PONSONBY NEWS - AUGUST 2017

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PUBLISHED FRIDAY 4 AUGUST 2017

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AUGUST 2017 ponsonbynews.co.nz

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WHAT’S INSIDE THIS MONTH 20

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P20: The Little Free Food Pantry is located at 1A Ponsonby Road. People looking for a way to reach out to their less fortunate neighbours, are providing non perishable food and other items through these pantries; P40: Cars & Motoring - the new Suzuki Swift pictured opposite Western Springs Lakeside Park; P96: Trish Lafferty is proud to celebrate 20 ‘incredibly fulfilling’ years in the real estate industry she is passionate about.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM THE EDITOR DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW PIPPA COOM: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD MIKE LEE, COUNCILLOR FOR WAITEMATA & GULF JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS HELEN WHITE, LABOUR AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP NIKKI KAYE: AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP COVER STORY - CARS & MOTORING

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U3A PONSONBY EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY VEG FRIENDLY: GARY STEEL PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE FASHION + STYLE LIVING, THINKING & BEING JOHN APPLETON ON HEALTH HELENE RAVLICH: LOCAL BEAUTY FUTURE GENERATION

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LETTERS + EMAILS PROPOSED GARNET ROAD/SURREY CRESCENT CYCLEWAY I am writing on behalf of the 220 people in my neighbourhood who signed a petition expressing their concerns about the negative impact of the proposed Garnet Road/ Surrey Crescent cycleway on our community For the last 12 months we have tried to engage with Auckland Council and Auckland Transport, regarding the removal of so many residents' car parks, public trees and berms, while building concrete buffers and cyclepaths, erecting more signs, drawing more lines and halving the parking outside Westmere School.

Moving the bus stops on either side of Garnet Road three metres means that people turning into or across Garnet Road out of Warwick Avenue will have dangerously restricted views up Garnet Road, while delivery trucks to the cafe and dairy will be forced to double or illegally park.

This combined with the sudden mounting of the cycleway onto the existing footpath, behind the new to be installed ‘Adshell' bus shelter is an obvious hazard for children, parents and dogs streaming out of the school gates on their way to the dairy.

This all seems so petty on paper, but look at ‘the plan’, you will see the extreme disruptive impact this will have on the ebb and flow of our neighbourhood, not to mention the financial effects on both our cafe and the dairy next door.

The Waitamata Community Board Chairperson admitted that they made it clear to Auckland Transport that they did not support either Plan A or Plan B of the cycleway, but still wanted the cycleway to go ahead.

Views in Ponsonby News reflect the authors’ and not those of Alchemy Media.

GREY LYNN’S AUTOBODY WORKSHOP HAS CLOSED AFTER 38 YEARS OF LOCAL SERVICE Like many people, I was very sorry to hear that Crummer Road is about to lose an icon.

An unassuming one perhaps, but as the owner of Grey Lynn’s Autobody Workshop, Rob Fitzjames has been running the show for over 38 years.

He’s the type of bloke that makes getting a ding in your car almost bearable. He’ll greet you with a smile, send you away with a story or two and you know you’re getting a job well done. To say Rob knows a thing or two about Grey Lynn is definitely an understatement.

If any of my friends ever needed a panel beater, I’d send them straight to Rob. In fact, my friend’s mother was a regular there until she could no longer drive. Most days, you’ll find someone you know there who has just dropped in for a yarn - with or without dents.

So when the Autobody Workshop closes its doors for the last time Crummer Road won’t just be losing a panel shop, it will be losing a true character. And we’ll be losing a salt of the earth, bloody good bloke who was always there to help.

Kim Ellison, Ogilvy & Mather New Zealand DAVID PARKER - MUCH MORE THAN A DEVELOPER It was interesting to read about local property developer David Parker in the July issue of Ponsonby News. Back in 2002 my girlfriend at the time purchased a loft apartment behind Countdown on Richmond Road from the Parker Brothers. She's moved on since then but it was good to read about David himself and all the Brown Street businesses in your last issue. Simon Jones, Herne Bay

The mayor has written to say that public health and climate change are his reasons for such a drastic action, while Auckland Transport has manipulated the data minimising our petition to 180 people and actively soliciting support from Bike Auckland and Generation Zero.

Therefore, we see no alternative but to make a formal complaint to the Auckland Police against Stephen Town the CEO of Auckland Council, who, on 20 October 2016, told members of the Chartered Accountants Association gathered at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club "Auckland Council has a policy of congestion creation”.

Why would the CEO of Auckland Council say such an outrageous thing in public, unless this was part of a bigger plan to increase congestion, resulting in public frustration, leading to calls for intensification, where foreign investment and property developers could profit from the growing opportunities assisted by the council and the new unitary plan legislation.

The spend of $220 million of taxpayers' money on the Auckland Cycleway is very attractive to infrastructure providers and is being driven by the Board of Auckland Transport. The tenders were issued before the public consultation was finished and now, even before the final plans are available, the contracts have been issued. Just like the case of Noone and Borlase there is an indecent smell about the speed and execution of these plans.

We call upon Auckland District Commander Superintendent Karyn Mathus to take our communities' concerns seriously.

Lisa Prager, Westmere AUCKLAND COUNCIL'S LITTLE HELPER Just a wee note of thanks to a local man donating his time on Sunday morning doing Auckland City Council's job. He had bought his tree loppers up to a big plane tree outside the now closed Gables and was very effectively trimming all the sprouts of tree that grow from the bottom of the trunk. These were sticking out over the curb and scratching cars and in one instance preventing cars from parking there. Thanks for caring about our 'hood'. Where is the council I would ask?

Priscilla Taylor, Ponsonby

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FROM THE EDITOR LAST MONTH THE BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED, NEW JAPANESE FUKUOKA FRIENDSHIP Garden was again opened to the public. It is 2.6 times larger than the original, has a tea pavilion, a waterfall and a pond and is free to enter during opening hours in Western Springs Lakeside Park.

Fukuoka Friendship Garden was originally opened in the Auckland Zoo in 1989 as a gift to the former Auckland City Council from Fukuoka City, Japan, in recognition of the sister city relationship - P10.

Across the road from the Gables heading towards town is the site of what was once the home to Erawan Thai. Locals we spoke to are concerned about the loss of amenity values if this project goes ahead. They will lose sun, it will cast a huge shadow over their properties, parking is sure to be a problem (there are not enough places to park even now), and crucially that the proposal is completely out of scale and character for the site.

It does not look like a community-friendly development, with huge walls facing the streets and neighbouring properties. One neighbour said it looked like a prison.

Local Herne Bay residents will be watching progress on this proposed development very carefully, and we would urge council officers to note their amenity value concerns and take them seriously - P16.

Located outside the Auckland Unitarian Church at 1A Ponsonby Road is The Little Free Food Pantry. People looking for a way to reach out to their less fortunate neighbours are providing non perishable food and other items through these pantries. It becomes a neighbourhood focal point, stocked by those who do have a little to spare. "We Unitarians are aware of some homeless people in the vicinity, but expect that there are others, not necessarily homeless, who could use a little extra from time to time. We would like to invite our neighbours to contribute to this pantry, or to take from it, according to their need - P20.

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

photography: John Elliott

There is already great concern about further population intensification in Herne Bay. Opponents of the apartment complex planned for the Gables Pub site are particularly worried about the lack of infrastructure, particularly sewage disposal. There is no separation of storm water and waste water in this corner of Auckland City. Raw sewage regularly flows into Cox’s Bay resulting in pollution of the harbour and signs asking people not to swim in the bay.

L to R: Joanne Barrett, Martin Leach, Jay Platt, Melissa Paynter and Gwynne Davenport Our front cover this month is all about motoring with editorials from Audi, Honda, Lexus and Suzuki. The UK have just announced the end of petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

Drive Electric chairman, Westmere resident Mark Gilbert, is passionate about electric vehicles (EVs). He leads this not-for-profit group, which advocates for the uptake and mainstreaming of EVs. “As a country, we’ve really got to embrace electric vehicles and talk about them in the same breath as petrol and diesel cars,” Gilbert says. With electricity costing the equivalent of $0.30c per litre, the savings on running costs are quite compelling.

“Driving an EV has many benefits,” Gilbert says. “They are quick off the mark, quiet and produce little or no emissions.”

New Zealand is the perfect place to introduce electric vehicles, Gilbert says. “We have over 80% renewable energy in New Zealand. There’s a lot of potential in that.”

PN (MARTIN LEACH) F

DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH

PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

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DAVID HARTNELL’S ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW Irene King runs the Floral Studio on Surrey crescent and can often be seen outside waving a huge sign!

Tell us about your sign?

We have been in the shop now for two years. The sign came from a web page design search we did around the globe looking at what the best do and we came across something like it on some wallpaper.

Originally it was on the shop wall behind the counter and people would have a good laugh. We wanted to build awareness of our brand and thought we'd take the sign to the people. Most people react pretty positively. Some are a bit sheepish, others say no trouble here, while others come into the shop buy flowers and give us a bit of lip.

The banter it has generated is a lot of fun.

A good childhood?

Challenging, my mother died when I was just over eight years old.

A girl needs her mum no matter what age.

Most annoying celebrity?

Prince Charles - he just doesn’t seem that relevant or in tune with society but then again its probably because the Queen has been Queen for longer than I’ve been alive and maybe I secretly just hate the natural progression of change.

How would you like to be remembered?

Probably for waving the fresh flowers sign on the corner of Richmond Road and Surrey Crescent but I’d like to be remembered as being fearless and challenging senseless decisions. I’ve been known to do that on more than one occasion If you won a million dollars?

Probably give it to my partner - he has stuck by me and my children, his step children, through thick and thin. He is just wise beyond his years and I know it has cost him a lot. I would love to be able to give him the financial freedom he deserves.

What happens when we die?

I believe in reincarnation and I would like to come back as a snake because there are a few who deserve a small bite accompanied by a bit of poison running through their veins.

Ever seen a ghost?

No but my partners sees our kitty that we had put down about three years ago and now my cousin, who was staying with us, has seen it too. Neither of them drink alcohol but I do - don’t know if that’s got anything to do with it.

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Favourite time of day?

Just on dusk because generally our ever present wind has gone down and construction has stopped for the day. The whole vibe of the city changes.

Greatest fear?

I don’t like birds. I could never enjoy chickens or ducks on the farm and I get sweaty palms just being around any form of bird.

Which talent would you like?

To be able to sing. Regrettably that talent skipped my generation. My father had a beautiful voice.

Comfort food?

Chocolate - any brand except Cadbury’s and not for the reason most are thinking. In my uni days I lived down the road from the Cadbury’s factory in Dunedin and when the wind was blowing in the right direction it just stunk.

Dream guest list for a dinner?

It’s a fairly family-orientated dream team because its important to understand who you are and why you hold the views you do. My mother - everyone says I am so like her but how can that be when I was just so young when she died? My grandmother - she was just staunchly anti-Catholic but agreed that Mum was the best Catholic she’d ever met. My great great grandfather, one of the first pakeha farmers to settle in New Zealand and an early adopter of bilingualism and Te Reo Maori. My partner’s mum who was part Maori from the Taranaki and in the 60s was one of the first female air traffic controllers at London’s Heathrow Airport and, of course, my Dad because despite his very conservative rural values he let me go to university - the first female in my immediate family to do so. All are no longer with us but as I believe in reincarnation, it’s quite possible I’ve encountered them all in their new lives.

Change one law in New Zealand, what would it be?

At this very moment I am working on a very unjust tax about to be imposed on some of our most vulnerable aviation operators.

Government in my view doesn’t walk the talk - they claim no new taxes yet they impose 'levies' on these businesses without thinking about the consequences in terms of the wider.

(DAVID HARTNELL, MNZM) F PN

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PIPPA COOM: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD REPORT

Beautifully crafted Japanese garden blooms again Fukuoka Friendship Garden was originally opened in the Auckland Zoo in 1989 as a gift to the former Auckland City Council from Fukuoka City, Japan, in recognition of the sister city relationship. It was a well loved, authentic Japanese garden but hidden behind walls only accessible to those who paid the zoo entry fee.

Following a master planning process by the zoo that identified the site for redevelopment the garden was dismantled in 2013. Many were devastated by the loss of the garden and felt that it was removed in haste without proper consultation. A Friends of the Fukuoka Friendship Garden group was quickly established led by Masa Seikawa, Stephanie Hay and Lee Elliot who mobilised support for the speedy reinstatement.

Fortunately, former Mayor Len Brown committed council to funding a new garden at a new location, incorporating items saved from the zoo site, including bonsai trees, paving stones and lanterns.

One of the first people to rally in behind the Friends was Deborah Yates, who was an elected member of the Waitemata Local Board at the time. Deborah then became a member of the Steering Committee, set up by council to find a new location, together with member Vernon Tava, councillors, members of the Friends group, Maori Statutory Board representatives plus council officers. An extensive search across Auckland led to the assessment of nine locations with Western Springs Lakeside Park, on the boundary with the zoo, as the chosen site in Waitemata.

It has now been over three and half years since the loss of the original garden and so it was a great pleasure to attend the opening on 17 July and to celebrate the hard work of the many people involved with re-establishing the Fukuoka Friendship Garden including the original garden designer Professor Kubota. A large delegation led by Mayor Takashima attended from Fukuoka to strengthen the sister city ties.

Fukukoa Friendship Garden Steering Committee

The beautifully crafted new garden, which is 2.6 times larger than the original, has a tea pavilion, waterfall and pond and is free to enter during opening hours: 10am-5.30pm (until 6.30pm during daylight saving).

The small things that count Through until the end of June, board members were out and about in the community consulting on our draft three-year local board plan. At the information session at Leys Institute Library, a mother attending Story Time with her toddler, informed us that the baby swing in St Marys Reserve was missing. I’m pleased to report it was replaced almost immediately.

The Waitemata Local Board is responsible for the majority of the ongoing maintenance.

Zoo staff who are experienced in caring for the bonsai will continue to do this.

Jobs like this can be logged by calling council on T: 09 301 0101 or you can contact me directly. (PIPPA COOM) F PN

Contact Pippa Coom, Chair of Waitamata Local Board: pippa.coom@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz, www.facebook.com/waitemata

Fukuoka Garden

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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LOCAL NEWS Ponsonby Park - when will we get our park?

The Community-led Design (CLD) group presented the chosen LandLAB design, as well as an initial budget estimate, to the Waitemata Local Board (WLB).

A workshop to further inform the board about the project and the CLD process was held in June. A new ‘working group’ was then convened with the Parks Department leading the project within council.

We believe it is now time to release a significant portion at the front of the site to the community to start the development of Ponsonby Park for the following reasons: 1. The site was purchased for an open space over 10 years ago.

Since then, the WLB has conducted its submission process for their ‘local board plan’ and, unsurprisingly, there was a great deal of support for Ponsonby Park.

Council (not the Local Board) has control of the budgets that are available to realise Ponsonby Park with the WLB stating: “A key role of the local board is to advocate for initiatives that they may not have decision-making responsibilities or funding for this annual plan, but recognise the value it will add to the local community.”

As a consequence of this, Ponsonby Park is now the: “Priority unfunded capital project for the WLB.”

2. The CLD process has shown the desire of the community to see the development of the whole of site Ponsonby Park.

3. A design concept has been created and received wide community support.

4. An initial budget has been provided.

5. Ponsonby Park is an ideal fit with the ‘Civic Space provision targets in the Open Space Provision Policy’ of the Auckland Council Park’s Department.

6. Council has budget available to begin the development of Ponsonby Park.

The WLB will now seek to: “Secure funding, resource and support to deliver the community’s agreed vision and chosen design for Ponsonby Park 254 Ponsonby Road.”

7. A Boffa-Miskell survey completed in 2000 showed a lack of open green space in the Ponsonby area and this has only increased with the intensification of housing in the locale in the 17 years since the report was commissioned.

Thank you Waitemata Local Board!

Auckland Council has a 2015-2025 budget for the ‘investing in play plan’ with $33 million allocated for renewing play assets and a further $25 million to provide new play opportunities. With Ponsonby having 6% of Auckland’s population, even conservatively this amounts to around $3.5 million that could be accessed for the development of Ponsonby Park. More could reasonably be requested given Ponsonby is a ‘destination’ for so many Aucklanders. A free, beautiful, community space to rest and relax in would be of benefit to visitors to Ponsonby as well as local residents and businesses.

The Auckland Council Park’s website ‘open space acquisition policy’ states: “After Auckland Council has acquired land for parks and open space, public access will be provided as soon as practicable so the community can enjoy the new park or open space.”

8. The current lease of the site to Lion Liquor Retail limited is up for renewal and renegotiation this month (August 2017) and with only a six month required notice, part of the front of the site can be made available for the community to (finally) enjoy.

9. WE ARE READY NOW! The community, via the CLD process has stepped up and continues to do so as the new Community-led Engagement (CLE) group. The Waitemata Local Board has stepped up by making Ponsonby Park it’s ‘priority unfunded project’. We now look forward to council allocating funds to realize Ponsonby Park and to provide a place for social capital to grow and flourish in Ponsonby. (JENNIFER WARD) F PN www.254ponsonbyrd.org.nz

RACHAEL TE AOTONGA: LEYS INSTITUTE LIBRARY NEWS We all know life is full of change and challenges and sometimes it can be difficult to embrace this reality. If it’s work that’s got you in a rut, we are lucky to have a couple of experts based locally that can help by providing tips on how to think more courageously about how to contend with career development.

Frances and Max Harré run a successful career consultancy in Ponsonby. Untangling career direction and progression issues for individuals, and providing workplace management skills training are their specialties.

Speaking of change, you may notice a few new faces at Leys this month. Current staff have taken up some exciting new roles at other libraries which is cause for congratulations!

I am one of those moving on to further adventures. I feel so privileged to have been part of the Ponsonby community for the past three years. Leys Institute Library is a very special library with its amazing philanthropic history; there is no other like it in Auckland. Thank you to all our visitors that have made the library such a fun place to work.

Leys Institute Library is pleased to be hosting the launch of their new book: Work Passion Power: Strategies for a working life you’ll love.

The book focusses on individuals; it’s about valuing the worth of people - anyone, any time, any stage. There is real hope for the future of work in spite of the fact that work, careers and employment are changing, perhaps at a level unprecedented in human history. In a short presentation, as part of the launch, Max and Frances will talk about how we can think more effectively and creatively about the issues we face with work and careers these days.

Monday 4 September 2017: 6:15pm refreshments, 6:30-7:30pm launch and presentation, Leys Institute Library - Ponsonby, 20 St Marys Road, RSVP not essential, but would help: future@findmyforte.co.nz or at the Leys Institute Library. (RACHAEL TE AOTONGA) F PN LEYS INSTITUTE, 20 St Marys Road, T: 09 374 1315, www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

12 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

Thinking Real Estate?

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21 Picton Street, Freemans Bay – March 2017

40 London Street, St Marys Bay – April 2017

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39 Lawrence Street, Herne Bay – May 2017

14 Francis Street, Grey Lynn – May 2017

78 West End Road, Westmere – June 2017

Chris Batchelor Phone. +64 21 217 7026 Email. chris.batchelor@bayleys.co.nz BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, PONSONBY, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

MIKE LEE: COUNCILLOR FOR WAITEMATA & GULF

Restoring Auckland’s precious heritage - Browns Island and Parnell Station When I last wrote about Motukorea (Browns Island) in February, I promised to keep readers posted on progress - so here goes.

To recap: after the island was rescued from the ignominious fate of becoming Auckland’s sewage outfall thanks to the heroic efforts of Dove-Myer Robinson, in 1954 it was purchased and generously gifted to the ‘mayor, councillors and people of Auckland’ by brewery magnate Sir Ernest Davis. The island was managed for many years

by Lands & Survey and then DOC until in late 2015, after an attempt by the Government to include it in a Treaty settlement, Auckland councillors decided that it was time the council took management responsibility itself. That has now been delegated to the popular and highly respected regional parks service - making Motukorea - Browns Island - our latest regional park.

But instead of criticising AT they have turned their vituperation on me - for having the station built in the first place. No surprise that these are the same beady-eyed intensification zealots who targeted me for opposing aspects of the Unitary Plan before last year’s local elections. I am more than happy to take the credit for the station’s location, in the historic Waipapa valley, handily placed to Parnell Village, Auckland Domain, Auckland Museum, planned intensive residential developments and Auckland University, but that wouldn’t be fair to various AT and KiwiRail engineers, Auckland Museum, Parnell Inc, Parnell Community Committee, Parnell Heritage and the Waitemata Local Board.

On a recent, superb mid-winter's Saturday, I was with 32 volunteers, mainly from the Outboard Boating Club, who landed on the island to begin making the island a regional park. According to park ranger Jonah Kitto-Verhoef, as a result of an estimated 96 hours work, approximately 6000 weeds were cleared from an area of 2ha, mainly around the central cone (not bad - that’s 3% of the island).

At the same time 50kg of mainly plastic rubbish was cleaned from the beaches. More volunteer trips are being organised. The work is rewarding and there is lots to see on this largely unexplored and very historical island so close to the city. If you are interested in helping, please register on the volunteer website: http://motukorea.org/

The station’s real success story, at this stage at least, is its centrepiece, the restored 110-year-old heritage station building, designed by renowned railway architect George ‘Gingerbread’ Troup, of iconic Dunedin Station fame. Thanks to former AT project manager Nick Seymour - and fulfilling a commitment made in 2007 to the ARC whose redoubtable elected members saved the building from demolition when it was at Newmarket, KiwiRail under the direction of General Manager Brent Lancaster and heritage architect Dave Pearson of DPH Architects, engineers Structural Design Ltd, the KiwiRail Project Management Office (Aiman Grace and Markum Ellis), and builder Libbet have simply done a superb restoring this prime example of Auckland’s railway heritage.

Now for an update on the new Parnell train station. An article I wrote last year was entitled ‘Parnell Station - a long time coming’; how true that is. The station was opened by Auckland Transport (AT) in mid-March, but only for limited services - Southern Line only. Western Line and Onehunga trains are not stopping during weekday working hours, and AT remains unclear about when they will.

Ironically given my efforts over many years to get the station built, earlier this year I met with AT to express my concern about opening the station when it was nowhere near finished. First of all a walkway proposed and funded by the Waitemata Local Board, designed to connect the station to Stanley Street via Nicholls Lane to serve the university was not in place and won’t be until late December. AT has also failed to build an underpass to connect the two platforms. More than a passenger-unfriendly inconvenience, the temptation to save a 100-metre walk by just dashing across the track is a serious safety hazard, especially in such a busy part of the network. These defects and others have drawn the ire of bloggers - and so they should.

14 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

KiwiRail has re-tiled the roof, replaced the chimney, retained the original doors and windows and restored them to their original appearance and functionality, strengthened and replaced badly corroded stanchions of the surrounding verandah removed inappropriate modifications, and strengthened and repaired compromised aspects of the structure. The kauri building has both the sturdy workmanship and the elegance typical of that era - Auckland’s ‘belle epoque’ if you like. Parnell’s heritage station building is only one of five historic buildings still on site on the Auckland commuter network and now the loveliest. Hopefully AT will take up where KiwiRail left off and the building will be reopened for public and commercial use.

KiwiRail deserves a lot of credit for honouring its obligations so successfully. We are confident the new Parnell Station, like the station building itself, will stand the test of time. It’s now over to Auckland PN Transport to get on and get the job finished. (MIKE LEE) F

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

Ramping up population intensification continues in Herne Bay There is already great concern about further population intensification in Herne Bay. Opponents of the apartment complex planned for the Gables Pub site are particularly worried about the lack of infrastructure, particularly sewage disposal. There is no separation of stormwater and wastewater in this corner of Auckland City. Raw sewage regularly flows into Cox’s Bay resulting in pollution of the harbour and signs asking people not to swim in the bay.

Now, while the battle continues over the Gables site, a new development is planned for the corner of Jervois Road and Lawrence Street, where the Erawan Thai restaurant used to be.

A concept drawing by Leuschke Architects shows an 18 metre high, five storey apartment proposal which will totally fill the site right to the boundaries. It looks as ugly as all hell.

The problem is that the site is zoned Local Town Centre, where apartments are permitted to a height of 16 metres. This is consistent with the Council’s Unitary Plan for population intensification.

Although pictures of the planned apartment were sent to Ponsonby News, I have been unable to ascertain how many units are proposed.

It also seems that no resource consent has yet been applied for.

Council officers I talked to assured me questions of suitable urban design, transport considerations and infrastructure requirements

would all be considered before approval was given. No sensible answer was forthcoming about sewage disposal.

Locals I spoke to are concerned about the loss of amenity values if the project goes ahead. They will lose sun, it will cast a huge shadow over their properties, parking is sure to be a problem (there are not enough places to park now) and, crucially, that the proposal is completely out of scale and character for the site. It does not look like a community-friendly development, with huge walls facing the streets and neighbouring properties. One neighbour said it looked like a prison.

It is not even certain that the plan will be notified by council, if all parties at council decide it meets all planning requirements. I’m sure neighbours will have something to say about that. They are sick of top-down imposition from council without sufficient local input.

Most inner-city residents oppose too much urban sprawl, with houses and roads cutting into valuable farm land, and the attendant infrastructural costs of development, but they also call for sympathetic inner-city development which protects their precious amenity values.

Local Herne Bay residents will be watching progress on this proposed development very carefully, and we would urge council officers to note their amenity value concerns and take them seriously.

(JOHN ELLIOTT) F PN

Protesters gather outside the Erawan Thai villa in 2012. The villa has now gone, leaving an empty site on the corner of Jervois Road and Lawrence Street.

16 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

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JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

Denise Roche Green candidate for Central again Experienced Green Party MP Denise Roche is again the party’s candidate for Auckland Central in the election on 23 September.

In 2005 the Greens secured 4775 votes when Nandor Tanczos was the popular candidate. However, in her first attempt at Auckland Central in 2008, Denise Roche increased that to 5446 votes. She increased it again in 2011 to 7797 votes, and while it fell back a little in 2014 to 6242, mainly through boundary changes which meant Central lost good green territory in Grey Lynn and Westmere. But still the Green vote exceeded the Labour vote which was 6101.

This will be Roche’s fourth election as the candidate for Auckland Central. Her team of volunteers has contacted thousands of households in the electorate in recent months.

Roche told Ponsonby News that she has detected a real appetite for change. “A lack of planning during nine years of National Government has produced gridlocked roads, and a housing crisis.

Parents are worried for their children’s future, especially with precarious employment opportunities.”

Denise Roche strongly supports the policy announcements which came out of the Green Party conference last weekend. The Green Infrastructure Fund will kick start the green economy, create jobs in the clean technology and infrastructure sectors, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, while Metiria Turei’s policy announcement aims to lift families out of poverty. The families package will increase all benefits by 20%, boost working for families and raise the minimum wage.

“This policy will change the narrative,” claims Roche. “It's not about dole bludgers, lifestyle options or other right wing rhetoric, it’s about the safety net we always had as a country. Under this Government we have become punitive and judgemental. We blame the poor for being poor. If you have no job or a sick child, it is your fault. That has to change and we’ll change it,” she adds.

Roche goes on to explain, “A single parent has everything stacked against them under this neo-liberal Government’s policies - get sick, miss the bus, miss an appointment and your benefit is cut. We can’t continue to do this in a wealthy country like New Zealand, and more tax cuts for the well off is certainly not the answer.”

Denise was told more than once on the doorstep, that people wouldn’t mind paying a bit more in tax to help make New Zealand a more equal country again.

Denise Roche thinks the plan to lift the incomes of more than 500,000 low and middle income Kiwi families should be a circuit breaker at this election.

The changes in the nature of work and jobs is something Roche thinks a lot about. She is the Green’s spokesperson for industrial relations as well as for immigration, refugees and ethnic affairs. “We must ensure our young people have the skills they need to survive in a less secure work environment than the one we have today. Employers in the future will be looking for workers who can demonstrate skills like team work, innovation, problem solving, creative thinking and leadership,” she says.

Engaging younger voters in the political process is crucial, she says.

“Young people are looking for real people in politics - authentic, honest, in the mould of Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn. The Greens have those people.”

Despite dropping several places on the Green Party list, due to what she describes as a strong field of candidates, Roche says she has ‘unfinished business’ and wants to continue as an MP, but after examining her motivation to continue as an MP. The Greens will need to poll slightly above last times 11% for Denise Roche to get back into parliament. She is number 15 on the list, with 14 current MPs. We at Ponsonby News know how hard Denise works in her electorate and in Parliament. She is genuinely in it, as she says, “to change the world for the better. I still have more to contribute,” she assures us.

The Greens have excellent new policies, a team of experienced and new exciting candidates. They are positive, forward-looking, optimistic for New Zealand’s future.

In a troubled world, amongst increasing inequality, the Greens deserve support, and it should not surprise if they achieve 15% this election. That would ensure not only a safe return for Denise Roche, but several more highly qualified new Green MPs as well entering PN Parliament for the first time. F www.greens.org.nz

IS IT TIME TO GO SOLAR? Yes. As Mark Unwin at iGenerate Solar explains, “The technology has developed and the uptake amongst New Zealand property owners continues to increase, so the prices of solar systems have now come down.

"In the past few years we have seen reductions in the cost that has made solar the smart economic choice. Electricity prices also continue to go up year on year so it’s a great time to look at the options. It’s now great for the planet and for the wallet!” iGenerate is a New Zealand-owned and operated company. Last year it started a petition to Government to commit to 100% renewable energy target by 2030.

“Solar reduces carbon emissions,” says Unwin. “A 3kWh solar system for this home will achieve reductions in carbon emission equivalent to removing 11 cars from the road a year. That's like planting 1378 trees. New Zealand can and should be a leader in decarbonising the economy, plus we think property owners want choice and affordability

18 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

and independence. It’s as simple as taking advantage of the sun that lands on our roofs and using it to power warmer, drier living spaces.”

Mark’s business wants to provide solutions that create certainty in a growing city, especially as adoption of electric vehicles puts further strain on energy requirements. iGenerate provides free, no obligation quotes for home and commercial solar. Talk to them today about how solar will work for your property. See the ad in this issue and you could be adding a battery for free when you book your install. F PN IGENERATE, T: 0800 745 400, www.igeneratesolar.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH

PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

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LOCAL NEWS THE LITTLE FREE FOOD PANTRY ON PONSONBY ROAD The Little Free Food Pantry idea is taking off over America, following on from the popularity of the Little Free Library.

People looking for a way to reach out to their less fortunate neighbours, are providing non perishable food and other items through these pantries. It becomes a neighbourhood focal point, stocked by those who have a little to spare.

"We Unitarians are aware of some homeless people in the vicinity, but expect that there are others, not necessarily homeless, who could use a little extra from time to time. We would like to invite our neighbours to contribute to this pantry, or to take from it, according to their need.

"Of course we don’t have the resources to supply on a scale like a food bank, but there are advantages to a small pantry. It is local; there are no set hours of operation; whether giving or receiving food, everyone approaches the pantry in the same way, thus reducing the stigma associated with being in need.

"The pantry has its own Facebook Page, this is another way it can foster community. We can share stories and communicate about any issues that might arise. There is a notebook in the pantry for requests."

The pantry is located at 1a Ponsonby Road. F PN www.facebook.com/foodpantryakunitarians

PONSONBY COMMUNITY CENTRE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU...

The Ponsonby Community Centre is undergoing a review of all its operating areas and venues and we would like to hear from the community about what sort of events or activities you would like to see offered.

We would particularly like to hear from anyone who lives in the area but have never visited the centre (or Ponsy Kids) or used our facilities. All ideas are most welcome - big or small, outlandish or conventional! Please email your ideas to the General Manager lisa@ponsonbycommunity.org.nz

We currently manage two sites, in buildings well over 100 years old (20 Ponsonby Terrace and the Leys Institute Hall, 20 St Marys Road) both with lots of character and amenities. If you have never visited before, please pop in and have a look around or email info@ponsonbycommunity.org.nz to set up a viewing appointment.

20 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

For the next few issues of Ponsonby News we are going to be profiling one of our spaces, including the people/ places a lot of the rooms are named for.

This month’s space is the Gluepot Room - The Gluepot Tavern was Ponsonby’s most celebrated pub. Its name is thought to have been coined by local women whose husbands were routinely ‘stuck’ there drinking. In the 1970s it became a popular music venue, hosting well-known local bands such as Hello Sailor, Toy Love, and the Headless Chickens. Mick Jagger and Peter Garrett also played there.

During his performance, Garrett leapt high into the air, knocking a hole in the ceiling with his head. In the mid-1990s the Gluepot was closed and converted into shops and apartments. F PN (www.teara.govt.nz/en/auckland-places/page-11) PONSONBY COMMUNITY CENTRE, 20 Ponsonby Terrace, T: 09 376 0896 or T: 09 378 1752, www.ponsonbycommunity.org.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS LOCAL IDENTITY TERI PARAT’S ART EXHIBITION @ SMYTH GALLERIES Many locals know Teri Parat whose next show runs from 3 August until 24 August. We caught up with Teri and asked her about Enthroned, her new works.

What is your background?

I was always, as a child, sketching, drawing, painting anything that I could. It was much later on that I attended art school part-time for over four years at the beginning of my working career in the fashion industry, and there began my developing passion for painting. Though it is only in the past 12 years I have held solo exhibitions every year or so.

I enjoy the balance of two days midweek being my art days while I continue working in the fashion industry for the remainder of the week.

What artists do you identify with?

When I was first finding my way as an artist back in my 20s, I have to say I identified mostly with surrealism. I read everything I could find on surrealism, art and literature. I was totally fascinated and loved the surprise, the unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur.

