+ PUBLISHED 6 JULY, 2012 Established: OCTOBER 1989 – CELEBRATING 22 YEARS OF PUBLISHING HISTORY!
ponsonbynews.co.nz
JULY 2012
CHANTAL LANDAIS: BRINGING A TOUCH OF ELEGANCE AND FRENCH STYLE TO HERNE BAY
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Above: Eat and drink your way around our French neighbourhood; The Kitchen provides infrastructure for change-makers, and those working for ‘more-than-profit’ with a social and environmental focus for their business; Michele Bryant’s striking works at Smyth Galleries; Below: Samson’s new development in Mackelvie Street.
006 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 007 FROM THE EDITOR 010 SHALE CHAMBERS: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD
012 DAVID HARTNELL:
ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW
016 JACINDA ARDERN 018 JOHN ELLIOTT: SOAPBOX 019 K’RD BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 020 NIKKI KAYE 022 PIPPA COOM: GREY LYNN 2030 028 VIVE LA FRANCE 046 EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY 052 JAY PLATT - WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
054 PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE
058 SIDELINE WITH GEORGE BERRY 060 FASHION + STYLE 066 ANGELA LASSIG: LETTERS FROM MAUDIE
068 STEPHEN RAINBOW 070 DR AJIT 072 LANI LOPEZ: ON HEALTH 073 LIVING, THINKING + BEING 074 HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY 078 HOROSCOPES: MISS PEARL NECLIS 086 JOHN APPLETON ON HEALTH 088 FUTURE GENERATION 094 HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS
006 100 STREET NAMES 108 THE BOYS BOOK CLUB 112 FIONNA HILL: PONSONBY GARDENER 116 PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS 118 PONSONBY PEOPLE & THEIR PETS 120 ARTS + CULTURE 131 PONSONBY PINK PAGES COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Michael McClintock
PONSONBY NEWS+ is published monthly, excluding January ry by ALCHEMY A MEDIA LIMITED P.O. BOX 47-282 Ponsonby, Auckland T: (09) 378 8553 or (09) 361 3356 www.ponsonbynews.co.nzz Editor/Publisher Associate Publisher & Advertising Manager Deputy Editor Operations Manager Contributing Fashion Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Editor Proof Reader Layout Designer Designer
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A BIG THANK YOU TO THE PONSONBY BANKING COMMUNITY FOR THEIR GENEROUS GIFTS TO AFRICAN CHILDREN When my friend Rex Bossan, a valued advisor to the World Bank, was in the Congo his story of how he had given his pen to a child and how that child had experienced that gift as if it were gold inspired me. I suggested to Rex I could collect pens for the children if he could get them there for me. Rex died unexpectedly last year, which was a great loss, and unfortunately the information he said he had posted to me never arrived. So I have gratefully given the childrens’ books and pens to the ‘Hands of Hope’ Outreach in Africa to pass on to the children in their orphanages on behalf of Rex Bossan’s wonderful work in the Congo.
EARTHQUAKES OR A BAR IN PONSONBY? A bar in Ponsonby of course! My partner and I recently arrived here having made the decision to leave our home town Christchurch to set up a new life. No more earthquakes for us! I am totally amazed with the local magazine you produce each month and being a couple of wannabe socialites it was great to have the bar guide in your June issue. There are some cool bars to choose from and we can’t wait to try a few out over the coming months. I know our mates from home would be very envious not only of the huge selection of bars and restaurants Ponsonby has to offer but of the great community mag you provide. Thanks Ponsonby! BRITNEY MARTIN, Ponsonby
NZ Post contributed childrens’ books and the costly postage. The Banks (National Bank, the BNZ and ASB) contributed their pens in the hundreds, without question for my ‘Congo Kids’ cause.
MACKELVIE STREET IS LOOKING über COOL! We are impressed with Samson Corporation’s quirky new building just off Ponsonby Road in MacKelvie Street. The architect’s (RTA Studios) impression, below, shows what we can shortly expect. Luke McCarthy and Timond Chu from The Object Room in Surrey Crescent have signed up for a 115 square metre space in the development. Other tenants include Andrea Moore, Gregory, Ricochet and a new café. It will certainly add a new dimension to our community and is going to look very interesting when they are finished in the next few months. (MARTIN LEACH)
I am so thankful to NZ Post and the banks in Ponsonby who contributed, for their trust and kindness. I hope that many children will receive happiness from their very generous gifts. Deepest Gratitude, JENNY BISS, by eMail JERVOIS ROAD IS NOT A TOILET I am writing today to see if you are able to help with a problem we have on Jervois Road. As you are aware there are many dogs living in Herne Bay but us shop owners are getting fed up with having to clean and pick up dog poo every day. Is it too much to ask the owners of these dogs to pick up after their dogs and not leave it to the shop owners? We arrive every day to work and along the footpath outside the shop doors is poo.
artist impression: RTA Studio
If that is not bad enough, as the owner has not picked it up it is walked through and there are footprints of dog poo down the footpath, and even sometimes it gets walked into your place of work. All we ask is that if you have a dog and it does its business on the footpath then please be considerate to everyone and pick it up! Jervois Road is not a toilet and it looks terrible with poo everywhere you walk. SHARON WATSON, Herne Bay
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photography: Jane Blundell @ kloser
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JAY PLATT, MARTIN LEACH, JULIE ROULSTON + JO BARRETT THIS MONTH BASTILLE DAY FALLS ON SATURDAY, 14 JULY. AS GREY LYNN based French Association Alliance Francaise d’Auckland point out, “this is an occasion for French people to celebrate their identity, have a massive parade on the Champs -Elysées, take part in the many ‘bals populaires’ (partying and dancing to French music) in small villages and big cities alike and enjoy the huge fireworks everywhere in France. Every year the various French associations in Auckland bring Paris to our city. This year, on the night of Friday 13 July, Auckland Accueil, Alliance Francaise Auckland and Frogs in NZ will present a stunning French-flavoured show in Freemans Bay Community Hall. The evening includes a piece of Pineapple Production’s dancers which includes French cancan routines, solo acts inspired by Parisian cabaret artists and group choreographies channeling the spirit of Parisian famous stages, a slice of the French Islands with Tahitian dances and a taste of the traditional music and dances with ‘A bout d’bretelle’ and ‘La bourée’. Local gourmets will enjoy a mouth-watering sample of French food and drinks. The final traditional ‘bal populaire’ will add to the French fever and make a perfect ending to this night of celebration.
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Meanwhile in this issue we asked ‘our’ Miss Jones to provide us with her knowledge and expertise in her ‘eat and drink your way around our French neighbourhood’ contribution. Most of us love France and we love to eat French food. As Miss Jones points out, “Our chefs are trained in the classical French style, which has influenced the kind of foods we eat in restaurants and has been the foundation on which they have built their reputation and our New Zealand cuisine.” If you cannot go to France this year, no need to despair, liberté, égalité et fraternité will be celebrated here with just as much gusto as if you were there. We are fortunate that many French people have immigrated to New Zealand. Ponsonby and the neighbourhoods surrounding us have a host of French influenced and inspired eateries and bars (23 in fact!) where Francophiles can get their fix. Vive la France we say! PN
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9 LOCAL NEWS WORKSHOPS ON THE WHARF – FOSTERING A COMMUNITY ON THE WATERFRONT Workshops on the Wharf is a community initiative that has been growing since the opening of Wynyard Quarter in August 2011 and is now gaining real momentum. Each Sunday around Wynyard Quarter you will find patient adults facilitating activities that get kids aged 4-12 outdoors, active and thinking creatively. Backed by the council organisation Waterfront Auckland, the workshop facilitator Anne Larnach has been steadily building the workshop’s popularity: “We are beginning to see a real community building around the workshops, for many families living in the inner-city, the waterfront is the closest thing to a backyard and we hope they see the workshops as an extension of that.” As an example, a recent workshop saw over 400 kids get involved in learning about and creating parachutes before getting a chance to throw them from elevated spots around the area. “This is the second time we have run the workshop as it works so well, it is a great one for parents to do with their kids, because while it is about creating the parachute, many families stayed for hours modifying and streamlining their creations.” Along with the ongoing Sunday workshops, throughout the July school holidays the team will be hosting daily workshops. From ball games to kite making there are plenty of activities for children age 4-12 years to get involved with. Mid week the workshops are facilitated by In2it and will focus on street games where kids are able to improve their hand-eye coordination skills and get a much needed run around during the cold midwinter break. In the weekends, the workshops are inspired by Matariki, using kites, time capsules and traditional Maori games to educate and nurture children’s understanding of Matariki and its significance in our community. All the workshops are free to participate in and there are drop in sessions. Workshops on the Wharf are supported by Waterfront Auckland. PN To find out more visit www.wynyard-quarter.co.nz/workshops
CANTEEN CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR BANDANNA CHALLENGE 2012 As volunteers around the country are celebrated during Volunteer Awareness Week this week, CanTeen is encouraging those wanting to do their bit to lend their hands to this year’s Bandanna Challenge. CanTeen is looking for volunteers from all over the country to help sell bandannas and collect donations during CanTeen’s annual Bandanna Challenge which runs from 14 - 30 September. The money raised through CanTeen’s annual appeal helps provide vital support, skills and tools for young people, aged 13 - 24, living with cancer, whether as a patient, sibling or bereaved sibling. With designs from CanTeen ambassadors Dan Carter, Maria Tutaia, Paige Hareb, Jossi Wells and Federation clothing, plus funky member designs, this year’s bandannas promise to be an easy sell. CanTeen, which receives no direct government funding, acknowledges that volunteers play an invaluable part in helping deliver its activities and raise much needed funds. Schools and businesses can also register to sell bandannas. PN To volunteer, phone 0800 CANTEEN, email info@canteen.org.nz or find your closest CanTeen office at www.canteen.org.nz/about/our-people
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CHAIR’S WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD REPORT: SHALE CHAMBERS Reopening the newly refurbished historic Tepid Baths was a June highlight. Former swimmers from the 1940s and 1950s, who were doing lengths way before it was fashionable, were there to see their former haunt given a new lease of life.
As the former champion Commonwealth Games and Olympian swimmers gave approving nods of delight at seeing their old swimming training facility become a new place for future swimmers, both serious and recreational, I was very proud at the opening to see the city centre residents and office workers have a first rate improved pool and additional upstairs fitness centre to call their own.
photography: Auckland Council
It is comforting to know that although Auckland Council may not yet claim it has the balance between preserving privately owned heritage and character buildings and permitting ’in keeping’ urban renewal right, we do have a very proud record of professional and authentic restoration of many community owned buildings over many decades. You can’t go to a show or play at the Civic Theatre without coming away with a sense of awe at the majesty of the theatre and foresight of former councils in doing the right thing to retain our heritage for future generations to enjoy. The Tepid Baths is another of those great restorations that took place over several councils after the public and those very same swimmers rallied around and made sure politicians knew what was expected of them. L to R: Shale Chambers (Waitemata LB Chair) and Mayor Len Brown
Your Waitemata Local Board is getting on with the Local Board Plan that was signed off in June. We are now very focussed on delivering those projects our Plan has consulted you on over the last 18 months. One of those projects is the Weona Westmere Coastal Walkway. The idea for this project is long-standing. As a Board we included the project as part of the larger vision for greater community access to our coastline in the draft local board agreement that we consulted the public on earlier this year. I have written about this before in this column. We had the open day in May with 750 local residents invited. 35 attended; many have contacted us since. Whilst we have had much support from those pleased that our Board is increasing the community’s access to and enjoyment of the Western Bays coastline, we have also had feedback of concerns from residents whose properties back onto and adjoin the walkway. We had an additional Local Board meeting mid June to hear directly from those residents. Our Board endeavoured to reassure residents that most of their concerns can and will be addressed during the project. For us the decision was a difficult one about whether we proceed to do the public good of allowing greater public access to our limited public coastline to better enjoy our natural environment, whilst weighing up doing nothing and allowing private property owners who bought next to a public reserve effectively to have veto over the public domain. We decided to proceed with the project, and have every confidence the walkway will be a much enjoyed community amenity in future once completed, particularly for Westmere locals. The other important current project for us is the renewal of our inner city park gem, Myers Park. This historic park is approaching its 100 year anniversary and the Board is passionate about fulfilling the original intent of the park’s creator, and former mayor Arthur Myers, who donated the land. We want it to be a green lung in the city that is a place of discovery for children, a place to showcase art, a peaceful high quality retreat and a slice of living history. In mid-June we had an open day and many people have shared their views with us. Once that feedback is collated from those who attended we will be making decisions on how to proceed. The notification of the Unitary Plan is very much on our immediate horizon and we are pleased that the process has been slowed down to allow more consultation with our affected communities. A new Unitary Plan sounding group has been formed by Deputy Mayor, Penny Hulse and I am pleased to be one of the board chairs on that. We must get the balance right between the preservation of heritage and character and intensification for our community’s future. Meanwhile, you will shortly receive your rates bill and some will see significant increases. The National Government based the Auckland rates system on capital value rather than the ‘rentable’ value we were all on before the supercity, and this will have an impact. Please be assured we are doing our utmost to be fiscally prudent and responsible on the projects our residents have told us they want. PN (SHALE CHAMBERS) schambers@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
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DAVID HARTNELL’S ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE WADSWORTH Jamie Wadsworth and his delightful family have run Civic Video in Grey Lynn for eleven and a half years Jamie is always upbeat and is an identity around Grey Lynn. He’s also one of the most knowledgeable people about movies, that I know. MOST HIRED MOVIES AT CIVIC VIDEO? The Godfather Trilogy, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Lord of the Rings, Dora the Explorer. WHAT’S IT LIKE WORKING WITH YOUR FAMILY? Much like the way North Korea and South Korea work together, I’m kidding. I’m going to get it when Mum reads this. Really it’s pretty good, over the years there have been times when we are laughing hysterically behind the counter, I’m sure our customers think we are crazy sometimes... the truth is I’m the only sane one! WHEN DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN MOVIES? From the day we got our first VHS player, along with its remote attached by a five metre cable to the TV. We used to have a guy come round to our house before videostores were around, in a Bedford van lined with video tapes for us to choose our weeks movies, he must have had about 30 titles but we always found something... now that I see that written down it sounds dodgy but it was all legal I think. FOUR DREAM DINNER PARTY GUESTS? Elvis, Marilyn Munroe, Albert Einstein and JFK, now if that’s not a party I don’t know what is. I have some questions that will finally get some answers. LAST TIME YOU TURNED OFF YOUR CELL PHONE? Don’t even joke about it. How would I stay in touch with the world!? SOMETHING YOU REALLY DISAPPROVE OF? Rude people. There are more and more of them around these days, we should just be nice to everyone we meet and everyone would be a lot happier! I’ll change the world one person at a time I swear! WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? Someone telling me I can’t do it, or I’m doing it wrong. Maybe I’m stubborn but I’ll always do my best to prove those people wrong. FAVOURITE PERFORMERS? Anyone that performs, I wish I could stand on a stage and not be overcome with terror. Although I’m not sure why I would be on stage, considering I have no talent that is performance worthy. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE? As long as something happens that’s all I care about, the thought of it just ending with nothing else happening scares the you know what out of me. FAVOURITE BOOK? I work in a Videostore... I don’t read... if the book hasn’t been made into a movie it’s not worth reading... well apart from the twilight movies, twinkly vampires... what is that about? INSECURITIES? Nothing, I’m perfect, although I think these pants make me look fat! SOMETHING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? I had back surgery when I was 17.
COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT? My iPhone it revolutionised my life. Thank you Mr Jobs. YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS/INDULGENCE? Pannecotta and pannecotta. HANDSHAKE, HUG OR CHEEK-KISS KIND OF PERSON? I’m a hugger... awwww! DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? Yes I just don’t want to see one. FAVOURITE SEASON? Winter, it’s our busy season, but also summer, and winter because I enjoy the snow. I guess I just don’t like autumn, sorry autumn nothing personal. IF YOU WON LOTTO WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I’d get up and go to work the next day. NOT! I would put $10,000 on my power and phone account just so when I get my bill each month it would say in credit! Wait, do millionaires have to pay for power? I’d stand there very stunned and think to myself, how did I win lotto? I don’t buy lotto tickets. Then I would think Dad is going to be annoyed, he has bought a ticket every week since lotto began and never won. I’d buy him a $1 instant kiwi just to make him feel better. INSECURE ABOUT WHAT? I can’t tell you I’m insecure about it. RECURRING DREAMS? I don’t think you want to know the things I dream about... it may disturb you. YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIES? Shawshank Redemption or Casablanca. Both are available at Civic Video Grey Lynn - plug - plug - plug! FIRST MOVIE YOU CAN REMEMBER SEEING? E.T and I’m pretty sure it scared the hell out of me. (DAVID H.W. HARTNELL MNZM) PN
GREATEST FEAR? Dying! I’ve decided I’m not going to though, so it’s ok. FAVOURITE HERO OF FICTION? Superman... I’m a man... I’m halfway there! CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Didn’t I mention I was perfect? WHICH LIVING PERSON DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? My Mum and Dad... I know that’s two people but I don’t like to play favourites. LIFE MOTTO? Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright... I borrowed that off Bob Marley. WHAT CLICHÉ DO YOU ABHOR? Little man syndrome... you don’t want to cross us!
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JOHN ELLIOTT A LIFETIME OF SERVICE BY BROTHER GEORGE MCRAE “A totara tree has fallen in the great forest of Tane.” This tribute came from the Marist Brothers Secretariat in Royal Oak. After 64 years of service, especially to St Paul’s College, Brother George has gone to meet his maker. He first worked at St Paul’s College in 1948, and only ever left to go to the islands to help with building projects. Brother George McRae was born in 1922 in Christchurch, the son of a Station Manager, Roderick George McRae. He was received into the Congregation of the Marist Brothers in 1941. This stalwart of the Catholic church and of St Paul’s College was laid to rest at Waikaraka on 12 May 2012. As far back as 1955 Brother George was coach of the St Paul’s First Fifteen, and he was responsible for the restructuring of the grounds of St Paul’s that removed the gully which used to slope down the middle from Vermont Street to Moira Avenue. When that was being done, one Holy Thursday in the dark, late at night, the beginning of the long Easter break, a fellow in a truck sped up Vermont Street, either drunk, unsure of his route, or to get away from police, and drove straight through the site fence and dived down into the mud below. Strangely he landed on all fours. He revved and revved the car, trying, and failing, to get out of the mud. Brother George heard the commotion but waited till daylight when he and his tractor pulled the guy out. George then let him head off on his weekend completely sober. Brother George also worked on the building of the handball courts and the Chapel at St Paul’s, especially the ceiling. The other long term commitment George made was to Kiribati and Tonga, where, on numerous visits he built solid houses with the aid of a few local lads. George was architect, engineer, carpenter, plumber-everything! Brother George is remembered fondly as a humble, faithful and hardworking man, always ready to help. He was still using the scythe to cut grass banks in the late 1990s. One day the brothers were looking for George. They found his walker by the chapel but couldn’t find him. They called out and a voice answered from the roof of the chapel annex where George was sweeping leaves and seeds from the roof. He had climbed out a window from the choir loft. “It had to be done” was his excuse. Brother George was always up first at St Paul’s. He began preparing breakfast for the brothers at 5.30am every morning, even into his mid-eighties. The St Paul’s community was Brother George’s family, and he had no surviving family of his own. Brother George was a man of whom St Marcellin Champagnat would have been truly proud - a lifetime of service to education and his Lord. May he rest in eternal peace. (JOHN ELLIOTT) PN
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JACINDA ARDERN LABOUR LIST MP AUCKLAND
TIME TO TALK ABOUT SUPER
reasoning been for such a short sighted change? They claim it’s all about the sustainability of tertiary education.
I would love to keep my column this month focused on some of the great things happening locally, but this month there’s been some stuff happening down in Parliament that it would be wrong for me to ignore. That means I am about to utter a word that may, to date, have never been written in the Ponsonby News, and may never again - superannuation.
Why is it, that if there are sacrifices to be made, questions about sustainability, it is young people that it lands on. If this Government was genuinely interested in the issue of sustainability, it would look first at superannuation, and not to butcher it, but to ensure its survival.
As dry as it may seem, the debate around the future of retirement (which some question the legitimacy of as a concept these days) is a conversation we should all be a part of, but the honest truth is we’re not. My peers, Generation X and Y, don’t really talk about their future financial security, but we collectively don’t plan for it either. That means we are now faced with two problems; a Government which refuses to address the giant zimmer frame in the room, and a generation which, to date, hasn’t forced them to. It’s time all of that changed, for the sake of one little word - sustainability.
It will grow to be 20 times the cost of unemployment benefits. We need to ask if the universal age of super is set at the right place. But rather than tackle this big issue for the sake of future generations who want a home, a secure retirement, a country with a sound savings plan, the Government continue to target them and burden them with debt.
Sustainability has become one of ‘those’ words in politics. It risks becoming to politics, what ‘synergy’ is to management speak - over used, and in some cases, an excuse. There was a prime example this budget round. It wasn’t just class sizes that took a big hit in the education sector. Tertiary education did too. Rather than seeing the education of young people as an investment, the Government’s policy has been to narrow eligibility of allowances. It’s a policy that will have a massive impact. I know of a current graduate studying to be an educational psychologist to work with deaf students (an area where we have a massive skills gap), who is being left with little choice but to put an end to her studies. And what has the Government’s
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In three years, superannuation will cost more than the entire education budget; preschool, primary, secondary and tertiary put together.
Politics can’t just be about making decisions that anger the least number of people possible, it has to be about doing the right thing. Our view that superannuation should be lifted is one that we think needs to be phased in from 2020, and one that requires some thinking around how we assist those who work in hard physical jobs who have no choice but to retire earlier than most. But that requires thinking and decisions now so that my generation not only has a fair chance to save, but a chance of having a universal super scheme in the first place. That’s the message we should all be talking about, even in the Ponsonby News. PN (JACINDA ARDERN) Labour List MP based in Auckland Central www.jacinda.co.nz
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JOHN ELLIOTT: SOAP BOX NEW WESTERN BAYS COMMUNITY GROUP VOWS TO MONITOR COUNCIL AND DEVELOPERS’ ACTIONS The new political action group, Western Bays Community Group, met on 12 June, elected a committee, and made a commitment to be an active watchdog over local heritage issues particularly, but also other ratepayer and citizens’ concerns. The election results were as follows - Chair Geoff Houtman, Deputy Chair Mike Blackburn, Secretary Jennifer Sol, Treasurer Gerry Hill. One of their major aims is to be proactive, catching potential problems before they occur, rather than acting re-actively after the event. So many of the inappropriate activities by developers particularly, and by council officers, take place covertly, sometimes under cover of darkness, including demolition of historic buildings - all that is left by daylight is a pile of rubble, and clouds of dust. The now defunct Ponsonby Herne Bay Community Committee passed over the proceeds of their bank account to assist the new group - a healthy $3,593.48. A number of issues were discussed at the meeting, including the reopening of the Wellington St on-ramp. Councillor Mike Lee told the meeting that NZTA is responsible. They act in the national interest trying to reduce entrances/exits as much as possible to speed up traffic. “If they could just have one highway from Invercargill to Kaitaia with no on or off ramps, they would be happy,” said Lee. Shale Chambers, Chair of Waitemata Local Board, has asked the Western Bays group to help develop a Ponsonby Road plan. Other matters on the Committee’s agenda are 18 Paget Street, the Soho plans, the Palace/Aurora plans, and an opportunity to join Save St Heliers to prepare joint submissions to the council and others. The committee agreed to do this. The highlight of the evening was an excellent address from local Waitemata Councillor Mike Lee. Mike congratulated the new group and wished it well. He suggested that the demolition of the heritage house in Paget Street had been the catalyst for the group, and said there had been a lack of local representation in this area. Now is the time to move, Lee believes, as the super city is coalescing. Mike Lee said the super city was working well, in general, but that the main flaw was in planning. Local planning groups have been under pressure for years due to the pressure from business groups. The attitude has been “good consent is fast consent”, in the interests of business and money. There has been continual focus on the property rights of applicants over the rights of community interests.
Local John Elliott reminded the meeting that the current National Government intends further liberalisation of the Resource Management Act to further advantage property developers. Mike Lee also said that the Principles and Purposes (Section 5) of the RMA Act, is too often ignored, heritage is ignored, all in the interests of developers. “There is increasing disenchantment in local communities,” says Lee, “at the loss of heritage and character.” Lee says politicians get the blame, but it is the planners with the power who have made many of the bad decisions - and they can’t be removed at the next election. It reminded me of the old ditty: It’s the same the whole world over, It’s the poor what gets the blame, It’s the rich that gets the pleasure, ain’t it all a bloody shame. Mike Lee went on to tell the committee about a non-notified mansion built on Waiheke. Each minor change to the rules was approved, one by one, simply because each was minor, but the council ignored the fact that all those minor changes added up to major change. This is a loophole in the RM Act Lee declares. Planners for an applicant “unbundle the issues and get them through one at a time. Unbundling removes integrated management and destroys heritage.” The effect of these actions is to invalidate the rules of the RM Act. Mike Lee concluded his address with a demand for a “no surprises policy” from council to the people of Auckland. Council officers should be humble enough to consult the people. “We can, and should, do better with our social capital.” The meeting concluded with the election of officers, but not before local activist and former mayoral candidate Lisa Prager expressed her concern about council weed spraying. She believes the spray may be carcinogenic. She called for a petition, despite a letter from Councillor Sandra Coney assuring her the spray was not harmful. Prager says her health has suffered, and she will take the council to court. The meeting was advised to contact council if they are concerned, and ask them not to spray near their property. This was a very lively meeting - there was plenty to discuss. The next meeting at St Columbas, 92 Surrey Crescent. Agenda includes - the Ponsonby Road Plan, Unitary Plan Submission. (JOHN ELLIOTT) PN
SICK AND TIRED OF BEING A VICTIM OF CRIME, BURGLARY OR GRAFFITI? WELL HERE’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY The Police and Community Patrols of New Zealand (CPNZ) are working together to reduce crime and build safer communities. CPNZ are made up of ordinary people like yourselves. We are not additions to, or replacements for the New Zealand Police but work alongside them, to assist in building safer communities. Any citizen who has a caring attitude to their community may offer their services... age is not a barrier. Community Patrol is a voluntary group of people within the community who give some of their time and take responsibility within their own community, to help police make their environment a safer place to live in. Community Patrollers act as “the eyes and ears” for police. Patrolling in pairs, they note anything that could be suspicious and inform police immediately. Some patrols have a very high profile in their community with a sign written car. Other patrols prefer to stay covert or drive their own car. Patrollers generally stay in their vehicles, observe and report any incidents to the police for further action. Confrontation is never an option. Police notify the patrol of suspicious activities and trouble spots they would like the patrol to keep an eye on as well as informing the patrol of events occurring in the area.
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Applicants are vetted by the police before becoming patrol members and must complete a period of training (usually three months) where they work alongside senior patrollers. Each member must sign a declaration of confidentiality and agree to a Code of Conduct before working with the patrol. Snr Constable Phillip Crowley is the Ponsonby / Herne Bay Community Constable and the District Police Liaison Officer for CPNZ. He is keen to start the ball rolling and if there is sufficient interest in forming a community patrol. A meeting will be held to finalise the arrangements. Any interested people should in the first instance contact Snr Constable Crowley at Ponsonby Police. T: 09 359 2129 or email phillip.crowley@police.govt.nz. CPNZ will always provide support to any new group. The Auckland City District Representative for CPNZ is; Gary Miller, M: 021 272 1006. Mr Miller will be the guest speaker at the proposed public meeting. Looking forward to a positive response. PN (SNR CONST. PHILLIP CROWLEY, Ponsonby Community Policing Centre)
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NIKKI KAYE: AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP
BETTER PUBLIC SERVICES IN CHALLENGING TIMES Since 2008 we have been focused on improving public services by reorganising frontline services to make them more innovative, efficient and focused on delivering what New Zealand families need. We have set 10 challenges for the public service in some key areas. They are: reducing long-term welfare dependency, supporting vulnerable children, boosting skills and employment, reducing crime, and improving interaction with the Government. We are starting to see some real successes in the public service such as 2000 more nurses, 800 more doctors and 1000 fewer back office positions in our health system. There are 600 more police on our streets and 48,000 state houses have been upgraded. In terms of crime rates, recorded crime is at a 15-year low and the crime rate per 100,000 is at a 30-year low. Our challenge has been to deliver better public services to New Zealanders under tight fiscal conditions. The Budget provided for $4.4 billion to further invest in improving frontline public services and getting better results in areas like health, education, law and order, and welfare reform. This spending has been paid for by finding savings and new revenue initiatives.
Our health service is seeing some very good results in schemes such as voluntary bonding which encourages newly-qualified doctors, nurses and midwives to start their careers in hard to staff communities and specialties by offering payments to student loans after a three to five year bonded period. Recently we confirmed that we intend to expand the scheme to include Radiation Therapists and Medical Physicists. This is about ensuring that we continue to reduce waiting times for cancer treatment and ensuring that we retain more key frontline health staff. On the television most nights we see the damage that too much debt has done to economies in Europe and elsewhere - we don’t want that for New Zealand. The Budget shows that we are on track to return to surplus in 2014/15 if we remain disciplined in terms of our spending. Our challenge is to continue to improve public services in very difficult financial times. We are seeing some positive results in parts of our public service through shifting resources to the frontline. Some of these decisions are challenging but essential if we want to continue to improve the quality of life of New Zealanders. (NIKKI KAYE, AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP) PN
We believe that a high-quality education is an essential requirement for a skilled, creative, and productive workforce. Throughout our schools, four out of five children are currently succeeding. Our education plan is about getting five out of five children succeeding. We want to see all young New Zealanders leaving school with the skills that they need to reach their potential in the 21st century. That means lifting up those who are being left behind, and encouraging those who are already doing well to do even better. We believe that investing in quality teaching and professional leadership is crucial to raising student achievement. You will be aware that as part of the budget we announced changes to teacher: student funding ratios that would have saved the Government about $174 million over four years. We were going to invest $60 million of this in quality teaching initiatives. However, it became pretty clear that these changes were worrying a lot of parents. While I still believe we cannot afford as a country to keep the status quo, we accept that we did not win the public debate regarding these changes. Because of this level of concern, we have moved to put people’s minds at rest by reversing this part of our education plan confirming that we will not be making any changes to funding ratios. We believe that there are a number of other levers to raise student achievement, and over the coming months we will be working to address quality issues. We want to identify who is delivering successful teaching practice and make that common practice, to ultimately lift student achievement. In the interest of collaboration, I think it is positive that the Minister of Education has set up a cross sector forum with representatives from a number of education sector organisations, academics, unions and interested parties to work with the Government to raise student achievement across our education system.
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PIPPA COOM GREY LYNN 2030 NEWS
RECLAIMING GREY LYNN'S RESOURCES The inorganic collection is seen as a fun biennial event providing the opportunity to clear out under your house and rummage in your neighbour’s castoffs. It appears to be a great way to recycle by turning one person’s junk into another’s treasured possessions. In reality the inorganic collection is a hugely ineffective way of reducing waste, with only about 10% recycled and the rest going to landfill. It creates environmental hazards, costs ratepayers $5.3million annually and encourages kerbside dumping. It makes a lot more sense for businesses and residents to be able to drop off unwanted items all year round. We therefore welcome the news that the Auckland Council governing body has voted to phase out the inorganic collection to be replaced with more effective systems, such as the development of a resource recovery network, as part of the new Waste Management and Minimisation Plan. The Waste Plan presents the community with an opportunity to be actively involved with the recovery of waste as a valuable resource. Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away group is ready for this challenge and is hosting a public meeting to discuss just how Grey Lynn’s resources can be reclaimed. Warren Snow, guru of waste management in New Zealand, will be presenting ideas for developing a resource recovery centre in the Grey Lynn area. As Warren knows from experience through setting up the Community Business and Environment Centre in Kaitaia, a community driven approach to waste management can result in the creation of local jobs, business opportunities and the development of new skills. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting. For the last four years Waste Away has been actively promoting and taking action to reduce waste to landfill in the local community. One of their latest initiatives is to assist the Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market become New Zealand’s first zero-waste market by eliminating the rubbish produced by stallholders and customers. The project has got underway with a resource recovery table providing a drop off point for jam jars, egg cartons, seedling trays and reusable bags. A compost bin has been installed at the Grey Lynn Community Centre for hot compost items such as paper cups and paper towels. Food waste and coffee grinds will go to the compost bin at the local Wilton Street Community Garden. The next phase will be to work with stallholders to assist them in dropping plastic in favour of compostable bags and reusable containers.
