devonportflagstaff.co.nz
Old-schOOl extra-mile service and tip-tOp results, time after time Helen Michell 021 210 3228
a lt O G e t h e r B e t t e r
October 21, 2022
Domain-lease row high on new board agenda... p2
Inside the ‘Homes of Devonport’... p22-23
Licensed under the reA Act 2008
Interview: Health high-flyer Sharon Shea... p30-31
Bayswater plan being redrawn after council reversal Massive changes to Bayswater Marina’s planned residential development have been forced by resident and berth-holder opposition and Auckland Council’s 11th hour withdrawal of support for the proposal. Reducing the number of residential buildings and setting aside areas for marina and maritime activities will be among the chang-
es, lawyers for reclamation development said. Bayswater Marina Holdings Ltd (BMHL) had applied to build a 119-unit housing complex on the reclamation, but was slammed at a 10-day hearing for failing to include marine-related activities in the development – as required in its marine-precinct zoning. The company was to give a closing reply
at the hearing on October 7. But it was broadsided by Auckland Council’s withdrawal of support at the conclusion of submitter evidence. Now hearing commissioners have granted BMHL a half day in November to put forward substantial amendments to its proposal. To page 2
Eyes on the prize: TGS yachties win big
Peak performance... William Mason (in cap) and Caleb Newton were members of a Takapuna Grammar School team that triumphed in the school’s first appearance in the Secondary Schools Team Sailing National Championships. Story, page 3.
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 2
October 21, 2022
Domain stalemate high on new board’s agenda Sorting out the stalemate over use of Devonport Domain land is in the sights of the leader of A Fresh Approach, the group that will hold sway on the new Devonport-Takapuna Local Board. “That has to happen pretty promptly,” said Toni van Tonder (pictured), when asked if the Devonport Museum’s lease of a storage shed on part of the old bowling club site would be reviewed. “The rugby and cricket clubs have had a partial lease for a year already and have been unable to progress their plans because of this situation. This whole process has not been good and we need to resolve it with urgency,” van Tonder said. The North Shore clubs want to renovate and set up women’s changing rooms in the former bowling clubrooms on council land. They then intend a staged development of the rest of the site for sports and gym facilities. The clubs maintain design, access and ultimately their funding options are constrained by what was a surprise decision to them by the former board’s Heart of the Shore members, who by then chair Ruth Jackson’s casting vote
extended the museum’s temporary lease on a shed to the rear of the site. Council officers had advised that community sports facilities were well suited for the site. At a meeting last year, from which the clubs expected a sign-off on a lease, the museum submitted a letter from a Queen’s Counsel contending storage was permitted on reserve land. Heart of the Shore members said both
Developers given time to revise reclamation-land plans From page 1 Its lawyers said these would also include: revising the street layout; creating a larger manoeuvring area around the boat ramp; incorporating car and boat trailer queuing on Sir Peter Blake Pde; and adjusting the width and angles of car and boat-trailer parking. BMHL confirmed at the hearing that it is in discussion with Auckland Transport (AT) on the interface between the development and AT-managed land at Bayswater. The adjournment would also “assist by providing time to conclude those discus-
sions and incorporate any design-revision outcomes in BMHL’s final plans,” BMHL lawyer Kit Littlejohn said in a memo to commissioners. The commissioners accepted the adjournment and agreed to BMHL’s wish to engage with council experts who wrote reports on the proposal. “In addition to this, we encourage the applicant to meet with the Bayswater Community Committee and the Bayswater Marina Berth-holders Association to inform those groups of the changes being proposed,” commissioners chair Greg Hill said.
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groups, which did good work in the area, should be able to be accommodated. Prior to the local-body election, the sports clubs again voiced their frustration about the decision. The issue is believed to be one of those that created a mood for change. All three Heart of the Shore members failed in their bids to be re-elected. As the only experienced local-board member on A Fresh Approach, van Tonder is expected to chair the new board, which will be sworn in from mid-November. The ticket won four of six seats, though the poll was topped by veteran politician George Wood, standing under the Communities and Residents banner, which also brought in Gavin Busch. The Flagstaff also asked van Tonder if board workshops will remain open to the media. She said she could not comment until the question was discussed by the local board and staff advice considered. “I’ve experienced both open and closed workshops and I see both the benefits and the limitations. You’ll have to wait and see what the outcome is of those discussions,” she said. Election outcome, pages 18-19
Up to 70 homes planned for Bayswater cul de sac A mix of terrace housing and apartments is being planned for iwi-owned land in Portsmouth St, Bayswater. Around 60 to 70 dwellings will be built on the cul de sac off Roberts Ave. The general manager of property for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Neil Donnelly, told the Flagstaff it was “working up plans” for the land, meaning it would likely be a couple of years before construction was finished. The 1ha site was handed back by the Navy as part of a Treaty settlement. The site has since been cleared of housing. Quality housing was planned, an iwi spokesperson said. It would not be a Kainga Ora or similar development, but rather a build-to-rent complex, similar to the type of housing at the Oneoneroa subdivision off Eversleigh Rd, Belmont. “It’s not state housing.” • Updates on Kainga Ora and Belmont housing, page 26, 27
October 21, 2022
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 3
TGS sails to victory over national and Aussie rivals
Happy crew... (from left) TGS coach Matt Mason, with teacher in charge of yachting, Melita Tu’isila, and their charges: Mischa Grotrian, Jamie Kwong, Finn Brown, Vivien Webster Chung, Dylan Forsyth (team captain), William Mason, Caleb Newton, Abigail Goosen and Sienna Hawkes, and on-water support crew Kent Forsyth The Takapuna Grammar School (TGS) sailing team aren’t just national secondary school champions, but have also claimed trans-Tasman bragging rights. The double success in 420s this month followed victory by a bigger group of young TGS sailors in the Auckland fleet racing regatta at the end of last term. Seven sailors went on to compete against 28 other schools over five days of racing in the Secondary Schools Team Sailing National Championships at Algies Bay, where TGS came out as the top school in both the national and open trans-Tasman competition. New Zealand was declared winner of the Secondary Schools Interdominion Team Sailing Championships, giving the school a share of a third trophy. It was the first time TGS has won any of the Captain’s call... Dylan Forsyth (at rear) expertly manoeuvres his craft events or even competed at the national event. in one of the many tight tussles of the week Captained by year 13 student Dylan Forsyth, Mischa Grotrian and Finn Brown rotated in this year. Tu’isila said Dylan had done particularly the 420 team also comprised Vivien Webster and out on one boat depending on light or Chung, William Mason, Jamie Kwong, Mischa heavy conditions, with the other places fixed well coming in first or second in nearly all to meet weight requirements. Abigail Goosen the races he was involved in, but it was the Grotrian, Caleb Newton and Finn Brown. Three two-person boats from each school and Sienna Hawkes also attended for some combined team effort on points that took were pitted against rival teams over 350 short of the competition to gain experience for the TGS to the top. future, but did not sail. The team won nine of its 10 interdominion races sailed in the week. The team is coached by Matt Mason, a races. Normally the New Zealand championTGS competed in nearly 30 races, losing only three, and was undefeated on the first day, with former Team New Zealand and international ships and the interdoms are held separately, match-racer, who is also William’s father. but this year they were combined. Next year, six wins from six races. Tu’isila said TGS was lucky to have him. it is expected the nationals will be held earlier, It dropped two races in the second round, but retained retained first place, ahead of Napier She said the team next year had a lot to live with a trip to Brisbane to defend the interdoBoys High School and Glendowie College, who up to, but with so many juniors involved in minion title to follow in October. Dylan said the victory was a great way to joined it in racing against the best from Australia. the sailing programme it meant TGS had a round out his school sailing career. The school’s head of sailing, Melita Tu’isila, good longer-term cycle to look forward to. Training included leaving school early on “We hadn’t competed at nationals before so said while several Year 13 sailors would not be around next year to defend the titles, the young Wednesdays for sailing sessions out of the we didn’t really know what to expect, but it talent coming through – including some sailors Akarana Yacht Club at Westhaven and with was really cool to pull it off,” he told Yachting New Zealand. from Belmont Intermediate – made for a bright other schools. Racing would resume in March or April, “We worked really well together because, future. Year 9 William Mason skippered one boat, with the 420 nationals expected to revert to with team racing, you need everyone on the with departing Year 13s Dylan Forsyth and being held in their normal slot during the same page. I think our communication sepaVivien Webster Chung helming the others. first term break, after Covid pushed it back rated us from the rest of the teams.”
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October 21, 2022
NEW LISTING
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Auction prior) Located(unless in thesold heart of Devonport village, this immaculate property celebrates an enticing combination space, heritage character and lock-up-and-leave living, with the extra bonus of an 1.30pm, Thu 17of Nov 2022 84sqm studio space at the rear,Auckland which was home to the Devonport School of Dance for nearly 20 28 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, years, but could equally be used as a gallery, yoga studio or function centre. The gracious early 20th View Sun 12-12.45pm century home started life as a worker’s cottage and has been enlarged to create an elegant twoLinda Simmons 027 459 three 0957 bedrooms, formal living, dining and country kitchen as well as an level residence offering linda.simmons@bayleys.co.nz office, a sun room opening onto private courtyard, and a garage plus workshop. Stained glass, BAYLEYS REALcornice ESTATE LTD, DEVONPORT, intricate detailing, chandeliers, exposed brick enhance the ambiance of the elegant home.
Auction (unless sold prior) 1.30pm, Thu 17 Nov 2022 28 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland View Sun 12-12.45pm Linda Simmons 027 459 0957 linda.simmons@bayleys.co.nz
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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 5
October 21, 2022
A way with the fairies: artist creates fantasy world Tucked away in the trees of Clarence St, a fairy wonderland is emerging to enchant the children of Devonport. Local artist Judy Rogers is adding her magic touch to three oaks that provide shade outside the Depot Artspace and the Devonport Community House. She has crafted ceramic fairy cottages and carefully fixed doors and windows to the trees, using recycled and sustainable materials. “I have always thought there was potential to do something here,” says Rogers, who volunteers one day a week at the Depot. The two organisations agreed, and Rogers has spent many hours on the project, with the aim of having around a dozen small structures in place. Before Christmas, there are hopes to light the trees. Depot manager Amy Saunders says Rogers has given her time freely, with the gallery and community house helping out with material costs. She sees the potential to enhance the bed under the trees, perhaps with paving stones or planting, and would welcome offers of help with the lighting or landscaping. Rogers says her love affair with fairies dates back to childhood. “I’ve never grown up. As a child I was always interested in that realm.” Her fairy fascination can also be seen at her home of nine years, on the corner of Oxford Tce and Eton Ave. “When we bought our house, the first thing I saw was the tree on the corner and the swing there. I fell in love with house, but it was the tree that really beckoned me.” She first had the idea of creating a fairy door and, from there, her imagination took over. This has become a favourite stopping-off point for local children, who stare up in delight at a decorated pohutukawa. “We wake up to squeals and giggles,” she says. Rogers does not use plastics and takes care with tree health in her additions, which she points out are considerably smaller than the tree houses that many people hammer up. For the project in Clarence St, Rogers has had advice on her wooden tree platforms from Devonport Timber. She covers metal fixtures with ceramic plates, made to look like windows. Decorative touches include shells from Torpedo Bay. She also fossicks for broken glass and driftwood. Australian-born Rogers has lived in New Zealand for 16 years, moving over with her Kiwi husband, first to Hamilton and then to Devonport. She describes herself a steam-punk artist, but says “Iike most creatives I dabble in different things.” Fantasy – and the fairy world – is something she feels everyone can enjoy.
