PONSONBY NEWS - MARCH'23

10 JERVOIS REDEFINE YOUR LIFE

Save on Uber with various and local cafes, restaurants and shops at your doorstep. 10 Jervois residents will also receive exclusive VIP services at the 10 Jervois spa, cafe & exclusive club.

Welcome to the epitome of luxury and sustainability in the heart of Ponsonby! Our newest development, 10 JERVOIS, offers an unparalleled modern living experience that flawlessly blends luxury and sustainability. Imagine waking up to breathtaking views, feeling the cool breeze, and immersing yourself in a vibrant and bustling neighborhood. Our apartments are equipped with state-of-the-art green smart systems that allow you to reduce your environmental footprint while enjoying maximum comfort.

Don't miss out on the chance to win a Tesla and wall connector during our lottery phase. Imagine cruising around in your brand new electric vehicle, effortlessly charging it at your own personal charging station. Are you ready to live your best life? Register on our website now to discover more about these exclusive luxury apartments that will soon be available. Join the 10 JERVOIS community now and experience a lifestyle of luxury and sustainability that goes beyond your expectations.

Our goal is to provide a unique & unforgettable living experience that exceeds expectations. We understand that property value appreciation and practical living requirements are crucial concerns, and we are committed to providing exceptional solutions for both. Our team of experts is ready to help you find the perfect apartment that fits your needs and lifestyle.

SPA / BEAUTY CAFÉ

EXCLUSIVE CLUB

Daniel Marshall Director of Daniel Marshall Architects www.dma.nz

Daniel Marshall Architects have designed the development and their strategy was to ground the building with a three-level sculptural brick base, relating to the heritage buildings along Jervois Road.

“When DMA was approached to design this project, we were really excited to be able to work within such an iconic area. We first investigated the rich history of the Three Lamps area, with a view to understanding the historic tapestry of the streetscape. Our primary design objective was to create elegant urban living spaces within a contemporary architectural building, whilst still paying homage to the rich architectural heritage of Three Lamps. We worked closely with Adam Wilde, our heritage consultant, as well as with Auckland Council’s heritage team. The interior of the building, arranged around an atrium, reflect a generosity of public space and an abundance of natural light. Having lived in various apartments through my life, I understood the shortcomings of many apartments, so we strove to ensure all the apartments reflected a luxurious lifestyle. The terraces of each are conceived as outdoor rooms, allowing connection with the streetscape and harbour views as well as the ability to retreat from the hustle and bustle of Jervois Road.”

Mitchell Blunden Managing Director of GN Construction www.gnconstruction.nz

Mitchell says his firm has the depth of experience required to deliver this carefully crafted project.

“10 Jervois is an example of the luxury inner city living project that we have become specialists in constructing. Having recently completed luxury apartments nearby, we are excited to return to the area in delivering what will be an excellent addition to Three Lamps. Thoughtful design and the selection of durable materials crafted into exceptional details not only create a beautiful aesthetic and depth to the building facade, but also provides an enduring robustness that will stand the test of time – something that gives us as builders peace of mind knowing that the building will provide comfort and lifestyle for generations to come.”

Gerard Thompson Director of Barker & Associates www.barker.co.nz

Gerard says from a town planning perspective, the property is unique and will enrich the character of Ponsonby.

“The property is subject to a frontage control and has a number of mature trees located directly adjacent to the existing buildings. Navigating the resource consent process involved taking a collaborative approach with Auckland Council. The design approach was an iterative one involving Auckland Council’s heritage specialist, urban designer, and arborist. From the outset, Council was keen to see a landmark building on the site befitting its prominent corner location. Tempering the design, however, was a need to blend the building in with surrounding character buildings to ensure that the scale and form was sympathetic to the overall character of Three Lamps. There was a strong desire from both council and the applicant to retain as many of the mature street trees as possible.”

Jeff Davidson Director of Residential Project Marketing at Colliers www.colliers.co.nz

Jeff says this boutique offering will seamlessly connect with Ponsonby’s renowned streetscape of beautiful eateries, designer homeware and fashion stores, while offering outstanding views across the Waitematā Harbour.

“These generously proportioned homes are crafted with sustainability in mind incorporating smart home technology and solar energy systems to minimise costs to purchasers and to the planet. The interiors are filled with an abundance of north and west-facing natural light, featuring elegant timber floors contrasted with natural stone, floor to ceiling windows and private balconies to maximise the panoramic views. HSP Developments are offering ‘early-bird’ purchasers a unique opportunity to personalise interior selections and designs. With only a small number of retail units and apartments available in this in-demand location and a ‘first in, first served’ philosophy, early registrations of interest will be rewarded.”

For more information contact: 10-12 Jervois Road | www.10jervois.co.nz

Sherryl Todd | 021 222 6308 09 360 9988 | sales@10jervois.co.nz

HSP Development Ltd

10 JERVOIS - IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN

An outstanding, world-class luxury apartment project with transcendent views, location, and quality second to none, 10 Jervois offers superlative city fringe living in the form of fifteen impeccably appointed residences.

The development is located on the corner of Redmond Street and Jervois Road in a prime Three Lamps position and in the heart of the city’s most vibrant suburb. Views across to the Sky Tower, Rangitoto and panoramic Waitematā Harbour are a given, and with Ponsonby’s world class dining and retail precinct sitting right there on your doorstep, you’re surrounded by the best that the city has to offer.

Three Lamps is saturated in New Zealand history, with the site previously occupied by the likes of the Ponsonby Hall from 1874 – 1911 and the very first Ponsonby Police Station from 1889 – 1970. Due to the historical nature of the much-loved suburb, care has been taken to adhere to the Auckland Council’s regulations at every touch point, and the resulting development will sit beautifully within its heritage surrounds.

Uncompromising quality and luxury will be seen in every aspect of 10 Jervois, with care taken to ensure that every moment spent while at home is peaceful, effortless, environmentally friendly and supremely safe. VIP and various onsite services maximise relaxation and enjoyment, while the lock-and-leave nature of the apartments means that you needn’t think twice

about holidays overseas or long weekends away at the beach. And with a footprint befitting a luxury home, you can rest assured that space will never be an issue, with liveability also most definitely top of mind.

10 Jervois has been designed by renowned New Zealand architect, Daniel Marshall of Daniel Marshall Architects, who says: “Our primary objective was to create elegant urban living spaces within a contemporary architectural building, while still paying homage to the rich architectural heritage of Three Lamps. The interior of the building, arranged around an atrium, reflects a generosity of public space and an abundance of natural light, while the apartments themselves are spacious, with light and ventilation from both ends and large outdoor rooms, or lanai as they are known in Hawaii.” Fully furnished with top of the line and internationally recognised appliances and whiteware brands, such as Miele and Gaggenau, residents will also enjoy premium extras like on-site housekeeping, a spa, cafe and pet-sitting services, for a life most definitely well lived.

“When DMA was approached to design this project, we were really excited to be able to work within such an iconic area,” says Marshall. “We first investigated the rich history

of the Three Lamps area, with a view to understanding the historic tapestry of the streetscape. We worked closely with Adam Wilde, our heritage consultant, as well as with the Auckland Council heritage team. Having lived in various apartments through my life, I understood the shortcomings of many of them, so we strove to ensure all the apartments at 10 Jervois reflected a luxurious lifestyle. The terraces of each are conceived as outdoor rooms, allowing connection with the street scape and harbour views as well as the ability to retreat from the hustle and bustle of Jervois Road.”

Q & A With Daniel Marshall of DMA

How long ago did you start working on the concept for 10 Jervois?

We started working on it in February of 2022.

What was the initial brief?

There was already a scheme produced by another architectural practice that had kind of established the programme, but it was having problems achieving compliance with the urban design expectations required for a site this important. We were bought in as a fresh set of eyes and set about redistributing the original programme within a more sophisticated form. We wanted the pedestrian experience to reflect the history and established heritage of Three Lamps, so that drove the sculptural articulation of the façade with deep brick window and door entries and the set-back and more ethereal upper two levels. To enhance the interior experience we enlarged and enhanced the internal public spaces and arranged the apartments around a central atrium, which facilitated openings on the front and back of many of the apartments.

We hear that the council had high expectations about the location in terms of the development being a landmark statement – how did that effect things from a planning point of view?

As mentioned above, we worked really closely with the Urban Design team as well as the Heritage and Landscape teams at Auckland Council to get a good understanding of their expectations, and reflected those in our finished design. The people we worked with from Auckland Council were extremely proactive, which really helped us get to where we are now.

Did you work on the ground floor retail spaces as well, and if so, what sort of businesses do you hope they will attract?

Yes, it was important for us to present an 'active edge' to the pedestrian experience, both on Jervois Road and Redmond Street. It was a critical part of the design strategy to make the most of the corner site, so we have emphasised the corner experience in a direct homage to the old Ponsonby Post Office. So lovely to have the corner opened up as a retail environment. I think, because of the generous and elegant facade experience, the retail could be extremely flexible and would appeal to any number of high value retailers. Retaining the existing trees and providing a veranda provides a sheltered and alluring street environment.

Who do you see living in 10 Jervois?

The apartments would definitely appeal to those who appreciate luxury and gorgeous views, as well as a position close to - but not in - the CBD. It would be the perfect location for those who appreciate the ability to be able to lock up and leave at any point. (HELENE RAVLICH)  PN

For more information contact: 10-12 Jervois Road www.10jervois.co.nz Sherryl Todd on 021 222 6308 sales@10jervois.co.nz HSP Development Ltd

004 HELENE RAVLICH: 10 JERVOIS

008 LETTERS & EMAILS

009 FROM THE EDITOR

010 DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW

014 MIKE LEE: IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

015 PUNEET OF PONSONBY

016 FROM THE MAYOR - WAYNE BROWN

028 LISA PRAGER

031 CHLÖE SWARBRICK: MP AUCKLAND CENTRAL

032 ROSS THORBY: NAPIER WHERE THE EARTH MOVES

034 PONSONBY PARK

035 MELISSA LEE: NATIONAL LIST MP

036 GAEL BALDOCK

038 HELEN WHITE: LABOUR LIST MP

040 EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

040 FACES AT GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET

045 LIVING, THINKING & BEING

046 FASHION & STYLE

048 FUTURE GENERATION

053 PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS

054 HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

060 ARTS & CULTURE

064 THE PONSONBY PINK PAGES

066 HOROSCOPES

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Connor Crawford

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P22 - Local Heroes! Dr Joseph Earles, and his wife Dr Nina of Cockburn Street.

PONSONBY NEIGHBOURHOOD

A friend of mine was recently enjoying walking around our neighbourhood, as we are encouraged to do!

She was impressed to see a couple of lovely hydrangeas growing out of a fence line partially over the footpath.

My friend plucked two hydrangeas' flowers to place in her lounge to brighten up her home after these two latest extreme weather events.

Imagine her surprise to be alerted shortly afterwards by another friend of ours that she had been “shamed” online through photos and a complaint on Facebook by the “owner” of the flowers and the property that the hydrangeas were projecting from!

Eventually the post was taken down after various hostile and negative responses from supporters of flower lovers. However, the attempt at personal humiliation over such an unbelievably trivial “crime” again exposes how genuinely pathetic some levels of our society have descended to.

When personal meanness descends to neighbours “dobbing in” neighbours for alleged breaches of Covid restrictions, spiteful allegations of harassment, or now a classic, childish overreaction to flowers being “plucked” purely for enjoyment, then something has gone very wrong with our community.

Whatever happened to the New Zealand we used to know?

Everyone helping others, pitching in, and helping others to just get on with life, especially in times of emergencies and in particular not caring about colour, creed, religion, ethnicity, or social “status”!

Something has gone very wrong these last few years!

No names will be mentioned regarding the exposing of the crime of “stealing” flowers, however, I do hope that common sense and decency soon visits the home of the precious citizen who reacted so childishly and publicly to such a victimless “crime”!

To finish - if the person who complained about the “theft” knew anything at all about hydrangeas they would know that pruning and removal of flowers encourages new flower shoots and growth.

Perhaps they should have thanked their flower loving neighbour instead of resorting to juvenile attempts to punish their own neighbours.

Roger Hawkins, Herne Bay

WAITEMATĀ LOCAL BOARD CHAIR

In the midst of all the noise, it can sometimes be hard to hear the messages that really matter.

Noise can take many forms – from deliberate misinformation (no – I’m not a City Vision secret agent!) to crusades by “community advocates” on hobby horse issues… to public personality clashes (eg media vs Mayor). Then there are some noises that we can’t ignore (flooding, slips, inadequate infrastructure).

But if we listen carefully, the key messages can still be heard.

The Waitematā area has problems – a walk up Queen Street reminds us of this, as does a 60 minute cross-town drive in gridlocked traffic. These problems are solvable, but to do so means the Waitematā Local Board has to take a leadership role, particularly with Council and agencies such as Police.

We need to focus on things that matter – demanding basics like drain cleaning, better urban design, a visible Police presence and events that give locals and visitors a reason to shop, work and play in the CBD and fringe suburbs. We need to stop spending time on things that don’t matter or are outside the remit of local boards. The Board must listen to its residents and businesses, and do what they want.

As Chair, my aim is for the Waitematā Local Board to listen more, do more and achieve more. I won’t be distracted by noise – but a bit less of it would be a relief to those of us who simply want the best for Waitematā.

Gen Sage, Waitematā Local Board

Opinions expressed in Ponsonby News are not always the opinion of Alchemy Media Limited & Ponsonby News.

What a hell of a month it's been with cyclones, heavy rain and extensive flooding. Our thoughts go out to all those affected.

At the height of the storm Cockburn Street residents Dr Joseph Earles, and his wife Dr Nina kayaked over the hedge at the back of the property to rescue Dick Johnson, Anna Coddington and their two children, who were trapped in an upstairs bedroom as flood waters surged up their staircase. Mike Lee says he is proud to represent these local heroes.

After having been delayed, finally Woof – the Rainbow Dog Show is on in Western Park on Sunday 19 March (rain date 26 March). The iudges include Suzanne Paul, Justine Smith, Thomas Sainsbury and Buckwheat. It’s always a fun afternoon and we are crossing our fingers for a bright autumn day.

Happy feet. That’s what you get when you dance Swing. Happy face. Happy body. Happy mind. Why not take Cait Mclennan Whyte’s advice and try swing dancing. Once you start there’ll be no stopping. It’s a great way to meet people, get exercise and have fun.

A big thanks to everyone who checked in on me following my recent hospital visit - I was very ill but am almost back to normal.

