The Hobson October 2020

october 2020

spring p te pourewa p seasonal eating local news, views & informed opinions

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The October Issue, No. 72 8

32

the editor’s letter

the teacher

10 the columnists

Good leadership needs to be modelled as much as possible, says Judi Paape

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33

the village

the second act

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei debuts its garden development, Te Pourewa; pushback on Parnell’s deco heritage under threat; promised action on Remuera’s dirty waters, and more

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24 the politicians Updates from local MPs David Seymour and Paul Goldsmith

26 the councillor

Lockdown 2.0 finds Sandy Burgham in a place that feels very much like home

the bookmark Stephen Penny is The Hobson’s art director and also the creator of a new book that looks back at a turbulent time in New Zealand’s recent history

39 the sound

The councillor for the Ōrākei ward, Desley Simpson, shares her news

Andrew Dickens surrounds to the mood of the second lockdown by spinning some Nick Cave

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40

the plan

the menu

Hamish Firth bears a childhood scar of foulled waterways, but finds little has changed

It’s spring and Lauraine Jacobs has fresh asparagus, new potatoes and a seasonal salad on her plate

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42

the investment

the magpie

It’s a bold call but Warren Couillault makes it: why Trump will win again

The Magpie perches in great style this month

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44

the suburbanist

the district diary

Tommy Honey suggests a new view of the entrance to your home: you’re welcome

What’s going on around here in October

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the cryptic

the arriviste

Māyā’s puzzle of the month

46

Colin Hogg finds his re-adopted home a bit of a dry old place

A still morning captured on Tamaki Drive by earlier riser and Parnell resident, Rendell McIntosh

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W issue 72, october 2020 Editor & Publisher Kirsty Cameron editor@thehobson.co.nz Art Direction & Production Stephen Penny design@thehobson.co.nz Writers this Issue Kirsty Cameron, Wayne Thompson Justine Williams Sub-editor Dawn Adams Columnists Sandy Burgham, Warren Couillault, Andrew Dickens, Hamish Firth, Paul Goldsmith, Colin Hogg, Tommy Honey, Lauraine Jacobs, Judi Paape, David Seymour, Desley Simpson Photographers Emma Bass, Stephen Penny

hile there’s no denying that this year needs to be over before it can get any worse, spring lifts sagging spirits. From the bulbs on Ōhinerau Mt Hobson, to the fragrance of magnolia and freesias scenting a walk around the neighbourhood and the bursting green shoots of Te Pourewa on Kepa Rd (see The Village, page 12), spring does deliver a reminder that life moves on.

At the time of writing, I am looking forward to shortly boarding a flight to Dunedin to visit my student daughter. It’s the third time this journey has been rebooked, and she has flight credits in her name too, from scuppered plans to come north. From cancelled trips and postponed events, to a socially-distanced funeral and just about every plan I made going wrong, I can’t wait to see the back of 2020. Even those stoics who dealt gracefully with lockdown 1.0 found their reserves of good humour a little less accessible the second time around — it got so bad for the usually glass-half-full Andrew Dickens, he decided the darker notes of Nick Cave was the soundtrack he needed (see The Sound, page 39).

It would also be fair to say that at this point of this exceedingly shitty year, I feel thankful. Thankful that we still have a business, thankful for the wage subsidy, thankful we could work from home when circumstances demanded it. Thankful my parents were so well looked after in their retirement village, even if it meant long periods where we could only wave at each other from the gate. Many others have had it a lot worse and the repercussions of this year will go on for a long time.

But for now, I am also thankful that we’ve got to October, and I am able to stop and smell the magnolias.

Kia kaha,

Cover Spring arrives with Last Twitch, by Emma Bass.

See The Editor’s Letter, this page.

THE HOBSON is published 11 times a year by The Hobson Limited, PO Box 37490 Parnell, Auckland 1151. www.thehobson.co.nz F: The Hobson Magazine I: @The Hobson

Kirsty Cameron editor@thehobson.co.nz 0275 326 424 Facebook: The Hobson Magazine Instagram: TheHobson

Ideas, suggestions, advertising inquiries welcome. editor@thehobson.co.nz

THE HOBSON is Remuera, Parnell and Ōrākei’s community magazine. We deliver into letterboxes in these neighbourhoods, and copies are also at local libraries, cafés, and at businesses including the Vicky Ave and White Heron dairies, and Paper Plus Parnell. For more about us, see The Hobson Magazine on Facebook.

The content of THE HOBSON is copyright. Our words, our pictures.

Don’t steal, and don’t borrow without checking with us first.

We aim for accuracy but cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies that do occur. The views of our contributors are their own and not necessarily those of THE HOBSON. We don’t favour unsolicited contributions but do welcome you getting in touch via editor@thehobson.co.nz to discuss ideas.

The Hobson Ltd is a member of the Magazine Publishers Association This publication uses environmentally responsible papers.

ICG Logo CMYK.pdf 1 05/08/2015 6:19:01 AM

Our ‘spring’ cover image is by local photographer Emma Bass. Emma is one of the artists whose work is part of the Auckland Grammar School Art House Tour, a fundraiser for Grammar’s teacher endowment fund. There’s more on page 21 about the tour, which is on Saturday November 20. The cover photograph, Last Twitch, is printed with archival pigment ink, and is available framed (800 x 800mm, an edition of 12) or unframed (600 x 600mm, edition of 30). See ags.school.nz/ arthousetour2020 for tour info and art for sale; emmabass.co.nz

The Columnists

Left to right from top row: Sandy Burgham (The Second Act) is a brand strategist and an executive coach with a special interest in midlife change and transformational behaviours. She runs a central Auckland practice. www.playclc.com Remuera resident Warren Couillault (The Investment) is chairperson and CEO of Hobson Wealth, one of New Zealand’s leading private wealth advisory groups. He is also the chair of kōura Wealth, a registered KiwiSaver scheme manager.

Andrew Dickens (The Sound) is the breakfast host on radio station Gold, and hosts Monday afternoons on Newstalk ZB. He grew up in Remuera.

Hamish Firth (The Plan) lives and works in Parnell and is principal of the Mt Hobson Group, a specialist urban planning consultancy. www.mthobsonproperties.co.nz Urban design critic Tommy Honey (The Suburbanist) is a qualified architect-turned-academic. The Remuera resident is a regular guest on RNZ National, discussing the built environment.

Author, music writer, columnist Colin Hogg (The Arriviste) was born in the deep south. He spent many years living in other parts of Tāmaki Makarau, before relocating to Remuera from Wadestown in recent times.

The Hobson’s food editor, Lauraine Jacobs MNZM lives in Remuera. A former food editor for Cuisine and the Listener, she has published several best-selling cookbooks. She is a passionate champion of NZ ingredients.

Judi Paape (The Teacher) is a parent, grandparent and highly-experienced teacher and junior school principal.

A Parnell resident, her column appears bi-monthly.

Contributing writer Wayne Thompson is a former The New Zealand Herald journalist, covering Auckland news. He has been a resident of Parnell for 34 years.

Contributing editor Justine Williams (The Magpie) is an interiors stylist, writer and fashion editor. The Remuera resident has been the editor of Simply You and Simply You Living.

the hobson 10

the village

Town &Around A RETURN TO NATURE High on the Ōrākei ridge, the green shoots of a new enterprise are appearing on the land where horses grazed — it’s stage one of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s new native plant nursery, Te Pourewa.

Toitū te whenua, whatungarongaro te tangata As people come and go, the land will always remain Nestled alongside the Ōrākei Basin and stretching up to the high plateau of Kepa Road, is Te Pourewa. Providing a wonderous sight both to and from the area, Pourewa is the encapsulation of ‘whenua ki te moana, moana ki te whenua (From land to ocean, from ocean to land)’. Sitting in traffic on a busy weekday morning, you may have noticed the earth works and construction works and wondered what is going on over and below the fence that aligns the top of Kepa Rd. Te Pourewa, named for a wooden platform once erected on the land there as a lookout, holds cultural and historical significance to local hapū, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. In the late 1830s and 1840s, Pourewa was frequented by the hapū and used as a means for economic and social development. The whenua (land) was worked and used to grow produce, and Ōrākei Basin, at the foot of Pourewa was home to a bustling fishing ground. Netting fish and gathering of shellfish was the popular activity with particular focus on delicacies including pātitki (flounder), kanae (mullet), kahawai, haku (yellowtail kingfish), tītiko (sea snail) and tio (oyster).

Remembering and honouring the presence and industry of their tūpuna (ancestors), Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei are reclaiming the space to ensure the sustainable use and development of the land. Ambitions for the development of Pourewa reflect the tikanga (customs) and values handed down over the generations including exercising kaitiakitanga (guardianship), as well as the opportunity to build on the vision of their ancestors.

“Let’s preserve the ancient signs our tūpuna left there, maintain our connections to those ancestral places,” says Malcolm Patterson, who sits on the board of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s Whai Maia, the cultural subsidiary arm of the hapū. “We can find ways for traditional landscapes and resources to continue to offer tangible benefits to our people today; improve the condition of our city’s environment, especially as regards to indigenous biodiversity. And finally, strengthen relationships Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have with the wider Auckland city.”

Pourewa, stretching over 33 hectares, is co-governed by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and the Ōrākei Reserves Board. The daily management of the ecological restoration of the land is carried out by Whai Maia.

Building on the mātāpono (principle) of sustainability, Pourewa is chemical free the hobson 12

An aerial photo shows the first stages of the nursery at Te Pourewa; right, the propagation shed, opposite: site - ready for a planting manager Dane Tumahai with kaumatua - - Whatua - Orakei. session. Images courtesy Ngati

and implements para kore (rubbish free) including the installation of composting toilets. The Pourewa nursery boasts large propagation sheds, hardening off areas, a potting mix bay, and a mass planting bay to produce and hold the current 100,000 native plants on site, with the expectation to grow to 500,000 native plants within the next two years, and solidifying itself as a quality native plant supplier to the entire country.

Why the focus on native plants? “Native plants of Aotearoa go back long before our tūpuna and Pākehā settlers arrived here,” says Tom Irvine, chief operating officer, the hobson 13

the village Whai Maia. “They have grown, lived and breathed on our whenua for thousands of years and as kaitiaki, it is our duty to ensure they continue to live and prosper for many thousands more.

“From kōwhai to kauri, pūriri to pōhutukawa, each of our native species contributes to the biodiversity that, as a nation, we have become proud of. With there being a real sense of urgency to kick-start the economy after the Covid-19 restrictions placed on the country earlier this year, we need to ensure our responsibility to restore and protect our environment is not compromised.