Open homes... Judy Rogers with the ceramic fairy cottages she has crafted
Refix or refinance? We see more and more people facing higher interest rates when rolling their fixed mortgage rates – some are more than doubling from 2.50% to over 5.50%. Quite a shock and it will require a cutback in spending and/or increasing income for many to cope. Some may request interest-only repayments for a period – although that increases principal and interest repayments in the future – or extend the loan term or even have to sell at some stage. One thing that may help in the short term is to look at the possibility of refinancing your mortgage at the refix time. We note that some banks have been offering up to 1% cashback to incentivise borrowers to use that bank, such is the drop-off in demand for new money. So if someone has an $800k mortgage, they could get $8k to refinance the loan, which is quite a benefit in the short term (less legal fees of course) – just something to consider.
Mortgage advice. Check with us first.
Contact Mike Simpson on 021 283 8040 or mike.simpson@mortgagesupply.co.nz or contact Richard Trounson on 027 580 1004 or richard.trounson@mortgagesupply.co.nz We give mortgage advice through our company Trounson Financial Services Ltd Disclosure Statements are on our website: simpsontrounson.co.nz
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 6
October 21, 2022
FOR AWARD WINNING MARKETING THAT SELLS
Linda Simmons
027 459 0957 | linda.simmons@bayleys.co.nz www.lindasimmons.co.nz BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LIMITED, DEVONPORT, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
A LT O G E T H E R B E T T E R
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October 21, 2022
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 7
NEW LISTING
Devonport 159 Victoria Road
Landmark Village Villa on Kiwi Quarter Acre
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This landmark estate has been transformed with a high-quality renovation over the past two years. Dating back to 1885, the large villa has been elegantly modernised, and a heated saltwater pool added on the huge 1,252sqm section bathed in all day sun. A circular carriage driveway with electric security gates offers ease of access and plenty of off-street parking, while the separate office building to the front of the property is the ideal work from home space. Many of the era’s signature features and splendid proportions have been sympathetically restored and are complemented with stylish contemporary fittings and finishes. Such a significant landholding so close to the village is a rare find, and with a few final enhancements, this property will offer a dream lifestyle for your family.
Auction (unless sold prior) 1.30pm, Thu 10 Nov 2022 28 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland View Sun 3-3.45pm Linda Simmons 027 459 0957 linda.simmons@bayleys.co.nz
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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 8
The Flagstaff Notes
October 21, 2022
The late-great Kiwi journalist Warwick Roger was always a fan of conducting interviews in subject’s homes, to glean further insights into their lives. So, last week, I headed out to chat to Willy de Wit in his Devon Park apartment in Stanley Point, and can report it was immaculately clean and uncluttered (“I’m a bit OCD,” de Wit volunteered).
On his office wall, among his awards and other memorabilia, was a framed Flagstaff front page from 1998, which featured a picture of him behind a lime leather couch, with a Funny Business record. The caption pointed to a full interview inside. De Wit said the piece captured him at his peak – and also made him feel accepted in a community he still loves. It seems he still has a penchant for leather furniture, though his white lounge suite of today perhaps reflects a greater maturity. I’m also happy to report that de Wit – despite his trials and tribulations – retains all the warmth and humour that shone in our previous interviews. He says he’s open to meeting a new woman: “A Flagstaff reader, of course.” Funny Business guaranteed.
Pride of place... Willy de Wit with the Flagstaff front page on which he appeared in 1998
The A Fresh Approach ticket took four of the six seats on the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board in the recent elections – the first time such a ticket has swept to power. On the plus side, this should stop the endless bickering and, at times, points-scoring that plagued the last two divided boards, and lead to more streamlined decision-making. The muddled decision on the future of the Devonport Bowling Club will be rescinded. On the negative side, ticket leader and likely board chair Toni van Tonder has been a strong advocate for taking the board workshops back behind closed doors, away from public and media scrutiny. The theory is council officers can talk freely
with board members, to thrash out the pros and cons of projects before logical plans are made. In practice though, poor or ill-conceived ideas from city hall can rapidly gain legs, when they would easily be snuffed out by early exposure and public debate. Budget blowouts, council inefficiencies and profligacy are also more easily concealed. As former board chair Ruth Jackson pointed out in the election campaign, the workshops are the “meat and potatoes” of the board process, where the real business is done, while the board meetings often rubber-stamp workshop plans. I’ve always believed transparency and scrutiny of council officials and local-board members is a fundamental part of democracy.
This should happen from the earliest stage: the board workshops. Another tricky issue is that newly elected A Fresh Approach member Terence Harpur intends to keep his job as chief executive of the Takapuna Beach Business Association. In theory, he can declare an interest in board matters affecting the association. But it is a bit more complicated than that. For example, if potential funding for events in Devonport or Milford town centres are being debated, a yay or nay could affect how much money Takapuna may receive. Harpur will no doubt bend over backwards to be fair, but how this is policed may pose a few difficult questions for board officials.
By Rob Drent
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The power of the internet never ceases to amaze. I was recently on the Auckland Council website looking for some documents and came across an Auckland Libraries search function. As I’m working on a family history, I keyed in ‘Drent’, and was amazed at what turned up: six photos of my father as a teenager, and his two younger siblings, taken in 1949 at the Papatoetoe Orphan Home, where they were placed in care during WWII. The photos don’t turn up in a general Google search. Anyone interested in their family history in Auckland should try the libraries site to see what Sports Briefs might be revealed there. The library archives are another ratepayer-funded service I’m highly appreciative of.
Creative Sounds Bunkers at Fort Takapuna will play host to a sound installation next week by local spatial artist Sarah Burrell and sonic practitioner Tony Woods. From 24-30 October, playing from noon to 6pm each day, the interactive work will transform the public spaces into “acoustic devices” in which sound is progressively recorded and replayed, building up an ambient looping composition. Called Sounding Publicis, the project aims to explore public space with temporary creative interventions.
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 9
October 21, 2022
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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 10
October 21, 2022
Local rugby star leads Defence team campaign Bayswater’s Kate Williams, a top rugby player since her schooldays, is competing in a second international rugby competition underway at the moment in Auckland – for Defence Force personnel. Navy Sub-Lieutenant Williams, is co-captain of the New Zealand combined-forces team, the Defence Ferns, which will play against teams from seven other nations in the women’s International Defence Rugby Competition. The event, a first, is timed to run in parallel with the Women’s Rugby World Cup hosted in New Zealand. “This feels like a pinnacle for our women in rugby,” Williams said. “We’ve always talked about something like this, so it’s cool that it is finally happening.” After missing play for North Harbour this season – “with the Navy I was away during the Farah Palmer Cup” – flanker Williams is relishing the opportunity to get back into competitive rugby. The Defence event began the day before the Rugby World Cup, with New Zealand beating France, 22-10. All the service personnel were invited to attend the opening cup games at Eden Park, before resuming their own three-weeklong competition. Twenty-two-year-old Williams said the Defence competition is a welcome chance to build relationships with personnel from elsewhere, particularly the Pacific. “I feel really proud and humbled by it. It’s so cool to co-captain with my friend [Corporal Hayley Hatana]. Games begin with the Defence Force haka and the team has a great work ethic, Williams said. After getting through what was probably the toughest game in their pool, the Defence Ferns hope to make the final, with the teams from the United Kingdom and Australia looming as their biggest challenge. Fiji, Tonga, and a combined team from Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are also included. Since herSports days at Takapuna Briefs Grammar
TGS runner snares US scholarship Takapuna Grammar School runner Samantha Korck has won an American sports scholarship. In mid-2023, she will take up the fouryear athletic and academic opportunity at St Joseph’s, a private university in Philadelphia, where she will study towards a Bachelor of Science in exercise physiology. This month, Samantha was in the Auckland City Athletics Club women’s under-20 team which placed second at the national Road Relay Championships in Christchurch. The versatile athlete has competed in sprints, middle-distance and cross-country events with distinction.
Catching a lift... Kate Williams and teammates prepare for a lineout in training ahead of the Defence Ferns’ first match in the International Defence Rugby Competition School, Williams has been a regional rugby representative. She was named the school’s Sportswoman of the Year in 2017, the same year she first made the Harbour Hibiscus side, which she captained in 2020 and 2021. “I just love playing,” she said. “I still have aspirations to go further with my rugby.” For now, she is happy to juggle the sport with her Navy career. She signed up in 2018 and serves as a warfare officer. “My job is to drive the ship under the direction of the navigator and captain,” she
explained. She also gets to launch helicopters. Next year, she hopes to be back in the Harbour team and longer-term she might try her luck playing overseas. Williams said Navy fitness training keeps her in trim for rugby, even if she is at sea and can’t play. “When I’m ashore and alongside, I take as much opportunity as I can to get involved with friends going to the gym and with Harbour.” Home is in Navy housing in Bayswater with her partner, near where she grew up.
Local throwers in early season form Personal-best (PB) throws were recorded by two young peninsula athletes as the athletics season cranks into gear. Junior titleholders Kate Hallie, aged 15, from Devonport, and Connor Brady, aged 11, from Bayswater, recently competed in both discus and shot put for Takapuna
Athletics Club in the Throws Spring Series at AUT Millennium. Kate’s PB came with a 3kg shot, recording 15.4m. Connor threw a 4kg shot 11.2m and the 1kg discuss 35.12m. He threw a third PB in javelin, reaching 38.97m with a 500g spear.
Front-rower steps up Promising North Shore Rugby Club prop Sam Davies (pictured) made big inroads into the provincial rugby scene this season making the North Harbour match-day squad for its final games. The Hauraki 20-year-old, who went to Rosmini College, came off the bench in the last few matches, including in North Harbour’s 21-18 loss to Auckland in the National Provincial Championship.
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 11
October 21, 2022
Table-tennis wins gives teen’s holidays a golden glow Takapuna Grammar School student Carrie Guo (pictured in action) was happy to give up school holiday time to play in both the senior and junior national table tennis championships – securing golds in both events. The Year 10 student won the under-19 national singles title at the senior nationals without dropping a game through the quarter -finals and semi-finals, but was tested in the final against second seed Joanna Yang, who had also progressed to the final unchallenged.
Carrie came from two games down (7-11, 3-11) to dig deep and win the third, 11-7, before a closely contested and long fourth game which the 14-year-old showed maturity in winning against the odds, 16-14. She then won the deciding game, 11-8, taking the gold. As the top seed in the under-15 singles at the junior championships, Carrie found her path to gold easier, not dropping a set on her way to the title.
Belmont 118c Lake Road 4
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Auction (unless sold prior) 1.30pm, Thu 10 Nov 2022 28 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland Phone for viewing times Victoria Mules 021 679 349 victoria.mules@bayleys.co.nz Jemma Glancy 021 246 5300 jemma.glancy@bayleys.co.nz BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, DEVONPORT, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
Nest or invest Nest, invest, and make a great move to this property packed with opportunity and upside. Set in an excellent location and offering a large home for a big, busy family or a great rental investment for the future. Make no mistake this home will be sold to the next lucky owner.
