The Hobson October 2017

october 2017

bee happy in parnell p philanthropy 101 p starship's 25th local news, views & informed opinions

10 HOMAI STREET, REMUERA

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The Home of your Dream As you make your way through this extraordinary 1930s character family home you will be impressed by seamless merging of classic old with luxurious new. From gorgeous Matai and burnt oak floors to your designer kitchen complete with Gaggenau double oven system. Zoned for double grammar and spread over 312 sq m (more or less) bespoke architectural design allows you to entertain year round should you desire. You flow effortlessly from the open plan living spaces out to your award winning garden featuring a luxurious heated swimming pool and elegant night-lighting. Featuring five bedrooms, three bathrooms and separated living areas, this well-conceived layout allows for space, solitude and privacy, ensuring all family members enjoy the comfort of this stunning home.

AUCTION: 2:00 p.m. Wednesday 25th October at 295 Parnell Road (unless sold prior) VIEW: nzsothebysrealty.com/NZE10731

NICK TRAVAGLIA: +64 21 676 745 nick.travaglia@sothebysrealty.com

SCARLETT WOOD: +64 21 686 856 scarlett.wood@sothebysrealty.com

nzsothebysrealty.com auckland

| waiheke island | warkworth | matakana | bay of islands | hawke’s bay | taupo | nelson | marlborough | christchurch | queenstown | arrowtown | wanaka

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Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Browns Real Estate Limited (licensed under the REAA 2008) MREINZ.

INSPIRED EUROPEAN TRENDS

Be inspired by the latest European trends in bathroom and kitchen, designed by Philippe Starck, Sieger Design, Matteo Thun and Arne Jacobsen. Our unique collection has everything you need to create your personal sanctuary.

Choose your dream bathroom fittings from the new Metrix Design Collection catalogue out now. Call into the showroom in Parnell for your copy. “Don’t think bathroom, think lifestyle”

www.metrix.co.nz 155 The Strand, Parnell, Auckland T: 09 379 7399 E: info@metrix.co.nz

DURAVIT | DORNBRACHT | VOLA | KALDEWEI | PAINI | INDA | VALSIR | ALMAR | GLASS DESIGN | MARBLO | ALAPE

C O L L E C T I O N

“At Auckland Obstetric Centre we understand that pregnancy and childbirth is the most important time of your life and that you and baby should have the highest standard of care.”

– Jane Patten, Clinic Manager

Auckland Obstetric Centre is a unique practice in Parnell made up of six leading specialist obstetricians and support staff. Together we have many years of experience and feel privileged to be able to share in the care of women during their pregnancy.

To find out more about how we can care for you and your baby call our team on 09 3671200 or visit our website www.obstetrics.co.nz.

Lynda Batcheler | Astrid Budden | Eva Hochstein | Katherine McKenzie | Kirstie Peake | Martin Sowter

The October Issue, No. 42 10

42

the editor’s letter

the magpie

12

A bit over your nest? The Magpie puts the spring into decorating updates

the columnists

44

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the teacher

the village There’ll be no more fording Tamaki Dr, local business initiatives, meet your local board members, the neighbourhood’s best burgers, and more

Judi Paape is inspired by future-facing teachers, including an educational leader quite close to home

45 the second act

24 the plan Hamish Firth puts aside his usual urban planning insights for a delightful excursion into beekeeping (also, our cover story)

Momentum can lead to the change you’re seeking, says Sandy Burgham (plus, a special reader offer)

46 the heritage

30 the councillors News from Councillors for Auckland Mike Lee (Waitematā & Gulf) and Desley Simpson (Ōrākei)

Carolyn Cameron shares with us her research into Parnell’s iconic Stonemason’s House

48 the pretty

32

Scrub that, advises Justine Williams

the reps On election eve, Epsom electorate MPs Paul Goldsmith, David Seymour and Barry Coates write for us

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34

Megan Horsburgh profiles one of the designers behind a local garden selected for next month’s Garden DesignFest

the suburbanist

the garden

Tommy Honey proposes vision — and dollars — to seed a bright future for the Remuera town centre

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We’ll have what she’s having: Sarah Thornton stays and dines at Kokomo, Fiji's newest luxury resort island

the investment

the destination

Warren Couillault offers an Economics 101 on capital gains taxes and the laws of supply and demand