“For Māori, our deep connection to the environment is part of our DNA and whakapapa – a connection that dates back to our tūpuna. They were dependent on the native plants of Aotearoa, not just for our rongoā (herbal medicines) or a source of kai but used for weaving garments, mats, rope, fishing nets, and many other essential items.”

For more than a decade, Whai Maia and the Reserves Board have worked on ecological restoration, alongside community volunteers. “We have built a pest-and-pesticide free reserve that can house protected species of plant, insects, birdlife and animals,” says Irvine. “But our work doesn’t end there, and we can’t do it alone. The ecological restoration of Tāmaki Makaurau is a work in progress that we must all commit to.”

Already a hub of activity, the next phase of development at Pourewa includes the creation of a māra kai (food garden) for the community. A partnership with AUT for an ecological native planting project, will include whānau and community planting days. Says Tom Irvine, “It’s a chance for us all to walk the whenua and contribute to this sustainable delight.” p

DIRTY WATERS CAMPAIGN FLOWS ON A community rally for those concerned about water pollution in Waitaramoa Hobson Bay in late August was replaced with a Zoom conference because of Covid-19 restrictions on the sizes of gatherings.

Contributions from a panel of speakers were heard by 93 households, and a number of residents later contacted rally organisers Hapua Thrive with questions or offers to help.

Spokesperson Margot Nicholson says the event was successful despite the short notice for the Zoom meeting. “It shows the community is enormously concerned and has lots of questions.

We want to share any information and to get the message out to stay out of the water and not eat shellfish from the bay.”

The session was shared with members of local boards which have promised to keep pressing Watercare and Auckland Council to stop the overflows of raw sewage from the Remuera and Newmarket catchments into the streams flowing into Hobson Bay. Pollution from such spills prompted the authorities to put up public health warning signs in March and they remain. Local resident Dr Elsa Taylor, one of the four speakers on the Zoom session, said the health risk from contact with stream water was very high because of consistent contamination. Of particular concern, however, was the high incidences of sewage overflows in dry weather as well as after heavy rain.

Getting research and action is proving hard for the residents’ group to do on its own, says Nicholson, and members have welcomed the offer to work with mana whenua Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. The iwi’s social, cultural and environmental unit chief operating officer Tom Irvine was also a featured speaker, and talked of the iwi’s concern to restore the health of the water. It has experience in influencing the authorities to get remedial works underway in the catchment of Okahu Bay, which was filling with mud, heavy metals and hydrocarbons. It will host the next meeting about pollution at Ōrākei Marae.

Inspiration came from panel speaker Elizabeth Walker, of the St Lukes Environmental Protection Society, which was formed in

2005. Pollution is a problem caused by humans and the solutions are in the hands of residents, said Walker. Much could be done to slow and filter stormwater runoff in the suburbs by restoring vegetation in wetlands and streams and installing detention tanks and rain gardens. The society’s work will complement the Central Interceptor tunnel which will reduce the volume of contaminated stormwater entering Meola Creek - a major polluter of Waitemata Harbour.

Back on the eastern side of the city, Nicholson says now more people are aware of the problems they are asking “what’s the plan to fix it?” One of the next goals for Hapua Thrive is to push for storage of wastewater in the Newmarket Stream gully.

In response to inquiries from The Hobson, Watercare improvement programme manager Anin Nama confirmed it is planning a storage tunnel and conveyance system that will collect flows that would normally overflow into the gully. The tunnel would run from the gully and connect to the Ōrākei main sewer, where the flows would be released when there is sufficient capacity.

Such a tunnel would be 1.5m and 2m in diameter. “While it would not stop all wet-weather overflows, we expect it will reduce them to between two and six times a year and significantly improve water quality in the stream and Hobson Bay,” says Nama.

Work on this project is programmed to start in 2026. It needs to be done in conjunction with Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters works to separate the existing combined wastewater/stormwater network. — Wayne Thompson p

DECO HERITAGE DAYS NUMBERED?

Building Innovation Group

A developer’s plan to replace Mariotts, the smallest shop building in upper Parnell Rd, with a six-storey apartment tower has drawn 80 objections, and complaints that it flouts rules brought in to preserve the street’s heritage character.

The proposal raises the vision of future redevelopments of oldstyle shop sites on the western side of the street leaving only the protected heritage-listed Kemp Building on the Birdwood Cres

corner. If so, Kemp’s late 19th century two-storey wooden building, housing Pandoro bakery and a bar, would lose its line of supporting character buildings to glass and steel high-rises.

In response to the concerns, the applicant Andra Trading Ltd, has offered Auckland Council an alternative to going ahead with its resource consent to demolish the Marriotts’ building at 401-403 Parnell Rd and build a four-storey contemporary building. The deal is that Andra would keep the art deco façade, if allowed to build apartments on five floors above it. Behind the 6m high façade would be a ground floor garage. Its door would have a shop front display which would disappear into the building as cars came and went.

Vince May, of Building Innovation Group, acting on behalf on Andra, says more height [six storeys instead of four] was a better trade off than total demolition. But it was an expensive option.

Keeping a solid concrete façade would cost the developer nearly $750,000, and would require earthquake strengthening. Heritage architect Dave Pearson has designed a period building façade to match the existing neighbourhood.

“In order to do this you have to add value to a developer,” says May. “We need to get five apartments of 230m², three bedrooms, sound-proofed, a high-end finish, well above minimum standards of the building code. It’s what the market wants.”

May says the area needs a character luxury apartment building to set the tone for others that will follow in upper Parnell Rd because older commercial properties struggle to attract tenants.

“Hopefully, if we keep the façade, this tall period-designed building is going to encourage council to use it as a template for others so that the Kemp building remains attached to Parnell. The new national policy statement has overridden height limits in areas like this and everything is going to be tall, nothing less than six storeys.”

This vision of higher buildings popping up around the Kemp building horrifies the Parnell Community Committee (PCC) and Parnell Heritage which have asked council to refuse consent. PCC wants the four-storey height retained as representative of the maximum height existing in this location. A limit of four storeys

the hobson 15

the village

or 13m was provided for in the Auckland Unitary Plan, and the application sought an increase of 8.3m. It also went beyond the plan’s policies for the mass, scale and form for sympathetic building in the historical character overlay.

“PCC participated in and strongly supports the acknowledgment in the Unitary Plan of the historical character of Parnell as New Zealand’s first suburb,” the committee said in its submission on the Marriotts plans. “PCC considers the scale of the building is what contributes to the character of the commercial area, not just the ‘façade’. It is the size of each building on its small lot which is representative of the time and place in history.”

Parnell Heritage co-chair Julie Hill says it views the Marriotts building as “a gem which enhances Parnell Rd with its art deco simplicity”. At the request of Parnell Heritage, heritage architect Graeme Burgess looked at the proposal and his submission says the narrow single lot site is too small for the development proposed.

Marriotts is a ‘character supporting’ building of the art deco or moderne style fashionable in the 1920s and 1930s, says Burgess.

Keeping the façade and giving the proposed building a layer of art deco style won’t compensate for the effects of its bulk and form.

“The stage set treatment of the street frontage, with the addition of a fake shopfront/garage door, disturbs the character of the remnant section of the building by treating it as a prop.”

The council stopped taking submissions on August 25 but interest remains strong in the fate of the modest white building sandwiched between old and new. On one side is the classical-styled singlestorey Hilltop Superette and the former laundromat. On the other is the Ridge Apartments, with 44 units over four-storey blocks, and shops on the ground floor frontage. This development in the early 2000s took out four buildings along 40m of street, including twin Edwardian two-storey wooden buildings.

The present Marriotts building is actually the second built by the family of grocers near the top of Parnell Rise. A descendant of the family, Melda Brunette, of Meadowbank, recounts that the first store was established in 1880 by Mark Marriott, who died of TB at the age of 35, leaving his wife Sarah (nee Adlington) to run the business and raise four children at their home, ‘Onetipo’, in nearby Birdwood Cres. “Sarah was an astute businesswoman and one of the first in Auckland and really made the business the success it became,” says Melda.

Sarah and her son, George, opened branch stores in Broadway, Queen St and Epsom. In 1923, George built the new “modern” premises near the first one and in 1926 opened another branch on the corner of Remuera and Clonbern roads. He was succeeded by his son, Jack, who ran the chain until it was sold to Four Square in the 1950s. — Wayne Thompson p

THE EREBUS MEMORIAL An application from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to install the National Erebus Memorial in Parnell’s Dove-Myer Robinson Park has cleared another hurdle, with Heritage New Zealand last month granting its approval for construction on a recorded archaeological site. The controversial monument is planned for part of the park that was once the landscaped gardens of Kilbryde, the grand home of Sir John Logan Campbell, demolished by the then-Auckland City Council in 1924. In its approval, Heritage NZ noted that “Although the site has been damaged in the past, it may still possess important archaeological and heritage landscape values. The site is also of significance to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.” The next, and final, stage in the approval process is by the landowner, the Waitematā Local Board.

A story about the monument in last month’s The Hobson saw several letters in response. The following was received from Julie Hill,co-chair of Parnell Heritage. It has been edited for length.

“The reference, in the September 2020 edition of The Hobson, to Parnell Heritage being consulted in the early stages of the planning of the Erebus memorial is incorrect. Parnell Heritage disagrees with the comments in the article “The Erebus Memorial”. We disagree in particular with the implication that Parnell Heritage was consulted prior to the decision by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to site the memorial within the Dove-Myer Robinson Park.

On 8 July 2019 we wrote to Ms Bernadette Cavanagh, Chief Executive, Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH), expressing Parnell Heritage’s concern that Dove-Myer Robinson Park was being considered for the siting of such a large concrete memorial.

Our concern was expressed after a member of the Parnell community, in fact a local neighbour, had contacted our society to inform us that there was to be a large memorial to be built on

Authorised by Timothy Grigg, 160 Willis Street, Wellington.

Camilla Belich for Epsom

the hobson 16

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the village

“Robbie's Lawn”. The details of the proposal were news to us as we had not been consulted about the proposal by Waitemata Local Board, nor by MCH. We disagree with Mr Stubb’s recollection that local organisations were consulted and as a result of these conversations changes were made to the design of the memorial.

Parnell Heritage does agree that the memorial design is powerful and will provide a means for families and citizens to recall the loss of 257 people on the ice at Mt Erebus, but we believe that the proposed memorial will detract from this green corner of our suburb. Robbie's Lawn is a small special place so close to Auckland’s CBD where the view over the sparkling waters of the Waitematā Harbour are memorable.

