PONSONBY NEWS - MARCH '21

CELEBRATING 31 YEARS OF PUBLISHING HISTORY!

MARCH 2021

Established: OCTOBER 1989

MEET THE OREXART TEAM IN THEIR NEW PONSONBY SPACE ponsonbynews.co.nz

R E A L E S TAT E L I M I T E D

A M Y W IL DM A N 0 2 1 42 6 92 6 HELLO@J ERVOI S.C O.NZ M ATT O’BRIE N 021 687 866 MAT T@JERVOI S.C O.NZ JE RVOIS .CO.NZ LICENSED REA (2008)

N° 30 LONDON STREET, SAINT MARYS BAY AUCTION ONSITE – 6PM, 10 MARCH, 2021 (UNLESS SOLD PRIOR) | CALL TO VIEW

ST MARY’S SEASIDE ESCAPE With amazing active views day and night of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour and overlooking Westhaven Marina and the Auckland Harbour Bridge, forget about extra artwork for the walls - this one is moving in real time!

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021 687 866 M ATT@ J E RVOI S .C O.N Z

N° 75 WELLINGTON STREET, FREEMANS BAY AUCTION ONSITE – 6PM, 17 MARCH, 2021 (UNLESS SOLD PRIOR) | CALL TO VIEW

SOLID & SUNNY INNER CITY SANCTUARY This very well maintained family home is super straight & solid, & modern in just the right places.

A newly rebuilt attached self contained studio is perfect for a teenager or airBnB. The north facing big backyard means all day sun in beautifully peaceful surroundings, & development potential under unitary plan.

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INSIDE THIS MONTH

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LETTERS & EMAILS

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FROM THE EDITOR

010 DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW

020 PIPPA COOM: COUNCILLOR FOR WAITEMATA- & GULF 022 RICHARD NORTHEY, WAITEMATA- LOCAL BOARD 024

CHLÖE SWARBRICK

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JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

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PONSONBY PARK

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PREDICT WEATHER.COM

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GREY LYNN AND AROUND

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HELENE RAVLICH: FASHION & STYLE

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TRAVEL BREAKS

049 EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY 056 VEGAN VIBE - SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS 058 LIVING, THINKING + BEING 067 FUTURE GENERATION 073

TEEN PICKS

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

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ARTS & CULTURE

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COVER STORY - OREX ART

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STREAMING GUIDE FORM MARCH

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HOROSCOPES: MISS PEARL NECLIS

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THE PONSONBY PINK PAGES

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Connor Crawford

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

PRINTED BY WEBSTAR, AUCKLAND. ISSN 1177-3987

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@ponsonbynews @Ponsonby_News @ponsonbynews

STEP INTO AUTUMN March is a strange month when it comes to weather – awkwardly straddling summer and autumn, with elements of each thrown joyously into the mix on any given day - p39.

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

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

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 5

201/70 Daldy Street, Wynyard Quarter This quality Wynyard Central home is now completed and ready to move in, or alternatively rent out your new investment immediately - premium properties such as this are currently in extraordinarily high demand.

Situated on the sun-soaked Northern face of ‘30 Madden’, apartment 201 is a light-filled oasis finished to the highest level, enjoying all-day sun stretching across the entire length of the residence. Imagine watching the sunrise from your private corner balcony and relaxing in the evening while taking in dusky sunsets from the luxuriously appointed and private master bedroom with wraparound floor to ceiling glazing.

An inviting open plan living area features a stunning gourmet island kitchen as the hub of the home, and leading through to the lounge enjoys views spanning from the Harbour Bridge through toward the charming Daldy Street Linear Park and beyond to Wynyard Wharf with a true connection to the vibrant street-life below. This versatile second-floor space enjoys a layout that will suit many different living options, with a floor plan affording privacy across the living, bedroom, and bathroom zones, along with a welcoming entrance area for greeting guests. Accessibility is enhanced with a car park and large storage box handily situated on the same level just a short distance from the apartment. With no ground-rent payable until 2147 and designed by the award-winning Studio Pacific Architecture, this is your opportunity to enjoy quality apartment living at its best.

Charlotte Kofoed +64 21 241 9394 charlotte.kofoed@nzsir.com 2

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View nzsothebysrealty.com/NZE11194

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Price $2,099,000

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

13 Peary Road, Mount Eden You will fall in love with this transitional villa and the kiwi dream lifestyle it represents.

Sitting on a generous secure section, think kids playing, room for a sandpit and trampoline, space for your vege garden and relaxing with friends and whanau. Contemporary updates combine sympathetically with the original character charm making this home immediately comfortable and welcoming.

Charlotte Kofoed +64 21 241 9394 charlotte.kofoed@nzsir.com Hamish Kofoed +64 27 655 2250 hamish.kofoed@nzsir.com 3

1 3 Floor 127 sq m Land 600 sq m View nzsothebysrealty.com/NZE11340 Auction 12:00pm, Thursday 18 March 2021

Just SOLD SOLD

SOLD

1 Ring Terrace, Saint Marys Bay

59B Argyle Street, Herne Bay

SOLD

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13 Dublin Street, Saint Marys Bay

80 Fisher-Point Drive, Freemans Bay

nzsothebysrealty.com

CHARLOTTE KOFOED M +64 21 241 9394 charlotte.kofoed@nzsir.com

HAMISH KOFOED M +64 27 655 2250 hamish.kofoed@nzsir.com

LETTERS & EMAILS

HEALTHY WATERS I’m sure other St Mary’s Bay residents are grateful to Herne Bay residents, as we certainly are, for allowing Auckland Council (“Healthy Waters”) to discharge sewage overflows on their side of the bridge instead of ours. Bill Allen, St Mary’s Bay REDEVELOPMENT @ 8 PRATT STREET IN FREEMANS BAY Your readers may be interested to learn that Dancia Home Limited have targeted the apartment building at 8 Pratt Street in Freemans Bay for redevelopment.

Currently the building consists of twelve units. Dancia proposes replacing it with a 96 unit development on the site. The property concerned has street frontage along Anglesea Street to the corner of Hepburn Street, borders the Freemans Bay Community Centre, the reserve and issues on to Wellington Street via Pratt Street.

Such an intensification forces enormous strain on the existing fragile infrastructure. The new storm water separation does not factor such a change in density into its design. The sanitary sewerage barely copes with its present workload.

One suspects the electrical network will strain just as it has with the developments in Grey Lynn. And, Wellington Street can ill support such an increase in local traffic. Parking, always at a premium in this suburb despite the parking scheme, will become impossible for residents once again.

Perhaps, most importantly the heritage character of this central suburb risks being destroyed. Development along the Anglesea Street portion of the property promises to mar the Victorian streetscape our overlay purportedly protects.

Unless the building offers properly scaled Victorian features it makes a mockery of the consenting and design process at work along the rest of the street and the adjoining neighbourhood.

This development threatens mature trees which form part of the local greenway connecting the reserve, Waiatarau Park and Western Park.

Kereru, tui, riroriro and piwakawaka use this corridor regularly as they forage. The trees help mitigate toxic emissions produced by SH1 as it passes through the suburb, capture particulate matter, absorb carbon dioxide and cool the air - all salutory effects in the fight against global warming.

STAND UP - COME OUT - NATURE NEEDS YOU In the same week that Man landed on Mars, the battle to protect our public trees continues. Despite international warnings of climate change and the indisputable fact that trees are our first line of defence against extreme weather, Auckland Council continues to ignore public concerns and supports the felling of trees in our local forests, reserves and parks.

In November 2020 the owner of 50 Larchwood Ave, Westmere, sought and received permission to fell four mature trees on the boundary of Wellpark Reserve. No one can confirm who or when the trees were planted, but they were over 50 years old and a vital part of our reserve, providing protection to a wide range of native birds & insects. Dr. Claudia Wyss, Director Customer & Community Services for Auckland Council has totally ignored our formal complaint, handing it to Maureen Glassey, Principal Advisor to Elected Members.

Ms. Glassey played a key role in persuading Waitemata- Local Board members Northey, Gunthorpe, Leoni and Sandiland to vote “Yes” to clearfell the Western Springs Forest.

In March 2021, Auckland Council contractor Treescape Ltd, owned by Vector Ltd, will again rev up their chainsaws to hack down this GOLD STANDARD transitioning forest. “Why?” I hear you ask... because they are desperate to hold onto power and not be seen to allow a community to win. It threatens the very structure of council and the power politics at play.

Therefore, we need you to come OUT en masse and say No! Organised by ‘Occupy Garnet Rd,’ you will be asked to stand in or around the forest, to bring food, drinks, tents, chairs and signs. We have tried everything to stop this massacre by the Waitemata- Local Board, who voted 4 to 3 to fell the seventy year old native forest beneath the pines which is home to fantail, tui, morepork, heron, weta & endangered lizards.

We seek to protect this unique inner city ecosystem. Join us, make a stand for the planet and against more mindless business & bureaucracy, hell bent on profit over people. See Facebook posts by Occupy Garnet Rd for the “Shout Out” and more details. Kia kaha my friends. We will need it.

Lisa Prager, Spokesperson, Occupy Garnet Road

Their loss would only contribute to the negative environmental consequences of a multi-storey apartment block which necessarily requires increased energy consumption for heating and cooling of such an artificial environment.

Please become involved at the local level and register your concerns with the Waitemata- Local Board members, Pippa Coom, your Auckland Councillor, and the Freemans Bay Resident’s Association.

I remain, A Concerned Citizen, Freemans Bay WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD MEETING At the Waitemata- Local Board meeting on Tuesday 16 February, there was fractious exchange between members Sarah Trotman and Adriana Christie.

Sarah questioned why Adriana had decided who should replace her as the official representative of the Board when she was unable to attend a meeting of the Ponsonby Road Consultation Group. She had chosen an associate when it should have been another member of the Board. By doing this, she was treating her role as a personal fiefdom which certainly is a breach of good governance - and probably worse.

Keith McConnell, keith@keithforwaitemata.com Opinions expressed in Ponsonby News are not always the opinion of Alchemy Media Limited & Ponsonby News.

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FROM THE EDITOR

Following on from the latest shift in Covid-19 alert levels, we are now able to celebrate with the Auckland Rainbow Parade later this month (Saturday 13 March).

The Parade starts at 6pm from Tole Street and runs down the strip to Western Park and the Ponsonby Street Festival will continue with the party running from 7pm - 10pm. See you there!

This month there are two letters to the editor plus John Elliott’s editorial on the plight of our trees. There is a growing awareness in the wider Auckland community that we are chopping down too many mature trees. Some are going to make way for space for more inner city apartments for the population intensification of the city.

There are others being felled by AT from the sides of roads to make way for cycle and walk ways. We seem to be losing touch with the understanding that trees have important amenity values in our city, including as important carbon sinks.

Well-known cinematographer, Leon Narbey, can be found selling his award-winning olive oil at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday mornings. His oil is divine.

The Council is open for submissions on their 10 year plan. If you are as anxious as we are to see the Leys Institute fully restored, visit the Farmers Market on Sunday 14 March to have your say.

Get THE team

photography: Connor Crawford

Auckland Transport (AT) is working together with the community to test people-friendly spaces and safer ways to travel on Ponsonby Road. AT have been canvassing local schools asking students for their ideas for making our streets more community friendly.

Jay Platt & Martin Leach

This issue is the first column for our new Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick. As she says, “Please, don’t hold back. Drop by my office when it’s open. Come by one of the many public events we’ll be hosting for your input. Give my office an email or a call. Let’s make it happen.”

From art galleries like Whitespace and Orexart (recently relocated to Ponsonby Road) to design stores like Bob and Friends, Dawson & Co, Bauhaus, ECC and Homage, there are a plethora of inspiring local places to draw from when the soul needs more than just things.

(MARTIN LEACH)  PN

M AT T & RYA N N 1 I N G R E Y LY N N*

2 experienced salespeople 2 dedicated sales associates A full-time dedicated P.A

Get the team that works for you

Matt O’Rourke 021 375 909

Ryan Harding 021 621 580

m.orourke@barfoot.co.nz

r.harding@barfoot.co.nz

* G re y Ly n n b ra n c h - ye a r e n d i n g M a rc h 2 0 2 0

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 9

LOCAL NEWS

DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH JEFF WILEY Jeff Wiley has a very unique job. He knows his cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants like nobody else.

What area do you live in and what’s the best thing about it?

Herne Bay - I love the accessibility to the amazing bars and restaurants and being so close to the water.

Can you describe your job in one sentence?

Simply put, I sell cafes, bars, restaurants and pubs.

What was your childhood like?

Amazing. I was very fortunate to grow up with parents who gave me the freedom to make my own decisions in life.

Complete the sentence: I will die happy if... ...my mind is still intact.

Which item of clothing can’t you live without?

White tee.

Who do you think is the most annoying celebrity today?

Anyone who portrays a different image publicly to what they are actually like behind closed doors.

Your favorite time of the day?

8pm when we’ve just finished dinner, feet up on the sofa and my wife is cleaning up (don’t worry I cooked!)

Which TV series would you never miss and why?

The Kardashians. Their time is up, although my wife would disagree.

Tell us about your dream home.

A mid-century modernist home with a view of the water.

Where would your dream holiday be?

Amalfi Coast, Italy.

Your most treasured possession?

My Cartier bracelet that my wife gave me on our wedding day.

What’s on your bucket list?

Attend The Masters (golf).

What are you insecure about?

I would like to say nothing but I’m human, therefore I have my fair share.

Looking forward, where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

Still happily married, but with kids and in our dream home somewhere in the greater Ponsonby area.

Tell us something very few people know about you.

I was a Boyz II Men fan growing up.

What job would you do other than your own and why?

Professional golfer – they get to play the best courses, travel the world, and oh yeah, the pay isn’t too bad either.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

The odd grey hair that now seems to want to appear from time to time.

Do you read movie or TV reviews?

Sometimes, but like most things I just go with my gut.

What do you love most about your age?

I’m more confident in who I am and where I’m going in life.

What is something that you really disapprove of?

Food critics who don’t understand the financial implications that their negative reviews can have on a small business.

What is your biggest disappointment?

I prefer to look at everything as a lesson, therefore a failed business of mine was a very big lesson.

What is the thing that really motivates you?

The idea that tomorrow can be better than the day before if you want it to.

What do you think happens when we die?

We sit up in the clouds and watch down on our loved ones. Whether it’s true or not, that would be fun.

Give your teenaged-self some good advice.

Don’t be scared of failing, and put yourself out there more.

What is the best thing you do to chill out?

I couch potato.

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What is your greatest fear?

Swimming in the deep sea.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

I’ve never been big into fiction.

What superpower do you wish you had?

I would like to at least be able to travel back in time to experience the world in a different era.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I’d love to be able to play an instrument, maybe even the piano.

What gizmo can you simply not live without?

My airpods.

Your greatest weakness/indulgence?

Potato chips.

What is your comfort food?

Chicken parmigiana with scallop potatoes. No vegetables required. Stop it!

What would be your dream guest list for a dinner party?

My grandparents from both sides. I never spent enough time with them before they passed to ask questions about their lives (mainly because we never lived in the same cities/countries as them). We all come from somewhere and from people who had their own lives, which I find so fascinating.

Do you have a party trick you are happy to share?

It was opening a beer bottle with my teeth until I chipped one.

What is your favorite movie and why did you enjoy it?

Forrest Gump – so many lessons we can take from it and it never gets old.

PN (DAVID HARTNELL MNZM) 

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

BLAIR HADDOW LOVING, LIVING & SELLING GREATER PONSONBY 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, 71 Summer Street

Herne Bay, 306B Jervois Road

Herne Bay, 55B Kelmarna Avenue

For Sale Auction (unless sold prior)

For Sale Auction (unless sold prior)

For Sale Auction (unless sold prior)

Grey Lynn, 12 Leighton Street

Ponsonby, 52 Pompallier Terrace

Ponsonby, 26 John Street

For Sale Auction (unless sold prior)

For Sale Auction (unless sold prior)

For Sale Auction (unless sold prior)

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

Re s i d e n t i a l / Co m m e rc i a l / R u ra l / P ro p e r t y S e r v i ce s

@nicblackie_

FB.com/nicblackierealestate

The Spanish Revival 29 West End Road, Herne Bay Auction

Nic Blackie 021 505 964

Robyn Ellson 021 800 891

nic.blackie@raywhite.com

robyn.ellson@raywhite.com

This gorgeous 1932 Spanish Mission Style home is an elegant masterpiece set for 2021 refinement Designed by the award winning Gummer & Ford, this is a lifestyle for the discerning, the quirky, the eclectic, the designer, the art lover.

J T REALTY LIMITED - LICENSED REA (2008)

LOCAL NEWS

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

After feedback from the public late last year and three community design workshops held over the past few months, the section of Ponsonby Road between Anglesea Street and Williamson Avenue has been confirmed as the focus area for the project.

The community design group has developed ideas that include safer crossings, new trees and plants, colour, artwork, safer ways to travel on bike and foot, improvements to loading zones and Uber pick-ups, and nicer places to sit and spend time.

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

With limited time and budget, we won’t be able to implement all of these changes, and your feedback will be helpful in determining which changes are trialled.

We are making a conscious effort to do things differently on this project by allowing people to try out potential changes before making them more permanent. It’s an exercise in testing and learning together with the different users of Ponsonby Road so, we can get a sense of what the future of Ponsonby Road could look like.

To understand the different views and needs of the community, we assembled a community design group of 26 people, including business representatives from the local business association, residents associations, the Waitemata- Local Board, and other members of the community. The group met three times between December 2020 and February 2021 to read through the public feedback, identify opportunities for change, consider which sections of Ponsonby Road are most suited for trialling changes, and to come up with ideas for what these temporary changes might be.

Next Steps • Draft designs are up on our Social Pinpoint page, where you can provide your feedback before 17 March.

• We are working with experts, businesses, and the community to further develop these ideas.

• Following 17 March, detailed designs will be created, materials will be sourced, and engagement will continue.

• We are aiming for changes to be in place by mid-2020.

• We will hold an open day, monitor the impact of the changes, and allow for adjustments to be made in response to public feedback. (PIOTR GRABOWIECKI, PRINCIPAL PROJECT MANAGER, AUCKLAND TRANSPORT)  PN Find out more: www.AT.govt.nz/ponsonbyroad

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Have your say on making Ponsonby Road even better.

AT is doing things differently. We’re working with the community to test people-friendly spaces and safer ways to travel as part of the Innovating Streets for People programme.

Our community design group has developed several ideas for temporary changes on Ponsonby Road between Anglesea Street and Williamson Avenue.

Let us know your views Scan the QR code, visit AT.govt.nz/ponsonbyroad or phone 09 355 3553 Provide feedback before Wednesday 17 March

Artists impression of ‘Barnes dance’ pedestrian crossing concept proposed for the Williamson Ave and Richmond Road intersections.

A Barnes Dance is an intersection where pedestrians can cross in all directions.

PONSONBY ROAD – STREETS FOR PEOPLE

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PIPPA COOM

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

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

JOHN ELLIOTT

SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS

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

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

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

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

16 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

STREET

FESTIVAL

NEW DATE!

SAT 13 MAR 2021 Celebrate our Community

Let’s shop, eat, drink, dance and celebrate diversity with Market Day bargains, Pop-Ups, Street Dining, Live Music and more from 11am. The Auckland Rainbow Parade continues the party at 6:00pm before the Ponsonby Street Festival gets underway from 7:00pm 'til midnight.

Auckland Council’s senior heritage arborist said this: “Once it is a notable tree it must be retained, which is the very intent of it being notable. There are no health or structural issues with this tree that cannot be addressed through regular maintenance pruning, which is part of property maintenance. In addition to the amenity values of these trees, they also provide a multitude of eco- services that are increased through maturity and scale.”

-- Whatua - Or Ngati akei also said, “We expect to see this tree protected and retained. While it is not a native tree it still plays a significant role in the ecosystem and the community. Culturally we consider the mauri of the habitat as a whole and this tree will support a number of native animals, including birds, invertebrates and fungi. Nature does not exist in isolation, it is related through whakapapa and it is still a child of Papatu- anuku.

We would also like to draw attention to the recently declared climate change emergency, as well as the councils own Urban Ngahere - awhiri: strategy and Te Tarukea-T Auckland’s Climate Plan; all of which clearly outline the importance of retaining vegetation and especially large trees.

Finally, this notable tree is loved by the community and it plays a significant role in the ecosystem and is contributing to reducing our climate impact. Tamaki Makaurau is losing trees at an alarming rate, we see this every day in resource consents. This should be taken as an opportunity to showcase how we should be retaining trees.

FROM 11AM

There is limited tree protection left in Aotearoa. We would like to trust that the Auckland Council, as our treaty partners, will appropriately value the protected trees. Auckland Council should be showing the people of Tamaki Makaurau that they respecting their role as kaitiaki.” (Older siblings) Let’s protect these mature trees and challenge Auckland Council to do the same!

Gael Baldock, Community Advocate and Tree Protector

STARTS 6 PM

STREET FESTIVAL 7PM ONWARDS

iloveponsonby.co.nz/festival

iloveponsonby

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 17

LETTERS & EMAILS

PROTECT OUR ‘NOTABLE TREES’ Since general ‘tree protection’ was removed, the only means of protecting our mature trees is the ‘Notable Tree Register’. With 600 trees waiting to be listed, Auckland Council has now closed the register off! All trees within reserves and ‘significant ecological areas’ (eg Western Springs Forest) are considered ‘Notable Trees’, and resource consent is required for their removal. Recently a healthy, 130 year-old ‘Notable’ macrocarpa was felled because the developers threatened litigation against Auckland Council. This sets a dangerous precedent.

LOCAL NEWS

LIFE HACKS OF TRIBAL ELDERS Part 2. Ron Hollis - What matters is what you have done in your lifetime.

Ron Collis, our featured Probus Elder for this month is a Ponsonby local who moved here six years ago in his retirement, having lived and worked in both the South Island and the UK. He moved to be with Raywin, his new wife whom he had first met as a teenager. But it all began in Reefton, the West Coast’s historic centre of mining, right in the middle of the spectacular Paparoa and Victoria Ranges on the Lewis Pass. Ron asserts that his philosophy for a good life goes back to that special place where he was born and raised.

It is a philosophy that underpins all his actions now. He takes particular pride in voluntary work he has done over the years, on behalf of associations and sports clubs, for his family and his community. For example, during his recent term as president of the Ponsonby Probus Club, he applied to the Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS), Te Tahua Ma- Nga- Whakahaere i Nga- Hapori, and was successful in getting grants for the club to be able to provide coaches for our retirees’ to have social outings, to foster friendships and new experiences.

Ron’s story started on the rugged West Coast of the South Island where his father owned the local taxi company – all four cars! His background as a youth was a classic Kiwi mix of traditional schooling (St Bedes in Christchurch) with a focus on sporting achievement (rugby and rowing) all the while being exposed to the values inherent in a supportive, small community where generosity, team work and sportsmanship were valued. His youthful ambition was to row at the Henley Royal Regatta and he did just that as a member of a British Bank Eight. While on that classic OE trip in the late 1960s, he also married - on Hampsted Heath of course - the romantic site beloved of artists and poets. Visualise those long haired colonial hippies adorned in beads, feathers and flowers.

Ron’s early career with the National Bank in Reefton prepared him for work with a finance company in London. Later he met and worked with the famous London car dealer Raymond Way and he can regale you with fascinating stories from this period, but above all he recalls how important it was to his employer that business should be conducted with high moral and ethical standards. Ron’s personal sense of what is important in life, which began on the West Coast was being further honed a long way from New Zealand. Life lessons intersect and deepen over time, in very different places.