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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 12
October 21, 2022
Darlinks! Local fashionistas ready for big night Devonport’s glam squad has been hard at work pulling together Fashion on the Wharf. The annual charity show and fun, dress-up evening out, on Thursday 20 October, is only made possible by the efforts of volunteers. All their hard work culminates in a runway showcase featuring clothes and accessories from 10 local businesses. Show director Laura Foote has spent the last few months finding 32 volunteer models and organising hair and make-up teams and music for the big night, when she has the backstage job of cueing models to step out in style. Foote has garments from her own Echo boutique in the line-up, but is doing the work as a member of the Devonport Business Association (DBA), which stages the event. The show is back for a third time – with sponsorship and a live auction arranged by Harcourts, which supports Breast Cancer Cure as its charity of choice. Harcourts auctioneer and entertainer Shane Cortese is the master of ceremonies. Entertainment is by The Madeleines, a stylish trio of singers whose feelgood repertoire ranges from 1920s jazz through war-era classics to rock ’n’ roll. The 300 tickets were mostly snapped up well in advance, Foote said. A sellout was expected, but people could “try their luck”, she said, for any remaining general-admission spots. A feature of this year’s event is that all paying guests take home a goodie bag, which in previous years was a treat reserved for those seated up front in the positions around the runway set up in a transformed ferry terminal. Models had a run-through last Monday, in preparation for the show. They ranged from Takapuna Grammar School students to mature locals, with the aim of showing clothing to suit all ages. Male models also feature, including Harcourts local branch manager Matt Hunt. A Devonport graduate of the Cut Above Academy, Siobhan Taylor, is responsible for the make-up look – a modernised 1940s vintage glamour. The academy has provided its students to help with hair as well, working from the former Homestyle Depot store on Victoria Rd, before the models head upstairs in the ferry terminal for dressing. Foote said as well as fashion retailers Cose Fan Tutte, Blue Illusions, Sills & Co, Echo boutique, Yarntons for Men and Women, and Annah Stretton, the Hospice Shop Devonport is back again to show how second-hand garments can be given a new lease of life. Devonport Optometrists are adding a range of eyewear to the event for the first time and Devonport Flowers is also involved. Their bouquets, floral crowns and boutonnieres, will set off a bridal-themed finale. “My February wedding dress is going on a model,” added Foote. For anyone looking for fashion inspiration on what to wear, Foote said shop local and “dress up Devonport”. The spring-summer fashion forecast is looking bright, she says. “Bold colour, including hot pink, and navy replaces black when it comes to summer”, are her tips for those hoping to be fashion-forward.
Upcycled... Ceyda Sarikaya, 17, and Pearl Nicholson, 16, in vintage garments from the Devonport Hospice store. The two Takapuna Grammar School students are keen opshoppers and have been volunteers at the store, which is supplying outfits for Fashion on the Wharf. Ceyda will also be modelling.
Garden Design in Devonport Whether you are planning a garden refresh or a full renovation, let us work with you to define your vision so that you can proceed with a plan. Call Steve on 021 345 694 steve@naturalgardens.co.nz www.naturalgardens.co.nz
October 21, 2022
Devonport 23 Clarence Street ‘Flower Cottage’ Is As Close As It Gets… Looking for a very cute cottage that is close to the village? What about open your gate and you are in the heart of the village? 23 Clarence or ‘Flower Cottage’ as it is known is probably the closest freestanding cottage in the village where you can literally walk out of your gate, and you are at the heart of all that wonderful Devonport provides. Beaches, ferry to the C.B.D, bus links, supermarket, Doctors surgery, Post Office, Hammer Hardware, Library, assortment of shops and cafes all a flat walk away. Your car which you will use less if you live here can (unusually for central Devonport) sit securely in a carport behind gates. Currently a rental property the tenants have been there for many years which is a great testimony of how great living here is. This is the cutest cottage and one that most Devonport locals have walked past and noticed, seize this exceptionally rare opportunity, don’t walk past with regret in the future. The vendors are serious about selling before or on the auction day.
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 13
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Auction
Thursday 10th November at 1:00 pm In Rooms (Unless Sold Prior) View As advertised or by appointment harcourts.co.nz/DP24294 Maria Stevens M 021 979 084
maria.stevens@harcourts.co.nz
Marissa Muirhead M 021 337 222
marissa.muirhead@harcourts.co.nz Cooper & Co Real Estate Ltd Licensed Agent REAA 2008
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 14
Devonport 46 Albert Road Refreshingly Different 46 Albert has been a home for creatives since 1922 with Maurice Duggan a short story writer living there until 1974. The property then became a place for many an aspiring ballerina to dance in the vast lounge under the watchful eye of teacher Miss O’Leary. The current owner has clearly an eye for design and style. Set on a lovely, elevated site of 660sqm with not only a spacious grand villa but a huge bonus as well, a separate one-bedroom self-contained cottage. This could provide great extra accommodation for family, au-pair, office space or potential income to offset mortgage payments. Whether you are a creative or a family looking for a stunning family home in a great location with all day sun you will walk in and feel absolutely at home. The owner is heading to England and would really love to see this cherished villa start a new chapter in its life with a new family.
October 21, 2022
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Tuesday 8th November at 1:00 pm In Rooms (Unless Sold Prior) View As advertised or by appointment harcourts.co.nz/DP24283 Marissa Muirhead M 021 337 222
marissa.muirhead@harcourts.co.nz
Maria Stevens M 021 979 084
maria.stevens@harcourts.co.nz Cooper & Co Real Estate Ltd Licensed Agent REAA 2008
October 21, 2022
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 15
Bayswater 57D Norwood Road
4+1
Simply Stunning
Deadline Sale
This superb executive residence has sensational water views over Ngataringa Bay, and the magnificent Auckland City Skyline. Without a doubt this is the ‘Pick of the Crop’ of premium quality Bayswater homes. The property also has access to a little secret sandy cove down on the water. With the Bayswater City Ferry Service and Marina just a few minutes down the road, you have easy access to the CBD plus all the fabulous amenities on offer in the Auckland Viaduct. Devonport Village and Takapuna shopping centre are equidistant from your home and there are great local schools in this highly sought-after area. The substantial main home is accessed via a private driveway and boasts expansive open plan living leading to an outer entertaining deck, a fabulous ‘chefs kitchen’ with butler’s pantry, wine cellar, and of course, some of the best water views on Auckland’s North Shore. High quality fixtures and fittings abound, with welcoming Otago ‘Schist Stone’ pillars, designer outdoor lighting, and central heating to name but a few. Across the garden, you will find your very own saltwater swimming pool and the ‘pool house’.
3+1
2+1
4
Wednesday 9th November at 4:00 pm (Unless Sold Prior) View Sat/Sun 3.00pm-3.45pm Thu 5.30pm-6.30pm harcourts.co.nz/DP24285
Ian Cunliffe M 027 227 9322 ian.cunliffe@harcourts.co.nz Cooper & Co Real Estate Ltd Licensed Agent REAA 2008
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 16
October 21, 2022
October 21, 2022
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 17
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 18
Local Body Elections
October 21, 2022
Devonport-Takapuna Local Board members
PETER ALLEN
TERENCE HARPUR
GAVIN BUSCH
MELISSA POWELL
New brooms... The winning A Fresh Approach team of (left to right) Melissa Powell, Terence Harpur, Toni van Tonder and Peter Allen – pictured on the jetty at Lake Pupuke – have secured four of six seats on the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board. They hail from a broad geographic spread of the area, giving northern areas more voice
Changing of the guard
TONI VAN TONDER
GEORGE WOOD
Auckland councillors for North Shore ward
CHRIS DARBY
RICHARD HILLS
Councillors face ‘job interviews’ North Shore’s two re-elected Auckland councillors, Richard Hills and Chris Darby, face job auditions with new Mayor Wayne Brown. As chairs of council committees, Hills (environment and climate change) and Darby (planning) may yet fall victim to Brown’s promised shake-up as he meets councillors on the composition of what is a more divided governing body. Top-polling Hills noted his vote had grown since 2019, which he put down to campaigning positively and being available over the last three years. He said he had offered the mayor his support and hoped to continue his efforts around water quality, environment and public transport. Darby said public transport, plagued by staff shortages, would be a focus. Third-placed council candidate Danielle Grant was re-elected to the Kaipatiki Local Board.
Half of the previous Devonport-Takapuna Local Board have been swept from their seats, with voters delivering a mandate for change to the now dominant A Fresh Approach ticket. Its leader and returning board member, Toni van Tonder, was the second-highest polling candidate and is set to chair the six-person board. She brings in three new faces with her: Terence Harpur, Melissa Powell and Peter Allen. Veteran politician George Wood topped the poll, reflecting both his high profile and a citywide swing to centre-right candidates. Gavin Busch, was elected in sixth place, joining Wood under the Community and Residents (C&R) banner, with its third candidate, Mike Single, polling close behind. The Heart of the Shore ticket, including board chair Ruth Jackson, was dumped after a tetchy term. Van Tonder said she wanted a more collaborative approach around the board table this term and had been in touch with Wood, despite their having some policy differences. Wood identified areas he was confident the teams could work on, such as determining the future of Takapuna community assets, and others, such as Lake Rd, which he hoped would be discussed further. Questioning the Lake Rd design and speaking out on crime were, he believed, reasons, he had topped the poll. Van Tonder put A Fresh Approach’s success down to its people being positive and connected to their communities, from Sunnynook to Devonport. Both gave a shout-out to their unelected candidates: C&R’s Single (who polled seventh) and Zane Catterall of A Fresh Approach (ninth). Asked about the allocation of board roles,
van Tonder said she wanted to get together with all those elected, rather than presume anything at this stage. Each person brought professional skills to the table, with Wood also having vast council experience. “I hope we can settle on what’s best for the community and for the board.” The new board had the first of a series of briefings with Auckland Council staff this week. It will formalise appointments, including chair and deputy, at its first monthly business meeting to be held mid-November. Voting in Devonport-Takapuna was above the citywide turnout of 35.5 per cent of 1,142,237 million eligible voters. Locally, 43.4 per cent of 43,567 voters returned their ballots. This was up more than two percentage points on the 2019 local turnout. The national turnout was under 40 per cent. Wood said it was a shame the majority of people did not vote. “The whole community is really dependent on local government.” Outgoing Jackson and long-serving Jan O’Connor, who fell from second-highest polling candidate last term, did not respond by deadline to a request to talk about the results. But Heart of the Shore’s top-polling candidate, Trish Deans (eighth), said she had already been asked to help with community issues and would stay involved. “I just feel we did an honest job and no regrets – we have to do things for the whole community, not just part of it,” Deans said. Hard work had been done on submssions on intensfication and the Bayswater marina, she said. The future of Takapuna library was a live issue. On its website, the team said it was naturally disappointed and thanked backers for “lifting us up in a long and bruising campaign”. It added: “This isn’t goodbye.”
October 21, 2022
Local Body Elections
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 19
Howzat! Voters dismiss half of polarised board A surprisingly clear-cut result clean-bowled one team and elevated another, writes Janetta Mackay We had an informal office sweep on the local-board election results and no one called it. Yes, there was clearly a mood for change, but even among the candidates, few were confident of securing victory. For years now, the local board has been divided. But last term, simmering issues flared more into the public domain. Good work through consensus was lost in the wash, as predictable policy disagreements morphed into “line in the sand” intransigence. Two issues stand out as capturing the public’s attention. Heart of the Shore’s silly shilly-shallying about the siting by Panuku of temporary toilets in Potters Park, Takapuna – which are still not in place – drew widespread ridicule. The awarding of a lease for continued storage to Devonport Museum on a section of the Devonport Domain that North Shore cricket and rugby clubs thought they had wholly secured to provide more sports facilities, particularly for women, drew the ire of the clubs. They told their memberships about it. But the bigger paralysis has been around issues – such as the future of Takapuna community assets – which must be decided, not just resisted or relitigated, as has been a pattern with too many matters, including the in-progress Takapuna town square development. Yes, Panuku and Auckland Transport decision-making does need scrutiny and local-board rights need to be upheld. But this is better done by a persuasive board that comes across as credible – not just crabby. Whether the new board proves to be capable of this, time will tell, but Heart of the Shore lost the room and ultimately the vote. Committed community representatives depart as a result. Now it’s time for others to step up.