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36

Andrew Dickens shares, a little reluctantly, his favourite band

the give back

55

The Auckland Foundation manages philanthropic donor programs, including that of the Fabulous Ladies’ Giving Circle

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the sound

the district diary What’s happening in October

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the anniversary It’s Starship’s silver jubilee which means celebrations, recollections and fundraising for the years to come, writes Mary

the cryptic Our puzzle, by Māyā. Hint: some of the answers are local

Fitzgerald

Garden Glory Courtesy of the Garden Design Society of NZ and the Rotary Club of Newmarket, we have six double passes to give away to the Garden DesignFest, held over the weekend of November 25 and 26. Each double pass allows entry to 20 private gardens around the city, created by top landscape designers. 19 of the gardens have never been open to the public before, and the designers will be on hand to talk about their work.

To win a double pass, valued at $130, please email business@thehobson.co.nz with GARDEN FEST in the subject line, by 5pm, Friday October 20, 2017. Please include your mailing address for tickets. Winners names will be picked at random.

For more information about the event, see gardendesignfest.co.nz the hobson 6

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issue 42, october 2017 Editor & Publisher Kirsty Cameron editor@thehobson.co.nz Art Direction & Production Stephen Penny design@thehobson.co.nz Advertising Sales Rex Pearce rex@thevalueexchange.co.nz 021 883 891 News Editor Mary Fitzgerald maryfitzgerald.thehobson@gmail.com Writers This Issue Kirsty Cameron, Mary Fitzgerald, Megan Horsburgh, Chantelle Murray, Sarah Thornton, Justine Williams Sub-editor Fiona Wilson Columnists & Contributors This Issue Sandy Burgham, Barry Coates, Warren Couillault, Andrew Dickens, Hamish Firth, Paul Goldsmith, Tommy Honey, Mike Lee, Māyā, Judi Paape, David Seymour, Desley Simpson Photographers Stephen Penny, Tashina Smith Cover Our columnist Hamish Firth and Greenscene NZ’s Andrew Barrowcliffe prepare to split beehives at Hamish’s Parnell home. Photo by Stephen Penny. See The Plan, page 24 THE HOBSON is published 10 times a year by The Hobson Limited, PO Box 37490 Parnell, Auckland 1151. www.thehobson.co.nz F: TheHobsonMagazine I: @TheHobson Ideas, suggestions, advertising inquiries welcome. editor@thehobson.co.nz Or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheHobsonMagazine

THE HOBSON is Remuera, Parnell and Ōrākei’s community magazine. We deliver into letterboxes in these neighbourhoods, and copies are also at local libraries, cafes, and at businesses including the Vicky Ave and White Heron dairies, and Paper Plus Parnell.

For more about us, follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

The content of THE HOBSON is copyright. Our words, our pictures. Don’t steal, and don’t borrow without checking with us first.

We aim for accuracy but cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies that do occur. The views of our contributors are their own and not necessarily those of THE HOBSON. We don’t favour unsolicited contributions but do welcome you getting in touch via editor@thehobson.co.nz to discuss ideas.

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here’s much food for thought in this issue. I hope there always is, but this particular edition seems to have brought together a few threads that have some personal resonance. Mary Fitzgerald’s round-up of “Starship stories” of course makes you think of your own Starship interactions. My family, luckily, has touched this amazing facility only lightly — a few not-too-difficult fractures, a jellybean wedged well up the nose. But I know not all have been so lucky as to only be an outpatient, and I know from my sister’s work stories (that’s her, below) the extent of what the extraordinary staff can face. We should thank them all, daily.

Another thought-provoking read is Tommy Honey’s regular column, The Suburbanist. The new, post-Unitary Plan property valuations will be out next month, and Tommy looks at Remuera’s town centre precinct and imagines — with some serious investment and that vision thing — a brighter future that will help both retail and housing.

Hamish Firth will probably get a bit of a surprise seeing himself on our cover, but I love a good bee story. Enjoy the tale of his backyard beekeeping adventures in Parnell — and why we need to be bee aware, on page 24.