Returning to Christchurch in the nineteen seventies, Ron continued working in the car business for over twenty years with the BMW franchise. To this day he has clients who keep in touch and remind him of their respect for the way he dealt with them. His way of doing business, helpful, honest and kind, had the characteristics of village

Ron Collis at Il Forno with staff member Silvia Gihidini

life, in a manner of speaking. So it is not surprising to find that what Ron loves about Ponsonby now, his choice for retirement, is the village atmosphere. While others may be distracted by the trendy, bohemian vibe of Ponsonby, Ron appreciates the village feeling that underpins everything loved by locals – the shops and eateries that have stood the test of time and the familiar faces of genuine locals who live, work and play here. Ron loves Ponsonby!

If you think you would enjoy getting together with other like-minded retirees for new experiences and friendships, come and join us. You can meet Ron and all the other local ‘tribal elders’, hear interesting invited speakers and go on outings to places of interest.

(ALEXA LAWRENCE)  PN For information about joining, contact Rosie Armstrong on T: 09 486 5181, or email rosiearm@xtra.co.nz.

Photography: Everall Deans, Ponsonby Business Association

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18 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

75 Years of Magic in Grey Lynn.

STREET

FESTIVAL

NEW DATE!

SAT 13 MAR 2021 Celebrate our Community

Let’s shop, eat, drink, dance and celebrate diversity with Market Day bargains, Pop-Ups, Street Dining, Live Music and more from 11am. The Auckland Rainbow Parade continues the party at 6:00pm before the Ponsonby Street Festival gets underway from 7:00pm 'til midnight.

Magic may be all about fun and entertainment for the audience, but for the members of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians it’s serious business. The club was founded in Grey Lynn and this year is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary.

Vice-President and professional magician Mick Peck says that in an era where clubs of all genres are facing dwindling numbers, the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians (BAM) has never been stronger. “The astonishing thing is that even after seventy-five years we have more people attending our monthly events and more magicians wanting to join than ever.”

The club was founded in 1946 for those with a serious interest in the performing art of magic. “The focus of the club is membership from professional entertainers,” Mick says.

“Attendance is strictly by invitation only, and prospective members must perform an act to demonstrate their ability and dedication.”

Club President Alan Watson QSM says that although called a brotherhood, there are several female magicians involved in the club and also magicians now living outside of Auckland. The most far flung member being Paul Romhany - a magician and Charlie Chaplin performer now living in Canada.

“Magic has always been a part of entertainment and culture going back to the days of the pharoahs in Eygpt,” Alan says. “There are hieroglyphics inside the pyramids showing magicians.”

Patron of the BAM is Ponsonby News columnist David Hartnell MNZM who became involved in magic at an early age. “I joined a magic society when I was eleven years old,” remembers David. “It’s fantastic that there is such a thriving group in Auckland after all these years. It’s come full circle for me.”

Members meet once a month at the Surrey Hotel in Grey Lynn. “The friendship and camaraderie is unlike any other club I’ve ever been involved in,” says David. “There are no egos involved, everyone is there to help each other out.”

FROM 11AM

As well as monthly meetings the BAM also run annual charity shows where tickets are distributed to local non-profit groups.

Mick says that even in a high-tech world, the age old art has never been more popular.

“Magic on the internet can now go viral and be seen by more people in a day than Harry Houdini performed for in an entire lifetime,” he says. “As long as magic continues to evolve, PN it will never die.” 

STARTS 6 PM

STREET FESTIVAL 7PM ONWARDS

iloveponsonby.co.nz/festival

iloveponsonby Mick Peck, Alan Watson, and David Hartnell MNZM

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 19

LOCAL NEWS

DAVID HARTNELL: BROTHERHOOD OF AUCKLAND MAGICIANS - MICK PECK

LOCAL NEWS

Dr Rod Carr, Chair of the Climate Change Commission, Deputy Chair Lisa Tumahai and CEO Jo Hendy with Cr Pippa Coom, Mayor Goff and Cr Richard Hills following their presentation to the Environment and Climate Change Committee.

PIPPA COOM: PONSONBY ROAD - A BATTLEGROUND FOR CLIMATE ACTION The Environment and Climate Change Committee recently received an engaging and informative presentation from Dr Rod Carr, Chair of the Climate Change Commission, Deputy Chair Lisa Tumahai and CEO Jo Hendy.

They made themselves available to discuss the Commission’s draft advice to Government and how Auckland must play a big part in Aotearoa’s pathway to net zero emissions by 2050.

The Commission has called for “transformational and lasting change across society and the economy” to respond to the climate crisis.

Their advice is evidence-based to set New Zealand up for success.

Transport will be one of the most important targets for change. “This means changing the way we travel and move goods. New Zealanders should be able to walk and cycle more”. It’s Auckland’s biggest source of emissions at 43.6 per cent of our total emissions, with 86 per cent of this from travel by road. Transport will be a strong focus of council’s submission which is currently being drafted. It will be - awhiri: aligned with Te-Tarukea-T Auckland’s Climate Plan, launched online in December. An action area of the plan is to increase access to bicycles, micro-mobility devices and the safe, connected and dedicated infrastructure that supports their use.

Ponsonby Road can be seen as one of the battlegrounds in the debate about what we “have to do” as we plan for a decarbonised future and front up to the change needed in our transport networks; change that is needed not just for the health of our planet but for the wellbeing of our communities and businesses looking to recover from the impact of the pandemic. A vocal minority are insisting that the status quo of 6 traffic lanes dedicated to vehicle use are working perfectly fine. They like to run away with a narrative that are not facts. There are plenty of personal attacks against those trying to make a difference but absolutely no evidence to back up their “no change” agenda.

20 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

In the 10 years I have been on council a consistent and overwhelming theme of public feedback has been the desire for healthy, safe, attractive, and connected streets. This aligns with the Commission’s advice to deliver on options allowing people to get around for local trips other than in a car. As we saw during lockdown people will walk more and cycle more when they feel safe. In a climate emergency the status quo is no longer fit for purpose. Dr Carr suggests looking at the action needed from a risk management perspective “what if it doesn’t turn out as bad as we think it is and we’ve done all this stuff to live in a cleaner, healthier, greener, less vulnerable, more sustainable world. What happens if we didn’t need to do all that we did, but what happens if we didn’t do what we should’ve done?”

If there is going to be any outrage directed at Auckland Transport it should be because change is not happening fast enough. There is currently no funded project to put cycle lanes on Ponsonby Road.

While other central city streets become more pedestrian friendly and welcoming for all kinds of mobility, Ponsonby Road is in danger of becoming just a polluting through route and not a desirable destination. As Dr Carr summed up to the Committee we must decide where our ambition lies, “We could do as little as we can get away with, or as much as our grandchildren would expect of us.”

Members of the public can submit on the Climate Change Commission’s advice until 14 March. (PIPPA COOM)  PN www.climatecommission.govt.nz pippa.coom@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

RICHARD NORTHEY: - LOCAL BOARD CHAIR WAITEMATA Let us continue to be careful and cautious so we in Auckland can remain at Covid-19 Alert Level 1 for summer and autumn so we can work, play, meet up with family and friends and participate in and enjoy public events.

The America’s Cup races, the Auckland Arts Festival, Pasifika, St Patrick’s Day, the Nepal Festival, and the International Cultural Festival are great Auckland events in March. The Waitemata- Local Board will publicly celebrate the reopening of its revamped Home Street Reserve on 25 March at 3pm.

Our main focus currently is on the public consultation on the Council’s proposed Recovery Budget. People’s expressed views will be vital in our Board’s advocacy to Council’s Governing Body as part of its decision making on Council’s 10-year Budget (Long-Term Plan).

The early restoration of the Leys Institute buildings for library and public use and the creation of a park at 254 Ponsonby Road have been major points in the Board’s own advocacy to the Governing Body. We also believe higher priority and more resources than the Budget proposes be given to maintaining our community facilities like our libraries, community centres and Studio One, cleaning up our beaches and waterways, transport and road safety projects and action on climate change.

The impacts of Covid-19 mean that most local councils are needing to increase rates by a double figure percentage next year to maintain services and infrastructure and the Waitemata- Local Board is recommending a one-off 8% increase in the general rate and in the water quality targeted rate if we are not to go backwards in meeting these vital needs.

the Water Services Bill and the Auckland Museum’s Annual Plan. Our next meeting is on 15 March from 1pm and, COVID permitting, will be a public meeting at the Board’s office at the corner of Federal and Swanson Streets.

Currently applications are invited from community groups for grants to support facilities, activities, and projects of community benefit.

For the Waitemata- Accommodation Grants applications close on 19 March, as do those for the Regional Sport and Recreation Facilities Grants. Applications for Waitemata- Board Local grants close on 2 April. You can find out about these grants at www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/grants Ponsonby Road is one area for the Innovating Streets Tactical Urbanism Programme. Ponsonby community and business members have worked hard for you at several meetings on activities to make the Ponsonby Road corridor safer and more user friendly for fun, getting around and business growth. To find out more about the project, visit www.at.govt.nz/ponsonbyroad Because of the continuing drought we all still need to limit our water use. The Board office has reopened after another COVID closure.

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

When the time for public submissions comes, from 22 February to 22 March, it would be helpful for you to make a submission about these and other issues and priorities for Council. Waitemata- Local Board members will be out and about to hear your views on the Long-Term Plan including at the Grey Lynn Market on the morning of 7 March, a public meeting on water quality issues on 7 March at 2pm at Parnell School Hall, and at a formal hearing on 9 March from 4.30pm at the Board’s office. You can find out more and have your say online from 22 February to 22 March at www.akhaveyoursay.nz/recoverybudget Our first Waitemata- Local Board meeting on 15 February was under lockdown and so by Skype. It dealt with Council’s Alcohol Control Bylaw and requests for liquor bans for events at Western Springs and the Domain, transport issues, and the Board’s submissions on

22 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Top performing KiwiSaver strategy for 2020

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

LOCAL NEWS

CHLÖE SWARBRICK: AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP One of my first jobs was delivering the now extinct Flat White magazine around the streets of Ponsonby.

It was as soon as I could read that I remember developing an obsession with magazines. I’d whittle down a small pile during fortnightly visits to the Leys Library with Mum, chuffed to have a briefcase-sized insight into the lives, stories and worlds of grown-up people in architecture, fashion, small business and sometimes, politics.

It’s not an insubstantial thing to now hold the privilege of a monthly column in our Ponsonby News as the local MP. As a teenager, I read meticulously through Nikki and Jacinda’s columns side by side in this same magazine, and wondered how actions translated to 600 word opinion editorials, and vice versa. Three years down this weird and wonderful rabbit hole in politics taught me that the glossy stories I navigated as a kid were a roadmap; we can choose to talk about the things that are hard, confront and change them; we can celebrate the things we love, and demand more of it; we can share values and exchange ideas and build a better society for it.

My priorities in the campaign set the foundation for the work I’ve begun undertaking in the nearly four months since the election results rang full and final. Core to the fibre of my politics is accessibility, itself key to accountability. We’re about to open our electorate office around the corner on Karangahape Road, despite some unofficial warnings that we might just get random members of the public walking in and asking for help (you know, exactly our point).

Since taking office, I’ve gone in to bat for small businesses struggling in difficult commercial tenancy relationships, personal guarantees held above their head as well as for families and couples separated by rigid and unfitfor-purpose immigration rules amidst a global pandemic. We’ve pressed to

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

extend protection of our Hauraki Gulf’s marine life. We’ve fought for local residents aghast at the complexity and lack of bureaucratic ownership in solving the issue of asbestos uncovered in Ponsonby Intermediate’s fire.

I’ve built cross-parliamentary consensus on the need for greater transparency and fairness into university student accommodation relationships and contracts.

We’ve co-ordinated cross-agency response and planning to the ongoing emergent homelessness crises and changing street community’s emergent complex needs, turning up pressure on the ministries and departments charged with funding the solution.

In Wellington, I’ve grilled the Reserve Bank governor general and Treasury on the widening wealth gap, to make it ever clearer the political decisions in front of us as a country.

Any and all of these things are only as valuable as the outcomes we get from that advocacy. For that reason, we’ve turned the machine of a massive grassroots movement that helped us pull off this upset election win the good old fashioned way, into a creative, collaborative campaign hub to build the mandate for the work we need done in our community. My major lesson learnt in Parliament over the past term is that the power of the people is stronger than the people in power, and if we do what we’ve always done, we’ll get what we’ve always got.

We all know we’re facing colossal environmental, social and justice challenges. We might have some differences of opinions on how we got here and how we may get out of it, but the only thing guaranteed is we will stay stuck in the same mess if we don’t get out of our corners and thrash out solutions we can all get behind. That’s progress, and that’s what I hope we achieve in at least the next few years that I’m privileged to serve you: community-led change.

So please, don’t hold back. Drop by the office when it’s open. Come by one of the many public events we’ll be hosting for your input. Give my office an PN email or a call. Let’s make it happen. (CHLÖE SWARBRICK)  www.greens.org.nz/chloe_swarbrick

Need to talk? Free counselling helpline - Phone or text 1737

Chlöe Swarbrick MP for Auckland Central

Authorised by Chlöe Swarbrick, Parliament Buildings Wellington

24 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

AND NOT JUST OUTSIDE

Properties have been selling HOT and FAST in the Greater Ponsonby Area with great sales results being achieved for owners. A continued shortage of listings with high demand from buyers is keeping the market particularly buoyant. If you’re thinking of selling, the time is now – please call me for more information.

VISION + PASSION + ACTION =

RESULTS +

Cheryl Regan 021 772 583 | cheryl.regan@bayleys.co.nz

+

=

Results

BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, PONSONBY, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

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

Re si d e n t i a l / Co m m e rc i a l / R u ra l / P ro p ert y Services

LOCAL NEWS

FOR SALE: 5-7 BALMORAL DRIVE, KELVIN HEIGHTS, QUEENSTOWN Rarely do homes have the charm, quality and character of one currently on the market in Queenstown.

Built in the early ‘90s in the style of a European chalet, it was bought by today’s owners, Eoin and Kyra Orr, in 1999. Having purchased at Arrowtown Lifestyle Retirement Village, the couple have listed their property with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Real Estate agents, Gerard Bligh and Hadley van Schaik.

The views from the property are spectacular, commanding a perfect north-westerly aspect of the snow capped mountains and Lake Wakatipu.

Distinctive interior features include timber beams, mainly Matai but also Ironbark, timber floors, schist stone walls, arches, an open wood fire and two living areas, the upper one with a balcony.

The separate guest house was a draw card for the couple. Living in Queenstown they had many friends and family visiting them year round.

Eoin and Kyra installed an impressive dry garden. Selling agent Gerard Bligh says, ‘‘The garden is fairly low-maintenance so we think it would also be a great holiday home.”

On a separately-titled land, Eoin and Kyra built a garage with a three metre-high stud. ‘‘It was built for our boat and our caravan – a bit over the top, I suppose, but it’s good.’’ It has been described by Gerard and Hadley as “easily the best garaging we’ve seen”.

The home’s been left unchanged, Kyra says, ‘‘because otherwise it would just lose its character - you sort of can’t damage it.’’

Gerard describes the quality and finish of the home as ‘‘really exceptional’’ comparing it to a small luxury hotel. “We’re in an alpine resort, and this is quintessential European alpine charm.”

“Surviving the Queenstown winters is easy,” says Hadley. The home has a commercial heating system including a 6,600-litre storage tank that heats the underfloor system and radiators. In addition there are two heat pumps for instant heat.

The current owners said the thing they would miss the most about the home is the wonderful parties that they have hosted over their tenure.

Kyra: ‘‘It’s fabulous when you entertain in winter, at night, with the fire roaring and petanque on the flood-lit court outside.’’

Gerard: ‘‘The unique features are, one, it’s got an insane view, but, two, it’s got that enormous garage, so if you’ve got a big boat or a campervan or lots of cars, it’s really terrific.’’

After a proud ownership, Eoin and Kyra wish the new owners the same contentment.

To view: www.nzsothebysrealty.com/QBS12523 or call Gerard on T: 021 909 198 or Hadley on 021 885 517.  PN

26 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Moving to Queenstown?

FOR SALE

Sunny and Elevated

5 - 7 Balmoral Drive, Kelvin Heights, Queenstown

Discreet from the street, this property will surprise and delight you once inside. This elevated estate comprises two separate buildings over two titles totalling 1,583 sq m. Step inside to discover an interior incorporating the splendour of a chalet in the French Alps! This property will appeal to those who love to live and entertain in inspiring surrounds. The sheltered outdoor entertaining area (incl petanque court) will be a massive hit with your friends and family! Commanding a perfect north-westerly aspect, admire snow-capped mountains in winter, revel in spectacular sunsets and monitor activity on the lake all year long. Under the same roof is a self-contained one bedroom guest house with its own balcony. The second building is an enormous garage with 3m stud for your favourite boat or car collection - easily the best garaging we´ve seen!

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

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Floor Area: 363 sq m Land Area: 1,583 sq m FOR SALE: Offers Over $3,350,000 VIEW: nzsothebysrealty.com/QBS12523 GERARD BLIGH gerard.bligh@nzsir.com +64 21 909 198 HADLEY VAN SCHAIK hadley.vanschaik@nzsir.com +64 21 885 517

LOCAL NEWS

JOHN ELLIOTT: MATURE TREES STILL UNDER THREAT IN AUCKLAND A general consensus seems to have evolved in Auckland that we must protect our mature trees from the chainsaws that threaten so many trees, both exotic and native, especially from greedy developers whose only concern is the almighty dollar. But that consensus hides an uglier side to tree protection politics.

One of Auckland’s best friends is the Tree Council. I spoke to Mels Barton, first about so-called Big Mac, the large old macrocarpa which met its fate at the hands of chainsaws last month.

This old macrocarpa was a scheduled, listed tree, but it was finally taken off the council’s tree register, and demolished without any consent order being applied for.

I asked Mels Barton what taking a tree off the register meant for future tree protection. She said that protection offered by scheduling in the unitary plan is now meaningless. The Tree Council wrote a detailed letter opposing the removal of this tree but was ignored.

They were supported by arborists and ecologists, who said there was no justification under the RMA for removing this tree.

register, “no money for inspections etc”, yet has seen fit to take a noted tree off the register.

Another issue affecting tree protection is the Tupuna Maunga Authority’s decision to chop down all exotic trees and replace with all natives. I was a volunteer on Tiritiri Matangi Island during the restoration of its native forest. We planted more than 300,000 natives, and restored the dawn chorus. I have planted kowhai, puka, pohutukawa and numerous pittosporums in recent years, and no exotics, so I strongly support restoration of native tree forests.

However, natives struggle in wind and if too exposed, as is the environment on most maunga. I would plant natives under the protection of larger exotics, gradually returning a complete native forest.

Mels told me the decision, finally made by the Council CEO, exposed a dirty underbelly of corruption and dirty deals. My information tells me that Occam Director, Mark Todd, had been told much earlier he would be able to cut down Big Mac, and had already pre-sold 40 or so apartments, with the design clearly showing the absence of Big Mac.

I would also like to see more costings done of the value of trees as carbon sinks, animal homes, and as an important part of the ecosystem. I have seen valuations of several hundred thousands of dollars. Maybe, a few more city dwellers would see the light if these figures were promoted.

I was also told that Todd had threatened to go to the High Court if Council denied him the right to chop it down.

Just finally today, I want to restate my opinion that city amenity values need protecting. Any time a local person complains about losing sun to a new tall apartment, or losing peace and quiet, they are called a NIMBY. I support population intensification and hate urban sprawl but I have concluded that the name calling is mostly unfair.

The Tree Council advocates that skilled and careful management of both native and introduced trees is vital to their survival and ability to thrive.

The protests around the removal of this large old tree were comprehensive, but there are minor skirmishes between protagonists, which unfortunately sometimes prevents a unified protest. I’m afraid it’s often about individual egos. However, there seems to be universal agreement that the replacement act for the RMA will be critical to good environmental protection, especially trees. Remember it was National who weakened tree protection in the current RMA. Mels Barton, like most environmental activists, is distraught that there are 587 trees, many nominated by their owners, waiting to be placed on the tree register. However, the council has closed the

28 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

Please read a paper by former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Morgan Williams, who wrote in 1997 that during intensive population pressure it is important that existing citizens have their most precious amenity values protected. One of the critical amenity values often mentioned is tree and garden protection. They mention trees more than any other amenity, including sun, views, peace and quiet, and yet council seems to have an aversion to absolute tree protection. It is a bad mistake. Trees are worth money and better health for our citizens.

Please help us all by urging your friends and neighbours to protect PN what remains of our tree cover. (JOHN ELLIOTT)  PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Seeking Space and Sunshine?

FOR SALE

Live Without Compromise

15 Silverwood Lane, Kelvin Heights, Queenstown

A well-appointed and well-constructed near new home sited on a generous half acre (2,193 sq m) section in sunny Kelvin Heights. The single level floor plan has been brilliantly executed. The master suite has a walk-in robe, spacious en-suite and access to its own deck. Two additional sunny bedrooms (each with walk-in robes) share the tiled family bathroom with freestanding bath. Built to current code with all the benefits of new heating, glazing and insulation. Premium heating includes a ducted heating system throughout (can also do cooling in summer), under-tile in the bathrooms, plus a wood burner. Added bonuses include triple car garaging, a separate media room, a good sized office (or fourth bedroom), a separate laundry, separate guest toilet and abundant storage. This property would make the perfect permanent home for a fortunate family relocating or discerning downsizers coming from a larger property.

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

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Floor Area: 274 sq m Land Area: 2,193 sq m FOR SALE: Offers Over $2,550,000 VIEW: nzsothebysrealty.com/QBS12513 HADLEY VAN SCHAIK hadley.vanschaik@nzsir.com +64 21 885 517 GERARD BLIGH gerard.bligh@nzsir.com +64 21 909 198

LOCAL NEWS

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Com upholstered chair $679, Pensive sofa by Tolv in 6789 heritage leather $6,589, Album 3 seater sofa in montana leather $7,259, Department 3 seater sofa in 4359 range fabric $4,359

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

30 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

NEST MODULAR SOFA by Noble Souls

Ph. 09 476 1121

www.dawsonandco.nz

115 The Strand, Parnell

38 Constellation Dr, Rosedale

www.noblesouls.com

LOCAL NEWS

www.aaf.co.nz, The Dawn Raids, Educate to Liberate, Photographer John Miller 1972

THE POLYNESIAN PANTHER PARTY’S 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Fifty years later these Panthers pictured are still living in Ponsonby/Grey Lynn/Westmere.

Alec Toleafoa originally from O’Neill Street Ponsonby, now resides in Grey Lynn. Alec handled the Party’s legal aid and was a member of the MW (military wing), the MW were prepared to sacrifice their lives, to be imprisoned or take on the system.

Vince Tuisamoa, was a Panther youth member and now resides in Westmere. Vince was on the PIG PATROL (police investigation patrol) and their task was to monitor the Police.

Will ‘ilolahia, now a resident of Freemans Bay, was the founding chairman of the PPP. This year 2021, Alec, Vince, Will, and all other

panther members will be celebrating their 50th anniversary with many activities starting this month in the Aucklands Arts festival.

Do you know, what the PPP have achieved for the history of New Zealand? Will ‘ilolahia will give you monthly updates in his Ponsonby News column.

