17 February 2023 Rangitoto Observer

Richard

#1 SALES TEAM

Locals unhappy over civil-defence failings... p3

Community steps up in response to floods... p4-7

Island bach era revisited in playwright’s debut... p22-23

Public shut out of meeting on community facilities

The future shape of library and community services in Takapuna are back under scrutiny.

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board members were given a closed workshop briefing on the issue last week. Discussion of council budgets and costs was cited by officers as the reason the

off-limits to the public and media. Four options before the board include retaining the status quo, keeping some buildings and selling others or air space above them for development, or selling them all in favour of a new community hub in the

meeting was

Takapuna town square.

Auckland Council and its property arm, Panuku, told the board they wanted the options narrowed before proceeding to the expense of developing a detailed business case, board chair Toni van Tonder told the Observer.

To page 2

Milford, Castor Bay, Forrest Hill and Sunnynook

Surf’s up on the Shore

Closures and sandbagging as Shore braced for cyclone

Schools closed en masse, along with many businesses on the North Shore as Cyclone Gabrielle swept across the country on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Auckland was on high alert for wind and flooding damage – with concern heightened after flooding on 27 January and 1 February.

After gaps in preparedness were revealed during the previous floods, authorities appeared better set up for the cyclone’s potential impact, establishing temporary emergency shelters, including at the Takapuna War Memorial Hall.

Many residents across the Shore moved to protect their homes with sandbags. Heavy swells raised fears that a storm surge could threaten low-lying parts of the coastline.

As a precaution, three residents moved out of Haumaru Housing’s Alma Court village in Milford, which was hard hit in the previous floods.

An eerie feeling enveloped Takapuna and Milford on Monday, with few cars on the road, and many garages and front doors protected by sandbags and tarps.

By Tuesday morning, it seemed the area had dodged the worst of the cyclone’s impact, especially when compared to West Auckland. A slip on Beach Rd partially blocked northbound traffic, but nearby Milford Marina appeared unscathed. Hauraki and Takapuna suffered only intermittent power outages.

The emergency shelter at the Takapuna War Memorial Hall had no one stay overnight.

Options for Takapuna facilities back on table

contentious matter.

From page 1

She said the workshop was primarily to bring new board members up to speed with what was a contentious topic in the term of the last board.

Under its previous chair, Ruth Jackson of the Heart of the Shore ticket, the board called for Panuku to provide more detailed analysis of all options. The library’s fate was the most

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Board members George Wood and van Tonder, who were on the previous board, were both open then to a new central hub being considered.

Van Tonder said the council’s current budget squeeze would play into consideration of what was possible among “some fantastic options”. Another complicating factor was the deteriorating condition of the Mary Thomas Centre

on Gibbons Rd, around the corner from the library and the Community Services Building on The Strand. The centre needs money spent on its leaking roof.

The matter would come before an open monthly meeting soon, van Tonder said. “But we’re a wee way off decisions.”

A report would recommend one or two key options for which a detailed business case could be developed.

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The power of nature… High tide on Monday afternoon at Tiri Rd Milford. Below: A slip on Beach Rd, Milford.

All hands to the PumpHouse

Locals dismayed at civil-defence failures

People who coordinated community responses to flooding in Sunnynook and Milford were left angry and bemused at the response by authorities following the replacement of civil-defence structures with Auckland Emergency Management (AEM), a council arm that expects communities to come up with their own plans for dealing with disasters.

Among other failings, North Shore Events Centre (Eventfinda Stadium) in Wairau Valley was designated as the northern emergency centre on ‘Flood Friday’ – 27 January – until authorities realised it was in the flood zone and shifted it to Albany.

“Why did I have to wake up and think, ‘What are we doing?’” asked Milford Residents Association co-chair Norma Bott. “Where were the Army and the Navy?”

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member

and Sunnynook resident Mel Powell said when Defence personnel turned up five days after the flood, one serviceperson told her: “We’ve been waiting to be deployed for the week.”

Both women are unhappy that activating such welcome help seemed so difficult.

Two years ago, devolution of responsibility to communities was laid out at a workshop facilitated by Auckland North Community and Development, known as Ancad. With funding of $30,000 from the previous local board, the idea was to help each area be prepared.

AEM staff attended. Sunnynook Community Centre co-ordinator Bronwyn Bound remembered the outline. “We were told that Civil Defence was no more and there was this Auckland Emergency Management, and individual community needed to be self-sufficient for five days.”

So it played out, give a day or two, after the flood of 27 January. Volunteers stepped up, as local leaders lobbied for emergency assistance. “Instead of money to make those resilience plans, imagine if we had that money for civil defence training annually,” said Powell.

So far only two plans, for Sunnynook and Devonport, are finished and on Ancad’s website. Community groups were bemused there was no template supplied and little guidance. Groups were asked to consider all contingencies, rather than start with expert advice and add in local circumstances.

Milford opted out early, having gone through a similar time-consuming Civil Defence exercise and training previously. “We didn’t see the point in reinventing the wheel,” Bott said. The council is reviewing its emergency flood response.

Shared load... Grae Burton and Helena Easey mop up at The PumpHouse Theatre in Takapuna, where flooding led to the cancellation of several performances. Burton, manager of Lake House Arts Centre, stepped in to help a fellow arts organisation.

Sunnynook pillar confronts flood’s huge toll

Bronwyn Bound was babysitting a neighbour’s four children when her phone started pinging on ‘Flood Friday’, 27 January.

Down the road from her Forrest Hill home, waters were rising fast towards her Sunnynook Community Centre workplace, but she had to sit tight through the three hours it took for the children’s parents to navigate their way back from the abandoned Elton John concert.

It was 10.15pm before she got to Sunnynook, driving towards the bus station. “There were cars parked at funny angles with their windows open.”

She expected the worst at the building where she has been the co-ordinator for 28 years. Fortunately, it remained dry inside, although floodwaters lapped its deck.

That was the start of Bound’s busiest week, working days of 12 hours and more.

“She’s our local angel, what she does is over and beyond,” said Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Mel Powell. “She can be compassionate and strategic at the same time.” And she knows everyone.

Powell, former chair of the Sunnynook Community Association, called its committee and Bound together at 7.30 the next morning. They were making street assessments soon after and by midday allocating tasks to volunteers.

The Sunnynook response drew visits by National Party leader Chris Luxon and Mayor Wayne Brown three days after the flood – for a photo-op and a press conference – but it took longer to get any actual outside help.

Meanwhile, Bound, Powell and their tight team of helpers battled to meet a diverse community’s needs.

The Glenfield Greyhounds Rugby League Club, Scouts and local students added manpower to support them, and former Navy man Reilly Brown lent practical experience from previous emergency response deployments.