On the campaign trail… new Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown (left) and George Wood, the top-polling candidate in the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board race, spent an afternoon in Devonport ahead of the localbody elections – grabbing a copy of the Flagstaff’s election special on their travels
Candidate support by the numbers MAYOR OF AUCKLAND
DEVONPORT-TAKAPUNA LOCAL BOARD
VOTES (six members elected from 20 standing) 181,810 CANDIDATE VOTES 124,802 George Wood, C&R 7564 25,021 Toni van Tonder, A Fresh Approach 7443 * Twenty more candidates each returned Terence Harpur, A Fresh Approach 6660 under 10,000 votes (ranging from 460 Melissa Powell, A Fresh Approach 6239 votes to 8718). Peter Allen, A Fresh Approach 6072 Gavin Busch, C&R 6058 Mike Single, C&R 5665 AUCKLAND COUNCIL – NORTH SHORE Trish Deans, Heart of the Shore 5488 (two councillors elected from seven Zane Catterall, A Fresh Approach 5202 standing) Jan O’Connor, Heart of the Shore 4948 4894 CANDIDATE VOTES John Maidment, Heart of the Shore 4535 Richard Hills, 19,269 Ruth Jackson, Heart of the Shore A Positive Voice for the Shore Bridget Thrussell, Heart of the Shore 3252 Chris Darby, For the Shore 17,123 Kevin Brett, SOS – Save our Shore 3150 Danielle Grant, Community and 14,584 Tony Bunting, Independent 2964 Residents North Shore (C&R) Kurt Keiller, SOS – Save Our Shore 1588 George Wood, C&R 12,009 Sam Welsh, SOS – Save Our Shore 1291 Tony Bunting, Independent 4370 Michele McGregor, Independent 1285 Raymond Tan 3857 Cherie Keiller, SOS – Save Our Shore 1250 Adrian Tyler 3270 Kent Tregonning, Independent 937 Informal votes 55 Informal votes 39 Blank votes 1182 Blank votes 1484 CANDIDATE Wayne Brown, Fix Auckland Efeso Collins, Independent Craig Lord, Independent
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 20
October 21, 2022
NEW LISTING
Devonport 5/29 King Edward Parade
Spectacular Devonport apartment
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This exclusive, as new, character residence sits atop the iconic Masonic Hotel, across the road from the beach on the waterfront. You will love this one-of-a-kind apartment where you can enjoy the expansive, unobstructed views to the harbour from the living spaces, relax on the sunny verandah’s or cross the road for a swim. No expense has been spared, you will love your own private lift, intercom and a secure internal access double garage. It’s a short flat walk to Devonport village with all it offers, including ferry to the city. This is the perfect, peace of mind home to live in, or lock and leave. Is this Devonport’s best apartment? Come and see for yourself. Appointment only viewing so call me now.
Auction (unless sold prior) 1.30pm, Thu 17 Nov 2022 28 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland View by appointment Lynda Betts 021 278 3024 lynda.betts@bayleys.co.nz
bayleys.co.nz/1470566
bayleys.co.nz
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BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, DEVONPORT, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
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October 21, 2022
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 21
NEW LISTING
NEW LISTINGNEW LISTING
Cheltenham 29 Tainui Road
Cheltenham 29 Cheltenham Tainui Road 29 Tainui R
Immaculate and easy-care near the beach
and andne e 3Immaculate 2 2 Immaculate 2 easy-care
There is so much to love about this pretty veranda fronted villa on a small, easy-care site in the heart of Cheltenham just a couple of minutes’ walk from the beach. Thoughtfully renovated with great attention to detail, it offers a lovely central hall with character arch, three generous bedrooms, fabulous kitchen and family room opening to a covered deck with open fire. The modern kitchen is both visually appealing and highly functional with many top-end extras. You will enjoy the additional spacious and charming lounge and the convenience of a double garage, central heating plus great storage options give you a place for everything. Sitting in the sun, it is beautifully finished with fresh paint and white plantation shutters.
Auction soldto prior) There is(unless so much loveThere aboutisthis so much prettyto veranda love about fronted thisvp of Cheltenham just2022 a couple of Cheltenham of minutes’just walk a couple from the ofbeach minu 1.30pm, Thu 10 Nov attention to detail, offers attention a lovely tocentral detail, hall it offers withacharacte lovely c 28 Northcroft Street,itTakapuna, Auckland fabulous kitchen and family fabulous roomkitchen opening and to family a covered room dec op View 11-11.30am Sat 22 Oct both visually appealing and bothhighly visually functional appealing with and many highly top fu oradditional by appointment spacious andadditional charming lounge spacious and and the charming convenien lo Victoria Bidwell 021options 947 plus 080 plus great storage give great you storage a placeoptions for everything. give youS with fresh paint and white with plantation fresh paint shutters. and white plantation victoria.bidwell@bayleys.co.nz
bayleys.co.nz/1451445
BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, TAKAPUNA, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008
bayleys.co.nz
bayleys.co.nz/1451445 bayleys.co.nz/1451445
bayleys.co.nz
bayleys.co.nz
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 22
October 21, 2022
Elegant main-street sanctuary The lure of a look inside some of Devonport’s finest homes is seeing tickets to an annual charity tour selling fast. Janetta Mackay gets an early viewing of one property. Tucked away in a landmark building on Victoria Rd is an apartment that will surely be one of the star attractions on this year’s Homes of Devonport tour. The spacious and gracious home of Sharon and Eddie de Heer in the former Post Office building is one of the village’s secret hideaways. Not only does it have lovingly restored art deco character, but the award-winning second-storey space also opens to a private decked outdoor entertaining and garden area. “It’s a secret, a little place that looks so amazing,” says Sharon of their home in the three-storey building the de Heers bought in 2007. They were drawn by both the investment opportunity and the chance to create their perfect lock-up and leave apartment, sited a ferry ride from the city and where they can walk round the corner to everything they need. “This is our forever home,” says Eddie. But it has taken the couple plenty of work to turn it into their dream property. Shortly before they headed off on a river-crossing course in Wanaka, the active pair, who intend to undertake the South Island leg of the Te Araroa trail, invited the Flagstaff upstairs for a preview of what home-tour ticketholders will see. They say they agreed to participate because the event raises money for charity. With Hospice being one of the beneficiaries, Eddie, whose mother received “fantastic” nursing in one, was particularly drawn to the cause. They also know people are curious about what is behind the façade of the much-loved local building. “We’ve been going to the home show for years. We love property, we love architecture
Outside and in... The former Post Office and its second-floor apartment (below) remain sympathetic to the building’s 1920s origins
and we love design,” says Eddie. They intend checking out the other homes on show in early November. In all, 10 properties are included on the tour, ranging from villas to contemporary builds to a converted church. Devonport Rotary started the annual event and Bayleys real estate backs it. Along with Harbour Hospice, Dementia Auckland and Rotary’s Charitable Trust will also benefit. The de Heers, who moved to Devonport
from South Auckland, were drawn by the sea and the chance sighting of an advertisement when the old Post Office building was put up for sale. They saw its potential and have become big fans of apartment-style living. They think the village could be brought alive and its businesses benefit with more apartments. Their four-bedroom home, at 230sqm, with the outdoor area adding another
Show time... Other properties featured in Homes of Devonport include (from left) a Cheltenham villa, a contemporary Victoria Rd house and (on facing page) a church conversion
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 23
October 21, 2022
offers local homes-tour highlight
Hideaway... Eddie and Sharon de Heer love lounging with a coffee from the cafe downstairs, in the quiet comfort of their rear rooftop garden, or (right) in a quiet corner of their large inside living space 110sqm, is hardly compact. But it could have been even bigger. When they first bought the building, they spent several years smartening up the ground floor for commercial use. They camped out the back for a time, while they turned their attention to what to do about the confused layout of the first-floor accommodation, which included a large staircase up to a previous extension to a third level built-in roof space.
“It was huge, over 300sqm in total, far too big for us,” says Eddie. The views to the city are better from the smaller top storey, but they liked the Victoria Rd streetscape they have through original metal windows, painted black, and decided there was more scope to create their dream home on the one level in what was once the postmaster’s apartment. The interior has been restored to its art deco glory, stripped of out-of-character Victoriana cornices installed by the previous owner, Bryan Jackson who ran a museum on-site. “When we bought it, it was a bit of a mess,” recalls Sharon. The configuration of rooms had been altered over the years. They could not find the original plans, but wanted to restore the clean lines of the art deco era, albeit with modern comforts like en suites and an entertainer’s kitchen added. Luckily, one room retained art deco’s simpler cornices, and they replicated these. Kauri floors were brought back to life. Décor and furniture is a mix of art deco touches, modern classics and industrial and contemporary influences, reflecting the
couple’s eclectic tastes. Improving the exterior of the Post Office building was part of their project. The de Heers say they were influenced by the look of Parisian apartments. “We made it into a mansard roof. We feel it is an attractive outcome for the building and it’s set back,” says Sharon. The sympathetic transformation by Devonport architects Salmond Reed won a Heritage Award and a Master Builders Gold Award recognised the quality of the home’s renovation, finally finished in 2018. The couple sold the building recently, as they are at an age when they wanted to streamline their investments. But they had the foresight to put the two-bedroom upper level apartment and their own on separate titles. “It’s a beautiful place to live,” says Eddie of his Devonport home. “I’ll be taken out in a box,” adds Sharon. •Tickets to Homes of Devonport, from 10am to 4pm on 4 November, are available at eventfinda.co.nz.
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 24
October 21, 2022
Devonport 09 445 2010
Barfoot & Thompson Limited Licensed REAA 2008
Major sponsor for the North Shore Cricket Club
FOR SALE
DEVONPORT
5+2
2+1
3+1
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OPEN HOME 2+2
3 6 W I C K L OW R OA D
DEVONPORT 7 9 B A R A M OA N A AV E N U E
FOR SALE By Negotiation
Two properties being sold on a corner site of 839m². Salt water swimming pool. Walk to Narrow Neck beach, parks and schools.
barfoot.co.nz/838491
- Generous Bedrooms - Renovated Kitchen/ Bathrooms - Open Plan Lounge & Dining - Private Outdoor Area
VIEWING Sat/Sun 1:00-1:30pm
Trish Fitzgerald 021 952 452 Tracey Lawrence 021 1720 681
barfoot.co.nz/838159
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1/51 MERANI STREET
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DEVONPORT
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12:00pm 2 Nov 2022 39 Victoria Road, Devonport (unless sold prior)
VIEWING Sat/Sun 11:45am-12:30pm
Darshan Jogia 021 107 1269
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9 2 A N GATA R I N GA R OA D
FOR SALE
$1,799,000
barfoot.co.nz/838070
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FOR SALE
FOR SALE Room for large families, extended families, blended families. Large studio downstairs offers lots of opportunities to explore.