Finally Ponsonby Central is the place to be with their Summer Sundowners drinks and food offerings which runs until the end of March. (JAY PLATT & MARTIN LEACH)  PN

Jay Platt and Martin Leach

photography: Connor Crawford

DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH PRISCILLA WONG

Priscilla Wong moved to Ariki Street, Grey Lynn as a small child, amid a very lively and exuberant family of eight. She went to Ponsonby School, AGGS and Elam.

Do you come from an artistic family?

Yes, my Gramps was a self-taught artist. Most of my sibs, nieces, grandnieces and even great grandnieces are outstanding in the arts, which leads me to believe we have an inherited artistic gene from Gramps Wong.

What got you into painting?

I’ve been painting ever since I can remember. I was seven when I did a large self-portrait with a bunch of grass as paints, painting on the school's concrete wall. I was given my one and only strap on both hands by the teacher.

There was always my sister Diana’s paints and Eileen’s fabrics, etc. in the house. No one was ever idle if strict Mum was about! I am nearly always with sketch pad, watercolour set and paper at hand. Sketching or painting my surroundings and people are a record of treasured memories.

Best thing about Ponsonby?

Probably easier for me to say, “Ponsonby was the best". My years at Ponsonby School, the Dutch pie shop at the top pf Curran Street, the fish-n-chip shops, walking along Shelly Beach after school and Point Erin Park.

I will die happy if ..?

If I don’t wake up, because I won’t know that I died.

What would be your dream holiday?

A painting holiday with my French friend Beatrice in Italyfrom Alberobello to Venice.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? Curtains, if they haven’t already dropped, at 93? Yikes!

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Not fussed about my appearance, reckon it’s what’s upstairs that counts.

If your life was an ice cream, what would it be? Passion Fruit - I have a passion, for many things!

What do you think happens when we die?

I had a serious breakdown at 29, arriving in the emergency room I laughed hysterically and said, “they’re just going to put the shell in the ground,” as I felt my spirit rise and hover around the ceiling and look down at my body. Later, when I told my doctor, he said that I must have been hallucinating, but told me I had a lot of stamina because he’d seen a lot of people who’d gone through what I went through, and they don’t recover. So I'll opt for cremation, and after that experience, perhaps the soul does hang around for a while.

Ever seen a ghost?

Not sure. Might have been a dream; when I was eight and younger, Mum used to sit with me and Trev my brother till we were asleep upstairs above the shop at College Hill. Sometimes I was still awake and my imagination would see huge tumbleweeds rolling through the door - I was terrified that they would fill the bedroom and crush me. Ghostly tumbleweeds?

Favorite hero?

Jack Reacher because he can suss out the bad blokes and leave the town a little safer. A modern day superman.

Which talent would you most like to have?

To sing as well as I used to, though I thank Gramps for the talent I have.

What gizmo can you not live without?

A can opener.

Weakness?

Crispy cream doughnuts… or just food! (I’m diabetic. Hooray for insulin!)

Comfort food?

Jook and pickled pig trotters.

Your dream guest list for a dinner party?

My three art, history, and ceramics professors amid friends and family, because they always have adverse opinions, witty and spirited conversation, and I’m happy to add my impolitically correct two-bits worth, between the laughs.

Travel light or heavy?

Light! Just a carry-on.

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

Lethal injection for mass murderers with automatic rifles.

(DAVID HARTNELL, MNZM)  PN

Shelly Beach Road, Saint Marys Bay | nzsothebysrealty.com/NZE11582

IT’S A TEAM EFFORT... WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT OUR CONTRIBUTORS

CONNOR CRAWFORD

I am a working artist and photographer with a colourful and rhythmic perspective. I enjoy shooting the front covers of Ponsonby News.

DAVID HARTNELL - MNZM

For the last 53 years I’ve been a freelance entertainment journalist and author. I’ve lived in the Grey Lynn area for nearly three decades; I have met and interviewed some amazing people.

HONOUR MITCHELL

I have lived in the Ponsonby area all of my life. I write the column ‘Teen Picks’ which explores everything on offer in the greater Ponsonby area.

HELENE RAVLICH

A freelance writer and copywriter for almost 20 years, I have written for publications all over the world and couldn’t imagine myself in any other job.

KEN RING

My yearly NZ Weather Almanacs began in 1999. During the tragic 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, my work created international interest. I currently live in Ponsonby.

LUCY KENNEDY

I am a young local writer who loves to read! Each month you will find my reviews of new books for people who love to read as much as I do.

PHIL PARKER

Journalist and published author, I have had a career involving both wine writing and hosting boutique wine tours in the Auckland region.

PUNEET DHALL

I am an Aucklander of Indian origin, Punjabi and Sikh. I have a keen interest in food, wine and politics.

ROSS THORBY

I have had a wanderlust for travel ever since I was old enough to own a passport. Since I discovered cruising, I have become unstoppable.

SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS

A vegan for over a year and vegetarian for over seven years with a passion for writing. I am a local student reviewing some of Ponsonby’s best vegan eats.

Photography: Joss Griggs

MIKE LEE: IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, THE SPIRIT OF OLD GREY LYNN ENDURES

The massive floods which deluged the city on the evening of 27 January and the tropical cyclone which smashed into the region and much of the North Island two weeks later were a devastating double punch, recovery from which will take years and tens of billions of dollars.

In Auckland, the killer storms took six lives, including MOTAT tram volunteer David Leonard, and then heroic Muriwai volunteer firefighters, Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens. It wrecked hundreds of homes and severely damaged thousands of others. Many others, now precariously situated on eroded cliff tops, have been rendered vulnerable as have many more located in or adjacent to water courses. Just like the Christchurch earthquake of 2011, and now in Turkey and Syria, where the death toll has reached over 45,000, it’s a brutal reminder of the power of nature which we disrespect at our peril. Environmentalists have long warned us that humans have been waging war against nature – now it seems nature is waging war against us.

The two massive storms are a wake-up call and raise searching questions about official assumptions of endless growth and our climate change priorities. Clearly, we are failing to match the drive for urban intensification with adequate infrastructure, stormwater in particular, and even failing to manage our existing infrastructure, especially street catch-pits. These events have demonstrated just how unrealistic is the drive to intensify Auckland anywhere and everywhere, embodied in Council’s Plan Change 78, given the geographic and climate realities.

One could get the impression from the big developer lobby and political 'urbanists' that Auckland is flat like a Monopoly board, with all that that suggests. They overlook just how rugged Auckland’s natural terrain really is, especially in our ward; a series of ridges, gullies, flood plains and eroding sea cliffs, from Hobson Bay through to the Meola Reef. A city we may be, but that’s just the ‘skin’ on the surface. We ignore geography and the forces of nature at our cost.

Of the three local board areas which make up our ward, AoteaGreat Barrier, Waiheke, and Waitematā, interestingly it was the city rather than the islands which sustained the most damage. The 27 January floods severely impacted parts of St Marys Bay, Herne Bay and Grey Lynn. The damage to properties on Dryden, lower Hakanoa, Cockburn, Tutanekai and Sackville streets Grey Lynn was localised but quite devastating. Here dozens of people lost their homes, some permanently, and least four people came close to drowning that night.

The courage and fortitude of those most affected deeply impressed me. Throughout that long anniversary weekend,

despite the shock and trauma and damage to their houses, men and women toiled long hours to remove flood damaged carpets, curtains, heavy furniture, household appliances and to try to salvage personal items. Some were obliged to remove internal lining and soaked insulation from their houses. They laboured those long days without any outside assistance from the authorities, helped only by other local residents, including cabinet minister David Parker, who generously pitched in to lend a hand.

I would like to mention some of the Grey Lynn locals I met in the aftermath of the floods, who in the time of crisis rose to the occasion. Judge David McNaughton was one. The McNaughton home was damaged in the flood, as was the nearby Hakanoa reserve in which David and local volunteers have worked so hard to remove weeds and revegetate with native species. During this crisis and the days following, David in his non-judicial baseball cap and jeans was a rallying figure for the neighbourhood. Across the street, Dr Joseph Earles, during the height of the flood, coolly kayaked over what was a 3 metre hedge to rescue neighbours Dick Johnson and Anna Coddington and their two children who had been trapped in an upstairs bedroom by rapidly rising flood waters roaring down from Grey Lynn Park. Dick, Anna and the children survived, but their once lovely home is totally wrecked.

During one of my evening calls to the area with a council officer to hustle up more rubbish skips, I saw two women lugging flood damaged items from a basement. The pair turned out to be our much-loved chanteuse, musician and songwriter Linn Lorkin and her friend, singer Jennie Cruse. We were invited upstairs, thankfully undamaged, whereupon in no time at all Linn, partner Hershal Hersher and Jennie, were performing wonderful music. I found it very moving. A truly memorable moment in that rather grim time. On the Saturday immediately after the floods Linn and Hershal had performed a concert from their porch, boosting the morale of their hardpressed neighbours up and down the street who paused from their labours to clap and cheer.

This is the true spirit of old Grey Lynn undaunted in the face of adversity. It’s the Kiwi spirit now to be seen across our cyclone damaged, suffering, wounded country, especially Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti. The survival of that spirit is one comfort we can take from this tragic time. (MIKE LEE)  PN

www.mikelee.co.nz

Jennie, Linn, Hershal & Mike

PUNEET DHALL: TO OUR FATHERS WITH LOVE

Zen and the art of noodle making and ripening the perfect berries.

It took until my own father’s funeral to realise that he had always been my greatest friend. You see, when it's done right, there is nothing more powerful than the love between a parent and their children. As Tolstoy wrote in Anna Karenina “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

All of these thoughts passed through my mind as I stood by the stairs down a narrow passageway leading to the outdoor dining area of Ponsonby’s ‘Ramen Takara’. I was standing alongside inspirational owner/chef Yuki Yamaguchi as we surveyed a collection of small print photos on the wall. A number of the prints portrayed Yuki at various stages of life with her beloved father - Nobuyuki. The prints show Yuki’s chef father standing unflinchingly by her side as he supports her in the first few months of setting up her restaurant.

You see, Yuki was born on the slopes of Mt Fuji. Her own father in his early childhood had discovered ramen and fallen in love with this soupy, noodly, national dish of Japan. It inspired him to become a ramen chef and in turn inspired Yuki to follow in his footsteps.

This journey brought Yuki to New Zealand where she set up her first Ramen Takara restaurant in Browns Bay 16 years ago, and then on Ponsonby Road 8 Years ago. Yuki has many secrets that makes her ramen so delicious, but for me the factor I love most is the ‘close to perfection’ consistency and taste of her freshly made noodles. You can see the clinical precision, the obsession with the smallest details, the artistic perfection in every dish and every noodle.

These qualities are synonymous with Japanese traits and also abound in one of my favourite Marlborough producers - Takaki Okada of Folium Vineyard. Takaki lives almost in solitary on his small dry farmed and organic vineyard in the Brancott Basin. The vines are his friends and he tends to them daily, seeking to understand each and every contour of his vineyard in his endeavour to make the greatest wines. His goal; to attain the singular most pure expression of his terroir is his neverending life’s pursuit. Both Yuki and Takaki manage to display an incredible serenity in their character and approach while remaining so incredibly industrious in their work; a lesson to us all - wise eyes, gentle smiles, tough hands.

As such, it feels like an honour to pair these two delights together. Yuki’s Tan Tan Ramen is without doubt the signature dish at Ramen Takara. The dish has its roots back in China but came across to Japan in its ramen form in the early 20th Century. A rich sour and spicy sesame base with pork mince to make a rich dark red soup, the bok choy and shredded

leek offering vital green colours and crunch. With such a brooding dish it has to be pinot noir. The 2018 from Folium Vineyard is the only choice. The wine displays a singularity along the palate - a linear shape from opening flavour, through secondary characters of light mushroom and earth with a lingering finish and the most supple, delicious ‘rolling sublimely and visceral over your tongue’ tannins, which I tend to find connects the greatest pinot noir from Waipara through to Blenheim. This is a wine to be savoured, you cannot rush to your next mouthful of food, some zen needs to be applied in the pace of your meal for full sensory impact!

(PUNEET DHALL)  PN

@puneetofponsonby

The World’s Greatest Vineyards @dhallandnash

“Richly spicy and savoury, it’s complex on the nose showing dried cherry, smoky bacon, tapenade and toasted almond nuances. The palate offers soothing mouthfeel and silky texture, well framed by fine grainy tannins, leading to a lengthy engaging finish.”

-Sam Kim’s Wine Orbit

Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018

WAYNE BROWN: MAYOR OF AUCKLAND

Well that was a terrible last month. First we got the biggest downpour in Auckland’s history on a Friday when the debate was about AT getting folk to the Elton John concert.

No warning from Met Service, who predicted 20mm of rain, and instead it was more than seven times what was expected and inflicted massive damage widely across our city, mostly affecting rich people who probably had unwisely got their house too close to cliffs, and more worryingly, poorer people, whose houses have been built in flood plains and too close to streams that haven’t been all that well maintained.

The city just couldn’t cope with the water as seen by brand new busways flooding. Many lessons have been learned and some serious rethinking of the rush to intensify our suburbs is required. All this at a time when many CBD office buildings are unoccupied and would suit conversion to apartments to lift the city centre population bringing more people there and livening up shops and streets without the need for more infrastructure which is already there.

Then just as we are settling, BANG, here comes Cyclone Gabrielle for which we had more warning; but who thought the damage would be at Muriwai and not in the city? Nor was it expected to destroy so much of Hawkes Bay’s fruit industry.

It seems that climate change is here so we need to actually prepare our city for it. Vain attempts to fend it off with hopeful cycling projects are probably a bit late now.

The dreadful debate over how to fill in the budget hole bequeathed to me by years of soft decisions might now focus on stormwater management rather than nice-to-haves and over-management of the masses of local board elected officials and some of the questionable spending that they thought was essential.

Fortunately most of the Ponsonby readership areas fared quite well in both storms although there are ugly scars along the cliffs above Westhaven.

Plan Change 78, in response to the central government overturning our district plan, needs a much harder look. Council had a go at limiting the effects of the rule to intensify everywhere, but really the message is for central government to butt out of local planning.

Life is returning to normal for those unaffected, but I would encourage these lucky people to donate to the Auckland Emergency Response fund as help will be needed for a long time for those affected.

And lastly, next month council’s budget goes out for consultation, so I ask you to provide measured responses, not just listing things you don’t want touched, but including things you can do without in order to balance the budget, which by law council is required to do.

Meanwhile kia kaha and go well fellow citizens.