“We were very fortunate that we had strong community leaders,” is Bound’s take. Others put her firmly in that category.

After seven straight days of Bound being both a quiet facilitator and a shoulder to cry on, Powell said: “We sent her home.”

Back after Waitangi Day, Bound was determined to see the centre return as much as possible to normal routine.

Classes started again. “It’s important for people to come and exercise,” she says.

The Ministry of Social Development showed up too, after requests.

An active flood response will continue to be needed for another month or so, Bound expected.

People have ongoing issues waiting on insurance payouts and dealing with stress. Helping those who don’t speak English get support is another challenge.

And, yes, there is still some messy work to be done: “What they found when they were lifting carpet in some places was a lot of mosquitoes.”

Bound’s concerns are: “The welfare of the

people who have lost everything and where are they going to live because they want to stay in the community

Some are struggling to find accommodation and others are reluctant to return to homes where they were traumatised.

This applies particularly to the hard-hit residents of Kapiti Pl, near the bus station, where in some places water was at head height.

Powell was down there helping five people to safety late into 27 January. That included grappling with a woman with mental health issues who did not want to leave her home. Mental health support could not be raised.

Bound says up to 60 Sunnynook houses were particularly badly damaged. “A lot of people are in emergency houses and it’s when they move into new places that they will need household stuff.”

Counselling is another need the centre hopes to cater for, by setting up some sessions soon.

Children who couldn’t swim went through terrifying experiences of being carried through the floodwaters on their parents’ backs. “They were scared for their life.”

The centre also wants to be seen as a friendly place people can just visit for time out.

Powell hoped volunteers might offer to be there to help out for a few hours in the weeks ahead.

A slow but steady trickle of women have come in who are near the end of their tether. “People are exhausted and just needing a place to come. We’re really seeing the stress.”

One woman had been doing washing for a week. She needed a break from her flooded home and a friendly face. “The smell is getting people down.”

With school back, it was hoped some school mums might be free to help, continuing the great volunteer support the community had shown, which had peaked with groups of up to 40 people out helping on the streets some days.

Back in her office where a wet-vac and several dehumidifiers sit, Bound said she wanted to spend time now analysing the response and identifying useful resources for the community. She will feed back ideas to the local board and Auckland Council staff.

She was also keen to compare notes with Milford, which was also badly affected.

Bound knows Sunnynook, being on a flood plain, will face floods again and she wanted it to be as prepared as possible.

“This could be practical things like having sacks on hand for sandbagging.”

If the centre had sacks stored, a truck could dump sand, instead of people panicking as they attempted to find sand and sandbags at short notice.

Friendly face... Bronwyn Bound, the Sunnynook Community Centre coordinator, back at her desk last week

Residents group leader to the fore in volunteer effort

Norma Bott jokes that she “married into Milford” – and that happy event decades ago has proved a seriously good catch for the community.

The co-chair of the Milford Residents Association (MRA) spearheaded the area’s flood response, setting up a pop-up emergency centre and calling for donations for those in need.

She rallied around 100 volunteers to sort and distribute goods, first for a week at the Senior Citizens Hall and then for another week at the old Vegeland building at the bottom of East Coast Rd. A local landlord provided the vacant premises free of charge to use as a collection depot.

While Bott fronted the operation, long-time co-chair Debbie Dunsford put together helpful sheets of information. These were distributed when around 20 volunteers took bags of food and vouchers that others had packed to the worst-affected streets.

A social-media group was set up to connect those in need with those offering items.

“People want to help, they’re just not sure how,” said Bott. She said the response from the community had been overwhelming.

It included “a “band of Milford men and some Forrest Hill mums”. One woman turned up every day. Some brought along teenagers to help.

Businesses also came to the party, with Milford New World giving vouchers and Countdown also contributing. Cash donations from individuals were turned into Warehouse vouchers. Takapuna-based business Oceanbridge provided a truck to take surplus goods to another centre in South Auckland.

With the Senior Citizens Hall needed for regular classes and activities and the temporary depot now closed, Bott told the Observer: “I’ve got to go back to work.”

Bags that... Norma Bott, Milford Residents Association co-chair, marshalled food aid ready for delivery, including contributions from the community and Milford supermarkets

Stacking and sorting... Volunteers (from left) Dianne Rennie, John Drought and Jo MacKinnon at the old Vegeland building on East Coast Rd, which became a stopgap depot for household donations. Rennie lives in Nile Rd, where many residents suffered flood damage. “I’m okay, but along the road I’ve seen the carnage. What else can you do but get out and help?”

Trailer time... Terenzo Bozzone helps unload deliveries. The international athlete and local said “sad stories” abounded, but it was nice to see how many people had pitched in to help.

Clean-up help wanted

The Conservation Volunteers Group is organising a series of public Wairau Estuary litter clean-ups, starting on Saturday 25 February from 10am to 1pm. Future monthly clean-ups to be held on the last Saturdays of March, April and May will also include plant restoration. Volunteers are welcome and asked to register at cvnz.org.nz.

Cakestall kindness

Primary school children set up a cakestall on Manutara Ave, Forrest Hill, to raise funds for the Sunnynook Community Centre’s flood relief efforts. Five children from three families baked up a storm, raising more than $200. They hope to let locals know about another fundraiser down the track.

Slip closes road

The closing of Braemar Rd in Castor Bay to traffic travelling in both directions was forced by a slip from beneath a house, Auckland Transport says. “We removed debris and cleared half of the road but need to do some geotech investigations first to determine the size. We will not move the rest as it can compromise the stability of the land beneath the house,” a spokesman said. The westbound lane was still closed early this week.

Theft after flood

A 65-inch television was stolen from a Nile Rd, Milford home after it was flooded.

Boots on the ground... Defence Force musclepower rolled into Milford and Sunnynook after a few days. Ordinary Writer Irinieta Toduadua was among those stripping wet carpets from homes.

Pohutukawa pruning policy needs review – MP

Auckland Council pruning policies for pohutukawa need review, says North Shore MP Simon Watts.

Having visited coastal areas of his electorate plagued by land slips, he said half a dozen property owners had told him council had denied them permission to trim trees, which could grow weighty and become a clifftop liability. Just up the road from his own Belmont home – flooded twice in the deluges – the Westwell public stairs to the beach had collapsed.

Kennedy Park’s stairs were also lost along a coastline heavy with pohutukawa.

“Every slip on the beach seems to have a pohutukawa on top of it,” he noted.

Beach events canned

This week’s Takapuna Beach Series event was cancelled due to high winds and the risk posed by submerged debris.

The 7 February event was earlier cancelled in the wake of floods.