The layers of history linked to this site will become minor in comparison to the powerful symbolic structure that will predominate. There are other sites in Auckland that we consider more appropriate for the location of the memorial.” p

WALLS OF WONDER Lockdown gave Kiwis a lot of time staring at their walls, and now Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has given us new sights for bored eyes, and an important reference pool for research into period homes. More than 650 samples of heritage wallpapers, from the 1870s to 1970s, are now available to browse.

“When it came to wallpaper, New Zealanders were definitely early adopters,” says Heritage NZ’s Bec Collie. “The collection is one of the most significant groupings of domestic and social history objects in New Zealand. “Many of our properties around the country still have original examples of wallpaper on the walls dating back to the 1870s. In addition, we have an extraordinary collection of original wallpapers, swatches and sample books.”

Amongst the collections are early wallpapers from international manufacturers, to bold 70s designs from Guthrie Bowron (right, British wallpaper company Sanderson’s ‘Bloom’, 1923, as a sample, and reproduced for a Blunt umbrella). “As well as its aesthetic value, the online collection will be an invaluable tool for people researching wallpaper styles for different heritage projects like home and building restorations.”

The wallpapers and related fundraising items can be viewed at collection.heritage.org.nz p

BEACH RD’S BUS DEPOT? The prospect of a giant parking lot for buses framing the gateway to Parnell has prompted the Parnell Community Committee to call for consideration of other sites that are not in the business zone.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says four buildings were bought in 2002 at 154-174 Beach Rd for a future transport project.

It is planned to start in 2028 to improve access between the port and the motorway system. The buildings are beside the busy intersection with Parnell Rise and the SH16 link from the port through Grafton Gully.

The two-storey buildings have been derelict since 2018 and are being demolished but with the road works some time away, NZTA are negotiating to lease the land to establish a temporary bus depot for a “short-to-medium term”. Auckland Council granted resource consent for the demolition, which involved asbestos removal, and is processing an application for consent to the depot.

However, Parnell Community Community (PCC) says the consent application is for a “20-year duration”, with the depot supported by an ancillary office and staff car parking. As part of the proposal, parking for 43 buses and 31 ancillary parking spaces,

the hobson 18

the construction of a new office building and connections are proposed.

Luke Niue of the PCC says the proposal should have been publicly notified because it needs consent for an activity not provided for in the Business City Centre Zone. PCC was not told what alternative sites were considered and what landscaping will be done to soften the effects of an intensive car park marking the front door of Parnell.

The application summary says the council wants more information on the office building’s height and appearance and says parking arrangements breach the Unitary Plan’s transport standards. — Wayne Thompson p

A 91% CLEARANCE RATE!

MEET YOUR BOARD MEMBER

Despite the return to level 3, August proved to be a huge month for us here at UP and the residential market in general. Using our virtual tour and virtual auction technology we managed to build on the momentum created before the lockdown.

It was interesting to see how seamlessly buyers and sellers slotted into virtual mode, this resulted in some outstanding auction results and a 91% clearance rate.

Alexandra Bonham joined the Waitematā Local Board at last year’s election, one of four new City Vision candidates elected. The Grey Lynn resident has a law degree and trained as an actress in London, before a career in publishing and working as a theatre director. She has a Masters in Drama from the University of Auckland, where she is currently a doctoral candidate, working on a PhD on the role of ‘play’ in cities. She took The Hobson’s questions.

Tell us why you stood for election to this Local Board I love living in Waitematā and want to protect its fantastic qualities: its heritage, its leafiness, its beautiful beaches, the diversity of the people, places, and businesses here that make life so interesting and enjoyable. I also wanted to play a role in improving the natural and urban environment in which we live. This would include water quality, biodiversity in parks, and more housing choices that enable living a quality low carbon life.

What board portfolios are you responsible for?

I am responsible for planning, so I look at the resource consents coming through and put forward the community’s views. We encourage quality urban design, grey water systems, keeping heritage features, and new plantings including rooftop gardens and green walls. We discourage developments that will increase noise and light pollution – LED billboards, helicopters, etc – and those that will negatively impact an area. We are reluctant to lose street trees and where removals are necessary, we push for replacement plantings. I also work with Kerrin [Leoni] on the community, arts, and events portfolio. Cities should offer lots of opportunities for people of all ages to do fun things with other people.

For us serving central Auckland there appears to be a ‘property grab’ underway. No mystery really when you consider the long term historically low interest rate environment is only likely to get lower. This leaves the value of money in the bank at close to zero, hence the refocus on property.

Add the likelihood of ex-pat Kiwi’s returning in droves as the borders reopen and you have a recipe for property demand that is likely to be maintained.

If you’re thinking real estate please give me a call let’s have a chat!

Philip Oldham M 021 921 031 philip.oldham@uprealestate.co.nz

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the village

What are the projects or improvements for your area that you’re especially keen to see come to fruition?

A quality urban realm. There is good reason to densify areas of central Auckland to avoid sprawling out into greenfields and central government policy demands that we remove barriers to this. If you can walk to the city centre and village centres, then that makes it possible to live a great low carbon life. Densification done well though should include lots of trees, plantings and gardens and also housing choice that suits every age and stage. Courtyard developments with shared gardens and rooftop spaces could mean an affordable alternative to stand alone homes where residents, including kids, can enjoy being outside at home.

Did you grow up in Auckland?

I grew up in a small flat in London and in boarding schools, but we did come over to NZ quite often to visit my Mum’s family. I loved visiting my uncle’s family in Coromandel – they had loads of fruit trees and a mussel farm – and cousins in Ōrākei. I thought it was amazing that you could live in the city and go surfing after school. I wished that one day I could live in Auckland, and the dream came true in 2009.

I would start by cycling to the Domain and going shopping at the French market, saying hello to people. Then buying yarn and having a coffee with a friend in the Wynyard Quarter. After seeing what is happening down there, I would whizz up to Orewa for a picnic and some body boarding with my kids (who have become miraculously compliant about sunscreen). Then it would be browsing the library for a good read (which won’t stop me lingering in Unity, Women’s Bookshop and Dear Reader), a drink at Freida Margolis with another friend, dinner early at Cassia, Le Chef or the BBQ Duck Café depending on finances, then the theatre. I cycle home enjoying the music and hum of chatter on Karangahape and Ponsonby roads, and finish up listening to a live band in One to One or Grand Central. Logistically I may need a teleport machine for all this. My husband tells me off for trying to pack too much in, but life is short and there is so much to do! p

What’s your favourite part of Tāmaki Makaurau?

The waterfront.

What’s a skill or talent you have that may surprise people?

I can sing quite well and enjoy doing the harmonies. I have also just learned how to knit a sock — that’s lockdown for you.

You hold a magic wand. You can use it to make one key project come to life in your city. What would it be?

It is 2030 and we have halved our carbon emissions and the city is still a lovely leafy mix of old and new! And the Hauraki Gulf is 30 per cent marine reserve with re-established shellfish beds.

Investment in better water systems in the western and eastern isthmus mean less pollution and more biodiversity and lovely swimmable beaches – hurrah!

How would you spend a day free of responsibility or commitments?

SAVE THE DATE: GRAMMAR’S ARTY FUNDRAISER Auckland Grammar’s popular Art House Tour is back again on Saturday November 21. Eight homes will open their doors and gardens to feature curated displays by selected artists, with all art for sale.

Organised by the AGS Foundation Trust, the event raises money for the school’s Academic Endowment Fund, which assists Grammar to recuit, reward and retain good teachers.

As well as the daytime tour, tickets are also available for the launch event on Friday November 20, which includes a student art exhibition and an auction of works by leading artists.

Supported by Barfoot & Thompson, tickets for both the tour (which includes entry to the Friday evening launch) and launch are now on sale, and only available via the school website: ags.school.nz/ arthousetour2020

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the hobson + about time

The Jewel in the Crown From a global career in fine jewellery, Christopher Grima comes home to About Time in Remuera

A

bout Time is well established in Remuera village as the place to buy, trade and repair fine timepieces.

The business of watchmaker Marcus Alexander and his wife, Rebecca Alexander, the couple opened in Remuera almost three years ago, after returning to Auckland from many years in Melbourne. While timepieces such as Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe and Breitling are the ticking heart of the business, there is also jewellery, and it is this part of the business that has recently expanded to welcome jeweller Christopher Grima back to the About Time family.

Christopher, Rebecca and Marcus go way back. Christopher for many years had Auckland’s original About Time business, a shop in Newmarket where he sold jewellery of his own design, and was the agent to sell Rolex watches. “It made good sense to have Christopher work with us,” says Rebecca. “Marcus and I are passionate about watches and jewellery, and Chris is a very talented jeweller. It just made sense.”

To say jewellery and watches are in Christopher’s blood is like saying there’s just a little bit of royal in Prince Charles. UK-born, Christopher was apprenticed to his uncle’s Jermyn St jeweller, Andrew Grima Ltd. With a royal warrant on the door, Andrew Grima was a highlyawarded society jeweller who made bespoke items for the Queen and the royal family, at one stage his empire stretching to stores in New York, Japan, Switzerland and Sydney. He was a key creative force in modern jewellery design, and today, Andrew Grima originals are highly collectible.

“My father, Charles, and Andrew were very close brothers, so Andrew would often be around at our house,” says Christopher.

“When he suggested I join his company as an apprentice at the age of 16, I was delighted.” Chris was sent to the company’s workshop, which employed 44 workers setting, mounting and polishing gems. “I was an apprentice doing the work that apprentices do, basically all work that is too demeaning for others!” After two years, he graduated to being an assistant at the Jermyn St boutique, where anyone from Princess Margaret to TV comedian Ronnie Corbett might pop in (never the Queen, she deputised ladies-in-waiting).

“Ronnie Corbett called into the shop and noticed my ring with the letter G, and asked if I would make him an R, which I did.” After a day’s work, Christopher went to school, studying five nights a week at a London arts college. “I learned silversmithing, engraving, enamelling and design. I didn’t want to pursue these trades by themselves, but it gave me a very valuable insight into what is good — and what is great — work.”

His passion and technical knowledge saw him take over Andrew Grima’s manufacturing at 22, rising to becoming a director of the business at 24. During this time, Andrew Grima launched its ‘About Time’ collection of watches. Commissioned

by Omega, 84 watches were made over two years, and remain highly sought after when they turn up on the market today.

“The concept was simple in its idea but vastly complex in its execution. The watches were all to be made with a rare precious stone as the glass— one piece had an 80ct emerald as the glass.

Within moments the entire collection sold to various valued customers around the globe.”