Enjoy all this issue has to offer,

Kirsty Cameron editor@thehobson.co.nz 0275 326 424 Facebook: The Hobson magazine Instagram: TheHobson

My youngest sister, Charlotte Cameron, worked at Starship for 13 years over a 20year nursing career, mostly as part of the post-surgery recovery team. “It’s a very special place,” she says. “You become part of the Starship family. You’re working with such committed people, doing amazing things every day. It can be very tough, but you’re supported by the team and you make life-long friendships.”

A shameless plug for a dear friend: Michael Fitzgerald is former colleague, and a beautiful writer. He fell in love with Samoa on his first trip there, as arts editor of the South Pacific edition of Time magazine. His debut novel, The Pacific Room (Transit Lounge Publishing), weaves the story of the last days of Robert Louis Stevenson. Warmly reviewed on its Australian release (Michael lives in Sydney), it’s now available here, at good booksellers.

We’re delighted to now be part of newsroom.co.nz, a local, independent news and current affairs site. Check Newsroom out if you haven’t already — you’ll find well-written, in-depth reporting by leading journalists. Stories and columns from The Hobson are under the “New Auckland” tab, plus a link to our digital edition (via issuu.com).

the hobson 10

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Accolades aside, it’s the combination of exceptional dynamics, everyday usability and bold design that makes F-PACE the luxury performance SUV of choice.

Book your test drive at jaguar.co.nz

The Columnists

Left to right from top row:

Sandy Burgham (The Second Act) is a brand strategist and an executive coach with a special interest in midlife change and transformational behaviours. She runs a central Auckland practice. www.playclc.com Precious Clark (The Kaitiaki) is a professional director who sits on several boards, and a young leader of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. A law graduate, she lives in Ōrākei and contributes a periodic column.

Remuera resident Warren Couillault (The Investment) is an executive director and the major shareholder of Hobson Wealth Partners, a private wealth advisory group. He is a shareholder and director of Generate Investment Management Ltd; and manager of a registered Kiwisaver scheme.

Andrew Dickens (The Sound) is the host of Andrew Dickens’ Sunday Cafe on Sunday morning, from 9am, on Newstalk ZB. He is also the music reviewer on Jack Tame’s Saturday morning show on Newstalk ZB. He grew up in Remuera.

Hamish Firth (The Plan) lives and works in Parnell and is principal of the Mt Hobson Group, a specialist urban planning consultancy. www.mthobsonproperties.co.nz Mary Fitzgerald is The Hobson’s News Editor. A Mainlander who transplanted to Remuera 13 years ago, she is passionate about hearing and telling our stories.

Urban design critic Tommy Honey (The Suburbanist) is a former architect. The Remuera resident is a regular guest on RNZ National, discussing the built environment.

Judi Paape (The Teacher) is a parent, grandparent and highly-experienced teacher and junior school principal.

A Parnell resident, her column appears bi-monthly.

Contributing writer Wayne Thompson is a former The New Zealand Herald journalist, covering Auckland news.

He has been a resident of Parnell for 33 years.

Contributing editor Justine Williams is an interiors stylist, writer and fashion editor. The Remuera resident has been the editor of Simply You and Simply You Living.

the hobson 12

SIMPLY MATCHING PEOPLE WITH PROPERTY www.remuerarealestateregister.co.nz

Hobson Bay 20 Steps Away ... Magical

72 Tohunga Cres, Parnell This Ron Seeto designed Thermalite concrete block home has been specifically designed for its location, views and sun. The layout absolutely reflects an understanding of how people prefer to live today. The ground floor has good separate living spaces, with plenty of space and light, and opens to outdoor living. Upstairs the master bedroom, with full bathroom, occupies the northern end of the house. The stunning views are shared by two other bedrooms.

Add a study, family bathroom, guest bathroom, great storage plus large double garage, and all your practical needs are met. Water access to Hobson Bay, and its walkways, is only metres away. This is a rare opportunity.

Terry King 021 484 332 terry.king@remueraregister.co.nz

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Diana King 021 613 884 diana.king@remueraregister.co.nz The Kings of Real Estate

Remuera Real Estate Register Limited licensed REAA 2008

Photo courtesy Ben Sherrin/Auckland King Tides Initiative

the village

Town & Around

TAMAKI'S NEW DRIVE Negotiating flooded sections of Tamaki Dr has become a familiar problem to eastern bays commuters over the years, and there has been mounting pressure from residents and elected officials to rectify the problem as part of already-planned works along the scenic transport corridor. Mayor Phil Goff has now announced that Auckland Transport will redesign sections of the roadway. Work will begin next year, at the same time the Tamaki Dr cycleway is constructed.

