them.

Do many bring their own containers?

I met them through the microgreen community, and they were very generous with sharing what they know – they taught me a lot.

Most importantly, when I was wondering whether to get serious about being a grower, they supported me through that journey.

Lots of people bring back our containers to get them refilled, while others bring their own containers. Of course, we are happy to use one of our containers but it’s great to see how many customers are minimising their packaging at the market.

Tell me more about how you grow them.

Where is your stall at the market?

My microgreens are grown on mats of food-grade NZ wool.

After we have harvested the microgreens, I use the mats in my garden to suppress weeds and protect plants. Sometimes we give them to our chickens to line their nest boxes. I give some away and any that are left get composted.

I’m in the garden room, off the veranda, with the other big vegetable sellers. I’m enjoying being with them and it makes sense for us to be together.

How is the nutrient value of growing on wool compared to soil?

Actually, the critical factor is the wavelength of the light that they are grown under, more than the growing medium.

Different microgreens require different light spectrums and the different wavelengths we chose allow us to control the stemto-leaf ratio.

or coriander. I’m impressed with how knowledgeable many customers are.

Who are the people you have helping you at the market?

Woofers – visitors from other countries who come here to live with locals and work on organic and nearly organic farms. I love the energy and enthusiasm they bring.

Your farm sounds like a fun place.

It sure is – in addition to me, there are 11 chickens, two pet lambs, two cats, plus the revolving group of woofers. I have a garden and, of course, an expanding indoor, vertical farm.

Which microgreens are most popular?

What do you enjoy if you get any down time?

We grow over 35 varieties, and everyone has their own preferences which is why we do a live harvest at the market so that each customer can get the mix they want. Radishes are very popular, and some people are very keen on broccoli

Spending time with my animals, family and friends, as well as learning new practical skills. And when I can, I love to go to wellness workshops and festivals. I enjoy the positive vibe of the community.  PN rawculturefarms.co.nz www.greylynnfarmersmarket.co.nz

Sunday mornings at the Grey Lynn Community Centre 510 Richmond Road 48 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

SOUTH AMERICA Six years ago now, I travelled to South America setting out to expand our range of wines from Chile and Argentina.

The wines have gone so well and continue to. Late last year, we landed three new containers packed with loads of great wines. All of course refrigerated containers, the temperatures monitored as the wine comes to NZ. Once here, unpacked into our temperature-controlled, purpose-built storage before being sent as required to our stores.

Our fine South American wines housed in our temperaturecontrolled cellars. With these new wines here, they form part of this month’s new publication (you’ll find it here from the 5 February): www.glengarrywines.co.nz/newissueoutnow The old adage that Argentina and Chile are all about cheap reds and juicy malbec, has definitely been replaced by a quality of wines that rivals the best in the world. It was the Spanish who first brought the grape vine, then shortly after, the French varieties arrived. Fortunately, what has never arrived is phylloxera, the little pest does not like the soil or the Andes. The Chilean wine industry has historically been centred around Santiago and the central valley – easy access saw winemaking boom.

Old areas in the south that were first populated, were often planted with the white variety pais, the main stay of Chilean white wine for many years. The central Maipo Valley continues to be very important to the Chilean wine industry.

There’s been and continues to be much change though. New ‘old’ varieties are being championed – Chilean cinsault. The regions of production wider and more diverse, from right by the coast to up in the Andes, to the north and south.

What makes all this even more fascinating is that Chile’s such a long and narrow country. A short travel north or south, the climate, land, aspect, soil, you name it, it’s different. It’s like a whole host of different winemaking countries tied together into one narrow strip. Expertise and skill are at an all-time high in Chile, the new regions, varieties and new generation all making a difference. It’s through pioneering individuals such as Edouardo Chadwick, that this message, one of diversity and quality, has spread around the world. Chile is a mecca for fine wine and it’s one to sit up and take notice of.

Sure, the great value entry level wines are there, but the top end is too and, what’s more, the quality continues through the price points.

Financially, Argentina is less prosperous. Locally, producers are struggling, the government not pro a strong wine industry and the youth turning to craft beer. Malbec is still king in Argentina; where it’s grown the big talking point and how it’s made. Mendoza sits at pretty high altitude anyway, it’s a desert at the foothills of the Andes, so to talk of high altitude in Mendoza, seems crazy. The varietal diversity story continues here, the grape variety to watch, cabernet franc. As with Chile, fine wine’s from Argentina have already made a name for themselves and demand attention.

Whilst there’s so much more to South America than just the value wines, they do still exist and gosh they are good. You’ll find the value wines along with the fine wines of Chile and Argentina in store and on promotion through February. Pop on in for an instore tasting, we can’t wait until you try these wines. (LIZ WHEADON)  PN www.glengarrywines.co.nz

GREAT VALUE FROM

SOUTH AMERICA

and much much more!

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

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 49

CRUISING...

ROSS THORBY:

IN A SCENE REMINISCENT OF THE APOCALYPSE...

I’m very glad that the World Cruise is avoiding the Suez Canal this year and instead will be travelling to the UK via Africa and not through the Red Sea, which again is in turmoil and uncertainty.

If it isn’t the threat to international shipping by pirates in the Red Sea, it’s now the threat of Mediterranean nations at each other's throats.

With this new conflict just beginning to spill out into the Gulf, my mind takes me back to the dawning of 1986.

The People's Revolution that would topple Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines was on the cusp, staff at a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl mishandled a safety test that would ensure that the city’s name would live on in infamy and the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were preparing to join the Royal Yacht Britannia on a visit to New Zealand.

The turmoil of the 1980s oil crisis was being felt throughout the world and in Marxist Yemeni, on the coast of the Gulf of Aden – once a British colony – fighting had broken out over the rights of oil from Iraq.

Pinned down in a hotel in Aden at the mercy of the fighting factions, a group of British business men and diplomats sheltered fearful of escape, their situation dire.

Following a particularly heavy barrage of missile fire which destroyed the front parts of their hotel, the group sought the sanctuary of the lift wells in the middle of the building and for a week were subjected to the sound of mortar shells, rifle fire and agonising screams from those wounded outside. Then via radio, word came in from the British Embassy some blocks away, that help was at hand. The HMS Britannia, currently sailing through the Red Sea (minus the Queen) was on her way to rescue them.

The news left them incredulous and disbelieving, but as a non-combatant Royal Navy ship, HMS Britannia would be able to enter the territorial waters without further inflaming the situation and on 17 January 1986, the Royal Yacht in all of her glory, covered in ceremonial flags and flying the British Ensign, dropped anchor at Khormaksar Beach to begin one of her most dangerous missions.

As dawn was breaking, the British Embassy’s single Land Rover conveyed the evacuees from the hotel wreckage to the

50 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

beach through streets littered with the dead and wounded in a scene reminiscent of the apocalypse.

Once at the beach, the rebel fighters refused to release the evacuees until one of the Britannia’s crew bribed their release with Mars bars and biscuits pilfered from the Queen’s pantry.

The crew from the yacht’s tenders waiting just offshore, waded through neck-high water to meet and help the civilians to safety, all the time being watched from the sand dunes by the insurgents, who were eyeing the increasing number of local civilians fleeing with the British against the backdrop of the burning city.

Once filled to near capacity, with tarpaulins laid over the Queen’s expensive carpets and her drawing room full of grateful evacuees enjoying hot soup, courtesy of the royal kitchens, the yacht pulled up anchor and sailed to Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. Then safe in port, the refugees disembarked to the strains of 'Land of Hope and Glory,' played by the Royal Marine band on the yacht in a surreal atmosphere.

The Britannia was to return to Aden twice more over the next two days and even though heavy shelling fell close to the yacht as the rebel Marxist forces fought for position on the beach, her Commander persisted and would later earn the personal thanks from the Queen and the eternal gratitude of all those he saved.

After doing all that they could, the yacht left the area and continued on her voyage to NZ and into the waiting arms of the Duke of Edinburgh (who probably would have given his eye teeth to have been a part of the mission) and Her Majesty the Queen who reportedly was ‘delighted' that she could help.

Britannia, her officers and crew, had saved 1082 civilians across 55 nations in an act of quiet bravery that is being repeated by silent hero’s all across the Middle East today.

I am lucky enough to travel around the world again this year and my thoughts stray to those innocent families and children from those war torn regions, their lives torn apart by needless actions and reactions and wonder why in a world full of such wonder, we cannot all just get along.

(ROSS THORBY)  PN

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Now is the perfect time to grab those styles on your wish list and refresh your wardrobe with our hand-picked collection that’s tailor-made for your curves. Enjoy 20% – 50% off 1000s of designer styles in our Summer Sale.

1. Regent Dress was $549 NOW $329

Don’t miss out, visit us, extend a warm ‘kia ora’ or ‘bonjour’ and together, we’ll find the perfect fit for you. Alternatively, shop our online store anytime.

6. Relaxed Top Trixie was $223 NOW $169

1.

