12 minute read
Devonport News
By Katherine Downs Devonport Business Improvement District Manager If music be the food of love, play on
Katherine Downs.
So we did! Live music in the heart of Devonport beat the blues.
Over February and March, we have had buskers playing in Devonport on Saturday evenings and it has been fantastic. Set up on the green outside the old ANZ building (now Flagstaff Gallery), diners in the nearby restaurants and pubs have been treated to blues, jazz, pop and indie vibes from a plethora of super talented locals.
Many of us didn’t realise just how much we’d missed hearing live music, and the performers have been in their element.
This came about rather organically, as a community driven Covidsafe alternative to the cancelled Feb 18th/19th Devonport Street Festival. It’s been enjoyed so much that we are planning to do it next summer. Covid does have the odd silver lining!
For our shops, cafés and restaurants, however, the past month has been very tough with fewer customers because of isolation, and staff shortages necessitating temporary closures. But with case numbers dropping and Easter approaching, we’re looking forward to our village coming back to life.
Over Easter and the April school holidays, we’re holding a prize-packed Easter Hunt. Pick up an entry form from any Devonport village shop that has this bunny in the window. Find a dozen bunnies in shop windows, return the completed entry form, and be in to win. The prize draw will happen at the end of the April school holidays. More details at www.devonport.co.nz And of course, we are also hopeful of holding our ANZAC parade this year. It is an event that defines Devonport and is significant to young and old, with many local schools and community groups standing proud and humbled alongside our Navy community. No doubt, if we are able, coming together on this day of remembrance will be all the more meaningful this year.
Has your mum done a good job this year? Shop for Mothers’ Day in Devonport – go to www.devonport.co.nz for a huge choice of online vouchers – from Perfume Workshops at Miller Rd to Magic Broomstick Segway tours and, of course, you can never go wrong with Devonport Chocolates – easily the most delectable and delicious chocolates and truffles you could imagine!
Devonport is YOUR seaside escape www.devonport.co.nz Devonport Community News for this month with Maria Teape, Community Programme Manager, Devonport Peninsula Trust Devonport in April
Maria Teape.
Devonport Peninsula Trust’s Raumati/Summer Fun Tamariki Play mornings and Kids Athletics Series are finished for the season, but there is still plenty coming up in the community in April.
Restoring Takarunga Hauraki weekly eco-restoration
activities continue. Their schedule as follows: Monday, 9am – Paddy's Bush or Philomel Reserve, Bayswater Monday, 1pm – Takararo Plant Nursery, Devonport Wednesday, 5pm – Wakakura/Polly’s Park, Devonport Friday, 9am – Ngau-te-ringaringa eco-corridor*
For more information on these activities, contact Lance: lance@rth.org.nz or Anne for Ngau-te-ringaringa eco-corridor activities.
Intergenerational meet-ups for students and seniors are held fortnightly on Mondays, 3:30pm until 5pm-ish. The meet-ups are a fun and informal opportunity for young and young at heart to share skills and develop communication and understanding between different generations. For more information and upcoming meeting dates, please contact Wendy: proco@xtra.co.nz
There are a variety of school holiday programmes to chose from. There are two drama school programmes running at The Rose Centre – Tim Bray Youth Theatre in the first week and National Youth Theatre in the second. More information and bookings can be made via The Rose Centre: www.rosecentre. co.nz or phone: 09 445 9900.
Devonport Library has Alice in Wonderland themed school holiday activities planned – drop into the library to find out more.
Devonport Community House will have a holiday programme packed full of activities including excursions around town and beyond. More info and bookings at www.devonportcomhouse.com.
ANZAC Day commemorations in Devonport will be taking a different approach this year. The usual parade and service at the cenotaph which the public are invited to will not be taking place. Groups will be able to come and lay wreaths at the cenotaph earlier in the day by arrangement. There will be live streaming from the comemorations for the public to follow. Watch out for more information being made available soon on how to tune into the live stream. Or visit: www.devonportrsa. co.nz/ or www.facebook.com/RSADevonport
Are you thinking of organising a get-together with your neighbours before colder, wetter weather sets in? Devonport Peninsula Trust has some funding available to encourage people living in the neighbourhoods from Devonport to Hauraki Corner to get together with their neighbours to develop neighbourhood connections. For further info please contact Maria on ph: 445 9533 or email maria@devonportpeninsulatrust.nz
Ngā mihi mahana, Maria
Local Life
In Channel Magazine we love highlighting people in our community who make a difference. Two local Devonport Peninsula people, Kate and Lauren, have created ‘Local Life NZ’ a social media entity doing similar online. We love what they do, so we’re now collaborating with them to include content in Channel Mag. This month they profile Ian, Anne-Constance and Andy.