(WAYNE BROWN)  PN

MATT KIRBY TALKS ABOUT FOAMSTREAM

The world’s leading herbicide-free weed control solution.

Foamstream kills unwanted vegetation, including weeds, moss and algae, using the precise application of hot water insulated by a specially formulated biodegradable and organic foam.

How does it work?

Extreme heat is the active killing agent in our process. The nontoxic and biodegradable foam simply insulates the hot water which maintains the high temperature for longer, allowing for a more effective kill. Essentially, it's a super-efficient way to use hot water to kill weeds.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Generally our Puppy. She is always up early and eager to go. We love our morning walk routine with her through either Grey Lynn or Western Park, followed by a coffee somewhere local (Orphan’s Kitchen, Ripe, and Open are favorites).

Is the product suitable for home use and big jobs?

Yes, now both! We started this journey focused on councils and the larger commercial market. We now have ongoing work with Auckland, Porirua, Wellington and Christchurch councils. However, I am constantly asked if there is a solution for home use. To satisfy this, we set up Safe Weed Control to offer our herbicide-free solution as a service to residential clients who are looking for organic and non-toxic solutions for their homes.

What changes would you like to see - ban glyphosate?

I think ultimately New Zealand will follow the likes of France, Germany, and Scotland amongst others in banning or

restricting glyphosate use; pockets of New Zealand have already begun. To me, places where kids live and play are the first place to look at. Children are uniquely susceptible to ingesting these chemicals. Pragmatically, solutions need to be available to allow for meaningful change and we now have a great solution for sensitive areas like schools, playgrounds, streetscapes and now backyards and driveways, where we can safely maintain these areas while keeping them clean for kids, adults, and animals.  PN

www.weedingtech.com/nz www.safeweedcontrol.co.nz

NATURAL, ORGANIC AND NON-TOXIC WEED CONTROL SERVICE FOR YOUR HOME

Using Foamstream the world leading herbicide free weed control solution Safe Weed Control are here to service the greater Ponsonby region.

The product kills unwanted vegetation, including weeds, moss and algae, using the precise application of hot water insulated by a specialty formulated biodegradable and organic foam. Ideal for driveways, paths, pavers, artificial turf, garden beds, decks. Contact Matt for an obligation fee assessment. Matt Kirby | 027 222 7684 | matt@safeweedcontrol.co.nz

safeweedcontrol.co.nz

photography: Connor Crawford

KIA ORA FROM THE GREY LYNN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION BOARD

We’re moving into an exciting new year with the addition of a number of new board members ready to step up and help grow the presence of Grey Lynn as a fantastic place to eat, shop and build great businesses as well as sharing your concerns and your voices on issues that matter.

As residents and business owners in the area we know how fantastic Grey Lynn and the surrounding communities are. We’re also aware that now is a great time to connect with you, understand what your vision for Grey Lynn looks like and make plans to act on that vision, benefiting those of us that work and live here and the visitors we attract.

Great North Road and the AT improvement projects including Meola Road are integral to building Grey Lynn back, better. Our vision has always been of a modal neutral transport environment where people can make choices as to how they move about the city efficiently.

This is not a debate about changing people’s lives but creating a better environment where the history of Grey Lynn is an integral part of its future. We want to see a future where we accept the value of community in the context of Great North Road, seeing it not just as an arterial link, but a pleasant place for future communities to live and enjoy.

To achieve this, we are in communications with Auckland Transport urging them to continue to invest with confidence in the future, while recognising this transition needs to be empathetic to the needs of all - and that includes our businesses. As your board, we have been at the forefront of advocating for co-design, moving away from solely budget driven solutions, emphasizing the importance of consultation and engagement with the impacted communities and businesses. Doing it once, doing it right – that is our mantra.

To be part of that change, if your business redsides in the Grey Lynn area, we urge you to join the Association. Our strength is in our numbers, so if you’re ready to help the area become bigger and better, your membership and your voice will count.

To get started, our first networking event for 2023 is happening on 7 March at Pocket Bar and Kitchen, from 5.30pm. This is an open event for registered and non registered businesses so you can meet other business owners in your area, connect, and learn more about what we can do together.

The focus for this event is ‘The People In Your Neighborhood’ - meeting the board members that represent you while providing a platform to open the conversation around the future of Grey Lynn. We want to hear from you so we know how best to represent you.

For future events, we also have a fantastic line up of guest speakers in the pipeline, with knowledge and expertise to help you and your business grow, plus opportunities for collaborations and promotions as well.

To join us for the first event, details are on our Facebook Page: Grey Lynn Business Association. Connect with us there to stay up-to-date with what’s happening in your area. We look forward to meeting you.  PN

Ngā mihi, Grey Lynn Business Association.

March may see less than half the average rain, and above normal sunshine. The first week may be both sunniest with highest pressures, but also wettest. The second and third weeks see odd showers, and the fourth week may have least rain. The lowest atmospheric pressures may occur in the last week. Temperatures may be above average. The best weekend for outdoor activities may be 25th/26th. During March, the barometer may average around 1019mbs.

For fishers, the highest tides (and second highest for 2023) are on 23rd. Best fishing bite-times in the east are around dusk on 6th - 9th and 21st - 23rd. Bite-chances are also good for noon of 14th - 16th and 28th - 30th.

For gardeners, planting is best (waxing moon ascending) on 2nd - 6th and 29th - 31st; and pruning on 16th - 20th (waning moon descending). For preserving and longer shelf-life, pick crops or flowers around the neap tide of 16th.

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5. Surface Cast Iron Cookware by Serax

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MER LEVEL

LOCAL HEROES

Dr Joseph Earles, and his wife Dr Nina of Cockburn Street.

At the height of the storm Joseph kayaked over the hedge at the back of the property to rescue Dick Johnson, Anna Coddington and their two children who were trapped in an upstairs bedroom as flood waters surged up their staircase. I am proud to represent these people. (MIKE LEE)  PN

Community leader Judge David McNaughton

Please contact Lyn if you would like to receive the very Best Price for your property in Auckland New Zealand. Whats app me on +64 07950 175 270 and I would be happy to discuss my Strategy to Success.

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KI MĀHA – A DINING EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER

For many of us, building a successful and wildly popular bar and restaurant would be the culmination of a lifelong dream.

But not Dominique Parat. Since arriving in this country some 40 years ago, he has built a succession of bar restaurants that set new standards of excellence – in food and design.

His list of achievements is stellar and he can rightfully claim a place among a handful of chefs who collectively set the bar for modern dining in Aotearoa. Here in Ponsonby, he stamped his presence on our favourite road with GPK Pizza, with the aim of showing us there was more to pizza than the ubiquitous ham and pineapple.

GPK grew quickly, with new restaurants popping up across Auckland. However, on one of his regular overseas trips looking for new culinary trends, Dominique spotted a new opportunity. GPK was quickly sold and Auckland was introduced to the phenomenon we know and love as Asian fusion.

There would be few in Ponsonby, indeed, few in Auckland, who have not experienced the joy of the exquisite flavours and textures – or the chilli guava margaritas – served at Mekong Baby. It quickly established itself as one of Auckland’s favourite eateries. And, for most people, its success would have served as a crowning glory to a storied career. But not Dominique.

On a visit to Waiheke, a place he had lived once before, he saw something. Where most people would have seen a rather tired and rustic old café on the beach at Onetangi, Dominique saw an opportunity to bring his creative and entrepreneurial vision to bear on one, last, grand project.

After six amazing years Mekong Baby was passed into the care of new owners, and after 24 years in Ponsonby, Dominique returned to Waiheke. He struck a deal over what was then known as the Boathouse Café and he set to work to bring his vision of a modern beachside dining experience like no other to Waiheke.

It would be his homage to Aotearoa, the country that has given him so much – an amazing life, beautiful children, an enviable track record of entrepreneurial success but, most importantly, it gave this once itinerant traveller, a place to call home.

To help bring his vision to fruition he turned to David Ponting of Ponting Fitzgerald Architects in Ponsonby. One of the

strengths David brought to the project was a passion for reimagining existing, historic structures with new, bold, and dramatic forms. The solution he ultimately presented stands as testament to his design skills.

However, with construction in its early stages, Dominique, along with the rest of New Zealand, was plunged into the economic and social abyss that was the Covid pandemic. Construction delays, lockdowns and labour shortages very nearly put an end to Dominique’s dream before it had even begun to materialise.

By the end of 2021, construction of the exterior had finally been completed. Dominique brought his own exceptional eye for detail to the interior design. The result is a tour de force in restaurant design. From the outside the restaurant is an unmistakable presence, promising an unforgettable beachside experience. From the inside, the exceptional dining experience is complemented by unmatched views over the Hauraki Gulf.

As a tribute to the land that has given him so much, Dominique called the restaurant Ki Māha, which speaks to a feeling of pleasure, of contentment in a special place, perfectly balanced between land and sea. And, as one would expect, the menu features the very best from both those environments, including sustainably harvested seafood, ethically farmed meats and locally sourced seasonal fruit and vegetables.

Ki Māha is not just a restaurant, however. It is available for private functions and offers set menu options that can be tailored to suit large groups and corporate clients. It also boasts its own wine brand. www.kimaha.nz

BEACHSIDE DINING NEVER LOOKED BETTER

DAVENPORTS LAW: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED

Barb and Roger had known each other since high school but hadn’t been in touch for a number of years.

Barb had gone off to university and became an accountant, and Roger had joined his father’s building company, completing his building apprenticeship.

Barb met her husband at university, a dentist student who eventually became a successful orthodontist and Roger ended up marrying the daughter of a friend of his parents.

Barb and Roger both had their own lawyers but agreed to go and see Barb’s as she was an asset protection specialist. Barb’s lawyer congratulated them on addressing the potential issues early on. She said that too many couples either buried their heads in the sand, thought their children would be okay with what happened in the future, or thought that their trusts would protect them.

Tammy McLeod

Skip forward 35 years and Roger’s wife had sadly died two years previously. Barb’s husband had left her for his hygienist. Roger and Barb re-connected at a dinner hosted by a mutual high school friend. Roger had three daughters in their early 20s. He had branched out with his father’s building company and they had now established their own development company and had several projects on the go at once. Their business affairs had become quite complex and there were multiple trusts and inter-entity guarantees involved.

Barb had come out of her divorce financially fine. She had given up her accounting career to look after the children from her marriage – two boys and a girl. This meant that upon separation her husband had to pay her an additional amount because of “economic disparity”. Barb’s parents had also recently died and not only did she have a freehold house and some investments as a result of her divorce, but she had also purchased a holiday home at Lake Rotoiti with her inheritance.

When Barb and Roger re-connected, they picked up on the mutual attraction they had had at high school. It wasn’t long before they were spending most of their time together and holidaying together. The kids were fine with it and pleased that their parents were now happy with their new partners.

Roger and Barb agreed that it would be sensible for Barb to move into Roger’s apartment in Milford, but they both agreed that they each had substantial assets that they each needed to protect. It was important to each of them that they protected the assets they had acquired, for their children.

She advised that trusts were still amazing asset protection vehicles and would do a great job of helping with the transfer of assets to the next generation, but what Barb and Roger really needed was a comprehensive relationship property agreement, setting out what their respective assets were, how they were held and what would happen in the event of not just separation, but also death. She said that too many people just focused on separation and ignored death and that the two scenarios were very different.

As Barb and Roger talked, they realized that while they wanted each other to be comfortable during their lifetimes if one of them died, they wanted to balance that with making sure that their children were okay and were able to get ahead in tough financial times. They also wanted to ensure that there were no fights within the families – they had seen this happen in friends’ families.

The lawyer recommended that they made sure that whoever they appointed as the executors of their wills and trustees of their trusts were appropriate people who wouldn’t be conflicted between the survivor of them and respective children. She gave them good advice around using professionals and making sure there was a balance of interests. They talked about structures that would give each of them security but would also ensure that their kids were okay too.

Blended families can provide situations that require quite complex asset protection structures. The key is to be like Barb and Roger and seek advice early. The longer you leave it, the more difficult it is to have the conversations and the more likely it is that children and others get involved and over- complicate the situation. There can be quite simple solutions to complex situations, but it pays to get advice from a specialist as to the best structure.

Understanding Relationship Property.

The protection of assets that we have all worked so hard to acquire is an important consideration for most people.

Income, property, Kiwisaver, intermingled inheritances and gifts from third parties are all considered relationship property when in a de facto relationship - unless both parties have entered into a Contracting Out Agreement. Without one, relationship property would be shared equally upon separation, or even the death of one party, regardless of what anyone’s will said.

Know when your relationship is considered a de facto relationship under New Zealand legislation and protect your assets with a Contracting Out Agreement. Contact Tammy McLeod or one of her team for specialist advice.

CRAFTED LEGAL ADVICE FOR PEACE OF MIND.

LISA PRAGER:

MAKE A DIFFERENCE NOW

In this tragic time of unprecedented nationwide climate change disaster most of us have been focused on the management of our own lives, cleaning up and dealing with survivor guilt.

However this really is the time to run a critical eye over the lack of maintenance in our Super City. The job of cleaning culverts and drains which need to be regularly opened up and vacuumed out is not happening, instead contractors are cutting corners and sweeping debris aside, which has resulted in a systemic failure with horrendous consequences. Where once the work was in-house, scheduled and done properly, now the job is done as a response to public complaints, and that’s because it’s a profit driven model not a public service one. It’s time to admit the Super City is a failure, people. It’s time to crank the Ministry of Works back up to handle the maintenance jobs Auckland needs done.

As for the annual budget document, decorated with roads, trucks, cogs and pie charts, bullshit baffles brains. I’ve taken another look at the mammoth (342 page) Auckland Council Annual Budget so that you don’t have to. But don’t think you are off the hook yet! Oh no, I’ve done the homework in order that you can now submit your letter of response to the outrageous proposals to cut back a large amount of community services. By the time this goes to print you have three weeks to get your letter in to council to counter the craziness, and to gather a small group of friends to make a verbal submission. Scary I know, but there is safety in numbers and you cannot underestimate the impact a real person speaking to councillors about what is important and of value can have.

So to that end, here is a sample submission you can use, expand and adapt to have your voice heard in the very important decision of how Tamaki Makaurau is going to dig its way out of this $295 million deficit. This is due by 28 March 2023.

To the Mayor and Auckland Councillors I [name] of [address] wish to make a written and verbal submission on the annual plan 2023/2024.

I do not agree with reducing any funding to the Auckland Zoo, Art Gallery, Libraries, Citizen Advice Bureau, stadiums and venues.