Over the decades, some special pieces remain firmly in mind. Asked to recall some favourites, Chris mentions pieces commissioned on behalf of the Queen. And then there was a stunning ring made for British tycoon Richard Tompkins. “That one was a 33ct pear-shaped diamond, which cost £333,000 sterling in 1974. To give you some idea, back then a new V12 E-type Jaguar cost £3900. That diamond today would be valued at well in excess of $10 million.”

After he sold his Newmarket business and the NZ distribution rights for Rolex, Christopher moved to Australia. He lived in Melbourne until he sold his Rolex boutique and Marcus and Rebecca asked him to join About Time in Remuera.

“A great deal has changed in the jewellery business. When I started in 1984, we only produced handmade jewellery. Now the market has moved towards CAD [computeraided design and drafting], which has inherent limitations. Being computer-driven takes away the artistic component and replaces it with tech skills.” Chris still drafts designs by hand, and the jewellery is made in the traditional way, as it has been for thousands of years.

Over his decades in the fine jewellery business, he is well versed to helping clients make decisions over ‘which piece?’.

While he’s been behind some fabulous bespoke creations (and there’s jewellery trends he’d be happy to never see again, like the early ‘80s gold ingot necklace), his recommendation for a key item to own is very simple.

“It’s very difficult to equal the simplicity and elegance of a pair of diamond ear studs,” he says. “They can be dressed up or down.” Of course, jewellery is highly personal and Chris believes that it’s important to always buy what you love.

“Every woman should own a personal favourite piece of jewellery that makes her feel special. This can be a simple little ring, a slip-on bangle or a necklace that completes her. A watch is also a perfect accessory, as it can make a statement in many ways and like the diamond studs, made to complement any situation.” Chris is looking forward to meeting you at the Remuera store.

About Time, 324 Remuera Rd, Remuera abouttime.co.nz Phone (09) 281 4138

the hobson 22

From top left, anticlockwise, Queen Elizabeth II wears a favourite Andrew Grima ruby and diamond brooch, chosen for her by Prince Philip in 1966; Princess Margaret's Grima brooch was inspired by lichen she found at Balmoral; the modernist Jermyn St store; vintage Andrew Grima pieces are sought after by collectors; one of the rare 'About Time' Andrew Grima watches; Ronnie Corbett and his Grima signet ring, actress Gwendoline Christie wore Grima to the SAG awards.

the hobson 23

the politicians

David Seymour

I

n what was supposed to be my last column before the 2020 election, I asked you to re-elect me as your local MP. It was on two counts.

Count one is being a good local MP, who diligently supports our community and its members. Count two is that strategic voting means Epsom electorate voters wield the most powerful candidate vote in New Zealand. By returning an ACT MP the Epsom electorate can, and has, decided elections.

However, there is another important vote at this election I’d ask you to consider. The End of Life Choice Act is a law passed

by Parliament. It will allow terminally ill, mentally competent adults who are suffering at the end of their life to choose, if they wish, how they die.

However, the act contains a constitutional curveball. Most legislation comes into force immediately, or after a specified period. The End of Life Choice Act only comes into force if the majority of voters vote ‘yes’ in a referendum.

So, the choice is now in your hands. At its heart, the question of whether the End of Life Choice Act comes into force is a “what kind of society do we want?” one.

Under the status quo, people who suffer badly at the end of their life face a ‘cruel choice’. That’s how the Supreme Court of Canada characterised it when it ruled that country’s prohibition on assisted dying unconstitutional.

The choice is between suffering to the bitter end, on the one hand, and “amateur violent suicide” (the court’s words) on the other. Unfortunately there is no shortage of evidence that New Zealanders also take both choices when faced with bad death.

None of this is a criticism of palliative care. For many, it is enough, as it has been for my close relatives who have passed on. But, from the evidence provided from both sides in Lecretia Seales’ case, palliative care can’t alleviate all suffering. This is not the mark of a compassionate society.

Unlike Canada, we do not have a written constitution against which the courts can judge Parliament’s laws. The finding of Lecretia’s case was that only Parliament could legalise assisted dying.

I’m proud to have sponsored the End of Life Choice Act through Parliament. The act is rigorous. It provides a comprehensive range of safeguards that do not apply to any other medical decision making, even end of life care.The law states a doctor can raise the prospect with a patient, but any doctor can conscientiously object if a patient approaches them.

Nobody is eligible by dint of old age, disability, or a purely psychiatric condition.

The doctor is required to discuss at length, over a period of time, the person’s wish. They must explain all other options, talk to other medical professionals involved in the person’s care, and encourage the person to talk to their family.

At the end of this preliminary process, a request is made. The doctor must then examine the person against six criteria. The person must be 18, and a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. They must have a terminal illness likely to end their life within six months. They must be in ‘an advanced state of

irreversible decline in physical capability’. They must pass a prescribed test of mental competence. Most importantly the person, not anybody else, must believe, being aware of their condition and all other options, that assisted dying is the only tolerable way to ease their suffering.

If the person meets all of those criteria, a report is sent to the Ministry of Health. The ministry then appoints a second doctor, independent of the first, to examine the person against the criteria again. If either doctor has doubt about their mental competence, the person must be referred to a psychiatrist to make an independent judgement. If the attending doctor at any time so much as suspects the person is being pressured in their decision, they must cease and report back to the ministry.

There are various other safeguards. For instance, the bill requires the person be told at multiple times that they can change their mind at any time. It is not possible to list all of the workings in one column. But, it should be clear this is a deeply rigorous piece of legislation.

I hope that this election you’ll vote ‘yes’ to the End of Life Choice Act, and for a society that practices compassion and choice. It would be tragic to keep imposing the cruel choice on those most vulnerable people who suffer at the end of their life.

David Seymour is the MP for Epsom

Paul Goldsmith

S

omeone asked me earlier in the campaign, where did you grow up and what influence has it had on your politics?

Aside from a few years as an infant in Shackleton Rd, Mt Eden, my first 20-odd years were spent in Mount Roskill.

Deep in Labour territory. My siblings and I walked, bare feet, to Waikowhai Primary down Glass Rd and Albrecht Ave – then, and sadly still now, streets mainly with state houses and many deep challenges.

My best mate at primary school, Jason – this was the ‘70s after all – lived in what looked like a state house and it was a sad day for me when he announced his family were moving to Sydney. It would have been around 1980/1 when thousands of Kiwis were leaving for a better life in Australia.

the hobson 24

We were seriously off the pace. My dad was a maths teacher and Mum worked the night shift at National Women’s three nights a week, and slept during the day. We weren’t hard up, but every dollar was carefully considered. Fear of unemployment provided a dull drum beat in the background, throughout the ’80s and in the early ’90s.

So, how did that influence my politics? My core sense has been that our prosperity is far from guaranteed. That we have to go out and fight for it. My core sympathy is with those people, like the people I grew up with, who didn’t have much, but who worked their butts off to provide for themselves and their families.

Good governments encourage that great middle ground in New Zealand – encourage them to study, encourage them to work, to take responsibility for their families, and for some to start their own businesses and build it up. It’s one of the great falsehoods of politics that centre-right parties like National are for big business and the rich. Of course we want businesses to grow big – why not? We want people to be successful – again, why not?

But the core of our support lies with the workers, who want to do better for themselves and their families, and with the entrepreneurs, who want to have a go starting up their own small businesses. We welcome ambition and celebrate it; we welcome self-reliance and celebrate it. And the recipe for that hasn’t changed. It’s about keeping taxes low and pushing back against the tide of regulation that makes it more difficult to

get ahead, or riskier to start something new or to hire the next person. It’s about ensuring the next generation is well educated and has a work ethic.

At the time of writing, we’ve seen around 80,000 Kiwis go on to a benefit since March; tens of thousands more will follow over the next few months as the devastation of Covid lockdowns and restrictions continue to harm our economy.

We owe it to them to do everything we can to make it easier for Kiwis to employ those who are out of work – to take a chance and to take on that extra person. That’s why we’ll keep taxes low, we’ll restore 90-day employment trials and start again on the RMA, and why we’ll allow companies to write off new investments more quickly. Because we know that with a little encouragement we can compete and we can restore our prosperity.

Paul Goldsmith is a National list MP based in Epsom and the Opposition spokesman for finance

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the hobson 25

the councillor

Desley Simpson

W

hen the Super City, or Auckland Council as it’s officially known, was formed almost 10 years ago, a model was established to separate the council ‘parent’ from the council-controlled organisations or CCOs. This model allowed for approximately two-thirds of our services to the public, two thirds of our assets and therefore about half our operational budget spend to be overseen by non-elected independent boards of directors or trustees.

Some of these organisations will be well known to you, like Auckland Transport and Watercare but you may be less familiar with Panuku, our development arm; Regional Facilities Auckland – who run venues like our award-winning zoo, our stadiums and our art gallery; and Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) – our economic growth agency.

While CCOs were set up to be independent, each of them was supposed to be accountable to the mayor and councillors.

It was this group of publicly elected governors who were required to monitor their performance, set their strategic direction and approve their statement of intent. In essence, they are publicly owned entities that exist to provide services to those who partly or wholly fund them, and that is the people of Auckland. However, the model did not provide for the mayor and councillors to control the recruitment process for their staff, including their chief executives and the remuneration they receive.

Over the ten years since CCOs have been operational, there have been examples of great things happening but also examples highlighting significant room for improvement.

In my first term as your Ōrākei ward councillor I frequently found myself frustrated with some of the limitations of the system and this term I was determined to seek a review of the model to ensure it truly delivered the best value for ratepayers.

I am therefore pleased to advise we have done exactly that. Last December, we appointed an independent panel of experts, chaired by Miriam Dean, to lead a review into the effectiveness of the CCO model, the accountability mechanisms between CCOs and council, and the culture of the CCOs. The panel’s remit was to identify what was working well, what wasn’t working and almost most importantly how we could improve outcomes for Aucklanders. After a period of engagement with the public, over 100 stakeholders and the CCOs themselves, the panel recently presented their findings to the mayor and councillors during a series of workshops.

Following that, my fellow councillors and I met publicly to consider the review’s report and its 64 recommendations before voting unanimously to progress them all. Some can be actioned immediately, with others requiring further analysis or input from local boards. Within three months, a detailed work programme for implementing the recommendations will be reported to the council’s CCO Oversight Committee (of which I’m a member) and through that committee we will continue to monitor progress.

So, what did the review say?

The review supported the CCO model in general but found room for improvement. Recommendations include developing ‘statements of expectation’ for CCOs, with reference to chief executive remuneration; establishing a common set of council-CCO key performance indicators, including customer complaint resolution; developing a group policy to identify areas where services can be shared by the council and CCOs; and strengthening the CCO-local board relationship.