My paintings entirely comprise portraiture these days - somewhere between surrealism/realism. I admire so many artists but the likes of Troy Brooks, Lori Earley and Afarin Sajedi are favourites.

What role does art play in society?

Art plays a huge role in our daily lives especially in how people can express their own individuality, creativity and feeling.

Art helps us communicate with one another, to find common ground in expressing ourselves. It also challenges us to constantly push boundaries and to break stereotypes.

What do you enjoy most about living and working locally?

I love the colour and vibrancy of Ponsonby. I have lived in the area for many, many years, raised my children here and just love the strong community feel of the place. I can't imagine a better environment from which to draw inspiration and creativity. F PN SMYTH GALLERIES, 41 Jervois Road, T: 09 360 6044, www.smythgalleries.co.nz

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH

PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

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DEIRDRE THURSTON: ON MY MIND

We love a win and a ‘Kiwi’ hero Kiwis love to celebrate a win. And celebrate we did to the enth degree over Emirates Team New Zealand winning the America’s Cup. We were especially jubilant over this win after the circumstances of our loss last time.

I must admit to feeling a tad sad for Dean Barker. I wonder what he was thinking as he watched the tickertape parades around the country post Cup win?

A few weeks have passed since that heady, final race day. Queen Street has been denuded of tickertape and flags. Though the echoes of ecstatic well-wishers’ cheers linger among the buildings and rooftops where thousands of proud New Zealanders gathered to pay homage to the exhausted and humble crew of a wisp of a boat that will go down in history.

On the final race day, I wrapped up warm and headed down to Westhaven at 4.30am to meet with friends. Freezing cold weather had deterred no one. Car parks were jammed full. All the yacht clubs were ablaze with light. The club my friends and I were in wasn’t the big, flash one where the cup will live but I doubt the atmosphere was any different. We grabbed front row chairs and waited for the final race to begin. Head-warming beanies bobbed, the smell of not great coffee wafted over the room as everyone discussed what might happen: “The bloody boat might break apart.” “Do you think Spithall will be manning Oracle today?” “Burling just has to keep his head.” “Can’t believe Burling’s only 26.” “Hope hash browns come with brekkie.” “Refill?”

Bubbles flowed courtesy of the club and there were hash browns - the freezer packet variety. As deliciously unhealthy as the $10 breakfast was, I imagined a more glam offering at the yacht club a few metres away. Our flaccid hash browns, fried eggs, bacon and mushrooms would be replaced with smoked salmon eggs Benedict and slices of avocado with fresh bagels perhaps. There would be Moet flowing rather than local sparkling. Who cared? Not one of us in our warm clubroom with the biggest TV screens I have ever seen. In fact, local sparkling seemed patriotically downright appropriate for the occasion.

The air was electric as we sat on the edge of our chairs. I swear I felt my Dad’s hand on my shoulder. Once a passionate yachty himself and a yacht club member, he was definitely there in spirit that morning, as tearful with pride and glee as I was as that boat crossed the final line and the horn sounded. The place erupted. Strangers hugged one another, beanies were tossed in the air and corks were popped. National pride strained

the seams of our shirts and filled us with admiration for that Kiwi ‘can do’ attitude.

Against all odds, we had won. Apparently, we heard later in a TV interview, that in fact, the blimmin’ boat was about to fall to bits any second. Phew. Bullet dodged. Universe on our side. Deservedly so.

What an incredible show of teamwork and grit we witnessed throughout the entire campaign. Humility is an important factor in a winning team, I believe. Arrogance and dollars, in the end, hold no magic key to defeat.

Looking around at my fellow supporters - couples, groups, singles. Young, old and in between (including my friend’s 12-year-old son looking cute as a button in his school uniform and wondering why I was weepy on such a happy occasion and embarrassed by his mother’s loud cheering). The inclusion, belonging together as Kiwis and a sense of hope filled the room.

Finally, as we all filed down the stairs, breakfast warming our stomachs, a few yawns here and there as the early rising and excitement took their toll, I thought about how proud I am of our country. How much positivity this win will inject into our towns, cities and psyches. Even those of us who don’t follow the Cup. And how my friends and I created a wonderful memory I will never forget by setting that alarm on our phones. Wish my own son had been there. Climbing out of bed at 4am isn’t on his agenda. He’s more likely to have just climbed in.

Sunrise teased the horizon and obsidian sea became apricot kissed as I drove home in our beautiful ‘hood’. Being back in the clubroom reignited childhood memories.

I grew up at Westhaven on yachts with Dad’s mates - the Fred’s, Shorty’s and Sandy’s.

I clambered from dinghies up rock walls to Mum waiting in the car. Rock walls that aren’t there anymore. That’s okay. Progress is a good thing. It still feels like home.

Back in my apartment, I filled a hottie and crawled into bed to catch a couple of hours sleep and thought about the new names on everyone’s lips: Peter Burling and Glen Ashby. Our new heroes. And a name that never left our lips - Grant Dalton. The king of the Cup. (DEIRDRE THURSTON) F PN

AUCKLAND’S NEWEST CO-WORKING SPACE OPENS IN GREY LYNN Newly opened The Workshop Auckland is a co-working space for creative entrepreneurs. Here’s a peek inside.

Located at the top of Crummer Road next to Studio Art Supplies, in a beautiful loft style space, The Workshop is the newest co-working space to open in Auckland - filled with a creative community of entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers.

Co-working is an ever-growing trend that’s taken the world by storm, providing desk space, business amenities and a community for startups and entrepreneurs, perfect for those feeling uninspired and lonely working from home.

The Workshop is a different model to Auckland’s other local co-working spaces, with more of a holistic approach.

Owners Kristen Wonch and Leigh Stockton believe business should be an adventure, offering to their residents free mindfulness yoga and meditation, business check ins and support, regular community events, movie and craft nights, and more.

It’s all about community. Shared lunches are encouraged, a communal compost bin is on the go, and making friendships with local businesses and neighbours are a priority.

“We love the idea of collaborations that grow the Grey Lynn community so encourage our neighbours to get in touch if they have ideas for events or partnerships,” says Leigh.

“It’s in our hearts to connect and add heaps of value to our community where we can.”

The Workshop is also a social enterprise, with a portion of each desk that we rent going towards empowering young women (12-17-years-old) in leadership.

Owners Kristen Wonch and Leigh Stockton

“As business women ourselves, Kristen and I are set on investing in young women who will go onto become great leaders,” says Stockton. “This is our way of giving back, helping the next generation of girl bosses to grow!” F PN

THE WORKSHOP AUCKLAND, Level 1, 37D Crummer Road, M: 021 176 4791, www.theworkshopauckland.co.nz

22 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

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HELEN WHITE: LABOUR MP AUCKLAND CENTRAL Everyone in Auckland knows that we need major action and investment to fix our transport system. We all get stuck in traffic and it is only getting worse. It is annoying, time consuming and expensive.

The OECD estimates that Auckland’s congestion costs $1.25 billion a year in lost productivity. But that is not the only reason I’m focused on transport in this campaign.

Congestion is a lot more than an inconvenience. In 2010 commuters and freighters emitted 12.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions or a quarter of our net emissions. Moving to more environmentally friendly transport is essential to fighting climate change and stopping the deaths that occur each year due to poor air quality.

Congestion is also an issue of inequality as poorer people, in search of cheaper rent, tend to live further away from the location of their employment. They then incur more costs and lose more and more of their day. Transport poverty may seem counterintuitive - but it is a real and serious issue. But what can we do about it? Is it just the price of living in a big city? My firm answer is no.

A few weeks ago I hosted an interesting and lively discussion on Auckland’s transport crisis with Generation Zero. Today's transport mess is a result of past governments lacking the vision and leadership to invest in high-quality public transport infrastructure.

Although this article is about Auckland’s transport mess - I think it is more about leadership, vision and investment.

Rapid mass transit is part of the answer. Greater Auckland and Generation Zero are advocating for the congestion free network. The Congestion Free Network forms the backbone of Auckland’s future public transport network, supported by further bus and ferry networks. Its aim is to provide a way of travelling that is free from congestion.

This means It involves a systematic extension of rapid transit with rail, light rail and bus services operating in their own right-of-way that are fast, frequent, reliable and affordable.

Labour has already announced part of this network. We’ve committed to building light rail from Wynyard Quarter through to Mt Roskill, via Queen Street and Dominion Road.

This is the first step in building a rail link to the airport. Over time, we’ll work with Auckland Council to expand the light rail network even further.

In 1945 Auckland’s tram network carried one million trips. Auckland’s population at the time was 500,000. Last year, with Auckland’s population over three times higher, our entire public transport network carried only 82 million trips. To those who think we

cannot do it or that it is not in Auckland’s culture to build a rapid transit network - we’ve built it before. If we could do it then, we can do it now.

So what’s stopping us? I think it is a lack of vision. Recently I posted a tongue-in-check Facebook graphic that highlighted the Government’s lack of vision to deal with this issue. Did you know that MarsOne will establish a colony on Mars - complete with pizza restaurant - before the Government starts rail to the airport?

It is absurd. We need vision and leadership. We cannot continue to extend motorways - it is thinking that is out of date.

Our vision needs to extend past specific projects, and capture what kind of city we want to live in. We need to transform our city so that people are its focus. Over 47,000 people live in the central city. These people primarily get around town on foot - it doesn’t make sense to drive. Yet, our CBD is still based around cars and car parking. I work near High Street in the CBD. Come and walk down that street with me on a week day - we won’t get very far! It’s like dodgems.

Queen Street is the same. 60,000 people walk up and down Queen Street every day, but it is still focused on the 10,000 vehicles who use that street. Queen Street is not a primary route used by many cars - it is a through route. There are no carpark entrances, no loading docks and no lanes that cannot be accessed by another route. As such, with the exception of some deliverers or couriers, vehicles using this stretch of road are doing so to get somewhere else. It is extraordinary when you think about it - the heart of the city is a place people are using to go somewhere else.

I think we need to tie these strands together and advocate for a vision of the kind of city we want to live in. The congestion-free network is a fantastic start and I hope to continue this debate and advocate for the modern Auckland I know we can be. Successive governments have shirked their responsibility to plan and invest in Auckland’s growth.

Its time that ended and we started investing in Auckland so that it is no longer gridlocked for five hours a day. I think that we can build a modern city that has people at its heart.

(HELEN WHITE) F PN Helen White is the Labour candidate for Auckland Central. www.labour.org.nz/helenwhite

AUCKLAND CITY MISSION AT CAPACITY The Auckland City Mission’s services are maxed out. The Auckland City Mission says its social services are “at capacity,” and staff members are exhausted by the level of desperate need pouring through the charity’s doors.

Auckland City Missioner, Chris Farrelly, says the organisation is set to distribute roughly the same number of food parcels as last year (13,714 across the whole of Auckland) - not because need has remained the same, but because staff are simply unable to assess any additional clients.

Meanwhile, the closure of nearby homeless support services means the mission is now central Auckland’s only outreach provider of day-to-day support for people experiencing homelessness.

“The mission’s small Homeless Outreach Team of six social workers have an average caseload of 25 complex clients each,” says Auckland City Missioner, Chris Farrelly. “Many of these people require daily contact and intensive care.”

He says mission staff are doing everything they can, but that the need is increasing and services are struggling to meet demand. “When families come in for an emergency food parcel, they sometimes have to wait for several

24 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

hours in our draughty waiting room before someone can see them. Imagine what that’s like for an elderly person, or a parent with their young child? People don’t come here unless they have to - and they’re having to in greater and greater numbers.”

Farrelly says a key purpose of the mission is to provide a place for Aucklanders’ generosity to reach those around them who need it most and notes that, despite the charity’s current level of demand, this is the reality that he sees every day. However, he stresses that this generosity is needed now more than ever, particularly when it comes to funds.

Farrelly says donated funds are particularly valuable, as they allow the mission to address the deeper issues someone might be facing. “Food is an important and immediate need, but our aim is always to help clients become independent of us,” he says.

One of the mission’s frontline staff, Sophie Spencer, says she and her team members at the Crisis Care

& Community Service are overwhelmed by the number of people coming through their doors, as well as by the complexity of the issues many people are facing.

“Over a morning, we might meet a 19-year-old taking responsibility for her younger siblings because her parents are struggling with addiction,” says Spencer.

“We might later see a mother escaping partner violence, a bereaved widower using alcohol in a bid to cope with grief, and an isolated elderly gentleman seeking company and healthcare support.”

Farrelly says that while each of these people has immediate, pressing needs - such as emergency food, or even housing - there are almost always deeper issues residing underneath. It takes time and energy to actively listen and engage with people.

The Mission’s Winter Appeal kicks off this week and the charity is asking all Aucklanders to contribute by donating PN much needed funds at winterwarriors.org.nz F PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS PRISON ART CLASS SPARKS NEW DIRECTION Over the last weekend in June, as Lions' supporters roamed Auckland's streets and the America's Cup began to look promising, St Columba Church in Grey Lynn was exhibiting paintings by an artist who used to be described by the media as "one of the most notorious career criminals in New Zealand".

Simon Kerr built this reputation with his involvement in the Hole in the Wall gang in the 1980s, his two breakouts from a high security prison and, it is even rumoured, a break-in to a high security prison.

Stowing away on a ship to Australia and going on the run for two years are also in his CV. From age 15 and over 40 years, he spent 18 in prison.

It was during a prison term in 2011 2015 that Simon reconnected with and was recognised for his gift for art, and since then there have been several exhibitions of his work. Liz Caughey, a parishioner at St Columba who has been involved in contemporary New Zealand art for almost 30 years, had seen Simon's work three years ago and felt strongly that he should have gallery representation in Auckland - hence the exhibition. "I was struck not only by the distinctiveness of his art, but by the courage of the subject matter and the honesty and emotional power of the paintings. It is such an important role of the arts to make social comment. It’s often how the seeds of change are sown."

Simon Kerr The paintings featured poems Simon wrote during his 1994 prison tower siege at Mt Eden Prison, reflecting on his many times inside, with some referencing poems by Oscar Wilde (1898) and Richard Lovelace (1642). While the content was at times challenging, the lyrical language made for moving work, as commented on by most visitors to the exhibition and evidenced by the average duration of visit. Simon is frank about his past PN but seeks now to contribute to society, and to that end works constantly on his art. F To view paintings that are still for sale, go to St Columba Anglican Church Facebook page (photos) - www.facebook.com/pg/stcolumbagreylynn Enquiries to St Columba Church, T: 09 376 9119; or Liz M: 021 1517087, E: lizcaughey@xtra.co.nz

PONSONBY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION - WATERCARE WORKS UPDATE The leafy streets of Herne Bay have been home to Watercare crews for almost a year as essential separation work to the wastewater and stormwater network has taken place.

Older parts of Auckland like Ponsonby, have combined wastewater and stormwater pipes, which become overwhelmed during periods of heavy rain, resulting in wetweather overflows. Watercare, together with Auckland Council, has undertaken a major $9 million project to separate the networks along Franklin Road and Collingwood Street.

The upgrades are taking place in conjunction with road corridor upgrades by Auckland Transport, Vector, and Chorus in a “dig once approach”.

Huge effort has gone into minimising disruption. Watercare’s project manager, Veluppillai Thavarajah says: “Work in Collingwood Street finished at the end of August and Franklin Road is on track to be completed by mid-November. We are grateful to residents for their patience. This work will not only cater for future growth but it means reductions in wetweather overflows - which are good for the community and the environment.”

Watercare also made an appearance in Ponsonby Road during July and August as new water pipes were installed. Two-way traffic was maintained but there were parking restrictions between Karangahape Road and Hopetown Street.

In the second week of July, Watercare’s contractors, Brian Perry and sub-contractors City Contractors were hailed as heroes when they tackled an armed man as he fled, following the robbery of a convenience store in Ponsonby Road. Two men chased the man 200 metres on foot, while four others tried to block him off with their van. A good rugby tackle followed and the man was held until police arrived. The men received a formal thank you from the Ponsonby Business Association and Auckland District Police, PN as well as morning tea from staff at Watercare’s head office. F www.watercare.co.nz The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH

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JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

Our climate declaration President Trump recently pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord, much to the disgust of the whole world.

New Zealand like almost every other country, except the United States, remains in the Accord, but there is increasing concern that New Zealand has not set an ambitious enough target to reduce carbon emissions. Various local groups including Greenpeace, 350. org, Generation Zero, Forest and Bird and others have waited and waited in vain for our detailed plan.

So, a number of locals decided to take action by forming a group to help people in their homes, workplaces, churches and learning institutions to finally push our Government to take the necessary action. Among the group which became an incorporated society, and produced 'Our Climate Declaration' were Pat Basket, Jeanette Fitzsimons, Dr Joanna Santa Barbara, Amanda Larsson, Catherine Murupaenga-Iken, Rosemary Penwarden, Kristen Gillies and others.

This group believes that climate change poses a powerful challenge to all aspects of our lives: to our feeling of freedom, to how we feed ourselves, to how we move about, to how we keep ourselves and other creatures warm or cool. Resolving these issues will entail changes to our behaviour, both as individuals and as members of a functioning society.

The public launch took place last month, simultaneously at the Grey Lynn Community Centre, and in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin by live streaming. The launch was a spectacular success.

The Grey Lynn Centre space was full and, Rod Oram, as expected, was an excellent chairperson. He was followed by Dr Joanna Santa Barbara, a peace and ecological activist, who is interim chair of the Climate Declaration.

Endorsements followed by James Renwick, leading New Zealand and IPCC climate scientist, (from Wellington) Phillip Mills, businessman and sponsor, (by video) Rhys Jones, Ora Taiao, the NZ Climate and Health Council, Peter Scholes, conductor of the Auckland Chamber Orchestra, who gave a lovely clarinet solo after his speech, Robyn Malcolm, actress, two students from Western Springs College (it is our future) and finally Pippa Coom, chair of the Waitemata Local Board, who enthusiastically endorsed the declaration.

The declaration outlines ‘the bad stuff’ we have to stop doing, and ‘the good things we have to pursue’. Among the bad stuff is continuing to extract and burn fossil fuels, especially by ever more difficult mining methods including fracking for oil and coal. We also need to replace the never-ending drive for economic growth and consumerism with an economics of ‘enough’.

The good things we can do include insisting on sustainable energy alternatives for transport, farming and industry. The declaration calls for the restoration of 1.3 million hectares of marginal land to native forest to increase carbon sinks.

It calls, too, for people to eat less meat and dairy, and to help to develop an economic system that respects nature’s limits.

Finally the Climate Declaration calls on us to pressure the Government to comply with and facilitate the above transformation, to withdraw investment from the fossil fuel industry, and to establish a Climate Commission to set a binding carbon budget and develop a plan to meet it.

The Government needs to abandon the Emissions Trading Scheme and replace it with a carbon tax. Those who commit to the Climate Declaration pledge to work together at every level of society, celebrating our common humanity, acknowledging the different climate-changed world we are entering, respecting the needs of all people, present and future and of other living beings.

If you agree we should all help to create a climate-safe Aotearoa, based on economic fairness, democracy, respect for human rights and the intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, where we live in harmony with nature and with each other, go on line to www.ourclimatedeclaration.org.nz and sign on to join the challenge.

This is not a petition, but a pledge to honour the objectives of the Climate Declaration - now. (JOHN ELLIOTT) F PN

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY U3A: JULY 2017 Whether or not to move into a retirement village is a question debated by many U3A members. Many have already taken the step and a number of Ponsonby U3A members now live at Selwyn Village in Pt Chevalier, as well as other villages.

One member, who recently moved to Selwyn Village, says she is loving the sea view from her refurbished fifth floor apartment and finds she is happily fitting into village life. A year or two ago U3A member Margarita Mahon gave a 10 minute talk to members on her journey to retirement village life at Selwyn Village - the dos and don’ts and the various steps she went through before getting there. Her talk proved so popular that word spread and she was invited to give an expanded version of her talk to another U3A meeting.

John Collyns, Executive Director of the Retirement Villages Association, was the July guest speaker. He said that currently around 50 people a week are moving into retirement villages across New Zealand. There are 350 member villages with 30,000 dwellings for 39,000 residents. Making the move is a major decision for many older people and their families, he said. There are all sorts of reasons to move or not to move and everyone is different, just as every retirement village is different. The Retirement Village Association represents the entire spectrum of retirement villages in New Zealand and does not promote any village over another, other than describing the benefits of choosing an RVA member village.

U3A member Camille Guy’s 10 minute talk was entitled 'Being a Blindie' and was an account of her increasing eyesight loss from when she was a young school girl having difficulty reading the blackboard at Waterview School to the present day. She was the eldest of six children, all of whom were myopic. None of her extended family wore glasses, but she discovered that Granny Guy in England was ‘pretty blind’ in later life.

Camille’s career took her from social work with prominent psychiatrist Fraser McDonald, to journalism where her work was well known.

In her mid 50s, on the week her mother died, Camille realised that lamp posts appeared wavy which meant she was haemorrhaging in one eye. Eighteen months later the second eye bled, leaving her with no central vision and fuzzy peripheral vision. She registered with the Blind Foundation and undertook a 10 week, full time computer course called

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

JAWS, using keystrokes. From this time her career slowed as she had difficulty with research. She could no longer read words on the computer screen and surfing the web became impossible.

One of the hardest things she found was understimulation - going to social events and not being able to see who was there. For a couple of years she “felt thrown”.

She spends a lot of time now trying to learn about technical stuff and downloading it onto the iPad. “There have been great improvements and we can now get plenty of books.” She has a list of dos and don’ts with blind people. Blind people want to follow and not lead, she said. She likes to talk with people - offer to talk at the bus stop. She doesn’t mind being asked anything. Among her wonderful friends, one takes her shopping, another reads to her. “I do appreciate all the support I get. It’s not a bad life,” she concluded.

The August meeting will be the Annual General Meeting. The guest speaker will be John PN Rosser, Director of Viva Voce (unaccompanied choir). (PHILIPPA TAIT) F NEXT MEETING: AGM, 9.45am Friday 11 August at Herne Bay Petanque Club, Salisbury Street Reserve, Herne Bay. ENQUIRIES:

Collene Roche, President Ponsonby U3A. T: 09 373 3277, www.u3aponsonby

DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH

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NIKKI KAYE: AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP

Digital fluency crucial for New Zealand’s future Recently, New Zealand was named as a Stand Out country in the Harvard Business review digital evolution index highlighting that our country is leading the way in driving innovation but also pointing out that many jobs will change in the future due to automation.

We need to continue to keep investing in digital fluency and innovation to keep ahead for a fast-changing world. One way we are looking to the future is by setting ambitious trade goals to grow our exports and see more of our products on shelves around the world.

Another is by investing in huge infrastructure projects to prepare our transport corridors for the future. And more recently, we announced the biggest change to the school curriculum in 10 years - a change that will help New Zealand’s young people build the skills they need to succeed in the 21st Century. At the forefront of this change is the need for our children to be digitally fluent.

Digital technologies are revolutionising how we live and work and influencing every facet of our lives. To participate successfully in society and get the jobs and careers they want, young New Zealanders will need to be confident users and creators of digital technologies.

Digital fluency is now an essential life skill for young people, so we must ensure they have the skills and knowledge they need to engage in an increasingly digital world. When we talk about digital fluency, we don’t just mean being able to use technology effectively. Digital fluency is about having the skills and knowledge to become innovative creators of new digital technology. The new curriculum will see all young people from years 1 to 10 taking part in digital learning and new achievement standards developed for NCEA to help older students develop specialised skills already in high demand by employers.

To support the introduction of the curriculum changes the Government will invest around $40 million over three years. The package consists of three key parts.

Initiatives to upskill our teachers It’s important that teachers have the necessary knowledge and capability to teach the new curriculum content, so we’ll be investing $24 million of new money towards additional professional learning and development for teachers. This investment will ensure all children, every year have teachers with the right skills, knowledge and confidence to teach the new curriculum content. Over 40,000 teachers will have access to the support they need over the next two years.

The $24 million will include about $9 million, on top of around $21 million, on tailored digital-related professional learning and development based on identified needs of schools. Another $15 million is being provided to deliver a new national programme to introduce teachers to the new curriculum and provide them with teaching strategies to support their delivery of the new content. We will also invest $3 million to support teachers and school leaders to work with up to 250 professional networks to assist schools to be at the forefront of new technologies, and support them to deliver the new curriculum.

Initiatives to support shift to a digital system We will also be investing over $7 million in a number of initiatives to help shift education to a digitally oriented system. This is about supporting more teaching and learning in a digital format, as well as the move to online exams.

The $7 million investment will include around $800,000 for a provider to partner with schools to provide specialised online learning to supplement teaching and learning in the classroom and $3.5 million to provide engaging, interactive resources, such as video and audio streaming content and apps, to support delivery of the new curriculum. We will also be investing to ensure NZQA continues to support the trialling of online exams with a selection of schools, in preparation for making NCEA exams available online by 2020.

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Initiatives to provide more digital learning opportunities Around $7.5 million which includes $6 million towards a ‘Digital Technology for All Equity Fund’, to support providers to deliver highquality, in-school and out-of-school learning opportunities for up to 12,500 students each year, with a focus on ensuring access for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. There will also be more than 300 $1000 scholarships to support all young people to develop innovative enterprises, including products or businesses, that have a digital focus. Alongside this a new National Digital Championship is being funded to support students to use digital technologies to come up with innovative ways to solve community, social or environmental challenges. We’re delivering the changes we need to future proof our education system and, in turn, the next generation of young Kiwis will be delivering more of the innovative thinking we’re worldrenowned for.

Success stories like Rocket Lab, Weta Workshop and, just recently, Emirates Team New Zealand, have shown we’ve got the creativity, the talent and the determination to not only keep up with the big players, but outperform them. The Government is ambitious for the next generation and our digital learning approach is about continuing to support an innovative education system that fosters innovative PN minds. (NIKKI KAYE) F Authorised by Hon Nikki Kaye, MP for Auckland Central, 48C College Hill, Freemans Bay. www.nikkikaye.co.nz. If you have any issues or concerns, please contact my office on T: 09 378 2088 or send me an email on mp.aucklandcentral@parliament.govt.nz

HON NIKKI KAYE

MP FOR AUCKLAND CENTRAL

For constituency enquiries and appointments please contact my Auckland Central electorate office.

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48C College Hill, Freemans Bay

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09 378-2088

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mp.aucklandcentral@parliament.govt.nz

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www.nikkikaye.co.nz @ nikkikaye facebook.com/NikkiKayeMP

Drop In Constituency Clinic: 48C College Hill, Freemans Bay 3pm, 18th 21st ofofJuly April -–3pm, August Funded by the Parliamentary Service and authorised by Nikki Kaye MP, 48C College Hill, Freemans Bay, Auckland.

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOCAL NEWS WORKHER CAREERS CHAT WITH JACINDA ARDERN, HARMAN GRUBIŠA & MORE Careers Chat with Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Jacinda Ardern, the founders of Harman Grubiša, reporter Gracie Taylor and Lisa King of Eat My Lunch at 6pm on Tuesday 8 August, 2017 at The Bank in Grey Lynn.

Careers advice blog for women, The Workher, has revealed its next event for millennials.

From fashion to politics, media and entrepreneurial ventures, the session on Tuesday 8 August at 6pm at The Bank in Grey Lynn, Auckland, will be a night of networking with a panel of outstanding women lined up to share their career advice.

Attendees at the event will hear from Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Jacinda Ardern; the creators of fashion label Harman Grubiša, Madeleine Harman and Jessica Grubiša; TV/radio/online reporter Gracie Taylor; and the founder of Eat My Lunch, Lisa King. All who will be sharing insight into their career journeys.

The event will cover where they all started out and how they got to where they are today (with the odd career change along the way for some), and they’ll provide their advice for millennials to kick ass in their jobs or entrepreneurial ventures.

There will also be an open Q&A, offering a unique opportunity for millennials to ask these powerful women in business on the panel any career questions.

Ardern commented, “Like a few other careers, the path into politics isn’t always a straightforward or enticing one. I’d love to see more young women pursue politics though, so I’m very keen to do all I can to encourage the next generation to do just that.”

Ladies from all industries are invited to attend the evening of drinks, canapés and epic girl boss chat.

Founder of The Workher Laura Platts said, "The event’s a unique opportunity to bring so many like-minded women together from a range of different industries. We have a diverse panel made up of truly incredible women achieving great success in their careers. The audiences at our last events have been outstanding as well, with really bright, engaged young women. The careers chat will be buzzing. I can’t wait!”

Event Information: Workher Event: When: Where: Tickets: Facebook Event Page:

Careers Chat with Jacinda Ardern, Harman Grubiša & more 6pm-8pm, Tuesday 8 August, 2017 The Bank Event Space, 1 Tuarangi Road, Grey Lynn $39+BF available on Eventfinda www.facebook.com/events/1100807516685676/

Ms Harman commented, “Starting and running our own business has been equally one of the most disarming and rewarding things either of us has done. There are times when you feel very vulnerable and times where you feel extremely empowered. We think that conversations like this that support women in business are so important, so it is a privilege to be invited to share a little of our journey to date.”

This will be the third Workher event, following the recently sold out Careers Chat with Juliette Hogan in April, and the Girl Boss High Tea in January 2017.

To be the first to know about Workher events and updates, join the Workhers Auckland group on Facebook. F PN

L to R: Jacinda Ardern; Jessica Grubiša & Madeleine Harman; Gracie Taylor; Lisa King

30 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

*Excludes mattress

25 Nugent St, Grafton, Akl l phone +64 9 523 2105 info@studioitalia.co.nz l www.studioitalia.co.nz

CARS & MOTORING A CHAT WITH PETER CARLETON OF LEXUS OF AUCKLAND CITY We talked to Lexus of Auckland City manager Peter Carleton about what he believes makes the Lexus brand distinctive and special.

We also asked him about the new models we can expect to find on their Great North Road showroom floor, about things environmental, the team and client service.

What does the Lexus brand mean to you?

Lexus is the epitome of Japanese products - refined, exciting, thoughtful, durable, luxurious, brave, reliable, intelligent, craftsmanship.

What are the latest models of Lexus in your Ponsonby showroom?

We have the brilliant new Lexus LC500 - a spectacular new Grand Touring Coupe built on the next generation Lexus chassis - the coupe emanated from a design concept that was appreciated by so many that they had to build it to satisfy world demand. They all said “great design” please build it, never expecting the actual vehicle and the concept to be so close.

The LC500 is being built in the Motormachi plant in Japan (the plant that built the legendary bespoke Lexus LFA). This plant is small and has the ability to hand build in limited numbers this very special vehicle at very high quality as it is led by the best Takumi [master craftsmen] in the Lexus production team.

How does Lexus maintain good environmental practices?

Lexus of Auckland City is Enviro-Mark Gold Certified which is New Zealand’s original environmental certification programme. Enviro-Mark provides the resources and support you need to implement a credible and effective environmental management system.

To be a certified gold member you must be consistent with your organisation’s environmental policy statement and ensure your organisation has a comprehensive and detailed plan for managing its identified risks and emergencies and is making measurable improvements to its environmental performance.

How many staff do you have and what roles do they cover?

We currently have 19 staff looking after our Lexus clients and we are a full service vehicle dealership. Our intention is to provide each of our clients with ‘5 star hotel’ levels of service and comfort and from the feedback we get, we not only meet these high standards but we regularly exceed them.

In front of house are Claire Logue and myself. Our sales team is made up of Karl MacKinnon, Ryan Stamp, Erin Kelly, Helena Mitchell, Ben McGroarty, Tom Krishna, Sandra Allan and Richard Nguyen. The after sales team includes Graeme Cave, Martin Ford, Dean Ball, Tim Metcalf, Lafaele Tuaopepe, Robert Ferguson, Daniel Franich, Albert Goh and Allen Rae. F PN LEXUS OF AUCKLAND CITY, 29 Great North Road, T: 09 370 0227, www.lexus.co.nz

The people of Lexus of Auckland City on Great North Road

32 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

The New Face of Lexus

29 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland City.

Phone: 09 3700227 Email: ceo@lexusofaucklandcity.co.nz

www.lexusofaucklandcity.co.nz

CARS & MOTORING

KEEPING YOUR TYRES IN CHECK Grey Lynn Tyreworx owner David Stoddard says his uncle Ray started a car grooming business in this Surrey Crescent location more than 35 years ago.

The business evolved in to a tyre shop as the demand for puncture repairs and damaged tyres to be replaced grew.

David started working here in 1991 and in 2007 when his uncle Ray was about to retire, he took the opportunity to keep it in the family and buy the business.

Today, Grey Lynn Tyreworx supplies and sells most brands of tyres and stocks a number of tyre brands some of which include Michelin, Pirelli, Yokohama, Goodyear, Hankook and Nankang. If it doesn't have a particular tyre in stock it will do its very best to source it.

The tyre shop also offers a full range of tyre services including wheel alignment, puncture repairs, mag wheel and tyre packages and batteries.

Most of David’s staff have had previous training but says much of what he knows he has taught himself through the experience he has had from his 26 years working here.

“Road safety is very important," says David, “and now the Warrant of Fitness checks have been stretched out to one year for 10-year -old vehicles and two years for those less than 10 years. I strongly encourage people to check their tyres well before the warrant is due.

34 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

The Grey Lynn Tyreworx team - Eric, David, Lucky & Shaun “The inside of the tyre can wear more than the outside. This often goes unnoticed until it wears through and collapses all of a sudden while driving. We do free pressure checks and when checking your pressure we will notice a bad tyre.”

David and his team like working in Grey Lynn, they get to meet all types of interesting people and they especially like helping people out with their car issues.