I also oppose funding cuts to regional services such as community and education programs, arts and culture programs, regional events and other social service activities such as homelessness funding.

· I propose that all Auckland Transport works be brought inhouse and the contracting out model be ended.

I also object to any decrease in funding to local boards and plans to reduce clerical and legal support to elected Auckland Councillors.

I do however strenuously support the proposal to sell all the Airport shares for $1.9 billion to deal with the $295 million budget blowout; the remaining capital to be used to offset debt and balance the books.

Equally important is to re-establish tree protection, stop spraying chemicals on our streets and start cooling our city, thus our planet, by protecting our existing trees, planting more native ngahere and making room for wetlands.

Yours sincerely…

Email this to:

mayor.wayne.brown@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz or akhaveyoursay.nz/budget

Quite frankly I’m sick of people’s apathy. I’ve been beating this drum for years because it’s pretty clear we’re going to hell in a hand-basket. Relying on others to do the right thing, make the decisions and have our best interests at heart is really not a viable option. It’s going to take the care and commitment of all of us to change the trajectory we are on.

I urge Aucklanders to wake up, do your civic duty, get involved, send a submission and start steering this beautiful place we share in a better direction. (LISA PRAGER)  PN

AUCKLAND COUNCIL PROPOSES RADICAL FUNDING CUTS FOR CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU

Me mahi tahi tātou mō te oranga o te katoa/We should work together for the wellbeing of everyone.

There was a client who had been in our office for about an hour and she suddenly became agitated and apologised for taking so much of my time.

To be able to say, “your issue is my business today, we can work with you for as long as it takes to help you go forward.” On top of that I hoped she left feeling listened to. That sums up why I volunteer at CAB.

Where else can people just turn up with whatever issue is preoccupying them and get free, confidential and non-judgemental advice, where no one is clock watching or minimising the matter?

This comment from one of our volunteers captures the essence of our service.

CAB has been operating for more than 50 years in Aotearoa New Zealand. Here in Tāmaki Makaurau region we have 31 bureaux and about 900 trained volunteers. In 2019 we had just under 160,000 client interactions. On top of that, there are specialist clinics – at our branch we have a legal clinic and budget clinic as well as Justice of the Peace Service desk – all free!

We operate in local communities so our volunteers are also from those communities and have insight into the issues our clients face, whether in Grey Lynn, Papakura, Birkenhead or Massey.

Our volunteers are the backbone of the service, and we rely on funding from Auckland Council to provide this service throughout the region. In the draft 2023/2024 council budget it is proposed that funding to CAB in Auckland be cut radically.

We acknowledge the city budget is under pressure but in our view we help the council in a very effective and costefficient way to achieve one of its key responsibilities in the Local Government Act (section 3): to play a broad role in promoting the social, economic, environmental and cultural

well-being of its community.

Without CAB, or with a reduced service, there would no doubt be a negative flow-on effect in our community. That applies regardless of the issue, whether it is about a neighbourhood dispute, a relationship matter, a tenancy matter or an employment issue. So, an arbitrary funding cut will leave a huge hole in our social support structure.

As our Auckland CAB chairperson Sylvia Hunt said recently in a Newsroom article: “There’s something called social return on investment and we certainly provide that.”

So if you support CAB’s future operation – even if you have not used our service yet - we ask that you do three things:

1. Sign the petition on Action Station our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/save-auckland-cabs

2. Contact your local body ward politician (Mike Lee for Waitematā - mikeleeauckland@gmail.com)

3. Make a submission on the draft budget – these open on 28 February. (LUCETTE HINDIN, MANAGER)  PN

LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS KAHORE E MUTUNGA KI TE ORA

Blind Low Vision NZ is the only organisation who train and breed guide dogs for Kiwis with vision loss. We receive no government funding for Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs.

To raise funds for building a new and fit-for-purpose kennel for guide dogs in training, Blind Low Vision NZ are launching Paws For Purpose. With the support of some of Aotearoa New Zealand's greatest artists, we have upcycled our old Trudy Dog collection boxes and turned them into one-off, unique works of art. By auctioning off these genuine pieces of Kiwiana collector’s items, we can ensure a greater number of guide dogs graduate each year.

Spot these strikingly artistic guide dogs in shop windows, restaurants, and shopping malls around Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland through the month of March. Around 40 artists from across Aotearoa New Zealand, including Dick Frizzell, Ian Mune, Tim Christie, Shane Walker, Anna Leyland, Francis Hooper, Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet have collaborated with Blind Low Vision NZ to help raise funds to have more guide dogs.

While our Trudy Dogs are embarking on a new LEASH of life, our guide dogs in training will grow to become working guide

dogs, ready to take on the role of providing independence to Kiwis who are blind or have low vision.

Why now?

A guide dog gives freedom, independence, and confidence to a New Zealander with vision loss. There are currently 180,000 New Zealanders who are blind, deafblind or have low vision. It’s estimated that due to the ageing population this number will increase to 225,000 by 2028.

Each year, Blind Low Vision NZ breed around 100 potential guide dogs, of which around 40 will graduate. However, each year they also have a waiting list of up to 50 New Zealanders waiting for a guide dog to support them to live independent lives. The current waiting time to receive a guide dog is around two years. The anticipated increased demand over the coming years will extend the waiting time unless more dogs can be successfully trained as guide dogs.

tinyurl.com/PawsForPurposeAuction

@GuideDogsNZ @BlindLowVisionNZ

Secure your own piece of Kiwiana

Our coin collection dogs are now obsolete, so Blind Low Vision NZ has partnered with Kiwi artists to create one-off, unique pieces of art that will be displayed in venues around central Auckland throughout March. Follow the interactive ‘Puppy Dogs Trail’, finding dogs and sharing via social media to raise awareness.

PLUS join our online auction to secure your own piece of Kiwiana and help raise valuable funds for Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs.

Find out more tinyurl.com/PawsForPurposeAuction

OR scan the QR code to bid. T&Cs apply. Online auction 22/03/23.

Bid

CHLÖE SWARBRICK: Auckland Central MP

At the time of writing, we are in a National State of Emergency. Aotearoa New Zealand has been overwhelmingly affected by both the flooding events from the end of January, and Cyclone Gabrielle.

More than 3,000 people are still unaccounted for. The lives lost and livelihoods upended are a tragedy for our communities, whānau and friends.

I want to acknowledge the sheer exhaustion many are feeling. After nearly three years of grappling with Covid-19, the arrival of not one but two climate-change amplified natural disasters can feel totally overwhelming. Human connection, talking through problems, finding some recreation and rest are all seemingly silly but scientifically critical to maintaining mental wellbeing throughout disasters. Family and friends are good to turn to, but please always know you can call or text 1737 for help when you need it.

When light first broke on Saturday morning after the floods, I walked through Ponsonby and the Bays’ backstreets, through our city centre and downtown to check in with locals, business owners and residents. It was clear then that the scale of disruption and devastation would sit with us for a long time. Since then, Cyclone Gabrielle has brought an even larger scale of destruction across the North Island.

Our continuing work must be connecting people to the support and services they need, along with simultaneously rebuilding our neighbourhoods for greater climate resilience while urgently curbing carbon emissions. We must walk and chew gum. Adaptation is crucial, given the amount of climate changing emissions already spewed into the atmosphere, but it cannot come at the expense of mitigating emissions. That’s because, ultimately, you can’t adapt to an unliveable climate.

The “system” wasn’t working before the flooding and it didn’t work during. We can choose whether it works in the future. All of it is political because it’s about the legacy of decisions that have been made on all of our behalf.

People in our communities will be fixing their homes and finding new ones and navigating insurance claims and under financial strain for months to come. We can’t keep thinking that all we need to do is rearrange the deck chairs. We need a new boat. It is encouraging that the mayor has announced a proposed additional $20 million in his annual budget proposal for the flood response. There’s still a long way to go to address the decades of infrastructural underinvestment though, which

the budget still largely reflects. You see this in simultaneous proposals like stalling the water quality targeted rate, estimated to invest $361 million in major storm and wastewater improvements over a decade. This is very literally happening in our backyard right now, with new pipes separating pipes in St Marys and Herne Bay and St Mary’s Bay and Masefield Beach improvements to reduce overflow from over 100 times a year, to 20 in stage one and 6 in stage two. We can’t afford any more delays.

The decisions made now will exacerbate or mitigate climate change and the impacts we feel from more extreme weather events. We need all levels of governance making long-term, intergenerational decisions that will outlive their personal polling concerns.

You may have seen Green Co-Leader, James Shaw, characteristically reaching across the aisle for cross-party support on the Climate Adaptation Bill which will finally deal to long term, expensive and difficult problems such as managing coastal retreat. You will continue to see the Greens working for a warrant of fitness for rental homes, especially critical in the wake of a crisis likely to make our already-damp homes even damper, and with it greater risk to health of the 1.4million renters in this country. We will continue to fight for more urban food farms, restoring wetlands, density done well, daylighting streams (Waihorotiu Queen Street, anyone?) and to redistribute resources to the community frontlines that responded to these disasters faster and more efficiently than ‘the system’ could ever hope to.

My office, as always, is here to help through the bad times and the good. Don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a ring if there’s anything we can do to assist you.

(CHLÖE SWARBRICK)  PN

CHLÖE SWARBRICK, T: 09 378 4810, E: chloe.swarbrick@parliament.govt.nz www.greens.org.nz/chloe_swarbrick

photography: Tim D

ROSS THORBY: NAPIER WHERE THE EARTH MOVES

My grandmother was a nurse in Napier when the 1931 quake struck. Her letter, written in the aftermath, is part of family folklore and now resides in the Napier Museum.

Rostered to work that day, she had swapped her shift with one of her work colleagues. At 10.47 am, while walking along the road, she was tossed like a rag doll to the ground as it rose up to meet her. Buildings around her collapsed and the earth rolled in a series of waves as though she was on a stormy ocean.

She survived, albeit with a few scrapes. Alas, her colleague did not, perishing in the nurses home on the hill that collapsed along with the hospital and maternity home.

With the immediate help from the sailors of the naval ship Veronica, the surviving nurses and doctors set up an outdoor hospital on the local raceway. Nan was built of stern stuff and a little earthquake was never going to hold her back.

But the Napier earthquake had a silver lining for the area. All of the death and destruction aside, what happened next turned the region into a national treasure and one that is celebrated around the world today.

The original seaside town, founded in 1855 and called Ahuriri, had grown up organically. It was a rag-tag collection of Victorian and Colonial buildings, some brick but most weatherboard and all built mainly on a small parcel of swampy land between the sea and an inner harbour.

When the earthquake struck with the force of 100 million tons of TNT, the shop fronts and verandahs all collapsed on themselves. What wasn’t leveled in the quake was destroyed in the fires that followed, completely obliterating the town leaving a ghostly smoking ruin that must have reminded the survivors of a first World War battlefield - smoky, desolate, apocalyptic.

Fortunately for the city fathers, the force of the quake also pushed 4000 hectares of fresh land up out of the sea where the new city could be built and expanded.

The Great Depression was in full force in New Zealand at that time and had hit the area hard, but it had left an available labour force ready and willing to work on the rebuild. The government would pour a massive amount of money into the area - a much needed boost to the economy and mouths of hungry families.

Over the next three years, 111 buildings would rise from the ashes and the saving grace was that it was the period of “Art Deco” - a ten year movement that celebrated maritime and nature, and which encompassed all manners of life - jewelry, art, sculpture, fashion and particularly architecture.

Buildings whose style would evoke the great ocean liners of the time, including elements from nature and mathematics, sprung up out of the destruction - circular windows, clean lines, geometric patterns and pastel colours, all of which helped create the most modern town in the country.

It certainly remains one of the most attractive.

In amongst the Te Mata Estate parks, fountains, swimming pools and BBQ areas in nearby Havelock North, Carlotta and I had set up camp alongside my regular traveling companions, six campers and caravans. But we wanted to do as tourists do and visit the attractions of one of the largest and best preserved Art Deco cities in the world.

Rolling up into the centre of the city, we were struck by the many Art Deco events that were being carried on for our

pleasure, and also by the way that the city has embraced its unique perspective. Guides and locals dressed in period costume plied tours of the town's many sights, women in drop waisted dresses, cloche hats and Mary Jane shoes, men in flat caps and tweeds, beckoned shoppers from renovated and perfectly preserved doorways. It was all very atmospheric and extremely photogenic. You could tell the tourists - they, dressed in modern clothing, looked bemused.

Lined up along the waterfront was the local Classic Car Club, displaying their vintage Studebakers and Chevrolets, Fords and Daimlers, with drivers also in costume, ready to take the hapless tourist on a spin.

Between the set pieces and with vignettes all over the town center, I found myself looking for Professor Plum, a candlestick and a body. Where was Hercule Poirot when you needed him?

Seeing our own country from the eyes of a visitor, gives you an appreciation of our distinct place in the world - but I am beginning to get itchy feet for the deck of a cruise ship.

(ROSS THORBY)  PN

UNTIL END OF MARCH

BEDFORD SODA & LIQUOR $20 beer jugs, $8 Sauvignon Blanc, Rose Syrah & Bedford Larger

THE BLUE BREEZE INN $18 Lychee and Lemongrass Margarita & Pineapple G&T

TOKYO CLUB $15 Watermelon Chu Hi BURGER BURGER $35 Aperol & White Sangria Carafes

PONSONBY CREPES $5 Pastis, $13 Kir Royale EL SIZZLING CHORIZO $20 Loaded Fries & Beer

OLAS $25 combo Daiquiri & Tostones BIRD ON A WIRE $15 Buttermilk Fried Chicken Special CHOP CHOP $18 Lychee and Lemongrass Margarita

PONSONBY PARK+ MARCH 2023 UPDATE

As the 20th of the month deadline for this update nears, I sit at my Dad’s dining table in the Manawatu and wonder what to say and even where to begin.

I drove down from Auckland on Thursday 26th of January to scoot ahead of the anniversary weekend traffic. Since then it feels as if the world has been turned upside down with the shocking flooding in Auckland on the 27th, a catastrophic earthquake in Turkey and Syria, and the ongoing grim devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in significant parts of the North Island. All this compounded for me by my Dad having a bad fall on the 30th that resulted in hip surgery and now an uncertain recovery. All these unpredictable events serve to remind us just how precious life is and underline the slender thread on which it hangs.

We now collectively wonder what best to do, how to help, and where our efforts can most effectively be placed. Sitting here in a dry and functioning house, with access to food, communications, being with friends and loved ones seems like an extreme luxury right now. My hope is that we will collectively rise to the challenge of looking after everyone and that we look after them well, for as long as it takes with consideration and empathy.