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AU C T I O N
FOR SALE
DEVONPORT
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VIEWING Saturday/Sunday 12:00-12:30pm
Cathy Fiebig 021 383 149
$2,495,000
A ROOM WITH A VIEW! Spacious modern family home set over 3 levels. Perfect for extended families. Internal access garage.
barfoot.co.nz/834723
VIEWING Sat / Sun 12:00-12:30pm
Trish Fitzgerald 021 952 452 Tracey Lawrence 021 1720 681
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 25
October 21, 2022
Devonport 09 445 2010
Barfoot & Thompson Limited Licensed REAA 2008
Major sponsor for the North Shore Cricket Club
FOR SALE
BELMONT
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NEW LISTING
BELMONT
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2 / 2 E VA N S T R E E T
4/20 WILLIAMSON AV E N U E
FOR SALE $1,095,000
- Charming Cottage With 2 Open Fires - 3 Bedrooms and 2 Separate Living Areas - Walking Distance to Takapuna Grammar
barfoot.co.nz/834070
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$2,350,000
VIEWING Phone For Viewing Times
Lance Richardson 021 796 660 Suzy Wang 022 199 7808
5/22 KILLARNEY STREET
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- 4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Bathrooms - Double Garage plus 2 Carparks - NZ Made Lift
barfoot.co.nz/838543
VIEWING Phone For Viewing Times
Lance Richardson 021 796 660 Suzy Wang 022 199 7808
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FOR SALE 2
TAKAPUNA
European styled terrace Heart of Takapuna Amazing views 230m² floor area Private sunny courtyard Generous garaging
barfoot.co.nz/835771
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4 6 N A P I E R AV E N U E
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
By Negotiation
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FOR SALE
FOR SALE
TAKAPUNA
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VIEWING Phone For Viewing Times
Ron Sadler BCom, AREINZ 021 613 546
By Negotiation
A funky contemporary style of living, affordable, sunny and very private in the heart of Takapuna and right on the edge of the CBD. Call today!
barfoot.co.nz/837315
VIEWING Sat/Sun 2:00-2:30pm or By Appointment
Sue Evans 021 448 977
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 26
October 21, 2022
New public-housing units open for viewing Locals wanting a look around the large new Kainga Ora housing development on the corner of Lake Rd and Bardia St will get their chance this week. The interiors of the two main blocks of 44 units have been completed over the last few weeks, with tenants due to move in from next week. This Friday, 21 October, the state housing provider is opening the site to the public from 3pm to 6pm. Kainga Ora says it is eager for people to appreciate that its tenants will be engaged members of the community, some with longterm roots in the area. They are drawn from its waiting lists, which show a need for accommodation for single people, including seniors, along with couples and families on the North Shore. The agency has been consulting with local schools to ensure a smooth transition for those with children. Families are already living in four larger homes to the rear of the site, while the block units will be progressively filled before Christmas. The Flagstaff had an early look around the accommodation last week, while the project team awaited final sign-off after council inspections. The main three-storey block facing Lake Rd contains 30 roomy one-bedroom units, with seven on the ground floor designed to allow for wheelchair access. The second block, along the southern boundary of the site, houses 14 two-bedroom units and a community room. Layouts are similar, with a front door opening into an open-plan kitchen and living room, and sliding-door access to a goodsized deck. Every unit has a laundry cupboard and heat pump and a mix of hard flooring and carpet. Each bedroom has a large built-in wardrobe. The upper units to the rear of the main
Room with an outlook... Kainga Ora project manager Shaolian Churm in one of the new units with vistas of the harbour and city block have Shoal Bay and city views. Come New Year’s Eve, some tenants will get a great view of the fireworks set off from the SkyTower. The decks, which are around two metres deep and three metres wide, have metal screens and frosted glass for privacy, and pull-out washing lines. The apartments are finished to ‘6 Homestar’ energy-efficiency standards. Features include easy-reach light switches and contrasting dark benchtops and white cabinetry to enhance visibility in the units for those with special needs. Due to proximity to the sea, stainless steel fittings have been used, including on handrails around the property. A small amount of
outdoor wooden seating has been installed between the car park and main block. Kainga Ora stakeholder manager Anu Moses said a housing-support manager would liaise with the customers over their needs. They would have input into how the community room was set up and also on some soft-landscaping decisions. In other Kainga Ora developments, the community room was a popular gathering space for residents, where children could play on the lawn that opened off from it. Meetings or activities, such as yoga sessions, could be scheduled, but use would be community-led. “We want them to like where they are living and make it their own,” Moses said.
Landscaping in Devonport We specialise in all outdoor construction. Decks, paving, retaining, fences and more. We can also handle all your design and planting needs. Call Steve on 021 345 694 steve@naturalgardens.co.nz www.naturalgardens.co.nz
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 27
October 21, 2022
Project manager knows the neighbourhood Working on the Oneoneroa housing subdivision in Belmont, just up the road from where she went to school, has underlined to Clare Mandeno (pictured) the sense of community its developers are trying to foster. As the project’s development manager, she is welcoming the latest new homeowners into Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s staged development. The neighbourhood is one she knows and loves. “It’s so easy to live in,” she says. Thirteen homes are in the process of being occupied, four on Whētiko Way off Rutherford St, followed by nine in Ngā Tutu Pl. A further 16 homes, ranging from two to four bedrooms, will go on sale at the end of the year or early in 2023. These are terrace-style dwellings on the Eversleigh Rd corner with Lowe St. They are expected to fetch in the range of $1m to $1.8m. Buyers are mostly young families and downsizers, not usually first-home buyers, but rather those looking to get a foothold in the area, or stay here, but in a more modern property. When sold, they will bring to 42 the number of homes built and sold so far. In time, it is expected the large site – once occupied by Navy housing, before coming under Ngāti Whātua ownership as part of a Treaty settlement – could house more than 300 families. Mandeno, who lives in Takapuna, grew up in Stanley Bay and went to Takapuna Grammar School. After gaining degrees in architecture and construction, she worked overseas in architecture project management, before returning to New Zealand and the new challenge of working for an iwi organisation. “It has the ability of a big corporate, with a unique set of drivers,” the 40-year-old says. Learning more about Maori culture is something that has come with her role. For the buyers, this is expressed as manaakitanga, with new occupants welcomed with an e-bike and native plants. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s general manager of property, Neil Donnelly, says future development will continue down Eversleigh Rd. “The mix of units is very dependent on how many we think we can sell,” he says. The iwi, which has other housing developments proceeding across the city, is able to take a gradual approach rather than flood the market.
NORTH SHORE
As building continues, it is looking at how best to connect to open spaces and the coastal reserve. Ground reshaping on Hillary Cres is on the agenda, and more homes will be built off Rutherford St next year. Site tidying, including grass mowing, will begin soon.
28-30 OCT
Eventfinda Stadium
OPENS NEXT FRIDAY!
(formerly North Shore Events Centre 17 Silverfield, Wairau Valley)
It's all about ideas.
Fri, Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4
Huge range showcasing the latest trends and innovations for your home, garden & lifestyle Builders, solar solutions, home decor, plants, tools, homewares, kitchens, bathrooms, artists, tiny homes, home maintenance & more Gourmet foods, artisan goods, health & well-being Show specials, giveaways, delicious street food vendors and family fun Free daily Q & A sessions, bring along your plans questions & ideas Feature display with Flagstaff Gallery showcasing New Zealand Artists Enter to win a premium Athena bathroom package valued at $5,000, plus a massive $5,000 CASH!
"Join m e at o ne of the FR EE As k an Expert session Reside s." nt Bu ilder P eter Wolfka mp
Adult $8, Gold Card Friday $4, Under 16 Free - Door sales or buy online at homeandgardenshow.co.nz
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 28
October 21, 2022
Letters
Voters had enough of not being listened to Local-body elections can be a strange series of events, but this one was different from most. Often people will say they are angry, but not that angry to vote differently. But this time was different. It was not a left-right thing or a blue-red thing. But in the end, people decided they had had enough of not being listened to, of closeddoor meetings, congestion and their parks and open spaces being sold for private profit. Work-life balance is hard these days without Auckland Council making it harder. It’s something those living in a cliff-side mansion and with a council car park might not see. But those in the ’burbs and villages live with it. So when someone uses social engineering to increase congestion, but at the same time public-transport fares are increased, and 1500 buses a day do not make their routes, and funny but expensive paint is splashed over the roads and footpaths, something had to give. When local culture and heritage is sacrificed for private profit something has to change.
So on Saturday 8 October, communities over Auckland rejected the wacky ideas that have come out of council, the downright frustrating and often inept council activities, the loony and the disruptive. Not all the ideas that come out of council are bad ones, with many policies necessary, albeit disruptive. However, New Zealand learnt under a previous Labour government that if there is major change inflicted on people’s lives, you have to take people with you. Otherwise change is seen as arrogant, anti-community, anti-democratic and unlistening. And that’s what has happened here. One of the winners in this election is the Kaipatiki community, which elected a board from a single cross-party grouping. The Kaipatiki community supported a group of community-minded people who had listened and worked with the community to get things done. Strangely, in Devonport-Takapuna, three hard-working community activists lost their
seats. These women had opened up the previously closed meetings to the public and media, advocated strongly for their community, opposed wacky ideas such as selling our community facilities and parks and opposed the closing of the Sunday market and Takapuna campground. Two different North Shore communities and two different results. So, I pay tribute to Jan O’Connor, Ruth Jackson and Trish Deans, who have stood up for our community for years now. You will be greatly missed. I can only surmise that in the rush for change from the Goff-era council, their reddish/pink billboards got crunched by the blue ones. But, billboard colour does not always reflect true intentions. Some councillors who have consistently used blue billboards are often referred to in the media as left-leaning. So it’s no wonder that voters are sometimes confused. Hopefully, this time they have got it right. Time will tell. Grant Gillon
Asset sales, density... and rats Reading the Flagstaff this week (7 October) winds me up. Surely all publicly owned assets for sale, must go to the open market to return the best to the ratepayer? How do you justify a race-based pre-sale offer for the Devonport Borough Council Building? We watch the rates skyrocketing on grossly engineered valuations; we see massive wastage and uncontested contracts for council work. What we don’t see, as the property market drops four per cent, is rates being dropped. Asset sales bring us back full circle to the Bayswater Marina. I don’t recall any public tenders or opportunity to bid on that gemstone
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holding. Now the game players are at it again. One would assume if council allows a rezone, the ratepaying public should be having the property revalued and paid for properly. The Ryman site was, in my view, given a truly outrageous rezone by independent commissioners; a joke in reality, now an eyesore in my view. That was another crime of the anointed, that leaves an incredible Eastern Bloc development on our most valuable foreshore property. The clearing of rats in Devonport – an extension of Maggie Barry’s Predator Free 2050
idea – is laudable. Trouble is, it’s hard to root out every last rat from the closets of our town, in an environment set up to allow scams. With intensification, rat numbers will rise. High-density housing is the next rat in our closet, set to again feather nests of the few and trash our historic township in the name of greed. The new 30 km/h speed limit will be too fast as we will be jammed in so tight. It will save energy on heating costs, you’ll be so close to each other. It will be like living in a rat’s nest. Ron Dykman
www.ofu.co.nz
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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 29
October 21, 2022
20 years ago from the Flagstaff files • Devonport woman Michelle Androu stops the Navy felling trees along Ngataringa Rd, standing under branches to prevent access by contractors. • Emergency repairs are needed on the King Edward Pde seawall after cracks emerge near Torpedo Bay. • A ‘Main St’ concept is being pushed for Devonport by Enterprise North Shore, North Shore City Council’s economic development agency. • Devonport Chocolates is judged Best Startup Business in Auckland’s Top Shop 2002 awards. • Security officers will crack down on drunks hassling Devonport shop workers, following complaints lodged after the 2002 Devonport Food & Wine Festival. • Festival revellers will be banned from dancing
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near the war-memorial statue outside Devonport Library, after a complaint from the RSA. Devonport is without a community constable for the Christmas holidays, due to lack of resources. Previous community constable Bob Steele left in June and no replacement has been found. Peninsula Schools are on alert after a thief steals purses, wallets and bank cards from Devonport and Belmont Primary Schools. Bruno, Devonport’s walkabout dog, is back on the streets after a mauling by a large dog. Flagstaff interview subjects Mick and Joan Diver celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. Former North Shore rugby prop Stu Mather is appointed North Shore Rugby Club coach for 2003.