GREY LYNN TYREWORX, 27 Surrey Crescent, T: 09 376 0051 www.greylynntyreworx.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

NIKKI KAYE WORKING HARD AND DELIVERING FOR AUCKLAND CENTRAL

NIKKI KAYE MP – AUCKLAND CENTRAL LOCAL PROJECTS UPDATE CBD - A MORE LIVEABLE, CLEANER AND CONNECTED CBD FOR RESIDENTS 1. IMPROVED SCHOOLS - The $19 milllion redevelopment of Freemans Bay school is underway and is due to be completed this year.

2. MORE INNOVATIVE CBD BUSINESSES - Construction on the New Zealand International Convention Centre has begun. Completion is targeted for mid 2019. The development of the Grid AKL precinct is a central hub for Auckland’s growing innovation corridor, and is attracting international investment for ICT and digital media companies.

3. GREATER WATERFRONT ACCESS - Investigating a Private Members Bill to improve waterfront access.

4. BETTER FAMILY & CBD SOCIAL SERVICES - The Government has announced a $41 million investment in emergency housing. This will see Auckland receive an extra 360 places. This funding is vital for our city, particularly for people living in Central Auckland.

5. IMPROVED SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS - Following incidents at Albert Park last year, I have been working with the Police, Local Board, Council and Student Associations to improve lighting and cameras in the area. A report is currently being commissioned by the Council, and hopefully will result in further investment in security for inner city parks and spaces.

6. CITY RAIL LINK & CYCLEWAYS - The Government has formalised our funding commitment for the CRL, allowing construction of the main workss to begin in 2018, two years earlier than originally envisaged. An $88 million package of cycleways and Auckland Central has been announced and will connect cycleway ays benefiting Auckland A key parts rts of Auckland’s Auckland central city. Construction is due to be completed by mid 2018.

7. A CLEANER LE CBD C - I have been vocal in my support for MP Jono Naylor’s Litter Infringement Fee) Amendment Bill, which is currently in the Parliamentary (Increased ed Infrin nfring ing passed, Ballot. Iff pa pas passed the maximum fine for littering would be increased to $1000.

WESTERN W ES ESTERN N BAYS - GREATER LOCAL SCHOOL INVESTMENT, CONNECTIONS AND PLANNING FOR GROWTH FOR THE C ONNECT T WESTERN BAYS 8. IMPROVE WESTERN BAYS SCHOOLS - The $12 million development at Bayfield School was completed last year, and the school is operating from their new buildings. c We also announced the $79 million Western Springs College redevelopment. This is ann the largest ever investment in a NZ school. Construction is underway and is due to e be complete completed by the end of 2018.

9. IMPROVE IMPROV INNER CITY RESIDENTIAL PARKING - The Auckland Transport has been approved – which sets out a new residential parking parking strategy stra policy. Various Vario residential parking zones have now gone live or are going live soon in tthe Western Bays.

10. ENSURE ENS GREATER ULTRA-FAST BROADBAND ACCESS - The rollout across acros os Auckland City is now about 53% complete and we are on track to ensuring that all of Auckland will be complete by the end of 2019. en ensur 11. B BETTER BUS TRANSPORT CONNECTING THE CBD AND WESTERN BAYS A - Several new bus lanes are to be developed to better connect the Western Bays to the city and allow for better transport.

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nikki.kaye@national.org.nz nikkikaye.co.nz facebook.com/NikkiKayeMP @nikkikaye (09) 360 1936

Authorised by Nikki Kaye MP, 48C College Hill, Freemans Bay, Auckland.

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH

PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

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CARS & MOTORING

THE ALL NEW 2018 HONDA CR-V The all new, completely redesigned and re-engineered 2018 Honda CR-V, the fifth generation of Honda’s best-selling SUV, is now available from just $37,900+ORC. The 2018 CR-V boasts bold and sophisticated new styling, a more spacious and versatile premium quality interior, the model’s first-ever turbocharged engine, and a host of new features and technologies for improved connectivity, comfort and convenience.

Bold and sophisticated new design The new CR-V styling heads in a fresh new direction with an aggressive attitude, thanks to crisp and sharp front end design elements, including signature Honda LED headlights, 18” alloy wheels and narrower A-pillars for improved visibility.

The new exterior design is complimented by the new CR-V platform's best in class space efficiency - interior volume is up, rear seat legroom has increased by 9cm, and total cargo length with the second row seats folded flat is up over the previous model.

New powertrain and chassis technology The 2018 CR-V features CR-V’s first ever turbocharged engine, a more powerful and fuel-efficient 1.5-litre DOHC VTEC, directinjected and turbocharged, in-line, 4-cylinder power plant. Rated at 140kw of power with 240 nm of torque it delivers incredibly refined and responsive performance across the engine’s full driving range.

The engine is mated to a smooth shifting and sporty Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with Honda G-Shift control logic. The new more powerful turbo engine, transmission and aerodynamic body combine to improve fuel economy from an impressive 7.3L/100km.

More premium, spacious and technologically advanced interior The 2018 CR-V also raises the bar for interior refinement, utility and premium features. The more spacious cabin features upgraded materials throughout, including a new soft-touch instrument panel and a more intricately stitched, new seat design.

36 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

The CR-V offers the latest in vehicle connectivity and audio performance with a new generation of advanced technologies.

Standard features include a 7-inch touch screen featuring Advanced Display Audio interface with Android OS, as well as a built in Garmin Navigation App. The CR-V’s Advanced Display Audio System is compatible with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™, giving customers seamless integration of key smartphone features and functions.

The CR-V Sport models feature leather seats, with heated front seats, and the driver’s seat with 8-way power adjustment, 4-way power lumbar support and memory function.

Advanced safety and driver assistive technology All models are equipped with Honda’s LaneWatch Camera System, Straight Drive Assist, Agile Handling Assist, and Vehicle Stability Assist with Traction Control and Emergency Brake Assist, Emergency Stop Signal and the new Driver Attention Monitor System.

The 2018 CR-V AWD Sport Sensing includes the Honda Sensing™ suite of advanced safety and driver assistive technologies which include Road Departure Mitigation and Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, Auto High-Beam Support added to Honda’s Collision Mitigation Braking with Forward Collision Warning and Pedestrian Sensing Capability, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist.

The 2018 Honda CR-V is available in seven colours including White Orchid Pearl, Crystal Black, Lunar Silver, Modern Steel and Brilliant Sporty Blue. Two new colours have been added to the CR-V range - Passion Red and Dark Olive. F PN www.honda.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

the Civic HATCH

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TYPE R

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SEDAN

Civic RS Turbo Hatch, RS Turbo Sedan and Type R shown

The Civic built Honda’s global reputation and re-defined the standard when first launched in 1972. Now totally re-engineered and re-designed, the new 10th generation Civic Range is set once more to challenge convention.

The Civic Range starts from $29,900+ORC

www.honda.co.nz

Visit a Honda Showroom: North Shore - 09 890 9020, 148 Wairau Road, Glenfield.

Newmarket - 09 890 9030, 455 Broadway, Newmarket.

East Auckland - 09 890 9040, 32 Torrens Rd, Burswood.

CARS & MOTORING

ELECTRIC VEHICLES WAY OF THE FUTURE Drive Electric chairman Mark Gilbert is passionate about electric vehicles (EVs). He leads this not-for-profit group, which advocates for the uptake and mainstreaming of EVs. “As a country, we’ve really got to embrace electric vehicles and talk about them in the same breath as petrol and diesel cars,” Gilbert says. With electricity costing the equivalent of $0.30c per litre, the savings on running costs are quite compelling.

Drive Electric has many functions, from lobbying the Government to continue setting ambitious targets for electric vehicle uptake, to helping educate the public and companies about the benefits of EVs. In his personal life, Gilbert and his wife zip around Ponsonby and central Auckland in a BMW i3.

“Driving an EV has many benefits,” Gilbert says. “They are quick off the mark, quiet and produce little or no emissions.”

New Zealand is the perfect place to introduce electric vehicles, Gilbert says. “We have over 80% renewable energy in New Zealand. There’s a lot of potential in that.

“The flow-on effects from EVs are cleaner air, less pollution helping New Zealand achieve its obligations under the COP21 agreement.”

Mark Gilbert with his BMW i3 electric vehicle The Government’s aim is to get 64,000 EVs on New Zealand roads by 2021. Gilbert also has other interests in the electric vehicle sector, including leading the board of Chargemaster Ltd, a company distributing products for home and office charging.

To find out more about Drive Electric, visit www.driveelectric.org.nz

ZAMBESI NAMED 2017 MERCEDES -BENZ PRESENTS DESIGNER Mercedes-Benz have announced they are "absolutely thrilled" to partner with Zambesi - one of New Zealand’s most iconic and respected fashion labels - who have been named 2017 Mercedes -Benz Presents designer.

The accolade will see Zambesi premiering its 2018 autumn/winter collection in an exclusive debut evening show at late August’s New Zealand Fashion Week.

This will be Mercedes-Benz’s fourth year as an elite partner of New Zealand Fashion Week, and, in addition to the ‘Mercedes-Benz Presents’ runway show, the premier automotive brand will support the event as the official automotive partner.

Mercedes-Benz Presents designers are chosen for their unique style, creative flair and quality craftsmanship. Ben Giffen, General Manager, Mercedes-Benz Cars New Zealand, says, “Fashion remains a key interest of our customers and the New Zealand public alike, and we’re excited to deliver another luxurious and engaging experience at New Zealand’s most important fashion platform.” With 22 years’ commitment to the fashion industry, Mercedes-Benz currently supports more than 60 fashion platforms globally.

“It is incredibly inspiring to be associated with a brand like Mercedes-Benz,” says Dayne Johnston, Zambesi menswear designer. “Innovation, quality and craftsmanship are at the core of our design process, so we are very excited to be partnering with Mercedes-Benz who share those same values.”

“Mercedes-Benz reflects confidence, sophistication and imagination, making it the perfect fit for Zambesi,” said Elisabeth Findlay, Zambesi Co-Founder and designer. “The integrity of both brands brings a harmonious partnership which we look forward to celebrating!” F PN www.zambesistore.com nzfashionweek.com

38 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

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CARS & MOTORING

SUPER V8 CHAMP SIMON EVANS TELLS US ABOUT THE NEW AUDI Q2 What is the Audi Q2 like to drive?

It’s a great, nimble car to drive. Being up high you get great visibility which makes parking so much easier but also you can drive with more confidence.

How fuel efficient is it?

The combined fuel consumption is 5.5L per 100km which is excellent. Yes, the motor sounds small when you hear 1.4 but the turbo gives it a great kick of power when you need it and the smaller CC means when you don’t need the extra power you’re not using much fuel.

What features make it stand out from other SUVs? The big one-piece grille. When people look in their rear vision mirrors, they will tell it’s an Audi and its got very dynamic lines through the bonnet and down the side of the car. A nice touch is the optional colour choice for the ‘C’ pillar blade.

It looks great in yellow, but what other colours are available?

Yes, it looks awesome in yellow! They have a new red out called Tango Red which displays the lines really well and Coral Orange does the same. It’s a car that really suits a bright colour. If they aren’t for you then Black, Grey, White, Blue and Silver are also available.

Anything else you’d like to add? Price range? Petrol vs diesel?

Starting off at $54,500 (plus ORC), it is very well priced. Depending on what features

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you like in your car, there are optional packages. They do a Techonology Package, Leather Package, S-Line Package and Driver Assistance Package so you can find a car PN that suits what you’re looking for. F GILTRAP AUDI, 150 Great North Road, T: 09 336 5250, www.giltrapaudi.co.nz

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CARS & MOTORING

TEST DRIVING THE NEW SUZUKI SWIFT 1.0T RS AUTO It was a perfect winter’s day - sunny, clear and still - to test drive the brand new Suzuki Swift 1.0T RS Auto.

Mr PN and I decided to jump in the shiny silver newbie and tootle it over the Harbour Bridge to catch ‘Paris Can Wait’ at the Bridgeway.

Turns out Paris would have to wait because we opted to keep driving.

What a cutie this little car is. I was already a Suzuki Swift convert having bought one brand new three years ago. In truth, I had to be ‘encouraged’ to do so because I had previously owned large, growly cars. Now, I love my wee white Swift and feel a tad guilty my head has been turned by this newer model. Mr PN and his partner are on their third Swift and still marvel at how they manage to load the monthly mags into the ample boot space of such a small car for delivery.

Among some of the many superb features of the Swift: • Built in reversing camera for extra safety.

• New seven-inch touchscreen display giving intuitive access to a range of multimedia features including hands-free phone.

• Apple Carplay allowing you to make phone calls, access music, messaging and get directions - all by voice command.

• Cruise control.

The seats are comfy, the inside is roomier and the back door handles are tucked neatly behind the rear doors lending a sleek, sporty look to the car.

• Android Auto puts all things Google easily at your fingertips.

• I’m a big fan of the keyless entry, which eradicates the need for another bulky key on your key ring scratching the paintwork as you unlock. Instead, the key remains in your pocket.

Back cityside over the bridge we sashayed around the neighbourhood and raced up the Bullock Track effortlessly. This car has excellent hill zip.

Two of the features I personally like are the Weaving Alert warning system, and the Lane Departure warning - at 60km or faster this predicts the path of the vehicle if drifting, vibrates the steering wheel and flashes a visual warning. A huge tourist bus veered a tad too close to our lane and immediately the display flashed a warning. Great safety feature.

40 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

It comes in a range of colours. We liked the silver best. Suzuki offers a five Year Warranty Package and a five Year Suzuki Assist programme.

Access to the Suzuki Benefits Programme is also available.

There is nothing quite like listening to music while you drive. Mr PN and I sang along to David Bowie as we drove along Ponsonby Road.

The other thing Swift drivers appreciate is the fact the car can be filled up for an affordable $75. What’s not to like? How do they produce such a cool vehicle for the price?

As we pulled into my drive, my neighbour called out: “New car?”

My answer: “I wish.” (DEIRDRE THURSTON & MARTIN LEACH) F PN www.winger.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIZ WHEADON: WINE, GLORIOUS WINE

Beautiful Barolo The village of Barolo and wine region are located in the Piedmont area of Northern Italy. The grape variety behind these great wines is nebbiolo, known for its impressive tannins, acidity, structure and ability to age.

I was back there this year and visited a number of the producers we import. Once again, I was super impressed with the quality of these wines and the relative value for money. As many of the great fine wines of the world become inaccessible it’s no surprise that Barolo and neighbouring Barbaresco are gaining so much attention. Here’s a little on some of my favourite producers from Barolo.

Damilano - Established in 1890, the Damilano winery is run today by the fifth generation of the family. Damilano are the largest land owners in the prized Barolo Cru Cannubi with an impressive 10ha under their control. As well as Cannubi, Damilano has two of the hectares of Liste as well as the crus Brunate and Cerequio. The style here has changed over the last 10 years; the story is not uncommon in Barolo. As the area evolved and the producers looked outside, they adopted many a technique used elsewhere, including the use of barriques. Though, 10 years ago Damilano had the good sense to understand that Nebbiolo can lose its charm with too much new oak and has gone back to old, large French oak. The absolute jewel in its crown (we don’t have right now, though will in the future) Cannubi Riserva called 1752, the name referencing the oldest Cannubi wine made, 100 years before the first known Barolo. The Riserva is made from the heart of Cannubi, the oldest part of the vineyard. The name also has the significance in that it is from one vineyard with seven years ageing, five in barrel and two in bottle.

Ca del Baio - Located in the villages of Barbaresco and Treiso, both of which are in the production area for Barbaresco. Barbaresco, like its more well-known Piedmont neighbour Barolo, is a wine growing area that makes wines from nebbiolo. Established in 1870, Ca del Baio remains today a family company lead by the fourth generation.

Amidst their range of Barolos is the prized cru of Asili; whilst the family had been growing grapes here for many years, it was not until 1988 it started to vinify them separately and not long after the Pora.

Ca del Baio manage its winery and vineyards sustainably, using very little intervention and as little sulphur in the winery as possible. The wines are vinified with natural yeasts and nurtured to ensure they reach your cellar ready for the long rest ahead.

Mirafiore - Both an old name and new, the property that today houses Fontanfredda is known as Mirafiore and was the original name that the Fontanfredda wines were labelled under when established back in the 1870s. The name has only recently been reintroduced by Fontanfredda for a range of wines that are made off their original historic plots of vineyard in the style that it used to produce. Fontanfredda is a large site that today houses a visitors centre, winery, buildings with many other uses as well. Historically it was its own village, those that made the wine, tended the grapes; the whole family lived there, together with all that the community needed for sustainability, schooling, heath and care. It’s that philosophy

42 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

of environment, health and wellbeing that sits behind these wines, without the use of chemicals or pesticides in the vineyard, a natural approach to winemaking, a historic view of preserving the site, and very low use of sulphur. Exceptional expressions of the original historic part of Fontanfredda are captured as Mirafiore.

Gagliardo - While the name Gagliardo is somewhat new to Barolo's terrain, the estate itself has been around since 1847, passed down through generations of the Colla family until it reached Paolo Colla, the fourth generation, who dedicated his intense energy to producing Barolo, 'the king of wines', in the township of La Morra.

In 1973, his daughter, Marivanna, married Gianni Gagliardo, a young man from Monticello d'Alba. Gianni was a passionate young man with a notable entrepreneurial talent. The love of Gianni for the vineyards and the wines of Barolo was immediate. Between the two men was born a deep friendship and a fruitful collaboration which is the basis of their extraordinary success.

From the second half of the 80s, Gianni Gagliardo took the reins of the winery that now bears his name, signifying a change in guard and in winemaking style. In the early years of the new millennium, the sixth generation of the family gradually began to work for the house - Gianni's sons, Stefano, Alberto and Paolo.

Tenuta Cucco - Purchased by the Rossi family who has been instrumental in restoring La Raia. Cucco has been in Barolo since 1967 and vinified Cerrati its cru since 1996. Tenuta Cucco is in the process of transitioning to biodynamics. The range includes three Barolo, one from the Serralunga area, Cerrati and Cerrati Riserva.

Cucco also vinifys chardonnay and Barbera. The vineyards stretch over 13ha and there’s a tiny 70,000 bottles produced, predominately Barolo.

We’ve just landed the latest releases from all of these producers - you’ll find these wines in our stores now and the wines of Italy PN featured in our August Wineletter. (LIZ WHEADON) F www.glengarry.co.nz

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY STAR CHEFS JARROD DI BLASI AND NIC WATT CREATE EXCLUSIVE STREET HAWKER STYLE FINE-DINING MENU Toni Street and Peter Williams MC; raising funds for disadvantaged Kiwi kids.

Renowned Australasian chefs Nic Watt (MASU, Auckland) and Jarrod Di Blasi (EZARD, Melbourne) will take diners on a sophisticated, street-food-inspired culinary journey through the SKYCITY Variety of Chefs’ night market, supporting Variety - the Children’s Charity.

On 17 August, the culinary duo will work their magic in the kitchen to raise muchneeded funds for disadvantaged Kiwi kids. The event will be the fifth anniversary of the SKYCITY Variety of Chefs dinner, and will blend black tie fine dining and an eclectic night market atmosphere.

This event would not be possible without the support of SKYCITY Auckland and Ford New Zealand.

What: When: Where: Dress: Tickets:

SKYCITY Variety of Chefs Thursday 17 August 2017 SKYCITY Convention Centre, 88 Federal Street, Auckland Black tie/formal $245, Standard table of 10: $2450, Gold Table: $3900

Where to buy tickets: www.varietyofchefs.co.nz Di Blasi and Watt will create a unique five course dinner inspired by the vibrant flavours, fragrances and colours of Asian markets.

Hosted by Toni Street, of Seven Sharp and The Hits, and Peter Williams of TVNZ One News, with live and silent auctions and fantastic entertainment, SKYCITY Variety of Chefs is an event not to be missed.

SKYCITY Variety of Chefs is a fundraiser for Variety - the Children’s Charity. Variety provides targeted, flexible support to meet the needs of thousands of disadvantaged children across New Zealand. Its programmes include Kiwi Kid Sponsorship, which matches generous New Zealanders with a disadvantaged child to provide essentials and opportunities; Bikes for Kids, which provides hundreds of bikes to children across New Zealand; and Gold Heart Scholarships, which provides funding for outstanding athletes, musicians and artists to help them follow their dreams.

Lorraine Taylor, CEO of Variety - the Children’s Charity says: “The fifth anniversary of Variety of Chefs will be something completely different for Auckland, from the inventive menu to the amazing transformation of the SKYCITY conference centre into a night market. We’re grateful for Nic’s dedication to Variety, and for Jarrod who is crossing the Tasman to co-create this incredible evening in support of Kiwi kids.

“Variety of Chef’s is vital in allowing us to continue our work to give disadvantaged children access to the same opportunities as other kids, a happier, healthier childhood and the foundation for a better future,” says Taylor.

MORE ABOUT THE CHEFS: Nic Watt is an accomplished New Zealand chef, who began his culinary adventure into Japan more than 15 years ago. From experience in Michelin-starred restaurants in London to Taupo’s very own Huka Lodge, Nic follows through on creativity from the plate to interior design. He returned to New Zealand from the internationally acclaimed Roka restaurant group to open MASU with SKYCITY on Federal Street.

Nic Watt

Jarrod Di Blasi won the 2017 Good Food Guide's highly coveted Young Chef of the Year award, and has appeared as a guest chef on MasterChef Australia. His early career included time at some of Melbourne’s most well-known restaurants, before joining Tom Aikens at his eponymous Michelin-starred London restaurant in 2008. Later, as Senior Chef de Partie at Verge, Melbourne, Jarrod enjoyed blurring the boundaries between eastern and western influences. EZARD welcomed Jarrod as Sous Chef in 2012, under the direction of Executive Chef / Director Teage Ezard. Jarrod took over as Head Chef at the start of 2014.

Jarrod Di Blasi is an award-winning, Michelin-trained chef, whose innovative dishes have earned him the Good Food Guide’s coveted ‘Young Chef of the Year’ title for 2016-2017.

He is Head Chef at EZARD, a multi-award winning, fine dining restaurant in Melbourne specializing in unusual combinations where flavour is paramount.

Di Blasi says: “The vital work Variety does, coupled with the amazing produce that New Zealand yields, made getting involved in the SKYCITY Variety of Chefs gala a very simple decision, and it’s an event I’m extremely proud to be a part of. Variety does fantastic work helping families provide their children with things many of us would take for granted, like warm clothes, sports fees and school camps. Since I’m fortunate enough to have grown up with access to these essentials, it’s important to me to able to give back to kids who are missing out.”

Nic Watt says diners should prepare for an unforgettable night. “I am really proud to have been involved in SKYCITY Variety of Chefs for five years, raising money year on year for an incredible charity. I’m thankful to Jarrod for coming on board to support the event in 2017 and I’m really looking forward to working together to create an exceptional night market style menu, for what will be an absolutely unforgettable occasion,” says Nic Watt.

Jarrod Di Blasi About Variety - the Children’s Charity: We believe that every child deserves the same opportunities to reach their full potential. Variety provides tailored, flexible support to disadvantaged children in New Zealand. We work alongside schools, community agencies, social workers and healthcare professionals to identify children in need.

John Mortensen, SKYCITY’s Chief Operating Officer, says SKYCITY is proud to support Variety of Chefs for the fifth consecutive year.

Variety provides disadvantaged children with basic essentials (such as warm bedding and school uniforms), one-off grants for additional needs (such as medical and mobility equipment) and access to extra-curricular activities (such as school camp or swimming lessons).

“Knowing the important work Variety does on behalf of Kiwi kids, we are proud to once again be hosting this incredible event. Its reputation grows every year, and we’re delighted that a chef of Jarrod’s calibre will be joining our own star chef, Nic Watt. We hope people will remember this night for many years to come,” says Mortensen.

With our support, they have access to the same opportunities as other kids, a happier, PN healthier childhood and the foundation for a better future. F

44 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

www.variety.org.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY FACES @ GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET Sandra Yeo’s fledgling fresh salsa business already has a loyal following of serious foodies. You can find her at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday mornings.

Your accent has a distinctive North American lilt, what brought you to New Zealand?

My Kiwi husband, Greg, always said New Zealand is a better place to bring up children, and we made the move eight years ago, just before our son started school.

What has surprised you about New Zealand?

Camping. I’d never been camping before and I love it. Every summer we take our big tent and head somewhere new. Our favourite was Urupukapuka Island. We had to take our gear over to the island in small boats. It was a real adventure.

What’s your favourite camping food?

Quesadillas! You can put anything in them then add cheese and lots of fresh salsa. We set up stations and the kids choose what they want.

What were you doing before you started making salsa?

One of the conditions of the move to New Zealand was that I would only do things that I felt made a difference or that I was passionate about - preferably both. I volunteered for Garden to Table, helping schools grow food, harvest it and make it into lunches for the children. I also worked for Ooooby for a while, as their customer happiness person.

Why did you start your salsa business?

Greg kept complaining that we couldn’t buy fresh salsa anywhere. So, there was only one solution - make it myself. Now I’m busy making salsa every weekend so that it is fresh for the Sunday morning market - no sugar, no preservatives and the freshest ingredients I can find.

How long have you been making salsa?

Forever, but since the beginning of the year as a business. It has been a whirlwind experience and now my packaging design has been entered in the BEST awards. Fingers crossed, we’ll be one of the finalists when they announced on 7 August. F PN glfm.co.nz

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY NOW YOU CAN GIVE AT DINNER - EAT MY LUNCH LAUNCHES EAT MY DINNER Eat My Lunch is launching Eat My Dinner - a freshly made, wholesome and delicious meal delivered to your home before 7pm. For every dinner bought, a lunch is given to a Kiwi kid in need. Eat My Dinner launches 1 September.

Designed by award winning Chef Michael Meredith, Eat My Dinner is made up of a main dish, vegetables and accompanied with sides. The menu is mixed up so you will enjoy something different every meal. Some of the Eat My Dinner recipes will also be featured in Eat My Lunch’s Food for Good cook book which is on sale end October.

Eat My Dinner meals are prepared fresh and pre-cooked; simply remove from the packaging heat and add the condiments. Each dinner comes prepared in new and innovative packaging. The first of its kind in New Zealand, the packaging has a compostable base with recyclable plastic.

Eat My Dinner delivers five days a week, simply subscribe at www.eatmylunch.nz. Order for just a day or for a week. You can participate for as little as $16 / week and give a lunch to a Kiwi kid who would otherwise go without.

Eat My Dinner is great on your own, or a tasty healthy option for the family. $16 for Classic, $19 for Hungry. Available from September in selected suburbs. F PN www.eatmylunch.nz Every day we have the choice to make a difference.

TASTE WELLBEING WITH TI ORA Indulging in a cup of tea and a few minutes to yourself can be incredibly satisfying and with Ti Ora’s new range of premium New Zealand teas - that experience has become even more restorative.

Lovingly crafted in New Zealand, Ti Ora is blended using some of the world’s finest tea leaves, fruits, herbs and native New Zealand botanicals - selected for their ability to support wellbeing. With the addition of five new flavours to the Ti Ora range, there is a blend to suit every discerning tea lover.

The delightful new flavours include: • Ti Ora Lemon & Honey Camomile with Manuka Leaf • Ti Ora Peach & Passionfruit Green Tea with Kawakawa • Ti Ora Cinnamon Chai Tea with Horopito • Ti Ora Spiced Apple & Rhubarb Fruit Tea with Manuka Leaf • Ti Ora Strawberry & Pomegranate Green Tea with Kawakawa

46 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

Used for centuries to support wellbeing, kawakawa, manuka leaf and horopito perfectly complement the new Ti Ora blends. These botanicals have a distinctive taste that results in a truly delicious and extraordinary tasting tea.

Ti Ora is expertly crafted in New Zealand by master tea blenders then placed in a silky pyramid bag to allow for perfect brewing. With no added sugar, caffeine free options, all natural ingredients and New Zealand botanicals - you really couldn’t find a better way to taste wellbeing.

Ti Ora teas come in a resealable pouch for optimum freshness. RRP $6.49 and is available from good grocery stores. www.tiora.co.nz

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

@SABATO Winter is well and truly upon us, along with the desire for comforting, wholesome food. Here at Sabato we have plenty of mouth watering ideas to create moreish pasta dishes - perfect for the cooler weather!

We have an extensive selection of the finest Italian pasta to fill your pantry. Our range has expanded to include Carlo Crivellin gluten-free pasta and Girolomoni semi -integrale pasta, which has more fibre but without a longer cook time.

Make a delicious dinner using Carlo Crivellin gluten-free egg pasta. Their tagliolini combined with a burnt butter and sage sauce, rocket and toasted walnuts is simple and effortless - ideal when you are pressed for time. For a bit of Spanish flair try the new Alejandro chorizo, made with real ingredients including locally farmed pork, paprika, salt and spices. Grill and add to tagliolini with Sabato semi-dried tomatoes and shavings of freshly cracked Parmigiano Reggiano.

New in-store is organic semi-integrale pasta from Girolomoni. It’s made using semiwhole durum wheat semolina and provides the perfect balance between nutrition and taste. The pasta goes through a bronze extrusion process creating a coarse texture which allows the pasta to hold sauce well. We suggest using the hollow Paccheri shape with a slow cooked ragu sauce. If you can’t bear waiting to eat this tasty pasta, mix through one of our Italian Sabato pasta sauces - we love ricotta forte pasta sauce.

For those with a sweet tooth, our freezers are always stocked with Valrhona chocolate nut scrolls, blueberry and white chocolate crumble and more!

If you want to find out more about our delicious range of pasta, come in to our retail store to see our friendly and knowledgeable staff or visit www.sabato.co.nz for further PN information plus recipe ideas. F SABATO, 57 Normanby Road, Mt Eden, T: 09 630 8751

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WE ARE SPOILT FOR CHOICE! There are now 250 places in the Western Bays, where you can eat, drink and be merry.

From cafes to bars and restaurants.

They are all listed in the Ponsonby Little Black Book…

ponsonbynews.co.nz/ponsonby-little-black-book

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JULIE BONNER: NEWS FROM FROG POND FARM I enjoy living in Auckland. It's a great city, even if the traffic is often chaotic. There are endless roadworks or the weather which, regardless of the season, often includes rain.

So with this in mind and a desire to visit friends and family in Europe, a holiday was booked.

No surpises then that at the time of writing this, Frog Pond Farm and Auckland's inclement winter weather was but a memory as I reclined in the shade relishing the hot dry weather of Gavalochori, Crete. Of course while day temperatures sit around 34°C, nights allow the traveller to cool off with a more acceptable 21°C, although a bedside fan should indeed be considered.

A home complete with pool and vistas of rolling hills and distant mountains was made available to us. Thank you Roy and Ruth for looking after us.

Crete promises not only amazing traditional food and coffee, but the island brewed beer quenches the thirst after a hike through one of the many beautiful gorges. The mountains are still sporting pockets of ice, while the azure blue of the sea beckons, a swim before lunch in a seaside taverna.

Hubby and I were surprised at the number of olive trees in Crete, their manageable size and shape in comparison with our unruly oversized trees at home was duly noted.

Trying not to think about my garden at home which has been battered by gales, storms and hail, I can't help but admire the amazing produce which is grown locally.

Greeks love their garlic which they blithely add to most savoury dishes. I have eaten some of the best tzatziki I have ever had the pleasure of tasting, used crusty bread to mop up Greek olive oil tipped lovingly on a plate and sprinkled with salt, shared lemon and lamb oven baked with potatoes, sliced through chunks of octopus and munched on a garden fresh Greek salad. I should mention a disadvantage of travel is obvious weight gain!

Greece is reknown for its cats... and as I'm a feline fan, I have no qualms about sharing my meal with these four-legged furries who always appear unannounced in cafes and tavernas.

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All good things must come to an end, our next destination was France via Athens where a rather long stopover was endured. But it was my birthday and one to be remembered.

For those regular readers you will know that I'm a blogging fan. So with this in mind we were heading to a village called Najac, which is about 1.5 hours from Toulouse, to visit a blogging friend for the first time. The motorways in France are well signed with a speed limit of 130km which hubby was extolling the virtues of as we zoomed by, me clinging madly to the door admonishing the French for travelling on the right hand side of the road and their speed limit, or lack thereof.

Spending the night in Albi we motored on in the morning reaching our destination before lunchtime, the Hotel Belle Rive which is nestled next to the Aveyron river with the beautiful village of Najac perched on a rocky ridge above. Checking in and super-pleased to be out of the car, I flung open the shutters to our room to be met with a stunning view of the royal fortress of Najac - a commanding castle situated high above on the ridge.

France is a connoisseur's delight and travel for me is all about food. Sadly my French is lacking, so I relied on hubby's school boy French, as he calls it, and assistance by Google to determine what we would be eating. There is nothing better than sipping on rosé and savouring local cheeses served with crusty bread and cold meats while listening to the banter of locals and enjoying the magic scenery... magnifique!

The countryside is truly superb at this time of year too. Freshly cut hay and fields of sunflowers nod in the breeze. Stone farmhouse buildings dot the landscape with wooded hillsides in between. We visited medieval villages boasting architecture of old, steeped in history and splendour.

Our last night in France was spent outdoors enjoying the warm weather and generous hospitality of our new friends, a delicious home-cooked dinner matched with superb PN French wines was on their menu. (JULIE BONNER) F I wonder what is happening at Frog Pond Farm? For more news or gardening tips, check out my blog www.frogpondfarm.co.nz

1. Crete Chania; 2. Crete; 3. France Najac; 4. France

50 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

JOHN CAMPBELL TO MC MEET THE MAKERS Much-loved broadcaster John Campbell will MC St Mary’s College’s upcoming Meet the Makers event - one of the many parents at St Mary’s who have donated their time, products or services to help produce the fundraising event.