LOCAL NEWS: DEIRDRE ROELANTS
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A GLORIOUS PONSONBY CONCERT FOR CANTERBURY Next month three acclaimed choirs will join forces for an evening that promises ‘hellishly good’ gospel and high energy world music. The Glorious Mudsingers, of New South Wales, have sung to sell-out shows around Australia, raising money for charity. On this, their first-ever New Zealand tour, money raised at the Auckland concert in Ponsonby will go to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust. The “Muddies” describe themselves as a secular choir whose shared ‘religion’ is singing – connecting with each other and with the wider community through song. They are looking forward to meeting their host choir Heaven Bent, the long-established Auckland a cappella choir which has similar origins as a non-religious community -based group sharing a love of gospel music drawn from African and African-American roots, plus their own special blend of Maori and Pacific music. One Voice, another Auckland community choir whose name represents the unity that comes from sharing the joy of singing, will present a selection of world music from their wide repertoire, adding instrumental accompaniment to some of their songs, bringing new colour to old favourites. “This promises to be an absolutely must-see concert for anyone who enjoys the rhythms and harmonies of the foot-stomping gospel, soul and world music traditions,” says Heaven Bent musical director, Phil May. “It is a rare treat to liven up a winter’s evening with great music and a great cause to show our southern friends that we haven’t forgotten them.” PN When: 8pm Saturday 14 July Where: All Saints Anglican Church, 284 Ponsonby Road Entry: by donation at the door (DEIRDRE ROELANTS)
The volunteer “wasters” are at the market each week with an education stall which encourages people to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle by composting, worm farms and bokashi as well as offering a household battery collection, promotion of reusable coffee cups, string bags and information on other waste related matters. The Waste Away team meets monthly and welcomes new members. RECLAIMING GREY LYNN’S RESOURCES PRESENTATION WITH WARREN SNOW Hosted by Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away. At the Grey Lynn RSC, 1 Francis Street, 7pm on Wednesday 11 July. Entry by koha. Cash bar available. PN (PIPPA COOM)
SEARCHING AND BROWSING FOR TENANCIES MADE EASY The forlease.co.nz site is set up to allow both agents and businesses seeking tenancies to easily search and browse available options. The site offers a number of features designed to give the right information in the most efficient way. These features include: • • • •
Quick search by property type/location Quick search by floor area Browse by building Full details of the property including: image gallery, video walk through for selected buildings and full tenancy details • Ability to PDF the property summary
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For agents they offer a number of additional features, including; • Ability to setup notification preferences. This allows agents to be notified when a new property is listed. • Ability to PDF and email a property summary to our client. More recently they’ve developed some mobile apps for the iPhone and Android operating system that allows direct access to the available properties on the go. These apps work on both phones and tablets. The apps work in real-time and also have “geo-location” features for example “show me properties close to me”. PN SAMSON CORPORATION LIMITED, T: 09 522 2636 www.samson.co.nz
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9 PONSONBY U3A: JUNE 2012 10 minute speaker Judith Crimmins was the first person to use U3A’s newly acquired projector and she gave a fascinating illustrated talk. In November 2010 she travelled to Westport for a friend’s birthday. En route to the celebration, a relative invited her to attend the AGM of the Pike River Mine in the Paparoa Ranges, which she accepted. This was attended by about 300 people on Monday 15th November in a hall about 6 kms from the mine portal. During the meeting a ballot was held to select 18 people for a two hour tour of the mine. She felt very fortunate to be selected and after a safety briefing, donning of protective clothing and temporary confiscation of anything with a battery, like cameras and cell phones, the two groups of nine set off on an underground and dark adventure. It was shocking to realise that 29 men lost their lives in the explosion on the Friday of that same week. Following morning tea Ken Ring, well known and often controversial weather predictor, discussed his methods of using the cycles of the moon and repeating patterns and also his theories of why he is not supported by mainstream science and scientists. His talk and computer presentation showed patterns from charts and information readily available on the Internet and covered earthquakes, fishing, maps of historic sites from Stonehenge to Mt. Wellington and Banks Peninsula. It was lively, interesting and very entertaining with much laughter and good humour. He suggested we could predict the weather ourselves and showed pictures of different cloud patterns. He left us with his predictions for August, which will be wet, October which will be really cold and finally December which will be glorious! He also left us with plenty to talk about, argue about and think about after the meeting. The next meeting of Ponsonby U3A will be held at 9.45am on Friday 13th July at the Leys Institute. The speaker will be Dr Scott Whineray, recently retired HOD Physics from Massey University campus at Albany. After explaining what ‘energy’ is, and what ‘power’ is, the talk will focus on methods of generating energy and the issues which arise. We’ll get a glimpse of an ‘interesting’ energy future. U3A member Julie Pettit will be the 10 minute speaker. Visitors welcome. (NOELINE CREIGHTON) PN
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9 LOCAL NEWS
ZOOLYMPICS AT AUCKLAND ZOO UNTIL SUNDAY 12 AUGUST Grab your teammates and race into Auckland Zoo for the Zoolympic Challenge - open to all eager competitors these July school holidays and every day until Sunday 12 August. Everyone can be an official athlete in Zoolympics 2012, but be warned - the competition is fierce! Can you jump as high as a serval, stand on one leg for as long as a flamingo,
A WAKE-UP CALL FROM THE PONSONBY BOWLING CLUB There was a lot of fuss and carry-on from locals when the Ponsonby Bowling Club swapped a small strip of land with a developer in exchange for a much needed new clubhouse. The Club has been a fixture on Jervois Road since 1893 and members are determined it shall remain so, far into the future. It’s a fact that sports clubs all over Auckland are suffering from failing membership, and our Ponsonby Club is no exception. What is it with the young these days that they’d rather spill out of clubs on Queen Street causing mayhem, instead of taking part in time honoured games that are more fun and socially acceptable? John Ivory, club president is most concerned that the club’s management team is aging and there are insufficient new recruits ready to step into the breach. The local community obviously treasures the club else they wouldn’t have vigorously opposed the sale of the strip bordering Seymour Street. Well if the club’s membership doesn’t increase it faces closure about ten years down the track because of no management team. What a feeding frenzy would ensue among developers and loan sharks if the membership had to sell off this bit of prime real estate they all own. It’s obviously time for locals to step up and halt the club’s demise by paying a paltry $130 yearly membership fee.
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reach the height of a giraffe, or cycle faster than your friend? In the lead up to, and during the Olympic Games, come and have fun finding out as you run, jump, hang, or hop to get gold in our 10 Zoolympic challenges. Zoolympics at Auckland Zoo, until Sunday 12 August (9.30am - 5pm). Normal Zoo admission prices apply. Friends of the Zoo, free. Visit www.aucklandzoo.co.nz PN
Come 2014 when the new club house is up and running it’s bound to attract new members, so it makes sense to get in now on the ground floor. Another plus for the club will be the new freehold apartments that are sure to attract membership. How convenient it will be for residents to step out the back door onto a pristine bowling green. Locals should keep in mind that membership is restricted to one hundred so it would pay to get in before it’s too late. A good introduction to the game are the Mates & Bowls sessions that run from November through to December then again in February and March. Anyone can join in as Mates as long as they are not full time bowlers. New member Rachael Carter says it was at one of these competitions that she got the bug. She goes on to add “the game appeals to everyone: male versus female, weak versus the strong and young versus old. Wouldn’t it be a shame if our kids didn’t get to experience what this club offers and if the likes of the older generation didn’t have it in their lives.” On a recent trip to Waiheke she sat opposite a 92 year old man who looked as if he might be in his seventies. She asked him what his secret was and he replied “lawn bowls”. It made her realise how much his generation needs bowling greens as places to compete, and enjoy camaraderie. Increased maintenance costs have forced the club, for the first time since 1893, to take out a mortgage. It’s only for a short time and the apartment block will clear it, but donations would still be a help. These can be made online or by posting a cheque to the Ponsonby Bowling Club Inc., 105a Jervois Road, Herne Bay. Bank details are National Bank Ponsonby 06-0190-0056828-00. Nonetheless, for John Ivory increased membership is the most important, so roll up and bowl up to save a beautiful part of our history. (DEIRDRE ROELANTS) PN
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9 LOCAL NEWS LOCAL AUTHORS FEATURE IN LADIES’ LITERA-TEA Four authors from the Ponsonby News area (Emily Perkins, Stephanie Johnson, Bianca Zander and Jacqueline Fahey) will feature in two Ladies’ Litera-Teas, being organised by The Women’s Bookshop, on Sunday 19 August and Sunday 4 November. “We run a Ladies’ Litera-Tea every year and they are always so popular they book out early,” says Women’s Bookshop owner Carole Beu. “This year there is such a rich abundance of new books by New Zealand women, we have to hold two events.” Each event runs from 1pm to 5.30pm on a Sunday afternoon, with half of the authors speaking before the tea break and half afterwards. The traditional afternoon tea includes lamingtons, neenish tarts, asparagus rolls, cup cakes, savouries, melting moments and other divine delicacies. The authors sign books in between mouthfuls! One of the guests on 19 August will be Emily Perkins, author of the award-winning Novel About My Wife and New Zealand’s most gracious and popular ambassador for books. Her acclaimed new novel, The Forrests, reveals fascinating moments in the long life of Dorothy Forrest.
photography: Karl Maughan
Another local author is Bianca Zander, newly returned to Ponsonby with her internationally published debut novel The Girl Below. The main character, Suki, does the reverse - returning home to London after ten years in New Zealand she finds herself slipping back in time. Full of mystery and self-discovery, this novel is sharp, funny and spine-tingling.
EMILY PERKINS
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JACQUELINE FAHEY
Other exciting authors participating on 19 August are: Kim Evans whose Little and Friday cafes and book have become ‘foodie phenomenons’; Joanne Drayton with The Search for Anne Perry (the international crime writer who is Juliet Hulme of Christchurch matricide fame); Mary Edmond-Paul on Robin Hyde; Joan Druett with the brilliant story of Tupaia, Cook’s Polynesian navigator; Hannah McQueen on finance; Tina Grenville with A Life in Three Acts; and three authors from Victoria University Press in Wellington – poets Helen Heath and Lynn Davidson, and novelist Gigi Fenster with her brilliant debut The Intentions Book. Stephanie Johnson from Grey Lynn will feature in the 4 November Ladies’ Litera-Tea, with her fascinating new historical novel The Open World. She will be accompanied by local artist Jacqueline Fahey, with part two of her autobiography Before I Forget, along with Elizabeth Lind from La Cigale (The French Market), poets Paula Green and Janet Charman; Lynda Hallinan getting Back to the Land; Doris De Pont from the Fashion Museum, garden designer Xanthe White, novelist Maxine Alterio from Dunedin and Fiona Farrell from Christchurch whose superb Broken Book is a finalist in the NZ Post Book Awards. Tickets $55 (includes afternoon tea) from The Women’s Bookshop, 105 Ponsonby Road T: 09 376 4399; E: books@womensbookshop.co.nz www.womensbookshop.co.nz These events sell out - No door sales. Visa and Mastercard bookings accepted by phone, email or website $100 for TWO – Buy tickets for both events and save! PN
BIANCA ZANDER
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VIVE LA FRANCE LA IMPORTS - A PLACE YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS If you are renovating, building a new home or just looking to update your surroundings, then take the trip over to Ellerslie to visit LA Imports. The moment you drive up to the impressive front doors you will be transported to a European destination. On walking into the showroom, your eyes immediately go to the ceiling as all the beautiful chandeliers light up. The smell of leather is enticing and it’s hard to resist flopping into one of the luxurious sofas. Everything here is exciting, original and handcrafted. The feeling of authenticity lingers and you need plenty of time to explore. This wonderful product has come together from Lorraine Allen’s years of travelling and her creative flair. Nothing is overlooked and the attention to detail is everywhere. You will find everything from original old doors transformed into coffee tables, to rustic sideboards and colourful glassware, outdoor furniture, accessories and planters, leather seating and mirrors. And with a selection of accessories including ceramics, artwork, lamps and cowhides - this is a destination you won’t want to miss. LA imports are an interior design concept company specialising in the Authentic European Colonial Style and they showcase products suitable for beach houses and lifestyle blocks, as well as old and new homes. Their aim is to provide a total concept in the European Colonial Style and adapt it to meet the New Zealand lifestyle. Showroom Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30 to 5pm, Saturday by appointment only. PN L A IMPORTS LIMITED, 174 Marua Road T: 09 580 0120 www.laimports.co.nz
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VIVE LA FRANCE BASTILLE DAY AT COOK THE BOOKS NEW CALEDONIA - A TASTE OF - FLAVOURS OF NOUVELLE CALEDONIE FRANCE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC It doesn’t seem like 12 months since Cook the Books moved from their little cottage on Ponsonby Road, to bigger, brighter and more accessible premises on Richmond Road.
Distant land, land of contrasts, pristine land... New Caledonia is a diverse and unique destination. Bathed by clear waters at the heart of the Pacific Ocean, lulled year round by gentle trade winds.
14 July is Cook the Books on Richmond’s first birthday! It also happens to be Bastille Day. So the team have invited their friends from Tourism New Caledonia in for the day to spread a little bit of joie de vivre.
Third largest island in the Pacific after Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, New Caledonia is only three hours flying time from New Zealand. Seeing this “terra incognita” in 1774, the British navigator James Cook found a similarity between the mountainous terrain of the Grande Terre and his native Scotland, whose former name was “Caledonia.”
COOK @ Cook the Books, the demonstration kitchen will come to life from 10am serving food that celebrates Pacific flavours and French flair. Pop in early for a coffee and pastry, or as the day moves on you might find them cooking up some marinated venison, or tamarind pork - both delicious in any weather, but perfect winter fare. Felicity from Cook the Books and Grant Allen from COOK have both travelled to New Caledonia on a trip that celebrated the unique gastronomy of the region and will be sharing all the tips and tricks that they learnt along the way. Check their website or call in and visit for a full list of all their Upcoming Culinary Workshops, including Flavours of the French Pacific. PN Bon Appétit! COOK THE BOOKS, 139 Richmond Road T: 09 360 6513 www.cookthebooks.co.nz
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In the southwest, Noumea, the economic heart of the country concentrating population and economic activity, is a European city in Melanesia. Pavement cafes, luxury boutiques and beaches shaded by palm trees give the city a French Riviera feel, while its relaxed atmosphere and wide blue skies add a touch of the Pacific. To the North of Noumea, along the West Coast are vast plains for livestock farming. This is where you will meet the Broussards: “cowboys” of the Pacific, with their pioneering spirit and colourful personality. The region is also home to fabulous beaches and, in the far north, a string of islands, whose waters team with fish. Wetter and steeper, the East Coast has a fertile soil with lush vegetation, green valleys and stunning waterfalls. Off Grande Terre - the mainland, the Iles Loyauté (Loyalty Islands) have three main islands Lifou, Maré and Ouvéa, www.province-iles.nc - where nature displays her splendour on both land and sea. There, life is organized around the tribes and the customs of the Kanak culture are still very much alive. In conjunction with Cook the Books, New Caledonia Tourism look forward to seeing you on the 14th July for Bastille day. (SIMON DUFFY) PN www.visitnewcaledonia.com
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VIVE LA FRANCE ROB’S PATISSERIE – KIWI STYLE FARE WITH A FRENCH TWIST How lucky Ponsonby is to have such a dedicated bakery. This month Rob’s Patisserie passes a six year milestone on Ponsonby Road, and throughout that time has been opening every morning at 6am seven days a week; proudly offering Kiwi style fare with a ‘french twist’. At Rob’s Patisserie you will find a wonderful array of mouth-watering croissants, pain au chocolat, all baked on the premises. To take the stress out of preparing for those special occasion morning teas or luncheons, you can simply order a sampler box full of pastries and of course there are delicious pies, slices and tarts as well - in fact there is almost too much to choose from. However, Rob’s Patisserie is more than just about pastries and tarts. You might not know it but they can make your wedding cake and even the ever popular Croquembouche or any other special occasion cake for that matter.
photography: Jo Barrett
BE IN TO WIN IN JULY
HELENE ROBBEN, manager of ROB’S PATISSERIE located on the corner of Picton Street and Ponsonby Road
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
Order a CROQUEMBOUCHE or any SPECIAL OCCASION CAKE in-store during the month of July and be in the draw to win a signed copy of Rob’s ‘Kiwiana Party Cakes’ book. The book features a selection of fabulous looking, easy to make party cakes children and adults will just love. (Entry forms in-store. Prize drawn: 01 August 2012. The winner will be notified by email) Au bientôt ! PN ROB’S PATISSERIE, 95 Ponsonby Road T: 09 361 5154
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VIVE LA FRANCE ROAST DUCK, WINTER LENTILS AND SALAD THE AUCKLAND RING COMPANY: What could be more French than roast duck, add some puy lentils, a garden salad and it’s just like being in France.
THE PLACE FOR BESPOKE JEWELLERY
DUCK Use two legs of duck and roast them individually, you could also roast a whole duck. For the legs, wash them and dry them, season with a little salt and pepper. Roast them on a tray in a roasting dish to allow the fat to drop into the dish. Start the duck in a hot oven (190 degrees) then reduce to 160 degrees and cook for 1 ½ - 2 hours. Baste the duck with the duck fat in the bottom of the dish as it cooks.
You may have questions about your next jewellery project or a new custom design for your dream engagement, wedding or anniversary ring - or maybe you just deserve a special treat. This is the perfect opportunity to call in and say “hello” and discuss your requirements with the team. Visit their Ponsonby store. You’ll be very welcome. PN
Many say the French invented romance and visits to Paris could almost confirm their view. Paris is said to be the city of lovers. The most romantic place on earth and French is of course the language of love! Locally, in Three Lamps, the Auckland Ring Company, a small boutique jewellery store is a great destination for those who are in love and looking to commit to each other.
AUCKLAND RING COMPANY, 275 Ponsonby Road T: 09 376 0275 www.aucklandringcompany.co.nz
WINTER LENTILS ½ brown onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 pieces of bacon, 2 carrots diced, ¾ cup puy lentils, 10 grams dried French mushrooms, cup of chopped tomatoes, red wine vinegar, red wine, fresh thyme, dried bay leaves, vegetable stock. Soak mushrooms in warm water then wash them and rehydrate them - about an hour. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the carrots, then the bacon, cook for two minutes. Add the lentils, add ½ cup red wine and a splash of red wine vinegar. Add the thyme and bay leaves (tie them together to make it easy to remove later). Add 1 cup of vegetable stock. Cook for 30 – 45 minutes – the lentils need to be soft, but not mushy. Serve a spoonful of the lentils, the duck resting on top with a fresh garden salad. (LIZ WHEADON) PN
From L-R: André, Jared and Anna
BRING A TOUCH OF ‘FRENCH’ TO YOUR LIVING ROOM CONCIERGE NZ’S PERSONAL CONCIERGE SERVICE IS HERE TO MAKE YOUR life simpler. When you’re out of time to do the things on your to-do list, or to arrange the nicer things in life, you can use some of theirs. Every member of their team has a flair for making things happen; they are experts in problem solving and collectively they have a network second to none. They’re also experts in organising events and special occasions. Which is why they’re excited about Bastille Day - it’s a great reason for a mid-winter party and they can help you organise your celebrations with real French flair! Whether it’s sharing some French wines and cheeses with a group of friends or hosting a themed cancan party, Concierge NZ can help you with sourcing the best - and best
value - French food, wine and treats. They know where to find the finest products and can deliver them to your fridge door. For an easy night at home, they can organise a private tasting designed with a French wine expert. Or if you want a fully French themed celebration, they know lots of suitable venues that would suit a French theme. Their team can organise everything from catering and table settings, to the best costumes for you and your friends, and even French entertainment. There are plenty of options so please contact Myriam (who is the ‘real deal’ when it comes to all things French) and turn your French dreams into reality. PN CONCIERGE NZ, T: 09 361 5567 useourtime@conciergenz.co.nz
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VIVE LA FRANCE FRENCH ANTIQUE CHANDELIERS HAVE JUST ARRIVED!
BERESFORD SQUARE WINE BAR – A TOUCH OF EUROPE
YOU CAN’T GO PAST THE QUINTESSENTIAL French ‘must have’ accessory for your home - an antique French chandelier! European Antiques has eight antique chandeliers that have just arrived in store.
The cosy Beresford Square Wine Bar is perfect during the cold winter months, with affordable tasty food to share, beer on tap, a great selection of European and New Zealand wines plus Sangria and sherries which are ideal drinks to enjoy before or after taking in a show in the city.
They range from a huge late 19th century rococo style chandelier with swags of hand cut crystals to a number of classic French “crystal cage” chandeliers to a stunning nickel plated chandelier with handcut albert drops that will really get your pulse racing! There is a shortage of good quality antique chandeliers out in the marketplace so make sure European Antiques is your first visit. A 40 foot container is about to leave European shores filled with terrific mid century pieces.... such as shelving units and coffee tables, antique leather chesterfields and for the horse lovers out there are antique rocking horses and Napoleon III tricycles and more eclectic decorating pieces. To make sure you don’t miss out on these new arrivals, register your contact details to the IDEA newsletter on the front page of the European Antiques website and you will be kept informed of the latest news. For those Pinterest addicts there is a wonderful photo library source that has just been added to the website. As well you can now view inspiring photos of designer interiors that will assist you with your own renovating projects - just click on the red P logo on the front page of the website. Happy browsing! PN EUROPEAN ANTIQUES & FURNISHINGS, 21 Ariki Street T: 09 360 9858 www.europeanantiques.co.nz
They have a new winter menu which includes lamb Provençal, casserole and mash, chickpeas and chorizo mushrooms and gorgonzola bruschetta plus all the other favourites, serrano ham, Spanish chorizos, anchovies and more. Choose a wine from their new winter wine list. You’ll find something there to suit even the most discerning wine buff, to include "Parallele 45" Cotes du Rhone from France, Hecula Monastrell from Spain and Septima Malbec from Argentina. For those wanting an after work drink, call in to the Beresford Square Wine Bar for their Happy Hour, Tuesday to Friday from 4pm to 6pm. They have beer on tap, house wines and house bubbles, all served with complimentary nibbles. The bar is also available for functions, so if you are planning your work or family function go to their website to book online or call Pascal or Manuel for more information. PN
JULY SPECIALS: Laurent Perrier Brut Champagne, 200ml bottle $22 - great to share the lamb Provençal, casserole and mash with a glass of Cotes du Rhone "Parallele 45" $22. BERESFORD SQUARE WINE BAR, 6 Beresford Square T: 09 368 4281 www.beresfordwinebar.co.nz
DON’T MISS THE AUGUST PONSONBY NEWS+ DEADLINE COPY DEADLINE: Friday 20 July PUBLISHED: Friday 3 August (Please be on time, as any material arriving after deadline may incur a 20% surcharge)
SPECIAL FEATURES: FATHER’S DAY + HAIR & BEAUTY + NOMINATIONS ‘BEST DRESSED’ AWARDS + REAL ESTATE MARKET
TO BOOK ADVERTISING: ask about our special positions!
Jo Barrett on 021 324 510 or T: 09 361 3356 or 09 378 8553 E: joannebarrett@xtra.co.nz W: www.ponsonbynews.co.nz New advertisers receive 250 words of editorial when booking a minimum of a quarter page advertisement.
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VIVE LA FRANCE FRENCH UP YOUR LIFE! For overseas study and to work in international organisations; France is a major player in today’s global network of business and politics. And French is fun! The Alliance Française d’Auckland offers French tuition at all levels, from ‘Beginners’ to ‘Advanced’, including conversation classes and ‘French for Travellers’, in group or private classes. The teachers are all French native speakers with degrees from French universities. All age groups, from toddlers to adults are covered. Cultural events include entertainment, presentations, celebration of traditional French festivals, films, concerts and exhibitions. The library has up-to-date books and DVDs for children and adults. So you gain a real experience of French culture as well! Why not join them on Friday 13 July for their annual Bastille Day Ball at Freemans Bay Community Hall? It’s a great family occasion with entertainment, music, dancing and delicious French food! Or, come to their open day at the Alliance from 12pm to 3pm Saturday 21 July. Five 10 minute fun workshops at all levels provide a taste of French language and culture. You can test your own level of French and meet our teachers and students.
Enrol for next term’s classes at the open day and receive a 10% discount! Check out their website at www.alliance-francaise.co.nz, for further details or email information@alliance-francaise.co.nz or call T: 09 376 0009, or meet the ALLIANCE FRANCAIS team at 9A Kirk Street, Grey Lynn. PN
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VIVE LA FRANCE
‘MISS JONES’
EAT AND DRINK YOUR WAY AROUND OUR FRENCH NEIGHBOURHOOD Check out the travel section in any book shop and you will notice there are ten times as many books about France than any other country. Even Italy, a country with tremendous influence on our cuisine, art, fashion and travel is slighted. Stories of love, food, wine and travel are prolific and we seem to have a love affair with the French culture too. Perhaps we long for a similar cultural influence in our fair isle. If you have been to France or know people who have, we seem to share a kind of nostalgic memory of good times spent with good people, eating good food and drinking good wine. We love France and we love to eat French food. The attraction is understandable as the French have long had an influence on what we eat and drink. Our chefs are trained in the classical French style, which has influenced the kind of foods we eat in restaurants and has been the foundation on which they have built their reputation and our New Zealand cuisine. If you cannot go to France this year, no need to despair, liberté, égalité et fraternité will be celebrated here with just as much gusto as if you were there. We are fortunate that many French people have immigrated to New Zealand. Ponsonby and the neighbourhoods surrounding us have a host of French influenced and inspired eateries and bars where francophiles can get their fix. Our French journey begins on Jervois Road where the little café La Boulange bakes exceptional pain au chocolat. They are flaky, buttery and full of dark chocolate and outside of France, pretty close to the real thing. There are other calorific goodies, breads and sandwiches too. Just a few doors down, Pure Restaurant, although not strictly French, tips its hat to classic French cuisine. Chef Stefan Loetscher cooks an inspired menu and featuring at the moment are lamb sweetbreads with celeriac, raisins and dukkha. Not enough restaurants have offal on their menus and if you love it, you need to go to Pure. Another restaurant with food founded in the classic French style is the iconic Vinnies just along the road. Chef Geoff Scott has a passion for local produce which he beautifully incorporates into his menu. Eat his fois gras brulée, sweet wine jelly with hints of kaffir lime and papaya and swoon. French wine enthusiasts know Glengarry’s for their selection of popular and not so well known brands of French wine. Offering En Primeur, you can buy your wine in advance and this can often be the only way to get some of the smaller French producer’s excellent quality wine. As we pass through Three Lamps we climb the stairs inside the arcade to Sidart Restaurant. Here, grain fed sirloin, celeriac, oxtail and scampi will come presented like a work of art. Sid Sahrawat’s food not only looks beautiful, it is a taste sensation.
Around the corner and La Cantine du Torchon is our first trip to France on Ponsonby Road. This little café and crêperie is all about the French experience and with French music, waiters, food and wine and live music on Thursday nights, it’s a lively reminder of days in France. Now here’s a dilemma. It’s a restaurant with plenty of Italian influences on the menu and even the name is synonymous with one of their most important menu items. However, GPK is owned by Frenchman Dom Parat and you will also find dishes like braised lamb ribs navarin style and sirloin steak with lyonnaise potatoes which hark back to his French heritage. Chicken livers with brandy cream sauce and eye fillet or prime rib with café de Paris butter are on the menu at Bistro 222. This is a European style bistro with some favourite French dishes. Everything is French about the menu at Sunday Painters and if you close your eyes while eating, you could almost imagine yourself in a small bistro in France while you tuck into duck confit with pork and chestnut stuffing. Although this bar is not French per se, when it comes to designing glorious cocktails and stocking premium French aperitif and digestif, Mea Culpa is high on my list for a sexy, stylish drinking experience, especially before or after dining. A few steps along Ponsonby Road just past Collingwood Street and you’ll find Ponsonby Road Bistro which offers a well-priced menu and interesting wine list in a stylish and relaxed environment, yet a fun and buzzy atmosphere. And along in the next block there is some mighty fine French inspired food at the newly opened Tin Soldier. Their cheesy French onion soup is one of only a few offered around town and it is mouth-wateringly good. There is a Glengarry’s on Ponsonby Road too, where they take French wine very seriously and you can also buy cider from Normandy, aperitif and digestif. Further up on the corner of Picton Street and Ponsonby Road you will find Rob’s Patisserie and their wonderful array of mouth-watering croissants, pain au chocolat, all baked on the premises plus the ever popular croquembouche. Our last stop on Ponsonby Road is Ella Café and Lounge. This is a classic European bistro with some genuinely good French inspired food like truffled duck cannelloni with sautéed mushrooms and truffle béarnaise - delicious. Turn the corner onto Great North Road and it’s not very far until the chocolate lover’s haven of Philippe’s Chocolate and French Pastries entices you through the door. The chocolates are all hand-made and there really are so many sensational flavours it’s hard to make a choice. A few of my favourites are chestnut and vanilla; Earl Grey; rosemary and mint and honey, whiskey and walnut. A little further down the road hidden in the Grey Lynn shops is Mondial, a lively bar with southern French and Spanish border leanings. Steak frites is on the menu and a very good rendition of lemon tart.
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VIVE LA FRANCE To cross the Bond Street bridge can be daunting for some people, but it’s worth it if you have great places to eat. Along New North Road in Morningside is a little place that could be described as one of the most quintessentially French eateries in Auckland. Winehot Apéro Bar has French wine and premium French beer. Charcuterie plates, terrine and pate are on the menu and all are served with stylish French hospitality. At the outer limits of our neighbourhoods reach is Molten Wine Bar in Mt. Eden where a very French inspired steak tartare is too good to share and knowledgeable waiters will help you make a choice from their wine list which has a good selection of French wine, aperitif and digestif. CONTINUED ON PG 38
JULY AT FARRO FRESH FOODS – CELEBRATING ALL THINGS FRENCH FARRO FRESH FOODS HAVE A THRIVING FRENCH COMMUNITY THAT WORK there and each offers another aspect of what we all love about French culture-food. From the skillful baked delights that France has long been renowned for through to the labour-some and equally delicious charceuterie. “For me personally,” says Farro Fresh Foods General Manager, Michal Haines, “it is the age old traditions of cheese making that have fascinated and fuelled my passion for the French ways. We have found since opening that Ponsonby locals too are equally indulgent when it comes to cheese, so we have tailored our fromagerie toward your adventurous tastes.” Most Saturdays you will find Michal on the cheese counter talking all things goat, sheep, cow and buffalo, fitting cheese to each individuals tastes like a jigsaw. She believes New Zealanders are working hard to develop New Zealand equivalents of classic French produced cheeses. One area is the washed rind style cheeses from the Normandy region.
NEW ZEALAND WASHED RINDS TO TRY: Producer: Over the Moon - located just outside of Putararu Name: Galactic Gold Price: 250g Square $14.99 each Producer: Gibbston Valley outside of Queenstown Name: Autumn Gold Price: $8.19/100g FARRO FRESH FOODS, 34 Westmoreland Street www.farrofresh.co.nz
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Beautifully orange, with a sticky and smelly rind, they are a more complex and interesting brie. They have that lovely silky interior of good ripe brie but the exterior has been washed to enhance and alter the mould growth. Classic examples of this are Pont Leveque and Livarot both from Normandy in France. Two fine examples they carry at Farro Fresh Foods are New Zealand made, Over the Moon Galactic Gold and Gibbston Valley’s Autumn Gold, both with a bright exterior and that lovely stickiness as you reveal it from its wrapper. Enjoy these styles of cheese with good dark ale as it really enhances the yeast experience. Described as yeasty, tangy, barnyard and down right stinky, their scent certainly does linger in your fridge so Michal suggests buying enough for what you need for your occasion. PN
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VIVE LA FRANCE
‘MISS JONES’
CONTINUED FROM PG 37 At the top of Mt. Eden Road is a little bar where you can get some very fine French inspired food. The Storeroom at the Cornerstore has a small plates menu and the veal tongue salad with vegetables a la grecque is a favourite of mine. The bar stocks some fine French aperitif and digestif.
