The Fringe, October 2020 by Fringe Media

ISSUE 197, OCTOBER 2020

community news, issues, arts, people, events

books

For the Love of Cats is a delightful little A5 coffee-table book that celebrates our furry little friends. The 54-page book – created as an out-ofwork lockdown project – features photographer Kerry Engelbrecht's images of local cats coupled with quotes about these enigmatic creatures. A perfect gift for cat lovers or for anyone needing a distraction from our tumultuous world the book is available for $28 from Titirangi Pharmacy and the Upstairs Gallery, or online at www.kerryephotography.com/online-store. Or you could win a copy. The Fringe has a copy of For the Love of Cats to give away. To go in the draw write your name, address and phone number on the back of an envelope and post it to Cats, PO Box 60-469, Titirangi, Auckland, 0642 or email your details to info@fringemedia.co.nz with Cats in the subject line. Entries must be received by October 15.

the big picture

“I was looking through some of my photos and came across this one which I thought might be worthy of inclusion in The Fringe. I took it when I was on my way to the hardware store on a winter’s morning. It is at Tangiwai Reserve just down the hill from Titirangi and the sun’s rays were just beaming through the early morning mist. Some people call these ‘God Rays’.” – Wilson Gibbs

The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

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contents

What should we do with a heritage building?.......................................4 Taking Green Bay floral art to international success..............................5 Keeping it Local: supporting our local businesses..................................6 Our place: community house, setting sail, and more............................7 Feature: General Election.................................................................8 – 9

Art and about with Naomi McCleary............................................10 – 11 Places to go: Events listing...........................................................12 – 13 Open Studios 2020: a unique opportunity to meet the artists............14 Our place: Titirangi Primary; At the libraries........................................15 Bandstanding: Gail Turner – ‘Music belongs to everyone’...................16 Books: your chance to win...................................................................17

Naturally West: Toropapa and apps for the Great Outdoors; Weather by the moon..........................................................................18 Sustainable solutions: Recycle your mobile phone..............................19 Pest control in your backyard...............................................................20 Wandering Westies: A day walk on Waiheke.......................................21 Live @ the lounge................................................................................22 Advertisers’ Directory...........................................................................23

On our cover:

Green Bay Florist Juliet Leonard recently competed in a major international floral art competition in Jaipur, India, winning a second placing. Her winning work, Peek-A-Boo is featured on our cover. See page 5 for more.

Nominations open for local environmental awards Nominations are now open for the biennial Love Your Place Awards, celebrating volunteers, businesses and schools making a difference for the environment in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area. Waitākere Ranges Local Board Chair, Greg Presland, says that the awards showcase the very best in the community and are especially relevant in these challenging times. “We have a fantastic and diverse community looking after our environment in the ranges. With communities under strain from Covid-19 and the ongoing battle with climate change, it’s never been more important to care for our precious environment. The Love Your Place Awards recognise the very best in those endeavours.” EcoMatters CEO, Damon Birchfield, says the Awards, which are funded by the Local Board, celebrate the collaborative nature of environmental action in the West. “Westies know their roots as New Zealand’s first EcoCity, and our appetite to volunteer and self-organise so that we can be part of protecting our precious heritage is unique in Auckland”, he says. The five award categories are the Denise Yates Award for youth (under 16) showing emerging leadership around local environmental issues; the Karaka Award for a school or school group taking action on a local environmental issue; the Nīkau Award for a business or social enterprise making a contribution to improve the environment; the Rātā Award for an outstanding volunteer group or organisation taking action on a local environmental issue; and the Kahikatea Award for an outstanding individual volunteer taking action on a local environmental issue. Nominations are open until November 8 at www.ecomatters.org.nz/loveyourplace.

Every issue of The Fringe (and the Titirangi Tatler before it) since April 2011 is on-line at www.fringemedia.co.nz. Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ FringeWest) to hear when each issue is available and get other updates. please support our advertisers – they support us

www.fringemedia.co.nz 21,000 copies delivered free to letter boxes, post boxes, libraries and selected outlets throughout Titirangi, Glen Eden, Green Bay, New Lynn, Kelston, Konini, Wood Bay, French Bay, South Titirangi, Waima, Woodlands Park, Laingholm, Parau, Cornwallis, Huia and Oratia.

Published by: Fringe Media Ltd, PO Box 60-469, Titirangi, Auckland 0642

Editor: Bevis England 817 8024, 027 494 0700 bevis@fringemedia.co.nz

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Features: Moira Kennedy 021 723 153 moira@fringemedia.co.nz

Writers and contributors: David Thiele, Naomi McCleary, Susannah Bridges, Fiona Drummond, Zoe Hawkins and Michael Andrew.

Advertising deadline for November 2020: October 15. The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

our place

What should we do with a heritage building? In the September Fringe we reported that Watercare Services had been working on the restoration of the old Nihoputu filter station, beginning with demolishing the three-level addition that was built in the 1980s. We asked readers what they wanted to see the historic building, at the junction of Scenic Drive, Woodlands Park Road and Exhibition Drive, used for ... Hi,

The historic Nihoputu filter station: in need of some ‘TLC’.

Firstly, it was exciting to see that this historic building is being protected. I walk Exhibition Drive so am very aware of the building and its status. It was still in operation when we moved to Titirangi over 30 years ago. Too much has been lost over recent years and in particular some historic buildings in New Lynn, including the WEPB building on Great North Road and now a church in Margan Ave, site of a new apartment development. Arguments are often given regarding their state of disrepair and the cost to make them right (as was the case with the Christchurch Cathedral) but with vision and commitment the reinstatement of these buildings will mean preservation for future generations to enjoy; a tangible gift from us to them. Protecting heritage buildings diversifies the landscape and provides insight into history and change, as is evident around the world. So, a new use? I think a museum is a great idea along with an independently-run café focussing on New Zealand food. Good food is always popular and brings people out who can then explore the lovely Exhibition Drive.

There could be books etc. to purchase relating to the history of the surrounding areas. This site would be an ideal place to have public toilets too – e-toilets such as those on offer in many small towns in New Zealand. Stainless steel, electronically controlled, clean, and serviced frequently, these function 24/7 and are not dependent on buildings being open for access. As Ken Turner recently pointed out in The Fringe, Titirangi’s public toilets have gone to make way for a new development. Perhaps this entrance/exit to Exhibition Drive would be an ideal location for a replacement toilet block for locals and visitors alike. [This letter was received before the plans for Titirangi’s replacement toilet were notified, as below.) Under the recent Level 3 lockdown, I overheard a family asking if there was anywhere in Titirangi with toilet access. The answer was ‘No’. How hopeless for all of those people walking, going to or returning from the beaches. Having nothing on offer is not good enough. Why should we have to buy something to access a toilet? We can do much better. We used to. Kind regards, Verna. Note: There are public toilets available in the War Memorial Hall and Te Uru, when these venues are open. Hi, This would make a great combined cafe/art gallery/ Watercare museum and could showcase local artists’ works. The main problem would be lack of parking, especially considering how popular Exhibition Drive becomes at weekends. Also, the cost of setting up such a venture is considerable and would probably best be shared through several entities. Regards, Chris Iszard (local user of Exhibition Drive).

There is still time to have your say on the new toilet block proposed for Titirangi Village. The Waitākere Ranges Local Board is seeking resource consent from Auckland Council to construct a new public toilet in the Village. The proposal requires land use consent for works within the dripline of a notable tree and for a public amenity that does not meet the relevant plan standards. Last year, a commissioner determined that the visual impact and effects on amenity were significant. However, the design has been modified since then. The full details are available at the following web site and submissions close on October 5. https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/haveyour-say/have-your-say-notified-resource-consent/ notified-resource-consent-applications-opensubmissions/Pages/ResourceConsentApplication. aspx?itemId=419&applNum=LUC60334605

Got something on your mind? Let The Fringe know: Email info@fringemedia.co.nz or write to PO Box 60-469, Titirangi