He waka eke noa - we are all in this together.

It is at times such as these that we are reminded our communities are our lifeline and support. Problems can be solved and issues resolved by finding solutions through creative thinking, adaptability, and perseverance. Our Community-Led design group for Ponsonby Park*, the new civic space at 254 Ponsonby Road wishes everyone well-supported times ahead as we begin to address the mountain of problems we now collectively face. Go well, and stay safe. Arohanui.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata. He tangata. He tangata.

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people. It is people. It is people.

* The Community-Led design group will have presented to the Waitematā Local Board an overview of the Ponsonby Park project to date at their scheduled Board meeting on 21 February. Being post deadline, this will be reported back in next month’s update. (JENNIFER WARD)  PN

www.254ponsonbyrd.org.nz

MELISSA LEE: AT THE END OF HARDSHIP COMES HAPPINESS

The harrowing scenes of floods, slips, downed power lines, trapped families and disconnected communications infrastructure across the North Island that have seen lives lost and communities shattered are a melancholy start for 2023.

The clean-up just in Auckland and Northland alone will be immense with countless families losing much of their livelihoods and cherished memories amidst the natural disaster that bore down on New Zealand just a few days ago.

My thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected, whether here in Auckland where many communities out west in Waitakere remain severely cut off from the rest of our region and also those with friends and loved ones in communities like Coromandel, Hawkes Bay and the Tararua where incredible damage has taken place. The loss of life of two emergency service personnel, firefighters Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens, working to help people on the West Auckland Coast, was heart-breaking. Their service to others that led to sacrifice will be remembered.

The clean-up effort here in Auckland alone is a massive task. While I was out supporting our Emergency Shelters and Civil Defence Centres during the storm it was clear many people here in our city felt vulnerable and concerned that their homes could be next to be struck. My thanks go out to everyone who volunteered to support our community throughout the cyclone even when their own homes and businesses were in danger. The teams at ARK Collective, the Fickling Convention Centre and Mt Albert Senior Citizens Hall did an amazing job offering kindness and compassion to those struggling through the storm and its aftermath.

The rebuild may be bigger than that New Zealand endured in the aftermath of the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes and the effects of this disaster won’t be fully known for some weeks or months to come. Napier, Wairoa, Hastings, Taradale, Esk Valley, South Head, Gisborne, Karekare, Muriwai, Taupaki, Huia and Tairua are just some of our many communities across the nation that will need significant new infrastructure. Here in central Auckland we saw uprooted trees, flooding, burst pipes and damaged properties in suburbs like Grey Lynn, Mt Albert, Morningside, Parnell and Mt Eden. If you have had damage and need help from my parliamentary team, please reach out on MPLee@parliament.govt.nz or at 09 520 0538.

If you have not done so already, please make sure you and your household have prepared a civil defence box so that you can get through should we ever face something as terrible as this again. You can find planning tools here and supermarkets and big box stores have start kits to help: getready.govt.nz/en/prepared/

The next few weeks will be a recovery effort, to get connectivity back to all, to make plans to rebuild and to restore and to take time to reflect on what has happened. New Zealand is now going to have to strengthen our infrastructure and resolve to regard more serious and severe weather events adapting to a changing world. This will be a complex conversation and our Parliament and National are ready to address it in the coming weeks as we look ahead to the rest of the year and beyond. Despite the tragedy and the long road ahead, it is important we remain optimistic for the future of our country. Even in the darkest times, New Zealand with our no.8 wire spirit of innovation and opportunity is able to rise up and stand tall. In Korea, the country of my birth, there is a proverb that comes to mind. It reminds us to not give up and to look to brighter days ahead.

– Gonan Kkeut-e hengbok-i onda | At the end of hardship comes happiness.

Keep safe and let’s hope for a brighter month in March.

(MELISSA LEE MP)  PN

National Member of Parliament. National Spokesperson for Broadcasting & Media| Digital Economy and Communications | Ethnic Communities

E: mplee@parliament.govt.nz

Authorised by Melissa Lee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

If you require any assistance I and my office are always happy and ready to provide advice and support.

Please get in touch on 09 520 0538 or at MPLee@parliament.govt.nz to make an appointment

Melissa Lee

National

List MP based in Auckland

MPLee@parliament.govt.nz melissalee.co.nz mpmelissalee

Authorised by Melissa Lee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

고난의 끝에 행복이 온다, 고생끝에

낙이 온다.

GAEL BALDOCK: NO LONGER ‘BUSINESS AS USUAL’

‘Mother Nature’ has given us a huge wake up call and left us reeling from these two cataclysmic weather events, revealing the true face of our country.

Drained swamps and cliff edges are not safe places to build. We must think in longer terms than election cycles when making decisions for our future.

Growing timber producing forests for carbon credit is just ‘Green Washing’ when the slash washed away in floods causes so much damage. Soil suitable for growing grass for dairy farms is not suitable for growing crops. We can’t eat pine plantations. We can protect mature trees, as the ‘Urban Ngahere’ helps to stabilise hillsides and affords wind protection while the trees drink the rain and evaporate it into the atmosphere, making a cooler city and more stable environment.

The country has lost our ‘food basket’ from the East Coast with many orchards, farmed for generations, being decimated by the cyclone. Government promised to legislate for protection of our ‘arable land’. Soil suitable for growing crops is only 4% of New Zealand. This includes Pukekohe where our most fertile soil is being built on. Profit of developers can’t overrule our social needs, including food independence. We can’t go on intensifying ‘willy nilly’.

Dominion Road goes down a hill and up a hill and at the bottom is aptly named ‘Valley Road’. During the February storm when half a year’s rainfall fell in three days, Auckland’s topography of hills and valleys became clear and streams flowed again. Queen Street was a river flowing to the harbour and the Viaduct land is reclaimed from the sea.

Our neighbourhood arterial roads, Karangahape, New North, Ponsonby and Richmond Roads are formed on ridges. Falling from Richmond Road where Cockburn Street changes its name to Hakanoa Street at Dryden Street is the valley. It extends from Grey Lynn Park to Hakanoa Reserve, to the wetland by the supermarket to Cox’s Bay Reserve. Creeks in the valleys that once flowed into streams to the sea, with wetlands and estuaries, were drained and replaced by a hidden network of culverts and drains beneath road catchpits.

The storm of 27 February revealed the original watercourse and overland flow paths, becoming a river forcing its way to

the sea. Its impeded flow flooded homes and Westmoreland Street industrial buildings exacerbated by blocked catchpits. Change is necessary. Auckland Transport must concentrate on their core service, the maintenance of roads and footpaths, berms and street trees, including keeping kerbs and catchpits clear, instead of trying to socially engineer us out of cars before there is a public transport network.

Covering the land with asphalt and concrete, building on every skerrick of land caused this problem. In subdivision design the leftover, ‘unbuildable’ piece, usually the wetland, is required to be gifted to council as a ‘reserve’. CCO Panuku must stop selling our reserves. Golf courses must become ‘recreational reserves’. These natural ’sponges’ along with gardens on each property and tree lined street berms, allowed rain to soak into the water table beneath the ground. Residential extensions have gotten away with building on this impermeable area by the use of retention tanks, holding the water to dribble out later. Unfortunately the network is a ‘combined sewer/ stormwater main’, too small to cope with average storms, spilling sewage into the sea, let alone a deluge.

Infrastructure must be built before intensification, starting with withdrawal of the government’s ‘Housing Enabling Bill’ that allowed three storey, three houses per section everywhere. The ‘Unitary Plan’ allowed sufficient intensification in the right places. The only amendments required from this current flood knowledge, are increasing ‘flood sensitive areas’ where building restrictions, of open facade to a designated height allow the free flow of flood water through the basement, and inclusion of ‘notable trees’ to the ‘tree register’,with government ‘tree protection’ to stop the cutting down of about 1000 mature trees per week.

The February floods and Cyclone Gabrielle have shown us how vulnerable we are. We need long term future planning, putting our land and the environment first. Money, growing the GDP and developers’ profits can no longer rule decision making.

(GAEL BALDOCK, communit y advocate)  PN

Tutanekai Creek, The Binns collection, Auckland Library

HELEN WHITE: AUCKLAND RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF ONGOING CHALLENGES

Auckland has had a challenging few weeks. Between the extreme flooding, and Cyclone Gabrielle, we’ve endured a lot.

However, the strength and resilience of our community has been nothing short of incredible. My team and I have been out in the community throughout these last few weeks, doing what we can to help. I know that many across Auckland Central, Waiheke and Great Barrier have been adversely affected, and that recovery will be a long process.

Immediately following the flooding the Minster for Small Business Hon Ginny Anderson and I spent a day meeting business owners to see the impact of the floods first hand. One of these business owners was David at Sal Rose. I have years of good memories there from many dinners with my children, and to see it destroyed by the flooding really hit home. It could be months before they are able to reopen, and they’re not alone in the experience; so many businesses, homes, and communities have been devastated.

However, in such a challenging time, the strength and unity of our community has really shone through. I have been so impressed by the generosity shown, whether it be through donations or hours spent volunteering. So many people have come out to help, and I want to use this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation.

As the Labour List MP for Auckland Central I have continually advocated for the needs of our community and am proud of the way our government responded quickly to these crises. Detailed below are some of the supports we are providing, and I encourage you to get in touch with my office should you need any additional information or advice.

$1.1M has been contributed to the Mayoral Relief Fund, which will be used by local communities and Auckland Council to respond to immediate needs. Significant funding has also been invested in providing jobs for local people, to help support farmers, growers and communities by completing clean-up work on their properties. We know that businesses have been doing it particularly tough, with many situations like the one Sal Rose is in.

A $5M support package for flood damaged businesses has been announced, and includes funding for recovery payments, wellbeing support and resilience advice.

As Cyclone Gabrielle hit, a further $11.5M was committed to aid with the initial response. This support package provided immediate relief for individuals and families, bespoke support for disabled people like transport assistance, as well as support for the voluntary sector, who continue to be at the heart of their communities and our response. The rebuild ahead of us will be long and hard, but I know Auckland will rise to the challenge.

Finally, I would like to mention an upcoming public meeting I am hosting. The topic is Urban Design and Intensification, and will be held at 7pm on 13 March at the Grey Lynn RSA. All are welcome, and encouraged to come along.

(HELEN WHITE)  PN

www.labour.org.nz/helenwhite

Funded by Parliamentary Service

The Workshop. We’re in your hood. 37D Crummer Rd, Grey Lynn 09 217 9264. www.theworkshopauckland.co.nz

Coworking,

hot desks, meeting room & office hire, events.

PONSONBY U3A: FEBRUARY 2023

Dr John Reynolds, the speaker for Ponsonby U3A’s February meeting, evoked memories for members and gave a fascinating insight into early film making in New Zealand.

A retired academic and freelance writer, John has coauthored five full-length musicals and published five novels. He is also the writer and director of Runaway Revisited, a twenty-minute documentary on New Zealand pioneer and doyen of filmmakers, John O’Shea and his 1964 film Runaway. This was produced when there was no government or arts funding.

John Reynolds showcased for members his documentary, highlighting its background, the basic film-making methodologies employed, and the sociological issues of the fifties and sixties when New Zealand was dependent on the United Kingdom economically, socially, and culturally.

Writers such as Dan Davin and John Mulgan became exponents of a new cultural nationalism, rejecting the pervading Eurocentric view. Following this trend, John O’Shea founded Pacific Films at a time when there were no film schools and no films (apart from Rudall Hayward’s 1925 silent film, Rewi’s Last Stand), other than documentaries. O’Shea began with a documentary on the All Blacks and in 1952 produced and directed his first feature film, Broken Barrier. Seeing the colonial parallels between Ireland and New Zealand, his main theme was miscegenation.

Focusing on the ‘man alone’ concept popular with New Zealand writers, O’Shea went on to produce Runaway featuring the chief protagonist wondering what to do with his life. Runaway’s cast included a range of well-known actors and artists including Colin Broadley, Kiri Te Kanawa, Selwyn Muru, Barry Crump, Clyde Scott, Ray Columbus and William Johnstone.

The ten-minute speaker for February’s meeting was Tom Speed. He also took members back in time to 1973 when he and his wife did an arduous fourteen-day hike on Stewart Island. Walking in a westerly direction from their landing on the south coast at Mason’s Bay, they hiked for ten percent of the time on the beach, and ninety percent of the time following the coast on land having at one point to tramp through waisthigh swamp. They never saw another human being on the whole track but they did see plenty of mosquitoes, beautiful birds and wondrous night skies.

Visitors and new members are welcome to Ponsonby U3A. You may be new to the area, a bit lonely or at a point in your life where you are looking for fresh interests and challenges. There is a meeting on the second Friday of each month (except January) at the Herne Bay Petanque Club featuring

a guest speaker drawn from diverse spheres of endeavour. Also, a member gives a ten-minute presentation on their life and/or interests.

At the heart of the club are the nearly thirty special interest or study groups that meet once a month. Members are encouraged to join and can choose one or more such groups covering about thirty different topics. Usually held in small groups in people’s homes, this is where the learning and the friendships are made. Topics include gardening, public art walks, gallery visits, dining out, armchair travel, the Ramblers (who gallivant all over the city and beyond), writing, drawing, current affairs, antiques and collectibles, history, architecture to name a few.

Ponsonby U3A welcomes newcomers. If you are interested in attending, first as a visitor, please call President Ian Smith on M:021 130 2330. (CHRISTINE HART)  PN

NEXT MEETING: FRIDAY, 10 March at 9.30am

GUEST SPEAKER: Architect Julie Stout, ‘Working With Dreams’

VENUE: Herne Bay Petanque Club, 19 Salisbury Street, Herne Bay

ENQUIRIES: Ian Smith, President, Ponsonby U3A. M: 021 130 2330, www.u3a.nz

Dr John Reynolds

Your regular donation will help connect more school children with nature, empower people all over Auckland with sustainable living choices and develop and maintain a therapeutic garden. Join now at: www.kelmarnagardens.nz/donate

BECOME A FRIEND OF KELMARNA GARDENS FOR AS LITTLE AS $5 A MONTH

FACES AT GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET

Mousa Kazemi and his wife, Sahar sell oyster mushrooms at Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday mornings.

Tell us a bit about your background. Where did you grow up?

In Iran. I went to university in the beautiful city of Shiraz where Shiraz grapes come from. I got my first PhD there, and it’s where I met my beautiful wife, Sahar.

