12 minute read
ROSS THORBY: CRUISING ON LAND
So here we are, February 2022 and I’m still landlocked here and feeling it. Our seaports are still closed and it doesn’t look as though they will be open to cruise ships anytime soon. The closest I can get to cruising the 'Seven Seas' this last couple of years has been cruising the open roads of New Zealand.
Yes, instead of hopping on the good ship Queen Victoria this year, I will be boarding a motorhome from 'Wilderness Auckland' to explore Northland from the pure luxury of my own mobile hotel room, nicknamed for the duration of this trip, 'Car-lotta'.
I've been hiring campers for a while now and discovering that one of the disadvantages of our 'Pre-Covid World' was that while we were busy discovering the rest of the world we neglected our own, but this is the 'New World' and it’s time to reprogram our olde ways.
Packing Mr Navigator and his trusty GPS into the passenger seat, we set off to Northland along the coastal route for the first night in Waipu. The coastal route is along numerous beaches and small towns that I am ashamed to admit I have never visited before - even though they are only a stone's throw away from Auckland.
Years ago, Father - if he was driving us anywhere - would never stop. It was always straight from here to there, no chance of enjoying a toilet break or a beauty spot, no stopping for ice creams or to admire the view, let alone smell the freshly cut grass or hear the cows moo in the countryside. No! With Father it was straight down the road, and if possible 'as the crow flew'.
Driving with Simon on the other hand, turned out to be a somewhat different experience.
Our calculated 1.5 hours drive north turned into a 4.5 hour scenic tour where we stopped at every nook and cranny that appeared interesting or delightful on the way.
Famous Charlies at Matakana for ice cream, Bennetts Chocolates at Mangawai for free samples, and then a scone and coffee sitting on the beach at Matheson Bay.
We walked along the sand at Pakiri Beach before it was back to the smell of the open road to wind our way up hills and dales then turning briefly inland, to pass farms and hamlets boasting displays of homegrown vegetables, eggs and honesty boxes.
“Quick Simon. Put the windows up and turn on the airconditioning - that open road carries the smell of freshly cut grass, chicken and cow poop and it’s screwing with my sensitive city senses!” Now I know why Dad would never stop!
Farmland gave way to spectacular Langs Beach, for another stop and time to dip our toes into the surf. You would think that New Zealand is nothing but beautiful beaches - oh wait it is.
Before we knew it we were at Waipu Cove and its 'world famous in New Zealand' camping ground for the first night of a new adventure.
Set right on the beach behind a big sheltering sand dune with plenty of room to swing Car-lotta into place, I discovered that modern day camping grounds have changed since I was a kid. Back in the day we had a caravan, not that my brother or I were ever allowed the luxury of stepping inside.
No, we were relegated to the awning - a wild billowing sheet of canvas that flapped and raged in the wind. We youngsters peered jealously at our parents through the locked and barricaded windows luxuriating in the pleasures of a waterproof environment blissfully unaware of their infants’ discomfort.
Stay in a camping ground these days you can’t really call it camping; it’s more like 'glamping'. Today you are surrounded by magnificent tents and a variety of luxury vehicles, playgrounds for the kids, and all the facilities that you could wish for. And more often than not, you will even have a safe and tempting beach only moments from your vehicle’s doorstep. This is New Zealand after all.
Once parked, we set up our outdoor chairs, had showers in the comfort of our own vehicle, made sure the wine purchased on route was chilling in the fridge, our dinner of fish and chips had been ordered and a tempting lemon meringue pie was in the oven.
Who would have thought that so close to home, life could feel so foreignly exotic and different. Who needs the hassle of airports and planes and a full security pat down with a thrown in cavity search when this is all here in our own back-yard. (ROSS THORBY) PN
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LOCAL NEWS IS AUCKLAND TRANSPORT UP TO ITS OLD TRICKS, IGNORING THE COMMUNITY?
Auckland Transport are attempting to regurgitate the same flawed design for the Grey Lynn/Westmere cycleway that was overwhelmingly rejected by the community three years ago.
In a stealthy attempt to sneak it past the community, Auckland Transport gave the bare minimum notification of their intent to re-float the design. Public input could only be made via an obscure website accessed via a lengthy and cumbersome URL. How successful was this? They didn’t get a single response.
The design for this area was previously ‘consulted’ in 2017 when Auckland Transport set up a ‘community liaison group’, after a community group occupied a traffic island at the corner of Old Mill and Garnet Road to draw attention to the problems with the plan. This ensuing ‘pseudo consultation’ did not meet the threshold of ‘consultation’. Auckland Transport went as far as changing their design manual to not allow the previous designers, Boffa Miskell, or their plan to include community input from the consultation in their presentation.
The original and rehashed design both set up a potential ‘blood sandwich’, a cycle lane between the kerb and parked cars. The parked cars block both cyclists and residents from seeing each when residents turn into their driveways.
In an attempt to re-float the design, Auckland Transport have rehashed this design inhouse, as urban designers have refused to touch the proposal. It changes a wide road with plenty of room for sharing by both modes of transport, vehicles and bikes, with a medium strip for safe turning into side streets, into a narrow dangerous alleyway.