COLLECT.LIVING - AT HOME INSIDE AND OUT
Just a few steps from here on Symonds Street is award winning The French Café who continue to wow and woo us with delicious French food and wine. On a recent visit I had butter poached crayfish with artichoke cream and almonds and this was a sensational experience.
Vintage Turkish rugs catch your eye immediately you walk into Collect.Living’s warehouse-styled space, as do the wonderful array of European inspired home-wares, fashion and accessories for you and your home.
Pascal and Manuel who brought us Mondial now have a place called Beresford Square Wine Bar which is, as you would suspect, on Beresford Square. There are French wines on the menu as well as charcuterie and plenty of French banter. This is a place to have fun. If you wander around the corner to the top of Queen Street, you will find Le garde -manger and more French food, wine and ambience. On the menu here are tartiflette, snails and coq au vin. It’s little and very, very French. Then across town and on the corner of Nelson Street and Victoria Street is the flagship of Alex Roux, Pastis. It’s a Parisian style bar and brasserie where you can eat lamb’s brains and cassoulet. You can also imbibe the restaurants namesake in a variety of styles, the Mauresque is a favourite, pastis with orgeat almond syrup. On the way back to Ponsonby, Clooney can be found on Sale Street in Freemans Bay. Sugar cured ostrich with blackcurrant, duck liver and gingerbread is decidedly modern as is the rabbit with lemon, date and lavender. Chef Des Harris melds classical French cuisine with a contemporary approach to ingredients and technique. What a journey! Who needs to go to France to eat and drink now? We really do have a vast selection of some of the finest chefs, food, wine and service on our doorstep and we are spoiled for choice when it comes to the style in which we would like to drink or dine. From the humble breakfast pastry to modern fine dining; a luxurious cocktail or grand cru Bordeaux, all tastes are catered for here in our own neighbourhood. PN
“Travelling the world collecting the best in life...”
The vintageTurkish rugs are all over-dyed using organic dyes in fabulous contemporary colours and hung on the wall they make a real statement. All of Collect.Living’s products are exclusive, affordable and are brought directly to you from some of the best international sources. They offer gorgeous French linens for your home made with only the best in cotton technology. Also available are super absorbent light fluffy towels and luxurious super sized bathmats sourced from one of the best producers in Turkey. If it’s something special in the way of home-wares or outdoor decor you are looking for then look no further because at Collect.Living they have a wonderful selection of Turkish pots and pitchers and Spanish recycled glassware. Then there are silk and velvets handmade in Vietnam as well as the ever-changing range of leather shoes and handbags from some of Spain’s best leather artisans. There is always something different arriving and happening here and so if you are looking for that special gift or something for your own home then a visit to Collect.Living really is a must. Both stores are open Monday to Saturday 10am - 4pm. PN COLLECT.LIVING Concept Store, 44 Barry’s Point Road Takapuna T: 09 489 4735 COLLECT.LIVING New Winter Annex, 25 Teed Street Newmarket M: 021 470 800 www.collectliving.com
Vive la France! (REBECCA JONES)
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VIVE LA FRANCE THE BEST OF FRENCH TRADITION AT L’AUTHENTIQUE THE SMALL TEAM OF THREE, ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT food and people with a core focus on producing a quality range of products. When Guillaume Desmurs created the L’Authentique brand in 2007, the company philosophy was clear and simple: to use the highest quality meat from New Zealand and process it using authentic age old French methods. From Basque country in France, Guilliame’s family has worked in meat processing for generations. His grandfather was a butcher. His uncle and his father were charcutier (butchers who specialise in pork meat processing) and Guilliame has kept the family tradition going. “I love simple things,” says Guilliame. “I love to share a good meal with my family and friends.” At L’authentique they only use fresh select (no end cut) meat from New Zealand, (Freedom Farm Pork, pure Angus beef and premium lamb from Fresh Meat, Tegel Rangitikei free range chicken, and Quack a Duck. They process two types of products: raw (sausages and stuffing) and cooked (pate, parfait and terrines). Sausages: Using traditional French methods, they select quality meat and tasty ingredients to make their own seasoning, giving their sausages an original flavour. They use natural casing (no artificial collagen casing) and their sausages have no preservatives or flour and are starch free (rice, corn or wheat). Pâté and Parfait: In France, Parfait means perfect, it’s generally made with liver only. A Pâté is made with meat only or with meat and liver. In making their Pâté and Parfait, they never use flour, starch or bread crumbs. They process only fresh free range liver from New Zealand. Terrines and Rillettes: These are a soft mixture of finely chopped meat, cooked, pressed into a container and served cold as a starter with gherkins and onion jam on toasted bread. PN L’AUTHENTIQUE T: 09 303 2444
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VIVE LA FRANCE CATCHING UP WITH CHANTAL LANDAIS AS PONSONBY NEWS ARRIVES (IN DRIZZLE) TO INTERVIEW JERVOIS ROAD hairstylist Chantal Landais, she is escorting one of her clients to their car with a lilac umbrella. There’ll be a reprieve from our cold weather for Chantal (born in the South of France, near Avignon) when she goes to France in August/September. She says it’s a tricky time to see what’s new in terms of fashion as it’s the end of the holidays and between seasons - but she can always go to L’Oréal head office which runs “lundi de la coiffure” every Monday, where any L’Oréal stylist can just walk in and attend a workshop. Back at the salon, stylist Kinga is new since Ponsonby News last chatted with Chantal - she has been at Chantal Landais for six months, working alongside top stylist Suji who has been at the salon for nearly five years. Kinga and Suji are working up to competing in the New Zealand Stylist of the Year at the New Zealand Association of Registered Hairdressers Awards later this year. Jack is the salon’s new junior. Chantal has been to Tahiti to a L’Oréal conference in May - the francophone destination merely a happy coincidence. Chantal finds there is a perception around hairdressing in Ponsonby that it will be designer/expensive, but she believes it’s important to price your service accurately. To add value in her business she pays attention to the little things: great magazines, highly qualified stylists, good coffee, and a warm, comfortable environment. French and New Zealand women are quite different, she says. You CANNOT rebook a French woman for an appointment in six weeks’ time. She will wake up one day within that time and be dissatisfied with her hair and she will NOT spend the day like that - she will call around until she finds someone who can give her an appointment.
photography: Michael McClintock
Chantal says (with a smile) that Frenchwomen are spontaneous and ‘capricieuse’ and quite vain. She would only ever pop into the supermarket in her trackies after the gym at about 7am - no later! She feels her countrywomen are quite conservative in their dress - “it took the English to invent punk” she says - but French stores have always had great accessories, especially scarves, and have always been about the complete look. As for hair - Chantal says that hair is becoming more tailored, better showing the stylist’s skill and the condition of the hair itself. Colour is moving to the more subtle, unless it’s a statement for the young. The vastly experienced stylist believes in being individual and that it’s how you wear your style that counts. That being said, Madame does not encourage grey hair - Chantal’s mother is 84 and still colours hers. PN (JULIE ROULSTON)
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LIZ WHEADON: WINE, GLORIOUS WINE
GLENGARRY - A GUIDE TO FRENCH WINE
addition of a little German efficiency has helped this small northern region); there’s AOC - Appellation de Origine Controle and Grand Cru.
THIS MONTH, ALL GLENGARRY STORES ARE CELEBRATING EVERYTHING French. The team have been trained, the stores stocked with French wine and we are set to go. To assist you in your own ‘Tour de France’ here’s a ‘rough’ guide to French wine.
Rhône Distinctly broken into two sections, the northern and southern Rhône, and stretching itself over 800km from just south of Lyon to Avignon in the south. The northern Rhône is home to the great Syrah of France, rich and textured. The white superstar of the north is Viognier grown in and around the village of Condrieu. The southern Rhône is home to Grenache and the great blended wines of the Rhône.
Bordeaux Bordeaux is in southern France and is arguably the centre for great wines of the world. There are five red varieties in Bordeaux; Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. White wines are made from Sauvignon and Semillon. The top producers make outstanding wines year in, year out; in great vintages they require a good part of your lifetime in the cellar whilst the tougher vintages are usually earlier drinking. 2009 was called unanimously in the trade the “Greatest Vintage” ever! Now that’s a big call, the wines fortunately have no difficulty pulling themselves up to these great heights and deliver from top to entry level. Burgundy The romantic region of Burgundy starts with Chablis in the north and finishes with Beaujolais in the south. Wines from Chablis are made from 100% Chardonnay. From the heart of Burgundy whites are also from Chardonnay, whilst reds are made from Pinot Noir. Right in the south, the grape variety of Beaujolais is Gamay. Alsace The region of Alsace makes it a little easier to understand by putting the variety on the label. The five noble varieties grown here are Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Muscat. The classification system is also a little simpler (perhaps the
Loire Valley There are numerous wines produced in the Loire, we choose to focus on the areas of Sancerre, Pouilly Fume and Vouvray. Sancerre is produced around the town by the same name and are made from Sauvignon Blanc, Pouilly Fume (not to be confused with Pouilly Fuisse from Burgundy) are also made from Sauvignon; the term Fume not referring to a smoked flavour in the wine but rather to the mist that rolls into the region. The wines of Vouvray are grown on top of the steep chalk slopes alongside the Loire River. Vouvray’s are made from Chenin Blanc and in a wide array of styles from dry to very sweet. The South Lumped together it’s a big generalisation and a big area to cover. The south coast of France produces the most diverse collection of styles in France. Starting to the west, close to the Spanish border, there are rich and robust reds like the wines of Madiran and Banyuls, moving to the east and across the sun drenched beaches of the Mediterranean all the delights of Côte du Provence hit you. (LIZ WHEADON) PN www.e-liz.co.nz www.glengarry.co.nz
WHAT’S HOT AT SABATO Place Manjari and Ivoire fèves in two separate heatproof bowls. Add 175g of the measured butter into the Manjari and 25g into the Ivoire. Place each bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to melt, or microwave in short bursts until melted. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool a little. Combine eggs, yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk with an electric beater for five minutes until thick and pale. Fold 2/3 of this mixture into the melted Manjari and remaining third into the melted Ivoire. Pour the Manjari mixture into baked pastry case then carefully spoon Ivoire mixture on top. Bake at 160°C for 12 minutes. Remove to cool, then refrigerate for at least two hours to set. Return to room temperature to serve. Cut in thin slivers with a hot knife. Our thanks to Julie Le Clerc for this recipe. PN
To celebrate Bastille Day, this month we’re sharing a recipe using one of our favourite French products, Valrhona chocolate. Bon Appétit!
SABATO, 57 Normanby Road T: 09 630 8751 www.sabato.co.nz
VALRHONA DARK & WHITE TART Serves 16 375g Sabato sweet shortcrust pastry 250g Valrhona Manjari dark chocolate fèves 200g Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate fèves 200g unsalted butter 2 whole FRENZ free range eggs 4 FRENZ free range egg yolks ½ cup caster sugar Roll out pastry to 3mm thick and use to line a 26cm deep-sided lightly-buttered tart tin. Prick base all over with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line pastry case with foil or and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven; turn oven down to 160°C. Lift out foil and beans and return pastry to oven for another 10 minutes to dry out. Remove to cool in tin.
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VIVE LA FRANCE NESPRESSO RELEASES THE ULTIMATE CELEBRATE BASTILLE DAY WITH SUSTAINABLE COFFEE MACHINE FRENCH COUNTRY COLLECTIONS RECYCLED NESPRESSO CAPSULES USED TO CREATE NEW PIXIE MACHINES
Vive La France! Get into the Bastille Day spirit by introducing a touch of French style into your home with French Country Outlet Store.
Nespresso launches two new PIXIE colours.
The French Country Collections Outlet Store is a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of treasures for the home at affordable prices.
Nespresso, the pioneer in highest quality premium portioned coffee, has taken another step to reinforce its commitment to sustainability, creating the second generation of PIXIE machines out of recycled Nespresso capsules. Nespresso has leveraged the infinitely recyclable nature of aluminium, making the new PIXIE aluminium panels from 98% recycled Nespresso capsules, with approximately 100 capsules in each panel. The new PIXIE machines come in two new colours - Carmine: A fiery red full of energy that makes a real design statement; and brown: A strong and lively colour that complements modern décor. Smart and intuitive, PIXIE heats up in less than 30 seconds and automatically powers off after nine minutes of inactivity, making it Nespresso’s eco-friendliest machine. PIXIE: RRP $499 To enhance Nespresso’s recycling capabilities please deposit your used Nespresso capsules in the recycling point found in the Auckland Nespresso boutique. PN www.nespresso.com/#/nz/en
“Our store is bursting with beautiful items for the home, from furniture and lighting to kitchenware, linen, glassware, candelabras and other objets d’art,” says store manager Nicola Thomason, a self-confessed francophile. “Don’t get thrown by my Yorkshire accent,” laughs UK-born Nicola, “My passion is for beautiful French inspired home-ware, and this passion is shared by my team. We love nothing more than helping our customers find that special something that makes them smile, whether it is a bigger ticket item or something small and whimsical - we have something to suit the taste and the budget of everyone that walks in our door.” Established 25 years ago by Sonia Watts, a New Zealander with a passion for French antiques and objets d’art, French Country Collections today remains a family owned business with daughters Vanessa and Stephanie joining their mother at the helm. They are supported by a close knit team that is committed to providing customers with beautiful, quality and timeless items for the home. PN
To celebrate Bastille Day, French Country Outlet Store is giving customers who spend $50 or more in store on 14 July a beautiful French-inspired tea towel*. *While stocks last. FRENCH COUNTRY COLLECTION, 8 Pollen Street, T: 09 376 7585 www.frenchcountry.co.nz
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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY
BE CASUALLY FASHIONABLE AT REVELRY A typical night at Revelry will denote exactly as its name sake suggests; an experience of unrestrained boisterous merry -making. Revelry promises to become your new favourite corner establishment in Ponsonby. At the entrance you will be greeted by a sprawling lounge, furnished with parlour chairs, chaises and regal yet comfortable velvet couches with intimate nooks and candle-lit cocktail tables. Revelry put simply is east meets west - chic and bohemian; the most divine combination. Comfy and unpretentious yet sexy and intimate - the balance is beautiful. The food served includes a delicious selection of tapas, sharing platters and “Chopping Blocks” which serve anything from whole tasty chickens to fresh market fish. Vegetarian and gluten free food options also available. Join the casually fashionable crowd at Revelry and meet the internationally experienced staff Benjamin Taylor and Jason Rosen while enjoying a specialty cocktail or glass of vino from their extensive international wine list. PN Open from 4pm till late Tuesday to Thursday and from brunch till late Friday to Sunday. REVELRY, COCKTAIL LOUNGE, WINE BAR, EATERY, 106 Ponsonby Road (cnr Ponsonby Road and Pollen Street) T: 09 376 8663 www.revelry.co.nz
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REVELRY’S OPENING PARTY, PONSONBY FRIDAY 22 JUNE
1. Revelry Owners Jason Rosen, Nikki Kaye and Benjamin Taylor; 2. Nikki Kaye, Kristelle Thomsen and David Wyatt; 3. Kristelle Thomsen, Jason Rosen, Nikki Kaye and Benjamin Taylor
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PHIL PARKER: WHOSE WINE IS IT ANYWAY?
GEM WINES – A WEE AUCKLAND TREASURE GEM IS A SMALL AUCKLAND FAMILY OWNED wine business with a passion and a love for wine. Established in 2005, each vintage produced under the Gem label has made an impression among wine lovers and critics around the world, including some of London’s top Michelin starred restaurants, and in the cellars of private clubs and clients. Owners and winemakers Corey and Megan Hall have a hands-on approach to ensure their wines live up to reputation. Corey personally selects Gem’s grapes from around New Zealand - paying attention to particular regions and vineyard sites - right down to specific rows within the vineyards. “The name GEM is symbolic of our approach - picking from the best regions and vineyard sites. But, it is also my wife’s name - Meg, spelt backwards,” he adds. Says Corey, “Gem wines are about special moments - shared with friends and family, those times when you feel truly alive.” Gem Chardonnay Gisborne 2007 $26.00 Big and bold - a Chardonnay for fans of the buttery and oaky style of Chardonnay. At six years old, this is a sturdy Chard, just in time for hearty winter foods. On the nose: sweet vanilla oak. Flavours of lime. Grapefruit and tobacco spice, with a subtle hint of fresh herbs. Gem Pinot Noir Martinborough 2009 $40.00 Aromas of spice, cherry and red berry fruits. With a palate of sweet ripe tamarillo and berry fruits, sour cherry and smoky spice. Phil Parker is a wine writer and operates Fine Wine Tours in Auckland. (PHIL PARKER) www.insidertouring.co.nz PN
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DO YOU HAVE A GROWLER YET? What’s it all about? Essentially it is fill your own, the old fashioned way, so where does the term Growler come from? Like all good stories there’s so much written on where the name comes from and so many different versions, with a few bits of general consensus. Growlers are essentially containers for getting beer from one place to another. There’s reference to Growlers around World War II, when children would take beer to office workers at lunch time, or to their parents at dinner time, this practice was referred to as rushing the Growler. Then there’s suggestions that it was named for buckets of beer given to beer factory workers to stave off the growl in their stomach. Then in the late 19th century, the term was used to describe the galvanized pail that was used to take your beer home from the local pub. At that stage this was the only way to take beer home, there were no nice packaged six packs of beer from your local Glengarry store. Whilst walking home from the pub the pail was generally sloshed around a little and when it was opened at home the sound of the gas escaping was a little like a growl, hence the term. A more recent reference to the term comes from 1989 when at Otto Brothers Brewery, not yet in a position to offer their customers beer in a bottle, they introduced Growlers, something that the older members of the Otto family remembered from their younger days. So back to today, where the term refers to a container that you can take beer home in and you’ll find them at Glengarry Grey Lynn. So why buy your beer this way and how long will it last? It is environmentally friendly! There’s no additional packaging, buy the Growler once and come back to purchase a refill. The beer is freshly poured into your Growler and it’s a great way to experience Hand Crafted Beer. Once opened, you’ll need to drink it reasonably smartly, but stored in the fridge, it’ll keep for three to four days. PN GLENGARRY, 16 Williamson Avenue T: 09 360 0134 www.glengarry.co.nz
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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY
THE FOOD SHOW AUCKLAND 2012 TICKETS ONLINE NOW! Fire up your browser and head to www.foodshow.co.nz because tickets are on sale online right now for New Zealand’s biggest culinary event. Yes, The Food Show Auckland is back, happening 2 to 5 August 2012 at the ASB Showgrounds. At the show, visitors will be treated to a swag of new features, a smokin’ hot line-up of celebrity chefs, and an exclusive series of up-close and intimate masterclasses - plus the usual Food Show fabulousness and hundreds of awesome exhibitor offerings. New feature: the Kenwood Kitchen ‘cakes, coffee and cocktails’ FREE live demos by chefs and baristas from a selection of New Zealand's best cafes, bars and restaurants. See top culinary experts whip up mouth-watering treats, plus De'Longhi's barista aficionado will show you how to make beautiful coffee at home. Electrolux Cooking Theatre FREE, all-day cooking demos from top Kiwi and international chefs. This year’s line -up includes cancer survivor and host of Catch and Cook, Aaron ‘Adventure’ Carotta, plus Al Brown, Josh Emett, Nici Wickes, international cocktail whiz ‘Woody’, Simon Gault, Julie Le Clerc, Richard Till, Ray McVinnie and Helen Jackson. New feature: Auckland on the Menu FREE, Auckland Tourism Events & Economic Development Ltd will showcase 'the north and south of food' with niche and artisan food producers and manufacturers from all over Auckland. The region is known for wine, seafood and crop growers in the south - and these will be presented in 'farmer’s market-style' stands at The Food Show. Visitors can expect to be treated to a variety of taste experiences served up with Auckland hospitality and flair, proving that Auckland is definitely at the hub of emerging food trends. Masterclass Series Exclusive, ticketed opportunities to join famous chefs in intimate masterclasses and learn top techniques from the experts. Check out Ray McVinnie’s ‘Food Styling Fundamentals’ class, cook duck like a professional with Lauraine Jacobs’ ‘Duck and Pinot’, mix up cool cocktails with Hayden Wood, aka ‘Woody’, go wild with French baking and Julie Le Clerc, share some ‘Magic Moments’ with Simon Gault, or learn how to cook tasty game dishes with Josh Emett. Compile your own show itinerary at www.foodshow.co.nz Plan your visit to the show online using fully searchable lists of exhibitors, new products, show-only specials, chef demos, the Masterclass Series, what’s happening in the Kenwood Kitchen and more. When you find something you fancy, simply click a button and compile your own personal show itinerary, complete with an interactive show map. Save it, print it out, share with your friends via Facebook and Twitter. Easy-peasy. www.foodshow.co.nz PN The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY COLLABORATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME There’s a place in London called The Hub which provides a creative environment for entrepreneurial people to work, meet, learn and collaborate with likeminded others. It was set up ten years ago and proved so successful the concept took on big time and now there are more than twenty five Hubs, and more in the pipeline, spreading from London to San Francisco, Johannesburg, Melbourne and Sao Paulo. When Aucklander, Murray Sheard was freelancing in the UK he first worked in a shared office space where everybody just concentrated on doing their own thing. The atmosphere was far from convivial. He then discovered the Hub and was very impressed with the way it operated. He knew he was coming back to New Zealand and decided to set up a similar community based project in Ponsonby. The Hub is a much over used word so Murray has named his social co-working space, The Kitchen, the place where you put all all the right ingredients into the pot for a good result. When all’s said and done, the kitchen is the hub of a house and a similar mix in the workplace can achieve wonders. To achieve this, the physical space must have the right impact and The Kitchen premises are ideally suited for Murray’s vision. In this virtual age it’s never been more important for people to continue connecting physically in meaningful settings. The Kitchen is designed to provide the infrastructure for change-makers, and those working for ‘more-than-profit’ with some sort of social and environment focus for their business. For instance someone who has something to do with gardening might talk to another who is designing garden furniture and they might both end up talking to people who are doing more IT based work with skills and experience to share. The aim is to help create scaleable business models so that ventures developed in The Kitchen become financially sustainable and have a successful outcome. Business mentoring plays an important part in this community based organisation. Those who have a good idea and a business plan can receive help to take them to the next level. The main focus is to build a community of people and achieve the collaboration that happens just because they are in the same space. The Kitchen also regularly hosts events for companies such as OXFAM and the Global Poverty Project. The Kitchen only came into being in February but has already hosted a number of community events with more in the planning stage. There is a bit of a vetting process about who can work in The Kitchen. It’s not just a high profile corporation because the object is to engage with the community. Ponsonby is the ideal place for this type of venture, given the wellspring of creativity that flourishes here. Presently there are fifteen individuals using The Kitchen but they need to get the number up to around thirty. The beautiful space is hired out in the weekends and interested parties should email hello@thekitchen.net.nz. Click on www.thekitchen.net.nz for views of the space and information about upcoming events and workshops. (DEIRDRE ROELANTS) PN
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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
LOCAL NEWS 9 IPHONE AND ANDROID APPS FOR BUSINESSES COMPANIES ARE REALISING THE POTENTIAL OF MOBILE APPS TO ENHANCE customer service and for use as a marketing tool. Apps are optimised for mobile devices; user experience is fun, engaging and easy to view. They are especially useful for businesses with large customer bases. Marketing spend must show a clear ROI and so there are three core components that Surefire Apps build into their Apps that help achieve this. Information includes everything about the business with 1touch contact, opening hours, directions, your range or menu, photo gallery and more. Loyalty includes different ways to motivate your customers to keep coming back or to visit more often. You can also motivate customers to tell their friends about the App which they can do with 1touch. Engagement includes push notifications (free messaging) direct to the mobile and twoway communication with your customers through photos, text, social media and video. The App must also provide the user with a cool experience thus adding value. They can find out about your business and also shop, order food, make reservations, earn rewards, get notifications on events, watch videos and give feedback. As part of their service they can optimise your existing website for viewing on mobile devices. Apps are surprisingly affordable and continue to grow and evolve with your business. Once they are in the itunes or Android market place they can be changed with a simple login. They can show you how to do this or they can do it for you. PN
Mention Ponsonby News and get 25% off the price of your business App. SUREFIRE APPS T: 09 419 4370 M: 021 784 088 E: info@surefireapps.co.nz www.surefireapps.co.nz
JOSH EMETT INTRODUCES CHEF SERIES; GOURMET MEALS AT HOME! There’s no denying it - Josh Emett is an icon in the international world of cooking! Like all of us, Josh leads a busy life. His work takes him abroad regularly, he has just opened a new restaurant in Queenstown and he has massive commitments to television and Masterchef. Time at home with his wife Helen comes at a premium and making high quality meals at home isn’t as easy as it used to be. This led Josh and Helen to conceive an idea for a convenient easy to prepare home meal that met his gourmet standards. Introducing Chef Series by Josh Emett; the quick and easy way to make restaurant quality meals at home, exquisitely crafted to make you look like a world class chef in your own home. Josh has travelled the world crafting his skill and now, he brings these results to your table with Chef Series, using the sous vide techique of slow braising for perfectly prepared and deliciously flavourful meat meals. The Chef Series range of meals is available at New World Victoria Park. www.chefseries.co.nz PN
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JAY PLATT
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ‘London’ 10 cup Red Teapot $95. @ Millys www.millyskitchen.co.nz; Blunt’ umbrella New Zeland design $99.90 @ Askew www.askew.co.nz; Rubic cube stress cube $10. @ World Ponsonby www.worldbrand.co.nz; Remember Bricks $299. @ World Ponsonby www.worldbrand.co.nz; WMF ‘McEgg’ eggcup $34.50 @ Millys www.millyskitchen.co.nz; Super soft Recycled Plastic Jeli shoe $79.99 & Black Rain Boot $129.99 (detachable heart accessories extra) @ Annie Boyd 232 Jervois Road T: 09 376 2172
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WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT...
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Turquoise Mosaic Ottoman/Pouffe $599 @ Republic www.republichome.com; Dr Who ‘Tardis’ money box $99.98 @ Annie Boyd, 232 Jervois Road T: 09 376 2172; L’Artisan parfumeur candles $98 each @ Tessuti www.tessuti.co.nz; Soccer Ball popcorn maker $79.90 @ Askew www.askew.co.nz; ‘Souvre’ Rosewood tray by Boris Sipek $875 @ Indice www.indice.co.nz; Manetti Roberts Acqua Distillata Alle Rose (rose water) $29 and Borotalco Roberts Talc $44 @ World beauty www.worldbrand.co.nz PN STYLING: Jay Platt PHOTOGRAPHY: Danilo Santana David, Fisher Santana.
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PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE
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1. SIMON COLEY from All Good Bananas emailed to tell us he managed to smuggle a copy of Ponsonby News into a banana packing station at one of the small farms who grow their bananas in Ecuador. 2-3. Westhaven Rotary President ELAINE MEAD and colleague JILL KITCHEN attended a four day Rotary International Convention in Bangkok, Thailand recently. The first shot was taken in the House of Friendship, the second was on a day trip to visit The Bridge over the River Kwai, and the war museum and cemetery. The bridge, being part of the Death Railway linking Thailand and Burma was built by the Allied prisoners of war during World War II. 4. CAY CASSIE emailed this shot taken back in March and told us, “Here I am at Whisper Cove in Airlie Beach ....tough and missing Ponsonby (News!”).
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TRAVEL BREAKS: THE NEW THERAPY! M
THE HOST WITH THE MOST By Chris Lyons, Director and Tour Host, World Journeys If group travel conjures up an image of hordes of tourists following a guide’s upheld umbrella, think again! Small group travel today can be the ultimate way to travel to some of the world’s most exciting, challenging and exotic countries. I am in the enviable position of hosting small groups of Kiwi travellers each year to the likes of South America and Africa, and can honestly say it’s the way to go! You may not have friends who share your particular ‘bucket list’ of travel desires, but not want to travel on your own. Perhaps tackling a foreign language is too daunting, or you simply don’t have the energy to do it all yourself. Booking a small group tour takes care of all of that. There is company to share the experiences with, all the nitty gritty details are taken care of by someone else, and your host or escort is there to smooth the way should anything unexpected happen. World Journeys creates and operates over 20 small group tours each year, selecting our most-loved destinations such as the game parks of East Africa, the colours and culture of Mexico and Cuba, and the epic ports of the Mediterranean. Some of these journeys are based around a cruise, often including some unique touring at either end, such as an Amalfi Coast boutique hotel stay, or time at Lake Como. Other journeys take roads less travelled, such as our tour through South India and Sri Lanka. The Mediterranean is ever popular, as is Canada and Alaska, with its soaring Rocky Mountains and rustic coastal villages. New for 2013 is a Turkey and Croatia itinerary exploring ancient ruins, exotic bazaars, and Gallipoli, before relaxing on a traditional sailing ship cruise of Croatia’s idyllic isles. Or you can opt for the flavours of Morocco with its intoxicating blend of Arab, Islamic, Berber, African and European influences, all reflected in the delicious cuisine. Food is always a highlight of our travel, and we often include a farewell dinner at a ‘hidden gem’ favourite restaurant enjoyed only by those ‘in the know’. Most of all, I love the conviviality of travelling in, and hosting, a small group. There’s always company if you want it, or time to go and do your own thing every now and then. And every person brings something to the mix. There may be a keen photographer in the group who you can follow to get the
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best shots, or a fashionista who will call upon my haggling skills to buy jewellery or textiles in the markets. Many life-long friendships have been forged on tour, and many return again to travel with us in subsequent years. Travel is all about the journey, but it’s also about sharing the experience, and that’s the beauty of travelling with a group. PN
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10 5. Newly weds Grey Lynn residents ANDREW HOOPER and his wife JULENA decided to elope with some close friends to Vegas to get married in the Grand Canyon. “Elvis was our minister and sang all his classics during the service - ‘Love Me Tender’ etc - It was amazing!”
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PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE DEAR READERS Please keep sending us your holiday snaps reading your favourite magazine, we love getting them! Photos need to be in high resolution (300dpi), so please email them to info@ponsonbynews.co.nz without reducing the size.
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6-8. DIANNE HILL sent us three shots from her trip to China and explained, “I am in the Forbidden City in Beijing, enjoying blossom time in the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City, and on the Great Wall in Beijing.” 9. Ponsonby resident ANAH BEWS emailed us her shot taken at the Bilo Bar, Shangri La’s Fijian resort. “The same resort we got married in last year and also the photos that were used for Ponsonby Dentist in your April issue.” 10. JOHN SAVAGE sent us his photo taken on the coast of Western Australia (Margaret River Region). “Great Wines, Great Holiday!” PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
TRAVEL BREAKS: THE NEW THERAPY! M FRENCH CUISINE AND TROPICAL FRUITS MOOREA WELCOMES KIWI’S MOOREA IS AN ISLAND OF WONDERFUL BAYS, LOVELY CALM LAGOONS AND beautiful long white sandy beaches which beckons the traveller in search of a restful sunny holiday on a south-seas island paradise. Turquoise waters welcome you with many colourful tropical fish and coral colours that reflect the wonderful light found in this region. Sturdy mountain ridges hide pineapple and vanilla fields as well as the rich agricultural farms of the interior. French and European cuisine mixed with local tropical fruits will surprise you with their flavours. This is an island paradise where northern culture meets the South Pacific clock. Holidaymakers love to return to Tahiti and Moorea in particular for its relaxing pace, wonderful sun and gentle waters. This area offers exclusive resorts to more budget conscious hotels with a price that they hope caters to all travellers in search of sun and relaxation. PN HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL, 293 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 360 0443 or email brian.cossar@harveyworld.co.nz
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SIDELINE WITH GEORGE BERRY
PLAN B PUT INTO ACTION July is without a doubt one of my favourite months of the year. Yes on one hand it’s often cold, rainy and downright miserable. But July is the month I get to indulge in what I believe is the mecca of sport. It is drenched with athlete’s pain and suffering, sacrifice, endurance and eventually pleasure. Regarded as the world’s premier cycling event, it’s the Tour de France. 2012 was looking like a year that New Zealand would finally get the chance to line up in numbers alongside the European cycling power houses. Up until now it’s only been Julian Dean and Greg French riding along some twists and turns, up over the mammoth Pyrenees Mountains and swiftly into the romantic city of Paris.