The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

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people

Taking Green Bay floral art to international success Local floral artist, Juliet Leonard, from Green Bay Florist has a smile as big and bright as a sunflower when she talks about her high placing at the recent World Association of Floral Artists Show (WAFA) in Jaipur, India. A first-time competitor at the international show, Juliet achieved second place in the Impose Class for her entry Peek-A-Boo and is now hard at work thinking about a creation she aims to enter in the Designer of the Year competition in Orewa this month (Covid-19 permitting). Following a career in insurance, Juliet did a course in floristy at Unitech some years back and was hooked. About five years ago, she bought the shop in Green Bay in which she now works with daughter Sky. A member of the Mt Roskill Floral Art Group, Juliet says floral art is all about creating flower arrangements in vases, bowls, baskets, or other containers, or making bouquets and compositions from cut flowers, foliages, herbs, ornamental grasses, and other plant materials. The aim is to create eye-catching and balanced compositions or displays and may include making wreaths, nosegays, garlands, festoons, boutonnières, corsages, and bows. Juliet says the Indian experience was like nothing else she had experienced: the colour, the venues (palaces and the like) and meeting floral artists from all over the world. About 35 New Zealand artists made the trip alongside participants from 28 other countries. In her suitcase she had a ‘variety of wires and a toolkit’, and in her mind, a few ideas of what her entry might look like. Other necessities were provided by show organisers – a variety of materials including silver leaves, yellow sticks, seed pods, hessian, floral foam and cogs in a range of shapes and sizes. Alongside that was a large bucket of fresh plant material (gypsophilia, orchids, gerberas, chrysanthemums) and a variety of foliage. She had four hours to create her work of art. “The time went so fast. I just finished in time and was happy with my design.” Taking second place was a thrill for Juliet who now focuses much of her time on teaching and ‘doing the rounds of demonstrations’ of floral art with the aim of becoming a world judge, laden with plant knowledge and habitats she’s keen to share. Juliet says her creative ideas come easily enough, but she does worry about making them work. “Floral art is

not as easy as it looks but it does give you a great buzz. “I love flowers. They are my passion. I don’t feel as though I come to work at all. I just come in and get on with making up beautiful bouquets and arrangements. I love to see what Sky brings from the market each week,” she says. “And I love Green Bay and the people. It’s a lovely sunny group of shops and the people are terrific.” – Moira Kennedy Juliet Leonard (right) and daughter Sky in the Green Bay Florist shop.

Piha performing across the board

Piha Surf Life Saving Club found themselves with much to celebrate as the annual Surf Life Saving Northern Region Awards of Excellence ventured online to recognise the efforts of some of New Zealand’s top athletes and lifeguards. The coveted award for Lifeguard of the Year was awarded to Rhys Lloyd (below left), a club member who started as a Nipper at the age of seven and, now aged 20, is Vice Club-Captain. Lucy Makaea and Levi Ata (below right) won the U19 Sportswoman of the Year and U19 Sportsman of the Year respectively. Finalists Warren Tyler in Patrol Support and the Piha Piranhas in the Competition Team were also recognised.

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The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

keeping it local

The Fringe wants to help our businesses and community groups recover from the stresses of lockdown and makes space on these pages available for advertisers and non-commercial organisations, at no charge. To be included in our next issue, email info@fringemedia. co.nz before October 15.

Pink High Tea

The drainage troubleshooters Drain Ranger is your local drain repair expert, offering solutions for all your drainage needs. We’re certifying drainlayers that have been servicing your area for over 20 years, providing good, honest service at reasonable prices. You have your teeth and your vehicles serviced and maintained regularly. Your drains shouldn’t be treated any differently. A quick Hydro-Jett keeps your drains in good health, mitigating any flooding issues. As much as we love our trees, they can cause drainage issues and we’ve seen a lot of blocked drains this year. With this unusually dry winter, trees are digging deeper into our drains, looking for water for survival. Tree roots are infiltrating lots of properties. When you look at a tree on your property, you have to imagine that the width of its root span is the same as the height of the tree. If you experience regular smelly or blocked toilets or sinks, give us a call. We’ll come out and Hydro-Jett your sanitary sewer and stormwater drains getting rid of the build up of debris and tree infiltration. Drain Ranger does everything from drain plotting, channel drains, installation and maintenance, water tanks, septic tanks and reports, drain unblocking, Hydro-Jetting, CCTV, stormwater, sanitary sewer connections, new builds and repairs. Contact us on 021 709 783.

On Sunday October 18, Waitākere Resort & Spa is going pink for the day, including a unique Pink High Tea, to support the Breast Cancer Foundation. High teas are a popular option at the hotel and run every Sunday, 2-4pm. Sitting in the dining room enjoying spectacular views across the ranges and out to the Hauraki Gulf, while dining on sweet and savoury delicacies, is the perfect way to spend time with a group of friends or family on a relaxed Sunday afternoon. This special fundraising event includes the option to have a glass of pink bubbles instead of the usual tea or coffee and $10 of the ticket price will go towards the Cancer Foundation. Bookings are essential and should be made by calling 814 9622 or emailing events@ waitakereresort.co.nz The hotel restaurant is also open for lunch at the weekends and dinner every evening and provides sophisticated and delicious menus prepared from fresh local produce catering to a wide variety of occasions. From private dining, to engagement parties, birthdays, club dinners, festive events and family celebrations, the hotel’s events team will ensure that your dining experience is truly memorable. Nestled amongst native forest, relax in peace and quiet as you indulge yourself in premium New Zealand cuisine matched with outstanding local and international wines. Festive dining menus are now available at https://www.waitakereresort.co.nz.

Typical footage of a blocked drain

Proudly Supporting our Local Community The merged practices of Thomas & Co Lawyers Ltd and Titirangi Law Centre are able to meet your every legal requirement. Ray Ganda and Don Thomas have many years of experience working in the Titirangi and New Lynn areas. Now, along with the Directors and staff of the combined practices, a wider range of skills and resources is offered. See our website, www.thomas.co.nz, for more details of our history and personnel. We continue to maintain and improve our level of service for our community and clients. There is always someone here with the necessary knowledge and experience to assist with any legal matters that might arise. Give us a call, or come in and visit us. We welcome enquiries and are happy to answer any questions. Details of our office location and on-site parking can be found on our website. We have lift access and are also handy to the Bus/ Train Interchange. Visiting our offices is convenient and easy.

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2nd Floor, 3 Totara Avenue, New Lynn (09) 827 5907 www.thomas.co.nz advertise with the fringe & reach 70,000+ readers

our place

A space to support the community The Titirangi Community House exists to serve the people of Titirangi. It operates as an Incorporated Society, governed by a management committee and aims to provide an information centre and focal point within the community. The house also aims to promote learning, social interaction and the sharing of knowledge, and to foster and encourage all forms of arts and crafts, hobbies and leisure time activities. The house is in the War Memorial Park (along with the Hall, Library and Playcentre), at 500 South Titirangi Road and many local groups use the location for their activities, including post and antenatal and parent support classes, and special interest groups including mahjong, art, creative writing and quilting. There are classes in yoga, Pilates and Feldenkrais and many workshops throughout the year, from mandala drawing to massage and meditation. For children, there is a school holiday programme and after school classes. The venue is available for community groups and individuals to hire and has wheelchair access. There are three rooms available at very reasonable rates, in addition to a community kitchen. There are spaces available throughout the week (day and evening), and also during the weekend. Should you wish to take advantage of the facilities, please email admin@titirangihouse.co.nz or phone 817 7448. Visit www.titirangihouse.co.nz for more information.

Set sail in Titirangi The summer season is about to start at French Bay Yacht Club, ‘Auckland’s friendliest sailing club.’ If you haven’t yet signed yourself (or your child) up, please go to www.frenchbay.org.nz and find out details for kids Learn to Sail, adults Learn to Sail and racing. There is no requirement to buy a boat initially – the club has a small fleet of boats available to get you started – and, in contrast to many sailing clubs the club has a big focus on adventure, enjoyment, and learning to complement the more serious side of its racing programme. Right: Brothers Adam (10) and Cameron (9) started learning how to sail last year and now have their own Optimist dinghies. Below: Eamon (14), in the skiff, chasing down Jackson Grimmer (12), sailing his classic Starling dinghy.

West Lynn Garden and Butterfly House in New Lynn would like to invite a person with accounting/treasurer experience to join their friendly team. The position requires approximately eight hours per week but with some flexibility to suit your busy life. Working with a dedicated team of volunteers in a beautiful natural environment is a plus. For more detailed information email jockandmargaret. jamieson@gmail.com. The Whau River Catchment Trust is recruiting new board members. They want to build a strong board that represents the rich cultural diversity of our area with strong links into the Māori, Pacific and Asian communities. If you are passionate about the Whau area and providing quality green space for our community and native wildlife, then the trust would like to hear from you. It needs a board with skills in lots of areas – financial management, education, IT, not-for-profit governance, cultural and environmental understanding, and fund raising. To find out more visit https://www. communitywaitakere.org.nz/index.cfm/ news-events/board-member-vacanciesthe-whau-river-catchment-trust/, phone 627 3372 or email info@whauriver.org.nz.