William C Daldy
“She’s a twin-screw, coalfired steam tug who’s been in service for nearly 90 years. A grande dame, that’s for sure. She’s a working museum – everything has been carefully WC Daldy. preserved and restored.
“It takes 17 people to operate the boat, a maximum of 40 tons of coal and 20 tons of water per boiler. Added to that you’ve got two 11-foot propellers, two engines with a total of six cylinders and a maximum cruising speed of 12 knots. She wouldn’t win any speed competitions, but she gets you there in style.
“The boilers take three days to warm up, and then once we’re underway, we’ve got two stokers in the boiler room, keeping everything going. It gets up to 40 degrees in there sometimes – it’s a great way to lose weight working down there and shovelling coal. We’ve got three engineers in the engine room – the chief’s keeping an eye on the water levels – while the other two are manning the engines.
“The Daldy’s the best way to cruise the harbour – there are no noisy diesel engines and you really feel like you’re experiencing a piece of history.
“I hate to say it, but Covid’s also affected us. Not so many people are going out at the moment, including our volunteers, but we’re hoping that’s going to change.
“We’re planning to work with local businesses in Devonport to help bring more visitors to the ship, especially school children. It’s a great way for them to learn more about the science of steam – they don’t often get to see the practical side of stuff, and steam travel is a very visceral experience. You really get to see and understand how things work. “She’s one of Auckland’s hidden treasures and we’d love to keep her going.” - Ian Langley, President, William C Daldy Preservation Society - The steam tug William C. Daldy is available for charter on the Waitemata Harbour. Please see www.daldy.co.nz for more information about hiring, sponsorship and volunteering.
Anne-Constance
“Flying was my dream job. I could travel and take care of people. It was perfect.
“We first came to Auckland nearly 10 years ago – we’d been living in La Réunion for a while and I was keen that we all had a different experience together as a family. I guess I’m pretty adventurous.
“I ran the Chateaubriant Cafe for several years, and once I’d sold that I was casting around for something to do. A friend suggested I apply for the next intake of Air New Zealand flight attendants and it all happened very quickly. Before I knew it, I was flying the Auckland-Tokyo route on a 777, and I never looked back.
“Two years ago everything was fine. I was loving my job, travelling the world and meeting new people. I flew back into Auckland from LA early on the morning of Wednesday, 25 March and that evening New Zealand went into nationwide lockdown because of Covid.
“Things were never the same again. I was made redundant from my job – I was one of the last on, so I was one of the first to go.
“I really miss it. I loved the contact with people and hearing their different stories.
“I made great friends in the two years I was flying – it’s like a family. You don’t forget those bonds – they become part of your life. I can’t wait to travel again.
“We’ve all been knocked around by lockdown and restrictions – everyone’s impacted. But I’m a positive person and I always try to find solutions. I’m always open to a challenge - it makes life interesting.” - Anne-Constance Gay
Anne-Constance now runs Casse Croute Cafe in Parnell, and has her own natural skincare range, Sianna Skincare, which she sells online.
Anne-Constance.
Andy
“If we can survive this, we can survive anything. The impact of Covid on the travel industry has been massive, but things are starting to come back.
“The onset of lockdown in 2020 was just the start of our journey. While everyone else was enjoying walks on the beach, all of my team were fighting fires every single day. “I had to get my father on a plane to the UK last year just as the borders were closing around us. He’d lost both his parents - my grandparents - to Covid. That was tough. “One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was to make half my team redundant over a Skype call. All I wanted was to be with them. They were vulnerable and emotional but they understood. Not one of them argued or fought the situation. Honestly, I couldn’t wish for a better group of people. “Now it’s just me on my own at the Devonport store — down from 11 staff and two stores before Covid. As borders now slowly open for travel, I’d encourage people to come into the store or get in contact – I’d love to help. I can’t thank my communities enough for sticking by me over the past three years. “I first came to New Zealand on a two-week holiday when I was 16, and never went back. That was 20 years ago. This is home now, and I’m in it for the long haul.”
Andy Thompson, owner/operator, House of Travel, Devonport.
Andy Thompson.