Organisers said events can proceed despite Safeswim red settings, which are based on modelling, but only after plans are run by Auckland Council’s health and safety team as well as its Safeswim arm.

The 7 February event was postponed on finding that officials had also done manual testing that showed contamination.

Costly sequel of car lost in flood leaves a bitter taste

Last week, I finally tracked down my car that was towed from Sunnybrae Rd after I abandoned it in floodwaters on 27 January (as recounted in the Rangitoto Observer of 3 February).

After countless calls to Auckland Transport and then multiple towing companies around Glenfield, I discovered it had been taken to a yard in Ellice Rd.

It turns out that I unknowingly had been charged $35 a day for its storage on top of a towing fee.

The tow company had sent a letter to my old address. I had recently moved and hadn’t changed my details with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

I ended up having to pay more than $1000 to recover my write-off from the yard. Wreckers paid me $600 for it, leaving me $400 out of pocket.

I only had insurance for third-party damage, fire and theft.

I can understand the towing company has set pricing and only had my old address, but believe it could have shown some sympathy fin the circumstances by offering a discount.

If I knowingly parked in a no-parking zone

and had to pay that amount it would be easier to swallow.

But this left a sour taste in my mouth. It doesn’t feel right that a company would charge people for storing towed cars that were abandoned due to a natural disaster. Or that they would attempt to contact the owners via mail at a time when so many people have been displaced from their homes.

Something’s not right in the process, whether on the part of the towing companies, the police who authorised the tow, or NZTA, which only gives addresses to the tow companies when they also have phone numbers on record.

I’ve made a claim to Auckland Council’s flood relief fund.

In the meantime, any readers who have similar stories are asked to contact the Observer, so we can try to get a picture of how widespread this issue was.

Has our flood nightmare proved a profitable windfall for the towing industry? Please email news@devonportflagstaff.co.nz or ring 021 201 7688.

Nile Rd: Sewage smells and rescue by paddleboard

At her first viewing for a new flat, flood victim Liv Tomsen found she was one of around 40 other people in line desperate for accommodation.

Along with her five flatmates she has had to vacate the flood-damaged Milford home they rented. Water ran through the property, ruining furniture and personal items.

“We aren’t insured. We never thought we would have to be because we live in such a safe area,” the 21-year-old said.

Two fridges, laundry appliances and couches were all write-offs. So too, four cars towed away from their Nile Rd driveway.

Tronsen says but for the quick actions of the one flatmate who was at home and managed to cart televisions and other items upstairs, the flatmates would have been even worse off.

On the weekend the Observer spoke to the flatmates, they were dumping the last of their sodden and stinky belongings onto the footpath for rubbish collection.

Inside, where water reached hip height, floorboards had lifted. In the backyard, the fence lay flattened.

Luckily, the flatmates have family homes to return to while on the hunt for a new flat, after giving notice to the landlord that the place was uninhabitable. “It doesn’t even smell wet, it smells like sewage,” said Tomsen.

She was heading home when the flooding reached its height and got stuck by rising waters at the top of the street. “You could see the current. It was crazy. People were being swept off their feet.”

Eventually her flatmate waded up to get her. They went to help a 90-year-old neighbour who lost everything in his single-storey home.

The flatmates were able to camp upstairs initially, but downstairs

they later found faeces in water in a bedroom. The clean-up took a physical toll, with several of them feeling sick. Anthony Jones-Lewis said they developed a rash on their stomachs and chests.

A yellow-stickered two-storey home further down Nile Rd stands empty now, but during the floods its occupants opened the doors to neighbours to let them shelter upstairs.

Just a short walk up the road, Su-Yin Ingle’s family home suffered some flooding and a ruined car that she is trying to replace, but she said others were worse off

The mother of two – who got her young children into wetsuits and lifejackets to evacuate them on a paddleboard – said: “We were lucky. There are houses completely gone.”

Friends took the family in. Since returning for the clean-up she has met more people in the community which she said was an upside of the event. The need for people, especially the elderly, to not feel isolated was more important than ever, she said, as volunteers went door to door checking on needs. “When the community rallies, it’s nice.”

But what stuck with her most was the shock of what they had all experienced. “People walking around and just looking expressionless.”

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Toni van Tonder said the extent of damage was eye-opening, with many homes out of sight down long driveways. With North Shore ward councillor Richard Hills she spent time going door to door to check on welfare needs.

Board member Peter Allen, who was also out and about in Milford, said in Trevaughn Glade alone, of 25 units, only five had people in them as of last week.

Moving on... Nile Rd flatmates Liv Tomsen, 21 (left), and Emma Enstrom, 22, on their last day dumping water-logged possessions from their rented home. Right: Su-Yin Ingle on her shared driveway with children Clio, nearly 4, and Oliver, 2. During the floods she evacuated them by paddleboard.

Milford and Takapuna beaches left badly polluted

The sewage spill which followed the 27 January flood left Milford Beach particularly polluted, with a contamination reading 30 times higher than national safe-swimming guidelines.

Popular swimming beach Takapuna was also badly affected for a few days after the floods, particularly at its northern end.

Other popular swimming spots at Cheltenham, Devonport and Narrow Neck had readings below the safe swim maximum but were given black pins (no swimming recommended) by authorities anyway.

The national guidelines for safe swimming say water should have less than 280 enterococci (a bacteria) per 100ml.

Figures supplied by Healthy Waters Auckland show on 31 January Milford had

a reading of 21,430 per 100ml; Takapuna North 410/100ml and the Wairau outlet a massive 241,960/100ml. Takapuna central had a reading of 1782/100ml on 1 February.

On 2 February, Milford had a reading of 8664/100ml and Milford south 794/100ml. Takapuna North registered 1725/100ml and Takapuna Central 98/100 ml.

By last Wednesday, the pollution had dropped rapidly with readings well inside the guidelines: Milford recorded 161, Milford South 10, Takapuna Central 41, Takapuna North 31, Cheltenham 10, Devonport 10, Narrow Neck 63 and Torpedo Bay 20. The Wairau outlet was the sole outlier with a reading of 657.

Healthy Waters stresses it agreed a number of protocols with the Auckland Regional

Public Health Service (ARPHS) for returning beaches to normal.

The national guidelines specify two consecutive ‘clear’ samples before removing a water-quality alert, but ARPHS have requested three consecutive clear samples where there was extreme rainfall.

“Once we have at least one clear waterquality sample at a beach we are removing the black pin and replacing it with a red “swimming not advised” pin, a Healthy Waters spokesperson said.

Red alerts advise beach users to “be cautious, but doesn’t stop any events happening (with suitable risk management)”.

“Once we have three consecutive clear samples we are returning the beach to normal operation.”