2. Tango Dress was $349 NOW $199 3. That's A Wrap Dress was $399 NOW $199 4. Goya Underwire One Piece was $199 NOW $119 5. Wide Leg Jean was $199 NOW $119 7. Frilled Relaxed Top was $149 NOW $89

3.

6.

4.

7.

ZEBRANO, 22 Morrow Street, Newmarket – opposite Westfield. T: 09 523 2500, www.zebrano.co.nz

匀甀ᣣ攀爀

匀䄀䰀䔀

稀攀戀爀愀渀漀 簀 猀椀稀攀猀 ㄀㐀⬀

5.

2.

FASHION & STYLE

SUMMER SALE NOW ON @ ZEBRANO

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 51

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

HELENE RAVLICH:

A WORLD OF WELLNESS FOR 2024

It’s safe to say that for many of us, new year’s resolutions have most definitely fallen by the wayside by now.

52 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIVING, THINKING + BEING Sala

Nikki Ralston

Mainly because choosing a single day to make a total life change just isn’t logical, with smaller, more achievable goals more likely to keep us on track.

Nikki Ralston, yoga educator and hormetic tech specialist, calls it “the perfect fusion of Infrared sauna and cold plunge, a modern spin on the age-old Nordic fire and ice ritual, igniting heat-shock and cold-shock proteins in your body.”

She says that this combo works wonders for your body and mind, “triggering the release of noradrenaline and dopamine during the cold, leading to a natural mood lift. Plus, the hot-tocold transition sparks thermogenesis in your brown fat stores, aiding in the metabolism of stubborn fat, reduces inflammation and aids recovery.” Individually, these treatments offer a list of remarkable benefits, and together, they’re a powerhouse, supercharging your wellbeing for a longer, healthier life.

And now that indulgent holidays are well out of our systems, it is a good time to focus on wellness, and perhaps a new practice to adopt that you’ll enjoy enough to stick with as the year rolls on.

Contrast therapy

Right now, contrast therapy is the modality on everyone lips, but in fact the practice has been around for centuries.

The Finnish were among the first to actively use hot and cold contrast therapy as part of their bathing ritual. After spending time in a hot sauna, bathers would leave the cabin, sweating profusely and take a 'roll in the snow'. Now there are infrared saunas and ice baths to take advantage of if you don’t happen to be midway through a Scandinavian winter, with contrast therapy rooms offered at local wellness destinations Hana and Sala.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda, an ancient medical system from India, has a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. According to ayurveda, each person has a unique body-mind constitution (dosha) which determines the diet and lifestyle principles that suit the individual to facilitate good health. Sarita Solvig Blankenburg, owner of Ayurveda New Zealand, says that

Sarita Solvig Blankenburg

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 53

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

Kirsty Gregg

an ayurvedic routine is “easy to follow and includes simple things like tongue scraping and self-body massage with a dosha-specific oil in the morning, drinking warm water with fresh ginger throughout the day and having your main meal at lunch time.”

As someone that has attended one of Sarita’s retreats at Parohe on Kawau Island, I have to say I was amazed at how easy it was to incorporate a few ayurvedic practices in my life – my tongue scraper goes with me everywhere.

Tai Chi

A group of people practising tai chi in a park can be a beautiful thing. In general, they’re focused and relaxed and their movements appear synched and slow. But don’t let the ease of its pace fool you — tai chi is bona fide exercise, and it can improve your coordination, balance, mobility and strength, as well as your mind’s ability to remain present, among other wellness perks.

With its origin in martial arts, tai chi is one of the most effective tools available for improving balance as we age, and a recent American study showed that those who regularly practised tai chi reported less stress and anxiety and better quality of life.

As people move in tai chi, they are asked to relax, breathe

54 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

naturally and focus their attention. This is similar to some types of meditation, with the added movement ensuring your body as well as mind gets a boost.

Pilates

Known around greater Ponsonby for her commitment to fitness and her enviable wardrobe, local personal trainer Kirsty Gregg is a huge fan of Pilates for keeping strong and mobile at any age.

“Every new year I see people with a fantastic new-found enthusiasm for exercising and reaching some perhaps long-awaited health goals,” she says, “and one of the more effective and accessible ways to do this is through Pilates.”

Achievable for all ages and all fitness levels, Pilates offers an “unthreatening and inclusive approach to exercise,” says Kirsty, “and whether it's mat or reformer-based, the benefits are huge, including increased energy, improved posture, better cognitive function, improved balance and a boosted immunity.”

Developing functional movement, strength and mobility throughout the whole body, Pilates is a “low impact exercise that essentially helps you move and breathe better, in order to create a more balanced life. What's not to love about that!”

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIVING, THINKING + BEING Kara Sweney Yoga

Acupuncture

Kara Sweney is the owner of Grey Lynn studio Yoga Ground, and a yoga teacher herself. She loves the practice for the fact that it truly enhances overall wellbeing.

Having a regular acupuncture appointment is for many a nonnegotiable. The perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life, the goal of acupuncture is the same now as it was thousands of years ago when it was first developed in China: to restore balance to the body.

“It has so many benefits for mind and body, including building strength, increasing mobility and flexibility, helping to manage stress and anxiety,” she says. “It is also very accessible – you don’t need any equipment, just your body. You can join classes at studios or gyms – which are a lovely way to connect with others and enjoy group energy but you don’t need to rely on others to show up like you do with activities like tennis and team sports.” You can practise it anywhere from your bedroom to the boardroom or the beach and you can even do breathing exercises to help you stay calm whilst in traffic or the queue at the supermarket.

“People can be nervous to try something new and worry that they won’t be ‘good enough’ or flexible enough,” adds the passionate teacher, “but at Yoga Ground we remind our students that there is no such thing as ‘being bad at yoga’. We were all beginners at everything once, and once you learn yoga, you have it forever.”

The practice is based on how energy, or qì, flows through the body along a series of channels called meridians.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, each meridian is related to a specific organ, and placing needles at certain points along these meridians can effect certain changes in the body to restore homeostasis. It can help muscles to release in a way that reduces tension on joints and bones, and the needles may also tweak nervous system regulation to result in a relaxation response.

We love The Health Clinic in Grey Lynn, where Stephen Parsons treats patients with a variety of Traditional Chinese Medicine modalities to address all manner of concerns. An intuitive and compassionate practitioner, Stephen takes a bespoke approach to each and every person who passes through his doors, calling on an array of treatments to adjust and maintain your qì in a dynamic and healthy state.

Feng Shui

Looking to bring wellness into your home? Consider feng shui, a practice based on the idea that our homes are a mirror of what's happening inside us. The purpose of feng shui is to get your environment in alignment with who you are and where you want to go – to harmonise your energy with your home's energy. It includes carefully considering what you bring in and how you arrange your rooms, as everything has energy, even inanimate objects, and feng shui helps guide that energy to flow freely through your home.

Our editor, Martin, recommends his friend feng shui master Rosalyn Dexter’s books ‘Good Vibes’ and ‘Chinese Whispers’ as a great place to start. (HELENE RAVLICH)  PN PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 55

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

AYURVEDA AUTUMN CLEANSE RETREAT Ayurveda New Zealand is hosting it’s next Autumn Cleanse Retreat at beautiful Parohe on Kawau island from 21-24 March 2024.

Sarita and her team are taking a small group of guests back to Parohe for the fourth time to offer an authentic ayurvedic experience in a stunning setting right on your doorstep. Only an hour's drive north from Auckland and a 20 minute ferry ride from Matakana, you arrive in an island paradise and can leave all your stress and worries behind.

A range of boutique accommodation options are available in various settings including your own private room or a twin share. Delicious ayurvedic plant-based meals will be prepared by reputed Little Bird chef Gawain Cowley. We also offer an inspiring ayurvedic cooking class demonstrating the principles of dosha-specific food preparation.

Every guest will receive two ayurvedic treatments as part of the package and can purchase additional treatments if desired.

Part of the retreat programme is a workshop during which we will practise ayurvedic cleansing techniques. Every morning and evening we will have a restorative yoga practice.

During your spare time you can go on native bush walks, paddle board, kayak or swim. There is also a sauna and an outdoor bath to enjoy.

Here is what guest Claire Bradbourne, branding expert and mother of three, had to say:

This retreat was a game-changer for me. To be honest, I thought I was in for four days of hard-core deprivation. I had signed up for a lot of ‘no's'. No caffeine, no alcohol, no sugar, no animal products. Feeling rinsed after a hectic few years, I needed more than an alcohol-free day or a home juice cleanse. I needed some soul restoration.

Something deeper and more meaningful, and Sarita and her ayurveda retreat came along at exactly the right moment in time, so I signed up. I had no prior knowledge of ayurveda and was a casual yogi at best.

This retreat completely blew my mind. Rather than an exercise in deprivation, it was a complete joy. The connection with these 'strangers' that came from our time together and the isolation in nature was the most enriching and unexpected part of it.

