An Interview with Peter Wolfkamp

Peter Wolfkamp.

The Wolf of Shore streets By Heather Barker Vermeer

As filming was wrapping up on season nine of The Block NZ, the television show’s site foreman spoke to Heather Barker Vermeer about his love of his work, his family and his Shore life…

Peter Wolfkamp’s love of heritage houses means he is perfectly at home in the North Shore suburb of Devonport and has been for almost 25 years. His wife Debbie’s family history stretches back over 130 years in the village. The couple live with their early teenaged son Joseph in a renovated villa.

Born in New Zealand to Dutch parents, Peter grew up in Papatoetoe. He attended De La Salle College before being taken on as an apprentice with a local builder in 1987. His first project was working on a subdivision of new-build homes in St John’s. He has been self-employed since the late 80s and has now trained to specialise in heritage house restoration.

He says, “It’s always been something of an interest of mine - the craftsmanship involved in heritage buildings. I have an interest in preserving and protecting that.”

His foray into television came about after he saw an advert about TV3 having secured the rights to produce The Block here in New Zealand. “I had already been a big fan of this show, so I wrote off and asked to be the host,” says Wolfkamp.

“They didn’t give me the host’s job but said I could help out on the show, using my building expertise. And ten years later, I’m still there.

“I really do genuinely enjoy working on the show. I’m often the translator between the TV production side and the construction side. From a practical background, I know what’s involved in the building and I know what it takes to make a TV show, so I often find myself being a meditator between the two sides.”

His favourite season was the fourth, where contestants renovated homes in the suburb in which his building career began. “We achieved a seven-star energy efficiency rating for those houses in St John’s,” he says. “Being part of that, with my interest in building science, was fantastic from both a personal and a professional level.”

As well as TV, Wolfkamp’s velvety voice has also lent itself well to radio for over seven years, as host of Newstalk ZB’s Sunday morning talk show, The Resident Builder. He’s been involved in broadcasting from a young age, getting his first airtime as a stand-in announcer on Newstalk ZB after training in radio broadcasting with the Christian Broadcasting Association.

He speaks passionately on topical issues around housing. “There’s currently a real thirst for knowledge from people on how you get their homes warm, dry and comfortable. And housing affordability is a huge issue. We have a young son and wonder what it will be like for him when he comes to want to buy a home. It’s something we discuss with friends, it’s a concern for many people.

“There are issues around social justice: if housing is increasingly unaffordable, do we get people who are constructing housing to fit around the needs of communities. Or do we create more security around the rental market? If developers are building to rent, perhaps people can rent these properties for ever.

“There is also the complexity around what we create and where we create it in terms of urban renewal and building multiple homes on large sections. You drive down Lake Road and that begs the next question: if it’s already congested now, what is it going to be like with more homes being built? “That question around what’s being put in place to manage that needs to be answered. Are people going to jump on public transport to reduce congestion? I’m not sure.”

Choosing a trade career is something Peter is keen to promote to young Shore people. “I would encourage people to consider it. It’s an area of some considerable interest to me, of course. The education system 30-plus years ago moved away from the trades; they were not at all aspirational careers for our children. People started to want a job for their children where they didn’t get their hands dirty.

“Typically, in New Zealand, we don’t often respect what tradespeople do. It’s a marked difference to the attitude towards the trades in Europe, for example. My own father was a Dutch tradesperson and, over there, people had a tremendous sense of pride in their trades.

“It seems the English immigrants to New Zealand wanted to escape the trades. And inadvertently perhaps, we have steered young people away from that. Everyone I speak to in the trades today says I could take on more new people, so the need is there.”

Peter once took on a 40-something who had previously worked on the airlines and fancied a career change. “If you’re in a career and you’re thinking ‘this isn’t really for me’, then I’d encourage anyone to consider it.”

“One of my favourite quotes is from Warwick Quinn, CEO of the BCITO (Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation) who said we need to look at the trades as ‘a pathway to prosperity’.”

Which Shore projects have been personal favourites to work? “I’ve been lucky enough to do some really outstanding renovation projects in Devonport. In 2019, my wife Debbie and I bought a small cottage, which was very run down and needed a lot of work. We’ve made it into a warm, dry, comfortable home. It’s nice to do my own work in my own time and be able to put a personal stamp on it.”

The North Shore has won ‘The Wolf’s’ heart for many reasons, he says. “I feel incredibly fortunate, grateful and thankful living where we live, here on the Shore. I think that we have tremendous lifestyle here in Devonport, with the proximity to the beaches, the mountains and the city.

“I love going for walks that take in the seascape and landscape and, of course, I love the heritage. I’m really grateful to the people who have stood up over the years to protect the heritage buildings in the area.”

Peter Wolfkamp.

There’s currently a real thirst for knowledge from people on how you get their homes warm, dry and comfortable. And housing affordability is a huge issue.

Don’t wait for sparks to fly

- upgrade your switchboard now!

What is a switchboard?

Your switchboard is the ‘central hub’ for all the electrical circuits in your home. It receives electricity from the street and distributes it through various circuits in and around your home. It is important that your home is electrically safe and it all starts here - at your switchboard! If your switchboard is faulty or overloaded, this can affect the rest of your home's electrical components, and it could be a safety hazard and a fire hazard.

Why do I need a switchboard upgrade?