Board’s community budget set to be slashed

Cuts of $810,000 from a $1,345,000 funding pool for community events and groups need be found by the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board.

“It’s going to hurt,” says board chair Toni van Tonder as crunch time looms for board members to prioritise spending to meet Auckland Council budget cuts signalled late last year.

Options range from adjusting spending across community groups to deciding what is expendable altogether.

The board has briefed community groups in its southern area and will soon meet those in Takapuna and further north.

Van Tonder said board members were working on best- and worst-case scenarios under the mayor’s draft budget proposals.

The community needed to be aware of the likely impact on what support the board could offer and to join the board in making submissions to the council seeking a fairer allocation of funding for the area.

Feedback is open from 28 February to 28 March.

North Shore ward councillor Richard Hills,

who chairs the council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee, is also urging the public to have its say on their priorities.

While the council has talked about boards across the city losing 5 per cent of funding, the true figure to be slashed from the board’s discretionary or Locally Driven Initiatives (LDI) money for Devonport-Takapuna is 60 per cent.

This is due to historic local-body differences in how community funding is allocated, with the North Shore more often funding groups, such as community trusts, to deliver services (for example children’s play sessions), rather than council providing services directly, as happens across much of Auckland.

On top of the LDI cuts come region-wide reductions, impacting the money available for arts facilities, environmental efforts, venues, and other city services.

Van Tonder told the Observer libraries might be closed one day a week.

A “slow-mow” policy also meant reserves would be tended to less often.

Locally, the board has been instructed that LDI cuts need to be “sustainable”, meaning they are expected to be ongoing, rather than

Guard posted after arrest over school incident

A security guard was posted at Wairau Intermediate School in Forrest Hill after police responded to reports of disorder and wilful damage at the school on the first day of the new term.

Police arrested a person after being called to the school, which was briefly locked down.

A 40-year-old male later appeared in the North Shore District Court charged with wilful damage and threatening behaviour.

The school notified parents of the lock-

down after it ended through texts and a recorded telephone message on the school number.

Students stayed at school for the remainder of the school day.

No injuries were reported.

The school declined to comment why the security guard had been posted or how long he would remain there.

School principal Yolanda East said the alleged offender was not a member of the school community.

a one-off.

The draft budget was drawn up before recent flooding, so does not cover costs related to the recovery.

Van Tonder said the board would review public feedback and then submit more of its own. It would continue to talk to groups it currently supports, including the business associations that host town-centre events.

The board has already put a case to the council that Devonport-Takapuna is being particularly hard hit, which took Mayor Wayne Brown by surprise.

At its meeting last week, the board signed off on council staff organising a public ‘Have Your Say’ session in Takapuna next month. This will be on Tuesday 21 March from 5pm to 8pm at the board offices at 1 The Strand.

It questioned the format of the council’s feedback forms and asked that the public be given more than three options to prioritise, fearing some groups might be able to mobilise more than others and skew results.

A finalised budget document has to be approved by the council’s governing body by June, for the start of the financial year in July.

Beach Cafe to seek liquor licence

The Takapuna Beach Cafe wants a council lease changed so it can apply for a licence to sell alcohol.

Auckland Council property arm Eke Panuku will put a report to the DevonportTakapuna Local Board seeking approval for a change. The cafe wants to sell alcohol from 7am to 8pm during daylight saving and 7am to 7pm for the rest of the year.

Baptism by flood for new Milford principal

New Milford School principal Lucy Naylor barely had her feet under the desk when she was dealing with an emergency – the January 27 flood and its aftermath.

The school was supposed to open for the 2023 year on January 31 but this was delayed until February 7.

Much of the intervening week was spent cleaning up flood damage. The school had two classrooms red-stickered and a slip at its lakeside boundary and had to deal with a large fallen tree, in addition to flooded classrooms and general water damage.

When the Observer interviewed Naylor, water damage was visible above her desk and her dog Biscuit was at school, a temporary refugee from a flood-damaged doggie daycare.

The floods had “a huge impact” on the school community, she said.

“Some have been severely impacted by the floods – it’s had a big effect on the children who need belonging and a sense of security.”

The event did have a “silver lining”, however, bringing parents and staff together in the big clean-up.

“I’ve had a lot of great conversations over mops and buckets,” Naylor said.

“It showed me the strength of the community and staff and the standing the school has in the local area.”

Naylor comes to Milford School after five and a half years as principal at Stanley Bay School, and previous roles as deputy principal at Auckland Normal Intermediate, Belmont Intermediate, and Manuka Primary in Glenfield, and nine years teaching at Bayswater School.

One of Stanley Bay’s major fundraisers has been a ‘Stampede Mud Run’, in which Naylor was an enthusiastic competitor. The irony of the mud arriving from nature in her first week was not lost on her.

The move to Milford School was “the right time for Stanley Bay and the right time for me in my career.

“Milford is a bigger school and a bigger challenge.” Twice the size in fact: Stanley Bay has a roll of around 250 and 30 staff, whereas Milford has a roll of around 500 and around 60 staff.

Naylor was also keen to be involved with a school which offered the International Baccalaureate programme, a style of learning she had seen in action at Auckland Normal.

Like Stanley Bay, Milford is very much part of its community.

Its pool is open to the public, its hall can be hired and its fields are often used for weekend sports.

Naylor describes Milford School as “high functioning”, with excellent teachers and school board.

One of her challenges is to work out how to take the school forward. She said it will

be through fine tuning, rather than major changes, and not before she spends the next few months “building relationships with students, staff and the community”.

She has also been North Shore Principals Association (NSPA) President for two years and on its executive for four.

The NSPA represents member principals from 65 North Shore primary and intermediate schools and also offers pastoral care.

“There was lots of support during the floods… other principals getting in touch with each other asking if you were all right.”

In emergencies this could be invaluable.

Being a school principal could be the greatest job in the world but also incredibly

isolating and lonely without such support.

In her spare time, Naylor runs, does Pilates and a bit of yoga, walks Biscuit, reads and spends as much time on the Coromandel as she can.

With the school opening last week kids were back on the school grounds and in the swimming pool but life had not returned to total normality.

Last Friday, Naylor had been organising the school’s property manager to collect more sandbags from Bunnings in preparation for the weekend’s threatened storm.

“We can only hope we don’t have too many of these wild weather events,” she says.

Wet welcome… New Milford School principal Lucy Naylor in her office with her dog Biscuit. Behind her is the cloak she was given on leaving her previous job at Stanley Bay School.

Blessings, apology mark Waitangi Day at Takapuna

Waitangi Day was commemorated at Takapuna Boating Club on 6 February with the goal of bringing the community together – and offering a chance to reflect on the impact of recent floods.