Deborah Russell MP for New Lynn

Community catch ups As your local MP, I’m keen to keep in touch to discuss local issues, government policy, Justice of the Peace applications and proposed changes to legislation. If you would like to discuss any of these matters, please contact my office on 09 820 6245, or email me at newlynn.mp@parliament.govt.nz My office staff will assist you initially and, if required, will arrange an appointment for you to meet with me for a 15 minute catch up. These appointments are held on Mondays mornings at my electorate office 1885 Great North Rd, Avondale. The office is accessible and handy to public transport. /DeborahRussellLabour @beefaerie

Authorised by Dr Deborah Russell, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

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general election 2020

It’s time to get out and vote ... The 2020 General Election is being held this month, along with the End of Life Choice and cannabis referenda. You need to be enrolled to vote in the election and referendums. (You can enrol online at https://vote.nz/enrolling/enrol-or-update/enrol-orupdate-online/.) You’ll be able to vote from Saturday October 3 to 7pm on election day, Saturday October 17. (In the following alphabetical list of local polling booths, the word Full, Partial, or None refers to the accessibility of the polling booth.) Arahoe Primary School Hall (11 Grandison Crescent entrance), 9-11 Arahoe Road. Full Barnett Hall, 2 North Piha Road. Full Blockhouse Bay Primary School, 584 Blockhouse Bay Road. Partial Blockhouse Bay Baptist Church, 504 Blockhouse Bay Road. Full Chaucer School, 2 Chaucer Place. Full Dayspring Trust Hall, 2 Seabrook Avenue. Partial Fruitvale School, 40 Fruitvale Road. Full Glen Eden Intermediate School, 23 Kaurilands Road. Partial Glen Eden Primary School, 3 Glenview Road. Partial Glenavon School, 340 Blockhouse Bay Road. Full Green Bay Community House, 1 Barron Drive. Full Green Bay Primary School, 131 Godley Road. Partial Hoani Waititi Marae School, Te Whare Tapere, 441 West Coast Road. Partial Huia Hall, 1253 Huia Road. Full Kaurilands School, 109 Atkinson Road. Partial Kelston Boys’ High School, Corner Archibald & St Leonards Roads. Partial Kelston Girls’ College, 1 Archibald Road. None Konini School, 44 Withers Road. Partial Laingholm Primary School, 54 Victory Road. Full Lynn Mall (former House of Travel shop), 3058 Great North Road. Full Methodist Centre of the West, 302 West Coast Road. Partial New Lynn Sea Scout Hall, 37 Margan Avenue. None Oratia District School, 1 Shaw Road. Partial Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 7 Glendale Road. Partial Prospect School, 76 Rosier Road. Partial St Austells, 35 Margan Avenue. Partial

The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School, 32 Bolton Street. Full St Leonards Road School, 15 St Leonards Road. Partial Salvation Army Church Hall, 32 Delta Avenue. Full Titirangi Primary School, 221 Atkinson Road. None Titirangi War Memorial Hall, 500 South Titirangi Road. Full Woodlands Park School, 202 Woodlands Park Road. Full Waiatarua Community Hall, 911 West Coast Road. Partial Tēnā koutou katoa. My name is Steve Abel. I am the Green candidate in New Lynn and seeking only the Party Vote. I’m an Aucklander for life and a resident of the West for over a decade. West Auckland encompasses the full landscape of urban, industrial, rural, and exquisite wild places. With that comes many challenges including kauri dieback, housing, transport, water pollution, poverty and climate change. I love the vibrant and diverse culture of the West and promise to be a strong voice for political action for the good of people and the planet. I’ve been an advocate for nature for over 20 years. I began with opposing the logging of ancient native forests on the West Coast of the South Island and have since been part of many campaigns to protect our rivers, oceans, climate and urban forest. Since tree protection was scrapped by the National government Auckland has lost a third of its urban trees. The Greens are the only party committed to bringing tree protection back and to upholding the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area. During the first lockdown we all noticed the cleaner, brighter air and the birdsong. We need our recovery from the global pandemic to also be a renewal. We need to build a fairer, more resilient society. That means closing the wealth gap and ensuring that those who need it receive a guaranteed minimum income that is enough to live on. We must look after the natural world on which we depend and tackle the greatest challenge of our time – climate change. Greens will protect 30% of our ocean areas as well as stop destructive fishing practices and tackle plastic pollution. We have a bold programme of clean energy and public transport projects including solar and wind generation. We will support farmers to move towards regenerative farming that is more humane and better for our rivers and our climate. Vote for people and planet: Party Vote Green.

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general election 2020 “People and jobs are the cornerstones of thriving communities. Only National has the plan and the team that will create more jobs and a better economy to get New Zealand out of this crisis.” I’m Lisa Whyte, National’s Candidate for the New Lynn Electorate. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Politics and have a background in corporate finance. I am a trained management accountant and resource consent commissioner. For the past 15 years, I have served as an elected Local Board member – most recently as Chair and Deputy Chair. I have also served the community on boards for sports clubs and kindergarten associations and am currently on the establishment board for a new primary school. I believe in service, and that politics is all about people. As your MP, my priorities for New Lynn will be the issues you’ve told me are important to you and your family. This includes: • More front-line police • Improving beach water quality • Safely reopening our walking tracks • Upgrading and repairing our local schools • Improving road safety • Supporting local jobs and businesses to survive and thrive in a post-Covid world. You can find out more about National’s policies and what they mean for you and your family at www.national.org.nz/policy. This is the most important election of our lifetime – and your vote counts. Voting is open from Saturday, October 3 to Saturday, October 17. Head to www.national.org.nz/vote to find your nearest voting place. Please vote National and Lisa Whyte to secure a strong future for New Zealand.

Lisa

Whyte New Lynn

Authorised by L Whyte, 107 Great South Rd, Greenlane.

Let’s keep moving

I love the New Lynn electorate. It's diverse and vibrant, full of people who care about each other and their community. It stretches all the way from Avondale up through New Windsor and Blockhouse Bay, and right out to the Waitākere Ranges. Under Jacinda Ardern’s leadership, the Labour government has worked hard for us in New Lynn. We’ve provided extra funding for all state schools, we’re building hundreds of new Kāinga Ora homes, and we’re supporting great local organisations. I live right in the middle of the electorate, so I see our local issues up close. I’ve helped with funding for a rebuild at Lynfield College, led a select committee investigation into kauri dieback, and connected with community groups across West Auckland. I’ve helped residents solve problems with housing, immigration, schooling, and all the issues we face in our daily lives. I’ve sat down with local businesses and worked out a plan to help them through the Covid crisis, assisting with access to the wage subsidy and small business loan scheme. Since the electorate boundaries were redrawn earlier this year, I’ve been talking to locals about issues like re-opening the Waitākere Ranges, and I’m actively working to get more funding for our surf lifesaving clubs to rebuild their facilities. Labour went hard and early against Covid, and that has set us up for a strong recovery. Our government has a clear plan to protect health, create jobs and keep the economy moving. I want to keep on working for you as your local MP and as part of the strong and effective Labour team led by Jacinda Ardern. In October, please vote Deborah Russell for New Lynn, and party vote Labour.

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art & about with naomi mccleary

Dancing with a new world! As each day and week goes by, one thing is certain: the future is not as it was; maybe not even recognisably what we knew and expected. If it is a dance, it’s not a predictable waltz; more a tango, with slow, lovely slides and sudden unexpected kicks and turns – exciting but ever so slightly dangerous. This phantom dance partner is a slippery customer.

Wayne Youle’s Elevation is a response to the legacy of Colin McCahon and the McCahon House in Otitori Road. Now showing at Te Uru.

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The arts have always been to some degree about bringing people together; to participate in the viewing experience, or music, performance, discourse, cultural connection. Arts organisations are often funded on quantitative measurements; the numbers that cross their doors. I’ve often railed against this; arguing that qualitative experience is as, if not more, important. Organisations that are doing well are beginning to grasp that. Their numbers reach is happening online, but their ‘lived in’ output is trending to small and intimate. Te Pou Māori Theatre on the Corban Estate grabbed that notion with their Front Yard Festival; small bands of performers traveling to homes and institutions to present 20 minute shows with strong themes of nostalgia; perfect for a lockdown community. It was a huge success with demand outstripping capacity. They are bringing that same quality of thinking to planning16:33 for 2021 – and it’s hard and challenging 1 their 15/11/16 work. Theatre has always been about filling venues, the

closeness of audiences. Remember those sudden and surprising conversations with the stranger next to you? Go to their website to see the ways that theatre can be innovative online. The wider performance sector has to shift to new ways of thinking; otherwise it is the sad saga of scheduling, cancelling and re-scheduling; and no real certainty. At Te Uru there is also much thinking about our cultural future. They recently hosted a Local Board workshop where there was discussion around having lead institutions like Te Uru and the Corban Estate Arts Centre, that currently keep in good dialogue, to enhance that connection to bring together activities across the region; perhaps to be a forum for sharing new ideas and solutions. The need for collegiality and solidarity across the arts sector is critical. Zoom meetings, with all the frustrations inherent in them, did create that connectedness. As of now galleries can operate, but with a greater awareness of social distancing. That’s a partnership between the gallery and its audiences and we should all be conscious of our role in that. At Te Uru the big item for October is On the Last Afternoon: Disrupted Ecologies and the Work of Joyce Campbell. Director Andrew Clifford describes this as ‘a stunner’. First held at the Adam Art Gallery Te Pataka Toi in 2019, the exhibition was originally developed in dialogue with the architecture of Wellington’s Adam Art Gallery and is now re-staged within Te Uru’s similarly unique gallery environment. This show returns us to the other ‘pandemic’ of our times – the fragile state of our planet. The exhibition unfolds what the artist describes as “a meditation on the interdependence of physical systems,” and examines a forcefield of relations Campbell has activated between photography, philosophy, ecology, material history, science fiction, and the care and reading of sacred and symbolic landscapes. Raised in Wairoa on the east coast of the North Island and now based at Karekare, Campbell spent a decade in Los Angeles, Southern California. She is drawn to and has negotiated extreme conditions: the wild places of rural New Zealand; the desiccated, smog-choked hinterlands of California, the icy vastness of Antarctica, and the ocean’s coral reefs and imagined depths. Shifting scale from the microscopic to the global, she uses a wide spectrum of techniques from photography’s 200-year