How did you end up in New Zealand?

I was invited here in 2008 to present on bioengineering. Sahar came along, we fell in love with the country, and decided that it was a great place to raise our two young daughters.

What did you do when you arrived here?

We ran a large free-range chicken farm in Kumeu before returning to my research roots, taking up an academic role at the University of Auckland. That’s where I did my second PhD.

What was your research about?

For my PhD, I developed a framework for reconstructing human anatomy – mainly in the lower half of the body, particularly knees. I also helped develop a new surgical system that allows people to postpone knee replacements. But it was another project, focussed on encouraging regeneration of cartilage in knees, that got me into growing mushrooms.

Why mushrooms?

Mushrooms have a thread-like root system called mycelium which has a fibrous structure that is very similar to collagen and that can help build cartilage. To do this research, I had to grow a lot of mushrooms. Sahar pointed out that people have been eating mushrooms for thousands of years and our business, Mushborn, began.

Why are mushrooms so good to eat?

They are not only delicious, but they are also a great source of polysaccharides that reduce free radicals, which are one of the main causes of inflammatory diseases. To get the maximum nutrition from mushrooms, they need to be cooked.

Why do mushrooms need to be cooked?

The cell walls of mushrooms contain chiton – that’s the hard substance that make crab shells tough. Nutritious polysaccharides are trapped inside the cells, but when

mushrooms are cooked the chiton breaks down releasing the nutrients. Of course, you can eat mushrooms raw, but you miss out on the precious polysaccharides - all you get is fibre.

What about if you fry mushrooms?

I recommend frying mushrooms in a dry pan over a high heat (about 200°C) for about 3 or 4 minutes. If you keep them moving in the pan, the water in the mushrooms will stop them sticking. Once the flavour has started to come out, you can add oil if you want, but it’s not essential.

What sort of mushrooms are you growing?

We are mainly bringing oyster mushrooms to the market. They contain β-glucans that have proven anti-tumor, antimicrobial, anti-allergic, and immune-modulating effects. We are also growing shiitake, enoki, and Turkey Tail. Turkey Tail is one of the most studied mushrooms - it has got proven health benefits and we’re working on a making a Turkey Tail tincture.

And you offer mushrooms in many different forms?

Yes - most people buy fresh mushrooms by weight, but we also offer dried mixes, and grow your own kits. Mushroom powder is one of the most versatile because it can be used in smoothies, added to pasta, and even added to coffee.

How has the market worked for your business?

I love it! It’s different from other markets. I have been impressed by the relationships that I have already built with other stallholders – everyone is very supportive. And a third of my customers are already repeat customers. It’s great that there are so many regulars at the market every week to do their grocery shopping.

You had to miss a couple of markets recently.

Yes – the Auckland Anniversary weekend storm washed out our driveway so we couldn’t get out. That was a big job to fix. And, in Cyclone Gabrielle, a tree fell on our power lines. But these were minor challenges compared to what others have experienced.  PN

www.mushborn.co.nz www.greylynnfarmersmarket.co.nz

PROGRESSIVE MODERN NEW ZEALAND CUISINE NEW SERIES MENU

SIDART, Level 1, Three Lamps Plaza, 283 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 2122 www.sidart.co.nz

Photography: Josh Griggs

210 SYMONDS STREET T: 09 377 1911 www.sidatthefrenchcafe.co.nz

sidatthefrenchcafe

TEMPORARY ADDRESS: 210 SYMONDS STREET (SAME ADDRESS AS FRENCH CAFE) T: 09 379 9702 cassiarestaurant.co.nz

- Gusto Italiano -

GUSTO MEANING

‘TASTE

AND ENJOYMENT’

When you dine with us, the focus is on freshly prepared classic dishes, featuring an excellent range of pasta, seafood, meats and our pizza classics.

We also offer our pasta dishes to takeaway, phone for details or check our website for the menu.

263 PONSONBY RD, THREE LAMPS, 09 361 1556 www.gustoitaliano.co.nz

PHIL PARKER: ANOTHER BUMPER EDITION

Welcome to the March Ponsonby News wine column. Again, it’s another full-bodied article, full of flavour, nuance and character. Enjoy!

Folium Marlborough Rosé 2020 - $35

Dry and subtle. Slightly savoury with cherry, pink marshmallow, and red summer berry fruits. Soft finish.

Available: Dhall & Nash

Folium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020 - $25

Unusual yeasty bread dough flavours with soft acids. Black currant, green apple, gooseberry, and a hint of herbal fresh mint, with lime citrus. Available: Dhall & Nash

Folium Marlborough Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2017 - $25

More subtle than the 2020. Softer and integrated with cape gooseberry, green bell pepper, a hint of mango and a yeasty tang. Available: Dhall & Nash

Lake Chalice ‘The Falcon’ Marlborough Riesling 2021 - $15

Crisp and medium sweet style at 10.5% alcohol. Typical Riesling raisin and beeswax flavours with lime and nougat. Available: Glengarry, blackmarket.co.nz

Folium Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 - $33

Spicy oak, mushroomy and dry, with assertive tannins, liquorice, Cuban cigar and dark chocolate.

Available: Dhall & Nash

Folium Marlborough Reserve Pinot Noir 2020 - $48

Sealed with a cork. Savoury, soft and supple with black tea, gamey shitake mushroom, firm tannins ands a hint of spice. Available: Dhall & Nash

Collaboration Wines Aurulent Hawkes Bay

Chardonnay 2022 - $40

Elegant and dry, with soft acids, vanilla oak spice, peach, passionfruit and persimmon. Tangy yeasty finish.

Available: bythebottle.co.nz

FINE WINE & FOOD TOURS

Martinborough Vineyard Te Tera Pinot Noir 2021 - $28.50

Predominately savoury and spicy, with soft fruity cherry, plum, liquorice and anise. Hints of Cuban cigar and a dry finish.

Available: finewinedelivery.co.nz

Collaboration Wines Impression Hawkes Bay Red 2020 - $35

Merlot, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc blend. A robust red with blackcurrant, liquorice, plum, and firm tannins. Cuban cigar, dark chocolate and savoury earthy spice.

Available: collaborationwines.co.nz

Pegasus Bay North Canterbury Maestro Merlot/Malbec

2019 - $55

Full bodied and grunty, with stewed plum, dark berry fruits, spice, black olive, medium tannins and earthy savoury notes. A youngster which will get even better with 2 to 3 years in the cellar. Available: pegasusbay.com

Folium Marlborough Late Harvest 2020 - $45

Dessert style, sweet and deceptive at 13.5% alcohol. Canned apricot, honey, melon, honeysuckle and crème brulée with medium acids. Available: Dhall & Nash

Pegasus Bay North Canterbury Encore Noble

Riesling 2017 - $44

Lush, unctuous and rich dessert wine made from grapes picked late in the season and infected with ‘noble rot’. Multilayered flavours of grapefruit marmalade, clover honey, ripe pineapple, and crème brulée, all balanced by a lively crisp acidity. Available: pegasusbay.com

(PHIL PARKER)  PN

Your host, Phil Parker wine writer. Affordable tours for small and large groups.

WE CELEBRATE AKARUA AS OUR WINERY OF THE MONTH AT DIDA’S

10 years ago, Edmond de Rothschild Heritage purchased their first New Zealand Estate.

This initial acquisition was Rimapere located in Marlborough, which remains with the group today. Late last year Edmond de Rothschild purchased 34.5 hectares of vineyards belonging to Akarua recognising the unique conditions present in Central Otago for crafting high quality Pinot Noir.

The Edmond de Rothschild Heritage consists of nine estates spread over four continents. Ariane de Rothschild's vision remains consistent; “to reveal the quintessence of the terroirs and enhance their inherent character while respecting the environment, and to elevate the wines to their highest heights: a vision her team here most wholeheartedly believe in”.

First established in 1996 in Central Otago's Bannockburn region, Akarua have always put focus on the quality of the fruit, and in the winery they employ minimalist, gentle techniques which allow the wines to express the purity of fruit and terroir. The consistency of Akarua’s wines is impressive; their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay right up there with the best on offer.

WHERE WINE MEETS FOOD – Dida’s Wine Lounge - 60 Jervois Road.

Convivially yours, the Dida's Wine Lounge encourages leisurely engagements with the comprehensive wine list and the everchanging, always innovative food menu. With small-plates style cuisine, the superbly skilled and talented culinary team work hard to pair perfect morsels with the multiple by-the-glass options of local and imported and hard-to-find wines.

Open Tuesday-Saturday 3pm-10pm.  PN

DIDA’S, 60 Jervois Road, T: 09 376 2813, www.didaswinelounge.co.nz

THE GLENGARRY CASE CLUB

Quality is the No.1 criterion for the Glengarry team as we select our range, and we're quite sure that you will enjoy our choices.

Using the knowledge and experience we've developed over more than seven decades, we take the hassle out of the selection process, leaving you free of all the difficult and timeconsuming decisions.

We are New Zealand's oldest family-owned Fine Wine retailer with proven integrity, and if our selection doesn't quite work for you, our quality assurance means that you can return it, no questions asked. You can, as well, skip a month or cancel at any time before your case ships.

Four easy steps to join.

1. Choose your case. Choose the case that’s right for you; red, white, mixed, beer, malts or gin – yes there’s a gin subscription too.

2. Pop in your delivery details. Your first order will be delivered with freight included and will include our food and wine matching guide.

3. Keep it or change it, its up to you. Within each delivery cycle you can view your case before it is sent with an option to change something out. We will let you know via email and on your profile page.

4. Sit back and enjoy the club. Once you’ve selected your case, we’ll package it up and send it on its way to you. All you need to do is get ready to enjoy it.

How is delivery made?

We partner with NZ Post and use their Courier Post Service. This has the largest reach across New Zealand and includes rural delivery. If you are not home, a calling card will be left.

What if I travel and am not always home?

You can take a break from your case plan at any stage. It’s quick and easy to manage from your online profile page.

What are the benefits of joining the Case Club?

There are many benefits. The key ones: You’ll like the quality - we know how to do quality; we’ve taken all the hassle out of it for you; it’s a risk-free arrangement - you can return what you don't like; our cases are backed by the Glengarry Guarantee. (LIZ WHEADON)  PN

www.glengarrywines.co.nz/caseclub

CASE CLUB

WASH YOUR DISHES THE ECO-FRIENDLY WAY

Here are ecostore’s top five dishwashing hacks to help you boost your eco-credibility at home, every single day.

HACK 1: Take your empty ecostore bottles into store. If you’re worried about where your recycling goes, take your empty ecostore bottles into the Freeman’s Bay shop to make sure they are made into new ecostore bottles.

HACK 2: Refill, in-store or at home. You can either buy ecostore’s large format bottles and refill your smaller bottles at home, or take your small ecostore bottles into their shop and they’ll do it for you.

HACK 3: Look for more thoughtful bubbles. Choose a pH balanced formulation that says no to SLES, DEA, synthetic dyes or artificial perfumes. While it won’t make doing the dishes more fun (sorry), it will be kinder to your skin, your home and your world.

HACK 4: Use only what you need. One of the biggest sustainable switch-ups you can make is to consciously consume less. Ecostore recommends using just 8ml of their Dish Liquid for a sinkful of sparkling dishes.

HACK 5: Dishes away, don’t delay. When food hasn’t welded itself onto your pots and plates, it can be lifted off more easily with less dishwashing liquid. If you must wait, soak.

Looking for more ways to make your home cleaning and body care routine more sustainable? Head into ecostore’s shop for inspiration.  PN

ZEBRANO, 22 Morrow Street, Newmarket - opposite Westfield, T: 09 523 2500, www.zebrano.co.nz

1. Shiloh Dress by Et Alia - $259

2. Cascade Dress by Deeanne Hobbs - $413

3. Macy Dress Singlet by Lemon Tree - $239

4. Courtney Dress by Lemon Tree - $179

5. Charlie Dress by PQ Collection - $133

6. Bliss Dress by Jellicoe - $309

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WHY CHOOSE A GIRLS’ SCHOOL?

Single-sex schools deliver strong academic results.

NCEA and Scholarship results show that students in both boys’ and girls’ single-sex schools consistently achieve higher academic results than their peers in a co-ed environment. At Diocesan School for Girls, students also consistently achieve higher than average when compared to the national NCEA results and are a cut above their co-educated peers nationally in decile 10 schools when it comes to achieving NCEA Excellence.

Principal Heather McRae credits single-sex education as one of the key ingredients for our girls’ consistently high academic achievement and says results are in line with statistics from across the Tasman and in the UK. This difference in results does not mean that girls do not learn in co-ed schools; it means that the opportunities that are provided by girls’ schools enable girls to achieve their full potential.

“In a learning environment that is free from gender discrimination, girls achieve greater academic success, are more confident and assertive and are more likely to study science, technology, and mathematics (STEM) subjects and participate in physical education. Post-school, they are more likely to pursue tertiary study and careers in STEM, hold leadership positions and earn higher wages.”

The fact that girls attending girls’ schools are more likely to take advanced mathematics, physics, and chemistry than girls at co-educational schools speaks to the different environment

that exists in girls’ schools. Gender stereotypes are less prevalent, and students are encouraged to take academically challenging, technologies, and physical science subjects to gain entry to tertiary courses and pursue male-dominated but more highly paid careers in STEM fields.

Indeed, academic outcomes are only one measure of a wellrounded education. Girls fill every single leadership position for every activity in every year level of girls’ schools, from the Head Prefect to Heads of House, Council Heads, Tutor Representatives, to the most junior of sports teams. Girls also play all instruments in the orchestra, stage band or jazz band, from the bassoon and tuba to the drums and electric bass guitar. In a girls’ school, girls lead and participate more freely in discussions, they feel empowered to behave more competitively and to take more healthy risks, such as trying new activities.

The most important factor for classroom learning that distinguishes girls’ schools, however, is that there are no boys in the classroom to distract, discourage or overwhelm girls, and nor are teachers trying to teach two groups who have differing needs and interests. Overall, the differences highlight that while girls learn in other schools, girls’ schools provide greater opportunity to enable girls to achieve their potential.

We acknowledge input from the Australian Alliance of Girls Schools and their eBrief Report on the Advantages of Girls’ Schools. www.diocesan.school.nz

How will your daughter make her mark?

The world is changing and the role of women is changing even faster. Join us to experience the people, place and depth of education that can encourage, challenge and inspire your daughter to be more than she ever imagined. Join us at our Open Day and experience the world-class opportunities awaiting your daughter at Dio.