If you have a story you would like to share or know of a local hero, contact Kate Dobbin & Lauren Lulu Taylor at hello@localifenz.com Follow Local Life NZ on Facebook and Instagram – @LocalLifeNZ
Foodie Finds is a monthly column by Kate Dobbin and Lauren Lulu Taylor which profiles local food producers and their products in the Devonport area. If you have suggestions of products or producers for us to consider, please email Kate on kdobbin7@gmail.com or Lulu at Lulu@secretkiwikitchen.com
Get your travel taste buds back into action
With overseas travel beckoning again, Devonport village offers a great way to get your exotic taste buds back in action. Spread over a three-block radius on Devonport’s Victoria Road, these restaurants offer tried and tasted favourites from their countries of origin, from the sun-drenched beaches of Greece to the bustling street stalls of Hanoi. Here are some favourites bites of ours if you fancy a global culinary jaunt:
The Crispy Savoury Pancake from Hung Viet Cafe, is a stand-out favourite if you’re craving authentic Vietnamese food. Made from a blend of rice flour, turmeric, and coconut cream, this extra crispy pancake is filled with prawn, pork belly, carrots and bean sprouts and served with a tasty nước chấm dipping sauce.
The Spanakopita, from Greek restaurant Nicolino’s, made from spinach and salty cheese encased in layers of crispy filo, is absolutely divine. One bite, along with the Mezze Platter for Two, loaded with king prawns, calamari, scallop, mussels and dolma, will instantly transport you to the Med.
If you‘re craving Indian, Flying Rickshaw’s Fish Special of the Day is utterly delicious with its tender morsels of fish in a spicy tomato sauce. Another favourite of ours is their creamy Chicken Korma with its flavourful almond cashew sauce.
Try the Ginger Roast Duck with stir-fried duck and glistening vegetables at Monsoon for a fragrant taste of Thailand and Malaysia.
For sashimi that’s a work of art, head to Danryu Japanese. Their Oshitashi is one of our faves, composed of three delectable small bites that change daily.
If Italian is your thing, head upstairs to Portofino, where you will find many classic Italian dishes, including risotto, scallopini and of course, spaghetti Bolognaise – ‘just like mama used to make’.
Authentic French crepes are made up fresh on the spot at So French Cafe. Try the Basique or Citron crepe to round off your taste experience!
Flying Rickshaw. Crispy Savoury Pancake.
Hung Viet Cafe: 101 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09-446 3368 Nicolino Restaurant and Bar: 103 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09 445 4444 Flying Rickshaw: 97 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09-445 7721 Monsoon Thai restaurant: 71 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09 445 4263 Danryu Japanese Seafood Restaurant: 10 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09-445 6108 Portofino: 26 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel 09-445 3777 So French Cafe: 10 Victoria Road, Devonport, tel (09) 422 3316
By Justine Kinsella
Devonport Community House
Justine Kinsella.
Hi everyone. Can't quite believe we're in April but here we are and time is flying!
As some of you might have seen or heard, we have the Devonport Swap Shop event happening on the 9th April from 1pm-4pm. This event is all about contributing towards the circular fashion movement by encouraging the re-use and recycling of gently worn, pre-loved clothing, footwear and accessories. You can bring along your preloved clothes, footwear and accessories and receive a token for every item donated. You can then use these tokens to shop the racks and find some new gems to take home! For more information on how the event will run, check out our website. We look forward to seeing you all there. www.devonportcomhouse.com/events
Welcome to our new community lounge! We've been making the most of the quieter times at the House over the last few months to transform our mezzanine space into a comfortable, welcoming and vibrant space for our whole community to enjoy. Right now, this space can be booked on our website and used free of charge. It's an awesome space for book clubs, social gettogethers, meetings and more. Once restrictions ease, we'll be able to open the community lounge up to all members of our community to use whenever they wish without the need for bookings too. We hope you'll pop in for a tea or coffee! T H E D E V O N P O R T S W A P S H O P 9TH APRIL 2022 1:00PM - 4:00PM GOLD COIN DONATION ENTRY DEVONPORT COMMUNITY HOUSE BRING ALONG YOUR PRE-LOVED CLOTHES RECEIVE A TOKEN FOR EVERY ITEM DONATED SHOP THE PRE-LOVED RACKS USING YOUR TOKENS AS PAYMENT BRING YOUR FRIENDS HAVE FUN! www.devonportcomhouse.com/events