Most significantly, the proposals included a merger between ATEED and Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) which will save ratepayers up to $67 million over the next decade. ATEED and RFA will now begin working through the details of how this will be implemented and how the combined agency, which will undertake all the current functions and activities of ATEED and RFA, will be able to deliver great outcomes for Auckland. As well as the cost-saving benefits, it was agreed that ATEED and RFA share similar goals and their social, economic and cultural functions are intrinsically linked, meaning their amalgamation will result in a co-ordinated region wide approach to cultural, arts, sports and business events.

Changes for other CCOs include Auckland Transport (AT) urgently reviewing how it designs, consults on, funds and implements minor capital works and forming a working group to clearly delineate their by-law making powers.

Additionally, council will formulate a three-waters strategy and will reach an agreement with Watercare and AT on clear, measurable minimum performance levels. The full report and list of recommendations are available on council’s website.

CCOs need to operate effectively and efficiently to provide a good return on your ratepayer dollars. As organisations, they are responsible for delivering numerous projects across the region and we should have high expectations their work will provide better outcomes for all Aucklanders. While I think great things has been achieved to date, I strongly support these recommendations that suggest we can always do things better.

It’s been a lengthy process but an important one – a good opportunity to make improvements before we head into developing our 10-year budget. To those of you who provided feedback as a part of this review, I thank you for your extremely valued input, helping to reshape the future of these organisations.

Desley Simpson is the Councillor for Auckland representing the Ōrākei ward

the hobson 26

the plan

In a Stink About This

I

n March this year Auckland Council placed a temporary health warning in parts of Hobson Bay mainly around where Newmarket Stream flows into it, advising people to avoid contact with the water. Testing results, sparked by odour complaints, showed very high levels of E. coli bacteria (from human faeces) in the stream and harbour. That was over six months ago.

Well the problem is still with us and the now-fading signs dotted around the stream and Shore Rd Reserve are still in place and we can assume that the temporary nature of the issue has been redefined as semi-permanent. You know what I mean — when you drive past the 50km/hr temporary sign years after the road works are finished. Except this is more serious.

Back in April, Richard Northey, chair of the Waitematā Local Board said he was pleased Auckland Council was taking prompt action on this issue. I now presume “prompt” and “temporary” no longer mean what they did.

I hear the words, “sad and disappointing” and “prioritised remedial work” being bandied about, but like socialism the theory beats the reality. And then I read down Watercare’s commentary on the matter and see this issue may be in place much longer than we would like, because we are waiting for the completion of a larger sewer pipe. And then I know and should have known that the words of priority will not result in quick step meaningful remedy.

At an officer level, Nick Vigar from Auckland Council was quoted as saying this in April: “This is something we haven't been aware of the scale of until quite recently, so there'll certainly be no hold up from our perspective in terms of getting on and addressing that issue.”

Who is holding Nick to the words “no hold up”? The lack of a solid and reasonable plan is sadly to be expected. There may be a shortage of water but surely Watercare can manage more than one issue at a time.

Walk the concreted-in Newmarket Stream at the bottom of Newmarket Park even after long periods without rain and the whiff can be quite pungent, a formidable scent that can sting the nostrils such that a whole bottle of ViPoo would not fix. And then

observe the death of eels in the Portland Rd Stream, some of which have been long-term ‘pets’ and you wonder if this is another of Watercare’s reactive responses.

Are you aware that where there is a combined public sewer and stormwater pipe, the sewage is designed to flow eventually into, say the Newmarket Stream catchment, during very heavy rain events?

This helps prevent overflow on private property and protect public health. At what greater expense?

I feel confused when the Waitematā board chair says the Newmarket Stream has been the centre of an energetic community response restoration programme, and the reality that our day to day flushing is entering the waterways and the sea. A community programme to remove pests and weeds is admirable but it has no connection with the mixture of our waste and water.

There is a Clean Up Waitaramoa/Hobson Bay Facebook page in operation and recently a Zoom conference was organised by community group Hapua Thrive and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei (when a community event had to be scrapped due to level three restrictions), where the public health, cultural and environmental issues were again addressed. But still no solid plan is in place to fix this travesty.

As perverse as this sounds maybe, like our water storage crisis, we need this problem to get much worse, to be so bad it cannot be ignored before something meaningful is done. The bottom line is testing in Hobson Bay demonstrates extremely contaminated water with a very high health risk and six months of nothing.

As a youngster in 1982, skinnier and faster than I am now, I played rugby at Cox’s Bay Reserve in Westmere, when the surface water was contaminated with effluent that flowed over the stream, through the playing fields into the little beach. I still have the scar of the sprig mark that got contaminated on my knee to remember it by. They have had a ‘no swimming’ sign up for around 30 years.

We are more knowledgeable than we were then. I wonder if Hobson Bay will go the way of Cox’s Creek and just be put in the too hard basket.

— Hamish Firth

David Seymour MP for Epsom

For an appointment, please contact me on 09 522 7464 or mpepsom@parliament.govt.nz

Epsom Electorate Office Level 2, 27 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket the hobson 28

Promoted by David Seymour, MP for Epsom, 27 Gillies Avenue, Newmarket

the investment

The November Forecast

E

very day, the media makes it very clear that it is a certainty that President Donald Trump is losing the race for the US presidency. We hear that voters are heading in droves over to Joe Biden, conservative seniors who were big Trump voters back in 2016 are rethinking their support, and everyone is up in arms about Trump’s woeful Covid-19 response and lack of leadership.

Americans believe that presidents are supposed to keep Americans employed. The unemployment rate is now 8 per cent (recently being as high as 11 per cent) about when presidents Jimmy Carter and George H W Bush lost re-election in 1980 and ’92 respectively. Americans believe that presidents are supposed to keep Americans safe. About 180,000 have died from Covid-19, more than twice the number who died in the Vietnam War. This is all bad news on top of his low approval ratings, etc. So, it must be over for Trump, right?

I say maybe not. In spite of the unique combined calamities of a pandemic and an economic meltdown, Trump hasn’t collapsed.

The continued support of his core voter base has kept him in the game. Here are six reasons why I think Trump will win again.

Reason one, as Clinton advisor James Carville famously said: “It’s the economy stupid.” And the economy is recovering from the halting affects of state and federal responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. As I’ve noted, the US jobless rate is declining. The states that quickly relaxed the stay-at-home restrictions have given the economy an unmistakable boost. A record-setting total of 7.5 million jobs were added in May and June, and weekly jobs reports are still surprising on the upside. The numbers might well ease, but Trump can and will promote what might turn out to be temporary gains as a full-fledged recovery: he simply needs to point out the progress. Even as voters turn away from Trump for other reasons, 50 per cent still like the way he handles the economy and let’s not forget how strong it was until earlier this year.

Reason two: it might actually be difficult to vote if pandemic responses reduce the number of polling stations. This is why the Democrats are so keen on voting by mail, as they see their constituents (for geographical reasons) more likely to be affected by

fewer places to vote. But the President has had a clear message that allowing mail-in votes is simply a ruse to defeat Republicans.

Reason number three for Trump’s return: current polling is likely to be wrong again. In 2016, the race between Trump and Hillary Clinton came down to Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Trump narrowly won all three, in spite of Clinton leading ahead of the election. What happened? The surveying was not robust, for example over-representing younger voters who participate in polls and don’t vote, who tended to favour Clinton. It’s not clear that polling this time is any better, with many commentators noting nothing has been fixed since then. We’ll see in a few weeks.

Reason number four: incumbent presidents can campaign better than challengers. President Trump will push Republican policies that matter most to crucial constituencies, he can fly to swing states for campaign stops and call them official visits. He can’t hold rallies whenever and wherever he wants because of the pandemic response, but he can capitalise on his surroundings in ways that Biden can’t: Trump recently appeared in the White House Rose Garden to announce a plan capping patient charges on insulin.

Reason five: it’s no lay down misère for Joe Biden. The only things going for him are he’s not Trump, he’s more centrist than many of the senior Democrats and his personal losses make him a comforting figure to those who have lost jobs and even loved ones in the pandemic. But is that enough? His centrism and being from the establishment leave some voters disillusioned and uninspired. If the far more liberal ‘Sanders voters’ stay home on election day, that could damage Biden’s chances, especially in must-win swing states.

I would expect President Trump to campaign heavily on what Biden didn’t achieve as Vice President, what he hasn’t achieved in his whole career in politics and maybe even the murkiness surrounding the business dealings of his son, Hunter.

And reason six: the President is a showman! Look for news of a “breakthrough” vaccine for Covid-19, for some pacifying arrangements with China, for accelerated return of manufacturing to the US, etc. It’s not over by any stretch of the imagination.

— Warren Couillault

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the hobson 29

the suburbanist

B

efore we became so aware of climate change, the phrase ‘high rising terminal’ referred not to a flexible place where ferries docked, but to a way of speaking, a rising inflection at the end of a sentence. Common in Australasia, it is seen differently by those using it, who do it to keep communication channels open — they’re trying to invite the listener into the conversation — than those who hear it, who perceive it as showing a lack of security or confidence in what is being said.

We open the door to conversation with such caution that we seem to be wary of inviting you in.

And so it is with our houses.

We aren’t very good with entrances; never have been. Ostentation doesn’t sit right with our egalitarian aspirations and so we present ourselves to the street modestly, often with little in the way of managing the moment of meeting.

The architecture is quiet and tentative, weak at containing at the front door. Our tendency to be quite private means that we often aren’t clear if we want you to come in, and awkwardness descends.

Like our beloved high rising terminal, we seem to be asking you for clues about how we should proceed.

Back doors we do. Somewhere between town and country, we worked out what we need: a porch, a coathook and a step to kick off our gumboots.

Some – modest – protection from the weather, and we now have an unambiguous transition zone between outside and in; sometimes this zone moves all the way inside and is shared with the laundry. We could call it indoor/ outdoor pause. Americans would call it the mudroom.

When cars asserted their dominance in our lives and we gave

them more space than we give our children, the single garage turned into a double and then one night, when we weren’t looking, attached itself to the house and we awoke to . . . internal access! We have it all: front door for strangers, back door for family, garage door for shopping. Sorted. Until . . .