As part of the celebrations, PPP T-shirts and hoodies will be on sale for you to be a part of history. Come on Ponsonby, like our page and buy T-shirt sales via Waiata Artist Facebook page.  PN For further information email polypanther6@gmail.com

L to R: Rev. Alec Toleafoa, Vince Tuisamoa and Will ‘ilolahia

32 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

PONSONBY PARK – MARCH UPDATE The world’s best cities are defined by their green outdoor spaces as much as by their built environment. For example, New York is as well-known for Central Park and the High Line as it is for the Empire State Building.

For decades, people living in the wider Ponsonby area have been under-supplied with public amenity space in which to relax and socialise*. The land at 254 Ponsonby Road was purchased fifteen years ago to remedy this lack of amenity with the Waitemata- Local Board advocating strongly for the development of the new civic space - aka ‘Ponsonby Park’ - by making it their One Local Initiative (OLI) project with Council.

Currently Auckland Council is delivering a transformational investment programme so that residents, local businesses and visitors to Auckland’s city centre can experience vastly improved green outdoor space options. Options that will meets their needs.

We believe that Ponsonby Park should be included in this roll-out.

George Weeks, the principal urban designer at Auckland Council explains, “Cities are designed to bring people together and they work best when they have something for everyone. Plentiful, accessible public spaces are essential for this and not simply nice-to-have; greenery is good for us.”

Alec Tang, chief sustainability officer at Auckland Council, adds that new green spaces will help the city become a low-carbon region and prepare our city for a climate-impacted future.

“We know climate change will impact our city, delivering warmer temperatures as well as more intense and variable rainfall. It’s important to build the resilience of our communities and infrastructure to these impacts, as well as creating a better environment for people who live and work here. Greening the city will help with this.

It’s not just our environment that will benefit from investment. We know that green spaces are a key contributor to people’s wellbeing.

They provide places for people to connect with each other and with nature. They provide places of rest and respite both to residents and

34 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

workers. Incorporating natural elements into built environment projects - awhiri: is a key action outlined in Te Tarukea-T Auckland’s Climate Plan recently adopted by Auckland Council,” says Tang.

Ponsonby Park will bring all of these benefits and many more. New native and deciduous tree plantings will provide shade and shelter thereby reducing the urban heat island effect. The rain garden will naturally filter surface water during heavy rainfall and will reduce pressure on storm drains thereby improving the water quality of the Waitemata- harbour.

Ponsonby Park will be a vibrant and bountiful place for everyone. It will be a significant part of transforming our neighbourhood and our city to put people at its heart and make it greener, healthier and better connected for all.

Auckland Council is currently developing their next 10-Year Budget 20212031 which sets out the assets and service they will provide for the next 10 years and how we will pay for them.

Submissions are now open and close at 12pm (noon) on 22 March 2021.

Please ensure you put in your own submission and please also support Ponsonby Park, the new civic open space at 254 Ponsonby Road https://akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-the-10-year-budget Ponsonby Park – we’re ready now!

(JENNIFER WARD)  PN * Ref: Ponsonby Open Space Study prepared for Auckland City by Boffa Miskell Ltd December 2000 www.254ponsonbyrd.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Boffa-Miskellreport.pdf www.254ponsonbyrd.org.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Living with Volcanoes, presented by Dr Ian Smith is salient for Aucklanders.

As well as being ‘mentally engaged with volcanoes’, volcanologist Dr Ian Smith is a member of Ponsonby U3A. With his dry humour and charming, unassuming manner he delivered a fascinating account of applying volcano science. He outlined the what (will happen), the where (it will happen) and the when (it will happen) of volcanoes world-wide but more particularly in New Zealand with a focus on Auckland and the implications for people.

As an observational science, volcanology aims to understand volcanoes using stratigraphy (rock strata); geophysics (seismology - difficult in Auckland because of cultural noise); geochemistry (magma composition); and an exciting new development- crystal studies, which can tell how long crystals have been sitting in the magna to predict when there is to be an eruption. As Ian notes wryly, this development alarms civil defence but excites volcanologists!

Ian outlined the types of volcanoes in the world adding that New Zealand arguably has the greatest variety of volcano types within a small area of anywhere in the world: caldera volcanoes such as Taupo, none of which has been observed to erupt; cone volcanoes such as Ruapehu, capable of large eruptions; and volcano fields, the most widespread on earth. Armed with the knowledge that Auckland is built on a field of volcanoes and that eruptions are likely in the future to happen anywhere, the question remains, should we worry? It is likely, says Ian, that the first warning will be shaking, and councils need to be proactive in warning people to understand what might happen when living on a field.

Christine Hill, the 10-minute speaker gave a chronological summary of her extensive career in libraries and the early discovery of her love of cataloguing, which was to stand her in good stead. She highlighted social and technological

Have your say on Auckland’s 10-year Recovery Budget 2021-2031

changes and celebrated the role of the library cataloguer in providing an effective pathway to information discovery. With access to much information now online and ownership of computers not universal, Christine concluded that this digital divide makes Andrew Carnegie’s 19th century vision and creation of free libraries, enabling access to knowledge for all in society, as relevant today as it was then.

Physical and mental exercise combined with social activity are at the heart of successful ageing. Ponsonby U3A is dedicated to combating the plagues of ageing - loneliness, helplessness, and boredom through its core value of learning and imparting new knowledge and skills, and facilitating friendships.

Every month on the second Friday, a guest speaker is show-cased covering diverse topics. Also, each month, a member gives a short presentation on their lives and interests enabling members to learn more about the talented and creative individuals in their midst.

Members are encouraged to join special interest groups offering about 30 different topics. They include writing, history, architectural and art appreciation, gardening, drawing, and painting, play-reading, wellness, languages, music, ukulele, current affairs, antiques, and armchair travel as well as a rambling group.

Usually held in small groups in people’s homes, this is where the learning and the friendships are made. If people are new to the area, in need of a stimulus or a bit lonely, there is always a welcome to be found at Ponsonby U3A. Guests are invited to attend monthly meetings but are asked to first telephone President Philippa Tait on T: 0274 523 108. Guest speaker for March meeting is Dr Ross Ferguson, Mary Delany and her paper ‘mosaicks’. (CHRISTINE HART)  PN NEXT MEETING: 10am Friday 12 March at Herne Bay Petanque Club,

Salisbury Street, Herne Bay. ENQUIRIES: Philippa Tait, President, Ponsonby U3A,

T: 0274 523 108, www.u3a.nz

AK HAVE YOUR SAY

We want to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and support growth in our communities and our region.

Go to akhaveyoursay.nz/recoverybudget to find out more and give Auckland Council your feedback between 22 February and 22 March.

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 35

LOCAL NEWS

PONSONBY U3A: FEBRUARY 2021

LOCAL NEWS

SO WHAT IS A REPAIR CAFÉ?

A Repair Café is a pop up event where people bring their broken and damaged belongings and where local experts will sit down with them and do their best to repair them.

It’s all about bringing people together, connecting local people in their communities with others who are happy to share their skills and knowledge, saving people money and reducing the amount of material that ends up in our landfills.

It is an international movement which began in the Netherlands in 2009 and spread throughout Auckland from 2016. After a big burst of energy and funding, what with Covid-19 and one thing and another, very few were held in 2020. Our organisation, Doughnut Economics Advocates New Zealand (DEANZ) was very keen to help get them up and running again.

I became a convert because of my personal experience. I had a beautiful, shiny electric toaster which worked perfectly except the sliding rack wouldn’t stay down. Like most people I didn’t want to spend the $30 to $50 to take it to an electrician when I could buy a new toaster for that amount, but it seemed a crime to throw it away.

On the other hand I didn’t want to hold it down for a minute or two while the bread toasted either! So I took it to a Repair Café three years ago. The volunteer, a qualified electrician, opened the toaster up, saw that a breadcrumb (!) was stopping the electro-magnetic mechanism from working, literally blew it out, closed the toaster up and it has been working perfectly ever since!

In the past, quite a lot of Repair Cafes have been held on the North Shore but DEANZ was keen for one to be held close to Central Auckland to meet the needs of people living in and around the CBD who perhaps don’t have cars and can’t easily get things fixed. Items that are repaired are usually small electrical appliances like electric kettles, lamps, faulty hardware, or annoying problems with software on computers. Other items brought along might be small furniture

like chairs and coffee tables, bicycles for simple servicing, clothing that needs to be hemmed or patched or let in or out - even toys to be glued or stitched... you name it.

So this is where and when it will be held: Une-Deux Café at 545 Karangahape Road, just around the corner from Ponsonby Road on 13 March from 11am to 2pm. Who are DEANZ and why do we care? We are involved with a movement called Doughnut Economics which was started by the Oxford University economist Kate Raworth. The aim is for the planet to live within acceptable environmental boundaries while meeting essential social needs. The sweet spot is in the shape of a doughnut. The idea is if you stretch the planet’s resources too far, you fall off the outside edge of the doughnut. And if you fail to meet basic social needs (like food, water, health education, housing and justice) you fall into the hole in the middle of the doughnut.

Doughnut Economics Advocates New Zealand (DEANZ) was established here in New Zealand, to encourage attitude and behavioural change from a growth-led to a sustainability-led economy, taking the nine dimensions of the ecological ceiling and the twelve dimensions of the social foundation into account. You can see more on our website: https://doughnuteconomicsnz.com.

We encourage and promote activities such as Repair Cafes and composting which fit into the philosophy of Doughnut Economics. See the About Us tab for a list of our current projects. DEANZ also holds regular meetups with interesting speakers on relevant topics which you can see here: https://www.meetup.com/doughnut-economicsadvocates-new-zealand/.  PN

www.meetup.com/doughnut-economics-advocates-new-zealand/events/275976397/

PONSONBY NEWS APRIL +

APRIL FEATURES:

NEXT ISSUE

+ Weddings and Special Events + Apartment Living and Modern Urban Spaces COPY DEADLINE: Saturday 20 March PUBLISHED: Friday 2 April email martin@ponsonbynews.co.nz or call 021 771 147 or 09 378 8553

36 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS

KEN RING: WEATHER BY THE MOON AUCKLAND WEATHER DIARY, MARCH 2021 March is wetter than average, cloudier, and although overall temperatures are average, the nights may feel slightly warmer.

Just after the hottest day, an overnight downpour on 13th may cause flooding, followed by the month’s heaviest rainfall a week later. The last week may have the driest weather.

Atmospheric pressures should average about 1016mbs, with winds averaging southwesterly.

For fishermen, the highest tides may be on the 1st and 30th. The best fishing bite-times in the east are at dusk on 11th-14th, and 26th-29th. Chances are also good in the east for midday of 4th-6th, and 19th-22nd.

For gardeners, pruning is best from 9th-12th (waning moon descending), and sowing is best from 23rd-28th (waxing moon ascending). To avoid crop water-logging, and for longer shelf-life, pick on neap tide days on 8th and 23rd. Allow 24 hour error for all forecasting. (KEN RING)  PN For future weather for any date, and the 2021 NZ Weather Almanac, see www.predictweather.com.

Sale!

Now On

instore and online

216 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby

09 360 9700

www.fifthave.co.nz

FIFTH AVENUE MENSWEAR PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 37

LOCAL NEWS

@ GREY LYNN & AROUND Grey Lynn & Around is on a mission to become Auckland’s number one values-led business destination with sustainability at our core.

We support and promote the vitality, prosperity and sustainability of the businesses and our communities by creating a positive and vibrant environment. How are we actually turning this into reality in 2021?

For the food, hospitality, creative and arts community we are well into working with Auckland Unlimited in delivering the Grey Lynn & Around portion of the ELEMENTAL food festival. This festival runs for two weeks from July 14-31 and we have two key ideas all tied in under the brand Grey Lynn Naturally.

Our first thought builds on last year’s food festival and gets bars, restaurants, and cafés to design and create something which really reflects good wholesome, natural ethically sourced foods and create dishes or goodies which reflect these core sustainability values.

The second thought is to build on Auckland’s growing night food truck orientated markets which develop food experiences from around the world while staying at home. These night markets would attract buskers, entertainers and we’d have a venue where art and other creative crafts could be sold. As we say, these thoughts have been put to Auckland Unlimited and we are really looking forward to positive engagement and delivery. We have a team of people already chomping at the bit to get on with it.

Building on the art creative theme we will be back partnering with ARTWEEK 2021 scheduled for 9 - 17 October. This means we would like to hear from artists and creatives who would like to participate.

In particular we are wanting to build on our Papatuanukua Floral and Fauna theme and really encourage the development of innovation techniques around the use of natural materials to create and enhance our materials.

If you’re down in West Lynn you’ll see some of the metal birds are still in place from last year and there’s art for sale at Postal Service

(Sharelene Ferguson) and Big Sur (Jessica). However this year we do have some exciting new venues plus we are working on developing some biking options from galleries, street art and cafés. Pretty much all in its formative stage but if you want to become involved please contact us on info@greylynn-around.com.

Our third project is around bringing out that village vibe in everything we do. The best way at the present time is to really try and influence the decision makers to support our village vibe concept. We’ve had some steps forward, especially with Waitemata- Board who have accepted that the concept of village should replace “town centre”.

But we’ve also been halted. The remedial work in West Lynn has been delayed again for good reason and while it’s not that we don’t have widespread support for a replant of the West Lynn village in bright vibrant bee friendly plants we’re not quite there yet. We’ve also said to AT that we want to re-cycle any or all of the plants out of West Lynn to new sites in Grey Lynn.

Late last year we started our greening project in Grey Lynn. The plants are doing amazingly well after some had an inauspicious start but now we want to get on with the project and really start brightening up this area. We’re on the lookout for some partners in this project, so if you’re interested please contact us.

Annoying that the disruptive forces of Covid-19 have temporarily stuck again, but we are working on an amazing reschedule of our business accelerator event so hopefully there will be pictures from that event next month.  PN www.greylynn-around.com

Sunday mornings at the Grey Lynn Community Centre 510 Richmond Road

38 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FASHION + STYLE

HELENE RAVLICH:

STEP INTO AUTUMN

March is a strange month when it comes to weather – awkwardly straddling summer and autumn, with elements of each thrown joyously into the mix on any given day. It’s now most definitely leaning towards autumn though, and dressing for autumn is never as simple as it first seems. Just as you’ve gotten excited about new chunky knits and snuggly coats, the unpredictable New Zealand weather will come back at you with a mini heatwave.

Penny Sage

It’s hard to know what to wear when you’re leaving the house in the morning - coat or no coat? How many layers are too many layers?

Thankfully, some of my favourite designers are releasing new collections that are full of light knitwear and trench coats right now, so this is the perfect moment to take a pause and really think about what is missing from your wardrobe before you start adding to it.

The key is to arm yourself with a transitional capsule, a collection of lightweight pieces that be styled just as well for sticky end-of-summer days as they can in the depths of winter - not a wardrobe rethink just yet, but a little trans-seasonal update via three essential pieces that will see you through to the arrival of winter.

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 39

First on my list for autumn is always the trench coat, and for so many obvious reasons. When it comes to pieces with timeless appeal, there are few more enduring than a classic trench. The perfect accompaniment to everything from luxe separates to blue jeans, the bona-fide closet essential promises maximum style mileage making it the ultimate investment piece that really is worth spending a little extra on. A trench is not only perennially chic, it’s practical too. You’re just as likely to throw it on over a summery dress as you are to underpin it with knitwear, and if you’ve been stuck at home for so long you can’t bear to get out of your tracksuit – well a trench works with athflow style and a great pair of sneakers too.

Moochi’s trenchie is one of my favourites from amongst the local offerings, and this season comes in a soft mushroom colour that will work in almost any wardrobe. Long in length and crafted with traditional features, shoulder epaulettes and inverted pleat detailing, it looks beautiful over a simple white tank and jeans for a totally modern mood.

40 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

Australia-based, internationally adored label Camilla and Marc have become so adept at crafting the perfect trench that they offer a range of styles to choose from that are each as covetable as the next. The label’s latest collection is called ‘Nostalgia’, which creative director Camilla Freeman-Topper describes as “an intimate portrayal of the past and it’s perceived simplicity, an energetic interpretation of things gone, shaped and crafted for this moment in time and the woman who inhabits the now.” With that in mind, it has several timeless trench options that include the classic Evans Trench Coat in a beautiful, deep petrol green. With a double-breasted silhouette and traditional epaulets, it is designed to be a life-long love affair that you’ll bring out year after year. Another favourite of mine is the label’s Tarantino Trench Coat which comes in a classic biscuit shade and is a little more relaxed and oversized than The Evans. The silhouette of The Tarantino is best suited to cleaner lines underneath, like a great pair of skinny jeans and a classic tee.

Last but by no means least, just arrived instore at Workshop is Acne Studios’ take on the classic style in the form of the Odande Trench in light brown cotton. With a slight stretch and incredibly lightweight, it’s the perfect answer for throwing over a summery evening dress now the temperature has started to drop.

Moochi

Another Grey Lynn-based label that I go back to time and time again is Penny Sage, with super talented creative director Kate Megaw at its helm. I raved about their trench offering this time last year and they’ve gone and done it again, with the beautiful Charlton Trench for AW21’s ‘Favourite Things’ collection an absolute winner. With a matching hat for a little extra protection from the weather, it’s definitely a forever piece and more.

Camilla and Marc

Mina

One of my absolute go-to local labels, Mina, is a Grey Lynn-based brand creating refined and effortless wardrobe staples with sustainability and ethical business practices always top of mind. Mina designer Natalie Procter is a master when it comes to effortlessly reimaging classic silhouettes, and each year she releases a trench style that fans of the label just can’t get enough of. Called the Dust Trench, this time it’s available in a check Japanese cotton, fully lined in an ivory viscose. Designed with raglan sleeves and an A-line cut, it has oversized patch flap pockets and adjustable cuffs with dark horn feature buttons, and details like the inverted box pleat in the centre back and the large sash make it undeniably Mina. If you haven’t checked out the brand’s flagship store then I suggest you do. It’s one of several newest arrivals in Grey Lynn shops that is making it quite the inspiring indie retail destination.

Acne Studios

FASHION + STYLE

The Classic Trench

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FASHION + STYLE

Lightweight knits Not too hot and not too cold, lightweight jumpers, cardigans and other knitted pieces help provide that perfect light layer for effortless trans-seasonal dressing. Throw a simple knit over a printed skirt for an elegant evening look, or pop a slim fitting style under a strappy slip for a subtle nineties vibe.

Local label Marlowe has some great lightweight knit pieces that can be worn easily with their activewear and also dressed up with a blazer thrown over the top. The recently arrived Savanna Henley is an absolute favourite of mine, and is crafted from a cotton-modal blend so super soft to wear and perfect for throwing on as an extra layer. It comes in three great neutrals and has a classic Henley neckline with four buttons, so you can style as you please and opt for a slim or slouchy fit. The label’s Revolve Knit Tee is another great basic, also in a ribbed soft cotton and modal blend in fresh, flattering colours.

A knitted bodysuit is another great option for autumn, especially if you like a sleek silhouette. It’s been a fashion staple for years with good reason, offering clean lines and available in all kinds of fabrics from mesh to lace, cotton and more. Penny Sage’s Nina bodysuit for AW21 is a 100 per cent merino rib version that is incredibly versatile, a true basic that will work just a great with jeans as it does with a high waisted skirt.

hej hej

For lovers of a V-neck shape, Camilla and Marc’s deliciously soft and slouchy Temora knit jumper in a warm oat hue is an absolute winner.

Knitted from a merino wool blend in a relaxed, slightly oversized shape, it has a deep V-neckline, dropped shoulders, and side slits for smooth layering. Wear it on its own or thrown over a silk slip for a nod to Parisienne-it-girl style.

hej hej

Local label hej hej are best known for their chic but fun, very wearable linen pieces, but this coming season they also have some great knits in the form of the fitted Kidman style sweater and shorter sleeve Barclay. Both would work really well to warm up a summery dress on cooler days, or with a more structured blazer and pants to give classic suiting a slightly softer edge.

Luxury labels Bottega Veneta and Proenza Schouler have released midi-length styles that are comfortable enough for days spent at home but look seriously smart when stepping out – and, best of all, they require no styling. Locally, Ruby’s Waves Knit T-shirt Dress is a midi length, full fashioned knit dress with a round, high neckline, a side split, short sleeves and ribbed detail throughout. It was released as a summer piece but is easily transitioned into autumn with the addition of a great pair of boots and a denim jacket or coat after dark.

Camilla and Marc

Ruby

Lastly, nothing is quite as cosy as a sweater – but a sweater dress?

That’s even better. Their comfort level is obvious, and knit dresses also double as workwear for when you need to sign into a quick Zoom meeting at home and don’t want to be wearing tight, uncomfortable trousers or jeans.

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 41

Penny Sage

Marlowe

Marlowe

FASHION + STYLE

Combat Style If you’re not quite ready to pack away your summer dresses yet, you don’t have to. Make like Emily Ratajkowski and many a street style star and keep your floaty frocks in rotation by pairing them with combat-style boots instead of Birkenstocks or strappy sandals. Equal parts comfortable and cool, combat boots are now considered an essential component of the fashion uniform.

Take your styling inspiration from the autumn/winter 2020 catwalks, where combat styles were teamed with skirts at Valentino for luxe with a definite edge. Typically, the classic combat boot is characterised by a lace-up feature, but that’s changed a bit recently to include Chelsea-style elastic side inserts, as well as buckles and zippers.

Usually the footwear icon is also black, but many designs these days come in brown, grey, olive and white too. Nowadays, you can also find combats with chunky platform soles, high-heel versions, and even wedges, or opt for the classic punk and grunge option by choosing a pair of legendary Doc Martens.

Mi Piaci

Workshop

The See, by Chloe Mallory, combat boot at Workshop is a beautiful example of a chic combat, and takes the form of a lace-up ankle boot in shiny Texan calfskin with an internal zipper and two buckle fastenings.

The contrasting chunky heel and oversized leather loop enhance the leather boot’s ultra modern structure, and the brand has effortlessly paired them in campaign imagery with a cotton maxi dress.

42 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

Mi Piaci

Locally, Mi Piaci has some stellar options when it comes to the ultimate statement in utilitarian chic. The Dahlia boot is a classic, lace up combat taken up a notch or two, whilst the Daphne style is a Chelseameets-combat boot with a moulded tread sole and elasticated gusset in a soft olive leather. Clearly a more on trend style and comfortable to boot, the Daphne is perfect for elevating that breezy summer dress to an edgier, autumnal option. (HELENE RAVLICH)  PN

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

UNITED NUDE - Derby, available in Mono & Mint, $370

ARA - Active, available in Peacock & Marrone, $340

ECCO - Envy, available in Marigold, Silver, Black, White, Marine, $299 HOGL - Heart, available in Multi, $569

GABOR - Gab, available in Moro, $369

HOGL - Hebe, available in Olive, $479

EOS - Ponto, available in Black & Brandy, $239

FASHION + STYLE

MACIEJKA - Mavis, available in Peacock, $320

GABOR - Gee, available in Black & Red, $260

ARA - Africa, available in Tan & Black, $460

@ STEP INN SHOES

WINTER 2021

Step Inn Shoes: Three Lamps Plaza, 283 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby, Auckland.