Safety, safety safety! Did we mention safety? To ensure that your household isn’t at any risk from an old switchboard that doesn’t meet current New Zealand electrical safety standards, it is very important to assess whether it is time for an upgrade. Old unsafe switchboards are not only a shock hazard but a fire risk!

If you live in an old house, chances are that your switchboard is not just outdated but also overloaded and highly unsafe.

The way we’re using switchboards is changing over time. Thirty or 40 years ago when many switchboards were installed, people only used a fraction of the appliances they do today. Over the years though electricity demands have increased substantially, yet switchboards have remained the same. Most homes are using the same number of circuits as they were decades ago and they are now unable to cope with the increased load.

The problem with outdated switchboards is they have both aging components and increased demand – a potentially hazardous combination.

“Besides causing annoying blackouts, degraded wiring, faulty fuses and overloaded electrical circuits can also cause fire and shock hazards,” says Lewis Rudall, master electrician and director at Lake Road Electrical.

“If you have old and non-compliant switchboards, the chances of the fuse base getting extremely hot and almost ‘frying up’ the cables are very high. This can result in a house fire. So, the sooner you get your old switchboard replaced by a new one, the better it is for your personal safety and the security of your property.”

Did you know that old switchboards don’t have RCD protection – protection against electric shocks?

An RCD, or residual current device, is a life-saving device that is designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock. Specially, if you touch something live; such as a bare wire or any metallic electrical appliance that has come in contact with a live wire. They will shut down electricity when a change in the electrical current is detected.

When electricity comes in contact with your body, it can travel through your body. When this happens, the electricity can damage tissues and organs. This damage can be mild or severe – and it can even cause death. RCDs offer a level of personal protection to you and your family, that ordinary fuses and circuit-breakers cannot provide.

S P E C I A L I S T S I N R E S I D E N T I A L E L E C T R I C A L S E R V I C E S

Did you also know that the back panel of many old switchboards are made of asbestos?

Another reason to upgrade your switchboard don’t you think?

With winter here, there’s no perfect time than now to upgrade your dangerously ancient switchboard. So don’t wait - call Lewis and the friendly team at Lake Road Electrical today.

Switchboard special offers

At Lake Road Electrical, we are passionate about educating homeowners of the importance of electrical safety – which we believe is paramount but often overlooked. A common cause of house fire is bad electricals. That’s why the team has two special offers for you: 1. Get a free Home Electrical Safety Inspection, usually priced at $99. 2. And for a limited time, you can also take advantage of our Winter special, allowing you $200 off your switchboard upgrade with this ad. Due to popular demand, this promotion has now been extended until the end of August.

The team at Lake Road Electrical are ‘Master Electrician members’ with a $20,000 workmanship guarantee. We believe that there is no substitute for quality, and reliability, honesty, and integrity are our key performance indicators with customer satisfaction at the forefront. “We’re extremely personable and easy to talk “At Lake Road Electrical, we are to. We will work with you to p o assi wne on rs ate of ab t o h u e t educating importanc h e ome of find the best solutions for e h lect ave ri t cal wo s safe peci ty al . o That ffers ’s for why you: we your electrical problems and 1. Get a Free Home Electrical needs, whether planned or as Sa pri fety ced at I $ n 9 sp 9. ection, usually an emergency. So, chat to us today about your needs.”2. And our Winter special $200 off your switchboard upgrade has been August. extended until end of Lake Road Electrical is So contact us today and upgrade located in Takapuna. your winter” switchboard in time for Call 0291287494, email

lewis@lakeroadelectrical.co.nz

Lewis Master R E udall lectrician / Director or go to 0 2 9 1 2 8 7 4 9 4 www.lakeroadelectrical.co.nz L e w i s @ l a k e r o a d e l e c t r i c a l . c o . n z Opening hours: Exp 31 . 08. 21 w w w . l a k e r o a d e l e c t r i c a l . c o . n z 7.30 am to 5.00 pm

URBAN LIFESTYLE RETREAT

Everyone wants a piece of beautiful New Zealand to call their own, and there’s no better way to achieve this than building your dream home.

Building a home from start to finish is a great way to ensure you are getting everything you want from your home right down to the smallest details. You can plan out each and every room to make it work for you.

We were engaged by Jenn and Will to design and build their family home on a piece of land they purchased on the North Shore. We worked with them and the architects at Designate to create a stunning lifestyle home with juxtaposing materials to create depth, interest and warmth to their home. The outside cladding is a mixture of horizontal bevel back cedar and board and batten.

Split across two levels, the kitchen and dining flow seamlessly to the outdoor entertaining area and pool. The outdoor covered patio area has statement macrocarpa trusses which perfectly frame this outdoor setting.

We caught up with Jen and Will to see how their build went and what it was like to work with QPC.

“We had heard of QPC through word of mouth through friends who had built with QPC and heard fab things about the company. We did go to other companies before choosing, but always loved the look of the QPC builds. Also liked the idea of working with a company that were family based. We found the whole process fab – easy – exciting – enjoyable. Even through Covid! We felt calm and never felt like anything was too much to ask of the team. We’re very happy with our family home. Thank you! Loved working with you guys.”

For more information about how we can help you to create your bespoke home build take a look at our website www.qpcbuilders.co.nz or give us a call today 0800 772 266