For the second year, the boating club hosted celebrations with the help of Ngāti Whātua.

The boating club and its members have been designated kaitiaki of the Takapuna shoreline and saw Waitangi Day as an opportunity to make an apology to the ocean for the sewage and debris that flowed into it following the floods.

In the opening greeting, local kaumatua William Kapea invited attendees to impart their blessings and apologies to a kōhatu (stone) that was to be later taken out to sea.

Kapea said it was important that something tangible and “not just words” was used to apologise to Tangaroa.

Local politicians such as Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Toni van Tonder, deputy chair Terence Harpur and North Shore MP Simon Watts were in attendance and helped paddle the waka out to deliver the kōhatu.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon attended, as he did last year.

Club captain Barry Ward said although it was disappointing water activities weren’t possible due to a Swim Safe warning the day was still a success. “Today is a happy day not a political one. It’s about celebrating Māori and non-Māori as one and that’s what we’re doing here today.”

Club commodore James Jordan said he hoped Waitangi Day at the club “grows as a community celebration” and that he hoped to see bigger numbers in the coming years.

Van Tonder said the local board would continue to support the day.

“More people can commemorate Waitangi Day and experience commemoration in this way.”

After the waka returned, everyone gathered inside for food from a hangi.

Messages for Tangaroa... Kaumātua Bill Kapea invites attendees to leave their blessings with a kōhatu later delivered to the sea

Waiata time... Lofty Ned (left) and Tamihana Pomare sharing the microphone

Beachside... Members of the Takapuna Boating Club’s Waitangi Day committee, Tu Williams, Cindy Schmidt, James Jordan, Deon Nathan and Debra Brewer

A fitting sendoff... the crew of the waka are sent on their journey by Debra Brewer

Karakia... On their return, the crew listen to the words of Tu Williams. Among the paddlers were localboard chair Toni van Tonder, deputy chair Terence Harpur and North Shore MP Simon Watts

Lofty aims high to preserve Shore’s history

A local community worker has joined forces with two conservation groups to help protect natural spaces and share their history.

Lofty Ned has been appointed as the new te taiao coordinator for both Pupuke Bird Song Project and Pest Free Kaipatiki.

Ned says his main responsibility is being the bridge between the land and the people, to gather knowledge from elders and tangata whenua and share why some places are important to conserve.

“A big part of it is to raise awareness around te ao Māori and the history of some of the places around the North Shore which people aren’t aware of.”

Ned told the Observer that many reserves across the peninsula have history that is little known such as Smiths Bush in Onewa Domain, which was a sacred burial ground for Māori.

“Our ancestors are growing there, they’ve merged with the trees and there’s a lot of areas like that around which are sacred.”

Ned’s first action in his new role will be sharing historical stories told by tangata whenua via online videos as well as hosting events in order to further communicate the importance of natural spaces on the North Shore. “With intensification happening now we don’t want to lose these areas... we need to save the biodiversity that’s already thinning.”

Ned is a well-known figure on the North Shore, having lived in Devonport for 20 years and through his involvement in many community activities.

He has organised Dance in the Park after the Devonport Santa Parade for 19 years, coordinated entertainment for Friday After Five and also runs Cuban dance lessons at the Devonport Community House.

In his professional life, Ned has worked as a personal trainer and manager at the former Devonport Health and Fitness gym, had a job in waste management in the private and public sectors, and had a stint in the video-game industry.

Educating the Shore… Lofty Ned

Community spirit to the fore as Milford bounces back

Helping hands... Nikki Rogers and John Tucker helped distribute food parcels to residents in parts of Milford worst hit by floods. Rogers lives nearby and Tucker came from Castor Bay to join other volunteers. Both had minor flooding at their homes, but were keen to help the wider community.

A MORNING WITH NIGEL LATTA RYMAN PRESENTS

WEDNESDAY 22 FEBRUARY 10AM

Join us for a morning with clinical psychologist and documentary maker Nigel Latta.

Nigel is an author and award-winning television presenter known for his critically acclaimed television series “Beyond the Darklands” and “Politically Incorrect Guide to…”.

Other projects include a documentary series which screened on TVNZ that investigated some of the important issues within our society including alcohol, education, sugar/obesity, poverty and inequality, crime and punishment.

Nigel will talk us through his career highlights in his usual thought provoking manner.

Refreshments will be provided.

Spaces

Call Dell or Scott on 09 445 0909

WILLIAM SANDERS RETIREMENT VILLAGE

7 Ngataringa Road, Devonport

are limited and RSVP is essential.

Castor Bay tree in for some TLC

WHAT’S ON @ Takapuna Library

A large pōhutukawa with substantial branches hanging low over parked cars at Castor Bay Beach Reserve has been placed under active management by Auckland Council.

In coming months, it would be roped off and measures taken to stabilise it and tend to its health, council area operations manager Sarah Jones said.

“The tree in question is a heritage (notable) pōhutukawa.

“Due to the age and significance of this well-loved tree, work is under way to have the tree re-propped as a long-term retainment project.”

The council would work with contractors and engineers to ensure the work was done with care, she said.

The area would be mulched to help with the tree’s health.

“We will be installing signage explain-

ing our process and highlighting the tree’s benefits and historical significance to the area,” Jones told the Observer.

In other work at Castor Bay, the council last month redistributed sand on the beach which had piled up against the seawall due to onshore winds.

Despite build-up being an ongoing issue, Jones said it was deemed necessary to try to spread sand lower down the beach to reduce the amount of sand blowing onto the road and into drains.

“Auckland Transport recently carried out a clean-up for that reason, so by lowering the sand we can reduce the frequency that these clean-ups need to occur.”

Sand was moved further down the beach towards the low-tide line

“We anticipate that current weather conditions will continue to build it up against the wall,” she said.

Takapuna beach grooming still on wishlist

Takapuna Beach Business Association boss and Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member Terence Harpur says he will keep pushing for clean-ups of the beach.

He has again called on Auckland Council to look at criteria to clear seaweed from just the area in front of the playground and reserve to safeguard its attractiveness and condition at peak times.

Asked if redistribution of sand would be

considered at Takapuna, as had been done recently at Castor Bay (see story above), a council spokeswoman said there were no plans for this. The situation was different, with Takapuna not suffering from the issue of windblown sand. “There is grass rather than a road next to the beach at Takapuna, which is better able to cope with windblown sand build-up.” said area manager Sarah Jones. Letters, page 17

Critics keen to front up on Amaia upsizing

Nearly half of the submitters on plans to massively expand the Amaia accommodation complex under construction on Esmonde Rd are ready to argue their case in person.