Covid has changed how we work, socialise, go out, stay in, and study and it will change how we configure our houses. The front door is our last line of defence. If our home is our castle, we’re going to need a bigger moat. At our entrances we need less politesse and more protection. The mudroom made good will soon be front and centre where we will not so much meet and greet as mask and task. It will be the intersection of an airlock and a locker room; part International Space Station, part decompression zone and just a little bit of Get Smart. There will be water, lots of water, maybe even steam, a place for your outside clothes and the same for your house pyjamas. A controlled area for deliveries. Dispensers for masks, sanitiser, mist, fragrance, cocktails, advice.

“All very well”, I hear you say, when you are planning your next house – but how do you refit the modest entranceway you currently have with all . . . all this?

Well now that you are ensconced, working from home, and your groceries are delivered, why do you still have a car?

Get rid of the car and turn its bedroom (aka the garage) into your decontamination zone; it’s probably about the right size for everything you will ever need to keep viruses out and family in.

— Tommy Honey

Applications for Out of Zone Enrolments for Year 7 & 8 Students

The Board of Trustees invites applications from parents who wish to apply to enrol their children in the Intermediate team of Parnell District School for 2021. Our programme offers a highly individualised student-centred approach to creating meaningful learning opportunities for every child.

There are strictly limited places available in Year 7 and 8. Application forms can be obtained from the Parnell District School website or the school office.

Applications Close: Wednesday 28 October, 2020. Ballot date: Wednesday 4 November, 2020 For further information or to visit the school, please contact Kathy Brinsden, enrolment officer: enrolment@parnell.school.nz

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mychillybin/Thysje Arthur

Making an Entrance

the arriviste

A Thirst for Auckland

I

n the previous city I inhabited, the water seemed to be free and it never ran out, so it’s a little hard adjusting to living in a place where there’s a drought that won’t end, even when it rains every second day. And especially hard when there’s a little water-blasting I’d like to be getting on with.

Because, you see, deep in the restless solitude of Auckland’s time in level three lockdown, I turned to bricklaying and – much to my surprise – I constructed a substantial brick-walled raised garden in the back yard. Even the chap who looks after our hedges and things said it was a “professional job”, though I think he was erring on the kind side.

“It’ll look better after a bit of a water-blast,” I said to him and he gave me a hand gesture that suggested prayer might help, given that blasting’s one of the things we’re not allowed to do with water in Auckland, what with the state of the lakes that supply the thirsty city.

Those badly-placed lakes aren’t full enough yet to get us through another long hot dry summer and we all have to do our bit to keep the city even slightly damp, apparently. As a result, water-based recreational activities such as water-blasting are banned – and may well remain so for the foreseeable future. I’m not sure when my bricks will ever look their best.

But don’t get me wrong. I can go with the flow – even if it’s a trickle – and I remain pleased to be back in Auckland, and especially Auckland’s east side, if I might be so casual. It’s a thrill living here almost every day and not just because we have a man who comes by and looks after the hedges and things. But, as mentioned, we do have one of those.

We inherited him when we bought the house and it’s an excellent arrangement, if a little decadent. I used to take pride in doing my own lawns. I’d even have a lash at hedges and overgrown trees. But at my current age, I need to conserve my energy for cooking dinners and writing columns.

Also, like much of Remuera, our patch comes with complicated hedging, something our garden guy is totally on top of, having tended it for years. I imagine the acmena braces itself every time he approaches. He’s got all the gear and he knows how to use it, whereas I would have had to tool up all over again. And there might have been injuries. Bound to be, given my record in the area.

And though I can’t, in all honesty, say my heart ached for Auckland during the six years I was away, windswept in Wellington, I’m happy to be back. I must have missed the place without knowing. After only a few months, it’s beginning to feel I was never away, though it has grown a bit, in every way, especially the apartment blocks and, of course, the traffic.

But Auckland has always been a work in progress, forever jogging to catch up with itself and its hopeless popularity.

Everyone in New Zealand has always wanted to live here, though many of them won’t admit it. They know the biggest city is the heart of the action, and that it’s tanned and good looking and has more beaches than it knows how to spoil.

And when they do eventually come here and find somewhere to live, it’s inevitable that they’ll turn on their taps, flush their lavatories, wash their cars and want to water their gardens. Like the rest of us, they won’t have great reserves of tolerance for shortages, just as Auckland doesn’t, as things turn out, have great reserves of water.

It seems surprising Auckland has never quite foreseen that every third person in the country would want to come and live here and want a shower every morning. Almost as surprising as locating the city’s main lake of supply in a spot where it rains a lot less than, say, Remuera. — Colin Hogg

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the teacher

Modelling Leadership

I

can’t help but feel a deep sadness and frustration at what our younger generations are currently seeing as role models in leadership. We are all living in times of uncertainty, and in many cases feel some fear around what the future holds; a time more than ever when we need to be supported by authentic leaders who not just manage things but who have those rare qualities to inspire empathetically, with humility. And who are prepared to ‘turn the first sod’, to bring back real values and speak with honesty, qualities we so need to see as a society.

Some say a good leader is born, while others say leadership is taught and develops later in life. Working with children for so many years has given me a great insight into when leadership skills start to develop. A class of 20 five-year-old children will have 20 leaders, all thinking that being ‘bossy’ is good leadership. This is one of the endearing features I find in young children and is a joy to watch how they develop and start to realise that there is a lot more to leadership than being in the front of the line heading off to PE! As these same children progress through school, this number of ‘wantto-be’ leaders will fall back to two or three at most in a class.

US president Teddy Roosevelt is quoted as saying that “people ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives”. So why is it important that children develop a certain number of leadership skills at a young age? Acquiring such skills is paramount to teaching children how to navigate their way through life, if nothing else. I know there will be a certain number of children who will excel in life as they take on and practice the qualities of good leadership.

I am certain that in all schools choosing leaders is a highly democratic process from the ‘class captain’ in Year 1, to the prestigious roles of prefects and the many other leadership roles throughout school life. Offering these roles is an excellent way to build confidence and self-esteem and most children will have this experience within their 13-year journey in some form or other.

As we know, leadership skills are a combination of many characteristics and factors that enable children to streamline their mindset and outlook on things as they progress through

the journey of life. In fact, these characteristics will definitely help children in whatever they choose to do, wherever they go and however they chose to live. As we all have had to experience throughout adult life, facing a tough challenge can be daunting and lonely, not to mention a little scary at times.

Giving children future skills to manage when times get tough — and they will for most of them — is an essential part of their education. Having integrity and accountability, humility, resilience, a vision and influence are excellent skills we would all like our children to possess. However, they are not seeing these qualities or being inspired by many of our supposed role-model leaders around the world today.

Our younger generation need to be shown leadership and have it role-modelled to them to learn from — to learn the skills to be able to find solutions to problems; to be able to solve them creatively and with a strong sense of reasoning. Developing leadership skills in children needs to be supported in the home as well. Through regular practice and observation, we can expect they will all learn some skills of leadership, if not to take on a leadership role but to learn to become the best person they can be on their journey to becoming a successful global citizen.

This quote from astronaut Chris Hadfield, one time commander of the International Space Station sums things up: “Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others’ success, and then standing back and letting them shine.”

The last sentence in his statement resonates with me as a leader, as well as being a parent and a grandparent. We are all leaders in some form.

Leadership is a privilege taken on to better the lives of others, especially our children who have their future still ahead of them.

Let’s all support and encourage them to be and become the best they can be along the way.

— Judi Paape

Paul Goldsmith

National List MP Based in Epsom 107 Great South Road, Greenlane 09 524 4930 paul.goldsmith@parliament.govt.nz paulgoldsmith.co.nz paulgoldsmithnz

Funded by the Parliamentary Service.

Authorised by Paul Goldsmith MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

the hobson 32

the second act

Island Time

I

feel a reinvention coming on. It’s been coming on for some time now but I’ve been ignoring it until it finally rode into town on the back of a horse called Covid.

There is an adage, which has both biblical and astrological roots depending on your belief system, which posits that we live in a series of seven-year cycles. This has been true for me with my four different careers, except like many others, there is not a definitive cut off point as such. In fact, in between my seven-year cycles have been two to three-year buffer zones of denial as I have hung on to the comfort zone of the prevailing cycle. This is not unusual at all, as people by and large do not fear change but fear loss. Loss of income, status, familiarity, choice or whatever it might be for them. In the context of psychologist and mythologist Joseph Campbell writing of ‘the hero’s journey’, most people initially refuse the call to depart on their adventure, preferring to stay in the known realm of what he called ‘the ordinary world’. But what often happens is that they are given a push to cross the threshold either by a person or an external event that leaves them with little choice.

In January I encouraged all to choose a word that would anchor 2020 in a theme which would give rise to a particular transformation. It was the word ‘movement’ that called me but I assumed it would just have me exercising a lot more. In the leadership practice I founded, we decided collaboratively that the word would be ‘flow’. So here we are in October, and it appears that I have gone with the flow and moved to an island.

I had always assumed Great Barrier Island is where I would eventually end up, having kept a home here for nearly 20 years. When the kids left high school, we downsized in Auckland to an apartment and I was increasingly spending around half my time on the island. I had started running courses here and in fact when the first lockdown happened I had just completed a course with a group of executives and as they flew out, my husband flew in for a few days. Right about then the alert levels were announced urging us to “go home”

and we realised pretty quickly that this was actually home.

Home with the tatty old curtains, mismatched chipped cups and an array of unfashionable trackpants. That I needed to be here was an internal realisation more than a deliberate choice.

It was as if my mind had finally caught up with my soul.

After a three-month stretch, we mourned leaving and returned to Auckland primarily for work commitments. I spent June and July flying back and forth and found how easy it was to be pulled back into the vortex of city living, where I seem to spend the same amount of money in one day as I do in one week on the island. So, when the more recent lockdown happened I was rather pleased — oh to stay home and live a normal life! My roots dug in deeper: I am now halfway through a gardening course where every Saturday a small group of socially distanced punters learn how to grow food organically. I thought this would be handy given the forthcoming apocalypse.

I am grateful for technology and realise that the silver lining in the Covid-19 cloud has been the normalisation of remote working and studying. My work life now is a mixture of remote and real life working both in the city and on the island.

While some friends fear that I am dropping out, rather I feel that I am far more tuned in to the conversations that count.

Although my head and heart are centred in nature, what is happening in our city is increasingly of interest. I have time to care. Plugging back into Auckland allows me to observe and engage in dialogue about racism and inequity. Living on the island allows me to observe and engage in dialogue about the housing shortage that exists alongside empty baches. And if the gardening course is teaching me anything, it’s all about the quality of our soil. You can feed and water all you like, but if we haven’t taken the time and put in the love and attention to the foundation of the garden, how we are living will not be sustainable.