The wisdom that passes between women of different generations and backgrounds.

56 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

The lack of judgement as you’re there with messy hair on a yoga mat at 7am; or walking around blissed out with a turban on your head after a magical hot oil treatment.

The laughter that comes as you eat together and share life stories – there were peals of laughter all night long and many aching cheeks at bedtime.

The foooooooood. Gawain is a savante. I never knew vegan could feel so indulgent. We’d gather for meals and wait with the excitement of five-year-olds on Christmas Eve. It was the ultimate respite from being to the one who is always doing the feeding, to being fed in such a beautiful way, three times a day.

The morning and evening rituals that enveloped the day. The most ancient forms of self care, centuries old, that make you feel beautiful and alive.

The ayurvedic aspect was the wrapping, the glue, the scaffolding, the base from which everything else made sense.

It wasn’t just yoga and vegan food, it was an education in a new way of living and being in our bodies that I have woven into my everyday life, and I've never felt better.

So much fun, so good for the soul. Want to do it all again with this same group of stranger-friend-goddesses.

Contact Sarita to book a spot for the next 'Ayurveda Autumn Cleanse' retreat in March. sarita@ayurvedanz.com.

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

AYURVEDA – THE ART OF LIVING WELL Perfect time for an ayurvedic detox.

After overindulging over the Christmas holidays, now is the time to re-establish a healthy routine.

Detoxification is about simplifying life. When we eat simple meals, follow a regular routine, manage our social commitments and cut out unnecessary stressors, we cultivate self-regulation.

Reducing the amount of food we eat, having only two meals a day and avoiding snacking between meals can already create positive changes within a few days. Simplification promotes the most important part of ayurvedic detoxification – emptying the gut of digestive debris (ama) and reestablishing balance.

Once we have strengthened our agni (digestive fire), we can reverse other health issues and imbalances through diet and lifestyle, herbal medicine and a suitable detox.

Which detox is right for you?

There are endless detoxification options available.

Understanding your physical and mental imbalances is an important step to deciding which one is suitable for you. As part of an ayurvedic consultation, a customised detoxification programme will be created according to your needs and according to the season we are in, so we can work with the qualities of nature.

Exercise and diet

Gentle exercise such as yoga or nature walks during your detox are highly recommended. Make the most of our beautiful ocean, lakes and rivers to cool down. Hydrate as much as possible and eat cooling food such as cucumber, watermelon, coconut, mint and lots of greens.

We can also reduce the risk of inflammation, acidity and excess heat in summer simply and quickly via small regular fasts to flush out toxins and shed a few extra pounds. During any fasting period, it’s important to drink lots of warm water with fresh ginger to support the detox.

Tongue scraping

The surface of the tongue reflects the condition of your digestive tract. Ayurveda recommends to scrape your tongue before brushing your teeth as part of a morning routine.

This practice will facilitate a daily detox, better breath and improved taste sensation.

Panchakarma

If you are interested in a deeper cleansing and purification therapy to remove the root cause of a chronic condition, to lose weight or to feel less sluggish, you should consider Panchakarma.

Panchakarma is ayurveda’s traditional purification and detoxification therapy. In Sanskrit, Panchakarma translates to 'five actions', referring to five cleansing treatments designed to flush out toxins. The Panchakarma programme we are offering at Ayurveda New Zealand is home based and designed for seven days with a few visits to our clinic.

During an initial ayurvedic consultation we assess your health history, the strength of your digestive fire (agni), and the amount of impurities (ama) to create a customised treatment plan.

We recommend following a simple mono diet that includes ayurvedic kitchari (lentils, rice and seasonable vegetable curry) and vegetarian soups with your dosha specific spice mix. Recipes will be provided and catering to your home is an option.

You will self-administer ayurvedic herbs throughout the seven days to facilitate the detox.

You will also receive two ayurvedic treatments selected according to your health history and detox goals.

At the end of the Panchakarma week you will feel refreshed, full of energy and mentally focused, ready for the new year with all its demands and challenges.

Please contact Sarita to book an ayurvedic consultation or plan a Panchakarma detox.

If you would like to experience an ayurvedic detox in a nurturing environment away from home, come to our next 'Autumn Cleanse Retreat' at Parohe on Kawau Island 21-24 PN March.  Please send your inquiries to Sarita: sarita@ayurvedanz.com. M: 021 144 5768, @ayurvedanz

M: 021 144 5768 E: sarita@ayurvedanz.com www.ayurvedanz.co.nz @ayurvedanz

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 57

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

SARITA SOLVIG BLANKENBURG:

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

SOUND: A DIFFERENT KIND OF BATH You’d be reasonable to question what exactly a sound bath is, why you should try it and how this kind of ‘wash’ has gained such a glowing reputation in not just the wellbeing space, but with people from all walks of life.

“Sound baths really have grown in popularity and there’s good reason for that,” says Ashleigh Scopas from ASH&STONE, Ponsonby’s crystal and sound bowl retailer.

“In a world where many feel burdened, stressed or anxious, this is a tool that can help release the pressure valve and create a sense of calm. It’s a rest and reset mechanism; one that is affordable and accessible.”

While a traditional bath immerses you in water, this is one where you lie down on a yoga mat and immerse yourself in resonate sound; a sound which can feel like it’s washing completely over you.

That echoing sound is created using specialist instruments, the most popular of which are crystal singing bowls and pyramids.

ASH&STONE uses five different instruments including pitch-perfect quartz crystal bowls in 432Hz frequency.

Sound bath events are usually held in group settings, although some practitioners, such as Ashleigh, also incorporate sound baths into private Reiki energy sessions. “It has such an immediate effect and has proven immensely beneficial for clients who instantly feel a sense of clarity and calm that had previously eluded them,” she says.

“When you are exposed to these sound frequencies, your brainwaves can move from a normal waking state to one of deep rest and relaxation,” says Sophie Correia from Crossing Paths, Auckland’s leading sound bath practitioner.

“Sound baths have helped with stress reduction, anxiety, high blood pressure and sleep disorders. And for those who struggle to meditate, they can quickly still and reset a racing mind.”

Ashleigh and Sophie host sound bath events and 1:1 sessions at ASH&STONE, 3 Redmond Street, Ponsonby.

For dates and availability or sound bowl training enquiries, please visit ashandstone.online

SOUND 3 redmond st | ponsonby ashandstone.online

58 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PITCH PERFECT SINGING BOWLS CRYSTAL PYRAMIDS SOUND BATH EVENTS PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

RUBYWAXX… A new, state-of-the-art clinic has opened in the heart of Ponsonby.

Award-winning beauty and skincare expert Rubywaxx has opened a new, state-of-the-art clinic in Ponsonby.

Located in the iconic All Saints Shopping Centre, the trusted brand's new Ponsonby clinic operates alongside Rubywaxx Grey Lynn, located within RE-AB health and wellness studio.

Tailor-made from top-to-toe, the bespoke interior, designed by renowned Auckland design studio Material Creative, is clean, uncluttered, inviting and – most importantly, says owner Deb Barham – unpretentious.

"This aspect was crucial to us when considering the look and feel of the space," she says. "We didn't want it to feel intimidating or unwelcoming, that's just not us. We're all about helping everyday men and women look and feel their very best."

Rubywaxx Ponsonby boasts three custom boutique rooms: two easy and accessible spaces solely dedicated to fast and efficient daily grooming (think waxing, shaping and tinting), while the third is dedicated to a more elevated offering of microblading, cosmetic injectables, IPL and bespoke facials.

Founded in 1997, it’s understood Rubywaxx was the first beauty clinic in Auckland to offer an express waxing service, with a '15-minute Brazilian or its free' promise, which still stands today, 27 years later.

It all began nearly three decades ago with entrepreneur Ruby Francis, who remains a much-loved leading beauty therapist at Rubywaxx. Ruby saw a gap in the market for an express waxing service and opened several Rubywaxx clinics around Auckland in the early 2000s. The premise was a fast, efficient and specialised waxing that catered to busy women.

Over time, the business became hugely successful, gaining awards and recognition as specialists in the practical side of beauty therapy and daily grooming. Registered nurse and cosmetic injectables specialist Deb took over the clinics in 2017.

"I was after a challenge and always had always dreamed of running my own business," says Deb, adding that it was an enormous learning curve taking the reigns of a beloved Auckland beauty therapy brand."

And while Rubywaxx is more popular than ever, the journey certainly hasn't always been easy.

"Three years into owning Rubywaxx, Covid hit, and it affected us and all close-contact businesses enormously. And while navigating the years during Covid from a business perspective was really tough, we're so incredibly pleased to be not only operating as normal again, but thriving,” explains Deb. “Was it scary opening a new clinic? Absolutely! We have a fantastic, tight-knit team of beauty therapists and I know we're really great at what we do. Despite that, it's always a bit nerve-wracking to open a new clinic.