Flooding across Tamaki Dr typically happens during king tides, partially closing the road. It can occur up to eight times a year, impacting traffic flow and causing safety issues for cyclists and pedestrians.

The plans to address flooding at low spots between Lilliput minigolf and the Ngapipi Bridge include raising the road up to half a metre higher, adding a curve to the edge of the seawall to help deflect waves from breaking onto the footpath, and installing storm water valves that will reduce the inflow of seawater.

“These measures will make Tamaki Dr safer for all road users,” the mayor said when announcing the changes. “It will improve congestion in the area and reduce the need for road closures following significant weather events. Council is focused on ensuring our city adapts to climate change. That means investing in our coastal areas to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels and flooding.”

Support for the project was driven by Auckland Councillor for Ōrākei, Desley Simpson, who says she is pleased that this longrunning issue is finally being addressed.

“Auckland Transport has responded to my concerns and the concerns of the public and they have come up with solutions that are creative, within budget and can be delivered this financial year,” she said.

“Separating vehicles, pedestrians and commuter cyclists will enhance the safety for all users, match the objectives of the Tamaki Drive Master Plan and maintain the current number of vehicle lanes in the road corridor, in both directions.”

Simpson was supported in her efforts on behalf of residents by Tamaki MP Simon O’Connor, who launched a petition to mobilise concerned residents and put pressure on Council to get started on the upgrades. O’Connor says he will be working with Goff and Simpson to ensure the project is delivered on time and within it’s yet-to-be-announced budget, and “looks forward to the wider call for a complete upgrade of Tamaki Dr being addressed as well.”

Applause for the news came too from the Outboard Boating Club, which has its headquarters on Tamaki Dr. “It is encouraging news,” says CEO Brian Hood. “The flooding was concerning, waves were starting to wash across the road, threatening the grass, trees and our historic club house, all which was built up and replanted by our volunteers many years ago. The Mayor's commitment is also helpful to our plans to improve safety and accessibility at the club entrance, as we seek environmental

the hobson 14

accreditation for our marina and facilities.

“It is good to see investment in Tamaki Dr in a more coordinated approach, with several projects improving safety for the community and all road users, and preserving the community amenities”.

The cost of the project is undetermined, as is the length of time the works will be in place. An AT spokesman told The Hobson that the work does not have a firm budget as it is yet to go through the design and consenting process. “As part of the consenting process, a traffic management plan will be completed to ensure traffic disruption is kept to a minimum.” — Mary Fitzgerald p For more on the background to this announcement, see Councillor Desley Simpson’s column, page 30.

For more information on the king tides which flood Tamaki Dr and other parts of the isthmus, visit Auckland King Tides Initiative, a citizen science project gathering images and data about high tides. auckland.kingtides.org.nz

MORE TAMAKI DR ACTION A new speed camera is to be installed on Tamaki Dr, as part of a nationwide initiative to reduce speeds in high crash areas. The new camera will be installed within the next few months and will be located near the Parnell end of the roadway. Last year, a speed camera was installed on Ngapipi Rd, to encourage motorists to keep their speed down on their approach to and from the Tamaki Dr/ Ngapipi intersection. p

SWEET LOUISE COMES TO OBV “Sweet Louise Week” will be held at Orakei Bay Village from October 13, as part of events marking October as breast cancer awareness month. Sweet Louise is New Zealand’s only charity solely dedicated to supporting Kiwis with incurable breast cancer.

It was founded by the family of Parnell resident Louise Perkins, née Mikkelsen, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 27, but who lived a further 10 years, inspiring everyone around her with her attitude of living positively while dealing with breast cancer.

The week commences on Friday October 13 (Metastatic Breast Cancer Day), with a morning yoga class hosted by Bowl and Arrow.

Over the week OBV hospitality venues will offer Sweet Louisethemed goodies, and participating retailers will give shoppers the chance to win prizes. And hard to miss will be the bra chandelier, created by hundreds of participating women in honour of the 595 Sweet Louise members living with incurable breast cancer.