Maunga again closed on evenings during Guy Fawkes Takarunga and Maungauika will once more be closed to the public on evenings over the Guy Fawkes period to protect the maunga from fire risk. The closures will be from Wednesday 2 November to Sunday 6 November. Signs will be put up and security staff will patrol the maunga to explain the closures to the public. Tūpuna Maunga Authority chair Paul Majurey says the successful closures in 2020 and 2021 were necessary to stop the previous devastating annual fires on the maunga caused by fireworks. “The Authority was very pleased there were no fires on the maunga over Guy Fawkes 2020 and 2021, and by the support provided by local communities in protecting these iconic landscapes and public health and safety.” The Tūpuna Maunga Authority wants the government to end the public sale of fireworks.
BID budget rises A five per cent increase in the Devonport Business Association budget for 2023/24 from a targeted rate increase on commercial landlords was approved at the association’s recent annual general meeting. The Devonport Business Improvement District (BID) will now have a budget of $135,450 – an increase of $6450 on its previous funding. Officers elected at the meeting were: Dianne Hale (chair), Sue Johnson (treasurer), Harriet Byrnes (secretary), Bruce Grant, Laura Foote, Rob Vickery, Lance Nixon, Ian Cunliffe, Michael Moughan (new), Alistair Davidson (new) and Matt Senior (new). Hale said it would be her last year as chair.
Halloween trail returns
Upgrade coming for Stanley Bay Park A $260,000 pathway and lighting upgrade for Stanley Bay Park is planned for the spring of 2023. Auckland Council is currently receiving community feedback before working through final designs. The area was the scene of a reported attack on a woman last year, which is still unresolved. Council area operations manager Sarah Jones said: “These works are being designed
Briefs
along with other projects in the reserve, including the refurbishing of the toilet block in the cricket pavilion.” The upgrade will extend the footpath between the sports field and the tennis courts “to improve safety and visibility for walking/ running and sporting groups”. Lighting will be installed alongside the footpath, including on bollards between the houses leading up to Glen Rd.
The Bayswater Halloween Trail – complete with a ‘Zombie Walk’ – will be held on Friday 28 October, 5-7pm. Starting at Bayswater Park, the trail will also feature a ‘Big Foot’ obstacle course. Abby Jones, community event manager for Devonport Peninsula Trust, says the event “is about getting out into the community for an entertaining walk with friends and whanau”. Spot prizes will be given for best-dressed attendees.
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 30
Interview
October 21, 2022
Health high-flyer wants allies in fight for equity Sharon Shea has carved out a career in health governance and was instrumental in recent reforms. She tells Helen Vause about fighting inequities, even in the face of angry resistance. As a highly motivated young scholar, it never occurred to Sharon Shea that she would do anything other than work for the health and well-being of Māori people. And her stellar career in governance and health has often had her advocating for Māori at the highest level. She has worked at the heart of recent health reforms and on the development of the new Te Aka Whai Ora – Māori Health Authority. She was co-chair of the new authority during its start-up phase and remains on its board. The authority works alongside Health New Zealand and will commission kaupapa Māori services. It will also work with the Ministry of Health to develop strategies and policies that work for Māori. As the public waits to see how the new system will function, Stanley Point resident Shea took time out to talk to the Flagstaff about what drives her in a high-powered career that led to her being named a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the 2019 New Years Honours, for services to Māori health and development. In recent years, the hectic schedule of the self-confessed workaholic has been handled from her desk at the home where she’s raised three sons with husband Morris Pita. After growing up in the Bay of Plenty, Shea came to Auckland and did a conjoint arts and law degree at the University of Auckland. Though she had very few other Māori students in her cohort, she met Pita at university. From Beach Haven, he was another Māori student and a kindred spirit. Recognising there could be strength in numbers, the two gathered together the other Māori students studying law to form their own student group. Pita designed a logo for the group of around 20 students, proudly giving them a joint identity.
Shared benefits... Sharon Shea says changes aimed at a more equitable health system should be welcomed by everyone Shea’s excellent grades took her as a law graduate into an established legal practice, but she soon saw a job advertisement for someone to write health contracts. “That sounded like me,” she says. “I really didn’t know anything about doing that but thought I could figure it out. My motto is to always put myself in the way of opportunities. And so I fell into the health sector.” She describes herself as a “recovering lawyer”. Shea also reconnected with Pita, even though he had by then moved to Wellington. Married, the couple were both ambitious
and hungry for higher learning. In 2001, they headed to the United Kingdom together, to study at Oxford University. When Shea graduated with a degree in comparative social policy, she had excelled among young scholars from all over the world – topping her class. “It was the most incredibly exciting time, and just so stimulating.” They were living on a shoestring, in accommodation for married students. “We were something of a curiosity there, along with the other indigenous people, and other people were very interested in
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October 21, 2022 what we had to say. It was a life-changing experience for us.” She believes her husband may have been the first Māori to obtain an MBA from Oxford. The world was their oyster, but Shea felt the pull of home. Alongside thoughts of working for Māori in ways she had yet to determine, she also wanted to start a family. “Time was moving by. I thought I’d better get home and bang out some kids, one after the other. I was pregnant when we got home, Morris got a proper job, and I remember we were badly in need of a washing machine when we got here.” Her now teenage sons, Anthony, James and Sam, came along in fairly close succession. Shea had her hands full but somewhere among the child rearing, she hung on to ambitious dreams of making changes for Māori – something she felt was her calling. “In our generation, there weren’t that many of us young, educated Māori with the skills to step up and take up the job. We just felt we had to get on with it. We were the emerging group who stood on the shoulders of others to get where we are today” And get on with it she did. Shea set up office at home tackling the contracts that started to roll in from various government agencies, and soon made a name for herself. She worked on contracts in health, education, justice, corrections and social services, as well as on projects around Māori development and family resilience. In 2010, she was appointed to the Northland District Health Board, serving for nine years. From 2016, she served concurrently as a board member of Auckland District Health Board, and chaired sub-committees for both boards. In 2019, was appointed deputy chair to
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Interview
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 31
Michael Cullen on the Bay of Plenty District Health Board and last year became chair. Advocating for Māori and calling out inequities hasn’t been an easy journey. Shea has often found herself in the hot seat at tables where not all have wanted to hear her messages “Racism is still very much alive,” she says. “I’ve been screamed and yelled at and copped plenty of abuse. But I just carry on.”
And I believe the country is now mature enough and ready to have conversations about fulfilling the promise of the Treaty. There has been a shift in willingness to talk about equity issues. “The younger generation are noticeably more empathetic and compassionate,” she says. “We’re not all at the same level and we need to change the narrative. And I say take the word ‘fear’ out of it and replace it with ‘fair’. “By working together to lift others up it doesn’t mean that anyone else needs to lose something. No one has to give anything away for it to happen for Māori.” As the Māori health providers are scaled up across regions, with one-stop shops for everyone, Shea says all will benefit. “What’s good for Māori will be good for everyone. There will be access to these services for everyone and that can’t be a bad thing. “And Māori health providers are already known for delivering over and above what they are paid for.” The changes toward a new and equitable health system should be welcomed, she says. But there are plenty of challenges to be overcome in scaling up the planned healthcare system, including the need to build up the general health workforce. It’s a workforce in which Māori are proportionately way behind in skills, says Shea. “There is only one Māori audiologist in the country,” she says with a shrug. “We can’t do this and move ahead without what I call ‘allyship’. Māori cannot do it on our own. That is why it is so important that we have allies working with us. “Everyone can help change the story. I say it’s a matter of little and often. Think about what you say, for example and what your thoughts are. You could just start by saying Kia ora.”
“I have an innate belief that the majority of New Zealanders want to do what is right. And I believe the country is now mature enough and ready to have conversations about fulfilling the promise of the Treaty.” “I would like to see every mokopuna flourishing and thriving and realising the rangatiratanga they were born with,” says Shea. “Persistent, unfair and unjust inequities are an anathema.” She points out the anger among some Māori who have seen their parents and families struggling because of many issues related to healthcare access that have been barriers to them. “I have an innate belief that the majority of New Zealanders want to do what is right.
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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 34
October 21, 2022
Ryman resident drives fundraiser for Uganda care home Fundraising by William Sanders Ryman Healthcare resident, Eileen Pearce, has helped build a care home in Uganda. The former Bayswater local has led a campaign to raise money for the construction and maintenance of St Joseph’s Home for Old People in Fort Portal, in the African country’s Western Region. The home was completed in November 2020, but fundraising is still needed for maintenance and supplies. Pearce’s efforts have led to around $83,000 being raised and donated by the campaign so far. Pearce was a community leader at Bayswater’s now-closed St Luke’s Catholic Church. The 78-year-old enjoys building a sense of community, having previously worked as a prisoner aid. She had heard little about Uganda until meeting Richard Sabiti, a Ugandan priest in New Zealand on sabbatical. After his return to Uganda, the pair kept in touch, and Pearce learnt of his dream to build a home that would assure the basic needs for elderly and poor people. At the time, Pearce was on the Ryman home waiting list and felt she was in a privileged position. Knowing she “had to do something” she set up the Fort Portal Uganda Project Committee. The five-person committee is comprised of close family and friends. “Each of us brings a unique set of skills that make us better as a team,” she said. Pearce and the committee have raised funds through donations, local craft markets, and a market day at William Sanders in 2021, where over $50,000 was contributed. The care home consists of six bedrooms, two showers, two bathrooms and a standalone kitchen. It requires over $1000 in donations each month to make ends meet. Pearce is pleased with what the committee has achieved. “We can all make the
Doing her bit... Eileen Pearce with a photograph of the care home she has helped support in Fort Portal, Uganda world a better place by doing a little bit and this is my little bit”. Pearce’s next fundraising market stall, selling craft items, will be at the St Leo’s
School Fair in November. She encourages anyone who would like to help to get in touch by emailing eileenpearce1@gmail.com.
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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 35
October 21, 2022
Shore starts cricket season under new captaincy The North Shore Cricket Club premier team will be captained by off-spinning all-rounder Will Clarke during the 202223 season. He takes over from long-standing skipper Mike Olsen, who has decided to stand down as captain but is still playing for the premiers. “It’s part of the transition to a younger group of players, who are due to have their time in the sun,” said premiers coach Chris Reid. The season would be an across-theboard effort, rather than relying on a couple of star players such as batsman Graeme Beghin (who has transferred to Auckland University) and all-rounder Ronnie Hira (retired), Reid said. The side has recruited one of the best bowlers in Auckland club cricket, Ryan Quinn, from Takapuna. “Ryan is a very welcome addition as he fills a gap left by Simon Keene, who has an Auckland Aces contract, so we will not see much of him,” Reid said. Talented all-round sportsman Jock McKenzie, who played for the Auckland Blues rugby side last season, is back playing for North Shore Cricket Club, at least until the Super Rugby season starts in February. He also trained with the Auckland Aces
Promoted to skipper... North Shore Cricket Club premiers captain Will Clarke as a development player over winter. Shore is also hoping to have the services of Zimbabwean test quick bowler Carl Mumba, but visa-processing hold-ups have delayed his entry into New Zealand. North Shore’s first match of the season is a two-day fixture away to Suburbs New Lynn, starting this Saturday. “We are aiming to continue to play a very aggressive style and improve week to week rather than see the season as
(solely) about winning the championship,” Reid said. Last season, the team was a “a bit up and down” and was aiming at better consistency. In other developments at the club, North Shore cricket stalwart Roger Brittenden takes over as club patron, following the death in July of previous patron Barry Sinclair. Brittenden has been a club member for 40 years, filling at various times the roles of chairman, manager, historian and marketer. A life member, Brittenden has produced 340 editions of the club’s Facebook newsletter. He can also lay claim to having unexpectedly been 12th man for New Zealand in a cricket match against Holland in the 1980s. The club will have its opening day on 19 November at Devonport Domain, when the premiers play Cornwall in the first day of a two-day match and its reserves are playing Suburbs New Lynn. • Breena de Gouw has been appointed North Shore Cricket’s new club manager, while Catherine Etheredge and Johanna Melhuish were elected to the club’s executive board at its recent AGM.