Now in its fourth year, the 12 August celebration will once again showcase local wineries and brewers, as well as delicious food from great Ponsonby eateries, live entertainment and fabulous auction prizes.

Guests have the opportunity to ‘meet the maker’ in person, taste their product and buy at special event prices. Gourmet food from Puhoi Cheese, 180 Degrees, Euro Deli, Savour NZ, L’Authentique, Five Loaves and Casa Del Gelato will accompany the tastings.

Winemakers from SOHOWINECO, Odyssey Wines, West Brook Winery, Volcanic Hills Winery and craft beer brewers Hallertau are some of the exhibitors showcased at the event.

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY DIDA’S YOUR LOCAL - RECIPE OF THE MONTH Italian Prawn Linguini 8 king prawns 30g sliced pancetta 1 red chilli ½ lime, juiced 1 shallot, sliced 200g linguini 4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half 10g parmesan cheese, grated Salt and pepper to taste Splash of white wine 1 spring onion Place the pasta in boiling water till just cooked.

Peel and prepare the prawns. Wrap the prawns in pancetta and cook in a fry pan for around 1½ minutes on each side Add the sliced shallot and chopped red chilli to the pan and fry all together. Add a splash of white wine then add the cooked pasta and cherry tomatoes. Add the sliced spring onion and lime juice, then mix together in the pan. Cook for a minute longer or until all ingredients are cooked and hot.

St Mary’s College Principal Bernadette Stockman says, “St Mary’s College has been part of the Ponsonby community for over 150 years. We have a long history with the area and feel very much a part of the community whose support we rely on with our fundraising efforts. We invite parents, family, friends and the local community to join us at this special event to raise funds for our college,” says Stockman.

Spoon into individual bowls, add a zest of lime and parmesan cheese on top. Alternatively, serve in one large bowl in the centre of the table, Italian family style.

This year’s fundraising will focus on providing the various materials required to complete the fit-out of a new Science Centre, which is due to open in October.

DIDA’S, 54 Jervois Road, T: 09 361 6157, www.didas.co.nz

A-Mano Primitivo is the perfect match for this dish, from the south of Italy where seafood is in abundance. This wine also has a delightful spice to it that matches beautifully with the chilli in this dish. This red wine has firm tannins, perfect for the rusticity of the pancetta.

Come into Dida’s Food Store this month and try our linguini with a glass of A-Mano Primitivo. F PN

Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased on the Meet the Makers website. They are inclusive of wine and beer tasting from five exhibitors, gourmet food served throughout the evening, entertainment, spot prizes on the door, and the chance to bid on auction items.

A cash bar will operate and wine/beer orders can be made on the night at special event prices. F PN www.meetthemakers.co.nz

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GARY STEEL: VEG FRIENDLY

Vegan horror story - fear of veganism “I know a couple whose baby died because of their vegan diet,” said my old friend visiting from Melbourne.

Having survived a few health scares, my long-time buddy had been talking about his new, mostly vegetarian diet. He agreed that a plant-based diet was the way forward, for the health of humanity and the planet. But somehow, the idea of giving up animal products entirely was a scary step too far.

My friend is a super-intelligent, perceptive individual, so his odd reasoning is an interesting insight on the ability of the human mind to build constructs to avoid the truth.

Exactly why did the baby die? Well, he didn’t know. But they were vegans and the baby died. That was enough to put up a red flag.

Early this century, I remember the case of a baby dying in some obscure small town in New Zealand - a baby whose isolated parents were religious nuts who were convinced that their infant was blessed and, therefore, would survive on Marmite and thin air. (I’m making that last bit up, but you get my point). A vegan diet was blamed for the baby’s death.

The needs of a human baby are quite different to those of a child or an adult, of course, and common sense should tell us that an infant is designed to drink human milk, and that no substitute really does the trick, least of all vegan so-called milk formula. This is worthy of an in-depth discussion in itself, but it’s my belief that in the future, a reliable supply of spare, genuine mother’s milk will be made available, just as it already is in certain circumstances.

Regardless of all this, a simple bit of knowledge - or even a spell of furtive Googling - would dispel much of the fear around veganism. The fact is that millions of babies have

been born and raised as vegans. The fact is that a good percentage of children raised as vegans have no health concerns whatsoever.

More strange and bewildering, however, is the common misinformation that a vegan diet is somehow lacking essential ingredients for a healthy life, and that to get a balanced and full protein intake, a vegan must combine several different food groups with each meal. This is a fallacy still perpetuated by medical professionals and government organisations, despite being roundly debunked many years ago.

It turns out that the idea that it was important for a vegan to combine foods was first promulgated by a 100-year-old study on rats, and promoted by Francis Lappe’s famous 1971 book, Diet For A Small Planet. At the time, she claimed that plants provide incomplete proteins, so it was important to combine proteins at each meal. She completely changed her tune in later editions of the book.

It turns out that, while some plant-based proteins are missing certain amino acids, it’s not true that you need to carefully combine foods to avoid deficiency, because the body stores those amino acids. As long as vegans eat relatively balanced diets, they’re good to go. Unfortunately, medical textbooks still carry the old myth as if it was a text from God. So relax, my greater Ponsonby area brethren: veganism won’t kill you or rob you or your children of essential proteins. In fact, you’re at greater risk of having your system leeched of essential goodness by a regular intake of lattes and fine wines.

PN (GARY STEEL) F

Gary Steel is an Auckland-based journalist who runs online vegetarian resource www.doctorfeelgood.co.nz. He can be contacted via beautmusic@gmail.com

PHIL PARKER: WHOSE WINE IS IT ANYWAY?

Bottles from the cellar Villa Maria library releases Villa Maria, one of the largest family-owned wineries in New Zealand, has a great reputation for producing quality wines at many price points. It flies the flag for New Zealand in over 50 countries with its exports and continues to rack up awards both here and internationally.

Founder, George Fistonich shares his west Auckland Croatian heritage with many other pioneering wineries such as Kumeu River, Oyster Bay, Nobilo, Soljans, Montana, West Brook and Babich.

Just last month, Villa Maria released a selection of aged wines from their ‘library’ stock with the intention of providing wines that have had time to sit in the bottle and develop more complexity and maturity. All of these wines are in fantastic condition and taste surprisingly young and fresh. All sealed under screw cap.

Villa Maria Library Release Cabernet Sauvignon Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay 2009 - $69.99 Full bodied, dry and ripe, with aromas of Christmas cake, dust and spice. Flavours of plum, cassis, dark chocolate and black olive. Medium tannins and a lengthy palate.

Again, could cellar for another two to three years. (PHIL PARKER) F PN Availability - direct from Villa Maria T: 09 255 0666, E: cellarshop@villamaria.co.nz

Villa Maria Library Release Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay 2009 - $69.99 Aromas of spiced red plum, red summer berry fruit and mocha. In the mouth, it is rich, opaque and full bodied in a (surprisingly youthful) Bordeaux style. Flavours of plum, blackberry, cassis and dark chocolate. Could cellar for four years plus.

Villa Maria Library Release Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay 2010 - $69.99 Smells like a big, ripe red wine, with black currant, mocha and leathery spice.

The palate is dense, ripe and rich, with flavours of cassis, spice, plum jam, vanilla oak, black berry fruits and medium tannins. Again tastes like a youngster but with big fruit more like an Aussie red. Could cellar for another two to three years plus.

Phil Parker is a wine writer and operates Fine Wine & Food Tours in Auckland. See: www.finewinetours.co.nz.

Phil’s new cellar door book ‘NZ Wine Regions - A Visitor’s Guide’ is now available on Amazon Kindle.

52 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY YUMMY WINTER DINING EXPERIENCE Think of a beautiful crisp winter’s day, sitting outside with the sun shining down, taking in the stunning vista of vineyards and Matakana countryside, and you will immediately think of Plume Vineyard Restaurant and Plume Cafe - situated at two different locations in Matakana.

To keep people flocking to its beautiful venue, the team at Plume has come up with two fabulous new winter menus for the restaurant and for the cafe.

At Plume Vineyard Restaurant, the menu changes seasonally to capture the very best of seasonal produce from local purveyors, and there are vegetarian options always available. The restaurant stresses cultural diversity and new thinking. Based in an essentially rural vineyard setting, their dishes diffuse the flavours of global kitchens with New Zealand’s own traditional heritage.

The restaurant menu features nibbles, a five course menu, gorgeous mains, desserts to die for and a delicious Plume Vineyard Platter for two besides a kids' menu with everything cooked in-house only. Atesh Ram is the award-winning chef behind the delicacies which come out of the kitchen. Original curries from the owners - just like mum used to make at home - guests keep on coming back for the same!

Similarly, with the Plume Cafe, which is open from Tuesday to Sunday, the new winter menu includes Chicken Tagine, Lamb Burger, Asian Beef Stew, Vegetarian Lasagne and the most popular Creamy Garlicky Mushrooms on Brioche! Plume Bakery also situated within the cafe in Matakana churns out daily most wonderful breads - the sourdoughs, rye breads and pastries have people coming in from Auckland on weekends especially.

Everything is cooked slowly with heaps of love, wholesome yet with a wonderfully hearty twist, leaving you feeling warm on a cold winter’s day. The seafood chowder remains a firm café favourite, as does the eggs Benedict. Plume Cafe’s baker, Heiko, begins baking before daybreak every morning, producing the freshest, healthiest breads and pastries, using a distinctly traditional European style, popular with Kiwi taste buds.

You can buy retail pastries and breads directly from the bakery, an amazing selection of breads, croissants, pain-au-chocolat, ciabatta and brioche, and heaps more. Plume Cafe has a lovely warm feeling inside, and with the fire roaring, breads in the oven and great coffee or its award winning Runner Duck wines, people travel from far and wide.

So, for that yummy winter dining experience and for vineyard dining in Matakana, or to book that special wedding, go to www.plumerestaurant.co.nz

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ROSS THORBY: SEA FEVER

Darwin’s presence is hidden within a tropical insurgence of rainforest Set on a low promontory overlooking its harbour, Darwin’s presence is hidden within a tropical insurgence of rainforest and jungle where the summer humidity hovers around 80% and the temperature a mercenary 30ºC. Its most popular asset to us being the setting-off point for Kakadu National Park and nearby Litchfield Park so the ship had a multitude of excursions available for the adventurous. But for those of us with the disinclination to sit in a bus all day, you could easily pet a crocodile in the main street without having to go walkabout.

maelstrom, the tempest offering no respite until eventually in the seemingly quiet early hours of the morning, the residents emerged from their shelters to a changed world and thinking that the worst was over.

That is if you wanted.

Flooding and winds had destroyed the CBD and outlying suburbs but this was only to be the eye of the storm. During the second half of the cyclone that struck shortly after the deceptive interim the remainder of Darwin was flattened beyond recognition. Anything once standing was now obliterated. Ninety percent of a once vital and vibrant city now destroyed. Razed. Totalled. Shattered... eradicated.

The architecture of Darwin, Australia has changed considerably since it was first settled in 1869 and can now be described as 'bunker' or 'post-apocalyptic' - totalitarian and severe, it reflects its recent past.

Darwin, you see, has been flattened twice in its history. Once by the Japanese in the Second World War (but we don't mention the war on board) and then again in 1974 by Cyclone Tracey. After what happened to Christchurch a few years ago and the painfully slow rebuild, I thought that it would be interesting to visit its Museum of the Northern Territory, situated in aptly named Fanny Bay, to try and learn how they rebuilt their community and city after such a cataclysmic event.

It turned out to be a hidden gem amongst the big ticket offerings of kangaroos, crocodiles and the incredible Australian bush with a great pictorial display of photos and interactive exhibits, testimonials and artefacts.

Even the airport was destroyed. Planes left upside down and the terminal structure destroyed and useless.

The experience left enduring psychological marks on its survivors.

Whole families were lost, a naval ship was smashed against the pier and smaller boats tossed about like so much of the flotsam and jetsam that was now littering the harbour and landscape. The fury of nature visited much more destruction and devastation to buildings and lives than the Japanese had done 30 years before.

It killed 79 people, 22 of them at sea, many of whom were sailors trying to secure their boats. Even as recently as 2003, wrecks and remains were still being discovered within the harbour’s limits.

This memorial tells quite a tale.

The skies had steadily darkened over the area during 24 December 1974. Not an unusual occurrence - the city has been battered by many cyclones in its past - but then this was to be no ordinary storm.

The populace was preparing for Christmas and the cyclone warning for a weather system 200 miles away had only a few of the residents concerned - that is until later in the afternoon when the winds began steadily increasing. By 10pm they found themselves ill-prepared for the ferocious 135 miles-per-hour winds raping and ravishing the suburbs of the Northern Territory’s capital.

Trapped in their homes in their own version of Dante’s Hell, the residents were forced to bear the noises getting louder and louder as houses, cars and goodness knows what were tossed about in the

Although the city's foliage has sprung back hiding so many of the scars and reminders of that day, the memory undeniably still lives in Australia’s psyche.

Darwin rebuilt, and after Christchurch’s disasters it will rebuild too.

Both cities' architecture now a little more careful and restrained than it was in their Victorian beginnings. Darwin's Wild West mentality and Stetson-clad locals returned proud and resilient to its CBD - and it is now groaning with bars, restaurants, tourists and locals.

Christchurch's locals, while not Stetson clad, will also return to their rebuilt bars and restaurants with the tourists also returning to see the city for what it is now rather than what it was then; because that's what a community does when it's attacked - bounces back.

PN Darwin is a perfect example of that. (ROSS THORBY) F

Darwin - Queen Victoria seen through the jungle

54 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

TRAVEL BREAKS: THE NEW THERAPY!

ANTARCTICA Antarctica - it’s somewhere I’d dreamed of visiting since reading about the exploits of Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen.

And frankly, who doesn’t want to see penguins. I’ve seen Happy Feet!

I also love whales, so expectations were high. Believe me when I say that the One Ocean Expeditions' cruise I experienced earlier this year blew me away. Hands down one of the most amazing trips I’ve ever done.

The two-day crossing of the Drake Passage to get to the Antarctic Peninsula from Ushuaia fades into insignificance when you wake up to magnificent scenery, a vast emptiness and a quiet that is unique here.

Our cruise ship, the Akademik Ioffe, was designed for polar regions, and is not only the most stable, but also boasts the highest ice -rating of any ships in Antarctica. The One Ocean Expeditions' staff are a mixture of nationalities and specialists in various fields so there were a variety of talks to keep us entertained each night. By day we enjoyed twice-daily Zodiac trips either on the water or to the land for a commune with the penguins. They have no fear and are very curious, so if you sit or stand still they will come and check you out.

To be surrounded by these small, lovable creatures brings a smile to everyone’s face. We had numerous encounters with colonies of adelie and chinstrap penguins and all were different and their antics so entertaining.

The ice itself was so spectacular it really struck a chord with me.

It was like being in an ever-changing sculpture park, with different sizes, shapes and colours all around you; from the brash ice on the surface that the Zodiacs bounce over to immense icebergs and everything in between. The colours range from the white you expect, to green, to the bluest of blue of such a vivid shade you can’t believe it’s real, and they change all the time due to the amazing Antarctic light. Words cannot describe the beauty of this ice against a backdrop of snow-covered landscapes.

This is just a snapshot of my awesome experience of the Antarctic and I would recommend that everyone should just pack their thermals and go! (BRETT BARCLAY, DIRECTOR, WORLD JOURNEYS) F PN www.worldjourneys.co.nz

photography: Ira Meyer

Birdlife also captures your attention, and then there are the seals, also wonderful to watch, from the crabeater seals to the ferocious leopard seals and the giant whale seals.

The two absolute highlights for me were the whales and the ice. We had absolutely amazing humpback whale encounters with these giant, gentle and curious creatures swimming next to, around and under the Zodiacs. I could have put out my hand and touched them they were so close, and although they do get very close they never touch the Zodiacs. The shout of “whales at the gangway!” meant a delay in reboarding but no-one cared as it was a joy and a privilege to watch these magnificent creatures. We had scientists on board our trip studying the whales and they were always fascinating to talk to about their research.

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Unpack, inhale and unwind

An Invitation to Experience New Zealand’s Newest Lodge…

Perfectly located above Lake Taupo, is the new uber-luxury The Kinloch Club. Offering New Zealand’s only Jack Nicklaus 18-hole Golf Course plus hiking the Tongarorio Alpine Crossing, fly-fishing, mountain and lake cycling, spa, and more.

Experience Uber- luxury winter escapes in a junior suite (stay two nights and we will upgrade you to the calm sophistication of a One-Bedroom Villa), pre-dinner drinks and canapés, Estate-to-Plate five-course gourmet dinner, and full breakfast. PLUS your stay offers exceptional complimentary inclusions of:

SPECIAL OFFER SAVE UP TO

Champagne and Chocolate Truffles; a bottle of Bollinger chilled and waiting in your suite or villa on arrival with house-made chocolate truffles.

50%

OR

Two rounds of golf on the Jack Nicklaus designed 18 hole golf course (cart not included).

OR

Hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand’s most popular day hike.

Includes picnic backpack lunch and beverages for two people*

Special offer: $505 plus GST per person per night (twin share)

Valid until 31 October 2017. TERMS & CONDITIONS: Subject to availability. Upgrade to One-Bedroom Villa guaranteed on booking. *Transfers to/from Tongaririo Alpine Crossing not included. Private guide POA.

ON A TWO NIGHT STAY*

261 Kinloch Road, Taupo, New Zealand, Phone +64 7 377 8482, reservations@thekinlochclub.com www.thekinlochclub.com

100

TOP

HOTELS IN WORLD

2016

&

FOR LOVERS LUXURY WILDERNESS EXPLORERS WINTER ESCAPES

for a very special quality time

50% OFF normal rates.

Your invitation to leave the real world behind to this iconic New Zealand destination.

Culminating with Treetops Lodge being awarded in the top 100 BEST Hotels in the World by USA Conde Nast Traveler Readers and TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice Winner, we launch our Winter Escape offers for 2017.

2,500 acres, 800-year old native forest – this is a nature lover’s sanctuary! Rivers, lakes, waterfalls, 70 km hiking trails, a range of heritage and wilderness experiences, unique Wilderness spa, and private access to their newly opened sister lodge The Kinloch Club, Jack Nicklaus designed Golf course.

Of fame, is Treetops Estate-to-Plate dining philosophy, which means most of the dishes created by the dedicated team of chefs feature ingredients reared or grown on this vast estate and near 100% pesticide free. These include world-class game and highlight estate-grown fruit and vegetables plus unique native herbs from the forest. Also offered is a superb wine cellar of New Zealand wines, with expert advice on making the best possible matches.

CHOOSE FROM FOUR WINTER ESCAPE PACKAGES

• One night Fireside Love Menu – ideal for lovers. • Two Night Wilderness Adventure – for lovers of nature.

• Three Night Family Wilderness Adventure or Hobbiton Middle Earth Family Adventure – quality time for families.

From NZ$1162 inc GST per couple per night (twin share)* TERMS & CONDITIONS *Valid to 31 October 2017. Subject to availability. Includes accommodation in a Lodge Room (stay two nights and be upgraded to a One Bedroom Villa on booking), pre-dinner drinks and canapés, Estate-to-Plate 5 course gourmet dinner and full breakfast. PLUS exceptional complimentary inclusions.

Visit Treetops’ website for more information at www.treetops.co.nz or phone +64 7 333 2066 or email reservations@treetops.co.nz

PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE

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PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE

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1. Our Healthy Living columnist, Sarah-Jane Attias was recently on holiday in Seville, SPAIN. 2. Westmere readers Rob Young and Mary Ansell on a recent winter get away to WAIKIKI. Diamond Head in the background from the beautiful Royal Hawaiian.

3. Locals enjoying post yoga bliss at Bingin Beach, BAIL last month. (L-R) Nici Wickes, Tara Pradhan, Jana Wood and Veronica Shale.

4. Locals Wayne and Karen Foster photographed outside the original Cheers Bar in BOSTON where the show was based. The pair were celebrating American 4 July Independence Day. The bar where everyone knows your name.

5-6. Heritage Hotel Group Communications Manager Susan Gibson sent us this photo taken in Bohemia in the CZECH REPUBLIC. Susan is pictured infront of this church in a Czech village. "We were driving back to Berlin and needed a leg stretch."

7. John Pan, reading the Ponsonby News in front of the Buddah on the hill in Pattaya THAILAND. This was a gift to the people of Thailand from the late king, it is outlined in solid gold.

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8. Local resident Emma Chapman tells us, "Great stories in the PN! This is at Chogo La pass (4280m) and is the first sight of the Himalayas coming south from Lo Manthang in upper Mustang, NEPAL. She is also pictured reading the Ponsonby News just north of Jomsom in Mustang, she tells us, "We had stopped for tea at a small tea house on the trail to Muktinath and Kagbeni. We were about to enter the Kingdom of Lo, or upper Mustang. Here the culture is Tibetan and the yak is for protection."

9. Somboon Khansuk reading the Ponsonby News upside down at the upside down house in Pattaya THAILAND. 10. Ponsonby resident Pearl Robson emailed to tell us, "I have just been on a short holiday at the start of the month. My daughter and I went to SAMOA - looked at beautiful Savaii on a day trip, but we stayed central in Apia. It was 'girls only', while the guys (my son and husband) stayed home, haha. Very hot weather! Good thing I took PN with me to read!

I was photographed in central Apia."

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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VIVE FASHION LA FRANCE: + STYLE: JULIE JULIE ROULSTON ROULSTON

Local flavour Five local style leaders share their take on what’s hot right now…

ADRIAN HAILWOOD Designer What’s hot right now?

Dressing up to the nines is always hot right now!

What is your current favourite thing in your wardrobe?

A black satin bomber embroidered with old ship tattoos. All in black so it’s subtle: made by McQueen, the detail is exquisite.

What’s your standout wardrobe purchase of late?

More McQueen menswear: a pair of navy wool trousers with a grosgrain stripe down the sides. Make me look posh, which is no easy task!

If you could acquire one garment or accessory right now, it’d be...

A vintage Rolex.

What recent creation are you most proud of?

My new leather handbag range. The messenger in dove grey and rose gold is a fave. www.hailwood.co.nz

JULIA FORD Miss Wilson designer What’s hot right now?

Coconut lattes and getting to work early.

What is your current favourite thing in your wardrobe?

Vintage denim - it fits me better than anything you can buy new in a store.

I can’t wait to wear them with our colourful new collection - spring/summer is my favourite season of the year.

What’s your standout recent wardrobe acquisition?

Mongolian sheepskin coat in candyfloss pink. Not so subtle, but ridiculously snuggly and it will be perfect for our upcoming trip to Queenstown for Clicquot in the Snow.

“I love fashion because…”

You can express who you are without saying a word.

What recent creation are you most excited about?

I’ve been working on a range of Kathryn Wilson handbags and luggage which I’m rather excited about. They’ll be in stores this summer! www.kathrynwilson.com

VICKI TAYLOR Designer “I love fashion because…”

The constant change means you keep thinking, adapting, moving forward - I am sure it drives everyone around me insane but the excitement of new things makes each season so much fun.

I also still get such a buzz when a design that has started as a random thought, has been processed, tweaked and refined in my head often for weeks at a time and when I see that first sample hanging on the sample rack... it almost makes me tingle when they come through as I had imagined.

What’s hot right now?

I am loving the way sportswear and fashion are blending right now. Wearing a gorgeous, soft-tailored trouser with a top with gathers or a frill or an oversized sleeve, then adding a sports-inspired bomber jacket. Or teaming a soft elasticated pant with a sports-style stripe down the side with trainers and a fabulous tailored satin edged jacket. This casual yet chic style combination suits our Ponsonby lifestyle so well.

If you could purchase one garment right now, it’d be...

One is the incredible leather and long goat-hair jacket from my favourite Danish designer Barbara I Gongini at The Shelter What recent creation are you most excited about?

In my next taylor collection are these amazing parachute nylon jackets. I sourced the fabric in Italy last year - I just knew I had to make something in it, it is sooooo light it almost floats off you. taylor at THE SHELTER www.theshelteronline.com

60 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FASHION + STYLE

DORIS DE PONT Founder New Zealand Fashion Museum

RODERICK SINGH Ponsonby Director, Working Style

What’s a standout wardrobe purchase?

My Jimmy D silk organza 'baby doll' dress. The fabric allows for a clever play on conceal and reveal. The style is a classic that references Balenciaga's 1958 dress which is in his exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

What is your current favourite thing in your wardrobe?

My navy cashmere jersey and cashmere scarf. Incredibly soft to touch with tons of warmth. They are massive essentials for me in the colder months.

“I love fashion because…”

I love fashion because it is a wonderful lens through which we can see ourselves and the things in life that we value.

“I love fashion because…”

It’s a way of expressing one's personality without going overboard.

Fashion is ever changing and is always making me update my wardrobe and giving me the perfect excuse to spend. I also feel fashion says a lot about someone. What's that saying? 'A picture speaks a thousand words.'

If you could purchase one garment right now, it’d be…

I have been in Amsterdam, London and Paris looking at the fashion exhibitions and they all celebrate the longevity of good design. So I am only going to buy quality designer pieces - New Zealand designers of course.

What’s a recent standout wardrobe acquisition?

It would have to be my grey/charcoal flannel Italian made-to-measure casual suit by Working Style. Again, it’s in a cashmere blend, and so comfortable!

What’s hot right now?

Careful consumption is always hot. Buy only the best and take care of your clothes so that you grow to love them even when they are no longer new.

If you could purchase one accessory right now, it’d be…

I've long had my heart set on a black and grey Louis Vuitton Keepall...but I find it hard to justify and I'd probably be sleeping on the couch for a while.

www.nzfashionmuseum.org.nz

www.workingstyle.co.nz

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photography: Michael Ng

FASHION + STYLE

DIARY NOTE: NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEK (NZFW) 2017 The end of the month will see the 17th NZFW roll out - with 86 designers announced to showcase their collections across the week, and weekend.

The line-up offers an equal mix of industry heavyweights and emerging labels.

Fashion Week Familiar names on the trade-only ‘Week’ schedule include Kate Sylvester, Stolen Girlfriends Club, and Federation, alongside Zambesi which this year opens NZFW having been chosen for the coveted Mercedes-Benz Presents Accolade (see page 38).

Adding to the fun, this year’s event will see three iconic brands mark milestone birthdays during the week. Huffer and Tanya Carlson each celebrate 20 years and Salasai celebrates 10 years in the fashion industry.

Fashion lovers will welcome the return of Kathryn Wilson and Tanya Carlson to the schedule. Wynn Hamlyn is likely to be a standout of the young designers showing, as is internationally recognised Maggie Marilyn.

Fashion Weekend Tickets are well into their on-sale period, with Augustine having sold out twice!

Highlights for Ponsonby style watchers are likely be Hailwood, Kneufermann and the always adorable Kids Show - this year showcased by Little Treasures magazine. The NZ Weddings Show always offers bang for buck: lots of designers, lots of romantic fashion and usually a surprise of some kind to boot. Recent word is that the Russel Athletic show will be an extravaganza, with live performances, celebrities and 'plenty of bulging PN muscles' on show. F www.nzfashionweek.com www.iticket.co.nz/go-to/nzfw

ALL-TIME HIGHS We asked birthday labels Huffer, Tanya Carlson and Salasai to name their all-time NZFW highlights.

Steve Dunstan, Huffer: “Our first show in 2006 in our office, The Huffer Basement, on our cutting tables! Being a streetwear brand entering the unknown (to us) of Fashion Week.”

Kirsha Whitcher, Salasai: “Hands down was the Hilton show we did, showcasing Salasai AW2011. It was a breakthrough for us, everything aligned. The show was emotive and special.”

Tanya Carlson: “For me, it would have to be the very first NZFW when Hilary Alexander - acclaimed fashion writer and all-round fashion guru - made a beeline for my collection 'The Fall of the Winter Palace' backstage and began rattling off every reference she could see: "It's Estonia, I see the military paraphernalia, there's St Petersburg, I see Tsarist Russian folklore and craft here...

"It was an awesome moment realising that what I had imagined and designed could be translated by someone else. She then bought a piece from the collection, which was another major highlight!”

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Salasai AW 2011 at NZFW PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FASHION + STYLE

Alex Ubels & Lily McManus

Raul Meza & Luzette Godinez

Dame Pieter Stewart

Marc Moore & Sally-Ann Mullin

Marina Davis & Ryan Harte

Mitchell Vincent & Janey Evett

Nicky Gadsdon & Machiah Simmons

Nikki Harmsen, Neville Findlay & Liz Mitchell

Tina Morgan & Kimberley Waters

Vivian Cheng & Emily Pearce

Jacquie Hudson & Nicky Gadsdon

Kari Topzand & Tanya Carlson

NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEK DESIGNER ANNOUNCEMENT @ ONE CASCADE, FREEMANS BAY - TUESDAY 25 JULY The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH

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FASHION + STYLE RETAIL SUPERSTAR Diana Warnes WE-AR

@ DIAMONDS ON RICHMOND

How did you come to be a retail salesperson?

I was asked to apply for the manager’s role to cover some leave and I ending up loving it and staying on.

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What brought you to WE-AR? I had been into store as a customer as I loved the brand’s ethics and values, and of course the fact that it has a very unique style.

What do you love about your store?

I love that it is a place of beauty. We have striking decor that has been specially designed just for our brand. It is a happy and uplifting environment that welcomes people to come and enjoy the gorgeous clothing. We like to have fun with people while helping them to find something that makes them look and feel good.

What makes a standout retail salesperson?

A standout salesperson has genuine caring and a relaxed attitude which engenders the feeling that nothing is too much trouble. They create a fun environment wherein people leave with not only a fantastic purchase, but also a memorable experience.

Tell us about a memorable sale you've made this year...

I've had few! The most memorable was a group of ladies who were a lot of fun to chat to and very open to styling advice, so we had a lot of fun together trying pieces out and finding great looks for them. It is always fun to interact with people who really enjoy our brand.

If you could wave your wand and have anyone in the world walk into your store right now, who would it be?

Audrey Tautou - she has such amazing natural beauty and impeccable style. It's no surprise she got to play Coco Chanel!

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1. Diamond Tennis Bracelet (white gold) - $9900 2. Diamond Hoop Earrings (white gold) - $1950 3. Diamond Pendant + Chain (white gold) - $1550 4. Morganite and Diamond Ring (rose gold) - $2900 DIAMONDS ON RICHMOND, 98 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, T: 09 376 9045, wwwdiamondsonrichmond.co.nz

If you could wave your wand and have anyone in greater Ponsonby walk into your store right now, who would it be?

Any of the super-friendly guys or girls from Orphans Kitchen, preferably with a mug of coffee.

Where do you shop?

I shop a lot at WE-AR because I genuinely adore the clothing. Ponsonby Road in general has a great array of enticing and varied brands to enjoy and I love that we have so much homegrown talent represented in the area.

Name someone you think is a great greater Ponsonby store...

I love Zambesi for dream window shopping... I'm drawn to brands that are different from most. F PN WE-AR, 122 Ponsonby Road, T: (09) 378 8140, www.we-ar.com

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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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, PONSONBY 15 AUGUST 1925

Dear Vera, How are you my dear? And how do you like the enclosed lace? Isn’t it simply divine!

I was given a whole card of this (and much more) by one of my friends - Rose - who happens also to be a dressmaker. Actually, she goes by the rather uppity title of ‘costumier’ if you will. As soon as we have our hands on the latest French fashion journals we are wont to get together for afternoon tea to pore over the sketches and muse about the gowns we would love to wear, if only we had the time to make them and the occasions at which to flaunt them.

The last time Rose and I met, we were entranced by a special feature devoted to the newest lingerie ideas. Happily, that reminded Rose that she was trying to find a home for a pile of old lace trims that her mother (who had also been a ‘costumier’) had found in her attic. Rose’s mother thinks she bought them around 1900! The laces were still on their cards and wrapped in the original tissue and brown paper that they were packed in all those years ago. They are in a remarkably good state and very useable.

Being of the thoroughly modern persuasion, Rose abhors anything frilly and fussy. As you can imagine, I was delighted, but not surprised, when she placed the parcels on my lap and declared them mine. I am now the proud owner of 50 yards of the enclosed pale pink lace and 50 more each of the same design in ivory, lavender, pale leaf green, apricot and a pretty peach colour.

As you know, the weather here has been absolutely horrid - cold, wet and windy - and one does not dare to venture out for fear of catching one’s death. Happily, we had a little break in the rain yesterday morning, so I made the most of it and rushed around doing a good shop so that Tiger, Pusskins and I wouldn’t starve if the weather set in again. I think a lot of others must have had the same idea as I had to go to three different grocers to buy all that I needed. And do you think I could find a loaf of bread! It will have to be homemade scones instead of toast with my tea for the next day or so.

As a consequence of being housebound most of this week on account of the elements, I have been able to catch up on all my orders. Can you believe it! I’ve even had time to think about what I’d like to make for spring (which I really should have been thinking about in July - but we won’t dwell on that).

Did you know that pleats are forecast to be in vogue again for spring and summer, and not only for suits but for frocks as well?