OPEN DAY 25 March, 10am – 12pm

Register at diocesan.school.nz

Grace Hegley

Future Brass Band Champion

HONOUR MITCHELL: ED’S EDEN EXTRAVAGANZA

Like many teenagers, I love a good concert. So when I heard a certain Ed Sheeran was touring New Zealand in 2023 I had to hop to it and secure some tickets - I wasn’t missing out on this one!

I find Ed Sheeran to be one of those universally liked artists. Nobody really seems to have “issues" with him. His songs are well-known and cherished by many. Over the last decade he has had a staggering number of hits; my personal favourites being: "Photograph" and “Give Me Love’. I know his music connects to a wide range of ages because even my grandma is a fan, and then I hear kids up at the local primary school belting out his songs. That’s quite a rare accomplishment.

The chosen venue for the concert was Eden Park, which I was very happy about because, for we Ponsonby folk, it's just an easy walk or a quick “Uber” away, whereas getting to Mt Smart can present quite a few more logistical challenges! I was, however, bummed to find the whole concert was seated (I confess to being a bit of a mosh-pit aficionado), though, in the end, I have to admit I was thankful not to be squished in with thousands of other sweaty bodies. And even at 17, being able to sit down when my legs got sore was quite a bonus.

After the Elton John concert cancellations and devastating flooding experienced at Eden Park over Auckland Anniversary Weekend, the closer we got to the big night the more nervous I became. Would the venue be repaired in time? Could there be more concert-threatening weather on the way? But luck was certainly on my side, and Friday Feb 10 dawned bright and clear bringing a perfect evening for an outdoor show. Furthermore, Cyclone Gabrielle was still sitting well north of New Zealand, phew! Looking back, the fact that Ed actually went ahead was such a bright spot for Aucklanders who have endured so much distress and tragedy over the past few weeks.

Now onto the actual concert. My friend and I arrived with plenty of time to check out the "merch" on offer as well as the large array of food trucks which housed a generous spread of nibbles. A few of these caught my eye such as delish hot dogs, yummy donuts and taste-bud-tickling Mexican - all great options for those who tend to get a bit peckish before a show (guilty) or possibly need a quick but substantial dinner option. After a few hasty purchases we found our seat.

The first thing I noticed was that the stage was smack-bang in the middle of the stadium. This contrasts with the last time I was here for Six60 when the stage was pushed to the very back of the stadium. This new arrangement meant, no matter how far back you were, it was easy to catch a good view of what was happening. And because the stage was constantly spinning in 360 degree motion, everyone got a chance to see the leading man face-to-face.

The performance started off with a bang, and I was immediately hooked and immersed in nostalgia, hearing the songs I had grown up with. Whether I was singing the rap to ‘Galway Girl’ or shedding a few tears during ‘Thinking Out Loud’, I was mesmerised. Near the end of the show there was some kind of altercation between Ed and his loop pedal, which he uses to create the effect of a band. Lots of technical types raced to his aid and after three attempts to fix the problem they all seemed stumped. Nevertheless, ‘the show must go on’ so Ed resorted to playing acoustic guitar for the rest of his act. And there were certainly no

complaints; he was brilliant under pressure. Personally I enjoyed the the acoustic version of his most popular song, ‘Bad Habits’, even more.

Overall, I have to say that this concert was an out-and-out success and just what the doctor ordered after such a dismal summer. I loved every minute - even when things weren't perfect. Live music can be a truly special experience, emotionally connecting with others through some good ol’ tunes gives a feeling of elation I cannot easily put into words. When I feel like another “hit" I can simply pull up my concert videos on the phone - every time I do this it's an instant mood boost and I’m transported back in time.

(HONOUR MITCHELL)  PN

LUCY KENNEDY: MARCH BOOK REVIEW

Notes from a Public Typewriter, edited by

“Typewriters remind us What have we lost now that words are silent?” that words are sound -they make noise like the striking of keys the scratch of pen on paper.

Michael Gustafson & Oliver Uberti 11+

Arms filled with books, meandering about my local library, a red spine caught my eye - this is how I happened upon the beautiful book that is Notes from a Public Typewriter. This unique book is exactly what the title promises.

When bookstore owner Michael Gustafson first opened his shop Literati (Ann Arbour, Michigan), he placed a typewriter out among the stacks of books, encouraging customers to use it - this led to people anonymously clacking out confessions, poems, jokes, sadness, and celebrations. Page upon page of poignant prose, love notes, paragraphs of full stops and smiley faces, and more are left by unknown hands and read by Gustafson at the end of each day. For this volume, he has selected the best of what had been written.

Short and sweet, this book made me both cry and laugh in the span of an hour. The paragraphs and one-liners are broken up by beautiful photographs of the shop, their collection of typewriters, and the Ann Arbour area. Quick and meaningful, merging the old with the new, this unusual book is a must read

LET PONSONBY NEWS READERS KNOW ABOUT YOUR BRAND… ADVERTISING RATES START AT $235+GST

Email info@ponsonbynews.co.nz

www.ponsonbynews.co.nz

for typewriter lovers and bookshop enthusiasts. (LUCY KENNEDY)

out of 5!

instagram @lucykennedyreviews

CAIT MCLENNAN WHYTE: HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

Happy feet. That’s what you get when you dance Swing. Happy face. Happy body. Happy mind.

Once you start there’ll be no stopping. You’ll be totally seduced by this rhythm driven partner dance, an extrovert expression of musicality that is loose - whole of body movement where individual style has few constraints bar feeling the swinging bounce of the beat. The genre is broad and varied but has its roots in American black communities, emerging in the first decades of the 20th century with the freedoms that the 1920s brought and evolving with jazz and blues music until Jive hit the dance halls mid century with the break through of Rock n Roll.

Swing dance is an umbrella term that describes the various styles such as Balboa, Lindyhop the granddaddy of styles, Jitterbug, Blues dance, West Coast Swing and other contemporised iterations. It had a renaissance in the late 20th century credited to Frankie Manning, a septuagenarian dancer and choreographer who had danced at Harlem’s Savoy ballroom through the heyday of the dance style and who re-emerged and shared his expertise with young dancers and featured choreography in movies such as Malcolm X.

Auckland has a vibrant Swing dance scene that is well established, and regular dance events with live bands happen throughout the city offering dancers the opportunity to impress with their footwork and energy. It is an improvisational form, so no two couples will dance the same steps but everyone will be having fun.

Ponsonby resident Rob Bloom has been dancing Swing for thirty years and was key to the start-up of Swing dance classes in Auckland twenty five years ago. 4 March sees the celebration event marking that anniversary where there

will be displays, performance and a live band to get the joint hopping. He administers the Swing Dancing in Auckland Facebook Group which updates followers about dancepossible events all round the city and further afield. Where there’s jazz music of any description there’s the potential for dance of one form or other – fast or slow - and Swing dancers are not shy to get up and strut their stuff, because who doesn’t love to have fun and smile till your cheeks hurt?.

Bloom says there are now twenty active Swing dance schools in New Zealand compared with sixty across Australia, where he started teaching Swing after learning in London from some of the early rebirthers of the dance form. In those days these early enthusiasts took advantage of the development of VHS technology to view footage in slow motion and teach themselves the high paced steps, turns and throws of the dance masters of the 1930s through the 1950s.

Bloom himself has workshopped with Frankie Manning, who died still tapping his feet at 95 in 2009, so his knowledge is built up from the originals. Like most people who discover Swing dance, Bloom says it’s the music and the connection through it to the dance partner that drew him to Swing and keeps him addicted to the undeniable pure happiness that the dance generates.

So get yourself addicted as 2023 classes resume.

Swing Out Central Ponsonby – 2023 classes begin Thursday 23 February. 7pm beginners; 8.30pm Intermediates at St Stephens Church Hall, Jervois Road. There are also classes in Parnell and Mt Eden. (CAIT MCLENNAN WHYTE)  PN

GETTING YOUR CUSTOMERS TO PAY AND PAY ON TIME

One of the biggest issues facing all business owners today is cash flow, that is getting paid by your customers and being able to pay creditors.

If you can collect all of your debts you are in a better position to pay your own debts. If you have supplied goods or services to your customers it is a reasonable expectation to be paid in a prompt manner.

Here are some tips to help you collect your payments due in a timely manner.

1. Offering Credit Accounts: When offering credit you need to consider your customers past payment history, along with the average spend to determine whether they actually do need credit, or a cash account will suffice.

2. Terms & Conditions: These are important. Make sure you document clearly your terms and conditions of trade in any contract or invoice you are entering into with a client. If a debt goes bad it will be harder to seek legal avenues if the customers’ obligations are not clearly set out.

3. Prompt Payment Incentives: Offering prompt payment discounts is a very effective way to get your invoices paid on time. You can try offering a discount of 2-5% if the invoice is paid within 10 days.

4. Payment Options: Providing convenient payment options for customers can help speed up the payment process. Some customers like to pay using online banking, others prefer credit card payments. Making the payment process easier for your customer will make it easier for you to receive payment.

5. Customer Communication: Make sure your customers have received their invoice and there are no problems. Contact the client before the invoice is due and again after if payment hasn’t been received. Explore options with the client to receive payment rather than it becoming a bad debt. If the customer cannot pay, get them to commit to a

date and amount for when the payment will come. When you are specific about details they are far more likely to pay you. Keep detailed records of all communications with the customer; this will assist you on following up on the commitments received from the customer.

6. Keep your Debtors Records up to date: There is nothing worse or more embarrassing than chasing a debt that has already been paid by the customer.

7. Provide Good Customer Service: Always service the client promptly and efficiently, late or non-payment can be a signal of poor service or a lack of communication with the customer. If there is a potential issue, try to identify and rectify the issue. This is an easy way to avoid the same issue in the future, keep your customers happy and ultimately receive the payment.

By working with your customers you can help make the payment process smoother and an easier experience for both parties involved which will help achieve your ultimate goal of being paid and on time.

If you have any further questions or would like to discuss this matter please do not hesitate to contact Logan Granger.

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.

BLAIR HADDOW: HIGH-END PONSONBY HOME SELLS AFTER JUST FIVE DAYS ON THE MARKET

In less time than it takes to produce and publish an edition of Ponsonby News from one month to the next, leading Ponsonby/Herne Bay/St Mary’s Bay/Grey Lynn residential real estate salesperson Blair Haddow has listed, marketed, and sold a luxury home in locale.

Since publishing the February issue of the Ponsonby News magazine, the Bayleys Ponsonby salesman was approached by the owner of 40 Pompallier Terrace – a sleek fourbedroom/two bathroom fully modernised bungalow with chic open plan living and outdoor entertaining overlooking the easy-care back garden with in-ground heated swimming pool – and asked if he would take on the assignment of selling the Central Ponsonby family home.

Realising that residences of such elegance were highly soughtafter by his expansive database of pre-qualified buyers, Blair took up the sales challenge knowing he had all the tools and experience required to ‘get the job done’ for his client.

Within just five days of listing up the luxury residence for sale, then promoting the white picket fenced opportunity online and through to his exclusive buyer database, Blair had received multiple offers.

After going into a multi-offer programme, the chic Pompallier Terrace home sold for close to $4million. The impeccably designed home’s vendor chose Blair and Bayleys Ponsonby to sell the dwelling after they were personally recommended by one of Blair’s previous vendors who was super impressed by Blair’s professionalism throughout their sales process.

Blair also had four properties across the western city fringe suburbs coming up for auction as this edition of Ponsonby News was going to press. Details on those auction results will be featured in next month’s edition of the magazine –so diary it in for an update of the sales at 55 Summer Street in Ponsonby, 60 Sussex Street in Grey Lynn, 79E Kelmarna Avenue in Ponsonby, and 53 Rose Road in Grey Lynn.

Fully expecting that the four homes will sell under the auctioneer’s hammer, or through negotiations immediately afterwards, Blair Haddow said he was now ready to take on more listings to fill the selection void which would emanate.

“There’s a lot more confidence and positivity around the residential property market already this year than there was at this time last year. Buyers and sellers have taken on board the current economic conditions and are now accustomed to where values are sitting,” he said.

“I’m noticing from our website tracking stats that a lot of ‘hits’ are tracking between all of the properties I’m selling – particularly in the $3.5million - $5.5million brackets. That shows me that buyers are not only looking to benchmark pricing levels, but are also assessing what stock is out there in the market around Ponsonby, Herne Bay, St Mary’s Bay and Grey Lynn.”

Blair also noted that in line with the new-found positivity in the market, the number of people coming to open home viewings since the end of January had also reached near peak levels – even in spite of the two adverse weather events which impacted on the city. One of Blair’s open home viewings alone in the lead up to Cyclone Gabrielle attracted 22 groups.

“There is definite buyer demand for homes across the Ponsonby, Herne Bay, St Mary’s Bay, Grey Lynn areas above the $3million price band. Obviously as a result of what we’ve seen in Auckland twice now over the past month, demand will be higher for homes located well away from valley troughs, beside creeks, or well back from cliff tops,” he said.

“I’m expecting interest in homes for sale which have shown structural and landscaping resilience to the two recent weather events will be considerably higher in the future now that buyers are aware of the living security and peace of mind they offer,” Blair added. (BLAIR HADDOW)  PN

blair.haddow@bayleys.co.nz

www.facebook.com/BlairHaddowResidential

53 Rose Road

79E Kelmarna Ave

STANDOUT ELECTRICAL BRINGING POWER TO THE PEOPLE OF PONSONBY

When you mix passion with skill, something beautiful is created. Standout Electrical, a Ponsonby-focused company, is leading the way in innovative home electrical design.

Jacob, his wife Ancelin, and their team are bringing solutionbased electrical with a flare, to homes across the suburb.

There’s more to electrical than sockets and downlights. Imagine arriving home one evening; carefully placed spotlights highlight the driveway foliage, providing both security and design. At the touch of a button, your gates open to reveal a warm glow emitting from your front garden hedging. You enter your home by touchpad, and your eyes are drawn to a soft sunset hue illuminating your favourite art piece.

Controlled via app, you draw your blinds and set lighting to ‘movie time’. You check your outdoor security cameras via your smartphone and settle in for the night. All of this and more can be achieved – there is no idea too big or too small.

Jacob has always been drawn to the Ponsonby community and has consistently completed extensive work on homes throughout the area since first starting in the electrical industry. Many of Jacob’s clients have followed his career for over 10

years and were delighted when he created his own business where his true talents could shine.