Tickets to the Bowl and Arrow yoga class can be purchased via eventbrite.co.nz. Donations can be made during the week at King’s Plant Barn and other retailers, and by texting GIVE to 2447 to donate $3. See sweetlouise.co.nz for further information. p

THROWING LIGHT ON UPCYCLING Two local businesses are combining their goodwill to collectively offer a sustainable upcycling and recyling service for lovers of a scented home.

For some years, Ōrākei resident Jennifer Del Bel has offered a refill service as part of her Illumina candles business, where clients could return their favourite candle vessels for refilling. Now, she’s taking her idea wider, working with Urban Herbalist owner, Khalid Ghanima, to create a refill station within the Urban Herbalist store

the village

soy waxes with no paraffin, being lead-free, zinc-free. Our diffuser base is 100 per cent natural too.

“Khalid and myself are enthusiastic about this project. His commitment to a healthy body and Illumina’s commitment to a healthy home just fit together nicely”.

The Illumina refill bar will launch at the Urban Herbalist on Saturday October 14, with special promotions, and both Del Bel and Ghanima instore. p

NEWS FROM THE LOCAL BOARDS

at Orakei Bay Village.

“People can bring in heritage pieces from their home, mason jars, whatever,” says Del Bel (above). “As long as it is capable of handling the heat of burning, we can fill it, from 10mls to 10kg candles.” Clients will be able to drop off cleaned vessels suitable for either candles or reed diffusers, select the fragrance they want from the three scents available each month (the fragrances are developed with a fifth-generation French parfumier), then pick them up a week later, refilled and ready to be used — at roughly half the cost of buying a new candle.

Del Bel has been committed to a “reduce, recycle, reuse” business since she launched Illumina. “The first containers I filled were my grandmother’s crystal vases, and whatever I could reuse for candles, I did. And I’ve stuck to my principles about being ethical in our production, manufacturing without chemicals, using

The Newmarket upgrade of Osborne St and Teed St is progressing as part of the Newmarket Laneways Plan, initiated by the Waitematā Local Board. Teed St is one of the first areas to receive an urban design upgrade as part of the Plan. It includes footpath widening, increased greenery, areas for outdoor dining and new street furniture. It is expected to be completed this month.

Orākei Local Board has approved community grants to the value of $7030, including a $600 grant to the Jewish Federation of NZ for equipment hire for its Hanukkah in the Park event, and $350 towards venue hire of the Orākei Community Centre for patchwork and quilting classes. Among the grants that didn’t get over the line were applications from the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Association, and Project Litefoot Trust, which uses sportspeople as environmental champions.

Auckland Transport estimates a cost to the Orākei Local Board of roughly $148,000 to extend Mission Bay’s Selwyn Reserve walkway onto a boardwalk.

The board has requested AT provide a detailed extension design, and a firm estimate for its consideration. p

King's School pupils squelched through mud for their annual cross-country run through The Domain. Shoes were lost, faces were spattered but school spirit was high. Photo by Simon Watts

the hobson 16

WHY IS MY STREET CALLED . . . BEATRICE? Beatrice Rd runs off Remuera Rd, to the west of Bassett Rd. In a new series for The Hobson, historical writer Deirdre Roelants delves into the story behind the name.

According to John Davenport’s book, Street Names of Auckland, Beatrice Rd in Remuera was named for Queen Victoria’s daughter, the youngest of the nine children born to the Queen and Prince Albert.

Beatrice’s childhood was overshadowed by her mother’s grief following Albert’s death in 1861. As the youngest, the Queen came to rely on Beatrice to an excessive extent, referring to her as “Baby” for most of her childhood. Albert died when she was only four, so she scarcely knew him, but her mother’s grief influenced the rest of her life. Victoria would reportedly take Beatrice from her cot, hurry with her to the royal bed, and “lay there sleepless, clasping her child who she wrapped in the nightclothes of the man who would wear them no more”.

“Youngest daughters have a duty to widowed mothers,” intoned Victoria, echoing the mores of the day, as she set about sucking the life out of her once-spirited daughter.