I can’t say that I’m surprised as they are perfect for allowing ease of movement while keeping the narrow silhouette, which doesn’t seem in a hurry to move on. After much research in the Paris journals, I’ve designed a very smart sleeveless summer frock for the fashionable young thing, which has a long, closely fitted and perfectly plain bodice, and a slender skirt formed of very narrow pleats that swish and sway with every movement. The skill is in the fitting of the bodice which should be as close as a glove but not so tight that one dares not breathe without asking permission of one’s shoulder seams! I’ve made two gorgeous examples to show my customers. One is in navy crêpe de chine and I’ve bound all the edges (including the pleated hem) in scarlet crêpe. The other is black with white binding. Très chic!

Just to be a little different, I have been doing some experiments with pleating silk after reading a fascinating article about a Venetian designer called Mariano Fortuny. Quite a few years ago he devised a secret method for creating finely crushed pleats which he fashioned into gorgeous dresses edged with tiny glass beads to help weight the silk to drape on the body like the robes of Grecian goddesses. I’m hoping to make some skirts of this type which can be worn with the long, knitted rayon jumpers that most of us have in our wardrobes. I recently found (in Shanleys[i] of all places), a very acceptable long-sleeved v-neck jumper in soft, lustrous, black knitted jersey and a fascinating black silky tassel at the lowest point of the neck. Simple but lovely. I’m hoping to wear it to a luncheon party next Saturday, together with a black silk ‘Venetian’ skirt (my name for the line) edged with little black glass beads that I rescued from one of Granny’s old capes.

Now back to the lace! I have decided - due almost entirely to the unexpected addition of hundreds of yards of lace to my store cupboard, and the surfeit of utterly gorgeous styles in the latest batch of fashion journals - to broaden my dressmaking repertoire to include lingerie! I have made the odd negligee for a bride’s trousseau but haven’t really been sufficiently inspired to offer this as a service... until now.

The first piece I’m making is a charming medieval-style confection of pale peach crêpe de chine which is designed to make a feature of the lace. The entire width of the lace will form a border for the low, wide neckline, the upper edges of the deep sleeves and the sleeve ends. Rouleau ties will secure the upper sleeves at the shoulder and the elbow, leaving the upper arms deliciously exposed! A band of the same lace will form a loose, long-waisted belt, allowing for a soft, flowing style. I think I’ll make a matching boudoir cap of the same crêpe, edged with a soft lace ruffle lace and lace rosettes over the ears.

Oh dear, I’ve just heard the most awful crash on the verandah and had to investigate. I suspected that it might have been the potted palm that I put out for some fresh air... it was. Luckily it had only fallen on and smashed an old terracotta potted fern and not the precious Doulton jardinière that was right next to it! That would have broken my heart.

Well my dear, I think it might be time for a nice hot cup of tea, a warm scone and a flick through the latest Ladies’ Mirror magazine. I’ll be sure to be in touch soon to let you know how my lingerie-making venture is working out.

Until then, with much love, [i]

+ August NEWS 2017+ 66 PONSONBY PONSONBY PARISH NEWS

Maudie xx

Shanleys (drapery), Three Lamps, Ponsonby

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FASHION + STYLE PONSONBY HAIR WELCOMES CASSIE TO THE TEAM Coming up to 15 years in the industry, Cassie still practices her skills in a quest for perfection, believing she is never too old nor too experienced to improve her craft.

By challenging traditional colouring, cutting and styling methods, Cassie strives to keep her talents looking sharp and her skills distinctive. She would rather formulate her own colour cocktails and styling creations (what her clients know as ‘Cas Magic’) than follow traditional methods. She has always found ways to push the boundaries by custom designing each colour and style to enhance her client’s best features, taking into consideration everything from skin tone, eye colour, face shape, body proportions and lifestyles. It is this dedication of being a master craftswoman and artist that makes her in high demand with loyal clientele.

Cassie has been involved with photo shoots for Together Magazine, Blackroom Photography and Hairdressers Journal. She has had celebrity clients and received awards in the past, but finds her time spent with clients is far more valuable and rewarding than competition work.

Cassie is also a traditional artist favouring oil painting, she also has a keen interest in performing arts (acting), as well as being an animal lover and advocate. This winter will see her snowboarding, while summer will be enjoyed with rock climbing.

“I am happy to be part of Ponsonby Hair, it is like a home away from home. I enjoy coming to work and I love my clients and my colleagues,” says Cassie. F PN Book in with Cassie this August and receive 10% off.

PONSONBY HAIR, 96 Jervois Road, Herne Bay, T: 09 376 1572, wwwponsonbyhair.co.nz

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING SAM HART - SMASHBOX LEAD PRO ARTIST What current trends are being recreated in the Smashbox Ponsonby concept store?

Metallic eyes are trending and look great for a special occasion! Anyone can wear a metallic look, just try keeping that shade low on the eyelid to keep your eyes looking bright.

If running late, what is your 15-minute makeup routine?

This is what I call a 'bing' day! We have a beautiful bright red lipstick in our Be Legendary range called Bing and I throw it on when I don’t have long to do my makeup. For my complexion, I always prime, as the primer is what holds everything on throughout the day. With my fingers, I apply some BB Water foundation to even my skin tone and then finish off with some Halo Hydrating powder, which is mineral and bumps up the coverage a bit too. Next for fool-proof, super-quick brows, I use Brow Tech 2 Go. Brows are so important, I would never leave the house without doing my brows. Finally, I use bronzer on my cheeks and swept across my eyelids too, throw on my bright lippy and I’m away!

What makeup trends can we expect to see for spring/summer?

Lips are always big in summer and this year it’s all about coral and pinks. You will also see a lot of ombre lips, which is where two tones fade into each other. It’s easy to do and gives the lips great dimension! Apply your favourite lip colour all over the lips and then pat a lighter and brighter colour into the centre of the lips and blend the edges.

Tell us about the Smashbox Backstage Pass service.

Backstage Pass is an awesome way for you to learn more about makeup from an experienced makeup artist. With these targeted one-on-one lessons you will gain confidence in doing your own makeup! From contouring to finding the perfect eye look, we guide you through what to do.

There are four different services to choose from and the best part is they are totally free. Come and have a play with us!

What is your must-have Smashbox Beauty Product?

Primer. Not to prime is a crime! If there is one thing to change about your makeup its primer. Primer is so important in creating a softer, smoother skin instantly so your makeup glides on and lasts longer. Face Primer is key and so is eye shadow primer. Even if you are currently using primer, go in and see a Smashbox artist to see you are using the right one for you. We have 10 different primers all targeted to different skin concerns, so it’s important you are using the right one to get the best out of your makeup.

Smashbox Backstage Pass: Flawless in a Flash: Learn the top tips on how to freshen up your makeup in seconds! (5 minutes).

Illuminate & Contour: Highlight, contour and give your face dimension with key products that work instantly (15 minutes).

Cover Shot Eyes: Master our signature smokey eye tailored to you, using just a few key products! (15 minutes).

Perfect Canvas: Learn our studio-tested tricks to achieving a perfect canvas that lasts all day! (20 minutes).

Available at SMASHBOX CONCEPT STORE, 342 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 0055

68 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

BACKSTAGE PASS TAKE A SEAT AND LEARN FROM THE BEST, FOR FREE! IN AUGUST; VISIT US AT THE SMASHBOX CONCEPT STORE FOR YOUR FREE BACKSTAGE PASS SERVICE AND ALSO RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY SMASHBOX LIPGLOSS TO PRACTICE YOUR NEW SKILLS WITH!

Available at Smashbox Concept Store 342 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011 Phone: 09-376 0055

JOHN APPLETON: ON HEALTH

Why humans need optimal doses of vitamin C every day It’s winter in New Zealand and many of us are reaching for the vitamin C in the hope that we may ward of the ills and chills associated with this time of year.

While this can be helpful, it’s very important to understand that we all need optimal vitamin C every day of the year.

Did you know that the only mammals on the planet that don’t make vitamin C in their bodies are humans, primates, guinea pigs and fruit bats?

In the body of a vitamin C-making mammal, the vitamin C molecule is made from a few small modifications to the glucose molecule. While glucose is in abundant supply in humans and animals, there are four enzymes that are required to convert glucose into vitamin C. Humans have only three of these enzymes, having lost the ability to make the fourth L-gulonolactone oxidase somewhere in evolution.

Of the four mammals mentioned above, only the human has changed his dietary preferences and humans are the only species to eat meat and be unable to produce their own vitamin C. Gorillas, guinea pigs and fruit bats seem to know by instinct that to stay healthy they must ingest large quantities of foods containing vitamin C. In mammals that retained the ability to make vitamin C, it is made in response to all sorts of stress, especially the stress of infection. Under stress, that amount can be very significantly increased. A goat for instance can make up to 200 mg/kg on a daily basis but up to 100,000mg of vitamin C daily if under stress.

Why is it then that the RDA (recommended daily allowance) for humans is 1mg/kg approx 60 to 90mg per day? If vitamin C is so important to animals why do humans require so little? This is a very important question. Anyone who takes even the slightest interest in vitamin C would soon realise that humans have been very significantly short changed.

RDA would be a more appropriately ridiculous daily allowance and perhaps the reason why diseases so prevalent in humans are almost non existent in animals that make large amounts of vitamin C.

It is very interesting to note that mammals that make their own vitamin C can live 8-10 times beyond their age of physical maturity. Mammals without this ability have a difficult time reaching three to four times.

It is even more interesting to contemplate the impact on mankind if it were possible to re-install the L-gulonolactone oxidase enzyme in humans? In a study conducted by Sato et al in 1966, researchers administered this enzyme (harvested from chickens or rats) to guinea pigs on a vitamin C deficient diet. The guinea pigs survived and Dr Thomas Levy in his fascinating and thought provoking book ‘Vitamin C - Curing the Incurable’ suggests that this research “should stimulate further research into the feasibility of giving such direct enzyme replacement therapy to humans.”

It is incredibly rare according to Dr Levy for an inborn error in metabolism to be shared by all humans. Considering anecdotal evidence that one hears about a certain individual living to 100 while smoking and drinking every day, Dr Levy agrees that one can be blessed with a very efficient immune system but he suggests that “the ability to synthesize L-gulonolactone oxidase, at least to a limited degree, could also be the reason for an otherwise incredibly long and healthy life.”

To give credence to this, a study that emanated from UCLA in 1992 involving 11,348 participants over a 10-year period showed that men with the highest blood levels of vitamin C lived six years longer than those with the lowest levels.

(JOHN APPLETON) F PN APPLETON ASSOCIATES, T: 09 489 9362, john@johnappleton.co.nz, www.johnappleton.co.nz

70 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIVING, THINKING + BEING THE WOMEN’S BOOKSHOP IS RUNNING TWO LADIES’ LITERA-TEAS Carole Beu and her team are delighted to announce not one but two dates. Sunday 3 September and Sunday 29 October.

Here is the programme for Sunday 3 September.

1pm - Karyn Hay - The March of the Foxgloves. This second novel from media personality Karyn Hay is a delightful, rather risqué Victorian story of an independent woman photographer, set in London and colonial New Zealand.

1.20pm - Elizabeth Smither - Night Horse. In this 18th poetry collection Elizabeth Smither’s voice is as fresh and vital as ever. She takes everyday things and transforms them - they become enchanted, whimsical, quirky and full of surprises.

1.40pm - Leonie Howie & Adele Robertson - Island Nurses. On wildly beautiful, remote Great Barrier Island, these two women have been nurse and midwife for more than 30 years. They share their own and the islanders’ stories of birth, death, emergencies and community.

2pm - Elspeth Sandys - Casting Off. Volume 2 of this wonderful memoir follows on from What Lies Beneath - an absorbing story of a life in literature, told with skill and refreshing honesty. Elspeth has also published a novel this year, Obsession.

2.20pm - Mandy Hager - Heloise. The famous love story of Heloise and Abelard, from Heloise’s point of view - a young woman with a brilliant mind. Mandy Hager is known for her wonderful teen novels, especially Singing Home the Whale. This, her first adult novel, is extraordinary.

2.40pm - Jess Daniell - My Underground Deli. Creator of Jess’ Underground Kitchen, a ready-meal and catering business with two buzzing deli/cafes in Herne Bay and Remuera. Jess shares 100 of her favourite recipes in this book - plus some taste treats for the tea break!

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

3pm - Afternoon Tea & Book Signing - With lamingtons, melting moments, savouries and more!

3.50pm - Dame Anne Salmond - Tears of Rangi: Experiments Across Worlds. This absorbing historical narrative contains bold political and ethical arguments. Cultural concepts, clashes and exchanges, point to new understandings between peoples and between people and the natural world.

4.10pm - Frankie McMillan - My Mother & the Hungarians. Short story writer and poet, twice winner of the NZ Flash Fiction Award, Frankie McMillan examines family connections, 1950s refugee experiences, politics and culture in these compressed, often comic, narrative gems.

4.30pm - Paddy Richardson - Through the Lonesome Dark. The mining town of Blackball, the friendship of three children, Pansy, Otto and Clem, and an unusual aspect of WWI, are all vividly evoked in this absorbing new novel from Paddy Richardson.

4.50pm - Sue Bradford & Jenny Chamberlain - Constant Radical: The Life & Times of Sue Bradford. Activist, academic, Green MP responsible for the controversial ‘anti -smacking’ bill - Sue Bradford has demonstrated resilience, integrity and compassion as an ardent fighter for social justice.

5.10pm - Selina Tusitala Marsh - Tightrope. In 2016 she composed and performed a poem for the Queen at Westminster Abbey. David Eggleton describes her brilliant new collection as ‘spiky and fierce, brash and vital, comic, irreverent, poignant, rhapsodic' Be prepared to smile and cheer! Call or email for tickets. F PN THE WOMEN’S BOOKSHOP, 105 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 4399, E: books@womensbookshop.co.nz

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OUT + ABOUT

Amanda of Amy's Artesian Watercress

Carl of Natures Corner

Fab from the Fab truck crafting Crepes

Felicity O'Driscoll of NotMilk

GLFM manager Carol Gunn

John Vosper of Jersey Girl Organics

Lesley of Jampk'd

Lynn Green showcasing her award winning Local Honey

Murray of Organic Herbs and Seedlings

Robert Gibson with his sumptuous Kaimiro Yoghurt

Bread and Butter's Conny serving up the bread

photography: Mick Andrew

George with the last of his produce for the day

Leon Narbey and his olive oil

GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET @ GREY LYNN COMMUNITY CENTRE - JULY 2017

72 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LIVING, THINKING + BEING PONSONBY WELLNESS CENTRE - NATURAL, DRUG-FREE HEALING Dr Virginia Jin has 20 years' health experience in China and New Zealand and a Bachelor of Health Science in Chinese Medicine (New Zealand) to include acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine (TCM).

Dr Jin set up Ponsonby Wellness Centre clinic in 2012. Since then she has received great feedback from patients regarding the treatments given for pain such as migraines, period pains and stroke symptoms. Her treatments are also successful in helping with fertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menopausal and gynaecological disorders and have proven to help with anxiety, depression, stress, digestion disorders and insomnia.

Dr Jin says people often ask why acupuncture can treat so many problems and says the TCM theory is: 1. When the human body becomes ill, it means the body has lost its yin yang balance, - creating a qi (life force), blood, body fluids and essence disorder.

2. The six main causes of illness are wind, cold, damp, heat, summer heat and dryness.

Acupuncture can help the body to recover from and treat various symptoms such as chills, aversion to cold, body aches, greasy skin and bad body odour, arthritis, feeling heavy or bloating, high fever, restlessness, thirst, blurred vision and constipation, dry skin, dry stools and dark brown-coloured urine.

Dr Jin will carry out an initial consultation with each of her patients to diagnose the type of disorder they have; not only to treat the symptoms but also to find the cause. She uses the TCM method of tongue, pulse and, navel diagnosis and, depending on the outcome, each patient will have an individual treatment and follow up plan.

Ponsonby Wellness Centre also has experienced massage therapist Fred Li at the clinic. Fred’s passion for massage started in China in 1996. However, over the past 10 years he has worked in South Africa, Europe and Australia. He knows the human body’s muscles well and can pick up its weak spots, even when you’re not aware of them. He targets blocked energy hidden in your muscles, joints and nerves.

Ponsonby Wellness Centre is an ACC approved Member of NZASA (New Zealand Acupuncture Standards Authority) and is a health insurance approved registered acupuncturist. The clinic is open seven days to suit most working people and has disability access.

PONSONBY WELLNESS CENTRE, 43A Brown Street, T: 09 360 1229, ponsonbywellness@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/ponsonbywellness, www.ponsonbywellness.com

“Many people are scared of the needles,” says Dr Jin, “but I use fewer needles and there is no pain with my methods. I am confident that my experience using this alternative and natural, drug-free way of healing will help my patients recover quicker from their illness.”

Ponsonby Wellness Centre

NATURAL PAIN RELIEF NO RESULTS NO CHARGE Acupuncture (ACC Approved) Massage Therapy Rehabilitation T: 09 360 1229 | 43A Brown St, Ponsonby (open 7 days) ponsonbywellness@gmail.com | FB: Ponsonby Wellness WWW.PONSONBYWELLNESS.COM (Wheelchair access)

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING

Lucy Vincent of Sans

WELLNESS & WELLBEING WEEKEND @ HUKA LODGE Join three locals Megan May of Little Bird, yoga expert Nikki Ralston and Lucy Vincent of Sans for a fabulous weekend. Diary date: Friday 15 & Saturday 16 September. Ponsonby News talked to Lucy Vincent about the event.

Can you describe the philosophy of Sans [ceuticals] and its connection to the environment?

Today our lives have become so busy and we’re all trying to simplify and not have so many plates in the air. Being a working mother, my to-do list is endless. To stay on top of it all and keep my head clear, I try to reduce as much clutter and noise around me as possible. This has influenced me hugely in the way we formulate and design our products. We’ve taken a multifunctional approach, using naturallyderived, facial-grade technologies. I only have two products in my bathroom. For instance, our Activator 7 Body + Hair + Face Oil, I use as a body oil, hair serum, eye makeup remover, a face serum at night, and I use it shave my legs. I like to think this approach helps reduce consumption.

How has being a New Zealander influenced you personally and professionally?

I think we are very connected to nature and the land. For me, it has informed my upbringing, my interests, and how I spend my time, whether that's rejuvenating or getting inspiration.

What is your favourite way to spend a holiday, and where are some of your favourite places to unwind?

I just had the best holiday at Bethells Beach Cottages with my kids.

It is such a magical place and we are so lucky to have it on our doorstep. We did walks during the day and finished off in a Swedish hot tub overlooking the wild west coast. We made pizza at night in the woodfire oven and then snuggled up by the fire.

If you could give our readers one tip for improving their skin care routine, what would it be?

Simplify. I was chatting to a dermatologist the other day who said he sees a lot of inflammation and skin sensitivity from overly complicated skincare regimes. I think there is an idea that more is better when it comes to anti-ageing. However, using one product (not five) that contains scientifically sound ingredients (such as vitamin A, C or B) can be more effective. With our multifunctional approach, you use fewer products more frequently, meaning they stay fresh and retain their integrity. Formulations naturally deteriorate over time, and as they do they can become less potent and can cause inflammation and PN aggravate the skin. F

We understand that your range is very popular in Asia, in particular China. Has this surprised you and do you have plans to develop your brand presence in other markets?

Yes, the Asian market is very concerned with natural and organic products. Japan, especially, after all they have been through recently.

They also have a minimalist approach to design, which may be why our packaging appeals.

At what age do you think we should consider a skin care routine, and is it ever too late to change?

I don't think there is any hard-and-fast rule, and it depends on what is going on with your skin. I remember my mum putting me on a full natural, health store brand routine when I was 14, which I overdid, and it ended up making my skin feel tight, dry and aggravated.

Megan May, Lucy Vincent & Nikki Ralston

www.hukalodge.co.nz/occasions/events/huka-lodge-wellness-retreat-2017

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

SARAH-JANE ATTIAS: HEALTHY LIVING

Q: A:

My partner has lower back pain that can flare up after a gym work-out and, unfortunately, when we are getting sexy.

He is constantly relying on strong pain relief pills and abstaining is not the way to go! Your advice please.

That’s a great question, sex and lower back pain is actually a very common condition. At my osteopathic clinic, back pain is the number one injury. Be assured there is light at the end of the tunnel. With correct diagnosis, controlled pain management and treatment including a multi-disciplinary approach, we can help both men and women to improve spinal health, ensuring you enjoy your love-life with little or no discomfort.

Facts about sex and back pain Sex can be a taboo subject and most people are unsure how or who to approach to fix it. Crucially, the sooner you get a good diagnosis, which includes understanding the aggravating factors, the quicker you will recover and achieve sustained pain relief. Herniated discs, bulging discs, pinched nerves and sciatica can be debilitating, frustrating and can take a long recovery. By the way, many back injuries are lift and twist related and are covered by ACC. Painkillers - are they good or bad?

The messages we tend to receive when we get hurt are for the ‘quick fix’. You are right to be concerned about long term use of pain-relief drugs to mask underlying problems. New Zealanders have quadrupled consumption of over-the-counter and prescription opioid painkillers such as codeine and morphine in a little over a decade.

Furthermore, reading the side effects panel on the box of ‘pain relief’ from your chemist or supermarket should ring alarm bells.

Other issues can include physical and psychological dependence.

Painkillers are great as a lifeline to get you through a difficult time but preferably not long term. True recovery requires a balanced multipronged approach.

any asymmetries or restrictions in the tissues. If we find them we can use various techniques to correct that.

Be open to multidisciplinary approaches. We cross-refer you to our recommended specialists in the field. Clients respond well to this approach, where appropriate utilising the skills of physio-pilates, acupuncture, biomechanic trainer or correct foot support through podiatry.

Knowledge is power. We talk and demonstrate to our clients about specific body areas to increase self-awareness. It actually helps educate them on what certain symptoms in their body feel like, so they become able to spot a warning sign and correct positions, and divert pain or seek professional help. If appropriate, we can refer directly for ultrasound or x-ray for more in-depth diagnoses.

Exercise - Again, needs individual assessment, preferably with your sports mentor and a practitioner such as an osteopath with high-level anatomy knowledge to create safe routines for you - remember you only have one back!

Don’t be shy about coming forward, we can help, life is for living and loving! (SARAH-JANE ATTIAS) F PN LIVING OSTEOPATHY, 29 Scanlan Street, T: 09 361 1147, www.livingosteopathy.co.nz Disclaimer: This article is for general information purposes only. If you have a specific health problem you should seek advice from an appropriate registered health care provider. Living Osteopathy is a Primary Health Care Provider registered with ACC and the OCNZ. Living Osteopathy does not accept any liability other than to its clients.

Diagnosis, solid scientific research and getting results A recent ground-breaking study at the University of Waterloo, Canada, uses leading-edge digital technology and voluntary couples given specific positions and instructions. Lead researcher Natalie Sidorkewicz says: “Contrary to normal medical recommendations, spooning is not always the best sex position for men with a bad back. Spooning was thought to reduce nerve tension, disc bulges, and loads on the spine.” She says, “Our analysis of spine motion during intercourse shows that in fact, the recommended positions for men depend on what movements trigger their pain.” This is why we recommend individual assessment, diagnosis and treatment.

Can osteopathic treatments work to relieve pain?

Recently a large randomised, controlled trial of over 400 patients published by the American Osteopathic Association confirmed that after six osteopathic treatments results were “significant with clinically relevant measures for recovery from chronic lower back pain.” This came on the heels of a 2014 meta-analysis by respected Cochrane Collaboration that found similar results of relief in both acute and chronic pain patients. And, of course, ACC covers osteopathic treatment.

Exercise and back pain Les Mills head programme coach Karen Russell reports “the most common injuries are lower back, hip, knee and shoulder pain. Often this is caused by inadequate core strength, poor flexibility through the hamstrings, quadriceps and down your ‘IT band’. These conditions can be exacerbated by poor gym technique.”

Toolbox of solutions Osteopathic therapy involves moving joints and releasing and balancing muscles as they join together through the length of the body. We will actually put our hands on the patient to feel if there are

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HELENE RAVLICH: LOCAL BEAUTY

Home fragrance for winter Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I have a veritable fetish for scented candles and the like, which I have long maintained are the perfect accompaniment to pretty much any situation.

I have a bit of a 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 to throw into the mix.

Winter is the perfect time to really indulge in home fragrance of all kinds, be that a candle, diffuser or room spray. There’s nothing like cocooning it up on a cold night with a glass of pinot noir and something beautiful in the air, and some of the most popular out there at the moment are designed for just that.

First up, a new collection from Aesop, which is definitely not your regular high-end skincare, haircare, home fragrance and more company. Their approach is always a little left-of-centre than most of their peers, and fans of the brand love them for that. Their home fragrance offerings have mostly been limited edition - albeit absolutely exquisite - but for the first time Aesop has introduced a trio of Aromatique Room Sprays to its permanent range. The collection is made up of three distinctive new scents for the brand, which are Istros - a refined, floral and smoky aroma named for an ancient Greek port. Olous - a vibrant blend of green and citrus botanicals that I think sounds perfect for the warmer months, and Cythera - a warm, woody and spicy fragrance that falls right in line with winter cocooning and celebrates its Hellenic namesake’s herculean spirit of resilience with a robust blend of neroli, geranium and patchouli. “The room sprays were created to revive the senses and redefine your living or working environment with uplifting, calming aromas,” said Dr Kate Forbes, Aesop’s General Manager of Products and R&D when the trio was first released in July. “Each room spray features botanical extracts of the finest quality to provide an enduring scent to transform your space, and subtly dissipate over time.” Never a brand to rush things unnecessarily, Aesop reportedly developed the new Aromatique Room Sprays over two years, refining the individual aromas with care. For best results, the brand recommends that you spray two to three pumps throughout the immediate space and refresh as needed; the aroma seriously will last for several hours.

that design fans will love. You turn it slowly and evenly to release Diptyque's signature scent of fresh rose, blackcurrant leaves and berries, and to refill it, simply remove the cap from the refill and screw it onto the part of the bottle with the diffusion system. Too easy. Available from Mecca Cosmetica and meccbeauty.co.nz, at $258 it’s not cheap, but just look at it!

As well as being purveyors of simply beautiful, luxurious personal fragrances, Jo Malone London is also where you’ll find home fragrance taken to a delicious new level. Their latest releases for the body and the home are English Oak & Hazelnut and English Oak & Redcurrant, which are dropping in early September. Master Perfumer Yann Vasnier created the pair, and says that the base note of oak is one that is rarely used but extremely powerful when it is.

“Oak is a beautiful, noble wood,” he says of the new collection. “It’s powerful and iconic. In perfumery you often find sandalwood and cedarwood, but oak has something unique. It’s majestic and mysterious.”

The English Oak & Redcurrant candle retails for $115, but will last you a long time and the signature Jo Malone fragrance throw is always superb.

If you pop into their Britomart store you must take them up on the offer of complimentary personalised fragrance combining consultations at their in-store Tasting Bar, which include a luxurious hand and arm massage and fragrance samples. It’s the perfect introduction to the brand for those who haven’t experienced its unabashed gorgeousness, as well as a treat for their customers and a chance to explore the possibilities of fragrance combination.

Last up, I can’t write about home fragrance without mentioning Bella Freud’s Loving Candle, which smells as unique as it looks. In store now at Mecca Cosmetica, it is a heady fragrance made up of tuberose with warming amber and sandalwood, and is rumoured to be inspired by any number of raunchy, 70s, free-loving femme fatales. Freud has long been one of my favourite designers, and her slightly punk aesthetic comes through in the candle’s super-cool looking vessel, which will sit perfectly on any vanity or bedside table. What’s more, the jar itself makes a gorgeous vase, pen pot or coin collector after its contents have been lovingly inhaled.

PN (HELENE RAVLICH) F

For a truly luxe home fragrancing option, you simply can’t go past the Diptyque Baise Hourglass Diffuser, which it has with the iconic French brand’s bestselling and universally loved Baies scent. Created in glass but adorned with a metal body, the elegant diffuser has been crafted in a sleek hourglass shape so it not only ticks the functional boxes, but also possesses a really rather aesthetically pleasing, sexy form

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING GET YOUR WELLBEING IN BALANCE @ SWEET7 There’s more to fitness than that elusive six-pack, the ability to tone and build muscle or run a marathon it's also the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of the individual.

At Sweet7, Ponsonby’s newest training studio, the focus is on the whole package; how people sleep and eat, their stress levels, their thoughts and general approach to life.

This philosophy is at the core of Sweet7, and is what sets the practice apart from other health and fitness studios. Sweet7 empowers you to achieve your health goals by focusing on seven key components: movement, thoughts, sleep, nutrition, hydration, community and breathing. In order to feel your best, the team at Sweet7 believes these seven principles need to be in balance. Once you get that balance right, your physical condition as well as your mental and emotional wellbeing will be, well, sweet.

The unique practice combines strength and postural conditioning, integrative nutrition as well as physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Situated on Brown Street, Sweet7 is also one of the only studios in New Zealand to offer ELDOA classes, specific spinal decompression exercises which create space and alignment in the spine and pelvis.

Led by physiotherapist Suzi Nevell and personal trainer/nutritionist Emma Brake, the team at Sweet7 brings a wealth of experience and professional expertise to their clients. They’re more than just qualified - each has had their fair share of wellbeing woes; experiences which have lead them to understand the integrated nature of health. Making that initial change towards a broader, more integrated approach to wellness takes time but the benefits can be life changing. If you’re committed, the team at Sweet7 will help you get back to your best. For all enquiries call Emma 021 805 434.

SWEET7, 58 Brown Street, info@sweet7.co.nz, www.sweet7.co.nz

L to R: Suzi Nevell, Emma Brake and Shayne Mason

You think therefore you are.

But the positive and negative thoughts that you choose to have impact every aspect of your life, health and wellbeing; your interactions with others, your emotional state, your life path, your ability to succeed in your goals. As Shakespeare wrote, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”

An average adult has 60,000 thoughts per day. Keep a tally of how many negative vs positive thoughts you have in one day.

The result may shock you.

GET BACK TO BEING YOU Let us help you achieve your health goals through a unique balance of physiotherapy (ACC registered), nutrition, strength and postural conditioning.

Pop in or call to talk to us about a free assessment.

58 Brown St, Ponsonby, info@sweet7.co.nz, sweet7.co.nz For all enquiries call Emma 021 805 434

60,000 Thoughts

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CARING PROFESSIONAL Sheran Marra Marra is a registered naturopath and medical herbalist, who also works in nutrition and iridology.

Marra completed her training in 1992 at the South Pacific College of Natural Medicine.

Marra has since has done further study in both natural fertility management with Francesca Naish, as well as clinical iridology. She has lived in Grey Lynn for 35 years.

“I approach natural health with passion and commitment, and encourage a holistic approach to my patients’ health requirements that includes herbal medicine, supplements and nutritional and lifestyle advice. I like to provide a safe and supportive partnership to my patients as a background to addressing their health needs.”

How did you come to be a naturopath?

When I was young I became interested in natural health and in treating myself. I realised that drugs weren’t always the answer, that it was my body I was putting things into and that I was responsible for it. While I was travelling in Africa in the 1980s I got amoebic dysentery. I had taken a large bag of kelp to travel with, and this, combined with Coca Cola, gave me the electrolytes and sugar I needed for rehydration. After 10 days I was completely clear of symptoms. I did see a doctor during this time, who told me to continue what I was doing as I was through the worst. It was an inspiring moment for me.

I became a firm believer that food is your medicine or your poison (although it did take me a while to wean myself off the Coke!). On my return to New Zealand I heard about the naturopathic college in Ellerslie and from then on I was studying there, and fulfilling my love of natural health.

What do you love about your job?

I am passionate about what I do and believe most people can help themselves if they are given some tools to work with. I always support and guide my patients towards helping themselves and realising their health goals. We work together towards their wellbeing.

What do you find challenging?

Sometimes the patient and I have to persevere together to overcome difficulties with their health. I encourage them to do what is right for them and to work with what feels comfortable. Sometimes results can be slow to start with, but natural medicine is a process of strengthening and balancing the body and its functions (the immune system, the endocrine system, and so on), and it can take time. This is true for my own health challenges too.

How do you differ from other practitioners?

I love herbs, nutrition and iridology, so they are what I work with mostly. But it is what the patient is needing support with that is the most important. Sometimes they don’t really know what they are wanting or where to start. I can work with them and get to the underlying cause of what is troubling them. It can even be very simple. For example, it could be just a matter of changing the foods they eat and when and how they eat them.

Can your share an anecdote about a case?

I had a fertility patient who also had endometriosis (revealed by laparoscopy), accompanied by severe pain and diarrhoea with her period. She had been trying to

conceive for four years. Her partner had an auto-immune skin disease that wasn’t being treated, and they had had a miscarriage two years previously. We started with a detoxification regime for them both for eight weeks, and then brought in antioxidants and minerals to reduce inflammation. We used osteopathy for her congested pelvic area. The pain was addressed with herbs and supplements. She became pregnant quite quickly but sadly miscarried again due to a chromosomal problem.

I continued supporting the immune systems of both partners with supplements to reduce inflammation, and they went on a gluten-free diet to further calm their immune systems. For her, this also helped reduce severe bowel pain. They had to travel overseas at this point for family reasons, but continued their herbal and supplement regime for the three months they were away. Over this time her pain was continuing to reduce and she was beginning to notice abundant fertile mucous at ovulation, followed by a good temperature rise. Three months after their return she was pregnant. I continued to support her in the pregnancy for blood sugar issues and some cramping later in the pregnancy, and she gave birth to a very healthy and bouncing baby boy.

Another simple case was a client who came in with raw, red and very painful peeling skin on her hands. She had tried many different external medications without success. I put her on a liver support regime with some herbal supplements, and we changed her diet and some aspects of her lifestyle. In a few weeks there was such an improvement that she couldn’t believe it! She continued with the treatment for a few more weeks, until her skin was completely clear.