Ph 09 360 5512

www.stepinnshoes.nz

MONDAY TO FRIDAY: 9am to 5pm SATURDAY: 9am to 4pm SUNDAY: 11am to 3pm

Step Inn Shoes

STEP INN SHOES, Three Lamps, 283 Ponsonby Road, T:09 360 5512, www.stepinnshoes.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 43

FASHION + STYLE

CIRCULAR FASHION @ MORAL FIBRE Good fashion never dies; it finds a new lover.

We’re not martyrs but we give a damn about fashion.

What if all the love you have for fashion went around and around so your favourite garments can be loved by others and you end up loving other people’s favourite pieces from fashionistas to designers and nobody is screwing up the planet by dumping clothes into landfill? You’ll earn fifty percent of the profits of everything we sell.

That’s circular fashion for you!

And what if all this fine circular goodness of amazing fashion gives back to charity: https://comm-unity.kiwi/ Welcome to Moral Fibre. Fashion’s never been so smart (and sexy) where preloved and new sample garments are bought and sold, and proceeds support others.

About us: Moral Fibre is founded by us, Jane Farr and Lissette Mayson. We’ve both been in the fashion industry for over twenty years. We’ve spent a lot of time in Asia, and we’ve seen some stuff!

18 months ago we both hit big life challenges. Lissette was diagnosed with breast cancer and Jane left a secure job after fifteen years to dive into her own fashion dreams. We thought 2019 was a tough year and then COVID hit in 2020. Being forced into lockdown we both spent some time thinking about what was important to us, to others.

That’s when we came up with Moral Fibre. If we could reduce what gets thrown out, give back to some solid charities, and see amazing garments loved and worn by different people then we decided that’s one hell of a business model.

Reading the UN’s Global Priority #12 - The Sustainable Development Goal, helped us build and develop Moral Fibre.

Lissette Mayson Vintage redesigned up-cycling is her thing. Her bespoke vintage and recycled leather jackets combined with vintage embellishments are collector items and they literally turn heads down the street.

Lissette has worked in the fashion industry and used to run her own labels, so she knows about making a garment last. Lissette’s friends called her ‘The Ferret’ for her uncanny ability to find the best things in retro stores.

44 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

Jane Farr Throughout her career, Jane’s always been on the hunt for threads nobody else can find running a business that bought high-end fabrics and selling them to the New Zealand designer industry. Jane’s deep knowledge of the industry and serious fabric finding skills gives Moral Fibre its backbone - dressed up in a shimmering retro jacket, no doubt made by Lissette.

Just like leaving a party, the best time to pass on clothes is when you’ve had your fill but it’s not the messy end. So, when you’re ready to share your favourite pieces, or find something fabulous just for you, come and see us. Hours: Monday - Saturday 10.30am-5.30pm, Sunday 11am-3.30pm.  PN MORAL FIBRE, 63 Ponsonby Road, www.moralfibre.co.nz Insta: @moralfibrestore FB: moralfibre PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 45

一椀漀瘀愀爀愀

46 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

䴀漀礀甀爀甀

Pongee Tube Pant by Mela Purdie $289

Ragaln Sleeve Roll Neck by Zaket and Plover $187

Becki Top & Singlet by Lemon Tree $147

Keira Star Top by Lemon Tree $147

Knit Arc Slide by Mela Purdie $357

Icelandic Cuff Knit by Zaket and Plover $189

FASHION + STYLE

@ ZEBRANO

ZEBRANO has now relocated to 22 Morrow Street, Newmarket - opposite Westfield, T: 09 523 2500, www.zebrano.co.nz

稀攀戀爀愀渀漀

䰀攀洀漀渀 吀爀攀攀

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

TRAVEL BREAKS

ROSS THORBY: IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT SERIOUS CRUISING WILL RETURN TO “NORMAL” UNTIL 2022 IF NOT 2023 It was deeply disappointing to receive Ponant’s recent press release announcing the cancellation of their cruise season around New Zealand in February.

Their season with the ship Le Laperouse had marked what we hoped would be the restarting of our cruise industry following its decimation by the pandemic currently raging throughout the world.

that only just over a year ago that was how the world was - yet in just the blink of an eye... Poof!

So what of the future of cruising?

The short season of seven domestic cruises offered to New Zealand residents was an opportunity to again be a world leader in the midst of the pandemic - a model already being copied by countries throughout the world in how we deal with our borders. Here was another way in which we could lead; helping an industry that has been hit extremely hard with its ships demonised throughout the world by the media as “giant floating petrie dishes”.

The whys and the wherefores regarding the reasons for Ponant’s cancellation, is now not so important. Ponant, according to their publicity department, just want to move on and look forward to the future and their return to New Zealand waters “later”. The New Zealand government certainly has already moved on, but it was none-the-less a loss financially and psychologically to our stumbling tourism market.

Although neither the travel companies or passengers were hit financially - Ponant are wearing the total cost - there is a loss of up to $6 million to our economy through the loss of provisioning and spend by the ship and passengers. An amount, although only a drop in the bucket of our GDP, is important enough to the tourism operators and suppliers who would have benefitted by the projected spend.

It was reported by Tourism New Zealand in 2017, that the total value of cruise tourism to our country in the 2018/2019 season was to be $640 million with the 2019/2020 season worth 20% more. Since our “Annus Horribilis” of 2020, that has completely vanished and according to some sources it is doubtful that serious cruising will return to “normal” until 2022 if not 2023.

Once again my generation appears to have been the lucky one with accusations of buying up all the houses, draining all the fresh lakes and ruining the country’s resources. Now we will be vilified for being the last generation to have had complete and free travel anywhere.

The world is changing and the cruise industry will evolve - as it has in the past. It is already looking at changing protocols and systems to cope with the new world order so that the industry can be ready as soon as possible once cruising is proven to be safe to be restarted.

There have already been a couple of attempts on a small scale. Our recent aborted attempt was one of them, but so far they have been unsuccessful. We had the best opportunity; sadly I believe, we blew it.

Thankfully, rather than being on the edge of extinction as they were up until recently, smaller ships will again become the norm. The vast 5000 plus passenger mega ships will become unpopular; being too difficult to manage medically and systematically. Smaller ships are easier to bring about new systems; they have less people on board, present easier movement protocols, and have more personal space.

Controls and checks before boarding will be easier, with testing and maintaining social distancing on board easier to manage.

Less people - less risk.

The cruise industry will embrace these changes, but there is a chance that some cruise-lines won’t be able to survive, having already become victims and propelled to the wall with whole fleets directed to the scrapyards of India and Turkey well ahead of their time. But cruising will survive. It was, until the pandemic, one of the most popular ways of taking a holiday with New Zealand being one of the biggest growth markets in the world.

So, in the words of the great Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger, I believe, PN “we’ll be back”. (ROSS THORBY)  roscoesseafever.blogspot.com

We will probably in fact, be the last “free to fly Kiwis”; the last generation able to enjoy unfettered and unlimited travel throughout the world. Being able to hold up your New Zealand passport to the immigration security at the world’s hotspots was sufficient for you to be waved through. When all you had to do was present a credit card at a travel agent and just like magic you could obtain a ticket to just about anywhere, the world really was our oyster. It’s hard to believe PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 47

TRAVEL BREAKS

PETER MACKY’S AWARD-WINNING RESTORATION PROJECT Meet our Herne Bay local who initiated and directed the award winning restoration of the historic Kaiserbahnhof (Kaiser’s Railway Station) in Halbe, Germany.

While on a summer cycling tour in Germany, Peter Macky came across a derelict railway station in Halbe, about an hour’s drive south of Berlin.

The building had been abandoned for decades but Peter immediately saw its potential. He fell in love with it, purchased the property and spent the next 10 years researching and restoring the building, completing the project with an elegantly written and illustrated book.

Today it is still a working railway station on Berlin’s commuter line, but the historic building (1865) is no longer the station house. Now restored to its former glory, its plaster interiors and handsome exterior brickwork glow with pride of place in the town. The beautifully refurbished public spaces are available for community use, celebrations, concerts, weddings or exhibitions. There’s to be a café alongside the central hall, and on an upper floor Peter has created a modest apartment for his own use when he’s in town.

So who is the man behind the project? Well, Peter’s been a Herne Bay local for more than 40 years now and is a past chairman of the Ponsonby United Rugby League Club. He grew up in Auckland with the all the freedom and benefits afforded by a supportive family life and private school education. He took full advantage of the educational, sporting and cultural opportunities open to him in swimming, crosscountry running, athletics and hockey and he sang too, in school and university choirs. He even sang over two seasons with the Bach Choir while living in London, after graduating from the University of Auckland Law School. It was a stimulating environment in which family and school values combined to reinforce high expectations of academic excellence, achievement and success in life.

Unsurprisingly then, Peter went on to forge a successful career as a lawyer, all the while enjoying sport and the arts in equal measure.

However, I got the distinct impression when talking to him about his life and projects, that he takes none of it for granted. On the contrary, Peter seems genuinely surprised and humbled over and over again by the enormous generosity that seems to come his way from colleagues and strangers out of the blue, or in response to his efforts and community work in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. He doesn’t focus on those who have been negative or unhelpful, a characteristic that undoubtedly strengthens his adventurous spirit. He talks about the real joy that comes from finding a sense of purpose through public-spirited or philanthropic action.

Whether it’s his work on the Kaiserbahnhof restoration or his work with organisations such as Civic Trust Auckland or Auckland Theatre Company, fundraising or advising, it all gives his life a sense of purpose beyond personal satisfaction. He remarks on how wonderful it is to meet new people in these contexts, to forge new adventures and learn new skills. Now isn’t that what a happy retired life should feel like. Good on you Peter!

It’s fascinating how random moments can intersect in life to propel an individual in an unexpected direction. In Peter’s case, having travelled extensively for work and pleasure, he discovered that he liked living in Berlin. It became his second home, a place where he felt comfortable and discovered a love of cycling. He and his partner, Yuri Opeshko, established the company Easy Cycling Tours as much for their own benefit as for the business side of it and that’s how he discovered the abandoned railway station. He was leading a cycle tour in the area and his life turned instantly into a restoration project. Five 4. he thought, but that would never do as it turned out, not for years a perfectionist, a stickler for historic authenticity, accuracy and detail.

Patience, along with vision, was required to ride out the ebb and flow of a complicated project. To give one example, Erich Pätschke was the only bricklayer in Halbe who knew how to restore nineteenth century

48 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

brickwork. Peter knew Erich’s role was crucial, and persuaded him out of retirement to repair and restore the building, knowing full well that he could work away at his own pace and look to extend his career by many years.

Most of us are reluctant to go out on a limb or start something new because we feel ill equipped or unskilled. Peter’s philosophy is to be simply adventurous, as he has been in every project he has taken on, be it fundraising, restoration, historical research or writing a book. With more than a hint of a traditional Kiwi “can do” attitude, he believes that it’s the doing that counts. He acknowledges that he has learned much from just trying to do whatever needed to be done. Let’s call this the exhilaration of courage, of putting yourself on the line. Peter would assure you that out of that commitment comes the joy of achieving not always exactly what you set out to achieve, but something anyway.

You can have an adventurous life simply by embracing uncertainty and doing things despite outcomes being unpredictable.

In the words of T. S. Eliot, “only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” I think Peter Macky would PN agree with that. (ALEXA LAWRENCE)  Peter Macky’s book is available at The Women’s Bookshop on Ponsonby Road, and at Novel on Jervois Road. www.kaiserbahnhof.com www.womensbookshop.co.nz PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY Photography Josh Griggs

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Photography Greta Kenyon

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CONTEMPORARY INDIAN DINING 5 Fort Lane, CBD T: 09 379 9702 cassiarestaurant.co.nz

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

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

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 49

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

FACES AT GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET Well-known cinematographer, Leon Narbey, can be found selling his award-winning olive oil at the market on Sunday mornings.

How did you get into growing olives?

I grew up on a dairy farm in Helensville so I was drawn to the idea of living in the country. Initially, I was keen on macadamias until I planted one and found that they are spiky and rats love them. Then I did some work on a Nike ad in Spain and that got me thinking about olives.

Where is your olive grove?

On the hills inland from Waipu, looking across Bream Bay – I love the view. The olive grove faces northeast and is surrounded by totara and other native trees squeezed between huge bus-sized boulders that remind me of Henry Moore sculptures.

How did you find the land?

Back in 1996, we looked at various places but they all seemed barren with no trees. The real estate agent realised that we were arty types so he suggested this place. He led us up through the bush and boulders to come out to a magnificent - tree and a practical flat site. Our hearts were sold on it so I came puriri back the next day with my spade to check that the soil was suitable.

How many olive trees are there in your grove?

We have about 400 trees, principally the Italian varieties. We planted them in concentric arcs to make the most of the site and that also suited our artistic character.

Are the varieties an important part of why your oil wins so many awards?

I think they are important. We principally use Frantoio and J5 varieties because of their complex fruity herbaceous flavours with a slight pepper note at the end. We also try to take care of the fruit and how we pick them.

We are always checking that we are not bruising them; otherwise they start oxidising, leading to off flavours and a bad rating of free fatty acids and higher peroxide levels.

J5 – that sounds like a new variety.

Actually, I think it’s probably the French Aglandau variety but no one has analysed the genetics to confirm this. It goes back to the late1950s and early 60s when the then DSIR engaged Mr Johnson to analyse olive trees growing in New Zealand to see whether there could be a viable olive oil in New Zealand. The J5 cutting was the most successful and it is now grown a lot around Northland. I have been told that the mother tree is somewhere in the Whangape Harbour.

Did you plant all the trees yourself?

Anita and I planted them in 1996. We fed them all with a mixture of molasses around their roots then sprayed it all over the tree as well. Next

morning we found the neighbour’s horse had eaten one olive tree right down to the ground. It survived and was adopted by Anita and in fact it became her favourite tree.

Olive growing is a big change from your previous life making movies.

Yes, the olives anchor me because working on film productions can be very intense and engaging. You are amongst a family of creative and giving people, for long periods of time always trying to capture the mood and feeling of that brief moment where the cast can blossom and give the camera their best. And then the project wraps and suddenly the family is gone, and I return to the olives.

What are the films that you are most proud of?

Illustrious Energy - about the Chinese goldminers in early New Zealand.

Then The Footstep Man - a film within a film, dealing with a sound designer’s convergence of dream, fiction and truth. Both Whale Rider and Desperate Remedies would have to be up there, as would The Price of Milk and, in the documentary world, Flip and Two Twisters, and Bastion Point Day 507.

And recently you have been doing some more film work.

Yes – I have had waves of work in between coming back to an olive grove. I was invited to do camera work on a new feature film Whina which has been a wonderful way for me to revisit my time doing the camera work for the documentary, Te Matakite o Aotearoa - The Maori Land March. We followed Dame Whina Cooper’s journey from Te Hapua to Wellington. This new film is a fiction based on her early life and will be released later this year.  PN

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

Sunday mornings at the Grey Lynn Community Centre 510 Richmond Road 50 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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WHAT IS CHAMPAGNE? Champagne is sparkling wine made from grapes grown within the region designated by the Appellation Controlee system in France as being Champagne.

Made by the traditional methode with the second fermentation in the bottle, the reputation of Champagne is unrivaled, and consumers worldwide have an insatiable appetite for these wines.

Non-vintage Champagnes are often referred to as the house style - a non-vintage Champagne is made year in and year out from a blend of many vintages. The aim of the blending process is to give a consistent style. The blend as well as being from wines of many vintages can be a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay, in proportions that suit that Champagne producer’s style. This means that each time you purchase a non-vintage style of Champagne you can be confident in the style that you will be drinking.

Vintage Champagne can only be made from grapes grown in a specific year. Vintage Champagne can be a blend of the three varieties, pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay. Unlike most non-vintage Champagne, vintage Champagne ages very well and benefits from time in the cellar. Vintage Champagnes are unique and very special; they give you a little picture of that year, that vineyard and the skill of the producer neatly packed into a bottle.

Blanc de blanc, meaning ‘white of white’, are Champagnes only made from white grapes, generally chardonnay. This style can be produced as a non-vintage or as a vintage style. Typically, this style of Champagne is a lot leaner and shows more lemon, lime, and chalk characters. With age, vintage blanc de blanc is magnificent.

Blanc de noirs, meaning ‘white of black’, are a white wine made from black grapes, generally pinot noir and pinot meunier. It is an exceptionally rich style of Champagne.

Champagne starts its life as a still wine, but once in the bottle a secondary fermentation takes place and the sediment is removed from the bottle; the neck is frozen, the cap removed, and the sediment now frozen comes out. The bottle is then topped up with dosage. This adds the desired level of sweetness to the Champagne - the amount in each wine is different from house to house.

Zero Dosage Champagnes are ones where no dosage is added; these are bone dry examples, often described as the salad without the dressing, allowing you to perhaps see all the faults that the dosage covers.

Prestige Cuvee are the top production of the house and are the very PN best from each Champagne producer.  www.glengarrywines.co.nz

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PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 51

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

PHIL PARKER: EMPTY NESTER I met my stepdaughter when she was eight years old. Cute as a button and a tad stroppy, a smart wee munchkin with a fringe, she decided that she should meet Mum’s new boyfriend to see if she approved.

Invited to lunch, I barely passed muster (she later told her Mum that she could have done better). But eventually I moved in and married her mother. In no time, we bonded over Harry Potter, Dad jokes and tucking-in every night. “Just one more chapter – oh please!

PLEASE!” I was finally given by her, the official title of ‘Also-Dad’ in acknowledgement of my new co-parental role.

Last weekend almost ten years to the day, we all drove down to Wellington in my wine tour coach (packed to bursting with young person stuff. Don’t get me started). We dropped her off and installed her at her Victoria University residence, as a lovely, mature and very bright young woman with a great future twinkling in the near distance.

Now, it had been my personal mission to educate her in wine knowledge over the years. She has an exceptionally good palate. But sadly, she did not warm to wine, despite my frequent encouragement.

And now - to my utter dismay, her preferred drink is gin! In particular - Four Pillars Chardonnay Barrel Gin ($150 a bottle.)

Anyway, here are some wines that ‘Also-Dad’ approves of. Harrumph!

Fox ‘Le Cadet’ Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2019 - $19.00 Very approachable, and another example of a gentler take on the pungent savs that pour out of Marlborough. Light, soft and just slightly sweet. Favours of freshly squeezed black currants and gooseberry, with soft acids and a tangy guava finish. Available: Meldrum Philips.

Main Divide North Canterbury Riesling 2018 - $19 Soft acids and great as an aperitif or match for seafood. Retains a little bit of natural CO2 from the ferment to give it a tiny spritz of bubbles. Almost sweet, at 12% alcohol. Grapefruit marmalade, Mayer lemonade, Manuka honey and a hint of beeswax on the finish.

Available: Glengarry.

Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Riesling 2018 - $30 Another ripper from Pegasus Bay. Big flavours of orange marmalade, grapefruit and nectarine with a sweet hint of clover honey and beeswax. Hits the palate as sweet on impact, then dry and lengthy with a tangy citrus finish. Again, a fab match with Asian seafood.

Available: Glengarry.

Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Bel Canto Dry Riesling 2019 - $38 Aromas of beeswax and grapefruit marmalade. Slightly spritzig. Lots of citrus fruit – grapefruit and lime. Plus, peach and nectarine, with a hint of muscatel raisins and a lengthy dry finish. Yum. I am matching it tonight with home-made Thai prawn curry. (Wish me luck).

Available: Glengarry.

Easthope Family Winegrowers Two Terraces Gamay Noir 2019 - $38 Gamay noir is the ‘Beaujolais’ grape in from Southern France, best known as Beaujolais Noveau – the very young light bodied red. This wine, on the other hand is a ripe and voluptuous red more akin to a pinot noir. Savoury, generous and silky with truffle and soy and a huge hit of ripe dark cherry. Fabulous wine. Great match for duck, beef or mushroom dishes. Available: Pt. Chev Organic Wines.

Domaine des Pothiers Eclipse Methode Ancestrale 2019 - $37 Another take on gamay noir, this time from French producers and created by the oldest winemaking method to create sparkling wines i.e. via a fermentation where the yeast residue stays in the bottle. Slightly sweet, with fine beaded bubbles and flavours of ripe cherry, sour cherry, and plum, with a yeasty cider crisp finish. Highly recommended. Available: Pt. Chev Organic Wines. Also at Daphne’s Bar & Taverna, 71 Ponsonby Road.

No 1 Family Estate Marlborough Virginie 2016 - $98 A vintage Méthode Traditionelle crafted especially by Daniel le Brun as a tribute to his lovely daughter Virginie. The wine is only made in exceptional vintages. Bone dry, 80% chardonnay, 20% pinot noir.

Elegant restrained nose, with flavours of nectarine, honey and yeasty croissant, with a silky, long dry finish.

Available: www.no1familyestate.co.nz (PHIL PARKER)  PN www.finewinetours.co.nz

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

Affordable tours for small and large groups.

E: phil.parker@xtra.co.nz

52 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

www.finewinetours.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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THERE IS A LOT TO CELEBRATE THIS MONTH AT DIDAS March sees the Herne Bay Yacht Club continue at Didas Wine Lounge on Jervois Road.

What better place is there to sit in front of a big screen and support Team New Zealand as we race to keep the Cup in Aotearoa than in situ at Didas experiencing the delights of the Herne Bay Yacht Club.

For the occasion, there is a special new menu that has been crafted

by Michael Ingham who started working at Didas late last year, having previous been at top restaurants around Auckland. The new menu focuses on New Zealand seafood with a fresh lively vibe.

Alongside the new food menu there is a brilliant drinks selection, Piper Heidsieck Champagne is $20 a glass, Allan Scott’s beautiful special Black Label wines all $10 a glass. Try our cocktails, themed and super classic, New Zealand’s own Scapegrace Gin with Kiwi made East Imperial Tonic, the ultimate sailing rum Mount Gay matched with East Imperial Ginger Beer, and Gluten Free Tito’s Vodka with Tito’s on the Beach. All Cocktails are $12.

Every day there’s racing, the big screen will show it live from 3pm and we will be there cheering on Team New Zealand with you.

For Saint Patrick’s Day, it will be all about Irish whiskey at Didas - more specifically the award-winning whiskey’s from Teeling.

Irish Malts are Malt whiskeys produced from barley in the same way as Scotch, except it is generally triple distilled.

Irish whiskey has had a turbulent history. For a while there in the 19th century Irish whiskey reigned over Scottish hands down. What followed was a period of turmoil, though things are on the up fortunately and the future bright.

100% family owned and operated from Dublin by brothers Jack and Stephen Teeling, the Teeling Whiskey Co. is well-known for doing things a little differently, and their hand-crafted, small batch Irish whiskeys embody this entrepreneurial spirit, with no chill filtering or added colouring. Designed to be a bridge between standard blended whiskeys and the rarefied world of single malts, the Teeling philosophy is to create premium quality blends with unique flavour profiles. In February, not one, but three Teeling whiskeys won category awards at the 2021 World Whiskey Competition.  PN DIDA’S, 54 Jervois Road, T: 09 376 2813, www.didaswinelounge.co.nz

Dida’s for St Patrick’s Day come and join us

Pouring lots of great Irish drinks including Award Winning Teeling Blackpitts Whiskey 60 JERVOIS RD | 376 2813 | DIDAS .CO. NZ PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 53

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

NEW LEAF KOMBUCHA TAPROOM NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST PURE KOMBUCHA TAPROOM Derek Hillen is both owner and head brewer and he enjoys educating locals to the benefits of kombucha.