"It feels a bit like the first day at school. But the feedback has been far beyond what we could have ever imagined, the Ponsonby community has really welcomed us with open arms, and the support has been fantastic. We're just so grateful."

Deb hopes this new era for Rubywaxx will continue to see the business go from strength to strength, as the go-to destination for affordable and accessible, everyday grooming.

RUBYWAXX, 14/282 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 354 3549 and 2 Selbourne Street, T: 09 302 1294, www.rubywaxx.co.nz. @rubywaxx

GREY LYNN 09 302 1294 2 SELBOURNE ST WAXING & HAIR REMOVAL SPECIALISTS, BROW MASTERS, MICROBLADING, FACIALS, MEDICAL-GRADE SKINCARE & MORE www.rubywaxx.co.nz

PONSONBY NEW 09 354 3549 14/282 PONSONBY RD (ENTRANCE OFF PONSONBY TCE)

@rubywaxx PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 59

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

GREG MOYLE:

THE YEAR THAT WAS AND THE YEAR WE HOPE FOR The year 2023 was the first full year for the reduced C&R Waitematā Local Board (WLB) team consisting of Greg Moyle, Sarah Trotman and Allan Matson. It was a challenging year of both successes and disappointments.

An early achievement was the resolution of the controversial Erebus Memorial proposed for Dove Myer Robinson Park.

The extreme weather events of January demonstrated the folly of placing such a huge structure on the cliff edge of the northfacing part of the park. Had this project not been delayed by the actions of a determined group of local residents, we could have had a 'Cave Creek' moment with the structure collapsing into the void beneath it.

The continued success of two major local board community events – the Parnell Festival of Roses and the Grey Lynn Festival – were able to proceed without intervention from the weather or Covid-type restrictions.

Our engagement with and support of the BID (business investment districts) in the WLB area, namely Heart of the City, Newmarket, Parnell, Ponsonby, K’ Road and Uptown, has continued. We hope to see a new BID, the Grey Lynn Business Association, in the near future. All these organisations ensure that those important businesses in our area, both large and small, can contribute to the Auckland economy.

Another success on a personal level for Greg Moyle was the planting in the Western Springs native forest of 500 assorted native trees that he had either propagated or sourced locally.

These trees were planted with the assistance of volunteers from Westpac and the support of Chris Severne, local environmental champion, at no cost to Auckland Council as they were donated

by Greg and represented almost 50 percent of the trees planted in the forest last year. The use of volunteers resulted in significant saving to the WLB project of reforestation of the former area of the pines of Western Springs.

This year, Greg hopes to partner with Trees for Survival and the Rotary Club of Downtown Auckland to allow Ponsonby Primary School to plant the native trees grown from seedlings by the school pupils in the Western Springs forest. Trees for Survival already partners with Freemans Bay Primary and the Rotary Club to plant trees at Western Park.

Other highlights of 2023 were the opening of the walkway and entrance to Myers Park via Greys Avenue and the progress towards the reopening of the Leys Institute.

2023 saw the new Food Scrap Bins rolled out across Central Auckland. Auckland Council's Waste Solutions team are to be commended for the smooth transition, ensuring this significant change to our waste strategy was implemented with community buy-in.

The C&R team supports the transition of management of the Freeman's Bay Community Hall to Ponsonby Community Centre, thus providing better use of the hall and quality engagement with hirers.

We are also supportive of the developments proposed for the Tank Farm and Wyndham Quarter and look forward to this important jewel on the shore of the Waitematā being accessible to Aucklanders and visitors.

The major disappointments and concerns revolve around our interaction with Auckland Transport where the local input

60 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

Allan Matson, Greg Moyle and Sarah Trotman

does not seem to be heard – examples of which are the work currently underway in Meola Road and that proposed for Ponsonby Road and Great North Road. Also, the lack of effective policing and resulting perceptions of public safety in the city centre continue to affect the viability of businesses and the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.

It was also disappointing to experience a significant cut in funding to the Local Board, thereby reducing the board’s ability to progress initiatives in respect of heritage, local park and waterway upgrades, improved recreational facilities and community events.

A quick Google search will give you information on the Waitematā Local Board Plan. This three-year strategic plan has been developed in consultation with our community. The key pillars of the plan are People, Environment, Community, Places and Economy. We look forward to working hard for you to ensure this plan becomes reality.

Once again, the end-of-year highlight for our community, and indeed many visitors, was the spectacular joy of the Franklin Road Christmas lights. Warm thanks to Ross Thorby and the Franklin Road residents for the delight you bring to so many of us at Christmas time.

Martin, Jay and the team at Ponsonby News – thank you for giving the community a voice through your quality publication. We repeatedly get feedback from constituents who have read about topical issues in Ponsonby News. You set the benchmark for a community magazine.

In closing, it is a privilege for the C&R team of Greg and Sarah and Allan to represent our constituents on the Waitematā Local Board. Don't hesitate to reach out to us if there is anything we can do to ensure a positive experience with any aspect of Auckland Council services. (GREG MOYLE)  PN www.gregmoyle.com www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

­

­ ­ ­ ­

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

BACK TO SCHOOL. BACK TO HEALTHY. After a blissful summer of ice creams, hot chips and pavlovas, the time has come for our little ones to get back to normality.

But a return to eating well shouldn’t stop at food. The ingredients in the items you use to prepare, store and transport your children’s food matter too. This issue, we asked our friends at ecostore to recommend some plastic-free alternatives that make it easier for parents to send kids back to school with nothing but goodness in their lunches.

Kid-proof drink bottles

It seems like a no-brainer, but stainless steel drink bottles are a clear winner when it comes to environmental friendliness and practical performance. Not only do they keep plastic away from your kids lips, but they are durable, easy to clean and rust free. TIP: Choose a double-walled construction to keep drinks cold and refreshing all day long.

Plastic-free lunch boxes

There are some great stainless steel lunch boxes available, from bento style (with different compartments… because nobody likes a soggy sandwich), to individual pottles that are perfect for pasta salads or fruit and yoghurt.

then simply wash in warm (not hot) soapy water, rinse and hang out to dry for next time.

Refillable pouches

These handy pouches are the perfect way to package wet foods. Great for all those homemade goodies, like sauces and fruit purées, so you can avoid the preservatives and additives that come with many commercially produced foods.

After school goodness

The plastic-free revolution doesn’t stop at the school bell.

Prepare your kids’ homecoming snacks the healthy way using silicone muffin trays, baking sheets and ice block moulds.

Don’t forget the body care

Choosing ‘clean’ hair and skin care products is another way to make sure your kids aren’t absorbing unnecessary toxins in their day-to-day life. Look for natural ingredients and avoid chemical ingredients like SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) or SLE (Sodium Laureth Sulfate), along with parabens and phthalates.

Beeswax wraps

Not only do these cloth and wax wraps look colourful and fun, they’re a welcome alternative to cling film. Use them for crumb-free transportation of sandwiches or home baking and

For a wide range of kid/environment-friendly drink bottles, lunchboxes, detanglers, body wash and hair care products, visit ecostore’s shop at 1 Scotland Street, Freemans Bay.

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

I N -V I S I T U ST S OR

10% OFF BULK AND GET A FREE 3X LAUNDRY CONCENTRATE 480ML*

E

1 Scotland Street, Freemans Bay, Auckland

FREE

Shop hours: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm Sat-Sun 10am-5pm Holiday hours may differ Call & Collect 09 360 8477

*Applies to 5L, 4.5kg & 5kg range excluding refills. Whilst stock lasts. Valid from 1st - 14th February.

62 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Christmas is well known as the silly season and with so many functions that were happening one after the other, I struggled to get through without some sort of mild hangover.

Despite only drinking a couple of wines, my head would be pounding the next day.

Then I discovered myrkl. It is a new liver function and detox support supplement that sold out in the UK within the first 24 hours. The purpose of myrkl (pronounced miracle not mer-kel) is to help regular-moderate drinkers to wake up feeling their best the next day.

I did some digging into what myrkl was all about. This supplement contains patented AB001™ which activates in the gut and contributes to reducing the amount of alcohol absorbed in the digestive tract before it reaches the liver.

Sounds simple but myrkl is the result of more than 30 years of scientific research and development. The company claims the pill breaks down “up to 70% of alcohol consumed within 60 minutes.” A double-blind study with 24 participants, funded by De Faire, concluded that using the pills for a week did indeed result in “a substantially lower uptake of alcohol into the blood.”

Myrkl was created so you could enjoy socialising without compromising your performance and wellbeing the next day.

Myrkl also contains a proprietary high-performing blend of L-cysteine and vitamin B12 which work together to support energy production, the formation of red blood cells and to support the immune system.

You take two mrykl capsules at least two hours before drinking to get the best effect of the product. I can hand on heart say I had NO hangover the next day.

LUCY KENNEDY:

Even if you aren’t a big drinker, it will take away any ‘dusty effects’ the following day. Let’s be honest, no one wants to feel dusty the next day.