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art & about with naomi mccleary

history to give visible form to the beauty, complexity and sheer perseverance of life under threat. From the global to the local, and close to my heart, Te Uru is also hosting an exhibition of new work by Wayne Youle, made during his studio residency at McCahon House in 2019. Spilling out from the Learning Centre Gallery into Te Uru’s stairwell, Elevation is anchored by a large sculpture that cuts across the centre of the gallery. This is based on the famously open-air children’s bunkroom underneath the McCahon cottage and brings an imagined section of McCahon House into the gallery. Throughout this exhibition, Youle mixes history with design and sculpture, demonstrating a deep engagement with the McCahon legacy.

Artists of the Month

I want to talk about two amazing Westies, artists whose work is generated out here but who both have a far wider audience reach. I’m not going to give you their background stories; Google them for that. Rather I want to talk about how their work impacts me – and where you can find it. Susannah Bridges is a familiar name to Fringe readers. She writes the monthly music column. But, in my world, she is one of our top ceramic artists producing signature pieces of functional and beautiful lights and vessels. I live with one of her table lights – a piece that looks deceptively fragile – a tube of translucent white clay with lovely notes from the handling of the material. This white tubular form is repeated, some with patterns from impressed fabric, others slashed with a saw to

create stronger and more angular marks and which let through the light to differing degrees. They have that perfect marriage of style and quirkiness. Her vessels are completely different: big strong, richly glazed but simple forms; ovoid and on pedestal stands. These are not bowls for serving food, but statements about form and colour. Her work sells at the Te Uru Gallery shop (and other outlets) and from her studio in Henderson. John Madden is a Westie twice over. Born into a coal mining family on the West Coast of the South Island, John was greatly influenced by the strength and grit of the industry and the miners’ stories that were told to him as an adolescent. The harshness of that world was captured in a landmark exhibition seen many years ago, but the images have stayed with me. Now, since 1989, a resident of Karekare, he is known for both his earlier, monumental ceramics and now primarily as a painter. For me his paintings speak powerfully and viscerally of his passion for the land and draw me into that brooding atmosphere of the surging seas and hills of the wild West Coast. His latest work can be seen throughout October at the West Coast Gallery in Piha.

Paintings by Karekare artist, John Madden, are on display at West Coast Gallery, Piha, this month.

Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 November 10am–4pm Visit some of Waitākere’s most celebrated artists including sculptors, painters, jewellers, illustrators, ceramic artists and photographers.

Lights, bowls and exhibition pieces: Susannah Bridges’ ceramics have that perfect marriage of style and quirkiness.

With over 80 artists involved, and 40 studios from Piha to Glen Eden, Titirangi to Te Henga, it’s an inspiring weekend out and about. Take a self-guided tour at your own pace with our Open Studios Map and mobile App, or jump on an Open Studios Bus Tour. For more information visit

openstudioswaitakere.co.nz or find us on Facebook and Instagram. Proudly supported by

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The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

places to go Event organisers: Do you have an upcoming event you’d like

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN IN THE WEST...

listed in The Fringe? Send the details, including a contact person and number, to info@fringemedia.co.nz. Readers: While we take care to ensure listings are correct, errors may occur. Check with the contact person wherever possible.

october – 25, Te Koretētāmaua SETTLE, PETAL, Turumeke Harrington imagines the unstable void as a condensed collection of parts poised to become more and unknown; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson. Phone 838 4455.

monthly day trip; St John’s Hall, Te Atatū South; 9.45am-Noon. Phone Betty 09 832 0484. October 9, West Auckland Men’s Rebus Club, guest speaker and morning tea; Friendship Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn; 10am-12noon. Phone Laurie 820 2234.

October 10, Titirangi Folk Music Club presents Looking for Alaska, floor singers first half; Titirangi Beach Hall, bottom of Titirangi Beach Road; 8pm; $12, $8 for members, under 18 free. www. titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.

w – 25, Te Ngau a Hine-Moana by Raukura Turei: The sea eats away at the whenua. Her sturdy defender Rakahore of rock and stone eventually merges with Parawhenuamea of silt and sediment; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson. Phone 838 4455

– 25, Orokohanga by Nikau Hindin: as the tides sigh a deep breath out, the aute unfolds parched and porous. Ready. Orokohanga explores the essence of the beginning; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson. Phone 838 4455

– November 22, On the last afternoon: Disrupted ecologies and the work of Joyce Campbell, the first substantial presentation of artist Joyce Campbell’s photo- and media-based practice. Te Uru, 420 Titirangi Road. Phone 817 8070.

– November 29, Wayne Youle’s Elevation: Spilling out from the Learning Centre Gallery into Te Uru’s stairwell, Elevation brings an imagined section of McCahon House into Te Uru.

October 2, Flicks presents ... film to be confirmed; Titirangi Theatre, Lopdell House. Trailers and details on www.flickscinema. weebly.com.

October 13, West Auckland Historical Society Family History Group meeting; Henderson Central Library West Auckland Research Centre; 10-11.30am. Phone Gary Snow 832 5098, 021 618 434 or email gary@snofam.co.nz. October 17, Lions Club Book Sale; New Lynn Friendship Club Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn; 8am-4pm. Phone Mary 027 487 0639. October 19, Henderson Falls Combined Friendship Club – fun, friendship and fellowship with speakers and frequent outings; Henderson Bowling Club, 2/20 Alderman Drive, Henderson; 10am. Contact Fern 416 0004 or 0274 720 378.

October 20, SeniorNet West Auckland, speaker, morning tea and chatting about computers; Kelston Community Centre; 10am. Phone June 021 179 3635.

October 23, Glen Eden Combined Probus Club welcomes retirees for fellowship and guest speakers; Ceramco Park Function Centre, 120 Glendale Road, Kaurilands; 9.45am. Phone Brian Holt 838.

w October 23, Titirangi Folk Music Club presents Friday Folk and Jam, an informal singaround; Titirangi Beach Hall, bottom of Titirangi Beach Road; 7.30pm; $5. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289. October 25, Titirangi Village Market: art, craft, produce and music; Titirangi War Memorial Hall; 10am-2pm. Contact Tess on tvm. manager@gmail.com or phone 022 631 9436.

3, Friends of Whatipu present Whatipu Lodge 150th Anniversary: talks, afternoon tea and a walk around the grounds featuring Rebecca Ramsay, Bruce Harvey and Wayne McKenzie; Whatipu Lodge; 1pm.

3 – 26, Fragments, oil paintings by John Madden; West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha. Phone 812 8029. www.westcoastgallery. co.nz.

w w

3 – November 29, THROWN: testing the limits of interactive art, James Charlton’s major new installation presents a series of free-standing mechanical structures, programmed and loaded with hundreds of tennis balls, ready to be released into the air and collected by a team of voluntary human agents; Te Uru, 420 Titirangi Road. Phone 817 8070.

October 4, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.

w w

October 9, Ladies’ Probus Club, fellowship, fun, speakers, and a

October 27, Titirangi U3A – meet interesting people 60-years and older; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Avenue, New Lynn; 1pm. Contact 818 8890, 027 699 5480 or heathertanguay@slingshot.co.nz. 28, West Auckland Historical Society presents The melon and dahlia and more ..., a talk by West Auckland horticulturist Dr Keith Hammett; Waitakere Gardens Meeting Room, 15 Sel Peacock Drive, Henderson; 7pm. Phone Vivien Burgess 833 4692. 30 – December 6, Clay: Form and Function, an exhibition of new works by artist Kairava Gullatz; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson. Phone 838 4455.

30 – December 6, Soft and Gentle Workings, a show that reflects upon change and loss by artist Louise Keen; Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson. Phone 838 4455.

The Klipsch Fives The Most Versatile Powered Speakers on Earth. 213 – 215 Woodlands Park Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604 Phone: 09 817 8495 or 09 817 6188 www.kenturnermotors.co.nz

Connect directly to your TV, Smartphone, Tablet, Turntable, CD player or PC $1799

AXENT AUDIO, 25 Portage Road, New Lynn. Ph 827 1220

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november November 1, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732.

l WHERE IT’S AT: • Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon

Lane, Henderson; 10am-4.30pm daily. 838 4455, www.ceac.org.nz.