“We opened our doors in Ponsonby three years ago with a new idea: let’s just focus on one thing, kombucha. You can’t get a flat white, nor do we serve eggs benny, but you can get organic kombucha all brewed right here on tap and in bottles to go. And yes, we do refills too!

“Kombucha is a tea-based beverage that originated in China 2,000 years ago. Our philosophy is focussing on the teas we import into New Zealand and let them do the talking. In other words, we never add any flavourings, colourings or preservatives to our kombucha. Everything is made the traditional way with just four ingredients: filtered water, organic tea leaves, organic cane sugar, and our organic culture. Open PN seven days a week with free samples to nice people.”  Derek Hillen, Head Brewer, NEW LEAF KOMBUCHA, 37 Crummer Road, T: 09 360 0199, www.newleafkombucha.nz

Open every day from 10am - 6pm

54 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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FINE O WINE’S ARTISAN WINES, BEERS AND SPIRITS Fine O Wine opened in the Grey Lynn shops in October 2018 after realising New Zealanders didn’t have easy access to natural and organic wines.

Their team provide the community with a hand-picked selection of fantastic wines and craft beers from New Zealand, Australia, and many European and South American countries. They decided to be the voice of the new wave of vineyards and give the public valid information about the extraordinary wines that are available for purchase.

As owner Sekhar told us, “We have expanded our range by adding hand-crafted spirits. We’ve become a one-stop shop for anything organic and natural, even stocking organic beers and non-alcoholic beverages-including kombucha.

also offers lot of health conscious products and we thought this would be our perfect fit for our niche products. Most organic and natural wines are vegan by default.

“We have two other stores; one is located at 196 Pt Chevalier Road, the third store over on the Northshore is based at 5 Milford Road. Both locations stock mainly organic.”  PN

“In our journey since 2018 we have amassed a huge following with many regulars. We aren’t done yet, with the organic and natural wines really coming into their own in the 21st century, coming out with new wines weekly. We are adapting and expanding our ever growing collection for the local and wider community to enjoy.”

“We understand this location is your third store. Why did you chose Grey Lynn?” we asked. “We noticed that Grey Lynn has become the capital of vegans where you can find dedicated food and retail shops. Grey Lynn FINE O WINE, 527 Great North Road, T: 09 378 1233, www.fineowine.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 55

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS: VEGAN VIBE WISE BOYS REVIEW I wouldn’t say I’m typically one to participate in junk food veganism but when burger joints like Wise Boys are available, it’s darn hard to resist.

Located in what feels like the unofficial vegan capital of Auckland Grey Lynn, Wise Boys presents a wide selection of unique, sustainable and bloody delicious plant-based burgers and sides.

Since the opening of the first store in May 2019, I have officially become a Wise Boys fan, making my way through the menu and tasting everything the team has to offer. I’ve never come across a Wise Boys burger I didn’t like but in the interests of the public good, here’s my ranking of their current menu. Yes, I have tried them all... drum roll...

1. Crispy Fried Chick - Vegan chicken... need I say more?

2. The Shroomin Show - In my opinion, you can’t not love a burger that references the late 90s classic, ‘The Truman Show’. This is a double whammy of tempeh and crumbed deep fried meaty mushroom.

3. Moroccan - The Moroccan is my personal favourite more ‘classic’ burger on the Wise Boys menu. It’s fresh, and it leaves you feeling a little lighter and healthier than the other burgers. Like the Smoke and Fire, the tomato relish is the star of the Moroccan, and brings all the flavours together. When feeling like less of a heavy burger, it’s my go-to.

4. Smoke and Fire - It’s got a bit of a kick that’s for sure, but as someone who loves their spicy food, it’s perfect. However the sweetness of the tomato relish brings the burger together and cools down some of that overwhelming spice. As well, if you’re a bit of a tofu sceptic, this burger truly embodies what good tofu tastes like trust me. It’s the perfect firm texture with a deep fried crispy exterior.

5. Hungry Jack - Definitely more of a messy burger but it’s all worth it for this flavour packed masterpiece - bringing the best of all worlds with the smokey bite from the bbq jackfruit, a zingy and tangy slaw and cutting through with some sweetness from the pineapple for balance.

6. Dirty Boy - If you’re feeling like a bit of indulgence, dive into the Dirty Boy burger. It’s deliciously smokey from the plant-based bacon (yes!) and the crunchy addition of crumbed onion rings make it all that much better.

7. Spicy Mex - A tasty take on Mexican flavours and dishes by including a punchy kick from jalapenos and salsa and a crunchy breakthrough with a classic corn chip. Simple, but effective.

8. Classic Cheese - It’s a classic, a safe choice, you can’t go wrong. Great for those of us who tend to steer clear of vegan ‘meat’ substitutes which I find can be quite realistic. Wise Boys’ classic kidney and black bean patty features widely across the menu and is dependable.

If I’m being truly honest however, my all time favourite from Wise Boys would be the Super Katsu Special which featured as a special last year. This was a crispy katsu tofu with a zingy slaw and was the perfect balance of flavours and texture. Petition to bring that one back? I think yes! In all seriousness though, Wise Boys regularly has featured burgers and loaded fries to keep things interesting and they never disappoint. Previously they have recreated the Kiwi classic, fish and chips as well as a fish burger - completely vegan! Keep an eye out for these specials as they don’t stick around.

Of course, no burger is complete without a side. Wise Boys covers the classics of potato and kumara fries, tater tots and onion rings.

If you’re a kumara fiend like me, you know it’s hard to find a good

kumara fry that isn’t undercooked or soggy, but Wise Boys provides some of the best I have ever had - crispy and perfectly soft inside.

In addition to this, the onion rings too stand out. I’ve found that the perfect onion ring is crumbed rather than battered, and that’s exactly what Wise Boys serve. All great to share.

Don’t just take my word for it though. As the name says, these guys are wise and they are going places. Watch out too for their food truck popping up at a festival near you or their new operation at PN Commercial Bay. (SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS)  WISE BOYS, 604 Great North Road, T: 09 360 0801, www.wiseboys.nz

56 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN SENSE OF COMMUNITY It is not just their delicious, authentic Italian food that’s cemented Pane e Vino and sister restaurant Ciao Belli, a solid place in the Grey Lynn and Kingsland communities, it is also their commitment to giving back.

While Tito Cucciniello and the team are delighted to be the go-to Italian food choice for the Prada team during recent Cup racing, they are also grateful that they are in a position to be able to give back to the community.

While Tito’s own children have left home now, the Pane e Vino and Ciao Belli team still have holidays filled with kids.

During the school holidays they run a pizza making holiday programme especially for students at their Grey Lynn restaurant; a programme guaranteed to leave everyone with a full stomach and big smile.

“Despite Covid-19 we have survived. We are now delivering between 800 and 900 take-out meals a week via UberEats as well as providing school lunch box meals to local schools and having customers dinein,” explains Tito. “We’re proud to do our bit and have been providing Every Sunday Pane e Vino customers can dine-in for just $25 our lunch boxes to children of families that are facing financial and enjoy a pizza and a drink. And at Ciao Belli on Tuesdays and difficulties, says Tito. We want to make sure that no one is left behind Wednesdays customers can grab pizza or pasta for just $15.  PN - especially children.”

PANE E VINO, 1 Williamson Avenue, T: 09 360 0263, www.paneevino.co.nz CIAO BELLI, 503 New North Road, Kingsland, T: 09 815 3834, www.ciaobelliauckland.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 57

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

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Step 1 Cleanse and Peel Uncover a new layer of skin with gentle exfoliation and relaxing resurfacing.

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Step 3 Fuse + Protect Finally, saturate the skin’s surface with antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and peptides to maximise your glow.

You’ll see instantly noticeable results and a rejuvenated, refreshed complexion. You’ll notice brighter, tighter and clearer skin, as well as a reduction in acne and the signs of ageing.

A truly relaxing treatment that provides long-lasting results that you can see and feel! To book your skin consultation today, visit www.clearskincareclinics.co.nz

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

58 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

THREE LAMPS CHIROPRACTIC...

RESOLVING SPINAL DISCOMFORT! Three Lamps Chiropractic is a chiropractic clinic based in the heart of Ponsonby. Owner operator Dr Karen Williams, has been helping resolve spinal pain and discomfort in Auckland for more than 10 years.

People visit chiropractors for many different reasons, including, neck pain, back pain, sciatica, headaches/migraines, workplace or sporting injuries, together with general health and well-being like improved sleep, diet and stress management.

“Most often people are prompted to seek chiropractic care due to pain. Pain is the body’s alarm system and tells us that something is not working as well as it could,” says Karen.

“As chiropractors we are looking for the parts of your spine where there is lack of proper movement - what we call a ‘chiropractic vertebral subluxation’, and when these areas of the spine are identified we will adjust this region to improve spinal movement. However, it may not always be where you may feel the pain,” says Karen.

Overall, it is about having a healthy spine to allow the free flow of nerve signals from the brain to the spine to the organs, muscles and tissues to get the correct messages to the right place for the body to function to function optimally.

If you want to know more, or have a chiropractic health check, phone 09 378 0069 or book online at www.threelampschiropractic.co.nz and you PN can also follow us on Facebook. 

DO YOU HAVE NECK OR BACK PAIN? • Headaches

• Pins & Needles

• Muscle Tension

• Poor Posture

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• Arthritis

• Scoliosis

• Hip Pain

NEED RELIEF? WE CAN HELP! We are offering you an opportunity to come in and have an initial consultation and spinal examination for

$40 Normally $135 (Valid until 4 April 2021)

Three Lamps Chiropractic 09 378 0069 | Suite 6 | 283 Ponsonby Road www.threelampschiropractic.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 59

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

IS CANNABIS RIGHT FOR YOU? Cannabis has been used for medical reasons for around 3000 years.

In the 1800s it became commonplace for physicians to use cannabis to treat many conditions including seizures and headaches. By the early to mid-1900s however, all forms of cannabis including medicinal were banned. Cannabis became demonised and its users were labelled as mad criminals.

Cannabis went underground for around 70 years until the early 2000s when Canada legalised it for medical purposes. Many other countries followed suit, including some states in the United States, parts of Europe and in Australia.

Here in New Zealand, we have only been able to legally prescribe cannabis since 2018. Green Doctors is New Zealand’s first and largest legal medicinal cannabis clinic. We have a team of 4 doctors and 2 nurses and we are located right here in Three Lamps. We use a variety of medicinal cannabis products to treat an array of symptoms and conditions.

What is cannabis and how does it work?

The cannabis plant is made from between four and 500 different ingredients called cannabinoids. Two in particular are CBD (Cannabidiol) and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is the part that can make you high (if you take enough). We mainly use THC for patients suffering with chronic pain and sleep disorders. While CBD is also used for pain and sleep; we more commonly prescribe it for anxiety, stress and overall health and well-being. CBD has a number of

anti-inflammatory properties, but unlike a number of over-the-counter analgesics, it’s associated with fewer harmful effects. Not surprisingly, CBD is used by many professional athletes around the world.

One of the most common questions we get asked is: “Is this going to make me high?” The simple answer is no. CBD has no psychoactive properties, and the doses of THC we prescribe are generally too small to cause any intoxication.

Is cannabis right for you?

If you suffer from chronic pain, anxiety or have issues sleeping then it’s certainly worth giving it a try.

For a comprehensive list of conditions we treat with medicinal cannabis, visit our website at www.greendoctors.co.nz Many who come to our clinic have had to put up with significant symptoms for years as either their medications just haven’t worked or they’ve had to put up with a whole bunch of nasty side effects. At Green Doctors we understand that it hasn’t been easy for many of you which is why our professional team of doctors and nurses are here to listen to your concerns so that together we can come up with a treatment plan to get you back on track.

You can come and see us at our clinic in Cowan Street in Ponsonby, or you can connect with us through video-calling or over the phone.

GREEN DOCTORS, 3 Cowan Street, Ponsonby, T: 09 360 0654, www.greendoctors.co.nz

60 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Dedicate yourself to a better quality of life

NZ’s largest Medicinal Cannabis Clinic 3 Cowan St, Ponsonby 09 360 0654 GREENDOCTORS.CO.NZ

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

10 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT PROFHILO In a market crowded with injectable anti-ageing treatments, it’s hard to know what’s worthwhile. Dr Catherine Stone explains why you’ll want to try Profhilo, a new skin bio-revitaliser.

1. Profhilo is an injectable moisturiser composed of hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring substance in our bodies. It gives allover hydration and glow to your skin.

9. You won’t get an obviously ‘done’ look. This sneaky treatment gives you a beautiful glow-up - but no one can tell exactly what you’ve done.

2. But it’s also so much more than that – it’s in a whole new category as a bio-revitaliser. Thanks to its specific composition of cross-linked HA, it also boosts your skin’s own production of collagen and elastin.

10. It’s so important that you choose a safe, reputable and professional injectable clinic – you don’t want to have Profhilo done just anywhere. I’m proud to say that Profhilo is now available at The Face Place, where we have the training and expertise to deliver excellent results. (DR CATHERINE STONE)  PN

3. Once your collagen production accelerates, this can improve crepey skin and early laxity. Very few treatments can address this concern, which is why Profhilo really stands out.

Cost: Two treatments (recommended) $1600, or $995 per treatment. www.thefaceplace.co.nz

4. It’s very versatile and can be used on your face, neck, decolletage and hands. Once you see the results on your face, you may want to go further.

5. Unlike similar ‘injectable moisturiser’ treatments that require a multitude of injections, Profhilo only requires 5 on each side of the face. Less discomfort and needle fatigue gets a big tick from us!

6. It’s a relatively quick and simple treatment. Allow an hour for your first appointment and just 30 minutes for future appointments.

7. There’s minimum downtime afterwards – you may have a few lumps, particularly if you treat the neck, but these typically disappear within 24-48 hours. (You can always wear a scarf!)

8. It’s already been used for five years in Europe and has an excellent safety record.

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ponsonbynews.co.nz/ponsonby-little-black-book 62 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

JOHN APPLETON: LOOKING AFTER OUR EYES WITH CAPSANTHIN How many of us think that losing our vision is just a normal part of ageing and accept that diseases of the eye such as macular degeneration and glaucoma only affect ‘other people?

As with anything, when it comes to our health, prevention should always be our primary focus and it’s become more important than ever before that parents/caregivers, employers and the population at large are aware of the significant risk to our eyes which comes from our almost constant use of digital screens, whether it be televisions, computers, tablets or cellphones.

21st century living has its benefits but there are downsides too.

Digital screens emit blue light rays, which in the visible light spectrum have the shortest wavelength but the highest energy. Although our cornea and lens are very effective at blocking UV rays from reaching the sensitive retina at the back of the eyeball, virtually all visible blue light passes through the cornea and lens and reaches the retina. Laboratory studies have shown that too much exposure to blue light can damage light-sensitive cells in the retina.

This causes changes that resemble those of macular degeneration, which can lead to permanent vision loss.

I regularly see young children staring at digital screens which are less than half a metre from their eyes. When using gadgets and looking at digital screens, the eyes will focus on this near range object. As such, the eye blinking rate (BR) can reduce from resting BR of 15 per minute to about 5 per minute. This means that the eyes are exposed to very high levels of blue light. How will this effect children later in life?

With our eyes, the real concern is that once the damage has been done, most often it can’t be reversed. So is there anything that we can we do to look after our eyes and potentially limit the damage that may occur over many years?

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoid pigments that impart yellow or orange color to various common foods such as cantaloupe, pasta, corn, carrots, orange/yellow peppers, fish, salmon and eggs. Their role in human health, in particular the health of the eye, is well established.

There is however a new ‘kid’ on the block. It’s known as capsanthin and it’s a very bioactive carotenoid derived from Capsicum annuum (or chili pepper) that has been shown in clinical studies to deliver a more holistic range of benefits than other eye health solutions by addressing both short and long-term eye health.

Researchers have discovered that capsanthin is able to increase macular pigment optical density (MPOD), thus providing protection from blue light.

This has to be great news for all of us.

Capsanthin however has much more to offer by taking eye health one step further.

Many older folks suffer with in an increase in intraocular pressure (ocular hypertension) caused by an imbalance in production and drainage of the fluid inside the eye. Pressure builds as the eye creates new fluid and the channels which normally drain it become obstructed. This can damage the optic nerve and lead to the onset of glaucoma, which if not treated adequately can result in permanent blindness. It’s exciting to learn that researchers have discovered that capsanthin can support normal intraocular pressure.

I spend a lot of time in front of the computer and at the end of the day, my eyes can be very fatigued. I have been taking lutein and zeaxanthin for several years and I have recently added capsanthin to my daily must have list of supplements. I have noted with interest that over recent years my vision has improved rather than deteriorated. Can I put this down to supplementing with key carotenoids? I can’t say for sure, but I am not planning to stop taking them. (JOHN APPLETON)  PN www.johnappleton.co.nz john@johnappleton.co.nz

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PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 63

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

LIVE YOUR BEST SKIN WITH CLEAR SKINCARE PONSONBY Q&A with Autumn Cairns, Clinic Manager Tell us a little about Clear Skincare Ponsonby We are one of New Zealand’s most experienced skin, acne, cosmetic injectables and laser hair removal clinics. We believe that good skin is liberating, and we have a team of highly trained clinical therapists and cosmetic nurses that focus on acne, scarring, pigmentation, dehydration, redness, sun damage, age management, cosmetic injecting and laser hair removal.

We love being in the heart of Ponsonby and what we do means we really get to know our local clients and to help them on a journey to really live their best skin!

What treatment would you recommend for clients after they’ve enjoyed a long summer in the sun?

HydraFacial is a game changer! It’s a celebrity favourite, with Beyonce and Britney Spears having them regularly, and I can see why. It really is amazing!

There’s just three steps with HydraFacial and best of all, it’s only a 30 minute treatment with no downtime so you can head straight back to work or school pick up after.

Step 1 - Cleanse and Peel We uncover a new layer of skin with gentle exfoliation and relaxing resurfacing.

Step 2 - Extract + Hydrate Next, we remove debris from pores with painless suction and nourish with intense moisturisers that quench the skin.

Step 3 - Fuse + Protect Finally, we saturate the skin’s surface with antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and peptides to maximise your glow. You’ll instantly see noticeable results and a rejuvenated, refreshed complexion. You’ll notice brighter, tighter and clearer skin, as well as a reduction in

acne and the signs of ageing. This is a truly relaxing treatment that will give you instant results that are long-lasting. That’s why I love it!

What if you don’t know what treatment you need?

We love working with clients to come up with a treatment which is tailored to their skin. Best of all, we offer FREE skin consultations where we can look at our clients’ skin and make recommendations that are right for them.

Our range of signature skin peels is a great way to clear away old skin and stimulate the regeneration of new skin. The new skin is then clearer, smoother and more even. We have a range of peels to treat different concerns – including acne, fine lines and wrinkles, texture, tone, sun damage, pigmentation and even scaring. There are peels that are fantastic for an instant lift and glow, and others that work overtime to resolve deep-seated and ongoing concerns.

Peels are fantastic as they’re one of the most affordable, fast and effective ways to improve your skin instantly!  PN

To book your FREE skin consultation today, visit www.clearskincareclinics.co.nz Auckland Central - Takapuna - Milford - Ponsonby - Newmarket - Mission Bay - Howick - Hamilton

64 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Try us for half price Live Your Best Skin™ with Clear Skincare.

Try one of our favourite treatments for the first time, and get half on us. T&Cs apply.

CLEARSKINCARECLINICS.CO.NZ

Auckland 09 220 6520

Howick 09 600 3850

Mission Bay 09 600 3860

Newmarket 09 520 0057

Ponsonby 09 220 6000

Takapuna 09 485 3290

Milford 09 600 3810

Chartwell 07 262 0108

LIVING, THINKING + BEING

THE ‘PLANTIFUL’ LIFE - HOW TO EAT LESS MEAT IN 2021 There are tonnes of health, financial and environmental benefits that come with reducing your meat intake.

With many Kiwis embracing vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian lifestyles, it’s also becoming easier to discover new plant-based products and places to eat, which makes 2021 the perfect time to try meat reducing.

But if your household is chock full of self-confessed carnivores – where do you begin?

Have a plan The key to forming new dietary habits is to plan well in advance.

There are free (or cheap) apps to help with meal planning, including Yummly, Mealime, Veganized and Forks Over Knives.

Reframe the conversation Think of it less about losing meat, and more about making extra room on your plate for nutritious, delicious veggies, nuts and legumes. Talk about new foods to try together as a whanau.

Start small, and grow Consider going meat free one day each week, like on ‘Meat Free Mondays’. Or swap out half the mince in lasagne or spaghetti Bolognese with red lentils or finely chopped mushrooms.

Bump up the protein Convert the staunchest carnivores by making every meal satisfying and filling. Experiment with different beans, pea-based meat replacements, lentils, tofu and tempeh, mycoproteins (like Quorn), wholegrains and nuts.

Seek plantiful inspiration Pretty much every TV chef has written a vegetarian cookbook, and the internet is overflowing with plant-based recipe blogs, Facebook groups for the vegan-curious, and veggie-laden Instagram accounts.

Five meat free evening family meals Made with everyday ingredients, using the minimum of dishes, and full of protein, fibre and nutritious veg’.

• Frittata: Use cooked potato, sweet potato or pumpkin for bulk and structure, then add your family’s favourite colourful veggies and sprinkle with cheese.

• Rainbow stir fry: Use whatever’s in the fridge, add cashew nuts or strips of omelette, and serve on quinoa for extra protein.

• Roast veggie salad: Drain, rinse and roast a can of chickpeas until crisp. Then remove from the roasting dish and roast your veggies. Serve with pesto, fresh herbs and aioli.

• Primavera risotto: Peas and baby broad beans add protein, while green veggies like broccoli, asparagus, capsicum and zucchini add springtime freshness. Top with parmesan, pine nuts and pesto.

• Chilli ‘non’ carne: Bump up your favourite Mexican beans with cooked red lentils for extra ‘meatiness’. Serve with nachos/warm tortillas and a big salad.  PN

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

66 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FUTURE GENERATION

MEET THE TEACHER Taylor Tuisamoa recently became Head of Whenua House at Western Springs College.

Where did you grow up?

My family has been based in the Grey Lynn, Westmere and Ponsonby area since 1969, so this place has always been close to my heart. During my formative years, my parents lived in Mt Albert, so I whakapapa back there as well.

I hear that you are a past student of Western Springs College. Do you have any interesting memories of the school from that time?

Plenty! I was not the ideal student and some of my memories include getting into a wee bit of trouble. I particularly remember my year 11 PE course. We went to Waihi for an aquathlon, and the city boy in me came out when I dived head-first into a lake without checking the depth and concussed myself. I don’t remember completing the aquathon, but apparently I did. We teachers would never let that happen now.

How has the school changed in that time?

The most prominent change I have seen is in the demographic of the students. Nga- Puna O Waiorea has done a great job - education and has of establishing itself as a leader in Maori drawn students from all over Auckland. I remember Waiorea as a small cohort but now the numbers are blooming and there does not seem to be any slowing down. Exciting times!

And what has not changed?

Above all else, Western Springs College is the most welcoming school environment that I have ever been a part of, both as a student and teacher. The focus that the school has on students’ well-being is phenomenal. Our inclusive nature encourages students to be who they are, where they are.

That is something special.

How did you get into teaching?

I hated school, I hated teachers (not any teacher, in particular).