Victoria did everything in her power to make sure that Beatrice would never leave her, and it was, for a time, reciprocated: Beatrice declared from an early age: “I don’t like weddings at all. I shall never be married. I shall stay with my mother.”

As her mother’s secretary, she wrote letters on Victoria’s behalf and helped with political correspondence, however the Queen soon added more personal tasks such as dictating her journal entries. When Victoria’s highland servant, John Brown, died at Balmoral, once again the Queen plunged into mourning, and relied on Beatrice for support. Unlike her siblings, Beatrice liked Brown and they often worked together in order to carry out the Queen’s wishes.

Although Victoria was set against Beatrice marrying, expecting that she would always stay at home with her, a number of suitors were put forward, among them Prince Napoleon Eugene, son of Napoleon III, and Prince Louis of Battenberg. Victoria invited him to dinner but told Beatrice to ignore him. Eventually, she met the handsome Henry Battenberg at a wedding, fell in love with him and he with her. When she told her mother she planned to marry, Victoria didn’t speak to her for seven months.

The couple had four children and as requested, lived with the Queen. But Henry was bored by the lack of activity at court — subdued since Albert’s death — and Victoria’s constant expectation of her daughter’s company. Despite misgivings, Victoria consented to Henry sailing for a war on Africa’s Gold Coast in 1895. But he contracted malaria, and died on his way back to England. A devastated Beatrice returned to her mother’s side, and resumed her duties as royal companion.

Her life changed again when Victoria died in 1901. Public appearances continued, but her main role was editing Victoria’s hundreds of journals, which dated back to 1831. This meant removing private material, as well as slashing and burning her mother’s unkind words about various people in order to present a benign, sanitised version. This task took 30 years, and wasn’t finished till 1931. The surviving 111 notebooks are kept in the Royal Archives.

Beatrice survived all her siblings. She died peacefully at the age of 87, on October 26, 1944. She was buried next to Henry on the Isle of Wight. p

the village

Parnell designer Amber Whitecliffe (left, on the runway with a bridalwear model) staged a fundraising show to launch her new season collection, "Floral Magic", and showcase her "One of a Kind" bridal and bridesmaid designs. The sell-out event at Faraday St's Red Rabbit Cafe raised $4000 for Hearts4Kids, the charity which sends Kiwi surgical teams to perform lifesaving congenital heart defect surgery in the Pacific. Photos by Tashina Smith

the hobson 18

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A remarkable investment for astute buyers – early demand is strong, so enquire now.

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the village

BREATHING KINDNESS AT BARADENE Students at Baradene College of the Sacred Heart stepped up last month to show support for “Breathe Better September” , the national campaign run by the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ to raise awareness of respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Senior students Annie Ho, Holly Hunt, Amelia Houlker and Georgia Bakalich (pictured, left to right) came up with a fundraiser that both gave a physical gift to the recipient — a blue ribbon for their blazer — and “warm fuzzies” for someone else.

For every ribbon that a student bought, three “warm fuzzies” notes were given out, which saw kind words written to friends or teachers, to be delivered before the end of the fundraising week.

“As a fun way of educating the students about asthma, there was a fact on each warm fuzzy such as, in New Zealand, over 521,000 people take medication for asthma,” says Georgia.

“In a school where leadership is encouraged amongst young ladies, we were breathless with excitement to be given this opportunity and get the school involved for this cause,” says Annie.

“We live in a beautiful country where the air we breathe fills us

MEET YOUR REPS

C

ontinuing in our series profiling local board members, this month Mary Fitzgerald meets the Waitematā Local Board’s Richard Northey. Northey, a long serving politician, lives in an inner-city apartment. He was a Labour MP from 1984-90, and from 1993-96, and served on Auckland Council 2010-13.

Northey has been a lecturer in Political Studies and Planning at the University of Auckland, and was awarded an ONZM in 2002, for public service. He was elected to the Waitematā Local Board last year, on the City Vision ticket.

Why did you stand for the board?

I was concerned about some issues in the Waitematā board area, including homelessness, waterfront development, glyphosate spraying, public transport. Also safer walking, cleaning up streams, polluted beaches, thriving town centres and strong arts organisations. My wife, Robyn, and I recently moved back into the central city, and want to contribute to improving our neighbourhood. I believe my skills and experience as chair of arts, community and health organisations, and as a former councillor, will help me make a difference.