KBS Capital, developers of the former Harbourside Church site, have lodged a private plan change with Auckland Council to allow for 11 buildings up to 16 storeys high, compared with the original consent for two buildings capped at seven storeys.

Twenty-two of the 55 primary submitters, including the Takapuna Residents’ Association and Hauraki home owners, want to speak about their concerns, including scale and environmental impacts, when the matter proceeds to a hearing.

A date is yet to be set pending the availability of commissioners.

Meanwhile, an unrelated application was made last month to build seven terraced houses at 7 Esmonde Rd.

Exhibition: Stargazer

Angela Morton Room

Te Pātaka Toi Art Library

Level 1, Takapuna Library

10 February – 12 April 2023

Keri Hulme’s poetry has inspired two exquisite artists’ books on display in the STARGAZER exhibition – the awardwinning The Visionary, and The Silences Between (Moeraki Conversations) illustrated and published by Claire van Vliet of the Janus Press (USA). A community of artisans and artists produced these a-taahua responses to Keri’s poetry and STARGAZER shares materials and stories about how these pukapuka were created, including photographs, articles, and correspondence. These handmade, hand printed books are works of art and indeed The Visionary won the 1989 BNZ Art Award – a rare accolade for a book. The STARGAZER exhibition provides a unique opportunity to view these beautiful artefacts featuring Keri Hulme’s poetry.

Artist Beth Serjeant was involved in the production of both books and she will be on-site to discuss them on Saturday, 25 March 2023, 2.00-4.00 pm, in the Angela Morton Room. All welcome.

Re-propping planned... the heritage pōhutukawa at Castor Bay

Free Creative Talks at The PumpHouse

Local environmentalist Tabitha Becroft is the first of six speakers taking part in the popular Creative Talk series at The PumpHouse Theatre in 2023.

Becroft has a long association with Pupukemoana and The PumpHouse, and will talk about the upcoming Pupukemoana Environment Day. Her talk starts at 7pm on 27 February.

Actor and playwright Tatiana Hotere is the next speaker on 3 April at 7pm.

The 2023 line-up also includes Malcolm Calder, producer of the popular Christmas Day performance of The End of the Golden Weather on Takapuna Beach, theatre makers Emma Bishop and local awardwinning crime author Lizzie Harwood.

Back by popular demand, Devonport historian David Veart will present about his new book Hello Girls and Boys – a tour of the toys, the crazes and playtimes and preoccupations of big and little New Zealand kids over the generations.

Athletics success

Several Takapuna athletes placed in the Poritt Classic at Hamilton on Saturday. James Ford was second in the mens 800m; Sionaan Murphy second in the womens shot put; and Sascha Letica (Takapuna Grammar) second in the girls 1500m.

A further explanation regarding High Court costs case

Some explanations are necessary about the outcome of my High Court ‘costs’ case reported in the last Observer dated 20 January.

The amount of $379,126 in costs indicated in the article was indeed only a calculation of ‘scale costs’ or an uplift on ‘scale costs’ made by my lawyers based on the invoices paid as part of the second High Court proceedings – and all this due to the time and money wasted because the independent hearing panel and the council didn’t disclose relevant documents proving the unlawfulness of the process. My request was in reality for the full costs of the proceedings of well over a million dollars.

It is important to understand that in those ‘not disclosed’ documents there was a clear indication that the “split panel” of three members, known as the North Panel and who heard the submitters and their comprehensive professional evidence, deliberated in favour of all those submitters opposing high rises in the Promenade area of Takapuna, and this was in line with the respect of the objectives and policies of the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) that the panel was supposed to comply with.

But in the final recommendations the three storeys became seven and this without any reason provided by the panel to justify the disregard of the RPS and to explain why

the North Panel had been overruled. The assumption of the judge was that “some” of the other members of the panel, without engaging with the submissions and the relevant expert evidence, overruled the North Panel and this based on a stated overall strategy of intensification, which would prevail even on the result of the consultation process.

When challenged in the courts the panel had a duty of candour to explain the correctness of their process, but it remained silent, therefore the only explanation available to the court was this “general” intensification strategy, that could have justified any sort of arbitrary and wrongful recommendation. It is hard to believe that this was not an intention to mislead.

It is interesting to note that, in both areas of my case, the only submitters supporting the high rises didn’t present any evidence and didn’t attend the hearing to explain how to manage or mitigate the negative effects caused by the heights of the developments and specifically how to protect the quality of the environment. And still they have been preferred against hundreds of other submitters who had the real interest of the community in their mind.

Franco Belgiorno-Nettis

Crafted with harmonious family living in mind this stunning one level residence has been remodelled and updated, and the result is simply inspirational. Four bedrooms, two stylish bathrooms (including a gorgeous ensuite). Fully fenced, carport and generous off street parking. Short stroll to beautiful Takapuna beach and close proximity to all the local schools, shops, cafes and restaurants. Easy access to motorway for CBD.

ROBERT MILNE 022 011 24 94

TAKAPUNA: 09 916 6000

Should Takapuna Beach be groomed after big storms?

We asked for your views about upkeep of the city’s premier beach before floods struck

YES: I think the beach should be groomed frequently, especially in the summertime. The smell and the flies are dreadful on such a beautiful beach.

Why do they have to take machinery onto the beach when it could be a job for a student to clean up with rake and bag to put the seaweed in?

It then could either go to make compost or be sold in bags to gardeners – which could help pay wages to a student.

Council is just dodging the responsibility to ratepayers to keep our beaches clean.

Trinda Jackson

NO: Firstly, and most simply, no, Takapuna Beach should not be groomed.

I think there is an interesting irony in the fact that man-made climate change is producing more extreme weather events and our reaction to this seems to be to deny that and find it unacceptable to us as a culture. Our belief that we somehow stand separate from nature and can manage and extract endlessly from our world is the real problem, not the unpredictable, beautiful, ‘mess’ that nature/ reality actually is.

The question about managing, cleaning up or fixing up nature is laughable. The message seems to be simple, but I think unacceptable

to us – it’s nature, leave it alone, we don’t control nature!

We seem to have adopted an attitude of being so entitled and so superior to the reality of this messy sacred, natural world that we live in that we actually now threaten the survival of human beings as a species on this planet. This ridiculous proposal to further try and ‘manage it’ needs to be seen for the folly it is. I have grown up on the North Shore and seen this beach-cleaning idea debated over my 63 years, with weed coming and going, sand coming and going and I am saddened to see that we have become none the wiser over the years.

Matthew Williamson

Fight climate change: reduce your whinging footprint

Now that we have seen some of the impacts of climate change for real, perhaps we could start taking this carbon-emissions thing more seriously.