Ex All Black BRYAN WILLIAMS at the launch of author MATT ELLIOT’s book ‘Dave Gallaher - The Original All Black Captain’ held at Ponsonby Rugby Football Club.
Currently New Zealand has more professional cyclists than ever before with five Kiwis riding for professional teams entered in this year’s race. Alongside Dean and Henderson sit two newbies in George Bennett and Jesse Sargent and a rider known to many Ashburtons, Hayden Roulston. But as I sat down to write this story I was greeted with a timely reminder, that no matter how hard you try in sport, sometimes, someone else turns out to be the winner. Sargent, Roulston and Bennett all ride for the same American based team, Radio Shack, Nissan Treck. This surely would beef up New Zealand’s chances of at least one of the trio making it to the start line. But as the names were read out, none of the three were called. For Sargent 2012 was never really an option, as the 23 year old had been named in the New Zealand Olympic track squad and will more than likely also compete in the men’s road race in London. Bennett’s chances of making the team so early in his professional career may have also been a long shot, but the type of form the youngster has been in, it wouldn’t have surprised many if his name had been read out alongside the big names like Schleck and co. But for Roulston a shift in teams during the off season looked as though it was going to pay off. This year looked certain to be his year; he would get the chance to compete in the tour he so dearly dreams of and celebrate his tenth year as a professional cylist in style. But after an accident that kept Roulston off his bike for nearly two months earlier in the year, he’s taken the news with the greatest amount of optimism he can muster. “When you look at our team that has been named, each rider going deserves to be going more than me. Of course I’m a bit disappointed but I knew it was never going to be easy. So now it’s on to plan B. Plan B is now the Tour of Poland which starts mid-July. Then hopefully I get to ride the Olympics too. Half the Olympic contenders are going to the Tour de France, the other half are going to the Tour of Poland so it’s not all bad. I hope to be selected for the games, and should I be selected I am going to be ready for what is going to be one very hard race.” It’s not the first time Rouslton’s name has slid past the selectors, but for the silver and two times commonwealth games bronze medallist it’s now just about keeping the wheels turning, one foot in front of the other. “Right now for me I’m going to have a breather, recover for a few days and then start planning on peaking for the Tour of Poland and then hopefully the Olympics. I’ve got a special relationship with the Olympic Games as you all know, and as a Kiwi, the Olympics are a very big deal. So every detail from now till then will be taken care of so I’m ready!” Julian Dean has also had to withdraw from both the tour and Olympic contention after suffering a broken leg in the Tour of Cataluña in Spain, meaning Greg Henderson is the sole Kiwi competing in this years race. (GEORGE BERRY) PN
ANY PAGE IN PONSONBY NEWS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE SEEN DAVE GALLAHER’S great granddaughters Deborah Callaghan and Adrienne Tubbs holding the Gallaher shield.
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SIDELINE WITH GEORGE BERRY
CANOEING NZ’S FINALLY PADDLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION IN THE 80S CANOEING MADE HEADLINES, OLYMPICS GLORY, KIWI world champions and everything in between. In the 90s it fell off New Zealand’s radar all together, and in the 2000s it was back in print, but for all the wrong reasons. For a couple of years there was never a nice word written about the sport. Canoe sprint in particular was dogged by infighting. Differences of opinion reared their ugly heads and found their way into the public domain. But in 2012 and for the foreseeable future the sport itself is set for some calmer waters ahead and is ready to launch itself back into ink as if it was again the 80s. Those glory days were fifty percent credited to Ian Ferguson and the other to gold medal partner Paul McDonald. In 2012 the Ferguson name will once again be part of a successful era. Ian Ferguson has been charged with coaching New Zealand’s K2 500 and 1000 mens team which is made up of son Steven Ferguson and Gisborne’s Darryl Fitzgerald as they scratch out their quest for an Olympic medal in London, along with 22 year old Teneale Hatton, who’s only recently qualified for the games in the K1 500. The rest of the five strong squad is bolstered by world champion Lisa Carrington, who’ll race individually and with team mate Erin Taylor and former world champion Ben Fouhy in the K1 100. Although Fouhy admitted to me, at the recent world cup in Poland, that his build up so far has been less than perfect, I am loath to write the 32 year old off, tipping him to be there or thereabouts come medal day at Eaton Dorney. While smooth waters may be best suited to the sprint team, the duo of New Zealand’s slalom team have their fingers crossed their competition is in somewhat rougher conditions. For Mike Dawson and Luuka Jones the trickier the course the greater chance they have of adding to the Kiwi medal tally, and the possibility of being the one that claims New Zealand’s 100th Olympic medal. Both paddlers have impressed in recent times and are poised to write themselves into the history books in August.
THE RIGHT FIT THE KEY TO PROTECTION The sound of sprigs on the pavement on a Saturday morning on Ponsonby Road means winter sport has swung into full noise. But unfortunately more prevalent in winter rather than summer sports are an increase in damage caused to people’s and especially kid’s mouths. As the collisions become greater so too does the risk of even greater damage. It’s easy to link rugby and hockey to tooth and mouth injury but sports like netball, football and even softball are starting to join the better known contact sports on ACC’s injuries to mouth’s list. The unfortunate thing about these types of injuries is they are easily preventable. By wearing a correctly fitted mouth guard, you’re less likely to suffer any damage to your teeth, gums and can significantly reduce the risk of serious concussion. Studies have shown that while kids under the age of 15 are provided with mouth guards by their rugby associations they often don’t wear them because they don’t fit properly. And the reason they don’t fit properly is often because the product is cheap, and will never mould to fit your child’s mouth in the first instance. And while it can be easy to grab a ten dollar version off the shelf at Rebel Sport, the long term cost of damaged teeth can certainly outweigh the initial purchase of a fitted model. I’m sure the mental scars of looking like a tooth missing hillbilly wouldn’t be a memory most people would want to grow up with either. I spoke to a number of dentists around Ponsonby who all said the same thing, by making the mouth guard comfortable as well as fashionable, kids do tend to not only wear them but encourage their peers to wear one also. The cost of them actually isn’t that great, but should be a major part of all contact sports uniforms. PN (GEORGE BERRY)
Dawson’s name continues to be bandied about as one to look out for while Jones’s showing at the June world cup in Cardiff has also made her one to keep a close eye on. The 24 year old didn’t quite make the podium, but her boat speed, turn times and gate speed have proved she can foot it with the best of them. Dawson credits his recent rise in form to making the most of New Zealand’s disastrous summer. For many the camping was shelved, sunning yourself on the beach was non -existent and for loads of tour operators it was a pure nightmare on their bank accounts. But for Dawson getting some extra training in on some swollen rivers was a plan he believes he could never have hatched in a million years. “The white water rafters can’t take people down the Kaituna so we pretty much have the river to ourselves, and the amount of water screaming down there at the moment is really testing my physical strength. Paddling upstream at the moment is giving me a real work out. At this time of year there’s not usually anything we can use in a natural sense to keep on training, but this year is one out of the box. So I’ve been able to maintain my training, rather than letting it taper off as it often does.” Both the sprint and slalom teams have been travelling to events around Europe, getting in as much training as physically possible.
LISA CARRINGTON receiving her silver medal at the World Cup in Duisburg, Germany
Lessons also seem to have been learnt from past failed campaigns and implemented in a winning way this time around. For Steven Ferguson, London 2012 will mark his fourth Olympic games, one as a swimmer and his third in the sprint canoe. “I’ve learned a lot, says Ferguson, I can help out others in the squad if they feel they need some advice and I also know what I need and when I need to have it.” “I’m now married and have a son, so this campaign they’re both coming to stay with us for a few weeks in the build-up in Italy. During the day I can train, and train hard, but sometimes you need to have those normal things around you, and if I couldn’t see them for a few months, I would seriously have to consider not going to the Olympics,” he went on to say. And for that very reason expect to see canoeing back making headlines for the right reasons. (GEORGE BERRY) PN LISA CARRINGTON and ERIN TAYLOR competing in the K2 500 The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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FASHION + STYLE TIMELESS, CLASSIC LEATHER FROM A PONSONBY ATELIER - MCTAVISH & CO
create timeless, classic products that are functional and suitable for all kinds of people. We are super excited about having our full range in stores throughout New Zealand. We are always up for a challenge and look forward to future collaborations and expanding internationally. PN
Buddies since their Ponsonby Primary days, Calvin McTavish and Malcolm Campbell have turned their shared passion for crafting functional objects, into a business creating unique, handmade bags and smaller leather goods.
MCTAVISH & CO, M: 022 140 9202 www.mctavishandco.com (under construction) www.facebook.com/mctavishandco
PONSONBY NEWS: What is your background? Calvin: I studied product and furniture design, and also worked as a builder and plumber on the side. Wanting to try my hand at something different, I started experimenting with leather. I discovered I had a knack for it and after making a couple of bags for myself and my friends, word spread and the orders started coming in. Malcolm studied business before heading off to Italy to complete a course in shoe and bag design, where he went on to win a prize for his designs awarded to him at the MICAM trade fair in Milan. He then went to work with his sister, who is a shoe designer in Europe. After returning to New Zealand, we began collaborating and the rest is history in the making. PN: When did you open? Calvin: In 2011 I started working from home in Herne Bay, but as the orders started coming in, I needed to find a bigger working space. Malcolm had just returned to New Zealand at the beginning of 2012 and it couldn’t have been better timing. We moved into a building that Malcolm’s father built in 1975 on Pollen Street, just behind the Ponsonby Food Court, and set up our atelier, which opened in March 2012. We both love our ‘hood and everything just seemed to fall into place here. Ponsonby is our home and we couldn’t imagine creating from a better place that represents us and our products. PN: What is McTavish & Co’s point of difference? Calvin: We pride ourselves on creating unique handmade products. We source everything from local businesses and have a great time doing it. We aim to make timeless products and believe our customers understand that it’s more than just a bag they’re purchasing: they are supporting honest products made right here in the heart of Ponsonby. We specialise in making bags, satchels, wallets and smaller leather goods for men and women of all ages. Our dream is to one day expand our range into shoes, eyewear, clothing, and perhaps even furniture too. PN: What is your favourite McTavish & Co piece right now? Calvin: Our favourite thing is usually the last prototype we come up with. We are constantly experimenting with our products and evolving with every design. We aspire to
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THE 11” MESSENGER Full leather with brass hardware (magnetic closure) RRP $320
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FASHION + STYLE A UNIQUE FASHION DESTINATION Katya Maker is Warkworth’s premier designer clothing and accessories boutique with an eclectic mix of fabulous designer fashion from the latest trends to the modern classics. The store is just a short 45 minute drive from Auckland and five minutes from the beautiful wine country of Matakana. Katya Maker is a unique destination that also carries the exclusive shoe label, Bradley Paul, made in Bulgaria. Beautifully designed and handmade by artisan shoemakers exclusively for the Bradley Paul label, the shoes are the pride of the Katya Maker range. Their craftsmen use only the finest Italian leather and ergonomic soles from Italy and Spain. Katya Maker stocks hand-picked exclusive pieces from local and European labels including Moss and Spy, Eryn Brinie, Kamu 2000, Marion Goddard, Marco Vidale, Emmanuelle Khan and Gianni Conti. Also included are New Zealand’s Sabatini, a leading knitwear brand, celebrity favourite Ooby Ryn, Art Style by Rebecca Herring, the exquisite Louche, Calico, Blackstone Clothing and many more. A very good reason to visit Katya Maker is the imported range of hard-to-find accessories from France, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Austria, Brazil and the United States. Shopping at Katya Maker is like visiting a friend and leaving with a present. At Katya Maker their philosophy is to embrace traditional methods to offer high quality, distinctive footwear that is a pleasure to wear in tandem with any of their fabulous fashion ranges. They specialise in one-on-one service, so request an appointment to receive personalised attention. Experience their exceptional customer service and see their latest offerings from around the globe. PN
ANY PAGE IN PONSONBY NEWS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE SEEN
KATYA MAKER, 17 Elizabeth Street Warkworth T: 0800 999 788 or T: 09 422 3359 www.katyamaker.com
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FASHION + STYLE FOLLOW THE TALE OF THIS NZ FASHION COLLECTIVE HOW DID FRIENDS THAT MET AT AOTEA Square Market 12 years ago end up in a boutique on Ponsonby Road? After the closure of the Aotea Markets a handful of the ‘marketeers’ decided to collaborate their retail ideas and start their own indoor boutique designer market. The collective result is City Designers Market (CDM) and it literally pops up in High Street every Friday 9am - 6pm and Saturday 10am - 5pm. It’s a fun environment for customers to try on a huge variety of styles. Also, the designers work the shop floor to chat to customers and ensure the fit is just right. They are a creative bunch so there’s always something fresh with bargains to be found with end of lines and samples available. The busy ladies of CDM have also recently opened a new boutique on Ponsonby Road. Six Ponsonby showcases the designers’ latest and greatest collections. Open seven days a week the regular CDM customer loves to be able to access their clothes every day. And of course the designers love bringing their unique fashion story to Ponsonby Road. Featuring, Ribbon on a Bombshell, Harriett Falvey, Selector, Misty Lang, Hannah Morgan, Chelsea Gale and Local Jewellery on Show. PN
‘Like’ City Designers Market on facebook and be in to win a designer prize pack! Bring their ad in for 20% off in store at Six Ponsonby! CITY DESIGNERS MARKET, 1 Freyburg Place, High Street www.citydesignersmarket.co.nz SIX PONSONBY, 95b Ponsonby Road T: 09 378 2147 www.sixponsonby.co.nz
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FASHION + STYLE LAUNCH OF REPERTOIRE LOUNGE BE INSPIRED Repertoire, the award winning inspirational lifestyle concept store, brings together a sophisticated and feminine collection of unique fashion, accessories, home-ware and gifting sourced both locally and internationally. Elegantly relaxed and versatile in an understated neutral palette providing the perfect wardrobe essentials in flattering styles, their collection is inspired by the women of New Zealand and is 100 percent New Zealand made by talented and creative artisans whose work is carried out with passion and belief.
DRIFT PONCHO $169.90 TRILOGY SKIRT $198.90
With winter sales upon us and summer still months away Repertoire is bucking the trend by launching a new product range now, called Repertoire Lounge. It complements the current brand Repertoire New Zealand. With the fashion silhouette becoming more structured, their customers have highlighted the need for stylish yet functional garments that give women the freedom to relax after work or in the weekend. Their designer Lee embraced this gap in the market and has created the Repertoire Lounge collection to reflect style, texture, movement and comfort. All the Repertoire fashion brands are selected for both quality and design appeal, bringing you designer fashion at accessible prices. PN REPERTOIRE, 25 Osborne Street Newmarket T: 09 522 5242 www.repertoire.co.nz
CUDDLE PONCHO $198.90
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COPY DEADLINE: Friday 20 July PUBLISHED: Friday 3 August (Please be on time, as any material arriving after deadline may incur a 20% surcharge)
HEAVEN JACKET $ 229.90 HARMONY SKIRT $ 229.90
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Jo Barrett on 021 324 510 or T: 09 361 3356 or 09 378 8553 E: joannebarrett@xtra.co.nz W: www.ponsonbynews.co.nz
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ANGELA LASSIG: LETTERS FROM MAUDIE The monthly jottings of a free-spirited Ponsonby dressmaker of the 1920s, as imagined by Angela Lassig. VERMONT STREET 15 JULY 1925
Dear Hattie
[i]
I’m having my Wellington friend Ada to stay over the weekend so I must make sure that theree are some delicious edibles in my larder for us to sup on with our tea. On my shopping list are seeds from Girvan’s [ii] for quick growing flowers to put into pots to cheer up my verandah. (Yes, I know that they ering by the weekend!) I desperately need new handkerchiefs won’t be flowering that I think I’lll get from Jeffer’s Irish Linen store in Jervois Road. I remember that they had a very nice selection when we were there in March to buy or your mother’s birthday. Do you remember it? I should go a tablecloth for there first as I also need bread, currant buns, some nice biscuits to have with on and two fat little loin chops for my supper tonight. I don’t tea, eggs, bacon rying that lot too far! I’m hoping that the butcher, Mr. Ryan at want to be carrying Hellaby’s [iii] has kept a meaty bone for Tiger. I think I’ll take him with me on my walk, ass he’s probably feeling housebound too. And it might cheer him deal. up after his ordeal. We had an enormous thunderstorm last ook the house with every boom. evening that shook Tiger, as you know, is completely terrified by d a bad time of it. Unfortunately I was in thunder so had Queen Street when it first began so hurried home as soon as fort poor Tig. After a frantic search I found him I could to comfort rembling in my favourite armchair, his little nose huddled and trembling buried in the corner and his black coat completely obscured by hers that were also scattered throughout my parlour. a layer of feathers After sitting with him for the hour it took for the tempest to pass ross the arms of the chair to form a warm dark cave - with a rug across ly see what he’d done. Not too bad, but I’m going to - I could finally olster the seat cushion which has been shredded to bits. have to reupholster It’s probably a good time to think about getting the whole thing y. If I have time this afternoon I might pop in to see redone actually. Mr. Court [iv] and ask him to give me a quote - he did a lovely job of covering a friend’s chaise. I’ll probably wait until the spring to get it done as I use it most evenings, the parlour being so cosy in winter. rd from Sybil and I had a postcard xwell [v] who are Josephine Maxwell now in France.. They are having ime tootling such a lovely time around in theirr big open osephine touring car. Josephine mentions that she had to el that became change a wheel flat while they were between ’t imagine Sybil villages. I can’t an you? Sybil doing that - can n they’re hungry says that when es stop at a local they sometimes d ask if they farmhouse and me breakfast or can pay for some
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lunch and usually find the people more than obliging. Sybil says the French villages are as charming as those in England. I would so like to travel abroad one day. Wouldn’t you too? I saw a position in the Star today that I really think I would enjoy terribly! A leading Queen Street shop requires a chocolate dipper! Don’t you think that would just too divine? I suppose that they don’t allow the licking of one’s fingers after each dipping though. I suspect also that one might grow sick of chocolate after a while which would be a real shame. For that reason alone I suspect that I shan’t apply for the position. I’m not sure yet what Ada and I will d do this weekend. I suppose wea it will depend very much on the weather. I do hope that it’s as fer ride is always good and nice as it is today. I think that a ferry th other end of whichever a nice cup of tea and cakes at the route we take. A walk around the domain and a look around the fernery and the hot h houses would also be nice. And there’s always the pictures! I haven’t been to one for Horr at least two weeks. Quelle Horreur!! [vi] ti My goodness! Is that the time?? I must change and an Tiger’s lead. Actually find my shopping basket and h lead is - for his last walk I’m not exactly sure where his he had to suffer the embar embarrassment of being led by a pink ribbon! Well my dear, until my ne next letter Love and kisses,
Maudie xx [i] Hattie is a cou cousin. She is the daughter of one of Maudie’s father’s tw two sisters. She lives in Bulls [ii] R W Girv Girvan, Florist and Seedsman, Ponsonby Buildings, Ponsonby Road (in 1925) [iii] Arthur Ry Ryan, Manager Hellaby Ltd, 320-322 Ponsonby Road (in 1925) [iv] Mr. James Du Duncan Court, Upholsterer, 16 Lincoln Street, Ponsonby (in 1925) [v] Syb Sybil and Josephine Mulvany, ear early Auckland hand weavers [vi] How horrible! (Fr.)
illustration: 99designs
I’m taking the afternoon off to write some letters and potter about as it has become lovely and sunny after a week of rainy miserable weather. I’ve worked exceedingly hard this week and have not only finished my orders, but have had time to sew myself a new skirt. I’ve made it from the most scrumptious Harris Tweed that I cut from a big old jacket that belonged to grandfather. I’m exceedingly pleased with it and might even take it for an outing this afternoon! I really need to take some exercise that I might combine with a little shopping expedition down Ponsonby Road as I’ve quite run out of supplies.
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FASHION + STYLE
JULIE ROULSTON ILABB - CASUAL AESTHETICS FOR ACTION SPORTS-INSPIRED PEOPLE PONSONBY RESIDENTS SEADON BAKER AND MATT SAUNDERS ARE THE owners of ilabb - a five year old casual apparel line that’s stocked by more than 60 stores nationwide. “The response has been phenomenal,” they say. “We receive a great deal of feedback on our colours and the exciting, positive story that follows the ilabb brand.” The duo say that ilabb has a working goal to become a globally leading action sports brand and that from inception, this has been their vision. “To this day very careful plans have been laid which are all falling into place for the exciting future ahead.” Ponsonby News asks them a few questions about their brand’s evolution...
photography: Clinton Tudor
PONSONBY NEWS: What is your background? Seadon: I grew up in the South Island spending a large amount of time racing dirt bikes and spent my teen years semi-professionally racing. Alongside the sport was always my love for decals. Creating a brand involved in the sport was a natural extension of my childhood passion.
SEADON BAKER and MATT SAUNDERS
ANY PAGE IN PONSONBY NEWS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE SEEN
Matt: Since forever ago I have been interested in designing objects and graphics and I have always been inspired by action sport culture. It felt natural for us to start a business that could create products for other likeminded people. I have a degree in Architecture, practised it for a few years and loved it, but found that our business ilabb (which was even more exciting) needed more focus so I left the architecture gig and put all my energy into shredding up at ilabb. PN: What is your product range? ilabb has a quarterly-released men’s and women’s casual apparel line, along with a large range of motocross decal lines covering many bikes and models throughout the New Zealand national scene. PN: What is your favourite ilabb piece right now? Seadon: My favourite product, which is released into stores this week, is the Seadonkey Dress Shirt, ilabb’s first long sleeve dress shirt to hit the market! Matt: Our new denim jean called the “capsize”, I love them! They are supernessly comfy and have a mega-punchy aesthetic! They symbolise one of the key philosophies behind our casual wear range: wearable colour and contrast. PN: What are you most excited about, that will be coming into stores soon? Seadon: ilabb’s first women’s range, which comes into stores this August. Matt: Our new summer casualwear collection, out this August. We have been working redonkulously hard developing a rad new range that is twice the size of previous collections and has a more polished and progressed look. PN ILABB, T: 09 377 9432 www.ilabb.com
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STEPHEN RAINBOW: SUM OF US
10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOUR GAY NEIGHBOUR
EMPLOYING A PERSONAL TRAINER - THE INTELLIGENT INVESTMENT
1. Because sexual orientation is not a question in the census, we actually know very little about gay people in New Zealand. Most surveys of gay men are self-selected and therefore likely to represent those who positively self-identify as gay. One of the larger of these surveys included 1500 men, but if we assume between 2.5 and 5% of the population is homosexual, then there are between 35,000 and 70,000 gays living in Auckland.
Personal Training is no longer a trend, rather it is a necessity if you are to gain or maintain a healthy life style. By employing Keri Ropati to look after your health, fitness, weight management and energy levels you can expect to enjoy enhanced life longevity. This is the most intelligent investment you will ever make.
2. Traditionally Auckland’s gay population was concentrated in the inner-city suburbs like Ponsonby and Grey Lynn because physical proximity was one way of meeting people and creating a sense of “community”. The internet has changed all that, with gay people now able to meet online rather than in traditional meeting places like bars and clubs. Now if you go on the annual Hero Garden Tour, for example, you will find gay people living throughout the Auckland region, from Manurewa to Helensville and everywhere in between.
Successful people need a personal trainer in their busy lives because without your health that all stops. Scheduling a trainer into your business calendar is a must. Brush your teeth, wash your hair, off to personal trainer, get to work, kids to school, its part of your daily success.
3. The largest gay event in Auckland now is not a dance party like the Hero Party of old, but the annual Big Gay Out, a family-oriented event at Coyle Park in Pt Chevalier where there are a significant number of gay parents with their kids (alongside a diverse range of other groups and individuals). 4. While the coverage of the Big Gay Out (and other gay issues and events) in the media often portrays drag queens (with their arms around John Key for example), even a cursory glance of any gay dating site will show just how diverse the gay population in Auckland is. These days your accountant is probably as likely to be gay as your interior decorator. 5. There are a range of organisations that gay people belong to ranging from the Gay and Lesbian Singers (GALS) to a gay swimming club and even a Gay Classic Car Club. There is a gay counselling organisation that also runs a gay elders’ group, and there are a range of other organisations that reflect the diversity of gay people and their interests.
To be mentally strong one must be physically strong, feeling good about you and your life, making time for you, living it, loving it and enjoying it. It’s about learning the art of health, weight management and fitness with no yoyo lifestyle. Keri has had regular clients with her now for 12 years who come in for their weekly check in. Groups are limited to eight per session, this allows time to check food diaries, weigh in and measure ensuring everyone is on top of their goals with a maintenance system that works. OPTIONS: One-on-one sessions, buddy sessions, couples sessions, half hour short sharp sessions and corporate company training. All options get you the results you require, you just choose how you want to achieve and maintain those results. If you are a client on Keri’s data base you have access to the facilities. Booking is necessary. PN KERI ROPATI, 37 MacKelvie Street M: 021 530 807 www.keriropati.co.nz
6. There are a significant number of gay “new New Zealanders” living in Auckland precisely because Auckland is a relatively safe and tolerant place for a gay person to be when you come from a culture where being gay is considered “non-Asian” or “non-African”, making a return to one’s homeland impossible if you want to be true to yourself as an openly gay person. 7. Gays have been described by cities guru Richard Florida as “the canaries in the mine” of the creative economy, a test of how well any city’s claim to be “world-class” is doing. The Auckland Council, which aspires to Auckland becoming “the world’s most liveable city” specifically refers to Auckland’s gay communities as being an important part of the city’s diversity in the new Auckland Plan. 8. Gay Kiwi men make up a disproportionate number of the gay populations in cities like Melbourne and Sydney. Just like other minority groups such as the Jewish population, for example, there has always been a strong incentive to move to larger cities where it is more likely that you will find a suitable mate. Attracting the “gay diaspora” back to Auckland could produce a real boost to the creative economy here. 9. Being gay, although much easier than in the past, is still an incredible challenge for many. Gay people are disproportionately likely to be bullied at school, for example, and all the evidence suggests gays are more likely than straights to suffer from depression and addictions later in life. More than three-quarters of the fewer than 100 new HIV infections every year are among MSM (men who have sex with men). MSM in Auckland form the majority of the less than 2000 people living in New Zealand with HIV, a number that is growing annually because HIV is no longer a death sentence. 10.Even though gay people pay taxes, vote across the political spectrum and can die for their country, they are still not legally able to adopt children or to marry even though there are many same-sex relationships that are long-lived and enduring. Removing these remaining legal impediments to full equality for gays will represent the culmination of decades of enlightened legislative changes that have successively enabled gay people to be full and equal members of society. They deserve your support. PN (STEPHEN RAINBOW)
68 PONSONBY NEWS+ July 2012
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PLANET AYURVEDA: ASK DOCTOR AJIT Each month, DR AJIT, Australasia’s most experienced Ayurvedic practitioner answers a reader’s question. Please e-mail yours to info@ponsonbynews.co.nz
Q: A:
My child has always suffered from asthma but I notice that it seems to get worse over winter. She also develops a cough and runny nose that seem to persist all season. Is there anything you can recommend to help me manage? (L. CONRAD, MT EDEN)
Below is a list of seasonal routines that I would recommend you implement for your child:
As a parent myself I share the concern for your child’s health. As parents we do our best to provide our children with the best possible care and feel for them when they are injured or suffer from illness. However, in spite of our best efforts our children are still frequently sick or unwell.
• Breakfast on cooked foods such as porridge or pancakes instead of cereals and cold milk.
According to Ayurveda all illness is directly influenced by our lifestyle and diet choices, environmental factors and mental state. What makes Ayurveda unique is its ability to investigate these causes to get to the root problem of any disease, rather than just treating the symptoms.
• Keep warm!
• Eat a warm lunch, such as vegetable soup instead of cold salad or a sandwich. • Eat warm, cooked foods for dinner, using specific herbs that help to strengthen the lung eg. Ginger, garlic, black pepper and turmeric. • Avoid cold, damp and moist foods such as cheese, bread, butter.
Ayurveda has identified several manifestations of the disease asthma, based on which of the three primary intelligences is out of balance. These are called Vata, Pitta and Kapha and control all bodily functions. Without a consultation with your child it is difficult to give you an accurate diagnosis but based on the symptomology you described, I believe your child is suffering from an imbalance of the Kapha intelligence.
• Take 10-15 long, deep, slow breaths at least three times a day.
Kapha lubricates the joints, provides moisture to the skin, helps to heal wounds, gives biological strength, vigor and stability, supports memory retention and maintains immunity. Kapha is present in the chest, throat, head, sinuses, nose, mouth, stomach, joints, plasma, and in the liquid secretions of the body such as the mucosal linings.
• Avoid swimming.
According to Ayurveda, winter is the time when the Kapha intelligence is dominant. In simple terms, this means that the Kapha qualities of coldness, dampness, moistness, heaviness, cloudiness and thickness will manifest in the environment Unfortunately, these external qualities start impacting on us, causing them to accumulate in the body and causing the Kapha intelligence to become aggravated. It is when Kapha becomes imbalanced in the body that health problems such as colds, coughs, runny nose, hay fever and asthma start manifesting.
• Kofnil Cough Syrup
This is exacerbated when we eat foods that have these cold, damp, moist, sticky and heavy qualities like bread, cheese, banana, cold meat, cold water and milk, yogurt, ice cream, carbonated drinks, white sugar, peanut butter, soya sauce, margarine and butter. If we eat these foods, we absorb these qualities into our bodies where they start impacting on our health. Rather than treat this disease symptomatically with medication and inhalers, the Ayurvedic practitioner will try to mininise the accumulation of Kapha in the body by changes to our diet and lifestyle. Ayurveda gives us a clear message that whatever problems we suffer do not come for anywhere else but are created by us when we make incompatible diet, lifestyle & environmental choices.
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• Every morning, apply warm medicated sesame oil to each nostril. • At night, have a steam inhalation with the addition of 10 drops of eucalyptus oil.
• Daily self massage with warm sesame oil or Planet Ayurveda’s Kapha Oil. • Some other Planet Ayurveda products for asthma relief:
• Chywanprash (to boost immune strength) While it may be hard to implement some of these routines into your child’s life, one thing that you can do that will have an immediate impact are the changes to your child’s diet. By removing cold and damp foods like cheese and ice cream you will prevent a further build up of Kapha in your child’s body and will start noticing a change almost overnight. Making changes to a child’s diet is never easy but the fact remains that if you don’t want your child to eat certain foods then you should not have them in the house. After all it is you and not your child that goes to the supermarket. Of course, this means that you won’t be able to eat these foods either but look on this as one of the many sacrifices that you will make for your child. (DR AJIT) PN PLANET AYURVEDA, 41 Gillies Avenue T: 09 522 5390 www.planetayurveda.co.nz
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LANI LOPEZ: ON HEALTH
REMEDIES AND RESTORATIVES WINTER IS BITING. EVERYWHERE I GO I HEAR HACKING COUGHS AND TALES of people sick with coughs, colds and flu. If you’ve already battled a bug, then your immune system is now familiar with this winter’s mutations and with a little support from you will fight for your winter wellbeing. For tips, Iook back to my articles on immunity in the last few issues of Ponsonby News. Use these remedies and restoratives to alleviate the symptoms of colds and flu. CITRUS AND KIWI In season citrus fruit especially lemon and great value kiwifruit are packed with Vitamin C. Get some into your system every day. SPICE IT UP Stack your cooking with garlic, ginger and turmeric. If your constitution can cope with chili, horseradish, mustards and wasabi this is a great season to fire up your food and enjoy the head and nose clearing benefits.