What board portfolios are you responsible for?

I lead or co-lead Arts, Culture and Events, and Community

with energy and freshness. What many don’t realise is that those with asthma miss out on this. So we felt it was important to raise awareness,” says Georgia.

To donate towards supporting New Zealanders with asthma and respiratory conditions visit asthmaandrespiratory.org.nz or breathebetterseptember.co.nz. p

Development. I represent the board on the Ponsonby Community Centre Board, the Karangahape Rd Business Association, the Auckland Plan Working Party, and I am a Local Government NZ representative.

Since being elected what do you consider to be the top two things you have achieved in your role?

1. Getting the Parnell Residential Parking Review expanded from just the streets around Parnell Rd, to include all of Parnell.

2. Helping ensure Council doesn’t use glyphosate sprays in the

inner suburbs.

What top four things do you intend to achieve in the time remaining in your role, and why are they important to you?

1. By working with others, reducing the number of people living and sleeping on Auckland’s streets.

2. A commitment to an early start for light rail from the city centre.

3. Have a decision made for a guaranteed residents parking scheme to be implemented in Parnell.

4. Get a hard copy report on the work and projects of the board delivered to residents.

Tell us something about yourself that will surprise your community.

I was the oldest player selected for the NZ Parliamentary Rugby Team, which won the first Parliamentary World Cup. If you were Prime Minister, what would you do to improve Auckland?

Get the government, private developers, builders and community organisations to build tens of thousands of healthy homes that all Aucklanders can afford to live in.

What is your favourite escape in Auckland?

The libraries, particularly the Central and Parnell libraries.

Tell us a little about your family.

My wife Robyn is an elected member of the Auckland DHB. Our son Andrew lives in Remuera with his daughters; our daughter Fiona lives in Parnell — her three sons all went to Parnell District School. Our younger daughter, Miranda, and our 18-month-old granddaughter, lives in Melbourne. richard.northey@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz p

the hobson 20

Entertain or Hibernate 300 Kohimarama Road, St Heliers

Top

5burgers

M

eet Jack Ryder: Ōrākei resident, AUT commerce student and burger connoisseur.

Currently working at Brothers Beer, Jack is always on the hunt for a new burger experience in his local area. He shared his top picks with writer Chantelle Murray.

Resort-Style Oasis Breath-taking light filled living space welcomes: Dramatic double height lounge stud with glass doors opening flows seamlessly to sunny terrace, luxurious heated pool/spa and covered loggia dining complete with gas fireplace. A glorious backdrop of mature foliage and birdlife will make this exquisite haven your home.

• 4 Bedrooms + Study

• 4 bathrooms + Powder room

• Media Room plus

• Pool & Spa

• Ducted heating

• Building Area 337m2 (approx)

• Internal access garaging

• Land Area 600m2 (approx)

remuera.mikepero.com/RX1089677

This new and funky little café with an Asian twist only serves the one burger, but Simon and Lee’s kimchi burger is insane! Its Korean-inspired flavours catch you by surprise, and the grilled short rib patty has all the goodness you need. Burger $19, Simon and Lee, 115 St Georges Bay Rd The fish burger at Brothers Beer Ōrākei (pictured) is to die for, with fresh, catch-of-the-day fish dripping with juice and flavour.

Best fish burger in Auckland so far! Burgers from $15, Brothers Beer at Orakei Bay Village I would call this my most regular burger spot, due to me getting a cheeky Better Burger double cheeseburger every week! This place is just so addictive with its fresh lettuce, thick-cut fries and amazing burgers! Burgers from $5, Better Burger, Galway St, Britomart Transport Centre

Looking to sell your home, you will be in the very hands with Moore Notbest many places canTeam pull off a good lamb burger, but Burger 09 524Burger 4393 sure can, providing us with the perfect mint yoghurt to

team.moore@mikepero.com | 09 524 4393 www.remuera.mikepero.com facebook.com/sellmoorehouses