I was just stubborn and thought I knew everything - I never wanted to come back. Then one day a teacher noticed that I was getting out-ofhand in year 12. He sat me down, gave me a steak and cheese pie, a red Powerade, and asked me “What’s going on mate?” I had never considered that teachers genuinely cared and this opened my eyes to what my teacher was really like as a person: caring, nurturing, and wanting the best for me.

This one interaction reframed my perception of teachers and made me want to have this same effect on others. And so, here I am, back at the same place where that teacher fed me, in the same department he was in, and teaching in the exact same room where I had that conversation!

What do you most enjoy about your job?

110% the relationships. This career is full of admin work, meetings, planning, and late nights, but it is the relationships with the students and other teachers that fuel my tank. I’m lucky to have worked with some awesome students.

Watching them develop into mature young adults is something that will always bring me joy. I recently caught up with a past student who is in his third year of university, and to reflect on where he was to where he is now is... pretty cool.

How are students coping with distance learning during lockdowns?

Having the “traditional” school being flipped on its head has posed some particularly difficult situations for some. Our school has always focused on maintaining and enhancing the well-being of our students, so my focus has been on making sure that the work I prescribe is manageable.

On the other hand, some students absolutely love it! We have had to make some foundation-shaking changes, and some students responded well to that. There is a sense of ownership and selfmanagement that students are really drawn to.

Do you still live locally? Have you got a favourite local spot?

Yes, I do. It’s pretty cool living within the community I work with. Dear Jervois cafe is a favourite - they always look after me and they make a mean coffee! (Shout out to Chlöe).

And my department is pretty keen on Malt bar for a Friday afternoon wind down.

What keeps you occupied when you aren’t teaching?

I spend a lot of time at the gym. Being surrounded by people day in day out is fun, but I also like to throw some headphones on and get active! And of course, spending time with my family and friends are PN important anchors for me. 

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 67

FUTURE GENERATION

IN THE WILD Weeks spent in the wilderness garner benefits that last a lifetime for Year 10 boys at King’s College.

Waving goodbye to their parents as the bus bound for Ahuroa pulls out of the King’s College gates, each month a group of Year 10 students turn their minds to the challenge that lies ahead.

The Year 10 Adventure Challenge is a three-week long programme designed to unlock potential in students through discovery in the wild.

“The outdoors provides a different medium for these students to learn and experience life,” Programme Director Rod Pancoust says.

“It’s not a virtual experience, it’s real.”

Time spent at the college venture camp in Puhoi, on Steinlager II (Sir Peter Blake’s 85-foot maxi yacht) and in Tongariro National Park sees students tramp, kayak, learn bushcraft, sail, snorkel and more.

“The programme is designed to bring out attributes like responsibility, self-reliance, leadership, teamwork and confidence. They learn these sorts of things from the activities and challenges that they undertake during the course,” Mr Pancoust says.

Year 11 student Nick Dingley, who undertook the challenge in early 2020, says that being away from home was a new experience.

“It definitely put me out of my comfort zone. It’s kind of hard, but it’s worth it at the end,” he says.

For his mum Louise Dingley, an Old Collegian of King’s College, the changes she noticed in Nick were clear.

68 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

“I think he’s come back with a new sense of maturity and self-respect having undergone all of these incredible challenges,” she says.

Mr Pancoust agrees. “Students come back with a bigger awareness of not only themselves, but empathy and ability to work with other students.”

The College’s founding Headmaster, Mr Graham Bruce, deemed that King’s College should provide the “best all-round education it is possible to obtain.”

Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) is defined as “the use of places other than the classroom for teaching and learning”, and the King’s College philosophy is that improving a young person’s understanding, skills, values and personal development can significantly enhance their learning and academic achievement. The Year 10 Adventure Challenge is one of the opportunities provided for students to benefit from a wider curriculum.

And the benefits are applied for years to come. “We get students come back and say that it was a significant experience for them because they’ve transferred their new knowledge to school, then their job or studies at university,” Mr Pancoust says.

For Nick, the impact of the experience is still making itself known.

“I think it’s changed me in ways that I don’t really know about yet.

I feel like it’s going to come over time.”  PN For more information about the King’s College Year 10 Adventure Challenge visit kingscollege.school.nz/thisislife

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

You’re not born resilient.

You learn to be.

The King’s College Year 10 Adventure Challenge Each year every Year 10 King’s College boy gets transported to a very different world. It’s three weeks apart from the familiar. Based in teams they learn a wide range of outdoor skills at King’s College Ahuroa Adventure Camp, and in the wilds of the Central Plateau. They also spend a week at sea on a classic racing yacht. It’s challenging, for sure. But also incredibly rewarding.

It’s more than a chance to connect with the natural environment, it’s a personal journey: growing self‑awareness, confidence and resilience every day. Places are limited, so if you’d like to know more go to kingscollege.school.nz/thisislife.

King’s is opportunity

kingscollege.school.nz/thisislife

FUTURE GENERATION

JOHN ELLIOTT: LOVE FOOD, HATE WASTE - A SUSTAINABLE PROJECT Just when I have been grizzling about the difficulty of attracting a reasonable share of our most able young people into teaching, a fantastic local project emerged.

We, at Ponsonby News, learned that a young teacher at Richmond Road School, Sacha Connolly, has developed an amazing sustainability project with her young students. Beginning last year, this vivacious fifth year teacher looked into ways to change her students’ perceptions of food wastage. Sacha had been a chef (“cook really“, she said) on oceangoing super yachts before she went teaching, and she sought to make small changes in the children’s ideas about not wasting food. She had seen environmental degradation on tiny atolls, often covered in plastic.

Wild Wheat donated lots of bread, and the students made French toast, croutons, bread and butter pudding. They made sourdough bread too, from spent grain from local brewery Urbanaut. They also made yoghurt from stale milk.

Sacha Connolly took her students to local Good For store in Williamson Avenue to look into waste-free lunch options. They stock lots of yummy, healthy snacks and staples. Students brought their own containers from home to weigh and fill and had a fabulous time.

mathematics, vigorous oral and written expression, art, healthy living generally, and taking more care of the one and only earth we have.

Sacha aims to keep raising the consciousness of her students, a little at a time. They will undertake a project that slipped through the net last year because of Covid-19, making meals for the homeless this year.

Part of the reward, Sacha hopes, is to raise the awareness of ‘gratitude’ among the children she teaches. “We are well off,” she says, but many kids don’t even have a roof over their heads, let alone enough food to eat.

Congratulations Sacha and Richmond Road School. We, at Ponsonby News are thoroughly proud of the valuable work you are doing in our midst. (JOHN ELLIOTT)  PN

Next they worked on creating Drain Art, creating beautiful ocean creatures. Sixteen students were selected to design eight creatures around the eight main school drains. This creative activity was to remind us that our drains flow straight to the ocean and only water should go down them! The photo shows Penelope PetersonMcNeil, Billy Atkinson and Oliver Cobel working on their fabulous sea creatures.

Another photo shows five of Sacha’s boys attending to the school vegetable garden.

Sacha Connolly is proud to have been chosen by the Sir Peter Blake Trust’s “Blake Inspire” to take part in a week long environmental education and leadership development programme.

There are a number of projects planned for this year, including working with AT on the innovating street projects. Another project will see the students growing mushrooms out of spent grain, and planting a Maori medicinal garden.

These are all ‘sunrise’ activities, and I expect the projects will give students ample opportunity to measure, weigh and improve their

70 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FUTURE GENERATION

JOHN ELLIOTT: WORRIES ABOUT NEW ZEALAND STUDENTS’ MATHS AND READING There has been plenty in the papers in recent weeks about New Zealand students falling in international rankings for reading and maths. According to reports we are now near the bottom of OECD rankings.

A flurry of responses has been seen and a number of proposals have been aired to improve the situation.

It has been suggested that in some primary schools some teachers just are not teaching maths at all.

During my master’s thesis, I conducted a small survey outside Auckland University library. I asked students which course they were doing. Not one I questioned was intending to teach. I then presented them with a list of prominent professions, including teaching, and asked them to rank the professions in order of their preference if, status, salary, conditions, and all other considerations were equal for each choice. My reason was to see if teaching would move up the list at all, and if the negative attitude in New Zealand generally towards teaching was amended and teacher status enhanced. To my amazement, teaching jumped to number one choice.

Back in the 1970s when I was a young primary school teacher, I was seconded, for two years, to the Auckland Education Board as teacher recruitment officer. My job was mainly to visit every secondary school from Pukekohe to Kaitaia talking to senior students about their future career and encouraging them to consider going teaching.

Times have not changed. Teaching still struggles for public approval, and teachers still struggle for community recognition of their important job. Everyone acknowledges that “children are our future”, but doesn’t rate the need for the very best of our school leavers to seek to teach.

I then sat on the selection committee which selected primary teaching students for Teacher’s College. Later, I completed my Masters degree with a thesis called ‘Improving Teacher Selection’. Just to complete my education involvement story, I chaired the Parliamentary Education Select Committee for four years in the late 70s. During these years I have had four sons through various Auckland schools.

There are countries that do a lot better than ours. Finland is one of those. All teachers in Finland are masters graduates, and only about one in ten applicants for teaching is successful, such is the popularity and status of the profession. Teaching is more highly regarded in Finnish society than other prestigious careers like architecture, medicine, dentistry, engineering and science research.

I have been privileged to know some outstanding teachers, and to have worked with some of them. My boys all had a few very good teachers, but not every year of their school days. And, so, here is the huge elephant in the room. Not one commentator in recent weeks has mentioned teacher quality.

New Zealand teachers work extremely hard, and many, as I have already said, are doing an outstanding job preparing our next generation to cope with life and thrive. But we could do better if we, as a society, valued the education profession more highly, giving it the status in the community it richly deserves. Students’ reading and maths would surely benefit if some of those hotshots we have all known, took to teaching, to supplement an already hard working but under appreciated team.

In reading, much has centred around more or less teaching of phonics. Professors of maths at several New Zealand universities have proposed solutions and some have joined the chorus of complaints at how dire our standards are.

During those recruitment days in the 70s, teaching was just not able to attract its share of the most able school leavers. Parents, relatives, neighbours, even teachers of bright students would all say, “you can do better than that”, if a young person mentioned they might go teaching.

When he introduced me to the Principal of Kings College at morning tea on my visit there, the careers adviser who was hosting me said, “Headmaster, this is Mr Elliott. He’s bloody brave. He’s come to talk to our senior boys about teaching.”

Next month, I will report on how Ponsonby Intermediate and St Stephens Church are recovering from their devastating fires.

PN (JOHN ELLIOTT)  If you have a story you think Ponsonby News readers should hear about, email our editor Martin Leach on martin@ponsonbynews.co.nz or me on johnelliott38@outlook.com

No one stoned me out of their school, but it was clear that few of the most able would consider teaching.

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 71

FUTURE GENERATION

SOLAR-POWERED LEARNING AT WESTERN SPRINGS COLLEGE - NGĀ PUNA O WAIŌREA Over the summer break a 50kW solar array (136 solar panels) was installed on the new buildings at Western Springs College - Ngā Puna o Waiōrea. This exciting addition to the Ken Havill Centre for Learning, has created a 50 year plus solar power legacy.

The school’s solar journey centres on enhancing education. We aim to expand our students’ knowledge and experience of alternative energy. This solar boost provides a real-time science and learning opportunity, where solar generation and savings are tracked and studied. Live solar data will be displayed on a central screen, showing a variety of ways to appreciate the significance of the on-site energy generation.

Here at Western Springs College – Nga- Puna o Waiorea, sustainability is one of our core values and this initiative puts those ideals into action.

Our solar installation will reduce the carbon footprint of our school, and also reduce the carbon footprint of the nation.

This fantastic achievement has been made possible by our very supportive community. The project was community-funded with individual families, alumni, staff and local businesses donating the majority of panels. Thanks also goes to our key sponsors Mercury, The Lion Foundation and the Waitemata- Local Board who all supported us with significant donations.

PN In fact, the school community is so enthusiastic about the project that plans are underway to raise funds for a second solar array. 

I LOVE LUCY BOOK REVIEW:

CORALINE - NEIL GAIMAN - 8+

“The sky had never seemed so sky; the world had never seemed so world.”

Coraline Jones’ parents don’t pay much attention to her; swamped with work, their fingers endlessly tapping the keys of their computers. She thinks they don’t care about her - seeing as they never want to spend time with her. When they move to a new house Coraline discovers a very small door that opens to a perfect world that mirrors her own - where her ‘other’ parents give her whatever she wants, whenever she wants it. Contrasting her real world parents the ‘other’ parents have unsettling bone white skin and glossy black buttons for eyes and seem to be completely devoted to Coraline’s needs. As always there is a price to pay when they offer her to stay in their dream world.

Although this is not a new release, it is my absolute favourite book in the world, which I have read over and over again. Filled to the brim with unexpected turns and a really clever plot that keeps you captivated to the end, I would class it as a mild horror/thriller suitable for younger audiences.

The cover art and illustrations of this version are done by another one of my favourite authors, Chris Riddell. His drawing style really gives life to the story and his drawings of the ‘other mother’ are incredibly impressive and very creepy with their intricate details.

(LUCY KENNEDY)  PN Available at www.dorothybutlerbookshop.co.nz www.lucykennedywriter.wixsite.com/reviews instagram @ilovelucybooks

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out of 5!

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FUTURE GENERATION

HONOUR MITCHELL: TEEN STRESS-BUSTERS The teenage life may seem easy going but in reality it is hectic!

With the never-ending homework and extracurricular activities, we find ourselves drained of energy and longing for some time to relax!

All of this hustle and bustle can start having a negative effect on our mental health. It is extremely important we take action and treat ourselves to some mindful stress-busters, to remain healthy and sane. Here are some activities I do whenever I feel a bit overwhelmed, especially with the start of school.

Local Libraries My ideal way to relax is reading a good book; it only requires you to lift a finger! Recently I have rediscovered our local libraries - not only are they environmentally conscious but they are an inclusive community space. With the Ponsonby libraries conveniently located in Jervois Rd (Herne Bay) and Great North Road (Grey Lynn) it’s no hassle to walk on in and find a juicy novel. But the thing I really love is the special request service. Using your online account, you just enter the title of a book you’d like to read and ask for it to be delivered to your closest library! Then, voila - you get an email letting you know it’s arrived. Why not wipe out a week’s stress by cosying up with the perfect book?

Mindful Meditation Meditation has many benefits; it is such a simple way to relieve stress and become relaxed quickly. There are many YouTube videos which can help you to get started but ‘’Calm” is an app I find particularly engaging. It offers multiple meditation practises for you to follow that are free. There are even some “bedtime stories” to help you unwind at night. I also like the relaxing sounds you can choose from when you enter the app. At the moment I have “rain on leaves” which I find mesmerizingly hypnotic. Go on - try it. Even just ten minutes will bring on a dream-like state!

Endorphin Euphoria Exercise is excellent for your sanity. There are plenty of ways to blow off the mental cobwebs. I love a run around the neighbourhood walks are great too. Or perhaps a bike ride may be more to your taste? Around Ponsonby it’s not hard to find a piece of the waterfront to enhance the bliss! Whatever your preference, it’s a chance to unwind and be in the moment. Add in the endorphin rush, and you have a great recipe for relieving stress - even when the action is over, the magic will remain.

Glorious Gratitude I first learnt about gratitude journaling in primary school. It is a simple yet effective practice to use whether you’re 5, 15 or 50.

Reminding ourselves we have so much to be grateful for - even when things seem hopeless - can help you through the inevitable bumps in life. Writing down five things you are grateful for each day can boost positivity and make you feel more optimistic. Why not decorate a notebook, quickly jot down a few blessings, then boom - you’ve got your very own gratitude journal.

Healthy Habits Overall wellbeing requires you to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Pretty easy really, just incorporate loads of veggies and fruit into your daily life and try to stay away from junk food. If you just aren’t in the mood for cooking, my favourite healthy food place is the Little Bird Kitchen located at 1a Summer St. Fully organic and voted best healthy brunch, it seems an obvious choice. You’ll be amazed at the delicious options. And what’s better than knowing nothing processed or toxic is entering your body? I couldn’t think of a better way to enhance my mental health!

Furry Friends If all else fails, pat a cat or walk the dog. Got no pet? Don’t fret!

Ponsonby is a canine wonderland - pat the dog outside your local

cafe. My sister and I are professional puppy admirers. Trust me, it will brighten your mood instantly. (HONOUR MITCHELL)  PN PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 73

PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS

LOGAN GRANGER: “DIPS” - SEASONAL INCOME Seasonal dips in income can be highly challenging but there are proactive ways to predict, plan for and overcome these dips in revenue.

The key to dealing with these dips is to know when they’re most likely to occur, and to have measures in place to spread your income and revenue pipeline over the course of the year.

Understanding seasonality in your sector.

If your business is seasonal, such as outdoor painting, tent/ marquee hire, pool supplies, or a ski gear specialist, you’ll be used to the peaks and troughs, but many ‘non-seasonal’ businesses experience times during the financial year where sales and revenue peak – and, on the flipside, where sales and revenue experience a pronounced dip. When income is low at certain times of the year, it makes for challenging times.

So, what are the key ways to plan for this kind of seasonality?

• Forecast your seasonality. It’s vital to know WHEN you’re most likely to experience any seasonal dips. Looking at benchmarking reports for your industry is one way to predict the seasonality in your niche or sector. But you can also use your own accounting data to great effect. Look back through your profit and loss reports and spot where the peaks and troughs have occurred over preceding years.

• Charge a premium in peak time. One straightforward approach is to apply premium pricing for your products or services during the busy season. By increasing your pricing, you boost your overall revenue, giving you more working capital to see you through the leaner months when sales and income are at their lowest.

• Offer additional peak-time services. Offering added extras and other additional service lines during peak time is another way to maximise the season. In the months where customers are most engaged, look to upsell these premium services and offer more value. Satisfied clients will be more inclined to pay for added extras, giving you an increased revenue stream from the same number of customers.

• Target other markets. Exploring other related markets is another useful tactic. When you’re experiencing downtime, look for other ways to monetise your existing assets, products or services. For example, if you’re a hotel where sales peak in summertime, offer discounted conference space in the winter months to boost revenue.

• Diversify your products/services. If one product / service has a known seasonal dip, look at adding an additional product or service to offset this downtime. For example, a ski resort could promote bike-riding or hiking breaks during the warmer summer months to keep revenue constant. Likewise, a pool maintenance firm could establish an outdoor fireplace business for the colder months.

74 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

• Have a regional e-commerce strategy. If you’re dependent on a small local market, broadening your marketing and e-commerce strategies can help to attract a wider customer base and bolster sales. Paid advertising through Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter can easily target new geographical markets, bringing in new customers and giving your revenue a muchneeded uplift during seasonal troughs.

• Down time. Know when you will be low on work and use any down time to look into doing maintenance work on gears/ machinery/reviewing stock, reviewing contracts, or simply make a time to catch up with your business advisor and get your books sorted.

Talk to us about planning for seasonality.

If your business is struggling with seasonal dips, and the resulting impact on cash-flow, come and talk to us. We’ll help you identify the timing of your seasonal downtime and come up with a clear strategy for stabilising your income across the year. (LOGAN GRANGER)  PN JOHNSTON ASSOCIATES, 202 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 361 6701, www.jacal.co.nz.

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

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS

RECRUITMENT STUDIO: DELIVERING STRESS FREE AND POSITIVE RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS Bridgette Johnstone and Jo Henderson have been at the helm of the recruitment world for over 30 years combined.

It was clear when they first started working together that they shared values of integrity and transparency as well as a focused working style and positive account management approach.

As two of the top recruiters in Auckland, not only do they come with decades of experience, connections, credibility, and a reputation for being great at what they do, but also with a load of passion, commitment and a fun-loving attitude, so they felt it was time to step out and start doing things their own way. It’s their personal and honest touch that sets them apart.

Having recently celebrated their third birthday, Recruitment Studio came to fruition from their shared passion for providing their clients with positive, stress-free recruitment solutions. Launching the Recruitment Studio had been a long held dream for them both. “We wanted to do something that reflected who we are, something values driven, and what we view as successful recruitment”, says Bridgette.

Delivering end-to-end generalist recruitment, Recruitment Studio work across a huge range of industries, supporting clients and candidates with temporary, permanent and fixed-term contract solutions from vacancy right through to placement.

With an office based on High Street in Auckland’s CBD, the team service Auckland with 85% of business currently, as well as other parts of New Zealand, into Australia and most recently, the United States.

Providing attentive account management, the team will work to understand your company culture, ensuring they match you with candidates who will strengthen and complement your team.

Delivering a service and results that align with their core business values; honesty, transparency, and value added partnership, quality

of service is high on the priority list. “We want to make sure our clients walk away happy. Going through the hiring process can be an incredibly stressful process for businesses and what we want to take away from them is that stress”, explains Bridgette.

Seeing the real value in creating strong personal connections, both in the office and in life in general, is at the core of Recruitment Studio. Committed to fully understanding both clients and candidates, they make sure every interaction is packed with value and a human perspective. Certainly, when the Covid-19 crisis hit New Zealand, this was a huge benefit.

“In addition to our recruitment services, our clients also come to us for market insights, as a resource to learn what is going on out there.

That’s why we are so big on that connection with our clients, we keep those lines of communication going. It’s invaluable.

“This time of year is often one when we find candidates look to change roles, and within that comes a lot of factors to consider. We can help you by talking through the process, asking the right questions to help make things clearer and understand what you’re looking for in your next role”, says Jo. Once you have your reason for a change clear in your head, it is easier to keep your search focused. Talking to the right people and staying positive, you will be well on your way to finding the right exciting new job, or even deciding your current job actually is where you want to stay.

Are you looking to partner with a business who are experts in delivering stress free and positive recruitment solutions? Get in touch today, you can reach us at info@recruitmentstudio.co.nz

HEAD OFFICE Level 5, 35 High Street, Auckland 1010 09 216 4683 recruitmentstudio.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 75

PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS

LEGAL ADVICE FROM DAVENPORTS LAW Andy and Susie had been together for six years and had one small child.

Andy was a school teacher and Susie was an accountant. They owned their home, which due to the rising property market on the North Shore, they now had quite a bit of equity in. After a tumultuous 2020, they were looking forward to a more settled 2021 (fingers crossed!) and had just spent two weeks over the Tammy McLeod summer in a gorgeous little bay on the Coromandel. They had enjoyed it so much that they were seriously looking at buying a section on which they would eventually build.

Susie was also making her way up the ranks in her accounting firm and had been offered an opportunity to purchase shares in the business and become a director. The other directors in the firm all had their shares in family trusts and recommended that Susie talk to her lawyer regarding whether she should also set up a trust to purchase her shares.

Susie and Andy spoke to a friend who explained that trusts had become quite a specialised area, especially since the new Act came in at the end of January 2021 and they really needed to talk to someone who was an expert in the area. Their current lawyer, who they had used to buy the house, was lovely, but did a bit of everything so they decided to go to the trust specialist lawyer recommended by their friend.

Their first question to the lawyer was - did they actually need a trust.

Her answer was definitely yes. Becoming a director of any business brought with it an element of risk and it was all about layering up the protection. A trust was an important part of that asset protection and the lawyer recommended that not just the shares went into the trust, but also their family home. This would also wrap protection around the family home.

As Susie was an accountant, she already knew about the potential tax efficiencies that can come with a properly structured trust, particularly with the increase in the top personal tax rate which the government was introducing. Their new lawyer said that she would

usually recommend taking tax advice, but Susie was able to handle that part of it. She explained that it was always important that the lawyer and accountant worked together to get the best outcome for the client.