The three things most people suggest you can do to help reduce emissions are:

1. Eat less meat and dairy

2. Cut back on flying

3. Drive less

I would suggest a fourth: stop whinging. Stop whinging about changes to streets that slightly inconvenience motorists. How else are

we going to get people to drive less if we don’t make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists and reserve space for public transport to make it faster and more reliable?

Stop whinging about density done well. Modern, dense, well-engineered developments like Hobsonville Point and Stonefields house thousands; yet they can easily handle what were previously known as “100-year” floods.

Stop whinging about roadworks. How do you think the stormwater is going to be fixed without civil works?

Stop whinging about paying taxes and rates. Who’s going to pay for this if it’s not the people who can afford to?

Stop whinge voting. Don’t vote for people who promise to magically fix everything without spending anything. All they do is defer capital works, reduce maintenance and cut budgets for “non-essentials” like emergency management.

Get off Facebook and go for a ride or take a walk – you might enjoy it.

Chris Werry

A play WRITTEN & DIRECTED by Geoffrey Clendon

High schools name their 2023 student leaders

Westlake Girls High School

Westlake Boys High School

Head Girl: Isabella Drummond

Isabella aims to build a sense of community and make every student feel valid by being an approachable role model who leads by example. Her passion is te ao Māori and she says being a part of Westlake’s kapa haka has been the highlight of her time at school as it has allowed her to “learn, share and embrace my culture”.

Rosmini

College

Head Boy: Reuben Paul

Reuben was elected as head boy by his peers and staff. He hopes to mix with more people and reignite school culture dampened by three years of Covid. Reuben plays first XI hockey, saxophone in the combo band and wants to be an engineer.

Head Boy: Jay Dunne

Jay was selected as head boy for 2023 for his academic and sporting success. He has achieved NCEA level 1 and 2 with excellence and received a gold award for his level 1 results. Jay is in the school’s rugby 1st XV as well as playing social touch and sevens for the school.

Carmel College

Co-Head Girl: Shana Singh-Anderson Shana is looking forward to working with the senior and student leadership teams to further connect the school with the wider community. “It’s important to me to build and strengthen relationships after such a significant period of isolation and instability”.

Takapuna Grammar School

Head Boy and Girl: Liam Arthur-Hunt, Lily Murphy

Lily says she is “looking forward to working with Liam and the prefects to plan exciting events and promote pride and a sense of whanaungatanga at TGS”. She was previously the student representative on the Board of Trustees and wants to further develop her leadership skills.

The multitude of extra-curricular activities Lily is involved in include Enviro Club, Unicef and Amnesty and playing netball and tennis.

Liam says he’s a hard worker who enjoys overcoming challenges. The cricketer and rugby player says he’s looking to connect with his fellow students after a Covid-disrupted two years. “This year I want to unite Takapuna Grammar School after the last couple of difficult years.”

Co-Head Girl: Skyler Anderson

Skyler is most looking forward to creating new opportunities for students to thrive, by implementing initiatives that will drive the school’s core Mercy values. She wants to personally showcase these and see other students do so too in their everyday lives to make a positive difference to others.

Kristin School

Head Girl and Boy: Una Dennehy, Caspar McGavin

Una wants to work with “an amazing group of prefects and see what positive differences we can make both in our school and the wider community”.

She plays water polo, and is a member of the North Harbour and New Zealand squads.

Like Caspar she was a member of the Kristin house council.

Caspar has been at Kristin since Year 6 and says he is most excited by the opportunity to be a “helping voice that represents the students as a whole”. He want to lead by example.

The keen cricketer also plays and coaches club football.

North Shore secondary schools have picked their student leaders for the year ahead.

The Rangitoto Observer offered them the chance to explain what they hope to bring to their roles as schools return to more normal routines in the wake of the pandemic.

Weighbridge and Recycling shop staff & Yard Operations Staff

We are after strong, capable, hardworking individuals who are comfortable talking with customers and aren’t afraid of a bit of grime or a hard day’s work.

We have two positions we need to fill as soon as possible, full or part-time, Weighbridge and Recycling shop staff & Yard Operations Staff

Enquiries for Volunteering in the shop are also welcomed.

The Devonport Community Recycling Centre, Reuse shop, and Landscaping yard is open six days a week, with staff working together to receive, price, sort, up-cycle, and sell goods and materials suitable for reuse. We divert waste from landfills, assist our community in becoming more sustainable, and run a thriving landscape supply company. We are looking for environmentally conscious individuals to join our team.

Please submit your resume to richard@devonportrecycle.co.nz or call 021 0831 0025.

Compass Group Is looking to fill several hospitality and accommodation related roles located at the cafes, stores and accommodations located on the Devonport Naval Base.

CATERING POSITIONS

• Cafe supervisor

• Kitchen Hand / Food Preparation

• Cafe / Kitchen assistant

• Catering Assistant / Front of house staff

All of the above roles require some food preparation and general kitchen duties and some roles require some customer interaction.

ACCOMMODATION POSITIONS

• Cleaners

The ideal candidate for these positions is likely to be a local resident who would benefit from working school hours 9.30-2.30 or 9-3pm etc. Part-time or full-time positions available.

Compass Group is New Zealand’s leading and largest provider of food and support services across multiple industry sectors including Business and Industry, Education, Defence, Offshore and Remote, Aged Care, Hospitals and Senior Living.

You must be able to satisfactorily pass a police clearance.

HOW TO APPLY

Send your CV and Cover Letter to Roger.Pearce@compass-group.co.nz or call 027-257-0163 for more information.

Be heard on Auckland Council’s annual budget

Aucklanders can soon make submissions on Auckland Council’s proposed Annual Budget when public consultation opens in late February.

The proposal includes consulting on significant reductions in council group spending to help balance the budget, and a range of other measures such as increasing general rates, prudent use of debt and the sale of Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) shares to counter some extraordinary economic conditions.

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board

Chair Toni van Tonder says it’s important that people in the community engage in the consultation and share their thoughts, as this helps inform the board’s decision-making when developing their response to the budget. Periods of budget constraint

are an especially crucial time for communities to share their feedback.

“For the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board, the current draft budget proposes that we cut our local discretionary spending by $810,000. This is money we use to support our local arts organisations, community and youth programmes, environment and climate response, library hours and services as well as local event delivery.

That’s why now, more than ever, we need to hear from you about what you can and can’t live without and we need your direction on how to prioritise our limited local budgets.

“We accept it’s time to be more targeted in our approach, or that we may need to consolidate, reduce or discontinue some services. However, these decisions must be made

alongside the community because they will impact you.”

Some topics have already been agreed upon for consultation so that Aucklanders will be able to have their say on a range of options.