— Sandy Burgham

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the hobson 33

the bookmark

Back to ’81 Photographer (and The Hobson’s designer) Stephen Penny used lockdown to create a book that will bring back bittersweet memories for many New Zealanders

The 1981 Springbok Tour Protests Photographs by Stephen Penny

T

he protests triggered by the 1981 tour of the allwhite South African rugby team to New Zealand remain indelible moments, as easily recalled as knowing where you were when Diana died, or when JFK was shot.

The Springbok tour exposed rifts in New Zealand society that many were unaware existed. Views on the tour — to invite the South Africans was to endorse its apartheid policy, versus it’s only sport, not politics — divided families, friends, neighbours.

At the time of the tour, Stephen Penny was living in central Auckland, working in advertising, often out and about the city with a camera slung around his neck. After graduating with a BSc from the University of Auckland, he had switched streams, enrolling in the university’s Elam School of Fine Arts for an MPhil (Elam’s then-answer to the reasonably rare “where does a science graduate fit into a BFA programme” question).

“I had studied photograpy at Elam and took a lot of photos over following years,” he says today. “Many of them I never printed, but I had boxes and boxes of proof sheets I’d look at every few years, and think that one day when I had time, I’d do something with them.”

Those days came in April, during New Zealand’s first lockdown. Penny pulled the archive boxes out and got to work, scanning and editing hundreds of images he had taken during

the tour protests in both Auckland and Hamilton.

The result is more than 100 photos now published in The 1981 Springbok Tour Protests: Photographs by Stephen Penny. The photos are a tense timeline, as the conflict between police and protestors grew as the tour continued.

“It’s the fortieth anniversary of the tour next year, and it’s amazing how strong recollections are about it,” says Penny. “I always wanted to do something with my images but what really spurred me on was a comment from John Fay, who I swim with at The Olympic, that he had seen one of my tour photos for sale in an auction, and got into a bidding war to buy it. That was a bit weird as I’d never sold any, but it was also interesting that people were keen to own records of that time.”

Four of Penny’s images had been exhibited as part of a group show at Real Pictures Gallery (in the sincedemolished His Majesty’s Arcade) and published in 1983’s By Batons and Barbed Wire, a book about the protests by Tom Newnham.

Sifting through the photos, a clear narrative emerged as the tour progressed and the country became more divided. “Looking at the pictures now, I realise how many everyday, ordinary New Zealanders took a stand against the apartheid regime,” says Penny. “It affected us all deeply, and I really admire the bravery of people who said no, this is not right, and we need to stand up and challenge the government on this tour. My father thought I was mad wanting to record this – he was on the ‘it’s only sport’ side — but I thought it was important to be there and document it. Then, and now, I am pleased I did.”

The book is available from: stephen-penny-photography.myshopify.com

This page, the book, and author/creator Stephen Penny. Opposite top: Protesters gather outside Government House in Mountain Rd, Epsom, and march towards the city. Below: Protesters invade the ground at the Springboks versus Waikato game at Rugby Park, Hamilton, on July 25. The game was abandoned.

These pages and following, images from The 1981 Springbok Tour Protests: Photographs by Stephen Penny

the hobson 34

the hobson 35

the bookmark

the hobson 36

Opposite, protesters on the ground at Rugby Park, Hamilton, July 25. This page, protesters marching in the vicinity of Eden Park at the Springboks versus All Blacks third test on September 12.

the hobson 37

the bookmark

Tensions rise and inevitable violence erupts around Eden Park for the third test on September 12. Batons were wielded and thrust, rocks thrown, fence palings seized as weapons, a police car rolled over, and police and protesters alike were injured.

the hobson 38

the sound

Moody Ballads for this Moment

W

hat a year, 2020. A year of contagion and numbers.

After 102 days of no numbers, the numbers returned and so did the lockdown.

Lockdown 2.0 was a very different beast to the first. The numbers were fewer but the implications were higher.

Lockdown 2.0 carried with it the threat of lockdown 3.0, 4.0 and so on. Lockdown 2.0 was not an adventure into new territory but a return to already barren land. We were marooned on a sinking ship with the wage subsidy liferaft beginning to float over the horizon. Lockdown 2.0 was an altogether grimmer, sadder and more boring affair.

It didn't help that the weather turned against us. Lockdown 1.0 was blessed by the most gorgeous Indian summer weather, but not so the sequel. We all thought it was in the rules. “You will hide from the pestilence but to support you in the fight for economic and literal survival you shall be granted the opportunity to become supremely fit and work on your tan.” Nope.

It was grey and listless and cold. And it was this greyness that drove me to discover music I had overlooked.

In the middle of the great lockdown, it was announced that Nick Cave was to stream a solo concert from London's enormous Alexandra Palace. A Victorian marble, steel and glass behemoth affectionately known as “Ally Pally”, with a great hall that can seat 10,000.

Mr Cave was to be seated alone in the middle of this hall with just a grand piano for companionship, whereupon he would present a live concert of his greatest compositions.

Nick Cave is Australian and he first came to my attention as the blood-splattered, anaemic, lurching, snarling, drug-addicted lead singer of The Birthday Party. A post-punk, gothic rockabilly band big on discordance, and Cave’s perverted and often violent lyrical imaginings.

I saw them at Mainstreet in 1983 at the very end of the band’s five-year existence. It was a legendary mess — 48 minutes, eight songs. The band beating up the audience. The band beating up each other. I clearly remember the third song was “Sonny’s Burning”, which starts with Cave screaming, with veins bulging in his neck and eyes as wide as saucers, “HANDS UP WHO WANTS TO DIE!!!!”. It was met with an electric, jet engine explosion of energy from the crowd. It was pretty neat.

Phenomenally scary too.

But when The Birthday Party fell apart and then morphed into Nick Cave and The Black Seeds, Cave also transformed into a black-suited teller of dark tales. A nomadic performer of murder

ballads and occasional writer. A man and band who stole from American Gothic and formed a new Australian Gothic that went down well in arty towns like Melbourne and Wellington.

That’s where I parted company with Nick. If a guy wants to threaten to kill me, his girlfriend, his horse or himself, then I prefer that he do it loudly rather than quietly and darkly. To me he was starting to become our generation’s Leonard Cohen, a man I admire but can’t listen to. A talented man, but a man whose songs sigh, croak and grumble like a consumptive on his deathbed. To me, anyway.

This was a mistake. One I realised when he toured in 2014 and played two shows at The Civic that all my mates there and all the critics raved about.

So with lockdown 2.0 grimly bearing down on me, and finally curious to discover Nick Cave, I launched into the vortex that is YouTube and promptly discovered a performance of the song “Push The Sky Away” with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Recorded in 2019, the video was released just this June.

It’s the title track to an album I completely missed and it’s mesmerising. Its central line is: “I’ve got a feeling that I just can’t shake. I’ve got a feeling it won't go away. You’ve got to keep on pushing. Push the sky away.” The strings and the choir swell. You’ve got to keep on pushing.

I played it to Helen and she said, “Well there’s a pandemic song right there.” And she’s so right.

Armed with this new knowledge I loaded the entire Push The Sky Away album on my phone and donned the bluetooth headphones. On a dark, windswept gloaming with an impending storm, I went for a walk on my local barren moors (also known as the Waitemata Golf Club). And on that walk I fell in love with the music of Nick Cave.

You just have to be in the mood. Later, on a turbulent beach at dusk, I discovered his tune called “The Spinning Song” from the album Ghosteen. A rock ’n’roll fable about a king, his queen and their prince, it’s impossible not to think about Nick’s family.

His boy died of misadventure when he blundered off a cliff on Britain’s south coast while tripping. So gothic. But Nick’s song aches of love and loss and I’m not afraid to admit it left me weeping in the wind.

There's a time and place for every music and Nick Cave’s music fitted me in lockdown 2.0. It also reminded me of my youth when I was so easily seduced by the gloom of The Cure or Joy Division. There’s beauty in sadness, as long as you remember to snap out of it. — Andrew Dickens

the hobson 39

the menu

Generous Servings

F

ood is so often the focus of a celebration. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, christenings, religious festival days, harvest festival, celebrations, and even the aftermath of a life well lived all involve feasting and partaking of special foods. It’s not just the food that can be special — friendships, community and family are what also make these occasions extraordinary.

The heart of any community is sharing, which almost always involves cooking and eating food. During the recent second lockdown, some of us in our community witnessed an exceptional act of generosity. The Remuera Business Association newsletter contained a message from Adrian Barkla, owner of our local New World. He’d noticed the struggle Jack Lum’s staff were having with the “rules” on the wet windy days of lockdown, as there were never more than a mere handful of customers bravely standing outside waiting to be served. “Jack Lum’s usual business is way down, so please shop there,” he urged, adding, “I buy acid-free tomatoes there myself.” Such kindness, Adrian!

We are lucky to enjoy what I have long considered the ‘golden triangle of food shopping’ in the heart of our community in Clonbern Rd. It is terrific to see that the three food businesses there do not view each other as competition. An outstanding

small supermarket, the best fruit and vegetable retailer in the entire city, and a superb bakery make up that triangle, all very supportive of each other. 4 and 20 Bakery buys fresh fruit and vegies from their neighbours, and in turn the supermarket stocks their excellent bread, which is great for those who shop late in the day when the bakery has closed. It’s a win, win, win.

With spring’s arrival, thoughts turned to celebrating warmer, longer days with my most treasured vegetable, asparagus. It is one of the few vegetables that is truly seasonal, only appearing for a short season from mid-September through to early December. You may be lucky enough as the season progresses to find three colours of asparagus: green, purple and white. Green is the most common variety with its classic herbal grassy flavour.

The purple variety tends to be sweeter, although disappointingly turns an olive green colour when cooked for longer than one minute. White asparagus is highly prized in Europe, is rarely found in New Zealand and tends to have a more subtle flavour.

Do you like to snap the end of each spear away or to chop it neatly? Cooks differ on this one. A few centimetres of delicious spring sweetness can be wasted by snapping. The spear will actually break wherever you put the pressure on. I prefer to look at the asparagus, decide just where it gets too tough and chop it

the hobson 40

neatly at that point. When the spears are thick or woody, I always peel the lower half of the stalks, so each spear is tender from the tip to the end. My personal preference when buying asparagus is to choose thick juicy spears, although thin are equally delicious. Examine the tips and try to choose spears that have tightly closed tips, rather than those that have opened up and look more flower-like.

Each stem should be moist and firm.

Asparagus often catches dirt and sand in the little nodes on the sides of the stalk. Soak them so the dirt floats off, but this is when peeling really comes into its own as it removes the nodes, and spears can be washed again once they’re peeled.