Jacob loves the loyalty of his Ponsonby clients and their appreciation of the finer details. What might start the relationship as a simple light install, may one day end up in a complete renovation and extension, and Jacob loves being a part of the journey. He gets to know you, your family, and your pets because that personal connection is so important when you have someone in your home. ‘Creating Positive Connections’ is their motto, and they live by this.

Jacob and the Standout Electrical team can bring your ideas to life, whether it’s an indoor or outdoor renovation, security, or general electrical. They work closely with their customers and suppliers to ensure every project is executed with quality, precision, and communication from start to finish. If you are searching for an electrician who is much more than your typical tradesman, then Standout Electrical should be your first choice.

STANDOUT ELECTRICAL, T: 0800STANDOUT, www.standoutelectrical.co.nz

Focused on Creating Positive Connections, providing a professional service, and displaying quality workmanship from start to finish.

MAKE YOUR GARDEN FLOOD RESILIENT

Four easy drainage projects to manage heavy rain and beautify your property.

The gardens of Auckland have taken a hammering over the last few weeks with some extreme weather events. These four easy drainage projects will help.

From boggy to beautiful – the field drain

If certain areas of your property seem to flood easily, installing a field drain below ground will help dissipate the flow. Before digging any trenches, make sure you’re well away from any existing underground lines. Ideally your trench should run at a slight downhill grade, so the water flows evenly. Even if you cannot achieve a downwards flow, simply installing the drain is going to help draw water down from the surface pooling.

Jakmat – a permeable solution for paths and driveways

Jakmat is an eco-friendly solution made from recycled plastic. It’s a more permeable alternative to concrete and strong enough to use for driveways. Base aggregates and sand are laid over the problem muddy area, then Jakmat is laid and filled with pebbles giving a designer look at the finish. Central Landscapes Avondale are currently offering a 10% discount on Jakmat during March.

Wrangle the rain with a backyard raingarden

Drainage solutions can be beautiful – raingardens are a pleasing combination of natural materials that function as drains but look amazing. Choose a gently sloping location where the water naturally drains. Raingardens are essentially a soakage pit with sloping sides and a raised edge on the lower edge. The pit is filled with raingarden soil mix and topped with

a heavy mulch. Plant hardy native plants or grasses into the mix to disguise the fact that this is a clever drain option at work.

Urban wetland - planting New Zealand’s most water hungry plants in boggy areas

Sometimes the most sustainable landscaping solution is to embrace the wet. Turn that boggy patch into a mini urban wetland where water-hungry plants will thrive. New Zealand grasses such as Carex virgata or Carex secta, or the New Zealand reed, oi-oi, will easily cope with inundation from time to time. Add boulders, rocks and pebbles for visual interest.

Visit Avondale Central Landscapes for advice and solutions to your drainage problems. We’re open seven days and deliver across central Auckland. Or grab one of our free loan trailers!

CENTRAL LANDSCAPES AVONDALE, 419 Rosebank Road, T: 09 828 5533, Facebook: @CLSAvondale, www.centrallandscapes.co.nz

or

Installing a field drain will help manage surface water

LAHOOD® AND LUXAFLEX®

THE PERFECT COMBINATION TO SCREEN THE SUN AND CONTROL THE HEAT IN YOUR HOME

Luxaflex® Roller Blinds’ slim and contemporary profile and design versatility makes them a perfect choice for any interior.

From screening the sun and filtering the light to creating darkness, they allow you to unify your home with one window furnishing style while giving every room the individual attention and treatment it deserves.

Maintaining privacy and light control day and night is an important consideration for many homeowners, particularly for bedrooms. With a Luxaflex® Roller Blind you have the freedom to select fabrics and functions that best suit the needs of your space. For the likes of north-facing rooms with beautiful views, sunscreen and sheer fabrics can be selected for UV protection while maintaining a view and privacy.

Lahood offers a broad range of motorisation and automation options for our window furnishings. Making control effortless, automation greatly enhances your blinds benefits—and your lifestyle. The pinnacle of operation and function is achieved through automation. Unlocking the ability to operate your roller blinds via smartphone, voice control or the press of a button, you can reduce energy consumption, improve convenience and comfort, increase security, and schedule your blinds to operate on your timeframe.

If you want the best advice, service and support available for your window furnishings and home design ideas, then contact Lahood and see what their 40 years of experience means.

When selecting a roller blind; fabric, you should have the freedom to balance both function and style. Lahood is the only Luxaflex Gallery Store in Auckland, so they proudly maintain the largest range of premium window furnishing fabrics on the market.

From inspiration to installation, Lahood Window Furnishings do it all. www.lahood.co.nz

With a focus on beauty and durability, there is a Roller Blind fabric for every occasion. And with a recent fabric range extension, there are now even more contemporary and on-trend colours to pick from.

@ SCOTT LAWRIE GALLERY

Benjamin Aitken: You’re so vain, you probably think these paintings are about you.

Benjamin Aitken is one of the most dynamic young Australian painters of his generation, being a five times finalist in the AGNSW Archibald Prize, and the Sir John Sulman Painting Prize, all while showing in numerous galleries in Australia and overseas.

Ben’s practice is anything but conventional, creating inspiring mash-ups of blatant consumerism, art world tropes, nightmarish cartoons, and the shadow of addiction. There’s a fervour and determination in these works which epitomise struggle, both as an individual, and as an artist determined to make his mark within the pervasively benign culture of late capitalism.

Either way, astute collectors will immediately recognise these as good paintings. There are seven small paintings (spelling the word ‘OPIATES’) and one major painting of four panels, measuring 6m across. It’s a truly spectacular show.

We’re also proud to introduce the work of another Australian artist – Coady. Fresh from extraordinary shows at Finkelstein gallery in Melbourne, as well as sell-outs at the recent Australian art fairs – this is Coady’s first solo show in New Zealand and it’s a ripper! With things being the way they are, we could all do with some happy pills – and I promise, these will make you smile!

Inga Fillary is welcomed back with a major installation of her burnt furniture, where she explores ideas of consumerism, materiality, and the recent anti-anthropocentric turn in continental philosophy – into a dialogue with contemporary art.

The gallery has never looked better. All welcome!

The show is on at Scott Lawrie Gallery in Mount Eden and runs until Saturday 19 March.  PN

SCOTT LAWRIE GALLERY, Shed 10, The Steelworks, 13 Coles Avenue (off Valley Road), www.scottlawrie.com

Open Tuesday to Saturday 11am-5pm.

Benjamin Aitken, Untitled (4 Panels, each 1.5m x 1.5m), 2023

Benjamin Aitken, ‘I’ (Opiates Series), 2023

Coady, Bauhaus Yellow Construction #4, 2021

@ BERGMAN GALLERY

Pride and Prejudice, Part 1 18 February - 18 March

Prejudice - it's not an attractive topic, yet despite an enduring fight against it, remains stubbornly systemic across the globe, permeating every facet of our human existence. It comes in all shapes and sizes, tailored to any generic set of circumstances.

The exhibition series, Pride and Prejudice, Parts 1-3 brings together a collection of stories by Queer and Pacific artists who live, like many of us, with prejudice. They are narrated in painted, sculptural and photographic form. They are communicated with love, humour and gravity.

They are not victim impact statements, nor are they a condemnation or judgment of others, these stories function as a stocktake of the reality we live in, and purposefully reflect that we believe the fight for equality in all of its forms, is far from over.

Instagram and Facebook @bergmangallery

BERGMAN

E:

Lucas Grogan, Oliver Cain, Heather Straka, Louie Bretaña, Luke Thurgate, Raymond Sagapolutele, and Sione Monū.

Lucas Grogan, A Study with Pansies I and A Study with Pansies II, Ink and acrylic on canvas, 1520 x 1220mm, 2023

Oliver Cain, Fertility Gnomes, Ceramic Sculptures 300x100x120mm, 2022

GALLERY, 3/582 Karangahape Road (Entrance via 2 Newton Road), T: 021 024 614

benny@bergmangallery.com Tues-Sat 10am-5:30pm, www.bergmangallery.com

ST MATTHEW’S CHAMBER ORCHESTRA @ ST MATTHEW-IN-THE-CITY

Sunday 19 March 2.30pm

Soloist Andrew Beer

Conductor Brent Stewart

Virtuoso Violin

Best Classical Artist at the 2020 NZ Music Awards winner Violinist Andrew Beer has been described as a "musical gift" (New York Times). His gift to us on 19 March will be his performance of Wieniawski’s Romantic 2nd Violin Concert. To this day, Wieniawski is considered to be one of the greatest violinists in history.

Andrew Beer has served as concertmaster of the APO since 2014. As a soloist he has performed with leading orchestras in Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Boston, Birmingham, Catania, Auckland and Hamilton and as a chamber musician has appeared in concert with Midori, the Parker Quartet and members of the Emerson Quartet.

Known as a leading New Zealand orchestral and choral conductor, percussionist, pianist, and teacher, Brent Stewart has since 2020 directed and produced many of New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's live streams. He has been working as a producer on major recording projects and will work as producer on the orchestral recording of a major Nickelodeon film in 2023.

St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra is an accomplished orchestra performing a wide repertoire of music and is dedicated to providing performance opportunities for New Zealand musicians, composers and conductors. www.smco.org.nz

TICKETS Eventfinda or Door Sales. EFTPOS or Cash

Adults $30 Concessions $25 children under 12 free. Student Rush on the day $15.

NB attendees will need to comply with any Covid-19 protocols in place at the time of the concert.

ST MATTHEW-IN-THE-CITY corner Wellesley & Hobson Streets.

Sun 19 March at 2.30pm

PROGRAMME

Schumann Overture, Scherzo & Finale Op 52

Wieniawski

Schubert

SOLOIST Andrew Beer CONDUCTOR Brent Stewart

ST MATTHEW-IN-THE-CITY Cnr of Wellesley & Hobson Street, Auckland City

Saint-Saëns Havanaise Op 83

Violin Concerto No 2 Op 22

Symphony in B minor D759 ‘Unfinished’

Andrew Beer

UPTOWN ART SCENE

“Landscape is the work of the mind”, wrote Simon Schama. “Its scenery built up as much from strata of memory as from layers of rock.”

Land is central to matauranga Māori, and to the current exhibition at Tim Melville, Whenua/Whenua: Wahine Māori Artists. One of the most compelling works is a photograph of stacked stones by Maraea Timutimu.

Dramatically lit, rich with texture and in a precarious balance, these stones have been gathered from the waterways of Maraea’s kainga (village) at Matapihi and Ruatoki. Set atop each other, they become figure-like, a portrait of both the land and the person.

Raukura Turei makes her colours from onē (earth), creating dense paintings from repeated dabs of black sand and blue clay. Her work doesn’t just speak to the land, but is the land. A show not to be missed, Whenua/Whenua includes the work of Margaret Aull, Hiria Anderson-Mita, Aimee Ratana, Natalie Robertson, and Nephi Tupaea.

At Fox Jensen McCrory, director Andrew Jensen invokes the landscape with “outrageous moraine, wonderous tracks, persistent quarrying” to describe Dutch artist Koen Delaere’s

thick viscous paintings, and quotes writer Michael Ondaatje “as a writer, one is busy with archaeology,” with it being the same for painters also. These works are physical, showing the marks of the body splayed across a mass of ploughed paint.

The cultural landscape of Karangahape Road is coloured with rainbows, and the Pride and Prejudice exhibition at Bergman Gallery is full of images from our urban environment. Sione Monu adorns a tree’s bare branches with colourful clouds of beads. Philippine artist Louie Bretaña composes celestial deities from raw hessian embedded with glitter and glass crystals. Heather Straka’s three intergenerational figures confront a lunging dog in a strange tableaux of broken rocks and interior details.

Our artists show us the diverse viewpoints we can observe the landscape from, perhaps so we can walk with greater sensitivity on it.

www.studioart.co.nz

EVAN WOODRUFFE, Studio Art Supplies

Koen Delaere at Fox Jensen McCrory

Louie Bretana at Bergman

Raukura Turei at Tim Melville Gallery

HOROSCOPES: MISS PEARL NECLIS – what your stars hold for March

Aquarius (the Water Carrier)

21 January - 19 February

You might feel like backtracking a little to catch up with yourself this month. However far you go back, make sure that you feel good about anything you change. Do what makes you happy.

Pisces (the Fishes)

20 February - 20 March

Whatever you may think of your close friends, you have to remember that whatever is said comes from a place of love and support. The insecurities you may have felt will have vanished as the year continues. Enjoy yourself - starting from now.

Aries (the Ram)

21 March - 20 April

Staying positive is something you’re good at, so the new chapter that’s about to start in your life will be a breeze. Remember though, not everyone is a morning person, so tread lightly to avoid stepping on any toes.

Taurus (the Bull)

21 April - 21 May

If you feel like you have to change something, then maybe you’ll need to start from within. You’re more than capable. Make sure any communication from your self is clear and to the point. There’s no need to confuse anyone.

Gemini (the Twins)

22 May - 21 June

Drama can follow you around, or it might be that you like to cause conflict. Spending more time with people, instead of working all the time, will vastly improve your social life. If you have a differing opinion from everyone, just try to compromise.

Cancer (the Crab)

22 June - 22 July

Feeling bored is something you’re not used to, so hearing something that you’re not supposed to can be extremely exciting. If you do feel like sharing, make sure all your facts are correct.

Leo (the Lion)

23 July - 21 August

Being ambitious is not a bad thing. You just have to remember to treat everyone the same as you rise to the top. When you do get there, make sure any promises you may have made are kept.

Virgo (the Virgin)

22 August - 23 September

You may have to take the lead in your relationship for a while. Whatever issues you have can be solved, if you dig a little deeper for a solution. Sharing can be a good way to get to a good result.

Libra (the Scales)

24 September - 23 October

Going away somewhere sounds like a good idea at the moment. If the circumstances aren’t quite right, then have faith, as things can change at any time. Being adventurous can be an advantage that you’ve yet to realise.

Scorpio (the Scorpion)

24 October - 22 November

You seem to be very curious at the moment, and your enquiring mind could uncover something that you’re not supposed to be aware of. If you have information that might be beneficial, then use it. If not, bin it and carry on.

Sagittarius (the Archer)

23 November - 22 December

Whatever you might be feeling, it’s up to you to find your way out of a dilemma that you’ve created for yourself. Even you don’t know everything, so getting or asking for help will enable you to move forward with ease.

Capricorn (the Goat)

23 December - 20 January

You can be oversensitive at times and it can often result in you getting the wrong end of the stick. Communicating your feelings and emotions can be truly beneficial. Finding the right outlet though can be tricky. Try what’s right for you first.