I found myrkl at Countdown but it is also at Chemist Warehouse or online. www.myrkl.co.nz

FEBRUARY BOOK REVIEW

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone – Benjamin Stevenson "Family is not whose blood runs in your veins, it’s who you’d spill it for."

I’m wandering aimlessly around one of my favourite bookshops when I see it – the single most enticing, intriguing book title I have ever seen: 'Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone'. You could not make me leave without that book if you tried. I started reading and I am honestly not sure if I looked up or spoke to anyone until I finished the novel. Benjamin Stevenson’s 'Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone' is a uniquely refreshing, wholly original and fantastic, unputdownable read.

Our amateur detective is Ernest Cunningham. He is an honest, likeable and staunchly reliable narrator in all the best ways. The story takes place at a less-than-glamorous Australian ski resort where the Cunningham clan have gathered for a family reunion, the horrors of which are only exacerbated by the discovery of a dead body. Ernest knows that one of his family must be to blame, and so takes it upon himself to figure out who is the killer before any more people lose their lives. One reason I liked Ernest so much was because of how he really lays all the facts out for the reader. It feels like he wants you to solve the mystery, like he’s on your side. This isn’t to say that the mystery is easy to solve (it’s not).

'Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone' in no way falls into overdone cliches of crime. It’s self-aware of the usual characteristics of its genre in the most charming, offbeat way. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the sequel, 'Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect', pretty much immediately after turning the final page of the original, which is sitting on the table next to me very temptingly as I type this. Overall, this novel is fantastic, quirky, thrilling and funny. I would recommend it to fans of the genre who think they know what to expect in a murder mystery, or anyone looking for something a little bit different to read PN  out of 5! instagram @lucykennedyreviews this summer. (LUCY KENNEDY)  PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 63

FUTURE GENERATION

MYRKL: A LIVER FUNCTION AND DETOX SUPPORT SUPPLEMENT

FUTURE GENERATION

TOP ACADEMIC RESULTS FOR KRISTIN STUDENTS The results are in and it is another fantastic academic year for Kristin students who excelled in both the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and NCEA. Starting with the IB results, Kristin had three students – Angelina Youssef, Michael Feng and Jacob Wang – score 44 out of a possible 45 points. Six students scored 43 points and overall 29 students (36%) scored 40 or more points.

This compares to 9% of students worldwide scoring 40 or more in the May 2023 exam results. By finishing with a score of 40 or higher, it means these particular students all qualify as New Zealand IB Top Scholars and will be recognised at a national ceremony held at Kristin in February. The average score this year was 36 points and there was a 98% pass rate for Kristin students. These are some of the best results Kristin has ever achieved in the IB Diploma.

In NCEA, students achieved an overall pass rate of 96% at Level 2, with 71% getting endorsement at Merit or Excellence.

There was a 94% pass rate at Level 3, with 58% getting

endorsement at Merit or Excellence, and 91% of students gained University Entrance (UE).

Kristin’s Senior School offers dual academic pathways with students able to choose the New Zealand curriculum (NCEA) or the IB Diploma Programme. Each year around half of students opt for NCEA while the other half choose the IB Diploma.

Kristin Senior School Principal David Boardman says: “These results across both programmes are testament to the students' hard work and dedication over the past 12 to 24 months. They should all be applauded for this success and we wish them all the best with their future plans. I am sure their time at Kristin will prepare them excellently for any challenges that lie ahead.”

Congratulations to all of the students on their outstanding results.

KRISTIN SCHOOL, 360 Albany Highway, Albany, T: 09 415 9566, www.kristin.school.nz, Facebook: @kristin.school.nz, Instagram: @kristin.school

64 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

A dedicated Middle School for Years 7-10.

Do you have children going into Year 7 or Year 9 in 2025 or beyond?

Don’t miss our upcoming information evenings and twilight tours! Come and hear about our unique Middle School environment that sets us apart and keeps them together.

YEAR 7 Thursday 14 March 2024, from 5pm YEAR 9 Thursday 21 March 2024, from 5pm Register to attend at kristin.school.nz.

Scholarships are available to enable new students to join Kristin in Year 9, 2025. www.kristin.school.nz

REGISTER HERE

Progress with vision, integrity and love.

FUTURE GENERATION

WHY CHOOSE A GIRLS’ SCHOOL? Single-sex schools deliver strong academic results.

NCEA and scholarship results show that students in both boys’ and girls’ single-sex schools consistently achieve higher academic results than their peers in a co-ed environment.

At Diocesan School for Girls, students also consistently achieve higher than average when compared to the national NCEA results and are a cut above their co-educated peers nationally in decile 10 schools when it comes to achieving NCEA Excellence.

Principal Heather McRae credits single-sex education as one of the key ingredients for our girls’ consistently high academic achievement and says results are in line with statistics from across the Tasman and in the UK. This difference in results does not mean that girls do not learn in co-ed schools; it means that the opportunities that are provided by girls’ schools enable girls to achieve their full potential.

“In a learning environment that is free from gender discrimination, girls achieve greater academic success, are more confident and assertive and are more likely to study science, technology and mathematics (STEM) subjects and participate in physical education. Post-school, they are more likely to pursue tertiary study and careers in STEM, hold leadership positions and earn higher wages.”

The fact that girls attending girls’ schools are more likely to take advanced mathematics, physics and chemistry than girls at co-educational schools, speaks to the different environment

that exists in girls’ schools. Gender stereotypes are less prevalent, and students are encouraged to take academically challenging, technologies and physical science subjects to gain entry to tertiary courses and pursue male-dominated but more highly paid careers in STEM fields.

Indeed, academic outcomes are only one measure of a wellrounded education. Girls fill every single leadership position for every activity in every year level of girls’ schools, from the Head Prefect to Heads of House, Council Heads, Tutor Representatives, to the most junior of sports teams. Girls also play all instruments in the orchestra, stage band or jazz band, from the bassoon and tuba to the drums and electric bass guitar. In a girls’ school, girls lead and participate more freely in discussions, they feel empowered to behave more competitively and to take more healthy risks, such as trying new activities.

The most important factor for classroom learning that distinguishes girls’ schools, however, is that there are no boys in the classroom to distract, discourage or overwhelm girls, and nor are teachers trying to teach two groups who have differing needs and interests. Overall, the differences highlight that while girls learn in other schools, girls’ schools provide greater opportunity to enable girls to achieve their potential.

We acknowledge input from the Australian Alliance of Girls Schools and their eBrief Report on the Advantages of Girls’ Schools. www.diocesan.school.nz

66 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

BE MORE THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED Imogen Future Commodore of the Royal NZ Navy

How will your daughter make her mark?

The world is changing and the role of women is changing even faster. Join us to experience the people, place and depth of education that can encourage, challenge and inspire your daughter to be more than she ever imagined.

Join us at our Open Day and experience the world-class opportunities awaiting your daughter at Dio.

Open Day Sat 9 March, 10am – 12pm Register at diocesan.school.nz

FUTURE GENERATION

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU ABUZZ WITH ACTIVITY AS OOH!MEDIA INSTALLS GREEN ROOFS The company installs green roofs across the city.

Beginning 12 months ago, with a successful trial installation at Ponsonby Central’s bus shelter, oOh!media has continued its mission to renature urban spaces, installing 10 green roofs around Tāmaki Makaurau, with completion scheduled for early 2024.

Renowned for both the environmental benefits and positive impact on commuter wellbeing, roof planting on public structures has become a popular and effective practice internationally, particularly in Europe where it is now common place to see urban bus shelters transformed into ‘green roofs’ or ‘buzz’ stops.

Implementing this innovation down under, oOh!media New Zealand has partnered with local living roof specialists, Greenroofs working in collaboration with Sempergreen Australia. The partnership saw an initial 12 month trial at Auckland’s bustling Ponsonby Central bus shelter, to ensure the plants chosen could withstand the ever-changing weather and climate.

Greenroofs Ltd specialist Will Thorne adds, “There are many benefits to Green Roof installations. The plants of a green roof filter particulate matter from the air and covert Co2 into oxygen, helping with air purification. They also assist with temperature reduction, contributing to lowering the temperature in the city.

“Surfaces with plants warm up less quickly and store less heat. In addition, plants evaporate water, which leads to cooling of the air, making for a more pleasant urban climate.

We are thrilled to be assisting oOh!media NZ with its green roof installations around Auckland and we look forward to hopefully seeing an expansion to the wider nation in the near future.”

Simon Soulsby, Head of Partnerships at Auckland Transport says the installation of the Green Roofs is an innovative way to bring nature into urban areas and brighten up Tāmaki Makaurau’s concrete jungle.

After close monitoring for the past 12 months, the teams are now ready to expand ‘buzz stops’ to the wider Tāmaki Makaurau region.