November 10, West Auckland Historical Society Family History Group meeting; Henderson Central Library West Auckland Research Centre; 10-11.30am. Phone Gary Snow 832 5098, 021 618 434 or email gary@snofam.co.nz.

• EcoMatters Environment Trust, 1 Olympic

November 13, Ladies’ Probus Club, fellowship, fun, speakers, and a monthly day trip; St John’s Hall, Te Atatū South; 9.45am-Noon. Phone Betty 09 832 0484.

818 2489, www.flickscinema.weebly.com.

November 13, West Auckland Men’s Rebus Club, guest speaker and morning tea; Friendship Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn; 10am-12noon. Phone Laurie 820 2234.

November 14, Titirangi Folk Music Club presents Aro, floor singers first half; Titirangi Beach Hall, bottom of Titirangi Beach Road; 8pm; $25, members $20. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.

Place, New Lynn; Wednesday – Sunday 10am-2pm. 826 4276, info@ecomatters.org.nz.

• Flicks cinema, Titirangi Theatre, Lopdell House. • Kelston Community Centre, corner of Awaroa and Great North Roads, Kelston.

• McCahon House Museum, 67 Otitori Bay

Road, Titirangi; Wednesday – Sunday 1-4pm, except public holidays. 817 6148, mccahon@ mccahonhouse.org.nz.

• Playhouse Theatre, 15 Glendale Road, Glen Eden. 818 5751.

November 16, Henderson Falls Combined Friendship Club – fun, friendship and fellowship with monthly speakers and frequent outings; Henderson Bowling Club, 2/20 Alderman Drive, Henderson; 10am. Contact Fern 416 0004 or 027 472 0378.

• Te Toi Uku – Clay Works, 8 Ambrico Place,

November 17, SeniorNet West Auckland, speaker, morning tea and chatting about computers; Kelston Community Centre; 10am. Phone June 021 179 3635.

• Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery,

New Lynn; Tuesday –Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am-3pm. Phone 827 7349, www. portageceramicstrust.org.nz.

420 Titirangi Road, Titirangi; Tuesday – Sunday 10am–4.30pm daily. 817 8087, info@teuru.org.nz.

November 21, Lions Club Book Sale; New Lynn Friendship Club Hall, 3063 Great North Road; 8am-4pm. Phone Mary 027 487 0639.

• Titirangi Theatre, Titirangi Theatre, Lopdell

November 22, Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School Fair, a fun-filled family activity day and Christmas shopping opportunity supporting local and home-made products. This is a dog-free and zero-waste event; 5 Helios Place, Titirangi; 10am-3pm.

• Upstairs Gallery, Level 1, Lopdell House, 418

November 25, West Auckland Historical Society Annual General meeting; Waitakere Gardens Meeting Room, 15 Sel Peacock Drive, Henderson; 7pm. Phone Vivien Burgess 833 4692.

• West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha;

w w

November 27, Glen Eden Combined Probus Club welcomes retirees for fellowship and guest speakers; Ceramco Park Function Centre, 120 Glendale Road, Kaurilands; 9.45am. Phone Brian Holt 838.

November 24, Titirangi U3A AGM; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Avenue, New Lynn; 1pm. Contact 818 8890, 027 699 5480 or heathertanguay@slingshot.co.nz.

November 27, Titirangi Folk Music Club presents Friday Folk and Jam, an informal singaround; Titirangi Beach Hall, bottom of Titirangi Beach Road; 7.30pm; $5. www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN IN THE WEST...

31 – November 22, Ceramics by Rita Konig; West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha. Phone 812 8029. www.westcoastgallery.co.nz.

House; Titirangi. 817 5812, infoline 817 5951, www.titirangitheatre.co.nz. Titirangi Road; 10am–4.30pm daily. 817 4278, www.upstairs.org.nz.

Wednesday – Sunday, 10am–4pm. 812 8029, www. westcoastgallery.co.nz.

There is so much happening in and around our community, including many weekly events, that we can’t fit everything into these listings. To find out more about whatever you are interested in, visit:

www.fringemedia.co.nz/ourplace

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P O Box 120 Shortland Street, Auckland 1140, New Zealand Telephone: 812-8180 – Facsimile 812-8182 – Mobile 0220 818-010 Email: vp@vplaw.co.nz

The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

places to go

Open Studios 2020: a unique opportunity to meet the artists

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN IN THE WEST...

Enthralling and inspiring in equal measure, the annual Open Studios Waitākere event in November has been running for the last five years. The event, funded by the Waitākere Ranges Local Board, provides the unique opportunity for attendees to meet local artists, see art in action, purchase local artwork and learn about the creative process. Renee Tanner who organises the event says it’s an inspiring weekend for everyone. “It’s been growing in popularity each year and is something many people look forward to. “In fact, we have had more than 1000 visitors for two years running, and we constantly aim to increase that with the variety and scale on offer each time,” she says. “The feedback we get is overwhelmingly positive. The event opens up cultural and artistic opportunities for the community where they didn’t exist before. Historically the West is well known as a haven for artists, and Open Studios brings that to life in a wonderful, participatory way. “Each year we have more than 80 artists involved, and 40 studios from Piha to Glen Eden, Titirangi to Te Henga opening their doors to the public, which is phenomenal,” says Renee. An enormous amount of work goes into making this unique event happen, with sculptors, painters, jewellers, illustrators, ceramic artists and photographers taking part, many also offering limited editions and one-off pieces. The event has embraced technology to help attendees choose where they go with a bespoke app. Visitors can take a self-guided tour at their own pace using the app, or by picking up a copy of the event brochure and map. “There’s also an Open Studios Bus Tour which visits a wide range of studios and includes a packed lunch, so however you want to get involved we’ve got the bases covered. “We are very grateful to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board who fund and support the event,” says Renee.

Artists included in the 2020 Open Studio Weekend include (clockwise from top left) Monique Endt, Judy Newton, Desmond Burdon, Helen Dean and Rachel Carter.

Linda Cooper Linda Cooper Linda Cooper

ouncillor for Waitākere Councillor for Waitākere Councillor for Waitākere

feel free to lease feelPlease free contact me with Please feel to free to contact me with contact me with ssuesissues or ideas or ideas issues or ideas

021 629 533 21 629 021533 629 533 linda.cooper@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz nda.cooper@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz linda.cooper@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

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our place

New entrants to benefit Titirangi Primary School is calling for all families with children turning five in 2021 and living in its zone to get in touch with the school to arrange enrolment. The school has a roll of around 470 children, and focuses on smaller classroom sizes, and Photo by Alan Tunnell. a combination of modern and traditional learning practices to provide fun learning across a broad curriculum. There is also a wide range of optional programmes available for children within the school day, as well as extracurricular activities connected to the school spanning art, culture, sport and technology. The school's new entrants will get the benefit of a number of new developments. In 2020 the swimming pool was refurbished and a new junior school playground has been opened. In 2021 Titirangi School students will be able to use the upgraded playing field that promises all-weather use for the first time in the school’s history. To find out more visit the school’s new website, www.titirangi.org.nz, and browse the ‘new to school’ section.

Left: Eliah with Principal Julie Lynch opening the new junior playground. Above: Jackson, Xan, Alyssa, Aurora and Ruby on the new monkey bars.

At the libraries Titirangi Library, next to the War Memorial Hall at the top of South Titirangi Road has a number of special events planned this month. Thursday October 8, 11am-12pm: Tramping in the Waitākere Ranges, a visual story of the Auckland Tramping Club, 1920s – 1940s. This special presentation by Raewynn Robertson from Research West is part of the Auckland Heritage Festival. Registrations preferred. Phone 817 0011 or email titirangi.library@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

School Holiday Activities

Monday October 5, 10-11am: Lego Spinner Tournament. Put your creative skills to the test and build a Lego super spinner then take part in our first ever spin and win tournament. Suitable for 5+. Thursday October 8, 2-3pm: FX Makeup. Learn how to create cuts, bruises and gore in our movie makeup workshop. Suitable for 8+. Saturday October 10, 10.30-11.30am: Kidz Need Dadz Stories and Craft. A special storytime with guest readers and a craft session brought to you by Kidz Need Dadz Charitable Trust. Suitable for all ages.

Titirangi Library’s regular programmes for children return after the school holidays and all are welcome with no registrations required: Tuesday October 13, 10.30am: Rhymetime. A fun social music session for toddlers. Wednesday October 14, 10-10.30am: Words on Wednesday. Interactive storytelling for children aged 3-5 years. Wednesday October 14, 3.30-4.30am: Lego Club. Free play brick building. Suitable for 5+. Thursday October 15, 3.30-4.30pm: Minecraft Club. Social gaming for all Minecraft fans. Own device and Minecraft logon required. Friday October 16, 9.30-10am: Wriggle & Rhyme. Active movement and play for babies. Suitable for 3-18 months. Note: All events listed are subject to changes to Covid 19 alert levels. Keep up to date on the library’s Facebook page.