The mayor’s proposal outlines changes that would increase rates for the average household by around 4.6 per cent or about $150 a year $3 a week. It includes a 7 per cent rates increase that is lowered by reducing targeted rates for the environment and water quality.

Consultation will include selling the airport shares for around $1.9 billion to repay debt, keeping the shares, or retaining a smaller holding.

Keep an eye on akhaveyoursay.nz/ budget for the latest consultation information.

CONTACT US:

aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/devonporttakapuna

FOLLOW US: Facebook.com/devonporttakapuna

Boyhood adventures and tales of island baches

As a lad Geoffrey Clendon rowed to Rangitoto for fun. Now he has made the island that was the backdrop of his North Shore childhood the location of his first play.

Rangitoto is set in the Depression era and is one of a planned trilogy of works, all based around his beloved Hauraki Gulf.

In the five-plus decades since he left Westlake Boys High School, Clendon, now aged 69, has transitioned from professional actor to teacher to playwright. Also a keen sailor, he describes himself as “a wooden boat sort of fellow, out of the Milford Creek originally”.

Recently he turned his hand to being a producer as well, and is deep into rehearsals for Rangitoto’s premiere season, opening next week at the PumpHouse Theatre in Takapuna. The play is a snapshot of the time when the island had close to 100 baches and a thriving holiday community facing social upheaval.

“It was a dramatic time in our history, as is now,” says Clendon. “The only reason you do a historical play or book or film is it’s a reflection on the present.”

As island life became more managed, a clash of values flared. The comedic play tells of disparate family groups rubbing up against each other over a Christmas-New Year holiday. There’s working-class folk and returned servicemen who had built their own baches and believe in mateship and DIY. Along come “new chums with old money” – one with an architect in tow – plus rebellious teens and a resident eccentric misfit.

While fictional, the story is well founded in records of the time and Clendon’s own later stays.

“I had a dinghy that I used to row over to Rangitoto after school from Milford Beach,” he tells the Observer. Having been in a third form Westlake four that won at Karapiro, he had good form on the water. Later, he graduated to a small yacht, heading off on Friday nights with mates to camp.

Rangitoto

by Geoffrey Clendon

23rd FEB – 5th MAR

Comedy set in the Rangitoto bach community during the Great Depression.

Empire of Light

PumpHouse Movie Fundraiser

2nd MAR

Come enjoy drinks, nibbles and a movie to help us fundraise for new theatre seats at Bridgeway Cinema in Northcote.

Journey to Dreamland

8th MAR

Original songs, popular hits, and unique interpretations of Macedonian folk songs

John Hanlon: Now and Then

9th MAR

A relaxed evening lounging around with an iconic Kiwi songwriter

PH: 489 8360

PUMPHOUSE.CO.NZ

“We had a billy and we chipped oysters off the rocks and cooked them in butter – it was bloody nice.”

Westlake science teacher Chester Nealie, a noted potter who later taught at Takapuna Grammar School, told the boys about a cave on the island behind one of the beaches. “We used to go over and sleep in it – it was damp and uncomfortable,” recalls Clendon. He also recalls studying Shakespeare’s The Tempest, with its shipwreck scene, when Miranda shelters in a cave “I was literally looking at Rangitoto,” he says.

A few Tempest references have slipped into his play. Clendon says he owes English teacher Russell Aitken a debt of gratitude for inspiring his love of literature.

Growing up on Frater Ave, a few blocks

back from the beach, he remembers the skinny legged schoolboy poet-to-be Sam Hunt wandering the neighbourhood in shorts while puffing on a pipe. Visits to Takapuna took him to his grandparents’ grandly named shop, Clendon’s Modern Fruit Store, which was a landmark at Halls Corner.

On school trips to the Mercury Theatre he saw the likes of Ian Mune, George Henare and Lee Grant on stage.

After doing some acting and classes in Auckland, a tutor encouraged him to try out for Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. He was one of 25 students chosen from 800 who auditioned. He spent his 20s in Sydney at drama school and then as a working actor, before love of place called him home. New Zealand’s burgeoning theatre scene

Oarsome... Geoffrey Clendon (third from left) in his school rowing crew, which also features (from left) Noel Nancekivell, Michael Crossley, and Stuart Gladding, with coxswain Alan Aspell seated

help inspire first play in planned Gulf trilogy

also kept him busy.

“I was just a jobbing actor,” he says modestly. He worked for a range of theatre companies as an actor and turned his hand to directing, including on short films he scripted. He also completed a Masters in Creative Writing at Victoria University of Wellington.

“But I wanted to pay off the mortgage,” says the father of two now adult children. So, having enjoyed leading a few drama classes, he decided on a year at teachers college. This led to his becoming head of drama at Massey High School, which he loved.

Knowing his background, a friend one day referred him to a masters thesis, “Holiday Communities on Rangitoto Island”, written by Susan E Yoffe.

Some of those who used to holiday on Rangitoto would row over from Narrow Neck and Kohimarama. Others came from Freemans Bay, Ponsonby and Devonport. “When I read that I thought there is my play.”

The thesis, published around 2000, drew on oral histories, including the story of a woman who arrived for the summer with seven chickens. They got seasick on the way over – with colour said to have drained from their combs – only to end their holiday as dinner.

The play has been a long time coming. To finish it, Clendon relinquished his role at Massey in 2019. “Then Covid came along.”

That meant his plans to stage it were twice delayed. The latest cast of “eight wonderful actors aged 18 to 71” includes one who has returned especially from the UK.

Another, Isla Sangl, is a former Kristin School student who came recommended by Geoff Allen at the Rose Centre after doing acting classes with him in her gap year.

Clendon says staging the play is costing around $70,000, with money going on billboards, professional lighting and sound, venue hire and not as much as he would like to pay his cast. He is grateful they love the play and for the help of an experienced costumier and Arts Laureate John Parker designing sets gratis.

A ‘Boosted’ campaign is helping fund the project.

An old friend from Milford Primary, Debbie Dunsford, has offered Clendon plenty of encouragement and became a trustee of the company he formed to stage the play and those that follow. The second of the trilogy is set around changing mores on Waiheke Island and the final play will be based on Great Barrier Island in the late 19th century.

Staging his first play at the PumpHouse was a natural choice.

The venue by Lake Pupuke is evocative. Before it became a community theatre, Westlake rowers stored their gear there. “I remember lifting up those heavy skiffs, walking across the gravel in bare feet,” Clendon says.

• Rangitoto runs from 23 February to 5 March at the PumpHouse Theatre, Takapuna, with tickets priced at $42 for adults, and available at pumphouse.co.nz

Island life... Geoffrey Clendon’s first play tells of Rangitoto Island holidaymakers in the Depression era

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