“It is important for Auckland Transport to set an example in the industry and champion the use of our public spaces in a way that positively adds to the lives of our community. This is a great example of innovative partnerships driving sustainable solutions.

oOh!media is proud to be leading the way with its bus shelter transformation programme. Nick Vile, General Manager of oOh!media New Zealand says, “As part of our wider ESG programme and philosophy at oOh!, we are always looking for ways – big and small – to make public spaces better and ensure we are providing positive impact where it matters.

“We’re very excited at the prospect of more ‘buzz stops’ around the city – it isn’t hard to smile when you pass a bus shelter in the middle of the city that has flowers and plants growing out the top of it.”

“These green roofs are helping us move toward this goal in a way that not only looks good, but makes us, and our commuters feel good too.”

68 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

The installation of the Green Roofs is currently in progress, seven roofs already installed, with three to go later this month.

www.oohmedianz.com

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FUTURE GENERATION

THE BEST START TO A BOY’S EDUCATION The vision at King’s School is to develop the individual talents of each boy… for life.

Headmaster Tony Sissons believes children should be given the best possible chance to flourish. “Our goal is to ensure each boy who passes through our gates is given a solid foundation of learning, has a sense of self confidence and self belief, is motivated, flexible and resilient,” he says.

Early Learning Centre to Year 8 classes have a dedicated teacher and homeroom. Class sizes are kept small so that teachers can provide personalised attention and no one gets lost in the crowd. Tony is not a fan of the Modern Learning Environment. His years in education have convinced him that children must feel secure and supported before they can learn effectively. Strong connections are the foundation of the King’s School learning programme.

Literacy and numeracy are the primary focus and there are extra teaching staff for these subjects at each year level.

This ensures exceptional teacher:pupil ratios and allows staff to teach to the appropriate level for the development of individual boys.

King’s also offers a wide range of enrichment subjects to inspire and stimulate boys. Specialist teachers deliver music, drama, art, science, French, physical education, religious education and swimming programmes. Every child learns a musical instrument and there are a variety of cultural groups

and sports teams to join. Boys are encouraged to follow their passions and the school celebrates success and achievements across all disciplines.

Life at King’s School is very much geared for boys – with shorter lessons, more visual and tactile teaching methods, opportunities for students to be active and move around the school, and male mentoring and buddy programmes. All these strategies are backed by research on how boys learn best.

Manners and values are important at King’s and are integrated into every aspect of the school day. Boys are expected to live by the Golden Rule, 'Treat others the way you would like to be treated’.

Tony is committed to giving boys the best possible start to their education. “I am proud of my team and believe our programme provides boys with a strong foundation for the future by instilling a love of learning with values and integrity, while establishing friendships for life. A King’s School education is the best gift you could give your son.”

KING’S SCHOOL, 258 Remuera Road, Auckland 1050, T: 09 520 7770, www.kings.school.nz

King’s School

Open Days 6 & 7 march 9.00am Register at kings.school.nz Accepting applications for 2026

FOCUSED ON BOYS PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 69

PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS

JAMES JOHNSTON:

SHAREHOLDER AGREEMENTS Multiple shareholders can add to the challenge and complexity of running a small to mediumsized business (SMB).

Shareholder agreements are a crucial tool, offering a structured framework that governs the relationships among shareholders and the overall functioning of the business.

Clarity and Alignment

One of the primary benefits of shareholder agreements is the clarity they bring to the shareholders' relationships.

In the absence of a formal agreement, misunderstandings and disputes can easily arise, jeopardizing the business's stability. A well-drafted shareholder agreement outlines the rights, responsibilities and expectations of each shareholder, ensuring alignment on critical issues such as decision making, profit distribution and management roles.

Decision Making

Effective decision making is vital and for SMBs with multiple shareholders – differing opinions can lead to gridlock and hinder the growth of the business. A shareholder agreement establishes clear protocols for decision making. This not only prevents disputes but also ensures that major decisions are made with the best interests of the business in mind, promoting its long-term sustainability.

Protection of Minority Shareholders

of the business. These may include provisions for capital contributions, financial reporting and restrictions on the transfer of shares. By addressing these aspects upfront, shareholder agreements create a structure that minimizes uncertainties and promotes a healthy business atmosphere.

In many SMBs, there may be a power imbalance among shareholders. Shareholder agreements provide safeguards for minority shareholders, outlining their rights and protecting them from potential abuse of power. Provisions such as tagalong rights, drag-along rights and anti-dilution clauses help create a fair and balanced relationship among all stakeholders.

Dispute Resolution

Exit Strategies

Conclusion

Shareholder agreements can both help to avoid disputes and provide mechanisms to resolve them, such as arbitration or mediation, to handle conflicts efficiently and avoid costly and time-consuming legal battles. This not only preserves the relationships among shareholders but also protects the business from unnecessary disruptions.

Planning for the future is essential and shareholder agreements can play an important role in outlining exit strategies. Whether due to retirement, disagreement or unforeseen circumstances, having a clear plan for the departure of a shareholder ensures a smooth transition without disrupting the business's operations. Buy-sell provisions and valuation mechanisms specified in the agreement help determine a fair value for shares and facilitate an effective transfer of ownership.

In the world of SMBs, shareholder agreements are an important tool for fostering stability, promoting effective decision making and safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders. By providing a framework that addresses key aspects of business operations, rights and responsibilities and the relationship between shareholders, these agreements contribute to the long-term success and sustainability of the business.

Financial and Operational Guidelines

Disclaimer – While all care has been taken, Johnston Associates Chartered Accountants Ltd and its staff accept no liability for the content of this article; always see your professional advisor before taking any action that you are unsure about.

Shareholder agreements can establish financial and operational guidelines that contribute to the overall stability

JOHNSTON ASSOCIATES, Level 1, One Jervois Road, Ponsonby, T: 09 361 6701, www.johnstonassociates.co.nz

70 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Photography: Billy Kwok, unsplash.com

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

LIGHTS, LANTERNS, ACTION BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival returns in February.

After four years of cancellations, the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is set to glow again as it celebrates the Year of the Dragon at an all-new venue.

For four days from Thursday 22 February – Sunday 25 February, the festival will bring hundreds of lanterns to the Manukau Sports Bowl, along with traditional and contemporary performances, cultural displays and the festival’s famous line-up of food stalls.

The Year of the Dragon is a significant year in the Chinese zodiac calendar, represented by the only mythological creature in the zodiac which is associated with power, luck and prosperity. To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, a newly commissioned handmade dragon lantern on a spectacular scale of 30 metres (the size of two buses) will be on display beside the main stage.

Chris Simpson, Head of Major Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited says the return of the festival has been much anticipated by Aucklanders. “This BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is such an important part of Auckland’s cultural life, and it’s been missed by Aucklanders and visitors alike.

"Last year we were tantalisingly close to holding the festival at this new venue, and we know Aucklanders are more than ready to experience the festival’s range of food stalls, cultural performances and displays this year.”

BNZ Senior Brand Partnerships Manager, Kim Ravenhall, says, “We’re thrilled to be a part of bringing back the Lantern Festival. This festival is always hotly anticipated, and our involvement underscores BNZ’s commitment to growing the social, cultural, and financial wellbeing of our communities.

“This year, we’re proud to introduce the BNZ Basketball Court, where festival goers can enjoy guest appearances from the BNZ Breakers and BNZ Northern Kāhu players, participate in free skills sessions, and get some time on the court. Meanwhile, the

BNZ Grandstand offers a fantastic spot for families and friends to relax, enjoy the festival’s array of food and performances, and really soak in the atmosphere. “We’re proud to support an event that brings people together from all walks of life to celebrate the rich diversity of cultures in Aotearoa.”

Returning favourites in 2024

· Over 500 handmade lanterns · 44 street stalls selling delicious food from many cultures, and 19 retail stalls including craft and gift merchandise · A spectacular fireworks display to close out the festival on Sunday 25 February at 9:50pm · A cultural courtyard featuring traditional clothing for hire, and traditional and contemporary art New to the festival this year

· An all-new venue with ample green space for displaying lanterns, within 20 minutes walking distance of bus and train connections · Alongside 2024’s Year of the Dragon lantern, four previously unseen zodiac lanterns commissioned especially for the Auckland Lantern Festival will be displayed – 2023’s Year of the Rabbit, 2022’s Year of the Tiger, 2021’s Year of the Ox, and 2020’s Year of the Rat · Shoot for the Stars at the BNZ Basketball Court, with guest appearances from BNZ Breakers and BNZ Northern Kāhu players, skills sessions and giveaways · Take in the mainstage performances from the BNZ Grandstand · A large outdoor movie screen, provided by Hong Kongbased airline Cathay Pacific, showing a series of familyfriendly short films from its inflight entertainment catalogue

aucklandunlimited.com/news/lights-lanterns-action-bnz-auckland-lantern-festival-returns-in-february

72 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS L to R: Erica, Hugo, Mick & Natalia

THE BLINDS EXPERIENCE The blinds are only part of it!