LEMON KICK Simple healthy stimulant for your system every morning. You need half or a quarter of a lemon, one cap of apple cider vinegar, cup of boiling water. Put lemon, one cap of vinegar into cup of boiling water. Drink and enjoy. GARGLE Waking or working with a sore throat is now fun. A gargle of apple cider vinegar helps alleviate the discomfort and free your vocal chords. WATER WATER EVERYWHERE Not every headache is a symptom of a sickness, many are an unpleasant effect of dehydration. It can be easy in the cold winter to forget to keep your water intake up. Prevention is always more enjoyable than effect, so make a daily appointment with a glass of water every morning, noon and night. I’m adding lemon to mine, kiwi works for the sweeter palate. PREVENTIVE CHAMOMILE CINNAMON AND SAGE TEA Sage is a wonderful herb, with many healing properties. Plant some soon, it is a robust and ready grower that flatters even the least able gardener.
SLOW AND COMFY Winter is all about comfort food, rich tasting dishes that deliver slow burning energy. Legumes are made for this, dahl, lentils, all types of beans, split peas and for carbs add in pearl barley. They are all perfect for soups, stews, casseroles and great value too, you can make pricy meats go a lot further with these low GI, high health ingredients.
You need a cinnamon stick, fresh sage leaves and chamomile tea either bag or leaves. With tea leaves add cinnamon, two-three sage leaves and chamomile tea to boiling water, leave to steep at least 15 minutes. With teabag put sage leaves and cinnamon in a third boiling water covered for five minutes, add teabag and remaining water. Steep to taste.
WINTER GREENS With a little imagination you can get the goodness of winter greens by slipping in spinach, silverbeet and chinese greens wherever you can. Spinach leaves make a great roll-up in place of bread, crackers, burrito or roti. Wilted silver beet and greens are a tasty and nutritious bed for stir-fry, try with chili and garlic.
LANI’S LEMON, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, CAYENNE, AND MANUKA HONEY TEA One dessert spoon of apple cider vinegar, pinch of cayenne pepper, juice of half a lemon, one teaspoon of Manuka honey.
THE BREATHING CUP If Mum ever forced your reluctant head under a towel to gasp and cry above a bowl of hot water and steaming eucalyptus oil, you’ll love the ease of this nasal decongestant. You need one cup of boiling water, any menthol rub (e.g Vicks), eucalyptus oil or liniment. Put one teaspoon of menthol rub into a cup, fill with boiling water and gently inhale through your nostrils. Repeat as required.
Combine in a cup, add boiling water, stir and enjoy. It is an intense drink but effective and I love it. One cup every hour or two to battle symptoms of head cold. Keep fighting and focused on a winter of wellbeing. Lani Lopez BHSc, Adv.Dip.Nat is our favourite naturopath and the creator of Pez-Rez resveratrol and OLE-Up immune tonic that keep our office running. She founded lanilopez.com, email naturopath@lanilopez.com or discuss health with her at facebook.com/lanilopez.com PN
WINTER BLUES? COLD OUTSIDE? COME IN TO THE WARMTH AT RETURN to Form and be the first to try out their new Total Gym equipment with a free 15 minute trial and they’re sure you’ll be converted. Total Gym provides a full-body, intense workout in 30 minutes without the use of any additional accessories. Quick and easy transitions between exercises facilitate a fast -paced cardio-strength workout that delivers observable body-shaping results. Total Gym GTS is the award-winning equipment anchor for time-efficient, personal training, group fitness and Pilates programme. With Total Gym, Return to Form’s experienced team of physiotherapists, personal trainers and Pilates instructors can give you a short, efficient, full-body workout producing fast, observable, body-changing results. You will benefit from increased strength and endurance, improved coordination and balance and weight and inch loss with improved BMI. Total Gym is low impact, safe, and provides complete back support, so you can exercise even if you have an injury. See their website for more information or better still ring them to book your free 15 minutes now! While you are talking to them, ask about a deep tissue or relaxing massage for the ultimate workout and feel good factor! Their nutritionist Nellie is also on hand for consultations regarding keeping healthy through winter and the best foods and supplements you may need to prevent you taking time off from work or play. If you have any injuries or niggles one of their experienced physiotherapists can help. PN To make it easier on the wallet, this month’s special offers include: 1. Book two therapies and receive a 10% discount 2. Book three therapies and receive 20% off each service. RETURN TO FORM, Level 1/334 Ponsonby Road T: 09 551 4460, info@returntoform.com www.returmtoform.com
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HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY
IT’S A MAN’S WORLD: DION NASH AND TRIUMPH & DISASTER TAKING ITS NAME FROM Rudyard Kipling’s poem of the same name and its aesthetic from Brooklyn’s rock n’ roll dandies, Dion Nash’s men’s skincare and grooming range Triumph & Disaster is one impressive beast. Despite the fact that the company is still in its infancy it’s making some serious waves in the industry, and not long after sitting down for coffee with its creator I was soon a raving fan. The former New Zealand cricketer and 42 Below alumni is passionate about decent skincare for men that looks good and actually does what it says, and the high performance ingredients in his small-but-perfectly-formed offering would put many a women’s skincare brand to shame. “It’s about doing things right to set you up for the day,” he has said of the range, “The idea is you should clean, shave and protect your face in the morning. If you do those things before leaving the house, you’ll give yourself every chance of dealing with triumph and disaster over the course of the day.” Products like his soon-to-be-released daily moisturiser will more than set you up to face whatever the day will throw at you, and the tester pot I got to have a play with points to an offering that is set to turn the men’s skincare market on its head. Serious skincare it most definitely is, as well as giving a healthy nod to tradition in the form of an old-fashioned shave cream designed to be used with a brush and a shearing soap modeled on what shearers have used for years after a hard day in the woolshed. Available in Ponsonby at Black Box and Servilles, the range has been growing its fanbase slowly and steadily, with the Rock & Roll Suicide Face Scrub and Old Fashioned Shave Cream being the bestsellers thus far. “The scrub being so popularr was a total surprise to me,” says Nash with a smile, “but it’s great to see that guys are into it. I really just want to get my moisturiser out there now because it’s a seriously nice product and I think it’ll be a big hit.” When asked if he thinks that men will purchase an entire skincare regime or just stick to what they feel “safe” using he says, “I hope they would go for a few products, and I’ve kept my focus to what I think are the bare necessities. I’ve structured it around Preparation (cleansing), Performance (shaving) and Protection (moisturising), all steps that I think are pretty necessary if you want to care for your skin.” The Old Fashioned Shave Cream is my husband’s go -to product right now and he’s a hard man to impress. Lanolin is its key ingredient – giving it some serious glide – and a few citrus notes thrown in for good measure give it a scent that is reminiscent of old school barber shops and the secrets held within their walls.
RENEW, REFRESH AND REVITALISE AT MORE THAN SKIN IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF SCREEN LEGEND MARILYN MUNROE, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” and as always (when it comes to all matters pertaining to beauty), we are in full agreement with the iconic Miss M. We have recently discovered, however, that diamonds don’t just need to be draped around wrists, fingers or earlobes to give you an added sparkle. Just in time to make this winter the most glamorous yet, More Than Skin Urban Spa has introduced the precision diamond exfoliation of their SilkPeel® Microdermabrasion Facial. This gem of a treatment combines ‘wet’ diamond-head microdermabrasion with the simultaneous infusion of nutrient rich serums into the skin. It’s so effective because it not only exfoliates and drains toxins, but also hydrates the complexion with a solution of vitamins and antioxidants. Because these serums are tailor-made for you, More Than Skin’s expert therapists can target, and improve, a wide range of dermalogical conditions including uneven skin tone, acne, sun damage, dehydration and fine lines. The results are immediate as skin looks fresher, healthier and more radiant after just one treatment (a course of four to six treatments are recommended). Convenient, safe and painless, the SilkPeel® Microdermabrasion Facial takes only 30 minutes to perform on the face and neck area. So whether you have a special occasion on the calendar or specific concerns you’d like to improve… it’s all about making friends with those diamonds! Call the team today on T: 09 361 2231 for more information. PN www.morethanskin.co.nz
cricketing guys have been using products for years out of necessity rather than for grooming so understood why I was doing it straight away. We spent years standing in the sun and suffering from dry skin and sunburn so learned how to address that early on.” He adds that “with the sun in New Zealand being so harsh and the environment we live in being as it is it’s just ridiculous to have a hang up about using quality men’s skincare – it really should be a way of life. It’s there to be used, and vanity shouldn’t even come into it.” It’s clear that he’s a man passionate about his brand and with one eye most definitely on taking it internationally, with a trip to the United States to meet with interested parties already planned for later this year. There is also a sunblock and Triumph & Disaster fragrance in the works, so creativity and productivity in the Nash camp show no signs of slowing down in the near future. If all of this isn’t enough to convince you to give the range a try, it’s also refreshingly paraben, petroleum and silicone free, which always gets a tick in my book. In Dion’s words: “derived from nature, engineered with science,” and I strongly suggest you check it out now. (HELENE RAVLICH) PN
Many of the products in the range were created in collaboration with a chemist named Phil, who has a history that includes creating fragrances in France forr major names like Christian Dior as well as developing consumer-focused products after a move to Australia. “His experience in the industry has been invaluable,” Dion tells me, “and he really ‘gets’ what I’m hoping to achieve. He’s an amazing find.” I ask him what people’s initial reactions were when he started telling the world that he was about to create a skincare range and he says – without hesitation – that it was overwhelmingly positive. “A few guys thought I was committing social suicide,” he says with a laugh, “but the general reaction was really supportive. The
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LIVING, THINKING + BEING
VADA GOES MAVERICK AT HAIR X Top Pitt Street salon Vada opened Queen’s Birthday weekend’s Gala evening at Hair X with an installation and performance art piece featuring live music, choreographed dance, graffiti artist Otis Frizell - and Cowboys and Indians. The Vada team, lead by Guy Roberts, took the audience on an exciting creative journey. Vada’s philosophy is one of drawing from all creative energies - fusing art, fashion, design, music and pop culture and translating ideas into their work. Roberts says “The Maverick personality is one with whom we felt a kindred spirit - being a wilfully independent, non-branded beast who strays far from the herd’s accepted ideas. MAVERICK’s audience will see the spirit and colour palette of this lone dissenter travelling the wild dust bowl frontier.” PN
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1. Guy “Geezer” Roberts backstage 2. “The King” puts EVO product to good use 3. This is model Laura Hangartner’s real hair 4. Otis Frizell hair art 5. Dancers Georgia, Zara and Lydia
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LIVING, THINKING + BEING
ODE TO MANDE WHITE YOGA Our city serves a million souls, (A little more - for the purists) And at its heart the downtown beats, Its arteries the city streets, As business flows and cars compete, With shoppers and with tourists But Auckland’s under stress it seems, (Arteriosclerosis?) Well so are we who work within, The workload’s fat, the jobs are thin, The traffic’s jammed; “I need a gin – to ward off my neurosis!” Yet there’s another, better way, For inner city dwellers It’s anti-stressful, anti-weight, Pro-awareness anti-hate You fitness freaks - just make a date, (For ladies and for fellas) It’s called “The Art of Feeling Good” Athletic Hatha Yoga. Don’t think of folks with shaven head, Or yellow robes, or well nailed bed; It’s meant for you and me instead In gym-gear, not a toga It matters not your present shape; We all could use improvement. For “fitties” we can raise the pace, For all-good health, control and grace, So open your mind, find your inner space, And join the Yoga movement.
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HOROSCOPES
MISS PEARL NECLIS
♋ Cancer (the Crab): 22 June - 22 July
You have had only one priority in your life for the last few months and you seem to be neglecting what’s important and that’s you. You’re strong but you can only go on for so long without something going wrong. Just be aware you’re pushing yourself too far.
♌
Leo (the Lion): 23 July - 21 August The bout of bad luck you have experienced recently has left you feeling negative and quite despondent occasionally and it can be quite exhausting. It is hard staying positive but it’s even harder for those trying to keep things going without showing the strain.
♍
Virgo (the Virgin): 22 August - 23 September There’s no need to struggle at work anymore as you have more than proved you’re capable, however if you need some help don’t be afraid to pull in a few favours your colleagues are more than willing to help.
♎
Libra (the Scales): 24 September - 23 October You want to join in with what’s going on but feel like you have over committed and are being pulled in all directions at once. Remind yourself what you want to do otherwise you won’t be satisfied with your performance so why will anyone else?
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Scorpio (the Scorpion): 24 October - 22 November You might have said more than you intended when you found yourself put on the spot at work recently. Don’t worry though as this will give food for thought for those with a conscience not as clear as yours.
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Sagittarius (the Archer): 23 November - 22 December Don’t get drawn in to anyone else’s dramas this month especially if you’re not comfortable getting involved in the first place. You might find yourself getting emotional for no reason. If you can, escape and explore your feelings.
♑ Capricorn (the Goat): 23 December - 20 January
You find your confidence continues to waver as you still continue to climb your way to some imaginary goal that you have created for yourself. However you need to realise that your ambitions are often bigger than you realise.
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Aquarius (the Water Carrier): 21 January - 19 February This can be a very emotional time of the year for Aquarians as you try and separate your thoughts from your feelings but you have to understand that this is who you are. Your feelings can be on display sometimes and feel like a burden especially if there is any partnership tension.
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Pisces (the Fish): 20 February - 20 March You’ve been doing a lot of work for other people for a while now and you feel like you haven’t been acknowledged at all. Don’t let any resentment build, say something about it now and clear the air before its too late to do or say something.
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Aries (the Ram): 21 March - 20 April Try and go with the flow and not push anyone into doing something they’re not comfortable with. You don’t always have to be impulsive all the time. If you let any progress you make unfold on its own you’ll get ahead in your relationship a lot easier.
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Taurus (the Bull): 21 April - 21 May You have a lot to say and seem to be storing up enough energy for a fully fledged rant as you’re getting frustrated knowing that you’re almost at the end of your recent creative output. It’s now a question of finishing touches and you will begin to feel the pressure leave.
♊ Gemini (the Twins): 22 May - 21 June
You’re always trying to surround yourself with people who are just as busy and work as hard as you do. But you have to find time to relax and make sure everyone around you is as calm and relaxed too. Taking time for yourself without distraction will be beneficial in the long run.
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REJUVENATING TIRED AGING SKIN MADE EASY GETTING YOUNGER LOOKING SKIN IS NOW AS EASY AS TAKING A SEAT, closing your eyes and relaxing for 10 minutes. European red and orange light technology from Ergoline is now available exclusively at Solaris Clinic. Skin aging is influenced by numerous factors resulting in a tired, sallow and uneven complexion. As people age, fibroblast (cells that produce collagen) metabolism slows down, resulting in a continual decline in collagen. Since collagen is the primary filler in connective tissue, the skin loses tautness and reduced cell regeneration causes a loss of moisture and elasticity, ultimately resulting in the formation of wrinkles. Solaris Clinic’s latest Energising CHP Plus Chair uses visible and near-infra red and orange light to rejuvenate the skin naturally. The light is absorbed by the fibroblasts and stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. Small wrinkles are reduced causing the skin to become visibly tauter and smoother. Pigmentation and sun spots are significantly reduced as the treatment causes skin cells to regenerate up to 150 -200% faster. Alicia Berridge, Director of Solaris Clinic says “The Collagen Beauty Bed has been a huge success with our customers over the past three years, with excellent results in skin rejuvenation, reduction of pigmentation and improved circulation. European studies on the effectiveness of the Collagen Beauty Bed reported that of clients who used the product twice a week for two months, 65% saw a reduction in wrinkles, 58% had refined pores, 68% had improved skin texture and 65% had firmer skin.” PN
Get in quick to secure a course of 15 sessions valued at $399 for an introductory price of $199. SOLARIS CLINIC 54 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 5154 www.solarisclinic.co.nz
GET INTO THE SWING AT HERNE BAY PONSONBY RACKETS CLUB WITH ITS FANTASTIC LOCATION, AT THE TOP OF WEST END ROAD AND of first-class fitness options, Herne Bay Ponsonby Rackets Club is one of the inner city’s best sporting facilities. Whether you’re into social play or serious competition, there are plenty of options for both tennis and squash players of all ages. You can hit with fellow club mates virtually anytime you feel like it. There are weekly club nights, Thursdays from 7pm, that are open to anyone - players are matched up with the others of a similar ability. Plus there are Auckland-wide interclub, annual tournaments and even national competitions where the club has a proud record - the top men’s squash team has won the National Club Championships three times in the last five years. And if you’d like some tips, the club has full-time professional coaches. If the on-court exercise wasn’t enough, there’s also a fully equipped gym, with personal training and individual programmes available. It is extra to join the gym however club members do receive a discounted rate. There’s also a sauna, which is fantastic for getting rid of the aches and pains, especially over winter! And after all the exercise, there’s no better place to relax than the comfort of the lounge which has a fully licensed bar, big screen, pool table and very reasonable prices - tap beer is $4.80 a handle and bottled beer from $5.20. PN For more information and membership options go to their website or call: HERNE BAY PONSONBY RACKETS CLUB, 10 Westend Road T: 09 376 0681 www.hernebayrackets.co.nz PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY
BUILDING THE PERFECT WINTER BATH
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I have a veritable fetish for scented candles, and they are the perfect accompaniment to winter nights spent in a warm bath. I have a veritable “wardrobe” of candles that I like to choose from, dependant on mood and time of day, and am constantly on the hunt for new additions when I’m walking Ponsonby Road. WORLDbeauty stocks one of my absolute favourite ranges, Cire Trudon. France’s oldest manufacturer of candles - they were burned by Napoleon and Marie Antoinette - Cire Trudon candles are crafted using the highest quality vegetable wax poured into beautiful handmade glass, making them biodegradable, allergen free and free of pesticides as far back as 1643! They also have an incredible 80-hour burn time, and come in a variety of alluring scents. I’ve been a raving fan of their ‘Ernesto’ candle for some time now, inspired by the famous Cuban revolutionary of the same name. According to the accompanying paraphernalia (which is gorgeous too, by the way) it’s inspired by the following scene: “…In a hotel of Havana, sizzling under the stubborn sun of the Revolution, fierce overtones of leather and tobacco meddle with resolution the waxy silence of wood. Breaking out of the cool dimness, sly grimaces emerge, framed by the smoke of cigars and the barrels of guns….” In a word: unforgettable.
FOR MANY OF US, SLEEP COMES AT A PREMIUM. WE LEAD STRESSFUL, active lives and when it’s time to finally lie down we need all of the help we can get to fall asleep quickly to get the rest we need. The frantic pace of the modern world means that all too often we go to bed with our thoughts racing with that day’s unfinished to-do list and panic about the one ahead. The transition from sleep to wake - marked in pre-television days by cups of cocoa and quiet conversation - is now all too often a final frantic dash to get everything completed before collapsing into bed. Late night television, caffeine and alcohol don’t help our situation much either, over stimulating and causing broken sleep patterns that we feel all of the next day. A deep, restful sleep is essential in order for your body to restore and revitalise - especially during the long winter months - and that gift could be just one dimly lit, softly fragranced bath away.
A brand new favourite of mine is by the Curio Noir brand, and created right here in New Zealand by the very clever Tiffany Jeans. I’m completely unashamed to admit that I am a massive fan of the Curio Noir range of home fragrances, one could say bordering on the obsessive. Pretty much everything that creator Tiffany unleashes upon the world is pure beauty, and her newest offering is no different. Called Tobacco Night, it is a rather masculine and beautiful scent - reportedly inspired by the lingering musky sweetness tobacco leaves in the heavy night air. It includes notes of Sage, Coriander, Elemi, Amber, Musk and Dry Tobacco Leaves, and is available right here in Ponsonby at Miss Crabb. The handmade candle arrives in a beautiful hand blown amber-coloured glass inspired by apothecary of days long past, which will make for a gorgeous vase once the candle has burned down. I have several former-Curio vessels already lining the walls of my office and can attest to the face that they get more than a few admiring glances! They also make the perfect addition to any bathroom, and are the just the ticket for adding to a growing bath time arsenal of beautiful goods. (HELENE RAVLICH) PN
The ancient Greeks and Romans valued their baths as a place of encounter and communication, using them also when they wanted to retire for physical and mental relaxation. In the 20th century the lavish bathing tradition had to give way to the short fix of a shower, which seemed to be so much better suited to our rushed and efficient way of life. Come the 21st century however and taking a bath has undergone a renaissance of sorts, becoming an oasis of wellness in a mad, mad world. At last the body seems to become once more a source of vitality that needs to be cared for and valued, not just washed! One of the best ways to create a beautiful bath time ritual of your own at home is to go on the hunt for some bath oils and candles that turn your mind to rest and relaxation, and Dr. Hauschka have some of the best around. Dr. Hauschka Baths contain precious essential oils extracted from roots, barks, stems and blossoms of medicinal plants and fruits too, making them a great choice if you’re keen on green like me. They are available as Lavender (to relax and strengthen the nervous system), Spruce (warm and calm, offering relief from colds, flu and other respiratory ailments), Lemon (strengthening to connective tissue so great for the skin), Rosemary (a great warmer) and Sage, which is the best choice for after sport.
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CLARE CALDWELL
THE ART OF LIVING
Recently, while waiting for take-out from my local noodle house, I began idly reading a discarded magazine. An article about the “Singularity” caught my attention. The Singularity is typically defined as an “intelligence explosion” where superintelligences design successive generations of exponentially more powerful superintelligences. The one thing all the various hypotheses have in common is the transformation of our species into something that’s no longer recognisably human. Sound familiar?! The hypothetical emergence of greater-than-human-intelligences confronts us with the rather daunting realisation that the capabilities of such intelligences would be difficult for the unaided human mind to even comprehend. Some futurists believe that when this happens, humanity – our bodies, our minds, our civilisations – will be completely and irreversibly transformed - that it’s not inevitable, but imminent. I’ve been fascinated by all this for many years but it’s all pretty heady stuff to grapple with amongst endless cries of “Chicken Fried Rice!” and “Four Fish, Two Chip!”. An artificial intelligence (AI) has no emotional, intellectual or spiritual desire to know what the purpose of human life is within the creation of the Universe (this strikes me as a major existential deficit). There’s no direct evolutionary motivation for an A.I. to be friendly - it’s dispassionate towards humans - it doesn’t hate you nor does it love you but you consist of atoms which it can use for something else. Some believe our time on earth in our present organic form is ending due to our self-destructive negligence of sustainable solutions, and that “human intelligence” will be transferred and stored into AI’s. That to me is a reductionist and disturbingly dark scenario. How can you distil and ascertain the essence of human intelligence? Where is it found? In our left-brained logic? We’re exquisitely beautiful and holistic entities. Our intelligence is found throughout our bodies in a complexity of interacting and interdependent systems that have evolved over millions of years. Our primitive “gut reaction” is a felt and learned body response with “conversations” between the cells of our lower intestine and our brain.
DRY JULY: CLEAR YOUR HEAD, MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS MONTH NEW ZEALAND JOINS AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST TIME, TO participate in Dry July. DJ’s (Dry.July.ers) seek sponsorship to swear off drinking for the 31 days of July, to raise funds to directly help adults living with cancer - and their families - to improve their quality of life. Dry July is also a chance to raise awareness of individual drinking habits and the value of a balanced healthy lifestyle. It’s a personal challenge which encourages positive change and an awareness of a healthy attitude to alcohol consumption. As Ponsonby News went to press at the end of June, there were already 934 New Zealanders participating, who had raised more than $68,000. In Auckland money raised will go to The Northern Regional Cancer and Blood Service at Auckland Hospital, which treats an average of 352 patients a day - in 2011 10,700 patients came through the centre for chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. The improvement projects earmarked for 2012 Dry July funds are the installation of WiFi in waiting areas, new seating, new children’s play equipment and the construction of a healing/reflection garden for the use of patients within the service building. Dr Richard Sullivan is Director of the Auckland District Health Board Cancer and Blood Healthcare Service Group, and Clinical Director of the Northern Cancer Network, New Zealand. He says “This is the first time the Dry July campaign has run in New Zealand. Much like the Rugby World Cup, we’re looking forward to showing the Aussies how it should be done! Dry July is a great concept and we’re delighted to be working together to help raise funds that will make the journey a little bit more comfortable for our adult cancer patients. We provide treatment to patients from all over the upper North Island and there is a lot of interest in Dry July. We can’t wait to see what can be achieved.” Ponsonby News’ Helene Ravlich and Julie Roulston, and local shoe designer Kathryn Wilson, are all participating in Dry July - if you would like to sponsor them the links are: https://nz.dryjuly.com/profile/heleneravlich https://nz.dryjuly.com/profile/julieroulston https://nz.dryjuly.com/profile/kathrynwilson PN
In my hospice work I’ve had the privilege of witnessing a slowly diminishing physical body allow the radiant energy and essence of its Beingness to shine through more and more until a state of absolute serenity and expanded consciousness is achieved. All this and much, much more would be lost. I like to think that humans were created from a benevolent Source and have yet to fulfil their higher function. It’s a huge topic that I cannot do justice to here but all I can say in conclusion is if we do ultimately end up interfacing with AI’s then “The Art of Living” would certainly take on a whole new paradigm! Clare (Claudie) Caldwell is a Creative Arts Therapist who runs a small private practice from home. She is Voluntary Team Leader of Creative Therapies at Mercy Hospice Auckland, College Hill, where she has worked for the last ten years. She is also a Freelance Artist. PN Enquiries: T: 09 836 3618; M: 021 293 3171; E: clare.e.caldwell@gmail.com
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LIVING, THINKING + BEING
LONGING FOR WARM, LAZY DAYS? Here are two products that caught Ponsonby News’ eye for their promise of Spring: GLASSHOUSE TRIPLE SCENTED CANDLES Lucky Ponsonby News Fashion Editor Julie Roulston got a trio of Glasshouse candles in a goodie bag from the Aurelio Costarella show at May’s Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week. She is absolutely struck by their beautiful, uplifting fragrances.
SOLUDOS Founded in New York in 2010, Soludos are a take on the traditional espadrille and have recently collaborated with cult brand Opening Ceremony and J Crew, among others. They’ll be stocked at Black Box (sadly you’ll have to wait until September), and will retail between $39 and $59. PN
Little did she know you can buy Glasshouse at Redcurrent and at Republic Home! Glasshouse candles are handcrafted in Australia and will burn for up to 80 hours. Fragrance selection is named by destination - how about a little Bora Bora (Cilantro and Orange Zest) or maybe some Oahu (milk-scented Orange Blossom, White Heliotrope and Narcissus)? RRP $52.50
FREE JIN SHIN JYUTSU SESSIONS 100 YEARS AGO A JAPANESE SAGE JIRO MURAI HAD A LIFE ALTERING experience after fasting and practicing mudras (finger holds). When he knew he was healed from a life threatening disease, he pledged his life to the study of what we now call Jin Shin Jyutsu: The Art of the Creator through Man of Compassion. To celebrate this historic event, thousands of students from all over the world are gathering to honour Jiro Murai, and the American woman Mary Burmeister who translated his concepts for the western mind. We are offering free sessions of JSJ to ANYONE who is interested to try this amazing balancing of mind, body and spirit. All ages welcome. (DEBORAH KELLAND) Date: 4 August, Venue: Ponsonby Community Centre, Time: 1.30pm till 5pm. To make a booking email Birgit Gundermann at: secretary@jinshinjyutsu.org.nz with your name and desired time. Enquiries: Jennifer Holmes T: 09 361 3091. PN E: Jsjjen@gmail.com
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PLANET AYURVEDA: ASK+DOCTOR AJIT LIVING, THINKING BEING
INAUGURAL MOTHER DAUGHTER HEALTH EVENT GREAT SUCCESS ecostore, alongside two leading experts in health and wellbeing, hosted a seminar evening recently at Auckland Girls Grammar, that particularly targeted mums and daughters The inaugural event aimed to help females make simple healthier choices everyday. Alongside Malcolm Rands, founder of ecostore, were two experts in the field of nutrition, fitness and skin care, Lee-Anne Wann and Dr Vincent Crump. Malcolm says the event was in response to the increasing hype of marketing messages out there. “There are just so many people wanting to cut through the hype to know what’s really good for them in terms of their health and beauty. The turnout was fantastic, we got some phenomenal feedback and it was just great to see so many mothers and daughters attending together.” Topics covered included breaking the myths of calories and low fat diets, maintaining naturally beautiful skin, skin allergies, buyer beware: ‘natural’ doesn’t always mean healthy and environmental toxicity and its impact on health and weight management. Lee-Anne Wann, best known as the tough trainer on the hit television series ‘Downsize Me’ says for her it is all about honest and uncomplicated approaches to life’s challenges.
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“I’m a huge believer in keeping it real which means keeping it simple and getting the basics right. Females are dreadful at beating themselves up when an exercise routine or diet doesn’t work, when in actual fact it isn’t their fault at all. We need to look at what’s right for us as an individual and works with our lifestyle but importantly we need to look at what toxins are in our lives that inhibit our bodies working properly and effectively. Start by looking at what’s in your washing powder, your dish washing liquid, your shampoos and conditioners and switch to filtered water.” Based on feedback, ecostore is now looking to run more of these events. If you are interested register on community@ecostore.co.nz and they will let you know when the next one is. PN
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1. Vida Trnski, Melanie Rands and Skylar Chapman-Peters 2. Vincent Crump, Lee-Anne Wann and Malcolm Rands 3. Edili and Edit Horvath
THOUGHTFUL, SOULFUL
A quick look at a selection of films in the living, thinking and being realm at New Zealand International Film Festival - Auckland. FIRST POSITION Six gifted ballet students from disparate social, regional, economic and ethnic backgrounds prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix. Documentary. English, Spanish, French and Hebrew, with English subtitles. Director /Producer Bess Kargman. “Kargman, once a young dancer herself, demonstrates ample knowledge of and passion for ballet life.” HOW FAR IS HEAVEN (WORLD PREMIERE) First and foremost a rapt pictorial response to the beautiful setting of Jerusalem on the Whanganui River... its recurrent subject is whether three pakeha nuns are serving any useful social purpose there in 2011, with several of their students coming into sharp focus. Documentary. Directors Christopher Pryor and Miriam Smith. I WISH Young Koichi wishes for a miracle to bring his family back together. “I Wish” is the funniest thing I saw on screen this year” - Mark Cousins, Sight & Sound. Director/Screenplay/Editor Koreeda Hirokazu. Japanese, with English subtitles.
New Zealand International Film Festival - Auckland, July 19 to 5 August www.nzff.co.nz
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MARINA ABRAMOVIC: THE ARTIST IS PRESENT Matthew Aker’s portrait captures the stunning, Givenchy-wearing 63 year old performance artist at the height of her career as she prepares for her 2010 MoMA retrospective. Documentary. Director/Photography Matthew Akers. PLANET OF SNAIL This patient, immersive and appropriately tactile film follows the daily routine of a deaf -blind man, Cho Young-chan, who lives in small Korean town with his tiny wife, Soon-ho. Their relationship is so smooth and symbiotic that friends and colleagues are concerned that Young-chan might be losing his independence, and promote a forced separation. Documentary. Director/ Photography: Yi Seung-jun. Korean with English subtitles. STEP UP TO THE PLATE Chef Michel Bras started his career in the kitchen of his parents’ inn before taking over the business and winning his Michelin star. Now he is preparing to hand over to his son. Documentary. Director Paul Lacoste. French with English subtitles. PN
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
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TONY DEY: THE HARD TOOTH – THE TRUTH ABOUT DENTISTS, DENTAL CARE AND TEETH
DOES DENTISTRY COST TOO MUCH? Yes dentistry is expensive. Recently the media has started their annual attack on dental fees. The coverage has been relatively fair, at least giving us dentists an opportunity to give our side of the story. Personally I think there are two real issues. Firstly there is little or no provision for government funded dentistry for patients over 18. Then there is the issue of the modern diet, full of processed food high in sugar resulting in increased incidences of decay. The government funds dental care until you’re 18 via the School Dental Service provided by school dental clinics and Adolescent Oral Health Service provided by contracting dentists. At Ponsonby Dentist we hold these contracts as a commitment to the local community. The reimbursement from the government is so low that it makes no commercial sense to carry these contracts. Problems really start when you leave school. There is very limited government funding for those on low incomes or benefits. Funding is limited to ‘relief of pain’ treatments. Here in Auckland that is provided primarily at Greenlane Clinical Centre where patients pay $40 for a tooth extraction. To ensure they are seen people queue from the early hours - 5am in some cases.