Working to maintain our priorities

While we’re all occupied with Covidbeen reduced to $150,000 to spend 19, climate change and biodiversity on safety projects in the road corridor. loss are still happening at speed and We have a long list of safety concerns budgetary decisions are being made from residents so we need to prioritise. that affect us all. While the money for the Council’s emergency budget has redevelopment of Glen Eden has once emphasised asset sales as a way to again been deferred, we will continue recoup losses from the pandemic. to fight for it to be reinstated and Future West have been fighting to are optimistic it will be in the next retain three important assets and long-term plan. We are concerned, have managed to halt the sale of however, about the loss of $1.8 million two properties, both of which were The Waitākere Ranges Local Board Future West team are (left to of our transport capex that we have purchased under the Public Works Act right) Mark Allen, Saffron Toms, Sandra Coney and Greg Presland. been saving to put in to Glen Eden. for the prevention of flooding: a flood-prone section in Western Road, By now the consultation period for encouraging Aucklanders to install Laingholm that enjoys a great deal of community interest and involvement, rainwater tanks will be complete. This is an important part of building and land with high-value endangered forest forming the headwaters of resilience for our rapidly growing city as we are faced with the increasing Kaurimu Stream. likelihood of droughts due to climate change. Increasing private rainwater However, we were not successful in retaining strategic land in Glen harvesting across the region will also take pressure off stormwater Eden, which already ranks poorly in terms of parks and open space. While infrastructure and reduce the urban heat island effect. Council kept the back portion of the property which we’ve been working As the board’s representative on Local Government NZ, I am now in on for a long time (and part of our Greenways plan), they unfortunately the process of ensuring that reinstatement of tree protection becomes voted to sell a large portion of it, including the access to West Coast Road. a priority advocacy point for LGNZ to the next government. There’s a lot Please encourage your councillors to ensure that maintenance of this of support from local board members and chairs across the region, and I access is included in any sale agreement. expect to get this adopted at the next meeting. The local board is working on how we will spend our substantially That’s all for now folks. Take care and stay safe, and safely connected. reduced transport safety budget. Prior to Saffron Toms, Deputy Chair, Waitakere Covid-19, we had allocated some $500,000 Ranges Local Board, 021 322 803. to pedestrian safety improvements around Konini School. However that budget has now Advertisement

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bandstanding: music in the west with susannah bridges

‘Music belongs to everyone’ “Music is life – that’s why our hearts have beats!” So says Gail Turner (right), proprietor of The New Zealand Modern School of Music (Auckland) for the last 25 years. The school was established by the late Allan Gardiner of Blenheim in 1952 and Gail purchased the business in 1996. It had nine teachers then. Now she has 81 teachers throughout Auckland teaching piano, keyboard, guitar, singing, drums, violin and ukelele. Growing up in Point Chevalier, Gail moved west as a bright young 20 something and is still here. Her musical exposure began young. “My father used to sing on the radio, 1ZB, at The Orange Ballroom off Symonds Street, and in many of the dance halls in those days. My sister and I (as babies) used to be in our little baskets under the table, sleeping or listening to the music. Friends would come on Saturday nights – Jack would bring his guitar, Les would play on the piano and my father would sing and this would go on for hours.” An uncle was a well known saxophonist. “He and I would spend lots of time together with him playing the saxophone and me on the piano. My sister and I started learning piano aged five – classical and ragtime. We did our Trinity exams and I played several times at the Town Hall in the Auckland Competitions for a friend who had a beautiful voice. The competitions were for young children to perform in front of the public, which was scary at that age! We came first one year and were placed for three years at the ages of 9, 10 and 11. “I also love dancing and won a couple of competitions years ago – I was a Rock’n’Roll girl and even now a tune will come on and I’ll be twisting down the hallway. I was on TV on Pete Sinclair’s C’mon show. My girlfriend and I would come home from school and make up all sorts of routines – we came second in the Pasadena Intermediate School Competition. I loved ballroom dancing as well: my mother and father were ballroom champions. In those days there was a dance held somewhere in Auckland nearly every Saturday night.” Business College followed high school, which in turn was followed by marriage. “I didn’t get to play much after we had children, until I saw a sign on a letterbox in Henderson – NZ Modern School of Music. I thought I would investigate. I had only played classical music and was interested in the Modern School style which took a different approach.” Although taking to her new course of study like a duck to water, it took Gail 12 years to gain her NZMSM Diploma. “The children were little when I started studying and when they went to school I worked doing secretarial work. Every morning I would get up very early, get the children off to school and then run to the piano to practice for half an hour before I went to work. I recall getting a speeding ticket one morning as I was running late – I didn’t want to stop playing the piano!”

Gail was back competing in music competitions in her early 40s. “When it was my time to perform I would sit up the front with pupils from 13 – 16 years old. I was the ‘old lady’. The young ones would appear to be cool, calm and collected and I would be so nervous my body used to shake! But one year I won the Allan Gardiner Trophy for the boogie woogie class, which was the highlight of my day. My name is still engraved on that trophy.” When her then teacher moved to Christchurch Gail decided to buy the business and it has since grown so much that she finds little time to play herself. “I keep saying when I retire I will play every day. I was also involved with a choir and I would love to join a choir again as I enjoy singing too. Music is obviously in my body to stay.” Gail explains the teaching style at the NZMSM is “a contemporary method of writing the music with chord symbols – C chord, G chord, etc. – instead of reading both clefs of music with notes. Pupils can pick up any sheet of music (rock, boogie woogie, Latin American, jazz, ballads, blues) and write their own arrangement. By Grade 5, pupils write their own tune and have to play it back to the examiner. Our exam grades are accepted by Universities and one of our pupils wrote his own musical and took it to London which we were very proud of! We have some extremely talented young musicians.” Competitions at the NZMSM were upset by Covid-19 this year. “I decided to hold online competitions. Pupils needed to record their piece and post it on Facebook. This was a great success and everyone had fun but it was a lot of hard work. It’s exciting, though, to see teachers who have not had much experience with technology teach online. In no time they seem to enjoy the new experience and it has almost become second nature to them. And it’s great to hear from their pupils how exciting it is to have online lessons. Of course, this is a piece of cake for them as most have more technological experience than adults.” As the end of year approaches so does Gail’s busiest term. “Our teachers will be focusing on concerts in their home studios and on the Christmas Concerts.” The term wraps on December 18 and the NZMSM kicks off again on February 1. Gail reckons “music belongs to everyone and is a major part of our lives. We try to encourage everyone to learn music. A lot of older pupils think we only teach children but we love adult pupils. Music is so beneficial – for the mind, body and soul.” To find out more about The NZ Modern School of Music phone Gail on 0800 696 874 or 027 434 3746, check out Facebook (NZ Modern School of Music Auckland Ltd) or visit the website www.modernmusic. co.nz.

This space is being seen by up to 70,000 local residents. It could be yours for as little as $240 + GST, or 0.33 cents per reader. Email info@fringemedia.co.nz or phone 817 8024 to find out more. (For all our rates, download our media kit from http://www.fringemedia.co.nz/Rates.html.)

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books

‘A vision fulfilled and a community created’ Around the world, people from all walks of life are becoming interested in living more sustainably. Whether it’s downsizing, buying a tiny home or living off-grid, the desire to reduce our carbon footprint and financial burden is growing. For some, the answer lies in community housing. Sustainable architecture practitioner Robin Allison is the founder of Earthsong EcoNeighbourhood, New Zealand’s first urban ‘cohousing’ community in Ranui. Robin was born and educated in Auckland. She qualified with a degree in architecture from the University of Auckland in 1987 and had her own practice in sustainable architecture for many years, while raising two boys as a sole parent. In 1995, Robin began working to create a sustainable housing development of 32 homes and common facilities and, as the project’s development coordinator from 1999 to 2008, she was a key driver in the development and construction phase of Earthsong, where she still lives. In a new book, Cohousing for Life, Robin describes her journey from lonely suburban mother with two boys to pioneering developer of Earthsong. The book captures the key elements and structures that were critical to creating this innovative housing development, including the many lessons learned along the way. With challenges on all sides, Robin’s ‘heroic journey’ oscillates from despair and exhaustion to joy and triumph but she never gives up on her dream. “The journey was worth doing for its own sake as well as for the destination; being part of a group of people working on such a project together was extraordinary. Through all the hard times, and even if the project hadn’t achieved fruition, that experience was gold, and ultimately, the effort was worth it,” says Robin. Cohousing for Life is available in bookshops nationwide and online. The Fringe has a copy of Cohousing for Life to give away. To go in the draw write your name, address and phone number on the back of an envelope and post it to Cohousing, PO Box 60-469, Titirangi, Auckland, 0642 or email your details to info@fringemedia.co.nz with Cohousing in the subject line. Entries must be received by October 15. For more information visit www.robinallison.co.nz.