What is The Blinds Experience and why was it created?

A fresh take on the traditional process customers go through with window furnishings.

Four friends with backgrounds in window furnishings and customer relationships coming together to reimagine what a true customer-focused offering could look like.

What did people want?

Some had the same past experiences as me. Renovating my home on a very tight budget for the window furnishings, I needed unbiased advice. Instead, several salespeople turned up in their vans, with samples they wanted to sell, and ‘sold’ me on them. It felt like no one was interested in my overall home and what I wanted to achieve, or that I was not a DIY expert!

People also shared with us…

Window furnishings enhance my home, but do not make my home alone – take a holistic view, find out what I want to achieve in my home, and then how the blinds can enhance that goal.

Remove the biased sales approach, not steered into products a company is heavily promoting. Stand behind the blinds working as I expected them to.

What is the new ‘experience’ customers will receive?

1. Access to Kylee Murphy from The Style House, ensuring genuine Independent unbiased Interior help from professionals who are not employed by a window furnishings company.

2. Peace of mind from our Total Care Package – we simply call you at three, six, and 12 months after installation to check that your blinds are working as you expected or we will fix them for free.

3. Feel you are doing good in the community. We donate 5% of the value of your purchase to either of the two charities we partner with: I Have a Dream and Woman’s Refuge – you choose and we send you a certificate of your donation.

A recent customer shared: "I met with Kylee from The Style House first as part of The Blinds Experience package, and got tricks and tips for my whole home, a mirror moved here, a plant moved there, some fresh colour on my couch, streamlined my hallway and finally some superb blinds in a texture and colour that matched the mood in my home I wanted to create. I love the look of my ‘new’ home, the blinds were only one part of it."

Touch base with The Blinds Experience team who know that the blinds are only part of it!

Call for more information: M: 021 139 2317, www.theblindsexperience.com

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 73

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

MIKE SYMONDS, BARFOOT & THOMPSON IN PONSONBY

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL:

A well-rounded, approachable nice guy, always looking for new adventures with the family involving the great outdoors.

He likes to keep busy and have variety, so always looking for something interesting to do.

How did you become a real estate agent?

I used to work on superyachts and was invloved in the data side of the America's Cup for a few years. Afterwards, I wanted a business which gives me freedom to run my own business on my own terms to some extent. People interaction and connecting people with deals has always been attractive to me. Real estate and now management with Barfoot and Thompson Ponsonby and Wynyard Quarter certainly provides plenty of opportunities. It’s a great dynamic company with fantastic people.

What's inspired you recently?

Turning 50 and having a couple of mates pass away due to somewhat preventable illnesses. It gives you perspective, makes you concentrate on the things that matter and not take everything so seriously.

Who is your partner? What do they do?

My wife is Natasha who does some part time recruitment and is also an awesome full time mum to our two super cool kids, Sam (12) and Isabella (10), who are little local legends at Ponsonby Intermediate and Westmere Primary. They certainly keep Tash busy running around with sports, play dates and generally just being kids.

What's your secret talent?

I can juggle.

Where do you spend your holidays?

Do you have any pets?

Two Burmese cats that are a lot older than me and a Daschund which looks like a slipper with eyes.

How do you keep fit?

Try to go to the gym at least three times a week (fail most of the time) and try to eat a healthy diet.

Whangamata, Taupo or Queenstown.

What's your perfect Sunday?

Doing something with the family outdoors with something on the slow cooker to come back to.

What were you going to be when you grew up?

stop procrastinating, just do it!

A farmer, but I ended up sailing on the other side of the world about as far from farming as you could be. Weird really, considering I grew up on one.

Your mother would say of you…

Favourite Ponsonby cafe?

Your best friend would say of you…

don't do it. Remember last time you did that? Ha, she would probably say I'm certainly not boring.

You’ve got a day off, how do you spend it?

Fishing, golfing, sailing or taking the kids to anywhere or anything that gets them away from screens.

The Rocket Store – great coffee every morning.

Favourite Ponsonby restaurant?

Prego or Blue Breeze – both delicious and have a great vibe.

Your best kept Ponsonby secret?

Everything you want is within walking distance.

Virtues?

Grateful for a great job and a fantastic family. Humour to keep it real and the confidence to try anything new.

Your desert island distractions?

Vices?

The house is on fire and your family is safe, what do you save?

Probably drinking and eating too much like a lot of people.

Thank goodness Christmas is over – back to the gym, no procrastinating, just do it!

Who's your ultimate rock icon?

Hammock, fishing rod and book – sorted.

My motorbike and Champagne.

I'd be lost without my…

my admin team.

David Bowie.

One thing you have learned about life is...

Secret passion?

Hiking around the beautiful Southern Alps twice a year chasing an elusive deer or fishing/diving in Fiordland.

chill out, have fun, back yourself, work and play hard, don't let the noise trap you from enjoying yourself with your family and friends.

E: msymonds@barfoot.co.nz M: 021 330 307, www.barfoot.co.nz/branches/ponsonby

74 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

@ MELUKA

New homewares available online and in stores - www.meluka.co.nz

BY

DANSKE

MØBLER

Furniture. Simply.

15% OFF ALL DRAWERS SHOP ONLINE OR IN STORE

meluka.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 75

ARTS + CULTURE

NEW TO THE HOOD satellite2 at 61a Victoria Road is Devonport’s newest gallery, offspring of the original CBD Satellite, 2006-12.

The ethos of our past endeavours, which also include Depot Artspace 1996-2022, No.1 Parnell Gallery, Rawene, from 2014, and The Church residency 2022, continues to shape our current creative journey. We believe that the arts transcend trends, academic accomplishments, economic considerations, and hierarchies of approval. satellite2’s primary interest is in how to best represent artists for whom matters of social justice, equity, environmental protection, the metaphysical and supernatural are a focus.

Our current exhibition is a result of conversations about conservation and protection of our endangered species, whenua and social environment, the celebration of what is and the warning about what may be. Titled Endangered, it includes works on this theme by Tony Johnston, Kristin Ivill, Tarsh Somervell and Frank Zimmerman aka Womble.

Frank’s NZ flag in the gallery window is a prophetic piece, painted in the 1980s on a real estate sign. Frank's flag stands alongside Tony Johnston’s penguins/hoiho, another of our endangered species.

Kristin Ivill – Landslip

Natasha Somervell – Petrel

Mid-February we’ll celebrate our Rainbow community with Pride of Place, and from 15 March to 19 April we’re excited to welcome a solo exhibition Nunuku’s Light, by expressionist artist Miriam Cameron, whose travels to the Chatham Islands Wharekauri with artist Nigel Brown resulted in a series of paintings remembering Nunuku, the land, sea and sky of his people, the Moriori who lived for eight centuries under a covenant of peace and, out of this, their art, the petroglyphs and dendroglyphs of cave rock and tree.

Starting round the time of ANZAC commemorations, 25 April is an exhibition whose theme is War and Peace, and which features Ralph Hotere’s Song of Solomon along with artists Nigel Brown, Hye Rim Lee, Miriam Cameron, Joanne Barrett, Tony Johnston, Lindsay Evans, Helen Pollock and Eli Molloy-Wolt. www.satellite2.co.nz/signup-to-artsletter

76 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

Tony Johnston – Late For Work

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ARTS + CULTURE Philippa Blair

@ OREXART Small is beautiful in February.

Orexart presents 20 small-er works to kick off 2024.

After the big events of 2023 we felt the need of a little less bluster and a lot more charm. That being said these small works still pack a very nice (little) punch, as small works often do. We all have limited space so these will give you some nice options to consider.

Opening Tuesday 6th Feb and running through until March 3rd. Works by Richard McWhannell, Tony Lane, Philippa Blair, and more.

Open 11am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday.

OREXART, 221 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 378 0588, www.orexart.co.nz

Tony Lane

Richard McWhannell

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 77

ARTS + CULTURE

Sean Whittaker

Sarah Oostendorp

Hamish Haldane

MINIMALISM @ 250 GALLERY This month 250 Gallery is featuring three artists whose works explore minimalism in art.

What Would Donald Judd Do? 31 January – 24 February, Wednesday to Saturday 10am– 5pm Opening event: 5pm – 8pm, Thursday 1 February

After his death in 1994 the future of the ‘Godfather of Minimalism’ Donald Judd’s estate was thrown into question. As the legal battle ensued (and continues to this day) many residents of his adopted home in Marfa, Texas, responded to the controversy with t-shirts and bumper stickers on their cars and in shop fronts reading ‘WWDJD?’ (What Would Donald Judd Do?). Inspired by this story and taking the question as a more literal starting point, the artists in this exhibition have questioned the influence and importance of Minimalism in their individual art practices.

Sean Whittaker is an Australian born artist, currently living and working in Auckland. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2015 and has exhibited across Australia in both solo and group exhibitions. His multidisciplinary practice focuses largely on human ambition and draws inspiration from literature, popular culture and art history.