So that leaves a lot of us Ponsonbities to self-fund our dentistry. Keeping the price of dentistry down isn’t that difficult. My favourite line ‘only floss the teeth you want to keep’ is the key, it’s all about prevention! Visit your hygienist six monthly and your dentist yearly. Spread that cost out over a year and it’s far less than a cup of tooth staining coffee a day. There are even a number of deals available online, with a bit of research you can quickly work out which ones are reputable. When treatment is indicated you do need to ensure you are making an informed decision on which treatment is most suitable. Not every tooth needs a porcelain crown! Simple filling technologies have advanced so we can now offer a wide range of treatment options at reasonable rates. That’s all doom and gloom, so we decided to brighten up winter a little. Teeth and your smile are a huge part of your personality so why not look after them. At Ponsonby Dentist we have put a deal together for Ponsonby News readers. No it’s not a $40 extraction it is Ponsonby after all. We are offering you all our famous whitening treatment for only $250. See our advert on the facing page. (DR TONY DEY) PN PONSONBY DENTIST, 114 Ponsonby Road T: 09 361 2060 www.ponsonbydentist.co.nz
AU REVOIR, LOUISE PILKINGTON Louise Pilkington worked her last day at Servilles Ponsonby at the end of June - the end of a 15 year chapter at the salon and 23 years with Servilles. She opened Servilles Ponsonby in 1995 when she was 25 with a staff of 10 including then-manager Joanne Twohill. Ponsonby News: How has Ponsonby changed in 15 years? Louise Pilkington: When I opened I had a drip coffee pot from which I served clients. Now Ponsonby has the most amazing café culture and Ponsonby people are very discerning about coffee and things fashionable. There have been so many fashion businesses open in the area in that time. PN: How has the hairstyling business changed in the last 15 years? LP: Lots of businesses have opened, and to stay ahead of the eight-ball you have to make sure your thing stays special. Lots of people I hugely respect have opened around me. You have to embrace that, and learn not to fear clients going from salon to salon. What you give, and how you deliver it, is the most important. PN: What’s been the highlight of your 15 years? LP: The community, the support people like Martin Leach (Ponsonby News), Chris Rupe (SPQR), Luke Dallow (Chapel etc), Joanne Pearson (Mei Mei), the girls at Askew, Bill the former fruiterer. The quirky, gorgeous people from the halfway houses. PN: What’s been the low point? LP: Sadly, when you know so many people, there have been a number of deaths to deal with over that time. People in the hair industry, clients, people we knew from the halfway houses. PN: What do you know now, that you wish you knew 15 years ago? LP: Every single bump in the road is actually an incredible lesson. Don’t ever get tripped up by those things. When you hit your first bump when you are 25 it can be very scary, but 15 years on you look back and see that the little bumps are just part of the journey.
Watch Ponsonby News for details of Louise Pilkington’s new venture, soon to be revealed. PN
Also (having employed many staff) - a diamond sometimes comes wrapped in newspaper. PN: Whose hair do you love doing? LP: All of my clients are special to me. Over the years I have been fortunate to meet some really interesting people, and I love it when they have their hair done for special events. Kerry Woodham is always hosting something or doing something for charity and always looks great, Peta Matthias is colourful and inspiring. And there are people who have been mentors: Julie Christie, Annie Dow, Trish Willans, Jenny Raynish. My friend Sara Tetro (62 Models) - we talked together about starting our own businesses back in 1993. She came to have her hair done on my last day at Servilles Ponsonby, and I don’t remember now but she was probably there on my first day.
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JOHN APPLETON ON HEALTH
YOUR HEART: GETTING A SECOND OPINION Heart disease is the number one killer of New Zealanders, responsible for 40% of all deaths. Every 90 minutes a New Zealander dies from coronary heart disease (16 deaths a day) and seven of these are women. New research shows 74 per cent of New Zealand women are unaware heart disease is by far their leading cause of death. Given these very sobering statistics, prevention should be paramount because for the most part heart disease is preventable. While it’s widely acknowledged that diet has a significant role to play in the development and prevention of heart disease, the treatment of symptoms (with drugs) has been the main focus with dietary advice generally taking a ‘back seat’. One of the main reasons for this is that doctors have very limited time with their patients and the prescription pad provides a solution to this problem. Another reason is that during their training in Medical School nutrition is not a significant focus and thus many doctors are just beginning to appreciate the importance of nutritional interventions. The situation when it comes to heart disease can become a very complex issue for doctors because they can find themselves dealing with a range of symptoms of the disease. There’s high blood pressure - angina - irregular heart-beats - peripheral artery disease and heart failure to name a few. Patients can often find themselves on a whole raft of medications and the side effects can have a significant impact on quality of life. Cholesterol lowering drugs can cause debilitating muscle aches in the legs and inhibit the body’s ability to make Coenzyme Q10 which is essential for providing the energy that the heart needs to pump 100,000 times every day. One of the major problems for our health system is that because of the focus on dealing with symptoms of disease, more and more we are seeing a general progression from chronic care to acute care and this is what really ramps up the costs.
It’s easy to understand why so many New Zealanders are becoming concerned as they age and why they seek options that might help them avoid progression of disease or perhaps reverse the trend. It’s becoming more common for people to obtain a second opinion in order to find out if they are on the most appropriate medication/s or indeed to discuss alternatives such as lifestyle changes. Both of my parents died prematurely from heart disease and thus I have been doing my best to avoid going down this track. Some years ago I asked Auckland Cardiologist Dr Gerald Lewis MB ChB, FRACP, FRCP (UK), MD (Otago) to check me out. Dr Lewis is a member of ‘The Australasian Integrative Medicine Association’ (AIMA www.aima.net.au) and he has wide experience in hospital medicine and specialist practice. He has been included in Who’s Who in Medicine and Who’s Who in the World for his work in high blood pressure research. Dr Lewis has extensive experience in many complementary fields of medicine including nutritional medicine, intravenous vitamin C, chelation therapy, EECP, calcium scanning of the heart and metabolic cardiology where nutrients are used to support the normal functioning of the heart. He has also written several bestselling books on heart disease, cancer and nutritional supplements and he is often found making informative presentations to his colleagues and the public at conventions and public meetings. When it comes to heart disease we need to know that there are totally safe side effect free nutritional options and we need to know that there are doctors who understand the use of nutrients such as Magnesium - Coenzyme Q10 - high potency Omega 3 - Vitamin C - D-Ribose and L-Carnitine. Dr Lewis is available for anyone who would like a second opinion or a comprehensive review of their cardiovascular health. He has a clinic in Newmarket. You can visit his very informative website www.drgerald.co.nz. Email him at geraldlewis@zoho.com or call him on M: 021 443 779. (JOHN APPLETON) PN JOHN APPLETON ASSOCIATES T: 09 489 9362 john@johnappleton.co.nz www.johnappleton.co.nz
DERMALOGICA AT SUNDAY PAINTERS THURSDAY 21ST JUNE 2012 Dermalogica launched its Skin Perfect Primer SPF30 to a select group of beauty media over tea and sweet treats at Sunday Painters. “Just attended what could be the perfect skincare launch: parking, 2 mins from hm, incred food, great coffee, killer product!” tweeted our own @MsHelene, aka Helene Ravlich.
Above left: Sarah Murray and Sarah Simpson; Above right: Dianne Ensor, Shona McLean, Gabrielle Jones Below left: Geraldine Creff; Below right: Tracey Dalton, Kate Rogers, Tracy Davis and beauty industry colleagues
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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
LIVING, THINKING + BEING
INTRODUCING M & R COUGH AND COLD TONIC A holistic approach to healing naturally this winter!
We’ve all been there, itchy throat, running nose, sleepless nights, and a cough that refuses to budge. It’s that dreaded time of year, where common coughs and colds become rife ... and you’re left feeling worse than glum for the better part of the week at least! Introducing M&R Essentials Cough and Cold Tonic; a homeopathic formula to assist with the relief of symptoms associated with the common cold. This homeopathic medicine is a natural medicine which involves treatment using highly diluted micro-doses of mineral, botanical and biological substances which assist the body’s natural system of healing.
MATARIKI 2012 – MAKE IT YOUR TIME TO QUIT THE ASTHMA FOUNDATION, AS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE SMOKEFREE Coalition, has signed a joint submission to the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee (FEC) on the Customs and Excise (Tobacco Products - Budget Measures) Amendment Bill supporting a 40% increase in tobacco tax in 2013! A 40% tax increase is the most effective way of stopping kids from taking up smoking and encouraging smokers to quit. Around 5,000 New Zealanders every year die from smoking. In New Zealand more than 200,000 people live with COPD - a debilitating respiratory condition. It is estimated that at least 80 percent of them (160,000-plus people] developed COPD because of smoking. Smoking is also the main cause of lung cancer, which still kills more New Zealanders than any other cancer.
What makes M&R Essentials Cough and Cold Tonic special is the unique inclusion of homeopathically prepared minerals called Tissue Salts which add extra support over the duration of the cold or flu, and every bottle of M&R Essentials Cough Tonic is hand potentised and individually bottled right here in New Zealand. PN
We applaud the government’s goal of a Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025 and we are proud that New Zealand is leading the way with such a definitive goal! Raising the price of cigarettes is a major step in achieving this goal.
M&R ESSENTIALS COUGH & COLD TONIC RRP: $29.90 (50mls) www.mandressentials.co.nz
‘It’s not only about the government - there needs to be an inclusive, collaborative approach to helping whanau quit’ says Angela Francis, Chief Executive of the Asthma Foundation. Matariki is a time of new beginnings and a perfect time for smokers to choose a new, smokefree future.
VITAMIN D MAY ALLEVIATE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS Women who experience painful menstrual cramps could find relief from high dose Vitamin D according to new research. The study, published in the Journal of American Medical Association’s Archives of Internal Medicine, revealed that women who suffer from primary dysmenorrhea (painful cramping before or during menstruation) experience much less menstrual pain and have no need to take pain medication for up to two months after receiving a single high dose of Vitamin D.
Angela says ‘Don’t give up, quit! You can do it with the right support, the good news is that there’s more support available than ever before.’ The new bi-lingual publication Me Mutu Tatou, launched by The Hon Tariana Turia, Associate Minister of Health, is designed to support Maori smokers to quit. It is written by Maori for Maori and is based on Sir Professor Mason Durie’s model of Maori health, which incorporates Mauri Ora (cultural Identity), Wai ora (physical environment), Toi Ora (healthy lifestyles) and Te Oranga (participation in society). PN If you want help quitting, call the Quit Line on 0800 778 778, or visit www.quit.org.nz
Associate Professor of University of Auckland and Gynaecologist, Dr Neil Johnson, says that over 90% of New Zealand women will have moderate to debilitating menstrual cramps at some time during their life. “Dysmenorrhea is a significant problem affecting a large number of women both socially and healthwise. Between a third and a half of women will at some stage, lose a portion of work or daily activity due to painful menstrual cramps. Many women are looking for more natural therapies rather than taking ongoing pain relief or hormones and Vitamin D rather than pain medication could make a real difference to many women. A small study involved 40 women, 20 of whom took an ultra high dose of Vitamin D (300,000 IU) five days before their next expected period and 20 women took a placebo five days before their next expected period. The group taking Vitamin D reported at least two points lower (on a 10 point scale) than they had reported during previous painful cycles. After two months, this group experienced a 41% decrease in pain scores. Dr Johnson says that while the findings are based on a small research study, the strong benefit of Vitamin D on dysmenorrhea observed in the study warrants further larger trials of Vitamin D in the treatment of menstrual pain and inflammation in women. “Further studies are needed to provide a better understanding of the potential for Vitamin D in delivery of pain relief and reduction of inflammation but the initial study is promising. We’ve already seen that Omega 3, magnesium and Vitamins B1 and B6 are effective in reducing painful menstrual cramps and adding Vitamin D to the arsenal could be extremely beneficial,” says Dr Johnson. Michelle Palmer, Executive Director of Natural Products New Zealand says that the diverse benefits of Vitamin D continue to be uncovered and this latest find could be of huge significance to many Kiwi women. PN Source: JAMA Archives of Internal Medicine: Vol 172, Issue 4, Pgs 366-367, doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.715 “Improvement of Primary Dysmenorrhea Caused by a Single Oral Dose of Vitamin D: Results of a Randomised Double-blined, Placebo-Controlled Study” Authors: A Lasco, A Catalano, S Benvenga
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BILLY HARRIS: KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY OLIVER MILLER IS A YOUNG MAN IN A HURRY EVERYTHING OLIVER DOES, IT SEEMS, WHETHER IT’S TRAINING, COMPETING, eating, even growing, he does like there’s no tomorrow. He just turned 13 years old and this Westmere athlete has already reached 1.82m in height (that’s nearly 6 feet to older readers), and his feet take a size 13 shoe. Unfortunately for his parents’ bank balance, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. But there’s a positive side to all those long levers. At the most recent Auckland track and field championships, as a 12 year old, Oliver won gold medals in each of the 200m and 400m, and added a silver in the high jump. At both the North Island Colgate Games and South Island Colgate Games he won the gold medal in the high jump and brought home silver from the South Island in the 200m. And at the Auckland junior Pentathlon champs, his versatility was rewarded with the gold medal, while at the Interprovincial Team event his points tally over four events – 100m, 200m, high jump and shot put – were enough to see him ranked third across the nation. Oliver also runs well enough over shorter distances to mark him as super fast in his other sports of basketball and soccer, but he’s decided that his speed off the mark isn’t good enough yet to make him as competitive over the 100 metres as he is over the longer distances. Since the day he could stand on two feet, Oliver showed a high level of energy and speed. An athletics club seemed the natural outlet for those qualities, and since Oliver started competing, aged six, at his local Pt Chevalier Athletics Club, he’s won enough medals at club, inter school and representative meets to sink a ship. But it’s his stats rather than his collection of precious metals that mark him as an athlete of great potential. His personal best time for the 200m is 25.99 seconds, and for the gut busting 400m, an event in which you battle your opponents, the clock, and most painfully, the build up of lactic acid in your muscles, it’s 56.74. Give that a try next time you’re at the track. In the high jump, Oliver’s scaled a lofty 1.61m. Those figures don’t happen by accident. They’re the result of a strong commitment, not only from Oliver but from his support crew. He’s fortunate to be a member of the outstanding Pt Chev club where he’s coached by the renowned New Zealand sprinter Steve Erkkila, and have as his bank rollers, chefs, tailors, taxi drivers and fan club his parents Phil and Tania, both of whom have a keen involvement with the sport. They help create an environment which lets Oliver give full attention to his sport, even to the extent that during an upcoming Christmas trip to visit family in Surrey, England, they’ve arranged for him to train with a local athletics club to build for the Auckland championships and, pending selection, the inter provincials in Timaru. Training outdoors in a cold English winter promises to be far more testing than the twice weekly sessions Oliver does with the St Peter’s distance running squad before school during the winter, and demonstrates the sort of commitment that’s helped Oliver achieve twelve records at Pt Chev. As you can imagine, though, the highly motivated competitor is far from satisfied. His goal is to represent his country in international competition, perhaps even the Olympics. Should that happen, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Oliver could race against his hero Usain Bolt, who Oliver identifies with for his speed, height and trademark ‘bolt stance’, which Oliver has spent considerable time perfecting.
ANY PAGE IN PONSONBY NEWS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE SEEN
Let’s crunch the numbers. Bolt is 25. Oliver is 13. Both run the 200 metres, and Bolt has indicated an interest in moving up to the 400m as well. But the Jamaican is unlikely to last beyond two more Olympics after the London Games this year. Clearly, if they’re to meet on the track, the best chance is in 2020. That’s only eight years away, so Oliver Miller is really going to have to go like the clappers. (BILLY HARRIS) PN
ONE DAY FOR CHILD CANCER One Day is about sharing the dreams of children with cancer of what they want to be one day. The Child Cancer Foundation is encouraging individuals and organisations to choose one day, anytime during the month of July, to support the dreams of children with cancer by undertaking an activity of their choice to raise money. We are encouraging everyone to use their imagination and have fun! See www.childcancer.org.nz for more details. PN
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PRIME MINISTER JOHN KEY and MP NIKKI KAYE with ACG Senior College leaders PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
FUTURE GENERATION BE BA BO – A NEW GENERATION OF TOYS Top quality European toys are hard to find at the best of times. But thanks to conscientious Kiwi mum Liza Shieff, they are now readily available at be ba bo which has recently moved from Newmarket to Ponsonby. Be ba bo was born in 2007. As a mum concerned with the quality and educational aspects of toys for children, Liza set about researching and sourcing top quality, fun and educational toys. “I wasn’t very happy about my daughter playing with Barbies, especially when she started to compare herself unfavourably with Barbie’s unattainable figure and long, blonde hair,” recalls Liza. “So, the Barbies had to go. When all the dolls left our house, I realised I needed to replace them with something. My quandary increased with the arrival of Daniel. I always wanted high quality, long-lasting toys for him and his big sister but it was very hard to find them in New Zealand. “Fortunately I came across a Haba catalogue and was happy to discover some of the toys I had been looking for - and so my journey into a toy business started.” The Auckland based business provides parents and grandparents concerned with making sure their child’s development is nurtured through age appropriate toys. “Toys play an important role in children’s development so we sell only high quality toys which are not only safe, but help encourage imaginative thinking of young minds.” As well as the carefully selected range of toys be ba bo sells an inspiring range of children’s play tents, including beautiful children’s rugs. PN BE BA BO, 1 Pompallier Terrace T: 0800 23 22 26 www.bebabo.co.nz
LOCAL MP NIKKI KAYE PROVIDES LEADERSHIP EXPERTISE FOR ACG SENIOR COLLEGE LEADERS In a joint presentation the leaders of ACG Senior College were lucky enough to receive top leadership tips from two of our local best; our electorate MP Nikki Kaye and the Prime Minister John Key. The ‘Conversation with the Prime Minister’, is part of a unique ACG Senior College leadership programme. Instead of prefects this year, 13 seniors have been put into five leadership portfolios ranging from academic and social awareness through to entrepreneurship. The leaders collaborate across the various groups and the school to create meaningful projects. Run a little like a business with an executive team, the leaders use a boardroom for meetings and have their own office to implement projects. Katarina Zujovic, ACG Senior College’s top scholar and entrepreneurial leader was impressed. “Nikki Kaye MP made me reflect that you never truly realise what you’re made of until you’re prepared to lose it all and fail. I’d never thought of leadership like that before - you put everything on the line for something that you really believe in.” “Another point Nikki made that really rang true for me was the importance of being compassionate towards the people that you’re leading,” says Katarina. Kathy Parker, Principal, ACG Senior College, said “We were honoured that the Prime Minister and Nikki Kaye could have such a frank conversation about their pathways to leadership. Our students asked a lot of questions and they patiently answered with their personal insights.” “Developing leadership skills in students is becoming increasingly important. Students nowadays can’t leave school with just good academic grades, it takes much more than that to become successful later in life. There is such a large combination of skills to build in teenagers and providing them with fabulous role models makes a substantial difference to their own outlook and perspective on what they can personally achieve,” says Kathy. For Katarina, she will return to the boardroom invigorated with fresh approaches to lead her projects and get the best from the students contributing to the project goals. PN The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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FUTURE GENERATION VIVIENNE CARSON: DYSLEXIA-BUSTER Vivienne Carson thinks she’s got one of the most rewarding jobs out there. As a registered facilitator of the Davis Dyslexia Programme, she works with children and adults who experience difficulties with learning. Dyslexic people learn best and excel at hands on, creative and experiential learning. With this programme a lot of time is spent ‘making’ letters and words in clay so the people have a very visual understanding of them. “It’s like seeing a light go on with them. Along with the improved understanding often comes an increased self esteem, and there’s nothing more rewarding than that,” says Carson. With an emphasis on reading, writing and attention focus, she works on providing tools to help control the mental processes that cause distorted perception of letters, words and symbols common with dyslexia. The Davis Dyslexia programme was developed by Ron Davis, author of the best selling book The Gift of Dyslexia. Vivienne loves how the programme celebrates the unique way that dyslexics see the world. “Dyslexics are highly intuitive, creative and visual people” she says, “and this programme focuses on these strengths, and using them in a way to help with reading, writing and concentration.” Vivienne grew up on the slopes of Herne Bay, and when not working can usually be found doting on her four grandchildren at Ponsonby Road’s Bambina or Icing on the Cake on Jervois Road. Vivienne offers programmes in the wider Auckland area and can be contacted at: VIVIENNE CARSON T: 021 422 989 www.dyslexiamastered.co.nz PN
KELSEY YAP and KATHY REDWOOD of MATHZWISE
MAKING LEARNING MATHS FUN AND MEANINGFUL mathZwise IS A TUITION PROGRAMME THAT FOCUSES EXCLUSIVELY ON maths and is based on the New Zealand curriculum. Their aim is to help students become more competent and confident in maths.
Kathy developed New Zealand curriculum based maths programmes including aspects of the Numeracy Project, organised into textbooks, activity sheets, booklets and fun games and resources, so children remain interested and motivated.
Every tutoring session at mathZwise is designed primarily to make maths fun. Each lesson is planned to be as stimulating and enjoyable as possible using a variety of activities and resources. Through a combination of games, problem solving, and the basics such as practising times tables, students build a solid grounding in Maths.
Kelsey Yap is a qualified maths teacher with decades of experience behind her. She believes that maths learning should be made as enjoyable as possible for students. She is excited with the opportunity to bring mathZwise to Auckland and is also tremendously happy to be able to offer her skills to teach students a subject she loves.
mathZwise began in 2003 when Kathy Redwood, a qualified, registered teacher and former principal, saw an opportunity to use her considerable skills and knowledge to enhance individual students’ performance in Maths. She began tutoring students who needed extra help to get ahead in their studies.
mathZwise has sessions available from 3pm - 7.30pm on weekdays and 9am - 5pm on Saturdays. To enrol, please contact Kelsey Yap. PN
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MATHZWISE AUCKLAND CENTRAL, 93 College Hill T: 09 215 7833 E: kelsey@mathzwise.co.nz www.mathzwise.co.nz PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
FUTURE GENERATION LOLLIPOPS - WORKING WITH CHILDREN IS THEIR PASSION At Lollipops Early childhood centre they are all trained and work from a beautiful well-resourced centre in a heritage building on Jervois Road.
Phone or call in and see Karen if you require more information or would like to enrol your child.
Mention this advertisement and receive one week free * (conditions apply)
They pride themselves on their close relationships with the children and their parents and whanau. They make sure that parents are kept up to date through parent evenings, and the introduction of Parent Portal where they can send parents learning stories of their children, newsletters, policies and menus plus up to date photos and portfolios. Senior staff Karen, Tyne and Ioana are all passionate about the Reggio Emilia Philosophy and you can see aspects of this around the centre. “All our children are looked at as being capable and competent and our job is to extend their learning” says Karen. “We have a school readiness programme for our children and we also have strong connections with the school.”
Karen Purchase has worked in the early childhood education sector for more than 20 years. She holds a Diploma in Teaching (ECE) and also has a solid understanding of the Reggio philosophy. Karen has held management positions within kindergartens and childcare centres and has also worked for the home-based childcare sector. Left to right: KAREN PURCHASE with HUNTER and ARTHUR
She enjoys learning more about children every day and credits her knowledge to her hands on training and professional development.
The centre uses ICT to its full potential for their three to five year olds. They have a Star Board and interactive board where children are able to write, draw and research their interest. Places are available in their two to three year old room and their three to five year old room. Opening hours: 7.30am to 6pm each day plus a school day 8.30am - 3.30pm or sessional 8.30am - 12.30pm or 12.30pm - 4.30pm five mornings/five afternoons for three to five year olds.
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
Tyne Leaming has enjoyed working with all age groups within early childhood education for the past five years.
Ioana Reader is a qualified and registered teacher, has studied at the University of Auckland, Faculty of Education and holds a Diploma of Teaching. She is the team leader for the two year to three year Kiwi room. PN Left to right: IOANA READER, ARIANE, TYNE LEAMING, LUCY and ARIE
LOLLIPOPS EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE 1/272 Jervois Road T: 09 360 2066 or 0508 lollipops www.lollipopseducare.co.nz
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FUTURE GENERATION TEPID BATHS RE-OPENED LAST MONTH The doors to Auckland’s iconic Tepid Baths have opened to the public once again after an ambitious $15.8 million restoration and upgrade.
photography: Auckland Council
Mayor Len Brown and Waitemata Local Board Chair Shale Chambers officially reopened the 98-year-old city centre icon at a midday ceremony, followed by a symbolic breaking of the water by two Auckland swimmers. “This is an exciting occasion for those of us that know and love the Tepid Baths,” says Mr Chambers. “It is wonderful to see this historic building restored to its former glory for the benefit of all of Auckland and for people that live, work and play in the city centre to have a sleek and modern swimming pool and fitness centre at their disposal,” he says. The Tepid Baths closed in early 2010 and council officers and contractors began a fasttracked programme of works to repair its aging infrastructure, protect the heritage values of this category A heritage building and revamp the swimming and fitness facilities. Mayor Len Brown acknowledges the scale and importance of this restoration project. “The former council, the action groups that got behind saving this building and the Waitemata Local Board are to be commended on their drive and enthusiasm for delivering this project and ensuring such a recognisable part of downtown Auckland stands strong.” “Thousands of Aucklanders have childhood memories of visiting the baths – long may that continue,” says Len Brown. Work on the building has included: • Replacing all the decayed concrete in the pool, floor and walls of the building • Modifying and retiling the main and learner’s pools, making the main pool wider by one lane and adding a ramp to the learners pool • Painstakingly removing 100 years of paint from the facade and carefully restoring plaster and paintwork and applying a breathable paint system • Removing the decayed roof trusses and installing new trusses built to the original design
CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW
RED ROCKS by Rachel King. (Random House, $19.99) A wild Wellington coast, a beautiful seal skin, abandoned… Would you take it home? New Zealand writer Rachel King, author of Magpie Hall and award -winning Sound of Butterflies, has turned her skills to children’s books with the recently published Red Rocks. Set on Wellington’s wild south coast, it is a story based on the Selkie myth of northern European folklore. Selkies, or seal people, are said to live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to become a human form on land. Whilst on holiday in Wellington a boy named Jake explores the wild south coast and discovers a perfectly formed seal skin in a crevice of rocks. He takes it home and hides it under his bed, thus beginning a series of events which junior readers will find both eerie and compelling. PN DOROTHY BUTLER CHILDREN’S BOOKSHOP, 1 Jervois Road T: 09 376 7283 www.childrensbookshop.co.nz
• Moving changing rooms to the front of the building • Reinstating cabanas around the main and learners pools, matching the 1914 design as much as possible • Upgrading water and air treatment systems to modern standards • Installing state of the art gym equipment in a climate-controlled space overlooking both pools • Installing the iconic and recognisable Tepid Baths neon sign over the building. • Installing a new artwork on the Sturdee Street facade called “Memories of the Trusses” which celebrates rust and the trusses as a key driver for the project. Membership to both the pool and gym is already available at www.tepidbaths.co.nz or by visiting the membership office on site. PN
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FUTURE GENERATION MEET THE TEACHER NAME: Terry Robinson SCHOOL: Westmere Primary CURRENTLY TEACHING: Years 5 and 6 - 28 students HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER? After spending many years in the corporate wasteland of middle management, I finally found my true vocation. Witnessing the amazing develoment of my own (then) young children sparked an interest in something that I really wanted to be a part of. WHERE DID YOU TRAIN? I was one of the “mature” students at the Epsom campus of Auckland University hanging out with all the young late-teens and 20-somethings… trying to be hip and cool and groovy or whatever the in-words are these days. WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO WESTMERE PRIMARY? I was at Westmere on placement as a student teacher and fell in love with the whole environment. Great kids, fantastic staff and a terrific philosophy around teaching and learning. It was perfectly logical to beg for a job here when I finished at university. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT BEING A TEACHER? Every day is a new day with always something different to…um… “challenge” us…sometimes even in a good way! HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR TEACHING CAREER? Lots of these all the time. The best are usually the little things, like when a kid says “Oh, now I get it…” or “That was so fun…” LOW POINT OF YOUR TEACHING CAREER? These are rare, but probably working late on a Sunday night getting organised for the next week… just ask my wife! HOW WOULD YOUR PRINCIPAL DESCRIBE YOU? Works too hard…needs a work-life balance…here he goes again rabbiting on about sport…blah blah blah… HOW WOULD OTHER TEACHERS DESCRIBE YOU? One of the token blokes around the school. Can make an okay plunger coffee. Good for a laugh but don’t take him too seriously. Loves to dress up…hmmmm HOW WOULD YOUR STUDENTS DESCRIBE YOU? That depends what sort of comments they want on their mid-year report. Bald. Funny…I’m hoping that’s in a good way. IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND IN YOUR CLASSROOM... Tidying up after an afternoon of paint, glitter, foliage, glue and paper masterpieces would be so much easier. FIVE TIPS FOR MUMS AND DADS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL KIDS 1. Listen to them and be an active participant in their learning. 2. Go to the sports days, concerts and cultural events, school trips, and school assemblies. Your kid will love you for it and you will see them in a whole different environment. 3. Remember that maths was taught differently in the olden days when we were at school. Your seven year old may actually know more about maths than you. 4. Let them be kids. They can’t captain the All Blacks, win an Olympic gold - medal, play the saxophone, invent the i-Phone 9, perform the Harrison Lift, and star in a music video, all by 4.30pm on a Friday. 5. Learn your child’s teacher’s favourite wine. PN
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SHAUN LUYT: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Originally from South Africa, Shaun made a change to real estate when he arrived in New Zealand 12 years ago. Prior to that he had worked as a chemist for a large iron and steel company in South Africa. During Shaun’s sales career he specialised in the inner-city apartment market and was the top salesperson in the office for three years, before being enticed by a new challenge involving rentals, which resulted in the creation of a property management and rentals team at Harcourts Ponsonby and Shaun’s becoming a partner in the business. He then went on to manage the Harcourts Ponsonby Team for just over five years. Shaun recently moved back to the ‘coal face’ and is involved more in the property management and rentals side of the business, “...which I look forward to building,” he says. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? At the moment I’m ‘in between’ places - have just moved from Kingsland to Sandringham. WHERE DO YOU SPEND YOUR HOLIDAYS? I have the obligatory visits to South Africa, but I don’t view them as holidays - although they do take up my leave :) I LOVE Bali fortunately friends of mine have a villa there and I’m lucky to sometimes be able to get ‘staff travel’ flight prices, so I manage to spend a fair bit of time there. Last year I visited Samoa and loved that too! Basically, my idea of a good holiday is relaxing, reading, and taking it easy - and yeah - not setting up international roaming on my cell phone. HOW DO YOU KEEP FIT? I don’t! I never used to have to worry about that, but after 40 my metabolism seems to have changed and my body seems to have morphed. I guess that I should look into that - but then I hear about someone injuring themselves at the gym and I decide it’s not good for your health! I do walk to and from the car though - and, being Ponsonby, that can often be more than a block - does that count? YOUR BEST FRIEND WOULD SAY OF YOU? “I haven’t seen you for ages!” There are two - one in South Africa and the other one currently in London, so we don’t get to see one another too much. The friend in London does call me an ‘egg’ a lot of the time! YOUR MOTHER WOULD SAY OF YOU? “When are you moving back home?” She still seems to think that South Africa is ‘home’ for me, but I think of where I am as home... VIRTUES? What are they? VICES? OMG - I don’t think there’s enough space to list them all! WHO’S YOUR ULTIMATE ROCK ICON? Anyone whose name I can remember is probably dead! WHAT’S YOUR PERFECT SUNDAY? A nice warm and sunny day, no work obligations, a really good book and I’m happy. WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Straight and married - oh, that’s not what you meant? I really don’t have any particular recollection of a dream career - I went through a few ideas, but they kept on changing - I guess that’s the Gemini in me! Probably one of the reasons I like Real Estate challenging and changing works for me.