If Susie and Andy did go ahead with purchasing the section, then it would be best to also put that into the trust. A trust is a perfect vehicle to hold assets that you may want to keep for future generations, and Susie and Andy were sure that the holiday home they would eventually build on the section would become a very special place for their family that they would want to pass down to future generations.

The lawyer explained that now was the perfect time to be setting up a trust – it was early on in their careers and lives and they would be able to show a history of protection in the event that they ever needed to rely on the protection that the trust would afford them.

She said it was a bit like taking out medical insurance when you were younger before any “pre-existing conditions” could negate the benefit of protection. She also said with the recent changes to the Trusts Act, it was a perfect opportunity to set up a structure that was well suited to the requirements of the new Act and would hold itself in good stead for the future. She said that all people who already had trusts should be reviewing their existing trusts to make sure that they were correct in terms of the new Act. Susie and Andy both made mental notes to let their respective parents, who both had trusts, know this.

The other important elements the lawyer talked about was their wills and making sure that they tied in with the trust. She also said that they would need to think about their wishes for the trust after they died – she said it was called a memorandum of guidance or letter of wishes and it was a bit like a will for a trust. She said that she could provide examples to give them some ideas as to the kinds of things people liked to include.

Susie and Andy left the meeting feeling immensely relieved and confident that they were not only doing the right thing, but that they were dealing with a lawyer who was really knowledgeable and that they were getting exactly the kind of structure that they needed for their family and their future.  PN

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

76 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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

Trust law has changed.

Does your trust comply?

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

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

Contact us for more information.

0 9 883 4 4 0 0 DAV EN P O RTS L AW.CO.N Z

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 77

Kāore i te mārama? Pātai Te Pou Whakawhirinaki o Grey Lynn/Ponsonby. Not sure?

Ask us at CAB Grey Lynn/Ponsonby.

Last November we in Auckland celebrated the 50th birthday of the Citizen Advice Bureau and the opening of the very first CAB branch in Ponsonby in 1970.

Our service is free, trustworthy and totally confidential to our clients.

People can pop in and see us and there is no set time slot, no one hurrying anyone along.

During this year of our anniversary, we acknowledge the thousands of skilled CAB volunteers and staff throughout Aotearoa who dedicate their time to providing free confidential advice and access to the rights and services people need.

Your issue is what is important and we will work with you however long it takes. By confidential, we mean, we do not ask you your name and nor do we pass on your name to any other party or agency. However, if you do want us to discuss your matter with a third party, we can do that. For example, if you have an issue with a power company bill or an immigration matter or Work and Income, we can with your express authority, talk about your specific issue.

We celebrate the countless hours of advice to the public, providing information on everything from housing and consumer rights to immigration and employment.

We celebrate also our funders, especially our core funder Te Kaunihera o Tamaki Makaurau Auckland Council and Te Puna Tahua Lotteries Grants Board, who ensure we have had the funds and premises to serve our clients over this last 50 years.

And we celebrate our clients – all those who stay here in this community, whether citizens or not. Sometimes people think they must be a “citizen” to use our service, but we welcome every single person - those who are born here, those who are not, residents and visitors.

Coming to see us or contacting us is the first step to resolve a matter, and that takes a leap of faith telling that story to another person.

Our volunteers are diverse, skilled, experienced and empathetic to any story or situation that comes their way. They undertake an intensive training process that ensures they are ready for any issue and they provide options based on information that is constantly updated by a specialist team in our national office.

Property transactions that come up smelling of roses.

SpeCial FIxEd FEE PrE‑AuctIOn rEPOrt $300

We take the time to listen and aim to ensure that you get the information you need – whether it’s about your rights in a particular situation or to find a specific service, we will find a way forward. We can help people find a local dance group, or how to find someone they have a dispute with when they do not know their address.

We help people who have issues with their landlord or their neighbours or their employers. By the same token, we help people who have issues with their tenant or their employees. The latest residential tenancy legislation is an example where we have over the last month received many calls relating to notice periods, new rules around fixed tenancies and the prescribed reasons that landlords have to follow when giving notice to tenants.

We also have up-to-date information on your rights relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, whether it be business support from government, immigration matters, issues with travel providers and we have been assisting the Auckland Regional Public Health service with their clients’ non-health related needs if required by the Government to self-isolate.

A people-centred face to face service is valued more now than ever with both government and private sector agencies actively promoting online and telephone communication. You can of course also call us on the phone, or contact us via our website by using live chat or sending a message.

The work of CAB has contributed to positive social change for half a century in an ever-changing world. We look forward to serving our PN community in Grey Lynn Ponsonby for another 50 plus years. 

www.jonesthepainter.com

When you’re buying or selling a property in the Auckland region, our legal expertise makes for smoother transactions, right down to securing the keys on settlement day.

Lesley Bradley, Manager of Citizens Advice Bureau, Auckland, Grey Lynn/Ponsonby Branch, 510 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn.

T: 09 376 0392, www.cab.org.nz

©Copyright Ross Jones 2010- 2016

PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS SERVING THE COMMUNITY

Talk to us about conveyancing Call us today

169a Ponsonby Road Ponsonby, Auckland +64 9 929 0800 www.metrolaw.co.nz Trusts & Wills

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78 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

Business & Commercial

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Property

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

The greater Ponsonby marketplace (St Marys Bay, Herne Bay, Freemans Bay, Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Westmere) saw the median sell price for January remain very consistent comparative to January last year, the month representing a traditionally quieter period for the marketplace with many Aucklanders away on holiday. There were 24 properties sold compared with 26 in January 2020, and 25% of sales were conducted by auction.

Compared to December, the median sell price declined by 4%, mainly reflective of an increased number of apartments and units in the sub-$1M bracket being sold in January.

OFF-MARKET ACTIVITY INCREASES IN JANUARY December and January saw a strong trend toward more offmarket activity in the area, as many homeowners look toward some outstanding local results in their neighbourhood and the potential opportunity to sell their property without conducting a full campaign.

Off-market sales tend to increase during buoyant markets and for many, especially those with young families and the time-poor, house preparation for sale can be difficult. I am currently working with a large pool of buyers on my database looking for various property types, so if you are looking to potentially sell your home contact me today for a no-hassle obligation-free chat.

WYNYARD QUARTER COMES TO LIFE Many of you will have noticed the impressive new Willis and Bond development ’30 Madden’ at Wynyard Quarter, impeccably designed by Studio Pacific Architecture to add a unique vibrance and character to this maritime precinct. The complex looks simply stunning as you drive over the Harbour Bridge toward the city, and there has been a hive of activity over the last week with new homeowners starting to receive the keys to their new apartments.

We are excited to have commenced marketing a prime north-facing option in the building, completely brand new and spanning the entire length of the building facing onto the waterfront. With an abundance of natural light as a result, enjoy views of the Harbour Bridge right through to Wynyard Wharf. With a true connection to the street-life below it, this is a home for Saturday morning lunch outside or taking in the ever-changing evening lights.

Call me now to arrange a time to view, or check it out on www.nzsothebysrealty.com listing ID NZE11194 INVESTMENT PROPERTY LVR CHANGES The Reserve Bank recently announced some important changes to its loan-to-value ratio requirements for bank lending. For all new lending from 1 March, most investors will now be required to have a 30% deposit, rising to 40% from the 1 May.

In reality however, most new applications not already pre-approved will be subject to the 40% requirement straight away. While this may on face value stymie your potential plans to purchase an investment property, for those with an existing home the recent buoyancy in the market may well help you reach the 40% threshold given that your home will likely have increased in value and therefore potentially improved your LVR position as a result.

There is also light in the tunnel in the form of new-builds, which are generally exempt from the 40% requirement, although criteria can vary from bank to bank. Not all banks are passing on this exemption.

Another avenue for your next investment property can be to look outside of Auckland to the regions for value. We are anecdotally seeing an increase in ‘rental property stock’ coming onto the market in places such as Hamilton and Napier, where many current landlords are cashing up rather than complying with the new Residential Tenancies Act requirements that were introduced into law in February.

Many of these properties are ‘Barry basic’ older homes that may need a bit of work to get up to the required Healthy Homes standards that will come into effect from July next year. So if you’re willing to look outside the square for your next investment property and perhaps roll your sleeves up on some maintenance, you might just find a well-priced opportunity outside of Auckland. Happy hunting, and we always advise you to seek independent advice before making any financial decisions regarding your next property purchase.

Thank you for reading.  PN

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

Properties Sold Average Sell Price Median Sell Price

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

January 2020 26 $1,930,240 $1,627,500

December 2020 65 $1,784,507 $1,690,000

REINZ statistics for Freemans Bay, Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Westmere, St Marys Bay & Herne Bay

PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 79

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

LOCAL MARKET WRAP WITH CHARLOTTE KOFOED

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

ABSOLUTE WATERFRONT 71A SARSFIELD ST, HERNE BAY Feast your eyes on this very special secluded property. Nestled on 1138m2 grounds proudly celebrating an enviable north-facing waterfront position, this property wonderfully showcases the magical Waitematā Harbour.

Your own expansive boat shed is steeped in history as it’s where the Whitbread Round the World 5-foot sloop Outward Bound was built.

This multi-tiered 1960s family home boasts three double bedrooms, a master with ensuite, a light-filled, open-plan living and dining area with picture windows and sliding doors which open wide to the expansive veranda and a breath-taking panoramic vista of everchanging sea views. Incredibly this remarkable property also boasts two one-bedroom apartments and two studio apartments, all with balconies and views.

This is the first time on the market in over 40 years and is a very rare opportunity for the most discerning buyer to acquire the ultimate in prestigious New Zealand real estate.

Tender Closes 4pm Tuesday 9 March 2021 (unless sold prior).

Phone me for a private appointment. Carl Madsen T: 021 953 152, or email c.madsen@barfoot.co.nz www.barfoot.co.nz/806426

Newport 6 drawer chest h122cm, w109cm, d46cm $4180 Trenail Simple 8 drawer chest in whitewash finish $5880

Bespoke NEWPORT chest in Ash $3840

Astrid 5 drawer h100cm, w100cm, d46cm $4380

@ ROSE AND HEATHER

ROSE & HEATHER, 366 Great North Road, T: 09 376 2895, www.roseandheather.com

80 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

W E H A V E A N E W H O M E..

We’re now at 366 Great North Rd. Greylynn

w w w. r o s e a n d h e a t h e r. c o. n z instore and online 7 days t: 09 3762895 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 81

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

@ MELUKA Meluka is built tough by our amazing woodwork team at Danske Mobler furniture in our Mount Eden factory in Auckland.

Everything comes fully assembled except our bunks. Lets roll out the good times with the perfect set of drawers for any toddler.

Shop online today at www.meluka.co.nz

82 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY NEWS PONSONBY NEWS      

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     

Georgie Malyon floral artist, ‘Immersed in Flowers’ www.georgiemalyon.com The Grey Place, 37 Scanlan Street, Grey Lynn, www.thegreyplace.nz Georgie Malyon floral artist, ‘Immersed in Flowers’ www.georgiemalyon.com The Grey Place, 37 Scanlan Street, Grey Lynn, www.thegreyplace.nz

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR...

Latest news, recent issues VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR...

advertising, Littleissues Black Book LatestPonsonby news, recent Ponsonby advertising, News Readers are everywhere and much more...

Ponsonby Little Black Book

Ponsonby News Readers are everywhere and much more...

Check our Ponsonby News website, and social media pages for the latest details to find out what incredible local businesses are doing to serve the community during the lockdown.

www.ponsonbynews.co.nz www.ponsonbynews.co.nz www.ponsonbynews.co.nz

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

GRACE YOUR HOUSE WITH AWARD-WINNING ITALIAN DESIGN New stock from Magis has just arrived in store at ECC. Over the years Magis has produced a number of iconic designs and fostered the careers of designers that have become internationally famous along the way. This Italian brand produces furniture and accessories for the home with a focus on accessibility for all, always with a novel twist and incorporating leading edge technology.

The products feature regularly as design award winners, and Magis founder, Eugenio Perazza, has recently been awarded with a lifetime achievement award.

The stories behind the products tell of the attention to every part of the design and production process. Take the Bell Chair for example.

This egg-shaped stackable chair is manufactured from recycled polypropylene generated by Magis’ furniture production and the local car industry. Moreover, it weighs half that of a normal chair (2.7kgs to be exact), is manufactured in under one minute and can be recycled again at the end of its life. Everything down to the packaging and small transportation footprint has been considered.

Bell Chair is among the Winners of the 2020 Archiproducts Design Awards. It comes in white, navy and orange and is suitable for outdoor use.

The Plato chair is another light-weight, stackable chair suitable for outdoor use. It is the perfect balance of lightness, strength and functionality. Made from recyclable die-cast aluminium, Plato is available in 6 intense colours.

New stocks of the iconic Puppy have arrived, with the addition of a limited edition colour – Dalmation red with white sprinkles. Known as an iconic piece of furniture, Puppy is the perfect gift to delight our loved ones and a faithful companion for any setting. Place an extra small Puppy on the bookshelf or use the extra large one as a seat.

Add a touch of winning design to your kitchen with Dish Doctor dish racks, Mago brooms, and Flo and Nuovastep folding step ladders.

All are super functional and eye-catching at the same time.

If you are looking for further inspiration visit the ECC showroom at 39 Nugent Street, Grafton - just off Khyber Pass, or shop online at www.ecc.co.nz/store

Clockwise from top: Bell chair, Puppy, Nuovastep, Flo step ladder, Mago broom, Dish Doctor, Plato chair. All by Magis.

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ecc.co.nz

Magis

Bell Chair

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED An innovative kitchen by Certified Designer Marianne Gailer from Kitchens By Design has totally transformed and revitalised the interior of this Browns Bay home.

It’s been almost ten years since Sharon and Brian Slater first moved into their home. The original kitchen had a scullery and a small breakfast bar that could only seat two people, max. At that time, Sharon says their two girls were quite a lot younger, but as they have grown and started to cook and bake, the kitchen layout didn’t work for them, plus it was beginning to look tired.

“At first we thought about just doing a makeover, but they couldn’t get the flow working and just kept stagnating. In the end we realised that we needed a whole new kitchen.”

“We came across Kitchens By Design by accident,” she says. “We happened to park right outside their Byron Ave showroom in Takapuna, looking for a café, and thought, ‘I’m definitely going to have a look around here’. Marianne Gailer, (kitchen designer) opened the door for us and in we went. She was really helpful. We were immediately impressed with her knowledge.”

Brian says he was taken with the three kitchens on display. “They were all quite different. At that stage we were still looking at a makeover, but once we compared the pricing we’d been given for a makeover and what it would cost to pull the whole thing out and start again, it made much more sense to put in a brand new kitchen.”

What was your brief to the designer?

“Our must-haves were a bigger, better breakfast bar; better layout and use of space; and having a bit more of a focal point, which we both agreed was the window. We always wanted that marble look and also some dark timber somewhere, because we already had dark wood in the rest of the house,” says Sharon.

“The thing that really surprised us was that when Marianne came back with the first concepts; they were completely different from our preconceived ideas of what we thought our new kitchen was going to

look like,” adds Brian. Sharon says it took a bit of time to get used to the idea of getting rid of the scullery, but once we thought it through, what Marianne proposed made perfect sense.

What was the most memorable moment of the process?

“When everything was pulled out, it was pretty scary, but the day we went out to the factory to see the new kitchen all set up, it looked spectacular. That’s when we finally got a feel for what our new kitchen was going to look like. That day was a highlight for us,” says Brian.

And now that it’s in, Sharon says she loves the overall look of her new kitchen, especially the breakfast bar. “We love it when people see it for the first time and just go, ‘Wow’.”

Brian works a lot from home, and he says the new island is a perfect space to work. “It’s at a good height and the lighting is excellent. It always was the hub of the home, but it’s even more so now.”

How did you find the experience of working with Kitchens By Design?

“Right at the beginning, Marianne said to us, ‘trust me’, and she was right,” says Brian. “We would never have been bold enough to do what we ended up with, but it couldn’t have worked out better. There’s nothing we’d change. Richard Cripps, owner of KDB is a perfectionist, and was really easy to deal with. Everything was handled so smoothly all the way through in a really transparent way.”

If you thinking about putting in a new kitchen, give the award-winning team at Kitchen By Design a call, or pop into their showroom at 3 Byron Avenue, Takapuna T: 09 488 7201. And for inspiration, take a look at their website at www.kitchensbydesign.co.nz

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Visit our showroom today.

3 Byron Avenue, Takapuna (09) 379 3084

A bold and transformative design solution. kitchensbydesign.co.nz PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021 87

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

BLINDS VERSUS CURTAINS WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE AND WHEN Thinking of new window furnishings but don’t know whether blinds or curtains are right for you?

Amanda Stewart, Lahood Window Furnishings Showroom Manager, shares her advice.

Time to update your home’s window coverings but struggling to decide between blinds and curtains? With so many varieties and styles available, many homeowners find it difficult to pick the perfect window coverings.

Both blinds and curtains have so much to offer in terms of aesthetics and functionality. We spoke to Lahood window furnishing expert, Amanda Stewart.

and work with many leading architects and developers at the planning stage to include these in new builds.

Enjoy the style and convenience of quality curtains Curtains are the more energy efficient of the two window coverings. “You can’t beat curtains if your main objective is insulation,” says Amanda.

Good curtains completely wrap a window and provide the best insulation.

Curtains are also beautiful and add a distinct style and softness to a room that blinds and shutters simply can’t match.

“Motorisation has come a long way in the last ten years and offers the ultimate convenience for operating your curtains or blinds,” says Amanda.

Lahood offer both hardwired or battery-operated motorised solutions for blinds and curtains. Battery operated motorisation gives you the benefits of easy installation with no need for wiring.

“Curtains are ideal if you have your heart set on a statement print, and there are many stunning textures and patterns that can really transform a space,” says Amanda. Additionally, curtains are often the better choice if you’re after a sun-blocking solution, especially for bedrooms in summer, with the ability to choose a blockout lining. “Sheer curtains are still very on trend and are the perfect solution for adding softness to a room as well as daytime privacy,” she adds.

The many benefits of beautiful blinds It’s important to note that there are many styles of indoor blinds, including; roller blinds, sunscreens, soft shades, vertical and venetian blinds. And, there are many benefits to internal blinds which provide good aesthetics and functionality, and allow you the choice of a dual system for light during the day and privacy at night.

“Motorisation has become much more affordable and perfect for eliminating unsightly chains over large sliding or bi-fold doors,” says Amanda.

“We have solutions that allow you to control your blinds from work or while you are on holiday. We love that you can even link to your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to operate your blinds with voice control.”

Talk to one of the Lahood experts about what is right for your home and this month get 15% OFF automation and FREE curtain making on selected fabrics.

Book a FREE in-home consultation online, or visit their showroom at 104 Mt Eden Road, www.lahood.co.nz

“Roller blinds are a cost-effective solution for window coverings and are available in an extensive range of neutral tones, textures and densities,” says Amanda. Blinds are a great choice if you don’t have a lot of space or are after a minimal look. “If you choose blinds and insulation is priority, then a Luxaflex Duette blind is a great solution,” recommends Amanda.

“Otherwise known as celluar blinds, Luxaflex Duette blinds look great and keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer.”

Discover Automated Solutions Both modern curtains and blinds can be motorised. Lahood Window Furnishings are the experts in motorised curtain and blind installation

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

104 Mt. Eden Road Mt. Eden, Auckland Phone: 09 638 8463 www.lahood.co.nz

Are you renovating, redecorating or building a new home?

15% OFF AUTOMATION*

Phone 638 8463 today for a FREE in home design consultation*

FREE CURTAIN MAKING*

20% OFF

ROMAN BLIND MAKING*

CURTAINS • BLINDS • INTERIOR DESIGN • AWNINGS • ROLLER SHADES • UPHOLSTERY *Special conditions apply – lahood.co.nz/promotions. Offer finishes 31/03/2021.

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

@ HOMAGE

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1. Round Chair - Ash Frame/ Wicker 2. Milton Armchair - American Walnut/ Frame Wool Blend

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3. Conversation Armchair - Stainless Steel Frame/ Aniline leather 4. Tulip Desk Chair - Stainless Steel Frame/ Aniline leather 5. LC7 Swivel Chair & LC8 Swivel Stool Chrome Steel Frame/ Aniline leather 5

6. Diamond Armchair Chrome Steel Frame/ Aniline leather

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254 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn T: 360 0616

hello design-savvy friend...

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Classic, eclectic and a little bit tongue in cheek, Homage sources satisfying objects from around the globe at approachable prices.

30 Broadway, Newmarket T: 520 5711 Weekdays 10am-5pm Saturday 10am-4pm Sunday 10am-4pm Grey Lynn only Shop on-line www.homage.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Where Design Meets Inspiration Full renovation and installation service Consultants available for design guidance European tiles for all projects and budgets We have stock on hand ready to go...

Retail Showroom: 254 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland (next to Homage) 10am – 4:30pm Monday – Friday, by appointment any other time / M: 021 644 728 / www.tonictiles.co.nz

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

@ METRIX 1. Duravit’s archetypical open oval of the Happy D. design classic runs through all elements of the Happy D.2 Plus range designed by Sieger Design. Form and utility is delivered with toilets and bidets that are available as wall mounted, floor standing and back-to-wall options.

2. When creating a slightly darker, contemporary bathroom design, another key element to consider is the toilet. This concept used to be restricted as many toilets were only available in white. However, this is now a thing of the past as toilets and matching basins in the Happy D.2 Plus collection are available in Anthracite Matt providing an extra layer of individuality and class.

3. SensoWash® Starck f is next-generation; all components have been optimised so the technology is ‘invisibly’ located within the ceramic body. The flat seat and the white cover located behind it form a precise, harmonious unit–a shower-toilet with the latest, comfortenhancing technology in an uncompromising, minimalistic look.

4. DuraStyle Basic toilets feature Rimless flushing technology that enables an innovative and powerful flush. Water flows in the form of a horizontal arc and then vertically, before flushing the entire surface of the bowl without splashing. This ensures perfect hygienic flushing results with a smaller volume of water.

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5. How can you create a modern yet timeless bathroom series that adapts to different styles? By reducing its design entirely and focusing on the user’s personality and individuality. ME by Starck floor standing or wall mounted toilets feature optimal water-saving flush mechanism and toilet seats with soft closure, manufactured with precision and removable with just the push of a button.

PN Pure elegance.  www.metrix.co.nz

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The best seat in the house.

SensoWash® Starck f SensoWash® represents a range of shower-toilet seats dedicated to modern toilet hygiene.

The SensoWash® Starck f model is the top of the range and features a remote opening seat, rearwash, comfortwash, ladywash, warm air dryer, heated seat, night light and memory keys for two users, all controlled by an intuitive remote control.

Designer: Philippe Starck View online or in our Parnell Showroom

Toilets. Basins. Baths. Tapware.

Accessories. Saunas. Showers.

155 The Strand, Parnell metrix.co.nz

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Naver Collection Entertainment Unit Danish design at its best in Walnut and Corian String home office solution. Designed in 1949 by Swedish Architect Nils ‘nisse’ Strinning

Ring storage units, another classic design by Joe Columbo, Circa. 1964

Davis sofa Contemporary Classic by Amura

Boby Trolley by Joe Columbo

HOME WHERE THE HEART IS

@ BOB & FRIENDS

BOB & FRIENDS, 231 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 378 7350, www.bobandfriends.co.nz

THE BOBY TROLLEY One of the most exciting brands to arrive at Bob and Friends. Designed by Joe Columbo in 1970, the Boby Trolley has become an icon.