Sarah Oostendorp attended Elam School of Fine Art and is an emerging contemporary artist from Southland, Aotearoa currently living in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.

Her art practice focuses on states of mind achieved while creating labour-intensive drawings of repeated circular movements using paint. Viewers are provoked to create their own narrative as figures, landscapes and textures begin to appear in her work.

Hamish Haldane is an Auckland based artist who has exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions. Motivated by philosophy and art history, the content of his practice has become increasingly minimalist in content over time while also considering the deeper than simply conscious possibilities of forms. The work deliberately involves the viewer in this exploration through highly reflective acrylic surfaces.

PLAYBACK THEATRE

This month we will be hosting the Auckland Playback Theatre on Friday 16 February 7-8.30pm gold coin koha.

Next door to Mumbaiwala. Free off street parking outside.

250 Gallery, 250 Ponsonby Road. M: 0274 519 662, Instagram: tinafrantzenartist; and two.fiftygallery

78 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ARTS + CULTURE Basquiat Warhol collaboration at the Brant

UPTOWN ART SCENE On Christmas Day, we found ourselves on a direct flight to New York, thanks to cut-price tickets from Air New Zealand, and the offer of an apartment in Alphabet City on the promise we take care of its resident corgi.

NYC was exciting, expensive, exhausting and extraordinary. Alongside the dog, our priorities were art, cocktails, food and investigating the city on foot and metro. While the delights of the megalopolis were giddy, it was also not shy of showing us how tough life here can be.

Thankfully, New York’s relentless momentum was not our burden. We met with several friends passing through – Melissa and Matthew Browne (Browne School of Art) at Down & Out, an excellent cocktail bar in East Village, as they passed through to London.

We introduced Heather and Graeme Harris (Gordon Harris) to Goodnight Sonny, a classy bar run by Tui, a first-generation New Yorker whose whakapapa is to Ngai Tuhoe.

It wasn’t all cocktails (also at Stonewall Inn and Pisellino). Our walks through Lower Eastside and Bowery were a visual feast, with every surface coated in spray paint and posters. Then there were the buildings full of the finest art: Photografiska, the Brant, Brooklyn Museum, the Guggenheim, the Met and the Cloisters, the Neue Gallery and the New Gallery, the Whitney, NY Public Library and the 5Pointz graffiti project.

Brooklyn Museum was the most fun – a community feel in a huge stone edifice, with a moving look at film-maker Spike Lee’s creative sources, Judy Chicago’s magnum opus The Dinner Party, and the fascinating ceramic work of Japan’s Kondo family. Their café was also tops.

A survey show of Ruth Asawa at the Whitney, from her college work to her famous wire sculptures, was our top pick exhibition. Huge paintings by Lee Krasner, also at the Whitney, and Basquiat-Warhol colabs at the Brant were also worth travelling for.

We arrived back fizzing, yet thankful of our more kind-paced life here. And with a new love for corgis.

EVAN WOODRUFFE, Studio Art Supplies www.studioart.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 79

THE PONSONBY PINK PAGES

LET PONSONBY NEWS READERS KNOW ABOUT YOUR BRAND…

ADVERTISING RATES START AT $235+GST EMAIL: info@ponsonbynews.co.nz PH: 021 771 147 www.ponsonbynews.co.nz

Ponsonby Flowers

by Bill Patel

290 Ponsonby Road

80 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

THE PONSONBY PINK PAGES

Fed up with slow Wi-Fi? Get up to speed.

• Comprehensive assessment of your network • Understanding current internet usage • Assess the number of devices • Speed test Wi-Fi around the home/office • Assess current router loading • Detailed list of custom recommendations

Comprehensive Wi-Fi Assessment 0800 424 335

$89

$65

For a limited time only

info@geeksonwheels.co.nz

geeksonwheels.co.nz

NON-TOXIC WEED CONTROL AND CLEANING SERVICES DRIVEWAYS, PATHS, ARTIFICIAL GRASS, GARDEN BEDS + SAFE FOR USE WHERE KIDS AND PETS PLAY! Call Matt Kirby on 027 222 7684 matt@safeweedcontrol.co.nz safeweedcontrol.co.nz

@WeedingTech

ACUPUNCTURE • MOXA • CUPPING GUA SHA •CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE 09 360 0738 • reception@thehealthclinic.co.nz 2/571 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland, 1026

www.thehealthclinic.co.nz

6 CLASSES FOR $60 STUDIO PILATES WYNYARD QUARTER TEXT OR CALL 021 510 486 TO REDEEM THIS OFFER

PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 81

ARTS HOROSCOPES + CULTURE

HOROSCOPES:

MISS PEARL NECLIS – what your stars hold for February

Aquarius (the Water Carrier) 21 January - 19 February

Pisces (the Fishes) 20 February - 20 March

Aries (the Ram) 21 March - 20 April

If you’re willing to accept that your life hasn’t completely turned out the way you would like, you might find some peace at last. Accepting what you have could eventually make you a stronger person.

Communication could be an issue this month.

You know what you want but those who can supply you with the necessary information might not understand your needs. It could be a generational thing. It’s up to you to figure out how to communicate differently.

You’re being recognised for having a beautiful soul and your creative juices are flowing. You don’t have to rely on your intuition any more when you figure out just who you are. Take an innovative approach to solving any problems that may pop up on your journey.

Taurus (the Bull) 21 April - 21 May

Gemini (the Twins) 22 May - 21 June

Cancer (the Crab) 22 June - 22 July

You may be able to help others that are struggling this month. You seem to be calm in most situations and that is rubbing off on your close friends. They see in you someone who can share knowledge that would be beneficial and positive.

You’ve finally got to the point in your life where you’re content with what you’ve accomplished. Now you can sit back and enjoy what you’ve created with your friends. Sharing what you have will create a path for people to follow if they want to.

You can be friends with someone else who is different from the people you usually associate with. It’s not always easy to change your perception of someone when there is a lot of gossip going about. Make your own mind up and be a friend.

Leo (the Lion) 23 July - 21 August

Virgo (the Virgin) 22 August - 23 September

Libra (the Scales) 24 September - 23 October

You’ve had at times the whole world at your feet. But now is not the time to dwell on the past. You’ve created a new future for yourself if only you could see it. Things will get better, you just have to ride the wave to shore.

Travelling might be on your mind this month and it’s a very good time to go away.

Planning isn’t your strong point so maybe get someone to give you a hand. Don’t go to far out of your comfort zone as you may be uncomfortable doing something you’re not sure about.

It’s good to be familiar with your emotions but sometimes they can get the better of you. You know that you can take care of yourself but reluctant to do so. Take a chance and break free, you’ll be glad you did.

Scorpio (the Scorpion) It shouldn’t matter how uncomfortable you are feeling, if you need to vent then do it. Help is there you just don’t know how to ask for it. Take a backseat even if you do feel awkward about it. You will feel better in the long run.

Sagittarius (the Archer) 23 November - 22 December

Capricorn (the Goat) 23 December - 20 January

That relationship you’ve been craving for is definitely on the table. But make sure you approach things with an open eye. You seem deliriously happy and that’s rubbing off on all you come into contact with but don’t ruin it with to much sentiment.

You’ve wanted to be different for quite some time and you know that you have the ability to change within yourself. Take some caution though, it’s not a good idea to rush anything until you’re sure. You might have to deal with some negativity but you’ve coped with that all your life.

82 PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

– Doug C

Shop Local for European Antiques W W W. E U R O P E A N A N T I Q U E S . C O . N Z

europeanantiquesnz www.lahood.co.nz | 0800 LAHOOD

SUNBED STUDIO megasun.co.nz

We specialise in estate & house clearances and can:

• Completely clear the property, including garages & assist with the sale of possessions (No commission taken).

• Provide detailed inventories.

+64 9 361 3361 54 PONSONBY ROAD, PONSONBY

• Ship within NZ and overseas.

Call us and we will mail you a brochure.

0800 839 874

www.elderlyassist.co.nz

AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD

280 RICHMOND ROAD, GREY LYNN PH: 09 360 0809 Fully Licensed & BYO Wine Only Monday: 4.30pm–9.30pm | Tuesday–Sunday: 11am–9.30pm Somboon Khansuk (Ekk) Owner MODERN THAI CUISINE IN GREY LYNN 2 SURREY CRESCENT, GREY LYNN | THAIGER.CO.NZ | 09 360 0695

www.thaithaiauthentic.co.nz TUCKERFOX NZ | UBER EATS

Because we all deserve freedom SAFE helping animals out Help us fight cages

safe.org.nz PONSONBY NEWS+ February 2024 83

THE PONSONBY PINK PAGES

“ V E RY F R I E N D LY A N D K N O W L E D G E A B L E S TA F F ”

LICENSED REAA (2008)

Sue Hatton 0272 799 696

rwmatakana.co.nz/MKA30366

Your waterfront lifestyle awaits see inside for more