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HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A REAL ESTATE AGENT? Well, I arrived in New Zealand in the middle of the winter and realised that I couldn’t deal with the idea of going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark and spending all day indoors in an office. I had thought about it a lot in South Africa, but never had the guts to give up my stable income, but when I came here there was no stable income, so I thought I may as well give it a go. IF YOU WEREN’T A REAL ESTATE AGENT YOU’D BE..? In Bali relaxing and enjoying the sun! FAVOURITE PONSONBY CAFE? One2One - it’s close to the office and I have the option of indoor or outdoor seating, depending on the weather. FAVOURITE PONSONBY RESTAURANT? That’s a hard one - it’s between SPQR and The Longroom. WHAT’S INSPIRED YOU RECENTLY? I got a call from clients that I sold a property to nine years ago asking me to sell it for them - it’s nice to know that people remember you after so long. WHAT WEBSITES DO YOU BOOKMARK? At the moment I’m really into getting new ideas to revamp our website. THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE AND YOUR FAMILY IS SAFE - WHAT DO YOU SAVE? My Macbook! I’D BE LOST WITHOUT MY? iPhone ONE THING YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE IS..? It changes all the time and there are always new challenges and surprises. YOUR ADVICE TO PONSONBY HOME OWNERS? On the sales side we’re experiencing an acute shortage of stock and this hasn’t abated at all – our extremely high sales success rates over the last few months show that when we list a property, it’s highly unlikely not to sell under competitive conditions. As I’m now involved more in the property management side of the business as well, I can comment on that as well – the demand for rentals seems to have abated slightly - or at least, we don’t have the frenzy that the media were on about a while back. Good rental properties are still renting, but my suggestion at the moment to homeowners would be to lower the rent to get someone in and review the situation again early in the New Year. ADVICE TO PONSONBY HOME BUYERS AND PROSPECTIVE TENANTS? Make sure you’re ready to buy cash unconditionally – the buying market is rather competitive and any sort of conditions put you on the back foot and at a distinct disadvantage. If you’ve been putting off looking for a new place because of all the media hype a while back, then you need to know that the craziness is over and the rental market is a lot more stable and balanced now, so, if you’re looking to make a change, now could be a good time to look around. PN
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS SMARTEN UP YOUR HOME WITH SELECTED PIECES FROM INDICE indice is a local contemporary design showroom in the heart of Ponsonby that imports furniture, lighting, kitchens, storage systems and accessories from Driade, lighting from Anthologie Quartett and furniture and accessories from xO. These companies are based in Italy, Germany and France.
“BEDDA” Day-bed and foot stool by Terry Dwan (as above) wooden and steel structure available as two or three seater sofa or day-bed, it has foam padding and fibre filling with feather cushions available in various colours and prices on application. INDICE SHOWROOM, 4 Rose Road T: 09 376 9167 www.indice.co.nz
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“RICARDO REIS” rug by Linde Burkhardt; “FERNANDO PESSOA” rug by Linde Burkhardt; “ALVARO DE CAMPOS” rug by Linde Burkhardt; “ALBERTO CAEIRO” rug by Linde Burkhardt. Each rug is $6,895.00 W 2000, D 3000. These rugs have been named after the Portugese poet Pessoa’s heteronyms inspired by the elements of fire, earth, air and water. PN
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THE HISTORICAL BOROUGH OF PONSONBY AND GREY LYNN
STREET NAMES: MONMOUTH STREET WHEN CHARLES II WAS SENT TO FRANCE AWAY FROM THE DANGERS OF the civil war he stayed with his exiled mother, Henrietta Maria. He didn’t have much opportunity to misbehave in Paris because she kept a tight hold on the purse strings, but during a visit to his sister, in The Hague he had a much nicer time away from mum. So nice that the nineteen year old fathered a child with a Welsh girl, Lucy Walter and Charles’s first and favourite illegitimate child was born in Rotterdam. The love-lorn couple eventually arrived in Paris and it’s been rumoured, but never verified that they had actually married. Charles’s advisers realised that the boy and his mother could be a liability when it came to the restoration of the monarchy so the two parted, but Charles had his beloved son abducted and placed under the care of William Crofts. Lucy never accepted status as Charles’s mistress, possibly because she believed she was married to him and was acutely insulted at being forcibly separated from her son. Aspersions as to the validity of his parentage were unfounded. The boy bore a striking resemblance to Charles who doted on the beautiful child. When he was introduced to the court at the age of thirteen it was a real Justin Bieber moment. He had grown into an outstandingly handsome youth with charming manners, and immediately won the hearts of the English, both rich and poor. Even Charles’s wife succumbed to his appeal along with everyone else and it’s been recorded that she believed in his legitimacy. As for Charles, he spoiled the boy rotten. No matter what the public occasion, the King had his stunning son by his side. What a pity Charles didn’t foresee the tragedy that would result from such over indulgence. Jemmy, as he was called, also inherited his father’s charisma and became a great hit with the court ladies. He didn’t have time for much dalliance because when fourteen he entered into an arranged marriage with the heiress of the richest family in Scotland, Lady Anna Scott who was only eleven years old. Subsequent to the marriage, twenty five honours were bestowed on Jemmy and he was knighted Duke of Monmouth. Poor Anna was sent away to live with her mother but the new Duke wasn’t so restricted. Charles offered him the pick of his own mistresses but ‘Jemmy’ was already amassing amours of his own. About this time the dreaded plague hit London, followed by the Great Fire, but this didn’t halt Monmouth and his cohorts from ‘wenching and rogueing’. He was also living beyond his not inconsiderable means. As Charles’s reign drew to a close, the golden days were over. Monmouth would not accept that his illegitimacy barred him from the throne so he tried to take advantage of the hostility against the King’s heir, James, Duke of York. He turned his back on family loyalty and espoused the protestant cause. This reckless ambition was his undoing. He was exiled to Holland where he received a royal welcome from William of Orange. He did refuse to join other English malcontents while his father was alive but after Charles’s death he eventually led a rebellion against James II which ended in disaster. Monmouth landed in England with 4,000 troops but was easily defeated by the King’s army. He was captured and beheaded in 1685, the details of which are particularly gruesome. The morning of his execution, his behaviour was so brave that bystanders were moved to tears. He knelt before the block and ran his thumb along the edge of the axe, complaining it wasn’t sharp enough. The first chop only
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JEANNE CLAYTON – CITY FRINGE APARTMENT SPECIALIST How long have you been specialising in the city fringe apartment market? I have been an apartment specialist since I started real estate - it’s a natural fit when you have lived and enjoyed apartment living for over 25 years both here and overseas. Living and working in the City Fringe means this is predominantly my client base. The city fringe apartment (CFA) market operates very differently to the predominantly investor based CBD apartments. What is your point of difference and how do you get effective outcomes for your vendors/clients? It’s simple ‘Sell what you know best’ - your clients really respect and appreciate when you know how to sell their type of property. My aim is to effectively represent a clients’ property to buyers - sell the upside and know how to deal with all the aspects of the legal compliance issues. Many agents won’t touch apartments or don’t understand the market properly so I get referrals from them also. How does your overseas experience influence the way you do business? I spent much of my early adult life in Japan and also NYC. Japan is a land of specialists; they all aim to be the best at what they do whether a tofu maker or car producer. Commitment to giving the best coupled with integrity is a way of life for them. New Yorkers were all about having fun, working hard and ‘the deal’. I loved both cultures and it just moulds who you are. I am proud to be a Kiwi and find it easy to relate to people. How is the current economic climate affecting the city fringe apartment market? There are opportunities in every crisis. Historically low interest rates mean that there are a lot of buyers out there. Deposit ratios have relaxed and apartment-size criteria is more flexible. Global uncertainty has dampened some seller’s enthusiasm but the upside is sellers are benefiting from the increased competition and prices are going up. What excites you most about working in real estate? It’s analyzing a situation and providing different solutions, I am really good at what I do, totally upfront and people appreciate that. Providing value is the goal then your clients are truly satisfied. Contact Jeanne on M: 0272 888 097 jeanne.clayton@raywhite.com wounded his neck but he didn’t cry out, just turned to stare at the executioner. After the third unsuccessful attempt the executioner flung down his axe and cried “God damn me, I can do no more. My Heart fails me”. He was persuaded to finish the job and dealt a final chop. Many came forward to dip their handkerchiefs in Monmouth’s blood and carried them away as relics. His body was transported to the Tower where the head was sewn to the body and he was buried under the altar of the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula. He was only thirty-six years old. PN (DEIRDRE ROELANTS)
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS JACQUI DELLAR JOINS BAYLEYS CENTRAL AUCKLAND After 25 years in the real estate industry, Jacqui Dellar knows that sound intuition, an eye for detail, savvy marketing nous and adept negotiating skills are prerequisites for a successful agent; her enviable sales track record is testimony to this. Now, Bayleys Central Auckland has welcomed Jacqui and her real estate intelligence to the fold where she is championing the greater Ponsonby area including Herne Bay and Grey Lynn. Sales manager Rachel Dovey says Jacqui’s experience, calm demeanour and clear love for the world of property make her a definite asset to the high-performing residential sales team which knows the wider Ponsonby market by heart. “Jacqui’s longevity in the industry proves that regardless of market conditions and sales trends, she can do the business. Let’s face it; results are what define a skilled agent and vendors want to deal with successful people,” says Rachel. After a quarter of a century in the industry, Jacqui also knows that even top agents can’t rest on their laurels. Every day is a new opportunity to connect with potential clients and Jacqui can be seen out and about in the neighbourhood keeping an eye on the property scene, or on the phone making contact with prospective vendors or buyers. “Real estate is first and foremost about people. I love the chance to meet new clients and learn more about them, and their property aspirations,” says Jacqui. “By understanding what motivates and drives them, I can tailor my service to suit. It’s all about team work to achieve a common goal.” A keen golfer and having completed three Comrades marathon events in South Africa, Jacqui is known for her steady and focused approach to all that she undertakes; her real estate clients recognise these strengths, and the SOLD signs reinforce her tenacity. PN JACQUI DELLAR Residential Sales, T: 09 375 6889 M: 027 441 9509 jacqui.dellar@bayleys.co.nz
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SUNNY HUMPHRIES - MY FAVOURITE ROOM
Sunny Humphries works for Redken as an Area Manager/Trainer. She has lived in Auckland for three years, and before that had been in Wellington for many years. “Having spent over half my life in New Zealand but born and bred in America I sometimes get confused as to whether I am Kiwi or American. Mostly I still feel like an American living in New Zealand.” Sunny lives with her two flatmates and her dog Leonard (a Pomeranian Chihuahua) in Crummer Road.
everyday. I often come home and see his little face looking out of the window at me with great excitement!”
“My favourite room is the lounge or living room. As well as lounging and living it’s a place to keep my very precious bits that are close to my heart.”
“In the room, there are so many of my favourite things! Everything tells a story; there is so much history. A few favourites would have to be the wingback chair that my Dad bought for my Mom to nurse me in; the painting of the small girl holding flowers which I chose with my Dad for my Mom because I thought the little girl looked like me (I was about four!); and a vintage bohemian cut red crystal dish with a lid.
“The whole house - but particularly this room - had a very good feeling from the first time I came to see it. It had a comforting feeling and I could instantly see my things working very well in the space. When everything was moved in I couldn’t believe how perfect it all worked. It was like the room was made for my furniture, ornaments and style. It is very important to me to be in a home that feels right; otherwise it is not a home, whether you own it or not.” “This is also my favorite room because it is where Leonard loves to be. He sits on top of the couch, sun streaming in and watches what happens in the street
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Growing up this was full of candy only on special occasions like Christmas, and Easter. I wasn’t allowed to touch it and I remember it being so hard to control myself knowing there was candy inside! I now always have it full of candy for old times sake. I also love the crystal bonsai tree, which was my housewarming gift to myself when I moved in here.” PN
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS RETHINK SOFTNESS With a whole new level of luxury and silky softness, NEW SmartStrand Silk™ is the softest carpet you’ll ever feel. It’s available in 40 fashion colours and has all of the unique qualities of the authentic SmartStrand® ‘Rhino’ carpet. You will find SmartStrand Silk™ is the softest carpet you have ever stepped into. It’s so soft it even tempts you to lie down on it. Carpet that doesn’t stain, crush or fade may sound too good to be true, but thanks to revolutionary fibre technology, SmartStrand Silk carpet is all these things and more. After taking America by storm, the newest innovation to hit the carpet industry in more than 20 years is about to revolutionise the way we think about carpet. Unlike other carpets that have been treated with stain-protecting products, SmartStrand has built-in stain protection and soil protection that never washes or wears off and cleans with just water, no chemicals required. So if you do commit the ultimate sin and spill a glass of red wine on your new carpet, it can be removed with just cold water. And to ensure your carpet always looks its best, SmartStrand comes with a lifetime stain protection and soil-resistance warranty. As well as its stain-resistant qualities, SmartStrand is incredibly durable. Each fibre has been manufactured to withstand the highest level of foot traffic. And if you’re partial to moving your furniture around your home, there’s no longer any need to worry about heavy couches or beds leaving indentations behind. SmartStrand fibres bend and rebound quickly, leaving your carpet looking as good as new. New Zealand’s harsh sun can wreak havoc on carpet but SmartStrand fibre has been engineered with innovative colour-fast properties that protect it from sunlight and UV rays. With a 25-year fade-resistant warranty, SmartStrand is guaranteed to retain its original colour no matter what the environment. But SmartStrand isn’t all brains, it’s beauty too. PN Available at Carpet Court - Newmarket 383 Khyber Pass Road; Mt Wellington 70 Lunn Avenue; Henderson 153 Lincoln Road.
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THE BOYS’ BOOK CLUB WHAT WE’RE READING Books us blokes on the Ponsonby News team are reading, or have recently enjoyed. We LOVE reading in the bath, or in bed. A real stress buster!
JOHN ELLIOTT
JAY PLATT
The Bridge of San Luis Reyby by Thornton Wilder
The Storm by Clive Cussler & Graham Brown (Penguin)
A couple of years ago a Dunedin Professor, Jim Flynn, an American academic who had lectured at Otago University for some years published a book called The Torchlight List. Flynn was concerned that even his brightest students were not at all well read, so he published his top two hundred books. Not all were novels. There are non-fiction, there is poetry, there is biography, and a formidable list of the best novels ever written - in the opinion of Jim Flynn. It is a bit America-oriented, not many recent novels are listed, and not enough women, but I have found some real teasures among the list. I was surprised how few of them I had read, so I earmarked a selection of them, and have been borrowing them from the Auckland Public Library ever since. One of three books Flynn highly recommended as a starter was The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder. Like many on the list this is not a recent book; it was published in 1927, and it received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, was translated into many languages, and established Wilder’s reputation in “The front rank of living novelists.” This is a delicious little book - only 130 pages or so, but dense with multi-layered meaning. The plot is deceptively simple; On July 20,1714, “the finest bridge in all Peru” collapses and five people die. Brother Juniper, a Franciscan missionary, happens to witness the tragedy, and as a result, he asks the central question of the novel: ‘Why did this happen to those five?’ He sets out to explore the lives of the five victims, and to understand why they died.
A NUMA research vessel is taking routine samples from somewhere in the Indian Ocean, when one of the crew members spots what looks like a black oily sheen on the surface of the water ahead of them. When they take a closer look there doesn’t seem to be anything there, it’s vanished. But it’s not oil, like a swarm of black ants the stuff is black and starts to stealthily creep up the side of the boat and slowly begins to climb aboard. It’s not ants though, it’s a mass of particles that begin to consume everyone on board, while the boat goes up in flames. A few hours later Kurt, Joe and the rest of the NUMA team are on their way to the Indian Ocean. What they discover is a smouldering wreck and not much else. This is the start of an audacious plan to alter the weather on a global scale, killing millions and it’s already begun. PN
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The book has an interesting set of characters, many of whose lives intersect throughout the novel. Initially Brother Juniper’s hypothesis about the victims deaths was - “the wicked were visited by destruction and the good called early to heaven,” but that hypothesis was proved wrong. Wilder incorporates many themes in his novel - obsession, isolation, neglect, and death - but ultimately this book is about love. A critic, Kuner, writing soon after its release said this, “Every type of love is scrutinised in this novel: primitive sexual love, exaggerated fraternal love, one-sided mother love. All are, in one way or another, impure.” This is a beautifully written, lyrical novel, ensuring new insights with second and third readings (remember it’s only a bit over 100 pages long), and the story stays with you long after the final page has been read. I have read others on Flynn’s Torchlight list, and will recommend some of them in future reviews. If you want to read the whole list, The Torchlight List is available in the Auckland Public Library.
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ASK AN ARCHITECT: PAUL LEUSCHKE Each month Grey Lynn resident and architect Paul Leuschke of Leuschke Kahn answers readers’ property related questions. Email yours to jane@leuschkekahn.co.nz
Q:
I have noticed a lot of condensation lately on the inside of the windows and also some signs of mould on the bathroom ceiling. I live in a 1920s house that has been fairly recently renovated and had insulation installed. Do you know what I can do to prevent this?
A:
Internal moisture is caused by quite an extensive range of factors. The cause of the mould in your bathroom is not necessarily the same as what is causing the condensation on the glass. Preventing internal moisture is important as wet and damp surfaces can lead to mould developing (which is a health hazard), and cause structural deterioration, as well as making your home harder and more energy demanding to heat. Typically old houses tend to be quite draughty, and because of the air movement this brings about they don’t usually have problems with internal moisture. Once renovated they become more airtight which improves the efficiency of your insulation but as moisture cannot escape you need to have an effective means of ventilation.
the methods above) and the internal temperature higher (through good insulation and heating). Installing double glazing is the most effective way to avoid condensation on the window as this insulates the glass. If there is only occasional condensation on very cold nights, your internal moisture is probably not excessive and you may just need to wipe down the windows when this occurs. Lastly, a common cause of dampness inside can be from having a damp sub-floor area beneath the house. Adequately ventilating the sub-floor to keep it dry and/or installing a vapour barrier to the ground underneath the house can prevent this dampness rising up into your house. On the website www.branz.co.nz there is a useful article you can download on sub-floor ventilation. As well as preventing internal moisture, good ventilation will improve the overall quality of air inside your home. After renovating, continual ventilation is crucial as many of the chemicals used to treat building materials will continue to leak pollutants into the internal air for a long time after construction is completed. Without adequate ventilation these toxic chemicals remain trapped inside and will be inhaled. PN (PAUL LEUSCHKE) www.leuschkekahn.co.nz
Bathrooms, kitchens and laundries generate the most internal moisture. Installing a correctly sized extractor fan that extracts to the outside will remove the moisture at the source and keep these spaces dry and mould free. Install the fan close to the source of the moisture in these rooms and opposite a source of fresh air to encourage air flow. Opening windows on either side of the house is a very effective method of passive ventilation. To keep fresh air circulating even when you aren’t home install security catches on your windows to allow them to stay open a little. There are many behavioural changes you can make to reduce your homes humidity. Drying clothes indoors creates lots of internal moisture, so leave a window open to ventilate the space if you do this. Wiping down the condensation on windows on cold morning stops it being absorbed into the fabric of your house and causing dampness. Opt for a condenser dryer or have your dryer connected to an external extract. Avoid using a gas heater that isn’t flued to the outside; apart from increasing internal moisture, gas heaters release unsafe toxins and should never be used in an unventilated space. To prevent condensation on your windows, try to keep the internal humidity lower (via
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FIONNA HILL
THE PONSONBY GARDENER This year I have planted California Purple Turban garlic from Cheviot. They’ve sold out this year but for the future contact theport@amuri.net. I hear The Port are great gardeners and I expect this crop to be good. Chives and Garlic Chives are day length sensitive and become dormant in winter. Sow them from spring through to late summer. Garlic chives make a beautiful microgreen to use as a garnish too. The little black seed remains on the fine stem and looks beautiful although they take ages to grow. photography: Bannockburn Floriculture
And for some onion eye candy rather than tears, ornamental alliums are beautiful and will make a stunning addition to the flower garden. Bannockburn Floriculture sells bulbs and cut flowers and has an impressive range. The gorgeous one in the photograph is Allium Purple Sensation, an easily grown one for the length of New Zealand. Check out their website: Suppliers: Kings Seeds www.kingsseeds.co.nz; Bannockburn Floriculture www.foxtail.co.nz; Franchi Sementi italianseedspronto@ihug.co.nz; Garlic theport@amuri.net (FIONNA HILL) PN This is Allium Purple Sensation an easily grown one for the length of the country, also great colour.
GROWING ONIONS MY ATTEMPTS AT GROWING ONIONS HAVE BEEN MISERABLE BUT I HAVE given it another go this year. July in Ponsonby is not too late to plant onions, garlic and shallots. Although it’s preferable to direct sow onion seed I’ve almost missed the boat again and will sow in trays and plant them out in September. Space the tiny seeds two cms apart in seed raising mix in a shallow tray. Rotate your crops and keep onions away from beans. When transplanting seedlings from trays, separate them carefully, use a pencil or chopstick to make holes in the soil and drop the long roots in gently. Press soil firmly around the stem. Keep the earth moist. I’m not growing brown onions for general use as I prefer to buy them – they’re seldom costly and I’m short on garden space. But I have a few other favourites. I brought seed of Onion Rosso Lunga di Firenze back from Great Dixter (the garden has a super shop) in England and it was one of my few packets of seeds that was allowed past customs so they took on an important role. They’re narrow, 10 cm long, red onions with a mild taste and are apparently good grilled or eaten raw in salads. Italian Seeds Pronto in New Zealand import these Franchi Sementi seeds (still a family company since 1783), bringing a flavour of Italy to New Zealand gardeners. A colleague grows gorgeous tiny ‘squashed’ onions - Borettana (Allium cepa) - Kings Seeds sell these. I’ve seen them pickled in Italy. Franchi sell Onion Piatta di Bergamo seed which is different to the Kings Borettana. The difference is that they come from two different locations in Northern Italy. Piatta is from the original seed grown in Bergamo; it is also flat but pinkish red and slightly larger. I’ve grown shallots but someone stole the whole bulbs and tops from my garden so I’m having another try. They’re a relative of the onion. They’re sweeter and milder than onions, and great to have on hand in the vege bin. They tend to be more expensive than onions to buy as edibles. Plant shallots keeping the tops a little above the ground. I’ve put food cans that have had both ends removed around mine until their roots are well anchored into the soil - otherwise birds call by and peck around flicking the bulbs out of the earth. Remove the tins and draw away the soil surrounding the bulbs when their roots have taken hold. They’re like garlic and form clusters of offsets. Once harvested they’ll store for six months. I have a pretty Society Garlic Tulbaghia violacea, in my edibles garden although it’s not an Allium but a lily. But its smell is definitely garlicky. It has variegated stems and long stemmed pretty purple flowers. There is a tradition of eating it but it is reported to cause stomach problems and some modern nutritionists advise against consumption. Mine’s purely decorative. Rakkyo bulbs I bought in a farmers market in New Plymouth. It’s also known as Chinese onion, Chinese scallion, Japanese scallion, and Oriental onion. Its Allium chinense and is native to China. It has a mild fresh taste. In Japanese cuisine it is eaten with sushi (to balance the saltiness of soy sauce that the sushi is sometimes dipped in).
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KITCHEN, BATHROOM AND INTERIOR DESIGN ASK ROB@BUILDSPACE.CO.NZ
Q:
A:
The bathroom in our Villa is at the southern end of the house and gets very cold. We currently have a multi heat, light and ventilation unit and the heat lamp certainly takes the edge off on cold mornings but it’s not the most attractive thing to look at. Can you give us some advice on heating options which will look the part in the context of a new bathroom renovation? Heat lamps are a great source of virtually instant heat which are very welcome in cold bathrooms but there’s really no way to squeeze the large bulb they use in an attractive package and they are not something we tend to recommend for purely aesthetic reasons. The other options are under floor heating or electric heaters, but often the most important place to start is making sure the room is correctly insulated and a bathroom renovation is the perfect time to review and improve.
It’s no secret that most older homes in New Zealand are not well insulated. Villas and bungalows were positioned for street appeal rather than making the most of the sun and often are also surrounded by mature trees. Without adequate insulation a south facing or shaded bathroom will be less than inviting on a cold winter’s morning. Many villas and bungalows have little or no insulation and are often draughty due to gaps opening up over the years through natural movement of the house. When renovating your bathroom you should pay attention to the basic structural elements of the room ensuring floorboards and joins between the walls, ceiling and floor are sealed and window and door seals are working correctly. It’s relatively straightforward to install ceiling and underfloor insulation but installing wall insulation is generally done when wall linings are removed during renovations. When renovating any room you should always make sure good quality insulation goes into all exterior walls and this is especially important in a bathroom. Even if they appear to be in good condition we always recommend stripping out all wall and ceiling linings, exposing all structural
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timbers to ensure no signs of past damage go unnoticed and the bathroom is relined with a specifically designed wet area board. It doesn’t cost much more to get the basics right and cutting corners in the early stages can lead to problems which won’t become apparent until after the renovation is complete and which are then expensive and inconvenient to remedy. Now we can consider the best source of heating for the room. There are a range of electric heaters suitable for use in bathrooms and although some are more attractive than others, most do not fit with contemporary minimalistic bathroom design. Under floor heating is completely unseen but for a discreet controller and provides excellent heating performance with the convenience of timing and thermostat control. Under floor heating is also energy efficient, completely silent, requires little maintenance and reduces the circulation of airborne allergens. Under floor heating is most commonly installed under tiles in a bathroom and is not suitable if you have polished timber floors which you want to retain. For further information about under floor heating, we use and recommend Warm Up, visit www.warmup.co.nz. To create a comfortable warm bathroom it’s also important to provide good ventilation to reduce steam and moisture in the room. Extraction fans are usually straightforward to install either in an exterior wall (venting directly outside) or in the ceiling with ducting which exits through either the soffit or the roof. We always try to avoid penetrating the roof if possible, but if there is no soffit or it cannot be accessed your plumber will install a flashing to ensure roof penetration is watertight, just make sure the ducting is vented out of the house and not filling your ceiling cavity with steam. And the final touch is a heated mirror pad which is simple and cost effective to install behind any mirror, adding a touch of luxury and convenience to everyday life. PN BUILDSPACE KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS - Design Build Install T: 0800 455 556 www.buildspace.co.nz info@buildspace.co.nz
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS FINDING YOUR HAPPY PLACE… SOME TIMES MY RESPECTIVE JOBS CAN GET IN THE WAY A LITTLE BIT. If I am going to meet someone for a coffee, I get told that the friend I am meeting “spruced them selves up” before coming - that is the ‘Fashion Writer’ Problem. Then when I am meeting someone at their home (especially for the first time), there is the inevitable apology for the state of their home/building site – and that is of course the ‘Interior Designer’ Problem. I love both of my jobs. I get to look at fabulous world class New Zealand fashion and simply put my opinion down on paper. But seriously once you get to know me you realise I simply don’t look at people and judge them by what they are/aren’t wearing. Life is too short for that. I dress the way I do (head to toe in black) because that is what I like. The Interior Designer Problem is a little harder to remedy. I have come to the conclusion that this is because we give ourselves a bit of a hard time with our houses. We walk into them and make instant value judgements about the design/colour/furnishings etc. I am a great lover of colour. It really is what makes me happy. It has taken me a while – but I have worked out that colour on the walls and a mass of patterned textiles with a great big dollop of white is what makes my heart sing. I love that feeling at the end of the day of walking in the door and closing it to the world outside, and knowing I am in my favourite place, with my favourite people. It is full of all my pinks, purples and orange, my patterns and stripes. I went to visit a dear friend in her home recently. Before we arrived my friend apologised for her home, saying that it was “boring beigeness”. She is a very sunny person herself, and is one of those people who always has a positive spin on her world. I asked her what it was that she loved about her home - and she said that it was that it made her feel calm and happy. What more could you want? I told her she carries her colour and design flair on the INSIDE. We make a big deal about what things look like, but surely it is about how they make us FEEL? I should probably mention that whenever I am at my friend’s house - to me it is a warm and happy place, because she makes it so. It probably seems a bit strange to have a designer tell you to stop worrying about how things look, but really in the end I do what I do so that everyone can feel as happy in their own homes as I am. We might need to start thinking about what it really is we love, and what really matters to us. And a whole lot less about what other people think… that said, I thought I would like to add a couple of my favourite things at the moment. Just because they are so colourful/beautiful! (ANYA BRIGHOUSE) PN www.beautifulbedlam.co.nz
BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS WITHOUT THE DESIGNER PRICE TAG If you are thinking of renovating or installing a new kitchen in your home, it is well worth your while visiting KitchenVision showroom; a great find just over the bridge at Barry’s Point Road. What really sets KitchenVision apart from the rest is their talented team of staff, who are dedicated to creating bespoke kitchens that suit not only their client’s needs and expectations, but also their budget. They truly believe in their motto `the best simply is affordable’ and it is no coincidence that the business has grown mainly as a result of referrals from other satisfied customers. But how do they manage to keep costs down while still creating impeccably designed kitchens? The answer is simple. Unlike many other kitchen companies KitchenVision has its own manufacturing facility with the latest precision machinery. This means that instead of outsourcing the construction of their kitchens, KitchenVision is actively involved in every stage of the process from measuring and construction through to installation and the final touches - allowing them to ensure full quality control throughout. Now you can finally have the beautiful kitchen you have always wanted, which will be a stunning addition to your home for many years to come without the designer price tag! To turn your dream kitchen into a reality, stop in at KitchenVision’s new Takapuna showroom today for a no-obligation chat - you will be amazed at how their vision and passion for quality kitchens can bring your dream to life. PN KITCHENVISION, 55 Barry’s Point Road, Takapuna (opposite Kathmandu) T: 09 486 0811 www.kitchenvision.co.nz
Cole & Son Circus Panel
Kartell POP chair in Missoni Red tones
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GOT A LEGAL QUESTION? ASK MICHAEL@METROLAW.CO.NZ
PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS
Email Michael with your question and include PONSONBY NEWS in the subject line. Michael Hemphill, a partner of the firm will answer one topical question each month.
Q:
My partner and I have been living together for nearly two years and both have children from other marriages, we are not sure whether we are a de facto relationship or not, and would like to make sure that the property we bring into the relationship will stay our children’s property if one of us dies.
A:
You may in fact already be in a de facto relationship but the Property (Relationships) Act (“the PRA”) has its own definition. Unless there are special circumstances you will only be considered in a de facto relationship for the purposes of the PRA if you have been living with your partner for at least three years. The PRA creates certain rights for a person who survives their partner. For partners in a de facto relationship these rights only arise if you have been in such a relationship for at least three years, for a married couple these rights occur immediately. The surviving partner of a relationship can choose under the PRA whether to accept what has been provided for them under a will, or to waive what your will has provided and make a claim in accordance with the PRA. If they were successful in a claim against the estate this would override the wishes contained in your will. There are a few ways of making your estate more certain. You could have a Contracting Out Agreement with your partner. This Agreement could agree what your partner was entitled to and/or exclude the provisions of the PRA that could allow them to waive their entitlement under your will and make a claim under the PRA. The agreement allows you to determine what property of yours is separate and not part of the relationship, and what property should be considered both of yours. This can give you the confidence to know what you can give on your death without it being affected by the PRA. Where you both have children from previous relationships then you may both want to achieve this certainty and coming to an agreement that is clear and everyone is happy with need not be acrimonious.