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THE FRENCH WAY: Trekking the 40-day El Camino de Santiago The French Way is an epic story written by Lorraine Thomson, recounting her solo 800km trek from St Jean Pied de Port in France, over the Pyrenees and across Spain, to the ancient burial place of St James – Santiago de Compostela. Lorraine outlines her trials and tribulations, the medieval landmarks, and the diverse people she met along the way. This is a must-read for anyone contemplating the Camino adventure or just interested in an armchair holiday. The book is available from the publisher, www.pegasuspublishers.com, or directly from the author by emailing Lorraine@LVLT.co.nz. The Fringe has a copy of The French Way to give away. To go in the draw write your name, address and phone number on the back of an envelope and post it to El Camino, PO Box 60-469, Titirangi, Auckland, 0642 or email your details to info@fringemedia.co.nz with El Camino in the subject line. Entries must be received by October 15.

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PLANNING A FESTIVE GATHERING? Our festive menus are available now, groups of all sizes welcome, bookings essential. Contact us for more details.

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The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

naturally west with fiona drummond

Toropapa - heaven scent trickster Toropapa is arguably my favourite native shrub. Not because of it’s form which is usually quite rangy and neither for its inflorescence which, though pretty and often variable in colour, is fairly insignificant. Alseuosmia Macrophylla, more commonly known as New Zealand Honeysuckle, is my favourite for its scent. To me, this aroma heralds springtime in the New Zealand bush, a divine fragrance and I often wonder whether the perfumiers of the world have knowledge of it. In early springtime I will often catch its drift on the air and try to determine where the perfume is coming from but it is an elusive shrub (in more ways than one). Nestled, hidden in the bush, the potency of its flowers can be detected from some distance away. It is evident but not prevalent along Exhibition Drive and on the Beveridge Track, with flowers that can range from white to pink to red, another reason I like this shrub. Toropapa has not flowered well over the last few years, perhaps due to the drought conditions, but last year I was delighted to discover one had grown to flowering

size in my garden, so I now have my own special one to savour, and again this year it has gifted me flowers. Apparently Toropapa has been confusing botanists for over 100 years because the shrub shows extreme variation in leaf shape – even between plants considered to be the same species from a single location. This extreme variation in Toropapa has made it very difficult to determine the exact number of species. To add to the confusion, the leaves of some Toropapa plants show a remarkable resemblance to completely unrelated species, such as Maire, Porokaiwhiri (pigeonwood), Ramarama, and Horopito. It has been suggested that this is a case of mimicry whereby palatable plants mimic unpalatable plants to avoid being eaten by browsing animals. Te Papa scientists in conjunction with DOC are studying the genetics and morphology of Toropapa to help determine how many species there are and to understand how mimicry has evolved in the genus. Just another reason to love this elusive heaven scent trickster.

Nature apps and websites for the Great Outdoors There’s an app for everything these days and many have been developed to enhance our experience of New Zealand nature writes FIONA DRUMMOND. NZ Tree was developed by AUT University School of Science in collaboration with the Centre for Learning and Teaching and The App Lab in 2018. The free app is currently being promoted by Auckland Council. “App users can identify the native tree, shrub, fern or palm they're looking at by matching its foliage, flowers or bark with simple picture icons on a menu”, says Len Gillman, Head of AUT School of Science and a Laingholm local. "You click on icons that lead you to a range of trees that have those features – gradually refining your search. Once you've identified your tree, the app will tell you, among other things, its English, Māori and Latin names and whether or not it's poisonous,” he says. The app is a work in progress as Len is working on extending the number of trees covered in the app to over 200 species with more detailed photos. Another app is iNaturalist, a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. It is operated in New

Zealand by the New Zealand Bio-Recording Network Trust, a charitable trust led by a team of ecologists and biodiversity IT professionals. All observations (photo or sound recordings) made on iNaturalist NZ become part of the global iNaturalist.org site. You get all the world's naturalists looking at your hard-to-identify plants and creatures and in return you'll create research-quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. You can be a part of the iNaturalist community on the web at inaturalist.nz. Or, if you have an Apple or Android smartphone or tablet, you can install the iNaturalist app and start nature watching with your camera or mobile phone. I used this app when I wanted to identify a flowering plant that I encountered on a cemetery excursion and, having posted a picture, I received a notification with an identification in a short space of time. Pest Detective is not an app but an interactive online field tool to help identify the presence of pest animal species. The website (https:// www.pestdetective.org.nz/) is run and hosted by Bionet, a collaborative partnership between Biosecurity New Zealand, the Department of Conservation, Land Information New Zealand and regional councils. Many pest animals are notoriously difficult to detect. This website

weather by the moon Ken Ring’s predictions for October October has average rain, and although cooler, is sunnier than average. Expect scattered showers and fine spells for the first two weeks. The third week is the driest and has the most sunny days. It is also the coolest week. The fourth week sees the heaviest rain. The best weekend is the 17th/18th. Atmospheric pressures should average about 1018mbs, with winds from the south or southwest bringing mostly dry weather on about 20 days. For fishermen, the highest king tide may be around the 17th. The best fishing bite-times in the west are around noon on the 1st-3rd, 16th-18th, and 31st (and in the east around dusk on those days). Chances are also good in the west for dusk of the 9th-11th, and 23rd-25th, (and in the east around noon on those days). For gardeners, the best pruning days are the 3rd-9th (waning moon descending), and the 18th-22th are the best sowing days (waxing moon ascending). For longer shelf-life for crops, harvest at neap tide days on the 10th and 25th. Allow 24 hour error for all forecasting. For future weather for any date, visit www.predictweather.com. © Ken Ring 2020.

The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

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sustainable solutions with fiona drummond

Recycle your mobile phone to enhance the environment Recycling unwanted mobile phones saves valuable materials from ending up in landfill. I recently picked up a Free Post ‘Recycle Your Mobile Phone’ envelope from Re:mobile. The Re:mobile service supports Sustainable Coastlines, an organisation which delivers coastal clean up events, riparian planting projects and runs educational programmes and public awareness campaigns, enabling people to look after our coastlines and waterways. According to information printed on the envelope $100,000 has been raised from the proceeds of unwanted mobile phones since 2016, helping Sustainable Coastlines to plant over 10,000 trees and plants alongside waterways around Aotearoa. The Sustainable Coastlines website offers several options to get your old phone to Re:Mobile, the company they use to recycle them. • You can drop the envelope off to any 2degrees, Spark or Vodafone retail store, to a Resene ColorShop or Auckland Council. • The envelope can be posted to Re:mobile, PO Box 8746, Symonds Street, Auckland 1150 or Freepost, Re:mobile, Private Bag 208004, Highbrook, Auckland 2161. • It can be couriered to Re:mobile, C/- Swapkit Ltd, Unit 6/30 Fleet Street, Eden Terrace, Auckland 1021 • And, if you work in Auckland city, you can also drop mobile phones into the Sustainable Coastlines’ Flagship Education Centre, corner Beaumont and Madden Streets, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland. (Open 10am-5pm daily.)

has been developed to help practitioners working in pest control, landowners and land managers, conservation volunteers and community groups, and students and researchers. You can start searching in two different ways: • Clues, if you have field sign you wish to identify, or • Culprits, if you suspect a particular species or simply want to know more about certain pest animals. Once you have identified your culprit(s) you can go to the Next Steps page for links to pest control and pest animal monitoring. There are many other New Zealand nature apps, for both Android and Apple devices. You might like to check out: • NZ Bird Gallery, which lets you download a bird song as a ring tone • Star Chart (from Escapist Games) • NZ Birding Checklist for location, sightings and bird call identification ($3.99) • A mobile version of the book Birds of New Zealand by Paul Scofield and Brent Stevenson. ($54.99)

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Before donating your mobile phone: 1. If the phone still turns on, disconnect it from any cloud service and complete a factory reset to erase any data from the phone. 2. Remove your sim card from the phone and keep it. 3. Leave the battery in the phone. 4. Switch the phone off. Recycling your phone responsibly could mean another tree will flourish.

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WHO’S YOUR LOCAL ECO HERO?