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 36
Nigel Bioletti General & Fundraising Manager
Phone 027 445 6211 nigelbioletti@devonportpeninsulatrust.nz
FROM THE PENINSULA
New Local Board - The Trust team congratulates those who have won election to the DevonportTakapuna Local Board – George Wood, Toni Van Tonder, Terence Harpur, Melissa Powell, Peter Allen, and Gavin Busch – wishes them all well for their term in office, and looks forward to our continuing partnership supporting the Peninsula community.
HALLOWEEN
Coming up soon - Friday 28th October from 5 pm to 7 pm in Bayswater. Register here: https://bayswaterhalloweentrail2022.raiseit.nz/
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Stephen Millham, Manager, RSA, advises that there will be a Remembrance Day parade from the RSA to the Cenotaph on November 13th, starting at 10.45, with a small ceremony from 11am outside the Devonport Library.
RAUMATI SUMMER PLAY
Starting Tuesday 1st November at Windsor Reserve, and Thursday 3rd November at Belmont Rose Gardens, and running weekly from then, 9:30 to 11:30 am, with a break for Christmas/New Year.
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Personal Trainer SERVICES OFFERED Need someone to feed your cat and other pets at your home while you’re away? I love animals and would love to help you! I am 11 years old and live in Devonport. I charge $5 per visit. Each visit I feed your pet and can play with them for about 10-15 minutes each visit if they are comfortable with me. I also send you pics of them so you don’t miss them too much! I always visit with one of my parents. Devonport only please! Text/call: 021-270-7677. SECTION SERVICES All tree work & section tidy ups. Insured. 027 222 1223.
NORTH SHORE CROQUET CLUB
Start planning your Xmas or Summer function now – consider hosting your event at our lovely heritage clubhouse set alongside the superbly maintained croquet lawns, situated on Wairoa Road (next to Plunket). Hireage fee includes use of the club rooms and kitchen facilities plus all equipment use, lawn set up and friendly coaching. Don’t miss out….book now. Twilight Croquet starts 5th October at 5.45pm (then 1st and 3rd Wed of each month over summertime). This is a fun way to introduce yourself to croquet and gives everyone the chance to play with different teams. It also allows new players to mix with others of different skill levels and just have FUN. Games are followed by a BBQ supper - $10 per non-member. For more information please visit www.northshorecroquet.co.nz
With special thanks to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board for funding the Devonport Peninsula Trust.
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For information about the events and activities happening on the Peninsula, don’t forget that you can go to www.devonportpeninsulatrust.nz, and view the latest E-News. You can also subscribe.
October 21, 2022
Prices start from $150
I still have the original negatives from sittings of the 1980’s & 90’s and with new technology can now scan and print photos as good as new. If you would like to replace photos that are faded, lost or damaged, please contact me at
judydrok@gmail.com
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 37
October 21, 2022
Live local. Work local. ShoreJobs.co.nz
Experienced Relievers Are you looking to be valued? Want to be part of something special? We strive to enact our philosophy, which is born from relationships – equal partnerships between children, caregivers, wha-nau, community, and the environment.
Mobile Car Cleaning Travel around to people’s houses and clean their cars!
These relationships are established within a culture of kindness, through caregiving moments, rituals and our daily interactions.
Contract Position
We are privately owned centres and we are passionate about the philosophies of Reggio Emilia and Emmi Pikler.
Work as much as you’d like and any day that suits you.
We are looking for qualified, registered and/or experienced early childhood teachers. • Do you role model our values within their practice • Can you be authentic, respectful and joyful
Ideally applicants must have an eye for detail, like to work outside, friendly, and can work efficiently. MUST HAVE DRIVERS LICENSE
• Do you have some working experience with young children Contact Yvonne on 0274879 116 for a chat to see if we have similar views on early childhood education, or email your CV to yvonne.groot@thelearningspace.co.nz
Financial Advisor Axiome Consultants is an investment management and financial advisory business serving high net worth individuals, family trusts and charities. We have been an independent/ fee only advisory firm from our formation over 18 years ago. We have an opportunity for a client adviser, or aspiring adviser with an analytical background, to join our team working flexibly across all functions necessary to deliver best of breed client solutions. We expect you will be degree qualified with experience in the financial advisory sector and possess the strong interpersonal skills necessary to develop and maintain meaningful client relationships. We have modern offices in Devonport and will consider flexibility in hours or part work from home arrangements. The opportunity to progress your career with increasing responsibility to Director/ Partner level is available for candidates with the ambition to do so. Please apply by email attaching your CV to Philip de Lisle: philip@axiome.co.nz
If you are interested please send me a text on 021 083 55327 or email me at samdyne9@gmail.com
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 38
October 21, 2022
Visit our showroom today. 3 Byron Avenue, Takapuna (09) 379 3084
An entertainer’s delight, extending spaces for relaxed holiday vibes.
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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 39
October 21, 2022
Entertainer’s Delight
If you were given complete freedom to design the perfect kitchen for your dream holiday home, what would it look like? Well, whatever is on your wish list, the chances are they are all in this beautiful example by Kitchens By Design. Full outdoor kitchen-BBQ? Tick; Bar leaner to hang out at with your mates? Tick; Enough entertaining space and storage to cater for multiple families? Tick; Great connection to the interiors and the outdoors? The inside kitchen is for Bonnie to prepare Tick; Bombproof materials? Tick; Stylish meals; the adjacent outdoor kitchen is for Gavin to cook his BBQ feasts. And their design? Tick. young brood can access the pantry and small Our clients, Bonnie and Gavin, asked for all of appliance garage without interfering with the above and more. Designed by our in-house the prep, cooking or cleaning areas. designer, Jane Fergusson, a Platinum Designer of the National Kitchen and Bathroom Oak veneer cabinetry gives the indoor Association (NKBA), this kitchen is located in kitchen a sense of luxury, texture and warmth, whilst the Dekton Lunar benchtop a modern home on the Pauanui Waterways. delivers a practical, durable surface and The clever design incorporates two kitchens keeps the palette light. Dekton Bromo side by side. Floor-to-ceiling glass sliding was used for the fronts for the overhead doors divide the two workspaces but, when cupboards, which are continued to the opened up, provide an extended kitchen outside kitchen for connectivity – and space that connects both areas into one large durability. entertainer’s delight.
The sculptural raised leaner in beautiful Arabescato Orobico Grigio marble delivers the wow factor. This stunning feature complements the kitchen tones and adds that ‘special’ element to the kitchen for friends and family to gather around whilst entertaining. LED lighting under the leaner and adjacent areas provides a softness at night and illuminates the entertainment area. If you’re looking for a new kitchen, pop into Kitchens By Design’s showroom, located at 3 ByronAve in Takapuna, or call one of its designers on (09) 379 3084. For inspiration, take a look at some fabulous projects at www.kitchensbydesign.co.nz
Visit our showroom today. 3 Byron Avenue, Takapuna (09) 379 3084
kitchensbydesign.co.nz
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 40
October 21, 2022
Takapuna
Grammar
SCHOOL NEWS
OCTOBER 21, 2022
TGS Writing Competition Results
Young Table Tennis Star Wins Two New Zealand Titles
The 2022 TGS Writing Competition saw a grand Eloise Yallop: Untitled total of 55 entries. Stories ranged from fanfic tropes about being kidnapped by Harry Styles, to moving social commentary on gender disparities. The stories judged the five best are to be published in the second edition of an upcoming TGS literary journal, giving our students the opportunity to see their writing in print. The winning entry was Liberty Beck’s piece, with Giselle den Breems runner-up.The top five entries were: Liberty Beck: D.S. ALLA CODA Giselle den Breems: Baby Food Nikita Bublitz: A Cherry – a beautiful and tart little thing Liberty Beck Arya Lockwood: dum spiro spero
Boys 1st XI Pre-Season Delivers Results Year 10 student Carrie Guo (above) competed in the 2022 NZ Open Senior & Junior Championships during the recent holidays. First up, Carrie competed in the U19 singles where she progressed to the quarter-finals with ease.Showing grit, determination and calmness under pressure (and maturity beyond her 14 years) to stay calm and keep fighting through the finals taking out the U19 singles title! Carrie was then seeded #1 in the U15 singles. There wasn’t as much drama on her way to pick up her second gold for the week. Carrie went through the final rounds without dropping a set and winning the final. Congratulations Carrie! The Boys 1st XI cricket team went to Bay of Plenty in the school holidays to take part in a quad tournament organised by Tauranga Boys College (TBC). The touring party headed straight to Mt Maunganui and the local home of cricket, the Bay Oval, before checking into their accommodation at the Mount Maunganui surf club. On Tuesday, our game against TBC got underway after a delay of an hour. After some new online scoring complications, the day ended with the hosts winning the match. Player of the day to our year 11 leftarm quick Sol Vermeer who picked up three wickets. The next day at Mt Maunganui College (MMC) we lost the toss and were put in to bat. MMC were soon regretting that decision. Christian Scott and Daniel Middleton formed a solid partnership of 135. Christian was joined at the crease by Freddy Birch in the 23rd over, Freddy never left.
Christian was dismissed for 86 off 76 balls. Freddy anchored the last 25 overs while maintaining a steady scoring pace. At the end of the 50 overs, the team score was 318/6, Freddy finished on 101* off 105 balls, his first 1st XI century. Sol Vermeer continued his good form from the day, picking up one of the openers in the third over via a caught behind. After a disrupted afternoon of rain breaks and umpire consultations TGS managed to keep their run rate higher, keep collecting wickets and take the game away from the opposition just on 6pm and a long drive home. One win from two games, cobwebs shaken off, team bonding, and some personal milestones for players – all in all pre-season tour one was a successful for the Boys 1st XI. The team heads to Hawkes Bay for a tournament before hitting term 4 running, with promotion the focus.
Homestay Families Wanted for 2023
For more information please contact Carla Hemopo in the International Department at homestay.coordinator@tgs.school.nz or by phone on 09 489 4167 ext 9226
October 21, 2022
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 41
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Drive there in style with a Mercedes-Benz! Spend $20 dollars in Milford and go in the draw to win! Enter Online www.milfordshops.co.nz Running from 24th October to 4th December. In Conjunction with Mercedes-Benz North Shore.
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 42
October 21, 2022
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The Devonport Flagstaff Page 43
October 21, 2022
Brother and sister cook up funds for Hospice Two young Devonport siblings baked up a storm over the school holidays, raising money for Hospice. Alex McCoubrey, 12, who attends Belmont Intermediate School and sister Zara, 9, who goes to Devonport Primary, held a cake stall, selling home-made muffins and cookies, surprising the Victoria Rd Hospice Shop’s manager, Tess McGregor, by turning up with $75 in proceeds. The pair (pictured) told her about the flavours they had chosen, including chocolate chips and peanut butter, prompting McGregor to share news of their efforts with the Flagstaff. The baking was done at home on the morning of the sale, which they held on Windsor Reserve on Tuesday last week. They also sold homemade lemonade. Zara said they chose the spot because “it gets really popular in the holidays”. Alex said the siblings liked to do some charity fundraising each year. “It’s a really fun experience,” added Zara. They were surprised how much they raised, with cupcakes at $2 being their top-priced item.