What do you do to care for yourself?

I try to practice what I preach, within reason of course! I walk three to five times a week and do Qi Gong once or twice a week for stretching and breathing. When I am feeling out of balance I see an osteopath and an acupuncturist, and also a homeopath if I need to. I love gardening and have wonderful friends and family who support my emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

What is your advice to people seeking natural therapy treatment?

Look for what feels right to you. Find out what modalities the natural therapist practices in, and whether you can work together to restore and support your health. Always remember that food can be your medicine or your poison, and most important of all, that it is your body.

SHERAN MARRA, 31 Millais Street, Grey Lynn, T: 09 376 1749, www.sheranmarra.co.nz

Clothing Alterations

Alter Ego Roong T: 09 376 8689

M: 021 032 9128

182-4a Jervois Road, Herne Bay E: ra_cha29@yahoo.com “I get all my bits & pieces done by the smiling helpful Roong... and she’s got Eftpos = sorted...” MARTIN LEACH

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING

PUTTIN ON THE GLITZ Get your glad rags on! Home and Family Counselling is ‘Puttin’ on the Glitz’, for one night only, in the gorgeous grand foyer of Auckland Museum.

There are many powerful and positive stories about the mental health impact and wellbeing that can result from counselling. Many single mothers and working parents seek assistance regarding multiple issues around housing, finances, poverty, grief and loss, family relationships, separation and abuse. Often they find themselves trapped in a downward spiral of negative issues which they feel are insurmountable. This in turn can trigger a range of mental health issues that if unresolved can become destructive to the whole family.

There will be some absolutely stellar performers, such as Boh Runga, who are donating their performance for the fundraiser. The spotlight will be on two special young people who will really capture your heart with their live performances. Supported by Mike Chunn (Split Enz, Citizen Band) and Play It Strange, the event will feature Campbell MacKenzie, from Auckland Grammar who will perform his own song ‘What We’ve Always Done’ and Chess Wilson from Epsom Girls Grammar who will perform ‘Let Me Go’.

No one has ever been turned away from Home and Family Counselling’s door, so they are having a fundraiser to support after-hours counselling for low-income families. The aim is to raise enough to fund 320 afterhours counselling sessions for this at-risk group in our community. The list of fundraising auction items is growing and already features some fantastic objects including an item signed by Sir Paul McCartney and a holiday in a winery in Australia’s Hunter Valley.

Event: Where:

‘Puttin’ on the Glitz’ Grand Foyer, Auckland Musuem, The Domain When: 7pm - 11pm, Tuesday 17 October 2017 Tickets: $200 each including bubbles on arrival, all drinks, dinner, dessert and cheese Dress Code: Lounge suit/cocktail Tickets available via www.homeandfamily.org.nz

AUCKLANDERS JUMP ON THEIR BIKES Aucklanders are ditching their cars in big numbers and jumping on their bikes to work, study, public transport and the shops.

New research from Auckland Transport shows that 35% of Aucklanders are now cycling, an increase of 15% since 2014. There are also more young people and women adopting pedal power to keep fit, beat the traffic and save money.

Manager for Walking, Cycling and Road Safety Kathryn King says she is not surprised to see Auckland follow what is a worldwide trend.

“Great cities of the world like ours are changing as they stretch to accommodate more people and those people become more conscious of both their own health and the wellbeing of their community. We now have several years of intense infrastructure building and changing behaviours under our belt and we are seeing the results with a normalisation of cycling.

“In 2015 AT and the New Zealand Transport Agency agreed on a $200 million package of funding to transform Auckland into a city for bikes. This week we agreed

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

we needed to extend our programme until 2019 as we are still working on what is a massive package of new cycling infrastructure for the city accompanied by a whole range of activities to get people on bikes. The Government is investing $333 million across New Zealand through the Urban Cycleways Programme, to encourage cycling in the country’s main urban centres.”

More than half of Aucklanders (53%) say that a lot is being done to improve the state of cycling which Ms King says is the result of the fast development of a good quality network of cycle ways. “In the past couple of years we have opened new networks in Mt Roskill, Mangere, Grey Lynn and Sandringham and we are now building the last parts of the city centre loop. By next year people will be able to cycle the full city centre loop and we know that this kind of connectivity translates into what we are seeing - Auckland becoming a city for bikes.” https://at.govt.nz/media/1973938/at-active-modes-2017.pdf

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CLARE CALDWELL: THE ART OF LIVING Recently I read an article that really resonates with me and how I view my art practice.

“The purpose of art is not to produce a product. The purpose of art is to produce thinking. The secret is not the mechanics or technical skill that create art - but the process of introspection and different levels of contemplation that generate it. Once you can learn to embrace this process, your creative potential is limitless.

“Artwork should be an active verb (a lens by which to view the world), not a passive noun (a painting that sits dormant in a gallery). Creativity lies not in the done but in the doing.

Art is active and incomplete. Always shifting. Always becoming. Art is a sneak peak into the future of potential, of what could be. Not a past result of what has already been done. Art is a process not a product.

In the fine arts arena, if the work has integrity and depth, there are a myriad of thoughts that are simultaneously embraced and rejected by an artist in the creation of just one piece of art.

If the purpose of creating art is to produce thinking, then the challenge must also go out to the viewing public. Standing in front of this work will correspondingly inspire and stimulate them into deep introspection and contemplation.

Art is not about eye candy or slavish representation. It should stimulate both the maker and the viewer

“Art is a human act. Art is risky. Generous. Courageous. Provocative”. (ERIK WAHL)

PN Thus the cycle is complete. (CLARE CALDWELL) F

I wrote the first paragraph on the whiteboard in my art class at the City Mission. It was met with mixed reactions of interest, bewilderment and passionate empathy.

Clare (Claudie) Caldwell is a creative arts therapist who runs a small private practice from home. She currently runs an art and art as therapy class at Auckland City Mission.

She is also a freelance artist.

The most passionate response to date was actually from visiting artist Evan Woodruffe!

I had invited him to come and talk to the class and share some of his lovely work with them. He duly came and inspired, guided and encouraged a range of differing participants one Tuesday in July.

Enquiries: T: 09 836 3618; M: 021 293 3171; E: clare.e.caldwell@gmail.com

I know my students and know they really enjoyed and responded well. They said afterwards how much they had enjoyed his input and ideas. We plan to do it again soon.

For some of the artists in my class, the act of art-making is intuitive and spontaneous.

For others, it is measured and planned in advance.

Whatever the preferred process, the outcome is the same: art produces thinking. In my class, where it is as much a psycho-social as fine arts or art therapy arena, the therapeutic process of being creative is also realised all too well. They know this is where healing and transformational energies can begin. Intimate conversations are had across the art table in an atmosphere of trust, aroha and wonderfully supportive camaraderie. Doing art facilitates these sharings and revelations as it gently massages our unconscious from the inside out. Thus the process as well as the product can be “risky; generous; courageous and provocative”, as well as “active, incomplete and always shifting”.

LGBT COMMUNITY STALWART PAUL HEARD LGBT community stalwart Paul Heard is moving on from Auckland. His business partner (and former partner) Alan Granville writes about the man.

I met Paul soon after I first arrived in New Zealand back in 2004. I'd see him at Urge Bar on K'Road, we'd get drunk and talk crap. Well, I'd talk crap mostly, Paul was more the listening kind. We fell in love, ended up buying the bar we met in, and then spent eight great years together as partners. It is safe to say I know the guy pretty well.

I don't think I have ever met a more selfless person - he genuinely cares for people, he has a huge desire to help, and an ability to help fix or sort out any problems. Issue with a car? He can fix it. Having relationship strife? He offers sage advice. Need help in the kitchen? He can whip up something tasty in minutes.

Paul has become a 'go to' guy for many within the community and his work as a Community Engagement Coordinator at the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF) in Freemans Bay for over seven years only amplified that.

This ability to help does not come without personal cost sometimes, and through the years there are times when even the most patient of men struggle. After a third time of being assaulted on K'Road he lashed out on social media, and these words and the subsequent backlash to an article by a 'community' rag have had a huge impact on the Paul I know and care for.

A moment of anger and a poor choice of words should not define the man or undermine the massive good that Paul has done within the community.

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He has helped raise around $100,000 for a variety of charities over the years, including the past six Big Gay Outs at Coyle Park when all profits raised from the bars he ran were distributed to the NZAF. A huge range of charities have benefited from the fundraising including OUTLine, the SPCA, Cartier Trust, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Diabetes NZ and more - the list is pretty massive. As part of his job at the NZAF, he was also instrumental in the continued healthcare of the gay community and the distribution of hundreds of thousands of condoms around New Zealand.

Paul also helped organise a vigil after the Orlando shooting massacre at the Pulse nightclub and a recent protest against the treatment of LGBT in Chechnya.

Paul is saying goodbye to Auckland for a while. He isn't going far but is taking a well deserved time out to stay with family down in the Firth of Thames. I know I am far from alone in saying 'kia kaha' Paul - you are loved by so many. (ALAN GRANVILLE) F PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

MEET THE TEACHER Anna Black - Ponsy Kids Community Preschool How did you come to be a preschool teacher?

A friend worked at a local Montessori preschool in my home town. She asked if I would be interested in some relief teaching as they were short staffed. I absolutely loved it and after a year or so decided to get my degree.

Where did you train?

University of Otago in Dunedin.

What brought you to your current school?

The community-based, not-for-profit model really appealed to me, as well as the high teacher:child ratio, which makes for a more relaxed, child-focused environment.

What are your favourite things about being a teacher?

Every day is different; being part of the children’s growth and development; both having conversations with the children and listening to their conversations.

What has been a highlight of your teaching career?

Reading the thank you cards we often get from parents is always a highlight and having the opportunity to teach alongside a team of ladies who have genuine love and patience for each child.

What has been a low point of teaching career?

The National Government’s lack of funding within the education sector.

How would your head teacher describe you?

Hard working, very tidy, ”just like me!” Super-patient and very nurturing. Supportive and willing to give anything a try.

How would other teachers describe you?

“Friendly, welcoming, and incredibly supportive of the children, colleagues and whanau.”

How would the children describe you?

“I like Anna because she builds magnets with me.” “I like Anna’s hair.” “She loves us.”

“We like playing with her.”

FUTURE GENERATION DOUBLE HAPPY HOODIES: MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR KIDS IN POVERTY Born in Grey Lynn, Double Happy is a “Wear One, Share One” initiative to help keep Kiwi kids warm this winter.

The concept is simple: buy a Double Happy Hoodie for your child, and the company will give a second hoodie to a child at a low -decile school.

With recent statistics showing nearly 300,000 Kiwi kids are living in poverty, sisters Sonya and Paulette Cotter decided they wanted to help. The pair talked to several primary school principals to better understand the needs of these children.

While the principals agreed there were already some great initiatives underway to provide basics such as footwear and raincoats, they also raised the hidden issue of sickness and absenteeism. They told the Cotters that a lack of warm clothing continued to cause health issues for their pupils, and impacted attendance.

Enter Double Happy ‘Wear One, Share One’ Hoodies: priced at $49.95, every order buys two hoodies: one for your child and one for a child in need. The hoodies are New Zealand designed, ethically made, and hardwearing in 65% cotton, 35% polyester anti-pill fleece.

If you don’t know any kids those ages (6, 8, 10, 12) but would still love to help, you can order a Double Happy Double-Up, and we’ll give away two hoodies to kids in need.

If you could wave a magic wand in your classroom...

We would never have to say goodbye to our children and their families!

Donated Double Happy hoodies go to those who need them most, and in the correct sizes, too. The donated hoodies do not have a graphic on them, so will fit right into the school uniform, with no stigma attached. F PN

Five tips for mums and dads of preschool children:

www.doublehappykids.co.nz

1. Read, read, read! Reading to/with your child develops early literacy skills, knowledge, and imagination.

2. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Pick your battles.

3. Be present and communicate with your child. They will value this more than anything else.

4. Do your research when choosing a preschool for your child.

5. Encourage your child to be confident and socially competent, as this sets the foundation for learning.

PONSY KIDS, 20 Ponsonby Terrace, T: (09) 376 0896, www.ponsonbycommunity.org.nz/PonsyKidsPreschool.aspx The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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BILLY HARRIS: KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY

In my day It’s hard for kids to understand that anyone over 30 was once a kid too. But we were kids just like kids today.

The community we lived in, however, was very different. Better or worse I don’t know. But certainly different.

In our world, we walked to and from school every day. No fear of strangers or catching cold back then. Rain or shine, my siblings and I walked the mile, mostly downhill, to Seatoun school, then home again at three. With just one cent, you could buy a handful of lollies to munch on the way home. After running around at play time and lunch time, we could afford the calories.

But not the tooth decay. We had a dentist on the school grounds, and with no anaesthetic, getting a filling was sheer torture. Some kids, when summoned, had to be dragged kicking and screaming by two older boys to the murder house. We went to secondary school by bike. There were two roads down the hill, and my brother and I would take one, and Dad the other in his car. It was a race to the bottom. There we were, tearing down the steep hill, travelling at a guess, 60km, without helmets.

In hindsight, madness. Saturday was soccer day. Without the sand -based or artificial surfaces, the games were often cancelled. But when they weren’t, I’d grab a soccer boot in each hand - thankfully slightly better boots than the plastic rugby boots I started in at age six, but nothing like the multi coloured, high-tech designs kids wear today - and run down the hill to the dairy. There we’d all pile into Mr Boyd’s station wagon - 12 kids bouncing around unharnessed travelling across town. Seat belts existed in the front seats of some cars, but there was no obligation to wear them.

On Sundays and summer nights we hung out with the kids in the neighbourhood. We’d roam around, riding our trolleys, building forts, collecting pine cones to sell, or playing on the big field up the road, which is now covered in houses. “Mum, we’re going out!” we’d call as we left. “Okay, be home for dinner,” she’d reply.

In the summer holidays, we’d often head up the coast to our batch in Raumati South.

We’d never heard of the ozone layer, but it worked just fine because day after day we’d be outside, shirtless, playing tennis, soccer, running up and down sand dunes. We didn’t worry about sunscreen, and we didn’t seem to get burned. We were at the beach a lot, with or without parents.

“Mum, I’m going for a swim,” I’d tell her. “Okay, see you soon,” and there I was, age 10, swimming and surfing in the waves with no adult or lifeguard in sight.

Afterwards, you needed to get the salt off. The shower was outside, with no pressure and no hot water. Cold water just fell on you from the nozzle overhead, leaving you covered in goosebumps for several minutes afterwards.

After the game, we’d stop off at a dairy and Mr Boyd would buy us all a Coke or Fanta, probably our only fizzy drink of the week.

In bad weather, stuck inside, we’d keep busy with board games. No iPhones or iPads. But we had TV, a black and white portable with dodgy reception, which we weren’t allowed on till 5pm. We had one channel to watch.

In the afternoon we’d watch the men’s team at Seatoun Park.

Smoking was popular and the clubrooms after the game looked like a heavy fog had made its way inside. The men would smoke and drink for hours while we kids would feast on sausages and secondhand smoke. Okay, and maybe another Coke. Drink driving must also have been prevalent because not many people phoned for taxis.

Any family with four kids is going to require some discipline. Mum’s common threat was to “knock our heads together”. Fortunately that never happened, but we did sometimes get the wooden spoon, which left a nice imprint on the back of your thigh. No lasting damage from that. The wonder is how we got through everything else in one piece.

(BILLY HARRIS) F PN

Kids don’t change. But times do. The author is second from left, in the second row down.

82 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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LOOK... WHO IS IN THE ZOO!

Zoo creating brighter future for giant taonga “Awesome” is how Auckland Zoo’s Don McFarlane describes a recent three-day weekend on The Noises’ Otata Island with colleague Kavi Chetty releasing 80 of Aotearoa’s largest giant weta species, the threatened weta punga.

Constant rain and long chilly nights trekking across the Hauraki Gulf island couldn’t dampen the spirits of ectotherms team leader Don, who, with interpretation coordinator Kavi was ecstatic to be celebrating a lot more than releasing these weta to a safe home in the wild.

Don explains: “This latest release was to bolster the first population we introduced here on Otata in June 2016. So Kavi and I also had some detective work to do - searching the island for evidence that last year’s weta punga have made it to adulthood.

“It took 30 intense hours over three nights, but we did it! We found two adult male weta punga in great breeding condition, proof that these stunning animals are thriving and likely breeding.

Last year, with DOC and local iwi blessing, the zoo collected a second founder population of 12 animals from Hauturu to diversify genetics and rear a new weta punga generation.

From these, the Ectotherms team has bred 1500 more animals that this summer will be released onto Hauraki Gulf islands - Tiritiri Matangi, Motuora, and The Noises’ Otata and Motuhorapapa.

Weta punga (Deinacrida heteracantha) Heavyweight champion: The weta punga is the largest of New Zealand’s 11 giant weta species and one of the world’s heaviest insects. Females are heaviest and can weigh up to 35g but the largest ever recorded female weighed 71g when full of eggs heavier than a house sparrow!

“Any eggs that go on to hatch will be the first generation of wild-born weta here. Tracking cards we put out across the island also seemed to capture adult footprints. This is the ultimate result and such an incredible thrill! Looking at just one of these animals tracking around in the forest represents such a long journey and so much hard work by so many people to get to this point. That’s what’s so awesome,” says Don. Since 2012, from 12 breeding animals collected from Hauturu/Little Barrier (the only place weta punga are today naturally found), the zoo has led a highly successful breedfor-release programme for these heavyweight forest taonga (treasure). To date, it’s involved releasing more than 2200 animals onto four predator-free Hauraki Gulf islands

“It puts these weta punga in essentially a ‘Charlie's Chocolate Factory’ with everything they could possibly need in easy reach to have the very best chance of survival,” says Don. For Kavi, whose day job is all about coming up with ways to engage visitors about the zoo’s animals and projects like the weta punga programme, getting stuck into fieldwork was a great change of pace and a great reminder of why he does what he does.

photography: Chris McLennan

Two of these islands - The Noises’ Otata and Motuhorapapa, just 25km, but worlds away from downtown Auckland, have been privately owned by the Neureuter family since 1933. Thanks to their wonderful care and guardianship, these islands are weta punga paradise, offering a great variety, quality and quantity of food plant species - everything from mahoe to Pseudopanax (five finger) and Coprosma repens.

Auckland Zoo’s male Bornean orangutan Charlie

World Orangutan Day Sat 19 August - Sun 20 August Saturday 19 August is World Orangutan Day and Auckland Zoo will be celebrating these precious great apes and would love you to join us.

“Between the constant rain, mud and long nights spent scanning the trees for nocturnal weta punga, it was definitely not a holiday but I came away recharged and with a renewed appreciation for our wildlife, and the amazing work our teams are doing every day,” says Kavi.

As part of our celebrations, on both Saturday 19 August and Sunday 20 August you can get along to our 12 noon orangutan encounter. This is a great opportunity to learn about these exceptionally clever primates that are 97% genetically the same as us!

“I also felt extremely fortunate to experience a part of Auckland’s natural heritage that most of us never get to see. These islands, just on our doorstep, are a glimpse at what Aotearoa once was, and hopefully could be again if we continue to invest in making conservation a priority.”

The destruction of their rainforest habitat in Borneo and Sumatra, primarily from illegal deforestation for palm oil plantations, remains the greatest threat to the survival of these now critically endangered primates. Come and discover how you can help them, just by choosing wisely when you shop. Full details at www.aucklandzoo.co.nz

L to R: Arrival at Otata Island, ready for a wet, weta-filled weekend; An adult weta punga. Ancestors of this giant invertebrate have been around for more than 190 million years, predating dinosaurs, and have changed little in this time; Don McFarlane observes a, weta punga in full defence mode, its back legs over the top of its head - its own unique yoga move, designed to ward off predators.

84 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FURRY AND FABULOUS - $500 PRIZE ANGELA BEER: ANIMAL LOVER

PETS AND PATS LUXURY DOG DAYCARE AND FARMSTAYS Welcome to Dog Disneyland, a 20-acre farm, 18 minutes from Ponsonby, where your dog can do as much or as little as they like, all in the safety of their own private, gated, secure, country estate. We pick up and drop off to your home/office.

Pricing from $40. Free $195 complimentary voucher for you to use for a no-obligation trial.

Daycare: We look after a small, discerning number of local families. We are like the private school of dog daycare. We have the largest and best facility in the country with the smallest numbers of dogs, the largest indoor and outdoor spaces and lots of one-on-one individual attention with our highly skilled staff. Kids can swim, play, unwind in our play paddocks, bushwalks, tennis courts, pool and cinema lounge.

Farmstays: We only have eight VIP guests staying per night and they sleep inside our luxury farmhouse with all the creature comforts they enjoy at home. When looking for care for your beloved pet, here are some questions I encourage parents to ask when interviewing potential places/services.

1. Ask how many dogs are in your facility/care?

2. Ask what is the staff to dog ratio and what qualifications do your staff have? So you can ensure your dog is getting quality one-on-one attention.

3. Ask what does my dog do in your care? Find out how much time is spent in cages or inside vs how much time exercising/playing, etc.

4. Ask what onsite care is available when my dog is with you. It’s not uncommon for some places when dogs are put to bed from 4pm to not have anyone living on site during the night. You should also ask how close is the nearest vet.

5. If using a dog walking service, ask where do you walk my dog, is it safe, how many dogs do you take out at a time, how long is my dog travelling in a vehicle for, what happens if there is an accident? Do you have insurance should anything happen to my dog or my home?

At Pets and Pats, we understand dogs are our best friends and cherished members of our family, they deserve nothing but the best. If you’d like to try the Pets and Pats experience, please call for your $195 free complimentary voucher. We look forward to welcoming you.

Dog HQ: Herne Bay; Country Estate: Dairy Flat. M: 021 539 699, angela@petsandpats.com facebook.com/petsandpats

SPCA - THINKING OF GETTING A PET? Please consider rescuing an animal in need and giving them a home for life. You’ll be rewarded with a lifetime of unconditional love from your new companion.

Jason

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PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS

Julian and his cat Alfred Julian is 12 years old and has lived in the Ponsonby/Grey Lynn area since he was born.

He’s a pupil of Ponsonby Intermediate school, and loves bike riding around the area and exploring its parks. Julian tells Ponsonby News, “My other passions include animals and playing hockey. Most of all I enjoy spending time with Alfred, our cat.”

How old is Alfred? How long have you had him?

Alfred was born 18 February 2015, so around two and a half. We’ve had him for 18 months.

What breed is Alfred?

In his pet passport it says his breed is ‘OSH colour ginger’.

How did you come to choose Alfred?

Our previous cat Rita passed away and we wanted to find a new family member as we missed her so much. My parents found Alf on (cat rescue site) Gutter Kitties and we went and visited him and I loved him straight away.

How did Alfred get his name?

He was called Alf and we decided he suited Alfred. Sometimes we call him Waffles and Fred and quite a few other nicknames.

What is your favourite thing to do together?

Snuggle on the couch and play games running around the house.

Does Alfred have friends?

Oh yes, a girl friend in the corner house - a pretty white cat. He had a best friend too, also a ginger boy cat called Colin, but they moved not long ago, much to Alfred's disappointment. He loves nothing more then hanging on the footpath meeting anyone who will pat him.

What does Alfred like to eat?

He loves his food. I think his favourite is wet food and he lets you know when he's hungry.

We heard he was raised with chicken's so for a while we thought he didn't enjoy chicken but now he seems to eat everything. F PN www.gutterkitties.co.nz

SWEETEST EVENT OF THE YEAR SPCA Cup Cake Day - Monday 14 August

Calling all home bakers and cupcake connoisseurs! Do you want an opportunity to show off your skills and creativity? Join the SPCA for the sweetest event of the year and make a huge difference to the lives of thousands of animals in need by signing up here: www.spcacupcakeday.co.nz If you are looking for some inspiration for the day, check out this delicious recipe: Mallow Kitty Cupcakes Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 1 tsp baking powder 120ml whole milk 1 SPCA Blue Tick egg 12 medium pink marshmallows

cup caster sugar A pinch of salt 45g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract 200g mini marshmallows

Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) gas 2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.

3. Whisk the SPCA Blue Tick egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not over mix.

4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.

5. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

6. Put the medium marshmallows in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Leave until melted and smooth.

7. When the cupcakes are cold, hollow out a small section in the centre of each one and fill with a dollop of melted marshmallow. Leave to cool.

8. Stir the mini marshmallows into the vanilla frosting by hand until evenly dispersed.

9. Spoon the frosting on top of the cupcakes and decorate with fondant kittens.

PN 10. Let cool completely before adding fondant. F

86 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS: METROLAW GOT A LEGAL QUESTION? ASK MICHAEL@METROLAW.CO.NZ

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 long-time friend Julia and I decided to start up our own jewellery business two years ago as we both had a penchant for sparkly things and thought we could share our passion with the rest of Ponsonby. We initially signed an agreement to lease for our premises but then I got cold feet and decided that the business wasn’t for me. Julia decided to carry on but as I predicted, the business hasn’t been very successful and Julia is having trouble paying the rent for the premises. She is saying that I am liable for the rent too, but I’m not even part of the business any longer. Is she right?

A:

An agreement to lease is a preliminary document that is signed between the tenants and landlord before they enter into a lease for a commercial property.

It is a binding document that outlines the basic details of the lease such as the term of the lease, the amount of the rent, a brief description of the premises and any other terms of conditions the parties have agreed.

However, the agreement to lease also contains a term agreeing that you will enter into a formal deed of lease and be bound by those terms. This means is that even if you only sign the agreement to lease, if you sign on as a guarantor, you are liable for the rent for the premises, even if a deed of lease is never signed. This applies to all of the other usual obligations under a deed of lease. The Deed of Lease looks is a much more formidable document.

The agreement to lease that you and Julia have signed is binding as between you and the landlord. Even if you no longer have any part of the jewellery business, if you have signed the agreement to lease as a guarantor then you are also liable for the payment of the rent and the outgoings.

It is important not only to ask your commercial lawyer to review the agreement to lease before it is signed but also request a copy of the form of deed of lease so that you have some warning as to the other terms to which you are going to be bound.

The agreement to lease is intended to be temporarily in place until a full deed of lease is executed. It is quite common for parties to continue to run the lease of the premises under the agreement to lease sometimes to avoid the further costs of documenting a formal deed of lease. These costs would often be borne by the tenant.

This might not be the advice that you were expecting but please let me know if you need any help. (MICHAEL HEMPHILL) F PN Disclaimer - this article is for general information purposes only. If you have a legal problem you should seek advice from a lawyer. Metro Law does not accept any liability other than to its clients and then only when advice is sought on specific matters.

METRO LAW, Level 1, 169A Ponsonby Road, T: 09 929 0800, www.metrolaw.co.nz

CAB, AN INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY ORGANISATION OFFERING FREE, CONFIDENTIAL ADVICE Citizens Advice Bureau is an independent community organisation offering a free, confidential and independent service of information, assistance and referral from 84 locations stretching from Northland to Invercargill.

Last year volunteers received over 540,000 enquiries on issues ranging from electricity, immigration, housing and employment to consumer rights, health and family.

Before you begin your new job, it’s important to read and understand your employment agreement, because this is a record of the conditions of your employment.

We get many questions from clients who are unsure of their employment rights, and often it turns out that they don’t have a written, signed employment agreement. What we are seeing suggests that employers who don’t provide employment agreements are also less likely to be meeting their other obligations, for example giving their employees pay information and making PAYE deductions.

It’s actually a legal requirement for an employer to give their employee a written copy of the employment agreement. Your agreement should specify details such as your hours of work, what your work duties will be, where you will do your work, your pay rate, leave entitlements and so on.

88 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

Any conditions in the agreement must meet minimum employment conditions. For example, it can’t specify a pay rate that is below the minimum wage, or provide for less than the minimum entitlements for leave. Once the agreement has been signed, any changes to it must be agreed to by both you and your employer.

If you think there might be a problem with your employment agreement, or you aren’t sure what you’re agreeing to come and see us at CAB Grey Lynn/Ponsonby, we are located in the Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Road. We can help you know your employment rights and work out what your options are if you aren’t getting what you’re entitled to. We’re open Monday to Friday 9am-4pm and Saturday 11am-12.30pm.

We also have information about employment rights on our website www.cab.org.nz.

You could also phone us on T: 09 376 0392 or toll free on 0800 367 222, or send us PN an email ponsonby@cab.org.nz F

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS: LOGAN GRANGER

2017 tax related highlights Election year budgets are first and foremost about talking and spending voters' money. They don’t create more, they reshuffle it.

On a more general note, the affair gives a good indication of the direction the Government wants to take the economy.

It is good to see that the Government is anticipating a larger surplus and that some of that spending will be spent in much needed areas including infrastructure, mental health and reducing over-crowding schools. Here were some of the tax -related highlights in this year’s Budget:

The Discussion Document proposes: • Feasibility Expenditure will be either immediately deductible or depreciable.

TAX CUTS Tax relief is on the way for the average New Zealander, with new tax brackets around the corner. The new brackets from 1 April 2018 will be:

This fixes an issue arising from a recent Supreme Court decision.

NEW BRACKET ($)

RATE

0-22,000

10.5%

22,000-52,000

17.5%

52,000-70,000

30%

70,000 and over

33%

The effect is a tax cut of up to $20.38 per week for everyone earning over $52,000 per annum. Unfortunately, this is only enough for one and a bit smashed avocados on toast each weekend.

BLACK HOLE EXPENDITURE In a Budget light on tax policy initiatives, a new Government discussion document 'Black hole and feasibility expenditure' was introduced.

• A deduction will now be available for expenditure that would have been deducted over time if the expenditure had been successful.

BASE EROSION AND PROFIT SHIFTING (BEPS) The Fiscal Strategy Report continues to endorse the current tax policy focus on: • Enhancements to Government’s broad-base, low-rate tax framework.

• Using Inland Revenue’s business transformation programme to modernise and simplify tax policy and tax administration settings, and • Dealing with issues relating to international tax and base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS).

The Government estimates $250 million of increased tax from large multinationals through to 31 March 2021. This reflects a number of measures relating to the taxation of multinational companies operating in New Zealand.

INDEPENDENT EARNER TAX CREDIT SCRAPPED The Independent Earner Tax Credit, which provided a tax

credit of up to $10 per week to those earning between $24,000 and $48,000 per annum, and were not receiving welfare or Working for Families tax credits, is to be scrapped from 1 April 2018. The combination of this and the tax cut package above means that those previously receiving the Independent Earner Tax Credit (who don’t have children) will only be better off to the tune of 77 cents per week.

WORKING FOR FAMILIES CHANGES In addition to tweaking the income tax thresholds, working parents will notice an increase in their working for families tax credits from 1 April next year. Those with a first child under 16 get a further maximum of $9 per week, and for each subsequent child under 16, between $18 and $27 a week. The proposals are to ensure the parents of those children aged between 0 and 15 receive the same amount as those with children aged between 16 and 18.

However, the trade-off is the income abatement threshold now reduces from $36,350 to $35,000, and the abatement rate goes up from 22.5% to 25%. The proposals will affect approximately 300,000 New Zealand families, they will give it the thumbs up. Invariably there will be many situations which will be debateable and where professional judgement and advice will need to be obtained. We strongly recommend seeking the advice of a professional should the above tax law changes affect you. (LOGAN GRANGER) F PN Disclaimer - While all care has been take, Johnston Associates Chartered Accountants Ltd and its staff accept no liability for the content of this article; always see your professional advisor before taking any action that you are unsure about.

JOHNSTON ASSOCIATES, 202 Ponsonby Road T: 09 361 6701, www.jacal.co.nz

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

@ DESIGN WAREHOUSE 1. Bianca Sofa The Bianca Sofa has a stunning design with innovative materials. This contemporary sofa includes beautifully tailored SunbrellaÂŽ cushions (as shown) as does all the deep seating collections at Design Warehouse.

2. Deco Tables Add style to your living space with these fabulous geometric side and coffee tables. The are lightweight, durable and add an impressive visual element to your space, indoors or out.

3. Mayo Chair The Mayo Relaxing Chair has an innovative design that combines a modern frame with a beautiful traditional weave. The low profile makes it very relaxing and the woven seat has just the right amount of comfort, so no cushion is needed. Shown here with the concrete Chess Side Table.

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DESIGN WAREHOUSE, 137/147 The Strand, Parnell, T: 09 377 7710, www.designwarehouse.co.nz

@ CARATS 1. Platinum and diamond engagement/ dress rings from Carats Life collection.

2. White and natural pink diamond rings.

Made in platinum and 18ct rose gold.

3. Features four multi-coloured 'carbonated' pendants. Made in 18ct gold including diamond, sapphire and ruby.

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CARATS, 25 Vulcan Lane, Auckland CBD, T: 09 309 5145, www.caratsjewellery.co.nz

90 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

MEET DAMON FEE: A LOCAL PAINTER Damon Fee is a Grey Lynn-based house painter. He is the director of AAA Painting Solutions and is a member of the NZ Master Painters Association.

How did you become a painter? My mother used to buy and renovate run-down villas and workmen’s cottages in the greater Ponsonby area. At an early age she put me to work, so renovating, painting and decorating has long been part of my life. Eventually it seemed sensible to make those tendencies official. I started my own company seven years ago after returning from 13 years living in London.

How long have you called Ponsonby home? Born in Grey Lynn and raised and schooled around Ponsonby, I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by the creative and ethnic mix of people that has made Ponsonby legendary - back when the centre of the universe was The Gluepot. These days I find satisfaction in seeing places I have painted around my neighbourhood. I also love that my four-year-old son is now growing up in the coolest part of Auckland too!