In order to photograph this favourite salad of mine, Jack Lum himself created some magic to source the very first spears in the market, on the very day spring began on September 1. Serve this salad either warm or at room temperature, and if some of your garden herbs are in blossom, add the flowers as a nice decorative touch. — Lauraine Jacobs

Asparagus, New Potato and Mānuka Smoked Salmon Salad 500g baby new potatoes, scrubbed 300g asparagus spears, peeled and cut into 6cm lengths 300g hot mānuka-smoked salmon 2 limes, peeled with a knife and cut into segments Dressing: 1 lime, zest and juice 6 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard Small pinch of sugar to taste Salt and pepper to taste Small bunch of soft garden herbs (chives, chervil, dill, etc) chopped Scrub and simmer the potatoes in salty water until tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, bring another saucepan of salted water to a simmer and plunge the asparagus into this. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, and then drain and refresh

under cold running water to keep the bright green colour.

Bring the salmon to room temperature and break into bite-sized chunks.

Make the dressing by whisking all the listed ingredients together.

Place the warm potatoes, asparagus, salmon and lime segments in a serving bowl, and toss very gently together with the dressing to coat all ingredients, taking care not to break up the salmon chunks or damage the asparagus.

Scatter over the herbs and serve.

(Decorate with herb flowers if you have them.)

Serves 4

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the magpie

Come On In Her home, her castle. The Magpie finds new things for the nest 1

1,6 Montauk based artist Kassandra Thatcher works with clay to create functional, sculptural one-off pieces. Her grounding focus is ‘how bodies move against, between, beside, away from, toward, under, over other bodies’. Her Hepworth, Mary and Equus lamps shown are from $1980. Available exclusively in New Zealand from fourth-st.com 2. Phillippe Starck’s K/Wood Lounge Chair is the result of the French designer applying patented cutting-edge Kartell technology to (FSC certified) wood, curving and sculpting it to this stunning result. $2300, backhousenz.com 3. Every hour is happy hour when the Carlo Bar Trolley by Sika Design is parked up! Made of Indonesian sustainable rattan with an antique hue, it’s a beautiful piece in any room. $895, Wells Trading Company, Eastridge Shopping Centre, Kepa Rd. thewellstradingcompany.co.nz 4. A series of round or oval coffee tables, the good-looking Ling collection by Design MVW for Giorgetti come in poplar ply, walnut veneer or a bronzed metal. From $5180, ecc.co.nz 5. Rest your feathers awhile in the Cortina Armchair by Gordon Guillaumier for Minotti. With its glove leather seat and glossy chrome base, it’s begging you take a seat. $10,465 from ecc.co.nz 7. In 1987 British designers John Fearon and James Bassant started making lamps under their brand Astro Lighting. The Ascoli Desk Lamp is one of their best — an LED desk lamp, sitting pretty at a little over 140cm high and in bronze, matte nickel or matte white finishes.

From $420, from ecc.co.nz 8. The Magpie is all over the style and practicality of the Sage sixdrawer unit by Simon James Design.

This smoked oak beauty is also available with four drawers. $5064, simonjames.co.nz 9. Phil Brooks Ceramics speak of beauty and the Aotearoa ceramic artist’s own story. Phil’s work reflects not only her Chinese/ English heritage but her life travelling and honing her craft around the world. From $425 to $950, available from thepoiroom. co.nz

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10. The Magpie inhales with joy when she scents an Aromatherapy Associates candle. The Relaxing Candle is infused with essential oils of bay and woody myrrh, while the Inner Strength blend reassures with frankincense and cardamom. $136 each, Wells Trading Company, Eastridge Shopping Centre. thewellstradingcompany.co.nz 11. The Magpie can see herself nesting in Feelgood Design’s Snug Chair. The steel frame is covered by a rattan shell — Sydney designer Dennis Abalos was inspired by his love of the good old beanbag for this creation. $2273, backhousenz.com 12. You may think The Magpie has totally flown the coop when you see the price – but don’t fall off your perch, this chair seriously rocks!

The Move Armchair by Rossella Pugliatti for Giorgetti is an absolute work of art. And you can sit in it!

And it rocks! Available in three finishes and fabrics of your choice, it’s all yours from $41,400. (Yes, you read that right.) ecc.co.nz 13. You had me at toast. That’s the name that so deliciously describes the colour used on the Citta Sove Linen Duvet Cover. A new classic for any bedroom that will lend itself to an endless array of complementary colours or stripes.

From $279, cittadesign.com

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the district diary

October 2020 Dates and events correct at the time of going to press, but please do check for changes due to any current Covid-19 restrictions This month is Breast Cancer Awareness month, the October school holidays continue to Monday 12. It’s also week two of the Auckland Heritage Festival: see heritagefestival.co.nz for tours and events 1-11 LEGO, kids! Err, let’s go, kids.

Visit the Ellerslie Village Brick Trail to see some amazing LEGO displays and enter the draw to win a $250 LEGO set. 9am-6pm, free 3 Some pint-sized DIY with the ReCreators is a great way to start your kids on the upcycling journey. DIY Kid’s Bird Feeders Workshop, Cornwall Park’s Huia Lodge Discovery Hub, 10am12pm, free but bookings essential at info@cornwallpark.co.nz 4 The glorious notes of Handel’s Water Music and Purcell’s Fairy-Queen will have fresh life breathed into them by NZ Barok at Community of St Luke, 130 Remuera Rd. 2-4pm, iticket.co.nz 5 Covid-19 has put paid to international travel for now, so lose yourself in a world of romance and beauty while Susan Boland transports you to the city of light with Operatunity’s I Love Paris. Somervell Presbyterian Church, Cnr Greenlane and Remuera Rd, 11am-1pm. Tickets from operatunity.co.nz

6 Our city has a rich history, and the K’Road Heritage: Stories of the Red Light District guided walking tour is bound to be an interesting one. R16, free (but bookings required as spaces limited, see eventbrite.co.nz), 6.30-8pm, Karangahape Rd 10 Join historians John Adam and Dr Joanna Boileau from Parnell Heritage for a walk through the history of Dove-Myer Robinson Park, Gladstone Rd, Parnell. 2pm, free but rsvp via heritagefestival. co.nz 12 School’s back for most 19-26 Do your bit to plant for a better planet and kick-start your vege patch with a free packet of seeds from Yates, to mark the start of National Gardening Week. Visit yates.co.nz to register and to join the Yates online ‘Growing Community’ blog 23 YES, WE ARE SHOUTING, BECAUSE TODAY IS LOUD SHIRT DAY! Okay, so no need to shout, but you can definitely stand loud and proud by wearing your loudest shirt, to fundraise or donate to help Kiwi kids and adults with hearing loss. Visit loudshirtdaynz.org for more info 23-26 From community centres to the ASB Showgrounds; the Armageddon Expo has come

a long way since its inception 25 years ago. Gaming displays, collectables, esports and ‘virtual’ guests from around the world.

Tickets from iticket.co.nz, Fri 6-9pm, Sat/Sun 10am-6pm, Mon 10am-5pm 26 Labour Day 28 Done with social distancing?

Single? It’s time then to Mingle at the Museum Spring Fling, a special night out for singles.

R18, aucklandmuseum.com for tickets, 7-11pm, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parnell. nzopera.com for session times and tickets 31 Trick or treat? Be prepared for the little creatures that are bound to come knocking. Happy All Hallow’s Eve! Above: Nope Sisters Clothing make cool threads and raise money for good causes at the same time. The embroidery on ‘Mastectotee’ organic cotton hoodies ($85) and tees ($50) can be customised, and 25 per cent of net income goes to the Breast Cancer Foundation of NZ. nopesisters.com to order

29 Mythology goes to church with a unique staging of the sensual Semele; with a hybrid of opera and oratorio giving voice to Handel’s score. Rescheduled from last month, it’s back from this evening to November 6, at

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the cryptic by māyā

Set by Māyā. Answers will appear in our next issue, November 2020. Can’t wait, or need help? Visit https://thehobsoncrossword.wordpress.com

ACROSS 1/27 Predecessor of Amber Heard put together international organisation (10) 4 Murmured “lush” to inebriated cove (5,4) 10 Weapon bearer 1 ’urt, say (5,3) 11 Unusually flat drink for a heartless lady (6) 12 Groups 1, inappropriately, before A (6) 14 Girls with more frills inside what 1 27 would like to keep solid (8) 15 Coach’s minced oath repelled flyer (7) 16 Three Italian publishers inside company (6) 17 Party leader sent back concealed wing cases (6) 19 Chap with complaint left roll over there (7) 21 Dessert I stuff into frayed suit (8)

22 27-keepers bore being indisposed (6) 23 Fires signs of recovery (especially if 1) (6) 24 When required, madly sane hyena and talking horse (2,6) 26 Doesn't fit, rum with mange tout? Get away! (3,3,3) 27 See 1

DOWN 2 Brought about conflict for 1 (3) 3 Pupils head off to become employees (7) 5 Resistence unit taking on extremely young and old? Wow! (2,2,3) 6 Teeny sunbather could be one of Jacinda’s essential workers (3,6,5)

7 Hitchcock’s “I turn 1” ? (7) 8 Detail Swarbrick and Goff, say, to secure gold and 1 pigment (11) 9 1 candidate could spoil a frantic, keen boy (6,8) 13 Adorned Uncle Henry’s wife with ring I dropped (11) 18 Rush milk producer’s pronouncement back to the Wintergarden Pavilion on the first Saturday of the month, for example (3,4) 19 1 stone obtained from river woman on mythical continent (7) 20 Jeremy Hilary Boob’s type of man is present in the present, or vice versa (7) 25 Some market capitalisation, and so on (3)

SEPTEMBER CRYPTIC CROSSWORD ANSWERS Across: 1 H.P.Lovecraft, 7 Tum, 9 J.K.Rowling, 10 Acerb, 11 C.S.Lewis, 13 Tsarina, 14 Kickapoo, 16 Get to, 18 Mocks, 20 Passer-by, 23 Austral, 25 A.A.Milne, 26 Rheum, 27 P.L.Travers, 29 End, 30 P.G.Wodehouse. Down: 1 Hijack, 2 Lorelei, 3 Vow, 4 Cries, 5 Angstroms, 6 Tiara, 7 T.S.Eliot, 8 M.C.Beaton, 12 Wakes, 15 Pepé Le Pew, 16 Gleam, 17 J.M.Barrie, 19 C.K.Stead, 21 Belleau, 22 Lessee, 24 Remap, 25 Acted, 28 Ash

the hobson 46

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