The Love Your Place Awards celebrate volunteers making a positive impact on the environment in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area. There are award categories for youth, schools, businesses, groups & individuals. Nominate your environmental champion before 8 November 2020. ecomatters.org.nz/loveyourplace

LOVE YOUR PLACE The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

our place

Pest control in your own backyard The next ‘predator pulse’, when residents throughout Titirangi conduct a coordinated assault on animal pests, is due to take place at the end of this month. DAVID BLAKE provides the following background to backyard pest control. There are many benefits to putting a trap on your property. As the Department of Conservation (DOC) points out, when pests and predators were introduced to New Zealand they took a serious toll on the survival of our native plants, birds, reptiles and invertebrates. Pests such as possums, rats and stoats compete with our native birdlife for food and habitat. They also eat the eggs and young and attack the adults. Building or buying a trap or bait station could greatly increase the number of birds, lizards, weta and many more native animals on your section. It could also be a really valuable learning experience for your kids who often love checking traps each morning to see if anything was caught. DOC provides a number of resources to help get your backyard trapping started, including advice on building your own trapping tunnels. See the links below. Traps can also be purchased online at https://shop.predatorfreenz.org/products/victor-professional-rat-traptunnel. Another approach to pest control is to use bait stations. These are plastic boxes that contain bait for rats and mice. The main benefit of bait stations is that they are a lot less work than traps as they don’t

Bruce Inwood (left) and David Blake with the most common types of traps and bait stations: traps from left Timms Possum trap, DOC 200 and Ambush bait station which can hold bait or a Trex rat trap

have to be checked as often and you don’t have to dispose of the dead rodents. Generally they will go off into the bush somewhere to die. (However, they will, on occasion, die in the walls and/or ceiling of your house.) Bait stations are safe around kids and non-target species but they are not suitable for properties where dogs are present as there is a slight chance a dog will eat a poisoned rat. The South Titirangi Neighbourhood Network (STNN) uses a toxin called Ditrac which has low toxicity to pets. It breaks down very quickly in the rodent and there is also an antidote available should it be needed. Whichever route you take the placement of your trap or bait station is important. Rats and mice like to run along borders such as fences and the edge of the bush, the side of a stream or the edge of a house. If you are not having any bait taken or your trap is not being triggered, then simply move it to a different location. It’s not really known why, but rodents can be quite fussy about the enclosures they enter. Simply moving your trap or bait station five to 10 metres can produce markedly different results. Trapping and setting bait stations is made more effective if, as a community, we record who is catching or killing pest animals and how many. To do this STNN uses the EcoTrack app which can be downloaded (for both Android phones and iPhones) at https://ecotrack.nz/. Using this app you can set up checkpoints where you have your traps or bait stations and enter in catch data when you check them. This helps groups like STNN obtain funding from Council as it shows that there are lots of people involved and that any supplies the group is given would be well used. It also helps monitor how many people are doing pest control and in which areas which helps identify areas which may not be covered. The app also helps to measure progress in reducing the numbers of predators. For more information visit: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/animal-pests/ https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/conservation-activities/ backyard-trapping/ https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/conservation-activities/builda-backyard-trapping-tunnel https://www.southtitirangi.org.nz/ (Visit the Connect page on this site to find your local coordinator.) STNN can supply Trex traps for $7, bait stations for $25 and Ditrac bait at $5 per 10 blocks. A block is enough to kill one rat. The group might also be able to help source other traps and tunnels.

Coming up in In the November issue of The Fringe we will continue our build up towards Summer and the Festive Season. Yep, it’s that time of year again and after the disruption of the last six months, our many thousands of readers will be eager to start thinking about happier times, Christmas shopping and festive dining options. Special rates and complimentary editorial space will be available to participating advertisers. The Fringe is well aware of the problems being faced by local businesses as a result of Covid-19 and the associated lockdowns and we are committed to supporting our local businesses and community organisations. We will continue to run our keeping it local section to support our advertisers and our community.

To find out more, email The Fringe at info@fringemedia.co.nz.

The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

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wandering westies with mick andrew

A day walk on Waiheke Waiheke Island might not spring to mind as a destination for good walks. But with the 100km Te Ara Hura walk running around the entire island, there are literally dozens of coastal and bush jaunts that can provide a welcome change of scene from the Waitākeres. One of the most accessible is the first segment of the Te Ara Hura, which starts at the Matiatia ferry terminal and winds around the north-western promontories of the island to Oneroa. Taking around two hours, it’s the scenic alternative to the five-minute bus or taxi that most visitors take to the island’s main town centre. It’s a Sunday morning when our ferry bumps to a halt at the Matiatia wharf. Leaving the crowded terminal, we walk to the left of the bus turning circle and along shelly Matiatia beach. If the tide is high, you can take the small tracks that divert slightly inland or just clamber over the pohutukawa jutting out over the water. After 10 minutes we reach the end of the beach and the beginning of the dirt track, running through the scrub and toward the end of the headland. Here little gaps in the trees open up views over Matiatia Bay and the boats gently floating at anchor. The ferry we were just on is cruising back out of the bay toward Auckland CBD, which can be seen in the distance, poking out around the edge of Rangitoto Island. Near the tip of the headland the track winds north along the coast, opening up views across the Hauraki Gulf to Motutapu, Rakino, Hauturu and Great Barrier Islands on a clear day. It’s a fairly easy walk; a dry, wellformed dirt track with moderate ups and downs along the Queen’s Chain – a 20-metre-wide space between the teal sea and the monstrous mansions sprawled out like bunkers on the slopes. Another 30 minutes and the track traces the coast around to the east, eventually reaching a set of steps which takes us down into a valley of scrub with the most extraordinary birdsong. There must be at least 200 tūī among the mānuka, creating the kind of chorus you’d only hear in designated sanctuaries. With no possums

and a very intensive pest eradication programme, Waiheke is in a way an island sanctuary, and the results are abundantly clear. We climb the other side of the valley before descending once again to sea level, eventually popping out at a grassy coastal reserve in Owhanake Bay. It’s here that the track through Island Bay has been temporarily diverted due to recent storm damage, which has eroded large parts of the coast. You can still head along the track for another 20 minutes before it closes off, otherwise the diversion heads along Korora Road, a quiet and pleasant stroll past vineyards and rows of poplars. After 20 minutes, the road continues toward Oneroa, but you can take a left and walk up to the other side of the Island Bay diversion; a headland with a view over Fossil Bay and Hakaimango Point. Otherwise it’s just another 10 minutes to the steps that lead down to Oneroa Beach, and the village above it. Beyond that, a further 95km of coastal walks await.

The Te Ara Hura coastal walk around Matiatia Bay. Photo by Michael Andrew.

Have your say on how Auckland’s ‘green jewels’ are managed Auckland’s 28 regional parks cover 41,000 hectares and are visited by six million people a year. The network includes five predator-free sanctuaries for endangered wildlife and volunteers worked more than 90,000 hours in the last year, playing a vital role in the conservation of these special areas. It’s been 10 years since the last management plan for the network was developed and it’s now time to tell Auckland Council more about what you want from your regional parks. Submissions will lead to an update of the current management plan. Council hopes that this first round of consultation will result in people from all around the region providing input. Consultation is open from September 1 to October 12, 2020. Have your say on the future of our regional parks by visiting https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/have-your-say/topics-you-can-have-your-say-on/ regional-parks-management-plan-review/Pages/default.aspx

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The Fringe OCTOBER 2020

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Ashes to ashes ...

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Good day and thank you for taking this time out of your precious day to contemplate the inevitable. Lizard, that fine scallywag we all so adore, has graced me with this space to discuss funeral expenses. My name is Benedict Trustworthy. I represent Dependable Adult Demise Services or D.A.D.S. If we have a whoopsie, or at 67 we decide it’s a great idea to get a young family member to tattoo our arm, or accidentally put salt instead of sugar in a sponge cake, or foolishly try a new experimental hairdresser, or, at 73, take up skateboarding while at a wall climbing facility whilst pregnant with little jelly bean on our wedding day and risking getting flack from our mates, that’s all OK but we must discuss finally kicking the bucket. When the last butterfly flutters by; when the heavenly trumpets herald us off our perch; when we pop our clogs; when the fatty cholesterol molecules accumulated in the small arteries supplying vital oxygen to the brain explode, sending us into six years of mouth-dribbling coma ... there ... that wasn’t so hard was it? We won’t have to pick up the tab when the final whistle blows. If you’re over 50, we don’t even mind if you’re crook, we guarantee to take your donations for bereavement reassurance for eternity, or which ever comes first. There are no medicals. And almost immediately, once dead, of course, you will receive all your money back or $30,000, which ever is greater. We take nothing but the satisfaction of ensuring a stress-free burial for your loved ones. If, say, 30 friends attend your funeral, that amount allows for a grand a head. More than enough to cater hundreds of asparagus rolls, sausage rolls and dozens more conveniently proportioned finger foods. You could pre-arrange to have 20 white doves released or a Roy Orbison impersonator to sing Crying. Or be wheeled behind a horse-drawn carriage with the PA thumping out Elton John’s, Funeral for a Friend. How fitting an end to a largely disappointing life that’s first glimpse of potential so quickly spiralled downward, eventually collapsing in the back room of an

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The Fringe, October 2020

Articles inside

Wandering Westies: A day walk on Waiheke

Live @ the lounge

Pest control in your backyard

Sustainable solutions: Recycle your mobile phone

Naturally West: Toropapa and apps for the Great Outdoors; Weather by the moon

Keeping it Local: supporting our local businesses

What should we do with a heritage building?

Our place: Titirangi Primary; At the libraries

Books: your chance to win

Open Studios 2020: a unique opportunity to meet the artists

Bandstanding: Gail Turner – ‘Music belongs to everyone

Taking Green Bay floral art to international success