Where are favourite places? For eating out, I love Sidart, Mekong Baby, and Chop Chop in Ponsonby Central. The best takeaways is Happy’s in Westmere: I have been eating Chinese from there for as long as I can remember. My favourite cafes are Five Loaves and Dizengoff. For drinks, I go to Mr Toms, the Ponsonby Pool hall, Grand Central and Chapel. You can’t beat Grey Lynn Park in the summer - especially when a music or festival event is on!

Painting advice? Choosing a Master Painter can give you assurance that you will get quality workmanship, advice and protection. A Master Painter will make your investment PN look better and last longer. www.aucklandpainter.com F

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH

PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

91

Starting from $1,250,000

Waima Residences 6 Waima Street, Grey Lynn

3

3

2

“address your lifestyle”

STARTING FROM $1.25M

Brand new residences of timeless design and solid concrete construction.

VIEW Sat/Sun 12:00pm - 1:00pm ljhooker.co.nz/99XGUK

This upmarket development oozes quality and space throughout, European appliances and American Oak ߕRRULQJ WRJHWKHU ZLWK XS WR WKH PLQXWH LQWHOOLJHQW V\VWHPV DUH MXVW D IHZ RI WKH IHDWXUHV WKDW ZRXOG SOHDVH WKH PRVW discerning buyer.

7KHVH KRPHV UHߕHFW JUHDW YDOXH IRU PRQH\ LQ WKLV IDVW DSSUHFLDWLQJ ORFDWLRQ VR FORVH WR 3RQVRQE\ DQG WKH &%' Townhouses from 166m2 - 186m2.

Call today!

GREY LYNN 66B Sackville Street

CONTACT Darryl Pope Dee McDade Rowan Ma

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Could This Be Your New Haven?

Nicely tucked away is this spacious beautifully renovated 1920’s character bungalow, two lounges, a modern

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021 932 211 021 448 832 021 082 76149

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SET DATE OF SALE Wednesday 16 August 2017 (if not sold prior)

trendy kitchen and bathroom with double covered garaging and a visitors park.

It basks in all day sun, is great for entertaining and very affordable entry level buying into popular Grey Lynn just around the corner to West Lynn shops, Farro’s food barn and transport is up the road.

VIEW Phone for viewing times ljhooker.co.nz/9CBGUK

An excellent apartment alternative - NO BODY CORP FEES! CONTACT Steven Glucina 021 888 455 Dee McDade 021 448 832

CV $1,050,000 (July 2014)

LJ Hooker Ponsonby

|

190 Ponsonby Road

|

09 376 7530

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ponsonby@ljh.co.nz

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Ponsonby Estate Agents Limited

|

Licensed REAA 2008

FREEMANS BAY 1 Spring Street

5

Cash Cow OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS... To take this character villa onto the next level. A lot of the hard work has been done, re-piled with an updated kitchen and bathroom.

It’s beautifully positioned on a sunny north-west facing corner which provides loads of options to make some small improvements.

Main house is 4 bedrooms, 2 living and 2 bathrooms, plus a self contained fully furnished 1bedroom, I bathroom unit upstairs. It will be an ideal Airbnb.

Expected rental $1,300 plus a week. Opportunity to add value here in a great location.

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PRICE BY NEGOTIATION BUYERS $1.3M+ VIEW Phone for viewing times ljhooker.co.nz/9C9GUK CONTACT Steven Glucina 021 888 455 Dee McDade 021 448 832

Terms and conditions may apply.

Ponsonby

TWO MONTHS

Property Management

FREE MANAGEMENT When you sign up or switch to our premium property management service

Guaranteed Rent If your tenants won’t pay the rent, we will.

Competitive Management Fees We can match your current management fees.

Quarterly Inspections You can be sure your property is in good hands.

Contact Janine McCormick Half-yearly Rent Reviews

027 558 3221

We make sure you always get the best investment return.

LJ Hooker Ponsonby

|

190 Ponsonby Road

|

09 376 7530

|

ponsonby@ljh.co.nz

jmccormick.ponsonby@ljh.co.nz

|

Ponsonby Estate Agents Limited

|

Licensed REAA 2008

STREET NAMES: THE HISTORICAL BOROUGH OF PONSONBY AND GREY LYNN

Kirk Street Thomas Kirk was born in 1828, the son of Coventry nurseryman George Kirk and his wife, Sarah, a suffragette and florist.

Not surprisingly, he displayed a keen interest in botany. He married in 1850 and because of poor health and stretched finances the couple decided to emigrate to Auckland, arriving here in 1863. Kirk almost immediately started to collect botanical specimens. He prepared a set of ferns and plants for the New Zealand Exhibition in Dunedin in 1865.

Three years later he was meteorological observer in Auckland and in the same year appointed secretary of the Auckland Institute as well as taking on the position of curator, an office he filled for five years.

Kirk was indefatigable in his search for botanical specimens, writing and publishing papers on his discoveries. He visited Great and Little Barrier Islands, the east coast of Northland then southwards as far as Rotorua and Taupo. He also served as secretary and treasurer of the Acclimatisation Society, taught botany at the Auckland College and Grammar School and was elected fellow of the London Linnean Society. All in all, totally steeped in his early childhood interest.

His next move was to Wellington where he lectured in the natural sciences at Wellington College at the same time being affiliated to the University of Auckland. He was an excellent teacher, popular with both students and staff. So much so that when a royal commission decreed the separation of university and secondary education, the college raised funds to retain him for another year. He also joined the Wellington Philosophical Society, becoming president for one year. In 1881 he lectured in natural science at Lincoln School of Agriculture in Canterbury but it was a dispiriting time for Kirk because he couldn’t fine suitable housing and suffered poor health. In spite of these problems, he continued to collect botanical specimens in Arthur’s Pass, Banks Peninsula, Lake Wakatipu and Stewart Island.

In 1884 the government engaged him to report on the country’s indigenous forests and a year later he was appointed chief conservator. He eventually was appointed Chief Conservator of Forests. During his time in this role, he established the forest and agriculture branch of the Crown Lands Department and drew up regulations in order to reduce the wasteful use of forests and by 1888 he had organised the allocation of 800,000 acres as forest reserves. All this good work came to an end with the onslaught of the economic recession and a change of government.

with former students and fellow botanists. He contributed more than 130 papers to several journals and his most important published works apart from ‘Forest Flora of New Zealand’ were his report on the durability of New Zealand timbers and students Flora of New Zealand, which was published posthumously.

Thomas Kirk was impoverished when he died at Plimmerton on 8 March, 1898 and he was buried in an unmarked grave in Karori Cemetary, Wellington. He was survived by his wife Sarah and five of his nine children. Sarah was a well-known suffragette and temperance campaigner. It’s hard to fathom why he was so poor, after all, for more than three decades he had been the leader of botanical inquiry in his adopted country.

The incumbent president of the Otago Institute stated that "a message of sympathy has been sent to Mrs Kirk with the following resolution: that the council records its deep sense of the loss sustained by the colony in the death of the late Thomas Kirk, F.L.S. whose scientific labours have contributed so largely to the advancement of the study of botany in New Zealand." Despite appeals, Sarah was denied any compassion by the PN government. (DEIRDRE ROELANTS) F

Kirk was made redundant but this didn’t come into effect for three months, giving him time to complete his most notable publication, ‘Forest Flora of New Zealand’. The illustrations for the publication were done by the survey department’s draughtsmen but carried out under Kirk’s supervision.

For the rest of his life he retained his botanical interests, visiting Stewart Island, the Campbell and Antipodes Islands, then exploring headwaters of the Turakina and Rangitikei rivers. According to records, Kirk was a kind-hearted and magnanimous man with firm Christian convictions. He was a foundation member of the Wellington Baptist Church, serving as secretary and deacon for many years, and he was elected president of the Bapist Union of New Zealand. Though quiet and reserved, he had a winning persona that endeared him to his family and friends, and for 30 years he corresponded

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE PROPERTY MARKET Our Auckland property market has taken a breather, poised for the outcome of the General Election.

We've seen buyer hesitation many times before.

The Reserve Bank's monetary restrictions now require a 40% deposit for investors, has meant that many buyers have kept their wallets firmly in their pockets.

The banks are very selective with their lending decisions and have placed more hurdles for borrowers to jump over, especially if homes are monolithic clad, lack Code of Compliance Certificates or where there may be unconsented works carried out.

My advice to buyers is to do your homework and align yourself with a good mortgage broker to have finance approved well in advance, before you make an offer. Perhaps sell before you buy, or be prepared to consider long settlements as bridging finance is not easy to arrange.

Open home numbers are still strong, especially in the popular suburbs with good school zoning and where homes are well presented, there is still good demand and multiple offers are common.

Auction clearance rates have dropped, but we have maintained a 50% clearance with many selling a day or two later. Cash and unconditional offers are king in this market!

There are certainly changes compared to around nine months ago when the market peak occurred. However, if you buy and sell in the same market there should be no difference. If you are considering selling you need to call in the specialist agents with good track records who have worked through a challenging market several times. There is no substitute for experience!

We are now experiencing a normal property market but we can't honestly expect the 20% per annum increases to continue forever.

STEVEN GLUCINA, Principal, LJ Hooker Ponsonby and Sandringham. F PN

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Tricia Lafferty Trish Lafferty describes herself as a real estate matchmaker.

This year Trish is proud to celebrate 20 "incredibly fulfilling" years in an industry she is passionate about. She tells Ponsonby News, “I love homes and people in equal measure.

Friends ask me why I still want to work seven days a week, and the answer is always the same: I wouldn’t have remained in it, if it weren’t for the amazing people I have met.

I feel humbled to have been involved. Most of my ex-vendors are now wonderful friends.

I don’t sell houses, I match people to them. What a buzz.”

HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

Tell us about your partner?

Kym Aikin. She is my incredible business partner. I could not imagine real estate without her by my side.

Where do you live?

Freemans Bay. Do you have any children?

I have two step children aged 21 and 22.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, the most gorgeous Coco who insisted we take her in when she sat on our doorstep for four weeks, three years ago. She is our fur child.

Your best friend would say of you...

She said, “Honest, true and kind with a wicked sense of humour and the first person I would turn to in a crisis.”

Your mother would say of you…

Sadly Mum passed away in 2004 but I know she was proud that I was always true to myself and looked after others when they were in need.

What are your virtues?

Positivity and I’m hard working. Glass half full, never half empty sort of girl.

Which is your favourite Ponsonby restaurant?

Namo for Japanese, SPQR, Farina for excellent Italian and Blue Breeze, all firm favourites.

Favourite Ponsonby fashion label?

Karen Walker (sold her home, wink).

Vices?

Gave up drinking and smoking six years ago so now I am practically a saint.

Your best kept Ponsonby secret?

I have been known to go to the dairy in Three Lamps to get milk in my slippers with my PJs under my coat.

Who's your ultimate rock icon?

Although not a real rock chick, I would say Prince.

What's inspired you recently?

Each day I wake up and am inspired by those who think of others in need.

What’s your secret passion?

Photography. I secretly set up an Instagram account on the advice of a vendor who thought it would be a good avenue for my own photos. Up till recently I only had three followers! I am now confident for others to look at my work.

Your desert island distractions?

Reading, walking, swimming and music. No stress and no phone calls. Song - Simply the best by Tina Turner. I love movies with a passion. Mostly arthouse and those based on true events. Lion and Hidden Figures are examples from this year. Book - The Goldfinch

by Donna Tartt.

What's your secret talent?

Cleaning. I am a secret scrubber.

The house is on fire and your family is safe - what do you save?

My cat, Coco. Everything else is replaceable.

Where do you spend your holidays?

In New Zealand - Waiheke Island.

I'd be lost without my...

Glasses, Kymmie and my best friend Deirdre.

What's your perfect Sunday?

It would be having the day off, as we work most Sundays. In a perfect world, a long walk, a delicious long lunch - all good for the soul.

What were you going to be when you grew up?

Still haven’t! Someone I could be proud of.

How did you come to be a real estate agent?

I was in the film and television industry prior to real estate. I left because I was no longer passionate. Someone said to me “What are your hobbies?” I said, “Going to open homes.” The rest is history and I have never looked back!

If you weren’t a real estate agent you’d be…?

An actor or singer. Problem is I can’t do either.

One thing you have learned about life is…

Be true to yourself. Be the best version of yourself. Always seek to improve and never think you know it all. Most importantly be kind to others.

Your advice to Ponsonby real estate buyers?

Buy a home you connect with. Forget the lists and buy with your heart. When you find the home you love - go for it. Don’t overstretch beyond what you can comfortably afford.

Your advice to Ponsonby real estate vendors?

Never list with anyone you don’t trust to look after your best interests at all times. Always ask others who they would recommend. This is not a market where you list your home with anyone other than a very experienced agent with a solid track record. Do your research. Trust your instincts and choose an agent carefully. F PN

TRICIA LAFFERTY at Ray White Ponsonby, 259 Ponsonby Road, M: 021 611 205, www.tricialafferty.raywhite.co.nz

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JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

To spray poisonous glyphosate or not? That is the question.

As I approach 80 years of age, I can smell bureaucracy a mile off. It can be impossible to deal with.

Sometimes the troublesome weeds in our parks and reserves need untangling and eradicating. Bureaucrats are the same.

I have been attempting to report on the continuing use of glyphosate (aka Roundup) for a couple of years now. Some activists in the field have been protesting its use for 20 years or more.

Hana Blackmore, member of the Weed Advisory Group, can give you chapter and verse the history of the strenuous efforts hundreds have put into this cause, without final resolution as we go to press.

As promised, I had a long and amicable meeting with Pippa Coom, Chair of the Waitemata Local Board, to clarify the board’s position, and the council and Auckland Transport roles.

Pippa Coom acknowledged that the 2013 Auckland Council Weed Management Policy has not been properly implemented by council.

She believes, however, that the appointment of a new contractor for parks from 1 July 2017, will be positive. The Weed Policy’s objectives include minimising agrichemical use and using best practice in weed management and vegetation control.

The new contractor, Ventia, has been charged, through KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) with reducing the use of glyphosate in our parks and reserves. Auckland Transport has a separate contractor for street berm control. Coom says AT have told her they don’t use glyphosate in Waitemata, but a non-toxic organic product called biosafe.

However, I must report that I have been told that there are proven examples of AT lacing their Bio-safe with glyphosate, in some parts of Auckland, including in the Ellerslie Town Centre where glyphosate has been banned for 30 years.

I am continuing to follow up with AT, who have not responded to my request for information.

Pippa Coom pointed me to the Waitemata Board’s statement of Tuesday 20 June 2017, the so-called Project 17 Auckland Council Maintenance Contracts, where the board said this about the use of agrichemicals like glyphosate.

17-21(b) The supplier shall adopt an agri-chemical minimisation approach to their work practices ... and will work with the Principal in reporting and reducing the amount of agri-chemicals used year on year.

17-21(f) The supplier must record and report all usage of agri-chemicals to the Principal in the format required by the Principal that may be amended from time to time.

So far so good? Well, no. Pippa Coom told me that Community Facilities (who manage the contractors) has not provided information about any quantities to go with those reduction proposals. She agrees we should have this information.

I completely accept that the Waitemata Local Board is sincere in its unanimous call for glyphosate use to be reduced, and finally eliminated.

There was hope. The council has indicated it will fund reductions in glyphosate use, for parks and reserves, whereas it previously said any board wanting to reduce or eliminate glyphosate had to fund

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

a replacement itself from its council allocated money. I hope Waitemata might take up the opportunity to fund the reduced amount needed to ban glyphosate.

Coom pointed out that noone wants indiscriminate use of glyphosate, but council insists that some difficult weeds may need targeting. It’s surely time to find alternative methods.

What we need, as a minimum, is that target quantities and reductions are spelled out. Minimise is a very vague term.

Coom’s assurance that contractors will be monitored year on year, means at least another year before any substantial report, and then not a meaningful one if no quantities are specified.

I asked Coom why Auckland Council will not ban glyphosate use.

Maybe cost she said after a short pause.

I don’t believe that cost is the major factor for not switching to alternative weed control methods. The United States Environmental Protection Agency sings from Monsanto’s song book. There is now evidence that Monsanto, the producer of Roundup, has actually hired scientists to write positive reports on glyphosate, which have been given to the EPA. The New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority takes its cue from its United States parent. Not surprisingly the New Zealand EPA still says glyphosate is unlikely to be carcinogenic.

I welcome the Waitemata Local Board’s resolve to ensure the Weed Management Policy is followed closely, and that they will monitor Ventia’s weed control methods, including a measured reduction in glyphosate use.

However, while the prevarication and obfuscation from AT goes on, proof is mounting that, not only cancer but a wide range of other health issues are caused by glyphosate, and the EPA is now widely regarded as an unreliable reporter.

Visiting United States Emeritus Professor Don Huber has been studying the effects of glyphosate for nearly 50 years.

In Grey Lynn last month Professor Huber listed birth defects, non -Hodgkin lymphoma, large intestine problems, endocrine disruption, infertility and dozens of other diseases with incontrovertible links to glyphosate. Monsanto has a perpetual campaign by its paid researchers to discredit those studies, but has recently been successfully sued by the State of California and, subject to appeal, must now label Roundup as ‘probably carcinogenic’, in California.

If, closer to home, we can prove that some bureaucrats are economical with the truth about its actual use in Auckland, and that they have been deliberately ignoring the Auckland Council Weed Management Policy guidelines, a people’s revolution may not be far away.

Keep up the pressure Waitemata Board, there are people out there who are paid to perpetuate the lie that glyphosate is safe.

Monsanto’s multi-billion dollar profits will not be surrendered easily.

PN (JOHN ELLIOTT) F

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

BEST CARE AND RETURN FOR YOUR INVESTMENT PROPERTY Tenancy Law Changes in the Pipeline In May 2017 the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill (No. 2) was introduced to Parliament. The bill is intended to correct a couple of issues that are very topical at present: damage caused by a tenant, and methamphetamine contamination. Also, the renting of unsuitable buildings for residential purposes is targeted.

These three changes will help to consolidate earlier law changes intended to make homes safer and healthier. We look forward to the passage of the bill through Parliament.

Tenant damage Tenants currently are not liable for damage which they cause unintentionally and which is covered by the property owner’s insurance. This results in a situation whereby the landlord can be left paying their insurance policy excess to cover the costs not met by the insurer. The proposed amendments will make a tenant liable for their landlord’s insurance excess, up to four weeks’ rent equivalent, for each incident of damage caused by carelessness. This will give a tenant an incentive to take care of the property, and the landlord to have appropriate insurance cover. Damage caused intentionally or by a criminal act is still the liability of the tenant, and the landlord is still responsible for fair wear and tear.

Meth testing standards released The long-awaited Standard (NZS 8510) for testing and decontamination of methamphetamine contaminated properties has been released. This standard adopts a single level of 1.5 micrograms of methamphetamine per 100 cm square of surface sampled, regardless whether a property was involved in the production or use of methamphetamine. It also specifies best-practice procedures, providing for

necessary decontamination while avoiding unnecessary costs and disruption for property owners and occupants.

Every landlord should become aware of the published Standard and the importance of a pretenancy baseline test. There are potential repercussions in insurance and tenancy matters if the requirements are not met.

Unsuitable properties There have been recent court decisions against landlords who have let unsuitable properties, such as garages, for residential tenancies. The bill gives the Tenancy Tribunal full jurisdiction for any premises occupied for residential purposes, regardless whether the occupation would be unlawful.

Professional property management companies such as Quinovic have the teams with the experience and knowledge to manage your property through these challenges and changes in legislation.

For free information on how Quinovic can provide you with the best care and return for your investment property and franchise opportunities in your area, go to www.quinovic.co.nz F PN

STYLE YOUR SPACE WITH CITTÀ This month Città launches a new home-styling service, Style Your Space.

Customers can choose from an in-store session free of charge or an at-home consultation for expert advice on how to style your space and create a new look at home with confidence.

In store The free in store styling session is a one-on-one consultation with a trained Città stylist.

Customers will get help exploring different looks to suit the interior taste and needs, as well as tips on how to pull a look together. This one hour session is available free of charge. However, bookings are recommended.

If a decision can’t be made on the spot, Città stylists can prepare a presentation detailing the looks created during the session to be shared with family and friends before choosing a favourite look for their home.

At home Perfect for large homes, multiple rooms, or even a home refresh for sale, Città At Home consultations cost $100 (fully refunded on purchases over $1000). Città’s stylists will scope out the space and define the customer’s unique needs, tastes and lifestyle before providing a presentation with recommendations.

For both the in-store and at-home service, customers are encouraged to share images of their current interior and Pinterest boards prior to the appointment to give an idea of their style and interior needs.

Città's stylish and affordable seasonal homewares designed in New Zealand and inspired by global destinations. From styling a sofa, to a complete home makeover - Città is here to help. F PN

CITTÀ GREY LYNN, 34 Westmoreland St West, Grey Lynn, T: (09) 972 9293, www.cittadesign.com/styling-enquiry

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Why you should reconsider managing your property…

Many people believe they can save money by managing their property themselves.

The problem is that many landlords are unaware of the risks they’re taking by not using a professional property manager.

With recent changes to the Residential Tenancy Act and with more changes proposed, it is increasingly difficult for landlords to keep track of the risks and increasing compliance requirements.

If you’re unsure how to navigate the legislative and compliance minefield while maximising your investment and return, then talk to Quinovic, the experts in property care and return.

At Quinovic, we have a nationwide network of 32 offices with almost 30 years of residential property management experience.

We aim to make owning a rental property more rewarding – personally and financially.

If that is your aim, then leave your home with the experts. Leave it with us.

To find out more get in touch today.

Call your local Quinovic office Whangarei 09-283-9873

Apartmentsonline 09-972-2824

Viaduct 09-302-1458

Greenlane 09-623-0319

Warkworth 09-973-5397

Ponsonby 09-360-8840

West Auckland 09-834-7490

Pukekohe 09-973-0979

North Harbour 09-448-5819

Parnell 09-373-4353

Mt Eden 09-373-4353

Kumeu 09-973-5527

www.quinovic.co.nz

HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

@ HOME INDUSTRY 1. Oval mirror and Tri side table This elegant oval mirror and side table is classic luxe style. Available in brass finish, proudly made in New Zealand.

2. Madison coffee table A stunning large over coffee table in brass finish with double glass top and shelf. Also available in nickel and matte black finish.

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3. Atlantic coffee table The luxe, large coffee table at its best, a must for elegant living spaces. Brass finish with marble top.

Also available in nickel and matte black finish.

4. Chelsea console A classic glamour console, brass and marble combo packs a real style punch.

All our products are hand made in New Zealand by local artisans.

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HOME INDUSTRY, 37 Mackelvie Street, T: 09 0378 6972, www.homeindustry.co.nz

ASHLEY TAIT’S MARKET WATCH “Last month was filled with excitement and celebrations after winning the America's Cup and selling some key properties.

"Although there is no denying the local property market has changed this year, with prices remaining steady and sales volumes slowing, but ever since the 'big win', interest in many properties has increased.

"During this time it’s important to choose a real estate agent that has experience in a quieter market as well as the right connections with potential purchasers. I am excited and interested to see how this win will affect our property market.” ASHLEY TAIT Ashley Tait has over 38 years' experience in real estate. He is organised, efficient and results driven, and has proven himself to be an honest and reliable person to work with when buying or selling a property.

Ashley's time in the real estate business has meant that he has been able to set up a large network of contacts. His wealth of knowledge of the greater Herne Bay and Ponsonby areas is exceptional. He is able to adapt to the many different needs of buyers and sellers in this area and beyond.

With an approachable and friendly manner, Ashley is often described as being a great listener and negotiator, and with the team at the Ponsonby office to support him, Ashley will get the results you need.

Are you interested in knowing how much your property could sell for in the current PN market? Send an email to a.tait@barfoot.co.nz for a free current market analysis. F

100 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

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INTRODUCING

HOME INDUSTRY

Solid brass round mirrors

Designed and handcrafted in New Zealand

Spencer console in blackened brass with honed marble top

Tiffany stools in antique brass

Timeless, refine modern classic

Alpha lounge chair grey Monument marble coffee table in blackened brass

37 Mackelvie Street Grey Lynn

tel 09 378 6972

www.homeindustry.co.nz

MILLY NOLAN: DESIGNER GIFTS

Recharge the batteries Cold winter weekends are the perfect excuse to stay at home and recharge the batteries - be it with a luxurious pampering night in, a slow morning with breakfast in bed or just kicking back on the couch with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea and cake. Here are our favourite nesting essentials to see you through the rest of winter.

1. Nkuku Lambswool Throw - $399 Large enough to cover two of you, this Nkuku lambswool throw will envelope you in its deliciously warm, soft cable knit weave.

2. The Goodnight Co. Silk Pillowcase - $90 Made of 100% mulberry silk, this pillowcase will be your best friend over winter - its soft texture helping you to have a good night's sleep every time your head hits the pillow.

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3. The Goodnight Co. Silk Sleep Mask - $50 This sleep mask promises to leave you glowing, refreshed and hydrated by fighting the signs of impurities, fine lines and wrinkles - and we can’t argue with that!

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4. Città Design Segment Tray - $80 Ideal for a leisurely breakfast in bed, this wooden serving tray is the perfect vessel for balancing a warming bowl of porridge and cup of tea without having to move too far.

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5. The Skin Kitchen Coconut and Vanilla Body Oil - $36 Kick the winter drys with this coconut and vanilla hydrating body oil. Suitable for all skin types it is intensely hydrating and will give your skin an instant luminous glow.

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6. Città Design Flint Coffee Cup Set - $120 The soft, scattered pattern of this coffee cup will look good in any kitchen and will also stand the test of time.

7. Menu Mini Kettle Teapot - $125 The new mini version of the ever popular Menu glass kettle teapot is the perfect size for tea for one or two. Best when paired with cake!

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8. The Caker Raspberry Coconut Cake Mix - $25 From our favourite local cake maker, The Caker, this delectable raspberry and coconut cake mix makes for the perfect afternoon tea treat on a winter’s day.

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PN (MILLY NOLAN) F

All products available at www.mildredandco.com

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IN STOCK

PORCELAIN SLABS 3000x1500x6mm

Wall Feature: PaciямБc Gris

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

HOW TO BEAT RISING HOME-BUILDING COSTS Take positive action and you could find building more satisfying than buying.

The decision to build is a big deal. With escalating land and material costs and a tight labour market, it seems would-be homeowners who venture down that particular real estate path are on the back foot. But it needn’t be that way. At Box™, we’ve spent more than a decade developing a business model that gives our clients the confidence of knowing how the end product will turn out - and how much it will cost.

One reason we can offer such certainty is that we are an all-in-one team of architects, designers, quantity surveyors and builders - so we work on projects as a wellcoordinated team.

Another reason is that we recognise the time-saving, waste-reducing benefits of off-site construction. When it comes to budgeting, bespoke is not bliss.

Some ideas to achieve your dream home within a fixed financial framework include:

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

Building smaller: Don’t get hooked on how much space you think you need based on what you may be living in currently. Flow, light, proportion and good design will change your perception.

Be clear on the contract: Fix as many of the home construction costs as you can.

Substantial earthworks are, generally speaking, the only item that cannot be fixed. Using a design-and-build company allows a more manageable, singular package.

Change your mind-set: Kiwis are sold on bespoke and very few realise the real possibilities of using a modular system and off-site construction. Houses can still be personalised but the efficiencies of building certain elements in a factory are significant.

Get together: Pooling financial resources with friends or relatives is a way to build the house you want, in a location you love. Many Box™ clients have teamed up with their parents to build a main house and a mini-me version. www.box.co.nz

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MY FAVOURITE ROOM

Kelly Bennett Bennett lives in Wanganui Avenue with his wife Jo Nicol, kids Lucas (14), Maia (11), dog Whiskey and the family’s two cats - Snowy and Panda. Kelly owns a corporate communications firm called One Plus One. Are you a long-time greater Ponsonby resident?

We moved to Clifton Road, Herne Bay, in the late 90s. We then went overseas to live and work in Europe for several years - where we spent time in London and Edinburgh. When we returned with our two children, we sold our house, then purchased this renovated villa, which we’ve lived in for over a decade. We love the neighbourhood and have no desire to live anywhere else - it’s absolutely perfect for us.

What do you call this room?

Like lots of old villas in the area, this one has been popped up and pushed back to maximise space - so this room is effectively a dining room and living room, all in one.

What do you use it for?

Sitting by the fire in winter, mainly. I like reading, so I do a lot of that

in this chair, but it’s also where we do lots of talking as a family and have an occasional dance with the kids.

Why is it your favourite room?

I like the way the light filters through during different times of the day, and the way the creeping plants outside have created a walled garden, which ensures privacy. When you sit here you can only see plants, our pool or the sky - and that’s it. Another element of this room that I really like is having our books around us, and of course the photographs and art that we’ve acquired randomly over the years.

What are your favourite things in the room?

Our antiquated B&O stereo, a painting by Allen Maddox we chose shortly after getting married and a new Peter Peryer photograph. F PN www.oneplusonegroup.co.nz

AUCKLAND PROPERTY PRICES RESPOND TO LOW SALES NUMBERS Lower sales numbers are finally having an effect on Auckland residential property sales prices.

“In June the average sales price was $913,606, a 3.1% fall on the average price for the previous three months, and only 0.6% higher than it was 12 months ago,” said Peter Thompson, Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson.

“The median price for the month was down 2.9% on the average median price for the previous three months and the same as it was for the same month last year.

“While prices invariably fall as we head into winter, June’s results confirm that prices are definitely falling.

“Monthly sales numbers have been below the previous year’s numbers for nine consecutive months, and that is finally having an effect on prices.

“What is positive for the market is that prices are edging down rather than falling rapidly, and at current prices still represent a good outcome for vendors.

“New listings last month at 1570 were relatively strong and the listing numbers at month end at 4297 were the same as the previous month.

“Total listings have not risen as sales numbers have fallen because some vendors have taken their property off the market.

“Taking property off the market when prices are not rising is a common trait in Auckland and will contribute to prices remaining stable through to September’s election.

“There was a good balance of sales across all price ranges in June with the sales numbers for property for under $750,000 representing 41% of all sales.

“291 sales or 34% of all sales were for property over $1 million and of these 39 or 4.6% were for property selling for over $2 million.

“In the Far North rural sales remain strong with demand for dairy farms remaining high.

“Sales numbers in June at 855 were down 3.5% on sales in May and down 26.8% on the number in June last year.

“Family buyers and developers continue to be active in the lifestyle and city fringe markets, with new listings in this rural category being lighter than normal.” F PN

“Sales for the month were their lowest in a June for seven years.

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HEIDI PADAIN: ENTERTAINMENT IN YOUR GARDEN I never thought I would say this, but entertaining the seed eaters is a lot more fun than I would have imagined.

I first began putting seed out a few months ago.

To be honest, I have more sparrows visiting than I would like; they're noisy, but fun to watch and very smart.

For the longest time, I had the misconception that the seed eaters would dominate and drive the other birds away; this hasn't been the case at all.

All our favourite native birds still visit, and our most dominant tui visitor has more birds to chase than ever. Admittedly, he becomes a little crazy at times. There are flashes of iridescent blue orbiting around the property among explosions of beige and white feathers. He catches up with none of them of course. He seems happy - busy, but happy.

There is a huge pine tree near our house. It is roughly 20m in height and 50m away.

If I put my 400mm lens on my camera, I can see the birds. For years, I've seen considerable numbers of chaffinch birds in this tree. The males are easier to spot than the females because of their colouring, but it's the female chaffinch that has me intrigued.

I finally managed to tease the chaffinch birds out of the pine tree. However, it took me a while to notice. The female chaffinch looks very much like a female sparrow. The notable differences are a pale stripe around the top of the eye. The eye almost resembles the human eye in its shape. They have white tips on their tail feathers, which are quite noticeable when the bird takes flight. The take-off is a very vertical almost jet propelled arrangement. Then, there is the behaviour. The female chaffinch is feisty to say the least!

They seem to be forever fighting among themselves. The only time I see collaboration is when a male chaffinch dares to encroach on their space. They gather and chase the poor male chaffinch away. I did some research on these birds and discovered that the males and females flock separately during the winter months, so perhaps I've witnessed a male chaffinch attempt to break the rules.

There are always a few standout characters on our deck. The latest frequent visitor is a spotted dove. We had a pair visiting for a while, but they have taken off and left this lonesome character behind. We've named the bird Almond because the dusky pink feathers remind us of almond milk. Almond isn't interested in fighting with the other birds. This dove will gently nudge the feathered brawlers to one side to get to the cup of seed and, much to the dismay of the other seed eaters, scoff the contents then hop into the cup and take a nap.

PN Yes, I really am enjoying the presence of these seed eaters. (HEIDI PADAIN) F

To see some of Heidi’s other photographic work go to www.flickr.com and type Heidi Padain into the search box, or you can contact Heidi by email hidihi@xtra.co.nz.

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So this is where all the beautiful flowers live...

Izzy & Rosie have set up in Ponsonby Central

ROSIE FROM ROSE TINTED FLOWERS HAS JOINED THE FAMILY AT PONSONBY CENTRAL, AND HER MUCH ANTICIPATED AND LOVED DESIGNS ARE ALREADY A HUGE HIT. SO HERE’S A LITTLE STORY OF HOW SHE AVOIDED LIFE AS A LAWYER TO BRING US BEAUTIFUL BOUQUETS. “The road to flowers didn’t run smoothly, I ditched a very shortlived law degree and started a ‘fun’ career in fashion and media overseas. Having grown up with a botanical mother, helping her bind bridal bouquets since I was small, it was inevitable that I would one day pursue the floral arts. So, growing tired of working for someone else’s dream, at the beginning of 2015, Rose Tinted Flowers was created, and still has the Cross Street studio where we still host flower crown and floral arranging workshops.