HELPING TO NAVIGATE THE INSURANCE MAZE Local insurance advisor, Aaron Baker knows life’s big experiences can change your view of the world overnight. The past year has been a big one for him, starting his own business, buying a house and becoming a father. “When you’re young, single and fancy free you don’t often think about life cover or income protection,” he says. “But when you buy a house, are in a long term relationship or have kids your outlook changes. It certainly puts life and priorities into perspective and looking into insurance cover can be daunting.” Aaron founded Insurance Strategists to help navigate people through the maze that is risk insurance. With 11 years experience in the insurance game, specialising in both personal and business insurance, Aaron knows his stuff and is passionate about it. At the end of the day, people want to be informed and have peace of mind, knowing they will be looked after in any eventuality. If you’re a business owner, your life and livelihood is invested in it. You want to know you’ll have cash flow, control and certainty whatever life may throw at you. Insurance Strategists aim to help make it an easy and informed process tailored to your personal situation. “There’s no right answer, no one size fits all approach,” says Aaron. He loves living and working in Ponsonby with his wife Jo. “We love Ponsonby. We’re really happy to be part of this vibrant community.” Call Insurance Strategists for a no obligation chat. PN INSURANCE STRATEGISTS T: 0800 246 7800 E: aaron@insurancestrategists.co.nz www.insurancestrategists.co.nz
Another good way of controlling your estate is by putting your property into a trust. This is because you would no longer own the property, it is owned by the trust. A trust is also effective against other types of claims that may be made against your estate for example under the Family Protection Act or the Testamentary Promises Act. It can often make sense to have both a trust and an agreement to provide for the best protection and certainty of outcome. Both trust structuring and contracting out agreements need to reflect your particular circumstances and relationship dynamic. If this is something that concerns you get in touch with a lawyer. They can help you through this process so that you can have peace of mind and certainty about your estate and your family’s future. PN METRO LAW, level 2, 36 Williamson Avenue T: 09 929 0808 www.metrolaw.co.nz
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PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS ANIMALOSOPHY: DR MEGAN ALDERSON
ORAL AROMA A CHALLENGE?
BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS
I could always tell a relationship was coming to an end when the smell associated with the oral cavity overcame my attraction to it.
”My nephew e-mailed for help with an assignment, and asked what was special about the Animal Emergency Centre. I realise now that my rushed response missed the point, “ says Doctor Lisa Thompson (BVSc CertVR), “for it is not our hours of operation which define us. The care we offer during those hours is what truly sets us apart from other veterinary practices.”
Limerence, the blush of new love, can dampen the senses and mask body odours. When it has run its course, the pungency inevitably returns assaulting the nasal receptors as lust soulfully slinks away. Did they always have such a repellent stench? Once again we’re left with ‘I guess this may not be the love of my life after all’. Smell memory is integrally linked to the things we love. My feline fancying girlfriend’s favourite smell is kissing her cat’s paws goodbye before trips away. The interdigital pheromones create a smell memory she comfortingly conjures up until they meet again. Mine is my lovely Labrador’s musty black fur, a smell others describe as ‘old dog’ with wrinkled up noses. Sniffing in her doggie aroma is always calming after a hard day’s work, but her morning greeting yawn is enough to send me reeling. It’s time for some attention to mouth health. Halitosis, or bad breath, is a whole new level of awful when it comes to the aromas to avoid list. The mouth starts out the day with a host of normal bacteria -some good, some bad. The bad guys are the ones that like to live up under the gum line covertly hiding away from light and oxygen ready to create a bit of havoc for an unsuspecting host. Left unchecked they mix with food, saliva and dead cells we shed in our mouth coalescing to form a slimy plaque that sticks to teeth like glue. These baddies multiply every half hour giving off foul toxins causing gum disease, acids causing tooth decay and a sulphate vapour which is the smell associated with odious bad breath.
It’s getting serious when your vet starts discussing blood transfusion for your sick pet. Transfusion is a technique which illustrates very well what emergency veterinary care involves. This life-sparing procedure, but treated with respect, holds risk, not only to the recipient, but, in cats especially, the donor of the blood. But by the time you’re in transfusion territory you’ll risk it, as it may be your pet’s only chance. Knowing when to transfuse and having access to the appropriate blood products are crucial. At the Animal Emergency Centre they store blood products for dogs, and hold a list of blood typed and tested donors for both dogs and cats. The first hour of administration is most dangerous, and dedicated monitoring is necessary. Without skilled staff, the correct blood delivery equipment, the blood products and the experience it would be a nervous business embarking on a transfusion. “As a veterinarian it feels good to have the systems in place to ensure the best possible outcome for each transfusion we do.” Providing an emergency service is not just about being available at 3am. For the Animal Emergency Centre it is about giving each of their sick patients the greatest possible chance of survival. PN ANIMAL EMERGENCY CENTRE, 97 Carrington Road, Mt Albert, T: 09 849 2121 www.animalemergency.co.nz
Without regular attention plaque becomes tartar, gingivitis (swollen sore gums) turns into periodontal disease and the bugs continue to not only make a repulsive stench but destroy tooth support and structure causing unstable and painful teeth. In the end a bad mouth means bad health and the kidneys, liver and heart all suffer for it. Though your pets may be trying to tell you something with their morning breath, pets are generally very quiet about having dental disease. Many pet owners only notice a difference in their pet’s attitude and vitality once their mouth problems are sorted out. (DR MEGAN ALDERSON) PN
For a FREE check of your pets “MOUTH HEALTH” T: 09 377 6667 now for a complimentary “MOUTH HEALTH” appointment and receive a further $50 off scheduled dental procedures before 30th August 2012. THE STRAND VETERINARIAN, 114 The Strand T: 09 377 6667 www.thestrandvet.co.nz
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ASK ALEX FOR THE LOVE OF CATS
Each month Dr Alex Melrose answers readers’ pet related issues. Email yours to: alex@vetcare.net.nz
Cats are one of the world’s most popular pets. Many consider them to be the ultimate pet. Easy to look after, beautiful to look at, fastidious groomers, and ferocious rodent hunters.
Q:
In Ancient Egypt they were worshipped as gods and mummified before burial and killing them received the death penalty. Tame felines eventually spread across the world and they were universally loved except for a short period in the Middle Ages when a black cat was deemed an incarnation of the devil. Cats have featured in musicals, verse, and literature. Who hasn’t responded to the lyrics and strains of “Memories”?
I am an Australian volunteer in Tonga and I have a somewhat strange problem. My landlord lives downstairs with two dogs, and we noticed that one of them last week had a really swollen throat. He’s been pretty miserable the last few days, and yesterday when I was feeding him, noticed he actually had a really tight string around his neck, which is obviously making his neck swell and pushed all the fat to the front. He hasn’t been able to bark and just makes coughing type noises, so he’s obviously uncomfortable. He’s still eating but generally quite lethargic and sad.
Back in 1990, concern for cats that are not receiving the care and attention they deserve motivated Pater Dorman to form the Lonely Miaow Association with the aim of rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing stray cats and kittens. Since becoming incorporated in 1995 the association’s very active team of volunteers has rescued 8,500 stray cats and kittens from 2,500 colonies. Stray cats live in industrial or residential areas and scavenge for food. Some kind souls take it upon themselves to feed colonies of strays but this doesn’t alleviate the problem of interbreeding and the spread of infectious diseases that can affect domestic cats.
None of us, including the landlord is able to touch him because he came from a household who abused him and he’s quite jumpy when you get near him. I have been here three weeks and he is only just starting to come near me and sniff me, I am concerned that he would attack me if I fiddle with it anyway. Do you have any ideas as to how we could go about this? I read that anti -histamines are useful to knock him out? Thanks for your help, Simone.
In 2002 the NZCAC formulated a policy on cats, including stray cats. Where stray /unknown cats are unmanageable a controlled trapping programme should be commenced, taking care not to trap domestic animals. Trapped cats should be checked for identification and if feral should be evaluated for de-sexing, re-homing or humane euthanasia, whichever is best for the cat’s ongoing welfare.
Holy hell, poor dog, lucky for him you are there. It’s a tricky situation with the potential for you to get injured up there in the tropics. The only solution is to cut it very soon and then put him on antibiotics and painkillers. Unfortunately antihistamines usually do little in dogs compared to us, but I have heard of a few people safely using Benadryl added to food to make dogs pretty sluggish when there’s no vet available. Please phone our S.P.A.W. contacts up there through the Ministry of Agriculture. Although we don’t have our vet and nurse squad up in Tonga right now, we have supplies, sedatives and some nooses and muzzles we use up there in conjunction with the government staff. Basically you are going to need the cavalry. (DR ALEX MELROSE, BVSC MRCVS) PN
Lonely Miaow operates a TAR policy. Trap, Assess, Resolve which complies with the NZCAC policy. They respond to calls from the public about sole strays and colonies. The rescue team visits both colonies and sole strays. Each one is taken to a vet for professional assessment and those passing health and temperament evaluation are placed with a foster home then put up for adoption. They are vaccinated, de-fleaed, de-wormed, de-sexed and microchipped prior to adoption and Lonely Miaow provides food for those in foster homes. Where resources allow it, some cats are returned to their colonies under the responsibility of a caregiver. About eighty percent of cat colonies and sole strays exist in residential areas with a further ten percent in industrial properties. They are found in all parts of greater Auckland with concentrations in Henderson, Glen Innes, Massey, Mt Roskill, Te Atatu, Manurewa and Onehunga. There once was a large colony in Freemans Bay before the large wasteland behind College Hill was developed. Each evening a very elderly man could be seen dispensing provender to a horde of black and white moggies, all circling round him miaowing appreciation.
A:
VETCARE GREY LYNN, 408 Great North Road T: 09 361 300 www.vetcare.net.nz FOOTNOTE: good news, the vets came around today and coaxed him out with corned beef and sedatives, it was a three man job noosing, muzzling and injecting him with more sedatives and he was fierce... but they cut that string off and Bobby is looking better already.
Lonely Miaow has a comprehensive database which is updated daily. Each call, colony and rescued cat has its own tracking number in the system and ‘Animals’ Voice’ has reported an estimate of 200,000 stray cats and kittens in the Auckland region alone. Because of this year’s large kitten season they presently have about thirty cats in foster homes, waiting to be adopted. Photos and descriptions can be viewed on www.lonelymiaow.co.nz. Of course all this activity costs money and Marketing and Fundraising Manager, Stacey Gillies is busy organising a book fair that will be held at the Grey Lynn Library Hall on 21 July. She is collecting books up until 14 July and anyone wanting to donate can email info@lonelymiaow.co.nz to arrange a pick-up or drop-off. Lonely Miaow badly needs the help of more volunteers and greater financial backing to continue the work of rescuing the needy cats and kittens and reaching their ultimate goal of No More Strays. (DEIRDRE ROELANTS) PN
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ARTS + CULTURE
ARTSLAB ARTSLAB WORKSHOP - Job Search and Interview Skills One Day Workshop 5 July ($40) The employment market has never been tougher. Skilled job vacancies fell across most industries and all occupation groups in April (according to the Department of Labour). We hear so many stories of dozens of people applying for one vacancy and never securing an interview. ArtsLab has developed a workshop providing tips on ‘how to get your head above the crowd’. This workshop empowers job seekers by teaching how they can influence outcomes, where to find vacancies outside the usually visited websites and what to do with those gaps in unemployment on their CV. This workshop is purpose-designed for job seekers in the creative industries sector. However, no matter in what sector you are looking for work, this workshop will change the way you search and apply for vacancies.
FROM VISION TO VIABILITY - Creative Practitioners Toolkit Two Day Workshop 18-19 July ($80) This practical workshop provides tools to establish and maintain your creative vision. You will learn how to set realistic and achievable goals, how to creatively manage yourself and projects within the opportunities and constraints of time, how to craft an elevator pitch that captures the attention of your audience. A guest speaker will give practical advice about successfully taking on challenges and opportunities as a creative practitioner. PN For more information or to register please contact Brian White T: 09 963 2328 Email: brian.white@depotartspace.co.nz
THE DEPOT’S CULTURAL MAPPING PROJECT SUM OF THE PARTS - Saturday 11 August
‘Sum of the Parts’ is a dynamic, interactive exhibition celebrating New Zealand’s cultural identity which features numerous installations and a comprehensive complementary programme of events. It is also an introduction to The Depot’s ‘Cultural Mapping Project’, ‘Cultural Icons’, ‘The Museum of the Vernacular’ and the Museum’s ‘Peace Space’. These are community informed initiatives exploring the diversity of New Zealand’s cultural identity by listening to our own voices and tracing our own footsteps as the late author Michael King suggested. The Museum of the Vernacular will house ‘The Peace Map - mapping and perpetuating peace’. This installation will include the ‘A-Bomb Poster Exhibit’ from the Hiroshima Peace Museum, The Depot Members’ ‘Peace Dots’, MORPH magazines ‘Peace Issue’, the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum’s ‘Bomb Gone’ and exhibits from The Peace Foundation, W.I.L.P.F (the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom), V.A.A.N.A (Visual Artists Against Nuclear Arms) and Amnesty International. At The Depot a multitude of engaging cultural mapping examples will be displayed. These examples include painted maps by renowned artists Nigel Brown and Dean Buchanan, The Kiwi Nuggets Road Show by designer/writer Michael Smythe based on his award winning book ‘New Zealand by Design’, sculptural installation work by Helen Pollock plus many more. SUM OF THE PARTS is more than an exhibition; it is a new kind of gallery experience that YOU can take part in. For further information: www.nzculturalgenealogymapping. wordpress.com or email erin.forsyth@depotartspace.co.nz PN THE DEPOT 28 Clarence Street Devonport; MUSEUM OF THE VERNACULAR, Kerr Street, Devonport T: 09 963 2331 www.depotartspace.co.nz
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ARTS + CULTURE
MORPH AND JAM RADIO: THE DEPOT’S COMMUNITY VOICE MEET MORPH, THE DEPOT’S ONLINE ARTS AND CULTURE MAGAZINE. MORPH revels in the delights our creative community offers, firm in the belief that the creative voice inside us all deserves to be heard. Featuring articles, 10 questions with creative people, portfolios of personal work, poetry, and regular columnists who range from town-planners, to artists, to political commentators; MORPH is certain to have something for everyone. Since its launch in 2006 MORPH has presented issues in a creative way; August’s hard copy release of ‘Peace MORPH’ will be no different, morphing for the occasion into a distinctive ‘bagazine’, with organic seed from Eco Seeds, handmade badges by Helen Stewart, chocolate, stickers, and written content focusing on what it means to exist in today’s society as a peaceful being, throwing wide-ranging and seemingly disparate topics into the mix. MORPH can be pre-ordered for $10, email: sarah.bing@depotartspace.co.nz Both MORPH and its online sibling of sound, Jam Radio, welcome submissions. Jam encourages people to make their own show and happily provides assistance. Jam’s repertoire of self-made programmes includes interviews, reviews, music and short stories. Jam’s latest is a series of inspiring interviews with 90 year plus students of U3A (University of the Third Age). The interviewees include industrial designer Gifford Jackson - who worked for Andy Warhol and befriended pop artist Roy Lichtenstein during a stint in New York - and June Johansen, who worked at New Vision Gallery in the 60s, rubbing shoulders with iconic New Zealand artists such as Colin McCahon. For these treasures and more visit www.jamradio.co.nz PN
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
NEW TO SMALL DOG MEMBERS’ GALLERY YES, THEY DO HAVE A SMALL DOG AT THE DEPOT BUT SMALL DOG MEMBERS’ gallery is entirely independent of their little Griffin and stands for Depot’s Other Gallery, which they are pleased to announce, is now online at The Depot website. An increase in artists keen to be involved with Small Dog encouraged them to create new opportunities including an online sales portal which introduces a wider audience to one-of-a-kind art work. Artwork at Small Dog is rotated continually in order to introduce member artists to an interested online audience. Complementary to this service we have set up two new sections; Blog and Feature Artist. Feature Artist provides information about current and past “Artists of the Month” featured in Small Dog. Small Dog Blog is a lively appraisal of the many treasures to be found in the gallery along with seasonally-appropriate promotions. This winter a stock of warming woollies hats, gloves and scarves is featured, with our small dog as a fetching model for Helen Stewart’s toasty accoutrements. Check out Small Dog in person or online; you’ll become attached to the cheerful presence, both virtual and real, of accessible art work and friendly people here to serve and to brighten your art-finding experience. And if you’re an artist looking for opportunities to expose and sell your work call in to visit them. A year’s membership gives you all the benefits mentioned, with more to come. PN THE DEPOT - SMALL DOG GALLERY 28 Clarence Street., Devonport T: 09 963 2331 www.depotartspace.co.nz
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A NIGHT-IN WITH TIM WAKELY This month Hollywood pulls out the big names at Ponsonby Civic Video. MARCH OF IDES George Clooney’s directorial, March of Ides, critiques the ideals of American politics. The film focuses on a young campaign worker, Stephen Mayer, who mistakenly uncovers a dark secret causing him to question the creditability of his democratic candidate employer Mike Morris. Clooney has done a great job to trick people to believe they are watching a sophisticated action, when in fact, what they are actually watching is rather elementary. March of Ides doesn’t tell us anything new about American politics, as many of us are aware of the hidden corruption associated with democracy. However, thanks to George Clooney’s thick contact book, the film’s saving grace is its actors. Out of all the actors, the performance I enjoyed the most was Marisa Tomei’s, as her performance felt the most natural. In addition, I hate it when directors star in the film. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Clooney’s performance; I just don’t like it when directors also star in the film, as it feels narcissistic.
SHOWING AT SMYTH GALLERIES MICHELE BRYANT Opens 10 July Michele Bryant’s striking works explore the connection between travel and belonging. Bryant often uses plane shapes to illustrate the idea of leaving or returning and this shape will sometimes overlay a map, indicating that images of home and its location invariably accompany the traveller. Originally trained as a print-maker and textile artist, Michele uses a range of mediums such as wood, resin, metal, glass, oil on board and works on paper. PN SMYTH GALLERIES, 41 Jervois Road, T: 09 360 6044 www.smythgalleries.co.nz
To be honest, I would rather watch one of Clooney or Gosling’s romantic comedies, as it would be a lot more entertaining than this American propaganda film. ALBERT NOBBS Albert Nobbs is an interesting period piece that will leave you in a little bit of suspense. Glenn Close fills the boots of this interesting woman who disguises herself as a means of survival. Close’s portrayal of the brave, smart, sensitive and misunderstood creature, Albert Nobbs is out of this world, as she has all the mannerisms down to a T. Director Rodrigo Garcia does a great job in bringing George Moore’s novella back to life, as all the nuances fit perfectly well. The film’s realistic exposing camera work draws the viewer into the private world these characters inhabit. Garcia has also done a great job in helping to create characters who stand out in their own right. Janet McTerr’s portrayal of the mysterious painter, Hubert Page, adds an interesting and hopeful aspect to the film. Albert Nobbs is a film that draws you straight into the story, especially when the characters find out the truth; you just can’t help but feel a little shocked (even though you knew all along that he was a she). People who crave creative substance from films will enjoy Albert Nobbs. Not everyone will enjoy the film, but if you want to watch something worthwhile, then watch this film. MONEYBALL Moneyball is a film I found hard to engage with, as I struggled to understand the film’s meaning and plot. This is because the film moves forward throughout the years without giving any explanation. Moneyball centres on Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), the general manager of the Oakland A’s, who decides to use different logic to reconstruct the baseball team for the season. Besides the weird moving plotline, I don’t understand the reasoning behind casting Jonah Hill as a Yale educated economist. Hill and Pitt fail to inspire, as their goal feels redundant. The film isn’t a total waste of time as Pitt’s performance is watchable. Most will enjoy his performance as you can’t help but feel a little bit sorry for this lone ranger. However, this also could annoy some. Although, this film lacks a clear storyline there is something quite intriguing about the film, however, I am just unsure what it is. It almost makes me want to read the book that the film is based on; just so some light could be shed on the grey areas in the film. Moneyball is a hard film to watch. I wouldn’t recommend it if you wanted to watch a film that is easy to view. This film could possibly be a grower, so if you have the patience, watching it two or more times may help you to understand the film’s plot. PN
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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT INDEPENDENT SAINTS AN ADVENTURE THROUGH SPACE AND TIME - DUNCAN AND ANTONIO Until 24 July This is a true story. Working at Videon, (or indeed most video rental places) there are a high proportion of artistically inclined individuals. In 2010, Antonio had an exhibition of his latest Zombie paintings. After that show wrapped, Ant moved the paintings to display at Videon. Duncan saw these, and this led to much discussion about similarities in their respective styles... and differences, deficiencies and digressions.
IF YOU DONT LIKE OUR ORANGE JUICE JASON KELLY
Duncan had not exhibited his work for a while, and indeed had not painted very much over the preceding year. Ant was used to painting a whole lot, but swiftly hating said work for their rushed and ill considered nature. Both, as indicated by their occupation, love film 7- especially science fiction. They started to work together. Engaging in the direct opposite of sabotage, a system of collaboration evolved nearly unnoticed. Interestingly, neither of them can precisely remember exactly how it started, but it seems to work quite outstandingly well.” Open Tuesday - Saturday 10.30am - 4.30pm with private viewings by appointment. PN INDEPENDENT SAINTS GALLERY, 56 Brown Street www.independentsaints.org
EXPONENTS TIKI JASON KELLY
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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT WHITESPACE NIGEL BROWN - JOE TAIHAPE 10 - 28 July Preview: 10 July 5.30pm Where the mist goes slowly lifting up the valleys full of listening, Where the river cuts along beneath the snow, Cock your head towards the warbler with a sound like running water You’ll hear the voice of old Taihape Joe. In the garage, at the bar, to the sound of ten guitars, When the party’s gone too far you might just catch ‘Mong the boozers slowly boozing and the lovers self-amusing Smokin’ Joe Taihape - sliding out the back (Excerpt of poem by Glenn Colquhoun)
“This exhibition began from a workshop for an ongoing musical project on Kapiti Island in 2010. On the final day of the workshop some of the participants including Glenn Colquhoun, Whirimako Black, Richard Nunns and Riki Gooch gave powerful performances. “What is a visual artist to do? I desperately picked up Whirimako’s guitar and did an impromptu silent performance, calling myself Joe Taihape. While humorous at the time, I thought of it later on a more serious basis.” Nigel Brown. Nigel Brown has established a reputation as one the most important figurative artists working in New Zealand and is acknowledged as New Zealand’s leading narrative artist. His distinctive works are a blend of symbolic and expressionistic approaches with a deep social concern. Since graduating from Elam School of Fine Art in 1971, Nigel Brown has exhibited extensively nationally and internationally. He has received numerous awards, commissions and residencies and is represented in most New Zealand public collections and many private collections. Brown was awarded the Order of NZ Merit for Services to painting and printmaking in 2004 and in 2005 Brown was awarded a three week residency in Russia hosted by New Zealand’s ambassador in Moscow, Stuart Prior. PN WHITESPACE, 12 Crummer Road T: 09 361 6331 www.whitespace.co.nz
SHOWING AT RAILWAY STUDIOS JASMINE KAMANTE AND JESPER SUNDWALL - FLORENCE TO AUCKLAND Opening: 13 July 6pm - 8pm 14 July - 01 August Jasmine Kamante is a classically trained local artist who focuses on figurative narratives. Naturally drawn to drawing and painting figures at an early age, Jasmine, of Persian heritage, was discouraged from any creative pursuits for cultural and religious reasons. After an oppressive upbringing, Jasmine ran away and created a new life for herself. A trained mathematician, she easily found work. However, she never forgot her real passion and soon undertook a Bachelor in Visual Arts. She went on to study classical techniques in ateliers in Florence and Paris, before returning to Auckland with her husband Jesper Sundwall. Jesper Sundwall, originally from Stockholm, Sweden, studied at Parsons School of Design in Paris and New York, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours. He designed for New York clients such as Rolling Stone Magazine, Sony and Korg for six years. During this time Jesper also studied at New York Art Academy. He went on to pursue his passion for art and hone his drawing and painting skills in a Florence atelier. After working and exhibiting in New York, Paris and Florence, he and Jasmine moved to Auckland. Florence to Auckland showcases their works during this journey. It comprises accomplished, sensitive portraits, figure work, still lifes and a sneak preview of Jasmine’s new autobiographical works. Jasmine and Jesper will also be giving an Artist’s Talk about their European experience on Sunday, 15 July, 4-6pm, $25, seats limited. Bookings required for Artist’s talk only fiona.cable@railwaystreetstudios.co.nz M: 021 419 292 PN RAILWAY STREET STUDIOS, 8 Railway Street, Newmarket. www.jasminekamante.com
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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT LETHAM GALLERY SHANE HANSEN - THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE EXTREMELY UGLY - Until 8 July Fast rising New Zealand art personality Shane Hansen celebrates his first solo exhibition with Letham Gallery, showing a range of new and personal original works.
SHOWING AT OREXART EVAN WOODRUFFE - THE MEMORY ARCHIVE 24 July - 18 August The Memory Archive is Evan Woodruffe’s sixth solo exhibition at OREXART. These new oil paintings mainly show childhood adventure, but, as in previous shows, the suggested narratives are intriguingly vague. They feel like memories of growing up in a distinctly New Zealand landscape, or scenes from a half remembered, slightly Gothic story set in an isolated land. The slightly eerie nature of the images is balanced by Woodruffe’s subdued use of colour, adding to a sense of the past, and his delicately executed process has an overall restorative effect on the viewer. Whatever the stories contained in the paintings, it is certain that the viewer is being asked to apply their own experiences and memories to each, so the image becomes part of their own Memory Archive. Evan Woodruffe is the recipient of the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award 2011 and Becroft Premier Award 2003. PN OREXART, Upper Khartoum Place, Kitchener Street, Auckland Central. T: 09 379 0588 www.orexgallery.co.nz
The Good, The Bad and The Extremely Ugly, is a collection of works covering Hansen’s three year journey as a visual artist. Some of the mahi (work) on show, is a definite departure from the clean, vibrant, expression of love for whanau, flora and fauna and cultural discovery that he is best known for. These are an eclectic mix of works; rougher, sketchier and quirkier, with some that dig a little deeper emotionally and expose an unseen side to the artist and how he observes and contemplates the world in which he lives. “I’m leaving it up to those who view my work to decide what is good, bad or extremely ugly. Everyone’s perception of that is different. Some of the works such as Pull My Finger and McRangi could be viewed by some as crass, rude [or] ridiculous, but by others as humorous, insightful and heartfelt. It may also change the way people view me personally, which could be good, bad or ugly. My interest lies in how the exhibition is received”.
300 x 200 x $100 3 2 1 - A WORKS ON PAPER EXHIBITION - 12 - 24 July Preview: 12 July, 6 - 8pm Letham Gallery proudly presents 3 2 1, a group exhibition celebrating the medium of paper and its vast versatility and contribution to the arts. They set to work the talents of 35 New Zealand artists, emerging, upcoming and established, with one simple brief: Create five original 300mm x 200mm works on paper which collectors can obtain for just $100 each resulting in a collection of works to suit every taste, with over 170 pieces of stunning original art. These works will go fast - don’t miss out! PN LETHAM GALLERY 35 Jervois Road T: 09 360 5217 www.lethangallery.co.nz
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SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR THIS JULY! Tickets have sold like proverbial hotcakes (or whatever takes your fancy) this year, as the final Queen of the Whole Universe ever is less than a few weeks away. Having stunned audiences both gay and straight for the past nine years, QWU 2012 offers slight reflection on previous years, while delivering newer concepts for this, their final hurrah! The most successful LGBT theatrical event ever held in New Zealand has toured to Wellington three times (including performing at Te Papa’s 10th birthday party) and has raised not just $175,000 for charities to date, not only the awareness of AIDS/ HIV in New Zealand but also the self-esteem and confidence of many people within the community. This year’s very special guest is the man crowned “Mr Gay World 2012” at this year’s ceremony in South Africa - New Zealand’s (by way of Germany) very own Andreas Derleth. The porcelain Adonis took first place in the Sports Challenge, Best Interview Challenge and the all important Mr Gay Swimwear - and by winning this pageant has earned a $25,000 travel allowance to spread the message of tolerance and diversity. Truly, it is an honour to have Mr Gay World as part of the 2012 QWU ceremony! 2012’s pageant finally features Ms Fiji, who past audience members will know has had difficulty coming into the country. Now this time - for the very last QWU, organisers
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have worked incredibly hard to make sure she will take to the stage this year! Also taking to the stage is a third MC alongside Buffy and Bimbo, returning from Los Angeles Brad Hills, and a special dedication to Whitney, Donna and Amy. The event also seeks to break the Guinness World Record for “Largest Onstage Drag Show” once again - a record which is currently held by Queen of the Whole Universe NZ. This is your last chance to be involved in the event of the year; the incredible, glitzy, glamorous and above all else, very queer beauty pageant. PN QUEEN OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE™ plays Saturday 21 July 2012 - 8pm ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, THE EDGE, Auckland Bookings: 0800 BUY TICKETS or www.buytickets.co.nz Tickets: $20-$79 (plus booking fees) with discounts offered for group bookings.
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT BLACK ASTERISK VICTORIA CASSELLS MUSINGS 13 - 31 July 2012 Preview: 12 July 6.30pm Black Asterisk’s next major exhibition, ‘Musings’ by Victoria Cassells, is one greatly anticipated, not least because her work has featured almost from day one at the gallery, but only in teasingly small amounts. People fall in love with Victoria Cassells’ waxed oils. For the artist each painting and the ‘THE MORNING AFTER’ characters have their own story, 600 x 590 waxed oil on board which have developed during the painting process. Cassells has drawn on memories, past foibles, daydreams, flights of fancy and the art of storytelling for her series of portraits. In her painting practice Cassells starts with a vague, fluid idea, no more than a notion. In its beginnings it is unclear and hazy “It’s like a half remembered dream that fades and escapes you the more you try and realise it. I have found from experience that if I try to control the image initially then it is lost… mostly there is a painting waiting to be unwrapped, discovered, letting it come forward is the key.” PN BLACK ASTERISK GALLERY, 10 Ponsonby Road M: 021 040 1168 www.blackasterisk.co.nz
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LOCUST JONES - BOYCOTT ISOLATE SABOTAGE OPENING NIGHT AT WHITESPACE TUESDAY 19 JUNE
1. Locust Jones, Sylvie Jones and Lulu Coley 2. Locust Jones and John Coley 3. Rebecca Jones, Locust Jones and Deborah White
OUT + ABOUT FROM HERE TO THERE AND BACK AGAIN Local Grey Lynn resident and silversmith jewellery maker Carlina Goffe is on a six month journey, spending time in the studios of other jewellery makers around the world. Sent from Mandeville Jamaica - 15 June Five days before leaving New Zealand on 27 May, thieves broke into my house and stole most of my inherited and created jewellery. Two days later, they came back and took my car. This I decided was a lesson in non attachment, preparing me for my journey! Melbourne: In recovery and research mode, I walked and photographed the pretty locale of Fitzroy and neighbouring gold mining towns. Jim Estergard provided garage workspace with coffee and laughter which lifted my spirits and warmed me up, it was cold! A productive time with the bones of three jewellery pieces made. Mexico: San Miguel Allende, hot! 1800 metres high in this ancient city which was once the scene of two Mexican Revolutions - 1810 versus the Spanish and 1910 versus the rich! I’ve found great cheap local wares and produce, especially the Artisan’s market. It took days to acclimatise and I was affected by the intense heat and altitude and Montezuma’s revenge. In town is Billy King’s Sterling Quest Studio. Billy, a foul mouthed but affable Canadian, has a passion for jewellery. Once past the volley of abuse, this well equipped and friendly environment was a pleasure to work and generate ideas in. Neither Billy nor Laura belongs to the privileged ex pat set. Mexico City: Amazing mix of modern and ancient and in no way threatening. I got to look at art, then I went to an opening of mix media show and met the participating Artists. (CARLINA GOFFE) PN
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JERRY CLAYTON BMW/WORKSHOP MID WINTER WHISKY NIGHT
Mid Winter Whisky Night was held at Workshop Ponsonby on Wednesday 20 June in conjunction with Thomson Whisky and Jerry Clayton BMW. 1. Scrap Wall, Chris Cherry; 2. Four Eyes bloggers; 3. Stephen Green and Enuake Sirikige; 4. George Vause and Cubby Jenkins; 5. Enuake Sirikig 6. Richenda Rowe and Amanda Betts The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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