THE NAVY COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
Think ceremonial, music and Navy and the thoughts of most Devonportians would turn to the Royal New Zealand Navy Band. But a band relies on minimal social distancing and good audiences, and that meant lean times for performances during the Covid-19 pandemic. Did you know that during the pandemic and New Zealand’s managed lockdowns, band members were heavily utilised at the Managed Isolation and Quarantine Facilities (MIQF) and on the road borders north and south of Auckland. They were also involved in base security, and one of the most senior band members became a manager at a MIQF hotel. With the pandemic response now eased, you’ll likely have more opportunity to see the band on our streets again. The members have recently taken part in the annual New Zealand Brass Band National Championships, with Petty Officer Musician Colin Clark and North Shore Brass winning second place in the A Grade competition and Able Musician Natalie Williams taking a first place in the
Chief Petty Officer Philip Spriggs on trombone
B Grade with Auckland City Brass. The band’s members are multi-talented and have outside interests. The band’s newest member, Leading Musician Te Aranga Savage, is the lead vocalist of NZ reggae/roots band Tomorrow People. Able Musician Daniel Reshtan, one of New Zealand’s premier tenor saxophonists, plays for the likes of Stan Walker, Katchafire, and Three Houses Down. Able Musician Alden Cai has received recognition in the Auckland
Philharmonia Orchestra as one of the country’s top French horn players. Able Musician Jessie Wood has shared his talents in shows such as ‘Drag Orchestrated’ and ‘I’m Still Standing: The Elton John Experience’ as both a pianist and saxophonist. Their experience and industry knowledge are something the band is extremely privileged to have, and we applaud them on their successes both inside and outside the Navy.
Devonport Naval Base security reminder – for the safety of the community please take care and remain outside the 60-metre perimeter of the Naval Base at all times. This includes when swimming, diving, kayaking, fishing and sailing.
Congratulations? Thanks? Problems? Complaints?
DEVONPORT NAVAL BASE TEL 445 5002
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 44
Arts / Entertainment Pages
October 21, 2022
Historic photographs provide pictorial prelude Those planning to attend the Unsung Heroes concert at the Vic theatre on 26 October should get there early. Band leader Chris Priestley (left) has organised a slide show of more than 200 historic photos of Devonport, which will be playing on the big screen for half an hour prior to the gig. “It fits in nicely with Auckland Heritage week and the Vic celebrating 110 years,” Priestley said. The photos – some from old postcards – are all pre-1910. Included will be a rare shot of John Benwell, who built the Victoria Theatre in 1912, inside his first cinema in Devonport. “It was located where the Stone Oven is now and burnt down on 24 December 1911. “It was only open for a year, but Benwell did a fantastic job talking businesses into funding a new cinema (the Vic) which opened on 26 October 1912. “It’s pretty amazing the building was built in eight months – I suppose they didn’t have resource consents or such heavy council compliance in those days.” A shot of the Vic circa 1914, alongside a house where Correlli’s cafe now operates – and where Priestley works – is also included in the selection. The Unsung Heroes have an expanded line-up for the Vic anniversary concert. Fiddler Emily Roughton, who played on the
CONSTITUENCY CLINICS with Simon Watts MP for North Shore Saturday 19 November, 11am – 1pm Takapuna Library Friday 18 November, 10am – 12pm Devonport Library To register email northshore@parliament.govt.nz or call 09 486 0005 with your preferred time (20 min slots)
Authorised by Simon Watts, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.
October 21, 2022
Arts / Entertainment Pages
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 45
to folk group’s celebration of Vic Theatre band’s 2013 self-titled album, will join established members Peter Elliot, Cameron Bennett, Sonia Wilson, Priestley, and Nigel Gavin. And harmonica player Craig Bracken of the Flaming Mudcats will be on stage to help the band perform God’s Own Country, an adaptation of an 1880 poem written by his great-great grandfather Thomas Bracken, who wrote New Zealand’s national anthem. Elliot has also written a few poems the band has put music to, including one on champion boxer Bob Fitzsimmons, a blacksmith from Timaru, who once held three world titles simultaneously. Priestley said he had found rare footage of Fitzsimmons, which will play on the screen behind the stage. He is delighted to be back out playing, post-Covid. Recently the Unsung Heroes performed at Pah Homestead, and to an enthusiastic audience at the Selwyn Village retirement home. “They were all in their wheelchairs having a great singalong. For once we weren’t older than our audience.” • The Vic Devonport 110th Anniversary Concert with the Unsung Heroes, 26 Oct at 7.30 pm. Tickets on sale at www.thevic.co.nz
Retro carpet coming as Vic bounces back The new $85,000 Vic foyer carpet is the same colour and pattern as the flooring in the theatre in 1929. The carpet will be laid in November, Victoria Theatre Trust co-chair Margot McRae told the trust AGM last week. Other plans include the creation next year of a foyer extension with two new sets of lobby doors to Cinema 1. The mirrored (non-heritage) walls beside the main foyer stairs will later be removed. “The past year has been one of recovery,” McRae said. “The 2020 lockdown and the February 2021 lockdown were followed by a drought of good movies that did not help audiences recover.” The four-month lockdown from August 2021 was a further setback. “This year, the situation has improved, with better movies, including the blockbuster Top Gun and other popular titles bringing good-sized audiences back to the Vic.” Ticket sales of just over 50,000 were recorded in the past year compared to the 60,000s pre-Covid. Theatre manager Philipp Jaser, who has been in the job for 10 years, was helped by rent relief through the Covid period The Vic turns 110 this month, with a free film for children scheduled for 30 October. “In its 110-year history, the Vic has been through other hard times, such as the Great Depression, McRae said. “But it is still here, entertaining people and providing a hub for the community to meet and enjoy themselves.”
Unsung Heroes… (from left) Peter Elliot, Cameron Bennett, Sonia Wilson, Chris Priestley and Nigel Gavin
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 46
Arts / Entertainment Pages
October 21, 2022
Comedian-turned-author sees the
Windows of opportunity... Having written a book, Willy de Wit plans a return to the comedy stage
SAVE $5 AT PARADOX BOOKS $25 INTRODUCTORY OFFER Great Gift for lovers of the sea
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You may have seen him racing around Devonport on his blue mobility scooter. Although “racing may be a bit over the top – I can’t do burnouts,” says comedian, former star of radio and TV, and now author, Willy de Wit. But for someone who walks with difficulty after a stroke in 2016 caused paralysis to his left side, merely being out and about in the “wonderful Devonport community” is just fine. De Wit lived in Devonport for a decade from the late 1990s, and returned to the suburb 10 months ago. The 60-year-old says it has been interesting to come back. “In a sense, everything is the same – the buildings, the community feel – although of course the people are different and it now costs $3million to buy a house.” When he’s out on his scooter, people stop to say hello and ask how he’s going. “There’s a genuine friendliness and empathy here you don’t see in other parts of Auckland,” he says. “Coming back here it feels very much like coming home… I feel like I’ve completed the circle.” De Wit remembers his previous stint as a golden era: living in William Bond St, he had creative friends nearby. Musicians Debbie Harwood and Rikki Morris were across the road, and long-time comedian and best mate David Downs was also in the neighbourhood. Then came the crazy years: the highs of life as a Radio Hauraki host, followed by redundancy, bouts of depression, heavy drinking and the descent into a $1000-a-week methamphetamine addiction. The stroke almost killed him. “I was given a three per cent chance to live,” he says. He was in hospital for 12 months, and
HELP CELEBRATE THE VIC’S 110TH BIRTHDAY! Join us for a concert on 26 October WED 26 OCT
SUN 30 OCT
The Unsung Heroes 7.30pm - tickets from thevic.co.nz
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 2.30pm - FREE ENTRY Book online now
October 21, 2022
Arts / Entertainment Pages
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 47
bright side after surviving dark times rehabilitation has taken years. De Wit’s left side is “still dormant”, but his speech has returned virtually to normal – although he still has a few “stroke moments”, when it is difficult to summon the right words. The whole story has been recorded in his just-published memoir Drink, Smoke, Snort, Stroke… written in collaboration with Downs. The idea came from Downs – the “best friend anyone could have,” says de Wit. “I can not thank him enough for his care and compassion. “The book is kind of a culmination of our friendship.” Downs had faced extreme hardship himself, undertaking radical experimental therapy to survive cancer. The pair collaborated in a 2018 show, For a Limited Time – a kind of celebration-of-life performance. After that, de Wit started writing snippets of his life. Downs liked what he read and encouraged de Wit to continue, with the idea of publishing a book. “It took three years – 65,000 words typed with two fingers on my right hand.” De Wit says the For a Limited Time shows and the book composition were vital for his mental recovery, providing goals to focus on. New comedy shows, loosely titled Sit Down Stand Up, are in the wind, further opportunities to express himself the best way he knows: by making people laugh. “All I can really do now is sit down and rave.” He also knows only too well he needs to be part of the wider world, with work, shows and activity to keep depression at bay. “Depression came back after I finished the shows with David, and then the writing invigorated me.” It was also cathartic. Not only did de Wit
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have to accept everything that had happened, he also had to face up to the enormous hurt he had caused to his friends and family, including former partner Jo and daughters Mahu and Lizzie. “I was an addict. But of course I thought I could control it and made these feeble justifications that I was not addicted. “But in reality, for a long time, all my energy was put into working out how to score meth,” he says. “I’m extremely ashamed of the life I was living… and then I had a stroke and almost died. Alcohol and meth contributed to that directly.” De Wit couldn’t shy away from telling his story with total honesty: “I didn’t want any sugar-coating.” He’s grateful he lived to tell the tale. “I’m seven years sober and I’m very fortunate to have a second chance.” De Wit says depression and anxiousness are these days mostly substituted with acceptance and a kind of contentment. He can cook, clean his apartment and shower and dress himself – unforeseeable possibilities immediately after his stroke. In the near future, de Wit is hoping to move from Stanley Point to be nearer to Devonport village, “more at the centre of things”.
And he’d like to meet a new partner. “One day, I was complaining to David about the hopelessness. I was a cripple – who would want me. And he said ‘look at the beauty within’. “Even Quasimodo had a girlfriend, so I suppose there’s hope for me,” he says, breaking into laughter, blue eyes sparkling bright.
NOW SHOWING
Black Adam (M) 125min NEW Dame Valerie Adams: More Than Gold (M) 90min NEW Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (PG) 116min NEW The Good Boss (El buen patrón) (M) 120min NEW Halloween Ends (R16) 111min NEW Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia (PG) 85min NEW The Night of the 12th (M) Previews 21-23 OCT Disney Villains Film Fest: Hercules (1997) (G) 93min 22-23 OCT The Vic 110th Anniversary Concert with The Unsung Heroes & Friends 26 OCT
COMING SOON
Frozen Reo Maori (TBA) 102min The Vic Open Mic Night (Free entry) The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Hot and Flustered Shadowcast (M) Disneys Villains Film Fest: The Princess and the Frog (PG) 97min The Vic 110th Anniversary: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (G) 144min (Free)
SPECIALS
SPECIAL EVENT
27 OCT 27 OCT 28 OCT 29-30 OCT 30 OCT
CHEAP TUESDAY ALL TICKETS $10 *EXCEPT PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
events@thevic.co.nz
We are operating under the Covid Protection Framework. For more information please visit our website.
48 Victoria Road | (09) 446 0100 | www.thevic.co.nz
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 48
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Located in the quiet cul-de-sac street of sought after Masterton Road just a short stroll from Rothesay Bay Beach sits this simply superb residence which enjoys commanding sea views of the Hauraki Gulf. There are 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms including the minor dwelling which has a separateakapuna access. Sands short stroll oll to, to, Rothesay Rothesay has been r Bay village, the beach and in excellent school zones.
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