The proposed ‘inline bus stops’ bring all traffic to a standstill, as all traffic has to stop when passengers embark and disembark. A series of raised pedestrian crossings at odd locations along the route, might slow traffic, but are located at points that don’t coincide with where pedestrians actually need to cross the road. For example, a pedestrian crossing is proposed halfway between the Bullock Track and the entrance to Western Springs Stadium, instead of being located adjacent to the stadium entrance where it would make sense.
The West Lynn Village has been marked as ‘completed works’ yet the slope from the pedestrian crossing from Moa to Dear Reader is too steep for mobility impaired access. At the point where the cycleway crashes into the pedestrian crossing, by the Liquor Store and Ready Roast, the stopped buses block the view from uphill vehicles. This was described as “dangerous” by the Herald’s Simon Wilson. This obvious safety issue remains unaddressed and consequently unchanged in the re-floated proposal.
Auckland Transport and cycle lobbyist, Pippa Coom, agreed that they got the original proposal horribly wrong by not employing qualified designers 4 years ago.
When the alarmed community became aware of the plan at the last minute they quickly organised and submitted ‘Occupy Garnet Road’s petition from 1027 local residents. The petition calls for the local board to note our concerns at the lack of community consultation, notification and the safety risk, and ask that the project immediately cease, pending full review.
As a result the Waitematā Local Board transport representative has asked Auckland Transport to extend the consultation period and organise a public meeting to discuss the proposal. Waitematā Local Board’s response will be an indicator to their integrity and recent assurances they will begin listening to the community. The mayoral candidates might even want to venture into the ongoing sham public ‘consultancy’ processes of Auckland Transport, a ‘council controlled organisation’.
Gael Baldock, Community Advocate and Architectural Designer
COMPARE CURRENT ROAD LAYOUT AND PARKING WITH THE PROPOSAL
Surrey Crescent / Richmond Road intersection BEFORE
Surrey Crescent / Richmond Road intersection PROPOSAL
Photography: Rebecca Russo
REST IN PEACE - JONATHAN BESSER
Local resident Eve de Castro-Robinson reports on the passing of well-known musician Jonathan Besser. As she told Ponsonby News...
"I'm very sad to report the death of beloved friend, musician Jonathan Besser, known to me as Bess.
"It was a precious gift to be with him and his loved ones in Auckland Hospital as he passed gently and peacefully away. Bess was an ebullient character, living life with a zest and crackle, whether rambunctiously playing the piano, composing with an innate musicality and fervour, or guffawing over a bottle of red with his many friends and collaborators.
"He was dealing so graciously with the trials of motor neurone disease, but his passing last month was a merciful release from the ravages of this cruel condition.
“In May last year when he was just still able to play, we staged a concert at the Pah Homestead, where he sat in the front row next to partner Sarah Guppy and the late Billy Apple, and watched his closest buddies play, sing, and improvise his music from merry to mournful, to outrageous. Then he took to the piano, and with his friend Chris Prosser on violin, gave us a lyrical, heart-wrenching Wellington Harbour.
"Still composing right up until, his sister Kathryn, visiting from New York, said he was avidly explaining the details of upbows and downbows to her a few days before his passing.
"Due to Covid restrictions, a private memorial was held last month. Farewell dearest friend."
Eve de Castro-Robinson, Ponsonby
Bess was well loved by all who knew him.
Deb Filler gave Ponsonby News her thoughts on Jonathan Besser’s passing. "A most amazing musician, wunderkind, crazy genius left us last month, released from suffering with the accursed motor neurone disease. We knew he was ill but somehow him actually dying never really occurred to us. He was so full of LIFE!
"I cherish his memory, his wonderful laugh that came out of nowhere, his intelligence, his wonder at the world, his unbelievable stoicism, total directness. And his way of getting straight to the heart of the matter. An idiot savant, a kind, gentle genius, this is such a sad loss.
"I feel fuller, richer and better for getting to share an itty bit of the life of Jonathan Besser. I am so grateful for last year’s concert. "Goodbye honey. I’ll miss you Bess.”
WESTMORELAND ST WEST WESTMORELAND STREET WEST PRECINCT MAP
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WESTMORELAND STREET WEST
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RICHMOND ROAD
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Over the past few years the Westmoreland Street West precinct has developed and is now a well-established retail area and is popular with the locals.
There are a number of cafes, a supermarket and quirky interesting shops to browse - everything from fashion and homewares to food and wine, from hardware to hospitality, design to decorating, everything for the discerning local and with an easy walk and with effortless parking.
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RICHMOND ROAD
1. Corcovado Furniture
2. Commune
3. Pennant & Triumph
4. Base Camp Power Yoga
5. Tim Webber Design
6. Ozone Coffee
7. Farro Fresh
8 Citta Design
9. Bread & Butter Bakery
10. Adorno Outlet
11. Bauhaus Furniture
12. Homage 13. Tonic Tiles
14. Mitre 10
15. Thread Design
16. Peak Pilates
17. Fruitworld
18. Golden Kit
19. Thai Thai
20. Home Pharmacy
21. Sushi Edge
22. Thirsty Liquor
23. Hell Pizza