Functionality and detail are its strong points which, together with an undeniably pop flavour, continue to make it the most popular storage trolley in Europe.

Available in store in a range of colours and sizes.

Visit us in store at: 231 Ponsonby Road, Auckland, New Zealand

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Tel: +649 3787350 Mobile: +64 22 021 0455

ron@bobandfriends.co.nz www.bobandfriends.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ARTS + CULTURE

LOCAL ART & DESIGN DESTINATIONS From art galleries like Whitespace and Orexart (recently relocated to Ponsonby Road) to design stores like Bob and Friends, Dawson & Co, Bauhaus, ECC and Homage, there are a plethora of inspiring local places to draw from when the soul needs more than just things.

For many of us this situation creates a state of heightened anxiety and increases our need for something more intangible to feed our souls and quieten our minds. The arts are well placed to help us with this. Our local musicians, performers, artists and designers have already shown how incredibly vital they are in this way. They have freely shared their talents with online performances, podcasts and more, since the very first lockdown.

The need for art to not only reflect the times and our history, but also be accessible and inclusive is well served in Ponsonby where we have both incredible design stores, art galleries and public art displays on our doorstep. This March sees the launch of the Auckland Art Festival with a full range of free art events and experiences for locals to immerse themselves in, as well as a range of exciting exhibition openings at local galleries.

For Rex Armstrong of Orexart the recent lockdowns have revealed a heightened awareness of the immediate environment. “It’s like the quieter streets and slower pace have cleared some visual and aural pathways. It’s been a good thing in lots of ways,” explains Rex. “Weirdly it’s been great for business and people are certainly buying more art! It’s partially due to the fact that some of the more fortunate have their ‘travel budget’ burning a hole in their back pocket - but it’s also that people are spending more time at home actively living with things - and appreciating them more.”

A Figure Exhales, Zahra Killeen-Chanc. Photo: Solomon Mortimer www.aaf.co.nz

Art offers people both an escape from a world in the grips of pandemic as well as reflection and reaction to our most human experiences during a time of crisis.

While in Aotearoa we are somewhat sheltered from the full effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are all keenly aware of how fortunate we are and how easily things can change.

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ARTS + CULTURE

The new location of Orexart on Ponsonby Road has also illustrated to Rex and the team just how important art is as a conversation starter. “Having a gallery right on Ponsonby Road makes art really accessible and visible to anyone walking by at any hour 7 days a week. We’ve been amazed by the number of people who come in saying things like, “Hey, I walked past with my dog last night and was so struck by the painting in the window...” says Rex.

Recent exhibitions have quite literally transported viewers to other places: Richard McWhannell’s latest works are a road trip through the wild west borderlands between Texas and Mexico. Peter James Smith’s new paintings offer a history of water, and celebrate the great oceans that surround us. “A personal favourite is called ‘The Crack in Everything’ which alludes to lines used by bards William Shakespeare and Leonard Cohen and also happens to be an absolute cracker of a painting,” shares Rex.

Peter James Smith, The Crack In Everything. 2020 - Oil on linen, 41 x 50cm

Rex Armstrong & Jennifer Buckley with Bob and Gladys

Rex and partner Jennifer Buckley believe the role artists play in interpreting and reflecting our world is important all of the time, but it’s even more important in times of crisis. “Artists invite us to travel alongside them on a journey and good artwork is almost always a stepping off point for somewhere else,” explains Rex.

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ARTS + CULTURE Educate to Liberate - Polynesian Panthers Mural project: Whakaako kia Whakaora Collective www.aaf.co.nz

Other free events and experiences during Auckland Art Festival include an aerial dance event at Coyle Park on 5, 6 and 7 March called The Air Between Us. It’s the first half of a double feature in the park that’s followed

by A Figure Exhales, a site specific outdoor performance, meditative and stylised for visual impact by performance artist and choreographer Zahra Killeen-Chanc.

Just out of the local hood is Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery where another free art installation, Ka Mua, ka Muri, runs from March 6 to 21 March. A sound and moving image installation from artist Shannon Te Ao, it explores our experience of time, history and song, using the road movie genre as its starting point. The film also includes two original songs developed by Te Ao in collaboration with Kurt Komene.

Shannon Te Ao, Ka mua, ka muri, 2020. Photo Laura Findlay www.aaf.co.nz

Gundry St and Karangahape Road is the site for The Educate to Liberate – Polynesian Panthers Mural project which begins on March 4. It’s one of the many free experiences locals can enjoy as part of the Auckland Art Festival. It’s an international collaboration created by the Whakaako kia Whakaora Collective (Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho, Numa MacKenzie, Toa Sieke Taihia, Emory Douglas, Tigilau Ness and Chris McBride) that reflects the experiences of many Pasifika families in our local area and beyond. Festival orgnanisers describe it as a visual celebration of the interconnectedness between the Polynesian Panther Party of Aotearoa and the Black Panther Party of the American Civil Rights movement – a positive inspiration for future generations.

The Air Between Us: Chloe Loftus and Rodney Bell www.aaf.co.nz

Whether you are a collector or just someone who finds inspiration through the arts, there is so much that can be enjoyed strolling our local streets or just by going a little further afield this March.

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HOME WHERE THE HEART IS The epitome of urban luxe, effortless sophistication and understated style. The Shabby by Timothy Oulton is the ultimate slouch couch. Available from www.dawsonandco.nz

What is true of good art is also true of good design. It enhances our sensory human experiences through sight, sound, touch and smell and now more than ever it is our homes that are the focus of our design interests.

The need to replace the experience of travel with something in-home is a phenomena he believes is growing. It is prompting people to be more creative in duplicating the sense of what they can’t have with our borders closed.

“I see the desire for good design is more profound for people in the current environment,” says Angus Dawson of the family owned design store Dawson and Co. “We are all spending more and more time in our homes and we want them to be both an escape and a sanctuary,” he explains.

“Whether you’re yearning for the feeling of being amongst the rolling hills of Tuscany, working in a home office that has an edgy New York aesthetic, or you have the need to recreate a sense order in the chaos with the minimalist influences of Danish Bauhaus architecture, it’s all possible,” he says. It’s not simply a case of just acquiring things. It’s about utilising design as an art-form to produce authentic human responses. “Within your own home, thoughtful design and the careful curation of pieces, from floor coverings to furniture, from decor to fine art, gives you the power to create a home space that feeds the soul and inspires you every day,” concludes Angus.  PN

It’s an extension of the idea that our homes can and need to do more than just function for us on a practical level because they impact so directly on how we feel. “How our home makes us feels is effected by good design, not simply by how they function,” details Angus.

The airy design of the Mood collection from Tribu, and it’s warm combination of teak and handwoven backs will immediately create a relaxed and intimate atmosphere.

Available from www.dawsonandco.nz

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HOME WHERE THE HEART IS Artist’s studio

For more information on the incredible events at Auckland Art Festival visit www.aaf.co.nz. To find out about the latest exhibitions at OrexArt, and Whitespace visit www.orexart.co.nz or www.whitespace.co.nz and for advice on great design for your homes check out www.dawsonandco.nz, www.bobandfriends.co.nz, www.ecc.co.nz, www.bauhaus.co.nz or www.homage.co.nz.

New Pot Shop Artedomus Range + Sensational Sample Sale ~ Pots From $40 Open Hours: Tuesday - Sunday (9.30am - 3.30pm) Location: 42 Mackelvie, Grey Lynn, Auckland

ARTEDOMUS

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Jeffrey Harrism Crucifixion and Figures in Landscape, 2021, Oil on Board, 310 x 422mm, [Private collection]

@ {SUITE} GALLERY, PONSONBY {Suite} is honoured to present an exhibition of paintings by significant New Zealand artist Jeffrey Harris. This will be Harris’s first exhibition of new paintings in 10 years and his first exhibition in Auckland in over 20 years.

Filled with enigmatic symbols like disembodied eyes, floating figures, crucifixes and phallic weaponry, the work of Jeffrey Harris often gives the impression of a dream begging to be decoded.

This exhibition is a rare opportunity for viewers to examine tightly organised and intensely focused mediations on composition in all their thickly painted glory and wonder how it is all done.

Since rising to prominence as one of New Zealand’s most notable painters in the 1970s, Harris’s artistic style has constantly evolved while continuing to revisit familiar symbolic motifs. With a more refined and nuanced hand that comes with five decades of experience, these recent paintings work to gently beckon the viewer more deeply than ever before into the strange and beautiful inner world inside Harris’s own head.

The exhibition opened on Thursday 25 February and run through to Saturday 3 April.

The exhibition can be viewed online at www.suite.co.nz and a full online catalogue of all available works our galleries in Auckland and Wellington can be viewed by contacting the gallery. {Suite} Gallery, 189 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 218 4399, www.suite.co.nz

Jeffrey Harris, Female and Male, 2021, Oil on board, 400 x 309mm, [Private collection]

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ARTS + CULTURE

@ OREX ART In Historia Aqua A History of Water, from 13 March - 1 April Peter James Smith is a celebrated artist, published mathematician, traveller, adventurer, lover of poets, places and history.

His new suite of paintings takes us on an Odyssean maritime adventure from Dusky Bay to the Southern Ocean; to the Isles of Scilly and towards Greece. These paintings show us the power of the sea, the truth of mathematics, the allure of history, and the path of comets.

“When people are at the beach, they always seem to pause to watch the sun going down over the sea, reflecting on the day that has been, or the days to come,” says the artist. Perhaps there is a feeling of inner strength, an almost mathematical certainty that we derive from PN the constancy of the sea and its place in our collective history.  OREX, 221 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 378 0588, www.orexart.co.nz

Lux Perpetua 2020 oil on canvas 40x51cm

Watch OnTheTasman 2020 oil on linen 51x41cm

Peter James Smith

In Historia Aqua

13 March - 1 April 2021 orexart.co.nz

est. 1990

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@ SCOTT LAWRIE

Toby Raine: The last innocent thing left 13 March – 3 April Toby Raine is one of the hottest young painters of his generation. His in-your-face, expressive style has graced the walls of collectors both here and overseas – each show practically selling out.

So I’m really excited and honoured to have a show of powerful – yet sensitive – new work by Toby at the gallery during March and early April.

Lockdown was tough for Toby for so many reasons, and he took solace and comfort in the place he knew best; his home painting studio. Working from this basement, he has produced what I believe are some of his most beautiful and tender paintings to date – with the focus largely on his young stepdaughter, Irene.

The subject matter is homely and intimate, and follows the at-home discoveries of a young child exploring in the garden, talking with her cat, playing and chattering at home, and all the time shielded from the raging fury of a global pandemic.

Yet these paintings are by no means clichéd or benign. Instead, they are pure bold expressions of the unrelenting will of human beings to push against times of despair, hopelessness, and fear.

The show is on at Scott Lawrie Gallery in Grey Lynn. (Free parking at 15 Williamson Avenue). Open Thursday to Sunday 11am-5pm.  PN SCOTT LAWRIE GALLERY, 2 Murdoch Road, www.scottlawrie.com

Ya-Ting Liou

FIRST TUESDAY @ ST MATTHEW-IN-THE-CITY The next First Tuesday concert series at St Matthewin-the-City for 2021 begins at 12.10pm on 6 April with master pianist Ya-Ting Liou playing a solo recital.

Ya-Ting received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Peabody Institute of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Missouri - Kansas City in the United States.

Critics have noted Ya-Ting Liou’s “secure and impressive technique” and her “ability for expressive and moving playing.”

Ya-Ting has presented concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in New Zealand and abroad, with performance highlights including appearances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in New York, and venues in Italy, Canada, Argentina, and Taiwan.

“First Tuesday delights with it’s diversity of programming,” says organiser Paul Chan, and the following concerts in the First Tuesday series for May and June involve ensembles.

The Royal New Zealand Navy Band was a great crowd pleaser last year and they appear again as both a full band and wind groups on 4 May.

Toby Raine - Child in Garden, 2021

Auckland Grammar School Music department are a dynamic organisation and on 1 June under their director Chris Adams, who is both an esteemed composer and performer, will offer a range of music which is bound to excite and inspire.  PN www.stmatthews.nz

Toby Raine ~ The last innocent thing left 13 Feb - 07 Mar 2021

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

scottlawrie.com

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ARTS + CULTURE

UPTOWN ART SCENE Back in 1990, I bought my first piece of art from a gallery just up Queen Street from Mayoral Drive called Oedipus Rex. Thirty years later and now named OREXART, the gallery is found on that other Golden Mile – Ponsonby Road.

The Concordia Cemetery, Shafter, TX. Richard McWhannell

This is the fifth location OREXART have shown their artists from, most recently moved from Putiki Street, Grey Lynn. From an upstairs space with little signage and no streetfrontage to a corner site at 221 Ponsonby Road, this is a big shift for a gallery, even as established as this one. Yet while smaller and more expensive, Director Rex Armstrong is very pleased with the move.

Three Palms Motel and Oasis Restaurant, Presidio.TX. Richard McWhannell

I visited Rex while an exhibition by local artist Richard McWhannell was on the soft white walls - large and small canvases depicting small town Texas. In 2017, on a train ride across the state, McWhannell had been latched onto by a Texan artist who insisted that should he ever return, he’d show him “the real Texas”.

Two years later, when visiting relatives in Canada, McWhannell decides to ring this total stranger and invite himself to stay for a couple of weeks. The result is a suite of works that take in wide panoramas (including large watercolours made on location) and peculiar detail – giant movie star billboards adorning a lonely highway, dark silhouettes of birds in a tree.

In New Zealand, the arts are supported by a strong and dedicated community, but it often seems separated from the wider community.

Art galleries are often located out-of-the-way for cheaper rents, knowing they’re a destination location.

By choosing Ponsonby Road, OREXART joins next-door neighbours FHE Galleries, with { Suite } in the next block, in putting their artists

directly in the public’s eye. While these galleries are juggling the kind of rents commonly the preserve of clothing boutiques and hospitality, expanding their audience into the mainstream seems a good business plan.

Here’s to more art on Main Street!

(EVAN WOODRUFFE/STUDIO ART SUPPLIES)  PN www.studioart.co.nz

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THE HAMILTON CIVIC CHOIR AND ST MATTHEW’S CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Bach’s passionate masterpiece presented by the Hamilton Civic Choir with rising star soloists and the accomplished St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra. Conductor Timothy Carpenter Sunday 21 March @2.30pm.

Blessed with film star good looks, Timothy Carpenter, Conductor and Music Director of the Hamilton Civic Choir is emerging as one of New Zealand’s most active and promising young conductors. As well as his studies at University, Timothy has studied cello, organ and conducting. He has attended conducting master classes in the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. He has conducted the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Western Australia Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Currently, Timothy is Director of Vocal and Choral Music at St Paul’s Collegiate Hamilton, and Musical Director of the Hamilton Civic Choir which since its birth in 1946 has enjoyed a reputation as one of New Zealand’s finest. Their repertoire includes chamber music and other shorter and more modern works. It has been chosen several times to sing major choral works with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

@ WHITESPACE

Te Puna o Waiariki -The Spring of Waiariki - Keepers Cottage - Albert Park, Open 21 March - 4 April Whitespace is delighted to present Te Puna o Waiariki, an exhibition of 5 established - artists in the 1882 Keepers Cottage in Albert Park for two weeks. contemporary Maori Artists participating in creating and presenting works during the exhibition include: Anton Forde, Graham Tipene, James Ormsby, Ngahina Hohaia, Penny Howard and Tauira - ki Waipapa Taumata Rau; a group of student artists.

Maori

St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra is an accomplished orchestra performing a wide repertoire of music. The players’ high-quality-music-making bring their audiences much joy.

TICKETS Eventfinda or Door sales cash only. Adults $30 Concessions $25 Student Rush PN $15 (on the day) children under 12 free.  ST MATTHEW-IN-THE-CITY CHURCH, corner Wellesley & Hobson Streets. www.smco.org.nz

The Keepers Cottage was built in 1882 in Gothic style and originally built for the parks first keeper, W Boston. For about 20 years from 1887 it was used by the City Librarian, Edward Shillington.

- collaborations between established Following concepts of mataurange and tikanga Maori, artists and students working on site and interacting with visitors to the cottage will be encouraged, with works on display.

The name of the exhibition links to an ancient spring that flows from this whenua tuku iho. The sacred spring - Te Waiariki - provided water for crops for the papakainga, Rangipuke, and continued its course down to the harbour; it still runs underground today. This project in this historic cottage and on this sacred site provides opportunity for the artists to reflect on the importance of wai, the essence of all life, now as it was in the past.  PN For details of talks and workshops see www.whitespace.co.nz Tim Carpenter

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TE PUNA O WAIARIKI THE SPRING OF WAIARIKI 21 MARCH – 4 APRIL 2021

KEEPERS COTTAGE, ALBERT PARK ARTISTS INCLUDE: ANTON FORDE, GRAHAM TIPENE JAMES ORMSBY, NGAHINA HOHAIA, PENNY HOWARD & TAUIRA MĀORI KI WAIPAPA TAUMATA RAU

whitespace contemporar y art

104 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

A Whitespace Project Enquiries to Deborah White: dwhite@whitespace.co.nz Visit whitespace.co.nz for futher details.

Sun 21 March at 2.30pm programme

Bach St Matthew Passion featuring

Jane Tankersley Soprano, Sarah Court Alto, Lachlan Craig Tenor, James Harrison Bass, Yotam Levy Cello Continuo, Dr Philip Smith Organ conductor Timothy Carpenter st matthew-in-the-city Cnr of Wellesley & Hobson Street, Auckland City

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Discovery of Witches on NEON

STREAMING GUIDE FOR MARCH Escape to worlds mystical and imagined or stay grounded in idyllic settings that seem alluringly real and hopeful.

Whether you feel more comfortable confronting reality or escaping it in another realm, content creators the world over have you covered. There is a story with a pace and style to suit any mood you may have.

Virgin River Described by one critic as a grown up Dawson’s Creek this romantic soap opera style series is like a comfy pair of slippers. It’s not designed for a fast paced journey, rather it’s a gentle sojourn that draws you into the lives of easily likeable characters.

Starring New Zealand’s own Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan (Shortland Street, Grey’s Anatomy, Secrets and Lies) Virgin River is the story of an emotionally broken woman, Mel, played by Alexandra Breckenridge, escaping LA and a past marred by tragedy.

It’s no surprise that things don’t go smoothly and as Mel tries to fit into small town life we learn about her tragic past. Set in a fictional town well before the Covid-19 pandemic, this is a story about human relationships and the simple drama of living. It’s not high stakes, it’s not fast paced, but sometimes you don’t need high heels or running shoes to get where you need to go.  Disney+

WandaVision Disney+ keeps getting more and more interesting.

The latest Marvel mystery fusion, WandaVision is

one that demands some commitment on the part of the viewer. It’s definitely a slow burn kind of story, but it has all the markings of a bright light that will shine like a cult classic.

You won’t be alone if after the first or even second episode you still have no idea what is going on or where the quirky narrative is heading. But don’t worry you won’t get bored, this is a highly entertaining story filled with clever dialogue and an enchanting 60s sitcom set, reminiscent of shows like Bewitched and The Brady Bunch.

With a strong sense of the mystery and a slightly subversive Truman Show vibe, you are sure to be hooked by Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) -- two super-powered beings trying to fit in.  TVNZ OnDemand

The Walkers In this high energy local reality show, featuring the incredibly talented and successful Stan Walker, whanau are celebrated as the most important thing of all. It’s a show many have tried to compare with Keeping up with the Kardashians but that’s a comparison Walker himself has been quick to correct, stating that this show and his whanau have little in common with the Kardashians except perhaps their size.

Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda Monroe and Martin Henderson as Jack Sheridan of Virgin River, NETFLIX© 2020

After watching the first episode, it’s easy to see how the show will gather a loyal following of fans keen to be welcomed into Stan’s larger than life whanau.

The Walkers is full of characters who are bound to be world famous in New Zealand before long.

The music is of course sublime and the show is more than just light entertainment; it yields an intimate insight into the life of a local super star who has somehow managed to keep his feet firmly on the whenua and retain his unique sense of self.  NEON

Discovery of Witches Season 2 of this romantic mystical escapism dropped on Neon at the start of the year and proves again that magic, vampires, witches and romance continue to be an intoxicating mix.

While this genre is not every critics cup of tea, most agree the chemistry of actors Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer is eerily masterful, and with the addition of an incredibly realistic set of 16th century England the show still has more to offer.

The stakes are high, the tension extreme and the romance rose–tinted true love. If that’s not the ultimate in escapism, nothing is. 

The Walkers on TVNZ on Demand

NETFLIX

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

Aquarius (the Water Carrier) 21 January - 19 February Whatever it takes to keep in balance your work and personal life you seem to have the knack for doing it. You’ve always been able to discipline yourself as to regards to finances. Remember whatever you put in now will give you great rewards later on.

Pisces (the Fishes) 20 February - 20 March At last it seems you feel you’re getting noticed. Don’t exaggerate and put yourself in the spotlight though. Being yourself when you’re around people is enough to light up any room.

Aries (the Ram) 21 March - 20 April Any self-doubts you’ve been feeling lately are finally leaving you and you can feel your confidence flooding back. If you need to arrive at some sort of closure in your life before you start feeling hesitant, now is the perfect time to reach some sort of conclusion.

Taurus (the Bull) 21 April - 21 May You’ve overheard some friends talking about you and at first you misheard but then realised you were being discussed in a very positive light. Any insecurities or doubts you may have had about you feeling part of something should eventually go away.

Gemini (the Twins) 22 May - 21 June You may find the spotlight on you this month. Your creativity has caught the eye of someone important. You’ll have a revelation that is like a light bulb moment for you.

No matter who you share it with everyone will benefit.

Cancer (the Crab) 22 June - 22 July For once your feelings, both emotionally and physically, are all acting in unison this month and you’re feeling positive about life. Being around others will be an influence and the positive vibes you’re giving off will start to make everyone you come into contact with feel good.

Leo (the Lion) 23 July - 21 August You may find you’re better off than you thought. At least physically you feel great, but not so much mentally. The last year has been a tough time for a lot of people. But like expected, being a lion you overcame the difficulties to carry on, though sometimes you might need to get help when you need it and forget about your pride.

Virgo (the Virgin) 22 August - 23 September If someone wants to give you a helping hand this month don’t hesitate when you take it. If you have this image that you want to portray as being independent, you still can be, but we all need some help once in a while. No conditions will be attached.

Libra (the Scales) 24 September - 23 October Something this month is going to happen that will give you some relief and motivate you to focus more on yourself and your career.

Those around you will be there to give you the support if you need it.

Scorpio (the Scorpion) 24 October - 22 November Whatever you’ve felt like lately should be starting to lift this month. You have always been able to self motivate as you know where you’re going in life. Your enthusiasm for life will return and your inspirational ideas will flourish.

Sagittarius (the Archer) 23 November - 22 December It’s OK to step away from life every now and again if you feel you have to. Don’t risk burnout by burning the candle at both ends.

Risk is necessary sometimes in life, but if you intend to play hard then you should know what usually follows.

Capricorn (the Goat) 23 December - 20 January Something that you’ll find out this month will entertain you for weeks to come. And it’s about time something that was positive happened in your life. Well, it could be the time. What it is will bring back the sparkle that’s been missing for quite a while.

106 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2021

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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