“We are proud to have opened our newest store at Ponsonby Central. Here you’ll find myself or Izzy creating bespoke bouquets which we deliver all across Auckland.

“On top of standard delivery service, we have created a flower subscription service, born from the fact that many of us love having fresh flowers at home and at work but often don’t have time to buy them.

“I believe that flowers are good for the soul, which is why I offer this great little service that brings you flowers weekly, fortnightly or monthly.”

You can find them at rosetintedflowers.com, facebook.com/RoseTintedFlowers, instagram.com/rose.tinted.flowers or at ponsonbycentral.co.nz/shop/rose-tinted-flowers

Rosie and Izzy x

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS ®

COAST AND SUNBRELLA BRAND FABRIC COAST is stocking Sunbrella brand fabric in cut lengths which are available in store and online.

The new upholstery range offered includes indoor/outdoor fabrics that are durable enough to withstand the harsh New Zealand climate but feel softer than ever.

So they are perfect for beach seats, squabs, throw cushions and even contain thermal properties for curtains and drapery.

The Sunbrella marine and upholstery grade ranges come in a wide variety of plains, stripes, textures and jacquards that can all be used for internal and external application.

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COAST’s August picks - blue and green should be seen! These hues are our current favourites for adding in a pop of colour.

1. Sunbrella furniture fabrics 2. Echo Midnight 3. Turquoise 4. Canvas Macaw 5. Fischer Lagoon COAST, 77 Ponsonby Road, www.coastnewzealand.com

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ARE YOU SELLING? ‘you can’t sell a secret... good marketing makes a difference every time’ www.ponsonbynews.co.nz

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

@ DAWSON & CO 1. Vanessa chair by Thomas Bina - RRP $3839 With its classic contemporary style, this beautiful lounge piece adds warmth and comfort to any interior.

2. Dedo leather chair by Gazzda - RRP $4249 In case you were looking for a comfortable, timeless lazy chair to serve you through your lifetime, the Dedo chair is made out of solid oak, is ergonomic, strong, light and has uncompromising design.

3. Saddle chair by Timothy Oulton - RRP from $4339 Made with meticulous craftmanship and materials inspired by traditional horse’s saddle, this piece is spectacular to behold. Complete with actual stirrups on each side and make of hand-finished and hand stitched leather, this chair is a stunning and truly special piece.

4. Cabana chair (Vagabond Black) by Timothy Oulton - RRP $2719 Inspired by relaxed outdoor lounging, the generously proportioned Cabana chair is clad in a choice of premium finishes, offset by rustic weathered oak legs.

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DAWSON & CO., 115 The Strand, Parnell and 38 Constellation Drive, Rosedale, T: 09 476 1121, www.dawsonandco.nz

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HEIRLOOM INTERIORS - NEW TO JERVOIS ROAD At the new store at Heirloom Interiors, the team is passionate about providing its valuable customers with furniture that can be handed down through the generations. Furniture that will last many, many years, not only through its quality craftsmanship but also because of its timeless design and the use of the highest quality fabrics and leathers.

Therefore, they have chosen Alexander and James as their premium supplier of sofas and chairs. Alexander & James are a British sofa manufacturer that is steeped in tradition with over 120 years of history but with a flair for leading the way in creative design and predicting future trends. Their furniture is created by upholstered furniture experts using the finest materials sourced from around the world.

All the wood comes from sustainable forests and the shapely legs are hand turned and polished to perfection. Fillings are super soft, mixing feather, foam and fiber and are tested to the highest of British standards.

The leathers used are only of the finest quality and are sourced from Europe and South America. The hides are completely natural and variations in the shade, grain and texture add to its charm. Each piece takes on a new character and is completely unique.

Please feel free to call into the new Ponsonby showroom, browse through the stunning new website www.heirloominteriors.co.nz or contact us for any further information that you may require. We look forward to seeing you.

HEIRLOOM INTERIORS, 14 Jervois Road, T: 09 378 1579, www.heirloominteriors.co.nz

@HEIRLOOM INTERIORS 1. Alexander & James Tobias Sofa two seater leather - sale price: $2790 2. Alexander & James two seater sofa velvet - sale price: $1190 3. Alexander & James Albert three seater sofa British wool/leather - sale price: $2250 1

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HEIRLOOM INTERIORS, 14 Jervois Road, T: 09 378 1579, www.heirloominteriors.co.nz

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

CALL FOR CURTAINS With winter in full force Auckland’s two curtain banks urgently need filling up with good quality secondhand curtains to be distributed to families in need.

Auckland has housing issues with lack of supply and poor quality so Auckland Council, the District Health Boards and Healthy Homes Initiatives Kainga Ora and AWHI are working together to improve the quality of homes to keep children well and out of hospital in this time of cold and illness.

The curtain banks wash, double line and size secondhand curtains to fit homes of families in need and will gladly use any donated curtain material or supplies.

So, if you have any curtains in good condition, curtain material or supplies, please go to the drop off at: Point Chevalier Community Centre, 18 Huia Road, Tuesdays 9am - 4.30pm, Wednesdays 9am - 6pm, Thursdays and Fridays 9am - 4.30pm. F PN www.ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/articles/news/2017/06/ call-for-curtains

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FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT

Debut album for Ciaran McMeeken I last spoke to Ciaran McMeeken two years ago before he released his EP Screaming Man. This coincided with a massive surge in concerts, opening slots and success for the Auckland, by way of Dunedin, by way of Arrowtown, musician.

Since then he has found himself opening for the likes of Avalanche City and Ronan Keating, plus he spent a stint in 2016 on a European writing tour in conjunction with Sony and Imagem Publishing. He went into the studio in late 2016 to record his debut album, made up of songs that he’d written on his journey to Europe and over the rollercoaster of his last couple of successful years.

I managed to grab some of Ciaran’s time in the lead up to the release of this self-titled debut album and his biggest headline tour to date.

Since we last spoke you've just been on the up and up.

Have you found yourself as a full-time musician now, or do you dabble in other bits and pieces to pay the rent?

Yes I know, I remember catching up at what used to be Good One [Douglas Street in Ponsonby] I miss that place. I used to work part-time at Crumb cafe in Grey Lynn and The Bassment rehearsal studio in Takapuna, which has also sadly closed down. I have been a full-time musician for the first time this year and it feels really good to be earning a living purely from your own music! It’s been a while coming and long may it continue.

A lot of the new album has been inspired by collaboration.

How did you find collaborating, opening up to others, sharing your personal songs and writing with them?

Yes, well interestingly I know a lot of people do struggle with this. Song writing is generally a really personal and vulnerable thing. To share that space with someone can be really confronting and daunting.

I personally love it and always have. From the very first writing session I had a couple of years a go, I have loved collaborating. It's so great to join forces and really work closely together to come up with something awesome that you both love. It often doesn’t work out in the sense that you get a great, useable song, but I always find a way to connect with the other person on some level or something to vibe on. I always learn something new.

It was a hard process to cut down so many songs to the 12 that finally made the album. Have the songs that made the cut got stories that include writers from Europe, are any of them the work of collaborations?

Yeah, there is a song on there called Spanish Steps that I wrote with a guy called Sam Taylor. When you boil it down the song is really about travelling through the journey of life and searching for a feeling of home. Sam and I really connected to this idea and we used Rome as a metaphor for home and the ‘Spanish Steps’ as a metaphor for the journey of life. It’s definitely one of my favourites on the album.

I’d say about 70% of the songs on the album are co-written and I wrote with a number of Kiwi artists including Carly Binding and Anna Coddington. I wrote nearly 40 songs on that song-writing trip to Europe last year with five of them making the album.

Do you still see yourself as a solo singer-songwriter or is the band becoming a more common occurrence?

Definitely moving towards the band more and more. I like playing by myself, don’t get me wrong, but there really is nothing like the energy of a band and taking the stage with your best friends, and playing songs you all love. It reminds me of my sporting days, the camaraderie and brotherhood is really awesome. Doing the solo

thing can be quite lonely up there on stage so it's nice to know that your bandmates have your back and you’re in it together.

Tell me about the recording process. You’re still working with Greg Haver who produced Screaming Man so how did this album come together in the studio?

I worked really close with Greg Haver on this album. We were talking about it and planning it for over two years and it was amazing to get in the studio with him for a month and craft this thing from the ground up. The songs were pretty much all there, we spent a week fine tuning the songs with the band and it all unfolded really naturally. There was a wonderful organic flow to this recording and it really was a magic time - all made possible by the incredible talented Nick Poortman, who I truly believe is the best engineer in this country.

You’re playing some very different shows these days, from large venues to small bars and concerts, do you love them all?

Totally! I mean every show is so different and it’s always my goal to connect with the audience no matter how big or small. There is definitely a huge buzz playing for a big audience on a big stage. Playing Vector Arena [Spark Arena] last year for Ronan Keating was an incredible experience and playing small living room shows or bar gigs is always really personal and intimate, which I love. I just love playing!

Who do you consider your mentors and influences?

Greg Haver has been a mentor of mine for the last couple of years.

He is so damn experienced and it is really amazing to have someone who really has been around the traps on your side you know?

I feel like he’s the Richie McCaw of the New Zealand music industry and I’m so grateful to work with him. The new album is really dynamic in terms of genre and there are definitely a lot of different flavours in there. I don’t exactly know where all of the influences came from to be honest. I guess it’s through working with lots of different people, it brings all sorts of colours out of you.

On the eve of Ciaran’s debut album release and headline tour, he’s very excited and itching to go!

Really excited for this one, particularly to get back down to Dunedin and the hometown Queenstown! It’s also been a dream of mine for a while now to play at Tuning Fork here in Auckland. So, yeah, bloody excited to get out there, hit the stage and share these songs.

(FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT) F PN Ciaran McMeeken’s self-titled debut album is out Friday 4 August.

Ciaran and his band perform at the Tuning Fork supported by alae on Thursday 10 August. Tickets from ticketmaster.co.nz.

Finn has a Bachelor of Science with honours degree, and is currently studying to become an Early Childhood Teacher. In his spare time, he is Programme Director for the Auckland Folk Festival and runs folk music website, www.secondhandnews.nz

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REAL ESTATE UPDATE: KAREN SPIRES

At home in the sun ‘Sunny’, ‘sun-drenched’, ‘light-filled’, sunshine is always considered a selling point for property. But how much value does an hour's sunshine really add to your final sale price? New research suggests 2.4%.

Investigating the value of sunshine for residential real estate, economic and public policy research institute Motu has released what they believe to be the first -ever research paper on the topic - with interesting implications for intensification.

The study sampled some 5000 recent property sales from Wellington’s metropolitan area, cross-referencing sales data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) with information relating to elevation, view span and direct sunlight exposure using topographical models from the Wellington City Council (WCC).

Interestingly, Wellington was chosen for its relatively small size, buoyant local economy and seemingly stable housing market. However, the city is also characterised by a number of hills and valleys, which ensure a large variability of sunlight exposure between homes in the same neighbourhood.

The research found that the average home surveyed had a value of $632,000 for 3.3 bedrooms and received 8.7 hours of direct sunlight every day across the year.

While some homes received just 3.7 hours of sunlight, others gained more than 11 - and the research concluded that home buyers were prepared to pay 2.4% of the home’s value for every hour of sunlight.

While most understand the value of warm, natural sunlight when selling a home, the study presents an interesting formula for developers increasingly coming under scrutiny amidst the plethora of new development sweeping Auckland City.

According to the research, the value of sunlight for this property at 48 Murdoch Road, Grey Lynn is $548,100.

The property is currently for sale asking $2.625 million “Developers themselves could also make use of this new information, in deciding how much to bid for land on which to develop, a developer must estimate the sale price of the ultimate property,” the study says.

“Consider a new multi-storey development that will block three hours of direct sunlight exposure per day (on average across the year) for two houses each valued at $1 million.

According to the research, the resulting loss in value to the home owners is in the order of $144,000.

“Instead of regulating building heights, the developer could reimburse each home-owner $72,000. In return

the developer would be otherwise unrestricted (for sunlight purposes) in the nature of development."

As the first study of its type, the research shows that almost everything is quantifiable, and while local councils have regulatory measures (height restrictions/requirements) in place to preserve a property’s right to sunshine and views, the shift to a price-based approach could have some merit amidst the city’s growing intensification.

The authors of the study ‘Valuing Sunshine’ are David Fleming, Arthur Grimes, Laurent LeBreton, David Mare and Peter Nunns from Motu. Thanks for reading.

(KAREN SPIRES) F PN

@ FREEDOM FURNITURE 1. Freedom Furniture Noho Occasional Octagonal Table in Marble & Gold - $299 Give your trinkets the home they deserve with the Noho occasional table - a gorgeous combination of white marble, gold and geometric design.

2. Freedom Furniture Lexi Armchair in Cosy Blush - $1299 Relax in style with Freedom’s Lexi armchair - a feature piece sure to bring a splash of life and colour to all interiors and one whose elegant aesthetic certainly doesn’t compromise on comfort.

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3. Freedom Furniture Hammered Drum Side Table - $399 Create a touch of opulence with the Hammered Drum side table - the luxurious sofa companion that adds sleekness and sophistication to any living space.

4. Freedom Furniture Parlour Coffee Table - $599 Juxtaposing stunning white marble against bold black steel, gather friends and family around the Parlour coffee table and watch its striking design steal the show.

Shop the collection 24/7 at www.freedomfurniture.co.nz or head into your local Newmarket, Sylvia Park, Westgate, Wairau Park or Albany store.

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ARTS + CULTURE ST MATTHEW’S CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Cellist Eliah Sakakushev-von Bismarck, performing Dohnányi’s Konzertstück OP 12 in D major 20 August - 2.30pm Sophisticated and elegant world citizen, cellist Eliah Sakakushev-von Bismarck lives in Westmere with his wife first violinist Caroline von Bismarck and daughter Hannah Floria.

John Madden - West 15 August - 2 September, Opening: 15 August 5pm-7pm John Madden translates the raw drama of the coastal landscape without contrivance: he matches the land’s ruggedness with his own rigorous approach. According to author Christopher Johnstone in Landscape Paintings of New Zealand, Madden’s works possess a “brooding, emotive character which typifies his very personal and painterly response to a land he never tires of painting.” Dominated by the Pararaha Ranges, the west coast of the Waitakeres is where Madden has tramped, explored, studied and painted for many years. West, is a further exploration of his surroundings in this show of new paintings. F PN Please contact rex@orexart.co.nz for details.

Eliah has had a versatile career as chamber musician, soloist, orchestra lead cellist and teacher, and has made numerous concert appearances in Europe, Israel, Brazil, Argentina, the United States, Russia, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

Of Eliah’s playing William Dart, NZ Herald’s music critic, said “Cellist Eliah Sakakushev-von Bismarck gave a rapturous performance. The Strauss was amiably lightweight and Sakakushev-von Bismarck, playing without a score, wove his sinuous lines through the orchestra web with elegance and the subtlest of rubato.”

SHOWING @ OREXART

OREXART, 15 Putiki Street, Arch Hill, T: 09 378 0588, www.orexart.co.nz

Elegant Cellist Eliah Sakakushev - von Bismarck

At age seven Bulgarian born Eliah went to the Special School for Musicians in his hometown Plovdiv. He followed that with studies in Vienna, Mannheim and Switzerland.

Amongst influential teachers were Russian cellists Victoria Yagling and M. Rostropovich.

Eliah plays a master cello by French luthier Leon Bernardel, made in Paris in 1899. www.eliahshai.com

Winter Dunes

Eliah recently launched the Emona Chamber Players, a flexible ensemble of New Zealand and internationally renowned musicians aiming to bring high-quality chamber music to New Zealand and Australian audiences.

St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra is a dedicated group of musicians whose high-quality music making brings their audiences much joy. (Gillian Ansell, NZ String Quartet). Their concerts play to full houses. Make sure you get there early.

Tickets: Eventfinda or door sales cash. Adults: $25, Concessions: $20, children under 12 free. F PN ST MATTHEW-IN-THE-CITY CHURCH corner Wellesley and Hobson Streets, www.smco.org.nz Lost In The Dunes

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ARTS + CULTURE

UPTOWN ART SCENE A gardener knows that to grow brilliant flowers you need a good base of compost; a garden is both dirty and glorious.

Cat Fooks’ second solo exhibition DIY at Anna Miles Gallery is a gloriously mucky show, an example of how to grow works of art from everyday detritus. Found objects are used as supports or embedded in the surface of Fooks’ works, then covered with thick, shiny skins of paint. Hoops of what look like giant macaroni slathered in verdant green skip along the top of a 70s mauve, which in turn mostly conceals a paint layer suspiciously reminiscent of fake animal print. Large plastic spheres in red and blue, which could once have belonged to a kitchen appliance or child’s toy, float over a frame within a frame, both covered in thick colour a la Howard Hodgkin.

Visitors tend to be polarised by these works. Some can’t stand the forceful materiality of what would normally be rubbish, here transformed by assembly and paint. Oh, and that paint - the bold colours of bad desserts and 70s fashion, applied with punk confidence.

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. What is very interesting is who has bought Fooks’ work, and there are a lot of red pins! A large portion of collectors here are artists themselves - high praise from one’s peers; and the curator at Sydney’s AGNSW Justin Paton calls it “a self-contained slab of the right stuff”.

Cat Fooks with her work DIY at Anna Miles Gallery

photography: Sam Hartnett

There’s obviously a lot of compost dug in at Cat Fooks’ Onehunga studio, and this year has seen a bumper crop of crazy variegated blooms. First in show!

(WILL PAYNT, STUDIO ART SUPPLIES) F PN

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ARTS + CULTURE ART SHOW WITH AN EDGE Mount Albert Grammar School Fine Art Show 18 - 20 August Friday Gala Evening 18 August, 6.30pm - 10pm

This year’s Mount Albert Grammar School Fine Art Show is bound to create a buzz with all the exciting new talent exhibiting. In fact over half of the artists this year are new to the show.

The dedicated Fine Art Show team has selected fabulous works from emerging artists and stunning new bodies of work from the more established and familiar names in New Zealand art.

Talented up and coming MAGS student art works in the form of small wood blocks, as well as larger canvas works and photography are also proudly displayed at the show.

Katie Brown - Black Aroha bottles

The event launches with the Friday Gala Evening and runs through the Saturday and Sunday.

The exclusive Gala Evening is the opportunity to have first viewing and pick of the art before the show opens to the general public over the weekend. Attracting art buyers and art aficionados, the Gala Evening is a vibrant event not to missed. Delicious canapés

Deborah Crowe - Florid and beverages are served throughout the evening, and live musical entertainment from a jazz band provides a party atmosphere. Be sure to go along and enjoy this visual extravaganza of art. F PN The ticket price is $45 per person and can be purchased at www.iticket.co.nz

@ RANGATIRA - Q THEATRE Produced by Silo Theatre The Milford Asset Management Season of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ Written by Tennessee Williams/Directed by Shane Bosher 24 August -16 September Set against the gruelling cotemporary landscape that is Trump’s America, the devastating masterpiece that changed theatre forever is back for Silo Theatre’s 20th milestone year as A Streetcar Named Desire fires up the main stage at Q Theatre.

A visitor has arrived in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Crippling debt has sunk the family estate, and a fragile and desperate Blanche DuBois seeks refuge with her sister Stella and her brooding husband Stanley. It’s a sultry, hot summer and the sexual tension and resentment is rising.

Decades after its first controversial staging in 1947, this Pulitzer award winning play continues to be both relevant and shocking. "It’s astonishing to me that 70 years after it first premiered it still has something complex and urgent to say about femininity, masculinity, sexuality and violence." Says Silo Artistic Director, Sophie Roberts.

Whilst staying true to the majestic prose of the great Tennessee Williams Shane Bosher’s epic production of Streetcar will speak directly to the world we live in today. "I want the mythic and the poetic and the real to co-exist by placing it in the here and now and not through the lens of nostalgia. This production will explore how the tender, the sensitive, the delicate are ravished and destroyed by the savage and brutal forces of modern society," says Bosher.

Silo has assembled an incredible cast to bring what are arguably some of the greatest roles of the modern stage to life for this stunning production. Mia Blake (Angels in America, No.2) will take on pivotal role of Blanche Dubois alongside Ryan O’Kane (Home & Away, Tangiwai) as the formidable Stanley, Morgana O’Reilly (Neighbours, Housebound, Amadeus) as Stella and Toni Potter (Shortland Street, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) as Eunice.

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They are joined by Mark Ruka as Mitch (Cellfish, The Patriarch, The Rehearsal) Fasitua Amosa as Steve (Dirty Laundry, Auckland Daze) and Silo newcomer - Arlo Green (Boys).

Outrageous Fortune star Nicole Whippy makes her main-stage and Silo debut after a seven-year hiatus, taking on a multitude of roles that showcase her incredible versatility as one of New Zealand’s most loved acting talents.

Shane Bosher is one of New Zealand’s most prolific theatre makers. Bosher is no stranger to tackling ground-breaking and ambitious works and is best known for his incredible portfolio of work completed during his 13-year tenure as artistic director of Silo Theatre including Angels in America, When the Rain Stops Falling and Holding the Man. A recent public opinion poll out of America rated A Streetcar Named Desire the third most influential play after Angels in America. F PN Tuesday and Wednesday, 6.30pm; Thursday - Saturday, 7.30pm and Sunday, 4pm, Matinee: Saturday 9 September, 1pm Book at www.qtheatre.co.nz and for more information at www.silotheatre.co.nz PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ARTS + CULTURE @ WHITESPACE inForm on until 12 August inForm presents the work of outstanding New Zealand sculptors working with a variety of materials from traditional bronze, wax, steel and clay to forged iron and found objects.

EXPERIENCE A CHRISTMAS PARTY LIKE NO OTHER! Welcome to the 11th season of Christmas at the Races!

Artists include: Graham Bennett, Bing Dawe, Madeleine Child, Lauren Lysaght, Nic Moon, Julie Ross, Nate Savill, Greer Twiss, Jeff Thomson and Reg Laurie.

We’ve grown from 18 events in 2006 to 45 events nationwide throughout November and December this year. Over one million people have enjoyed a Christmas at the Races party and we welcome you to join the celebrations this season.

The aesthetic raw material of sculpture is, so to speak, the whole realm of expressive three-dimensional form. A sculpture may Graham Bennett draw upon what already exists in the endless variety of natural and human-made form, or it may be an art of pure invention.

It has been used to express a vast range of human emotions and feelings from the most tender and delicate to the most violent and ecstatic.

Simply visit the website to check out a full list of events and the various packages available at each. Whichever event you choose, look forward to festive atmosphere, delicious food, all day entertainment and top class racing action on the track.

All human beings, intimately involved from birth with the world of three-dimensional form, learn something of its structural and expressive properties and develop emotional responses to them. This combination of understanding and sensitive response, often called a sense of form, can be cultivated and refined. It is to this sense of form that the art of sculpture primarily appeals. Essay excerpt Leonard R. Rogers.

Whatever your group’s size, budget or style, let us take care of your Christmas party needs. From corporate boxes to DIY gazebo spots - we’ve got something to suit everyone. Over 40,000 party-goers pre-booked their hospitality last year so book today to make sure that you don’t miss out!

15 August - 2 September Philip Trusttum has been making art for more than 50 years, showing the energy and commitment to his art-making of artists half his age. Philip Trusttum is recognised as one of the major expressive painters of his generation, known particularly for his large works full of colour, and vigour, inspired by the everyday world as he engages with it, whether politics, events, family, stories and objects.

Want to win the cost of your Christmas at the Races party to the value of $1000? We’ve got two $1000 prizes to be won - one for the North Island and one for the South Island.

Find the right Christmas at the Races event for you and then book your package with your local Racing Club by 31 August 2017 to be in with a chance to win! F PN To find an event near you and book, visit www.theraces.co.nz

After losing his home in the first devastating Philip Trusttum Christchurch earthquake, Philip has rebuilt his family home, this exhibition of new paintings references the changing landscape of his city undergoing major structural transformation and constant disruption.

Philip has represented New Zealand on many occasions. In 1984, he was invited to participate in ANZART at the Edinburgh Arts Festival. The same year he exhibited on New York's 57th Street at the Jill Kornblee Gallery. Philip has been awarded a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant, only the second New Zealander to receive the award. Philip Trusttum is represented in all major public and private collections throughout New Zealand. F PN WHITESPACE, 12 Crummer Road, T: 09 361 6331, www.whitespace.co.nz

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ARTS + CULTURE CLARA KELLY WITH CAREERS LAB

The

Frame Workshop Picture Framers Gallery

Alien and Amazon 2.3 Brad Novak aka New Blood Pop Brad Novak’s profile as a leading urban pop artist (aka New Blood Pop) is continuing to rise steadily, with a significant international fan-base, and a cutting edge body of work sitting sharply at the nexus between fine art and street art. He currently exhibits in New Zealand, Chicago, New York, Canada and imminently the United Kingdom.

While preparing a hot new series for one of the leading independent galleries in England Novak has provided The Frame Workshop with a stunning pair of paintings to (hopefully) stay in New Zealand.

Our gallery is proud to say that Novak has done things that no other New Zealand artist ever has. He likely holds the attendance record for a New Zealand artist’s first solo show with several hundred fans present at the opening (early 2015).

Then, later that year he became the first New Zealand-born artist in our country’s history to show simultaneously alongside both the legendary pop art megastars including Warhol, Haring, Lichtenstein, and the street art global elite such as Brainwash, OBEY and Banksy (Struck Contemporary, Toronto).

To add to that, Novak’s last solo exhibition sold out. His work is also held in several notable art collections including that of the famed United States movie director Mr Quentin Tarantino.

What made you contact Careers Lab? I recently moved to Ponsonby from Ireland to begin a career transition into one I have always imagined for myself. I was searching for a job that would bring meaning and purpose to my life. At the time I wasn't quite sure 'how' I would begin this transition from the corporate world, and what my first steps should be. Careers Lab stood out to me immediately and ticked all the boxes with its purpose to 'Explore and Pursue Meaningful Work with Creativity and Optimism'. Careers Lab values resonated strongly with mine, which sparked my interest to reach out to them for guidance.

What did you enjoy the most about your Careers Lab consultation?

Lila, my career consultant, was friendly and warm from the get go and because of that I felt immediately at ease to open up and discuss all the dreams and visions I've always had for my life and career, without feeling uncomfortable or silly. We discussed my strengths, the skills I enjoyed using, the companies and business leaders that inspired me and what I valued the most in life. She challenged me with all the right questions, particularly ones that brought up any fears I had around pursuing my dream career.

I was very grateful of the time and space to discuss them openly with a person that understood and genuinely wanted to guide me to reaching these goals.

What has happened as a result of your Careers Lab experience?

Careers Lab has helped me develop the courage not only to listen to my passion, but to act on it. I have received a fountain of knowledge, including New Zealand companies that are in line with my values, sectors and industries I may want to explore more, job titles and how to re-brand my LinkedIn profile. This research has led me to contacting business leaders and entrepreneurs in my field of interest for advice which has resulted in support from these people and solid next steps to become a life coach.

Would you recommend Careers Lab to a friend?

Yes absolutely! Actually, I already have. I think having these conversations with a career specialist are paramount before making your first move. F PN CAREERS LAB, Contact Lila Pulsford, T: 09 963 2328, E: careers.lab@depotartspace.co.nz

Lila Pulsford (Career Consultant) & Clara Kelly

Est.1976

Picture Framing

49 Neilson St, Onehunga. AK Ph: 09 633 0218

Gallery & Framing

182 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay. AK Ph: 09 376 4749

www.frameworkshop.co.nz frameworkshop@xtra.co.nz The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH

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HOROSCOPES: MISS PEARL NECLIS

What your stars hold for August ♌

♒ Aquarius (the Water Carrier): 21 January - 19 February

♍ Virgo (the Virgin): 22 August - 23 September

♓ Pisces (the Fish): 20 February - 20 March

♎

♈ Aries (the Ram): 21 March - 20 April

♏

♉ Taurus (the Bull): 21 April - 21 May

Leo (the Lion): 23 July - 21 August You have had a newfound burst of energy lately and it’s contagious. Not only are you feeling invigorated but also you have found a passion for something that at one time you thought was lost forever.

Keep your advice to yourself this month as a well-intentioned remark could seriously backfire. If anyone asks for your advice on anything, feign ignorance and let them sort out their own problems.

Libra (the Scales): 24 September - 23 October If you’re in a relationship or partnership you’ll find your other half being super -attentive and willing to work hard this month. Don’t question what’s going on, if they want to go into overdrive, let them, you deserve the rest.

Scorpio (the Scorpion): 24 October - 22 November If you're worried about your financial affairs now is the time to get them sorted, you might think your okay because you have a bit of cash in the bank but that doesn’t mean you're well off. Get help in if you need it.

♐ Sagittarius (the Archer): 23 November - 22 December

Time for change is upon you and whether it’s the right time or not you have to go with it. Once it’s done and it's over and you realise that this was the best move to have made you will wonder what all the fuss was about in the first place.

You can share your burden if you let go of the reins a little and this is something you have to do in all aspects of your life. You have to trust other people with responsibility and then you can start to enjoy the fruits of your labour a little bit more.

You always see the best in people and want to believe that most people have your best intentions at heart, but be careful as there is always someone out there who is willing to take advantage of you.

You are ready to let your hair down but you have been denying yourself the pleasure for too long. Put aside the obligations that you always face for only a moment in the grand scheme of things and enjoy the pleasure of friends and family.

♊

You feel like you can now enjoy the fruits of your labour after working so hard recently, but this doesn’t mean that you can sit back and do nothing. You need to find a balance between what you want to do and the work you have to do.

Gemini (the Twins): 22 May - 21 June You seem to have a different outlook on life at last and eventually you’re seeing the bigger picture. If you’re overwhelmed at any time, be smart and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

♑ Capricorn (the Goat): 23 December - 20 January

♋ Cancer (the Crab): 22 June - 22 July

You feel like you are approaching life head on at the moment and you never have enough hours in the day or night to do what you want to do. Be careful as burning the candle at both ends will ultimately have an impact, if not on you then those closest to you.

If you go around supporting others like you do, you may find it a problem when you need support. Learning to sit back and let someone else do what you do is hard but sometimes you have to let others do the hard work.

PONSONBY NEWS OUTLETS FREEMANS BAY

NEWMARKET

Ecostore, 1 Scotland Street Glengarry, Corner Sale and Wellesley Streets Kellands Real Estate, 4 Drake Street New World, Victoria Park

Taylor Boutique, 1 Teed Street

GREY LYNN Barfoot & Thompson, 533 Great North Road Barkley Manor, 400 - 402 Great North Road Grey Lynn Community Centre, 520 Richmond Road Grey Lynn Community Library, 474 Great North Road Raw Essentials, 401B Richmond Road Ripe, 172 Richmond Road Tapac, 100 Motions Road Vetcare, 408 Great North Road

NORTH SHORE Rug Direct, Wairau Park Dawson’s Furniture, Mairangi Bay

PARNELL Jane Daniels, 2 Birdwood Crescent Parnell Community Centre, 545 Parnell Road

PONSONBY

Atomic, 420c New North Road

Askew, 2b Jervois Road Bayleys, 305 Ponsonby Road Countdown, 7 Williamson Avenue Harcourts, 89 Ponsonby Road Leys Institute, 20 St Mary’s Road The Longroom, 114 Ponsonby Road Mag Nation, 123 Ponsonby Road Paper Plus, 332 Ponsonby Road Ponsonby Community Centre, 20 Ponsonby Terrace Servilles, Corner Jervois & Ponsonby Road Studio One, 1 Ponsonby Road Whitespace, 12 Crummer Road

MT EDEN

WESTMERE

Citta Outlet Store, Corner Enfield & Normanby Road Sabato, 57 Normanby Road Studio Italia, 25 Nugent Street

Glengarry, 164 Garnet Road

HERNE BAY Herne Bay Post & Stationers, 240 Jervois Road Five Loaves, 206 Jervois Road Icing on the Cake, 188 Jervois Road Momentum, 182 Jervois Road

KINGSLAND

122 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

Ponsonby News is published on the first Friday of each month excluding January.

Copies go quickly so be quick to collect yours from any of the following outlets.

The issue is also published on our website www.ponsonbynews.co.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

THE PONSONBY PINK PAGES

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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NEW VIEWING LISTING FINAL 5 Ardmore Road HERNE BAY

27 Picton Street FREEMANS BAY

78 West End Road WESTMERE

16 Scanlan Street, Grey Lynn Auction (unless sold prior) 2pm, Wed 23 Aug 2017 78 Beresford Street West FREEMANS BAY

43 Sussex Street GREY LYNN

22 Herne Bay Road HERNE BAY

Bayleys House, 30 Gaunt Street, Auckland

Exceptionally tuned in to what’s happening in your area, Karen’s your No. 1 property professional.

For an outstanding result, let Karen direct your sale.

Karen Spires AREINZ 027 273 8220

karen.spires@bayleys.co.nz

No.1 Bayleys Ponsonby 2016/17 13 Herne Bay Road HERNE BAY

Top 5% Bayleys Sales People 2016/17 $400 Million Dollar Award 2016

124 PONSONBY NEWS+ August 2017

Bayleys Real Estate Limited, Ponsonby Licensed under the REA Act 2008.

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)