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top it off. The classic beef with cheese is always the go-to though, because it’s so simple but perfect. And don’t forget their amazing Mike Pero Real Estate Ltd Licensed REAA (2008) cheese balls! Burgers from $12, Burger Burger, 3B York St at Osborne Lane After working at The Food Truck Garage, I've never been so addicted to a burger like the beetroot burger. With their shredded beetroot, beef patty and their unrivalled “Awesome Sauce”, it’s a whole new experience. Burgers from $12.50, Food Truck Garage, Shed 1, City Works Depot, 90 Wellesley St West

the plan

Love Bee Tender This month, Hamish Firth puts aside his usual insights into urban planning to share his backyard beekeeping passion

A

nd now, for something completely different. Bees and honey have always fascinated me, and in the last year I have acquired two beehives at home in urban Parnell. Granted, we overlook a native bush reserve which provides ongoing food and habitat, but the tale is you can successfully, and without too much difficulty, keep bees in an urban environment.

It is important to be considerate of your neighbours in the location of your hive, but by and large, give the bees a clear flight path and they will come and go as they please. And if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.

September was National Bee Aware Month, or “BAM”, when a spotlight was shone on bees and their ongoing importance.

Honeybees are not native to New Zealand but were introduced by early European settlers. Bees live for around 28 days and during that time produce a quarter of a teaspoon of honey each. There has been worldwide concern about the reduction in habitat for bees — who perform a vital role in plant

pollination — and the effect that is having on their numbers.

While the issue of “colony collapse disorder” is not so prevalent in NZ, bees need our help, with habitat, the risky and now common varroa mite, and American Foul Brood disease which, if caught, means the hive must be totally destroyed.

The subject of bees means different things to different people. They are a vital part of our ecology, the main pollinator of our horticulture industry, their Manuka honey is an export commodity, and to us city folk, mostly something to avoid in case of the dreaded bee sting. At the very least, and being entirely selfish, without bees we would soon have a food shortage as they are the main pollinator of our food crops.

Auckland Council has got behind a number of bee projects, including Bees in Parks, which includes six hives in Victoria and Myers parks in the city. There are also Pollinator Paths, a movement to connect Auckland’s parks and reserves to provide routes for bees between these areas. You will also notice hives on the Waitaramoa Reserve, on Shore Rd.

the hobson 24

With my own hives, harvest time is great fun. As an amateur apiarist, I lack commercial spinners and extractors, so we process our honey by hand. There are a number of You Tube videos on how to harvest the honey — we took a little advice from each one, and it seemed to work. You put on your suit (that’s me, suited in the photo) and get your smoker working, then you lift the lid on the hive and calm the bees with the smoker.

After removing the heavy frames, you scrape them into a 20-litre food-grade bucket, then sieve the honey and wax into another bucket. We did this on a warm day and the honey was soon separated from the wax and other bits and pieces. You can then pour the honey into more useable jars or containers.

Our last batch was harvested in the summer and I’ve got one jar left. It’s great honey. (We had a sample tested for Tutin at a recommended lab, and there was no problem. Tutin is a- toxin that can poison the honey, picked up by bees from insects who’ve been feeding on the sap of tutu bushes. Toxic honey is a rare event, but better safe than sorry).

Have I piqued your interest in having a beehive at home?

There are many ways to do this. You can be hands-free and hire a hive, and get a contract beekeeper to manage everything — you just get to enjoy the bees and receive your honey. Or, you can do it yourself and probably achieve 40kg of delicious honey a year. I did this and sourced all of my supplies, including the hives and suits, tools, buckets and sieves, from Ceracell Beekeeping Supplies, who were very helpful in putting together everything I needed.

I have also joined the not-for-profit Auckland Beekeepers Club, which is based at Unitech, and which has a number of teaching hives, and runs regular open days. All hives need to be registered under the Biosecurity Act (see details right); Council’s beekeeping bylaws is another helpful document.

I am still learning but loving every minute of harvesting my own honey while doing a little bit for the future of bee survival. — Hamish Firth

BEE HELPFUL WEBSITES: ceracell.co.nz aucklandbeekeepersclub.org.nz asurequality.com/our-industries/apiculture/apiaryregister aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/plans-projectspolicies-reports-bylaws/bylaws/Documents/ animalmanagementbylaw2015.pdf Landscapers/aborists Greenscene NZ can advise on urban hives, greenscenenz.com

the hobson 25

the hobson + soto

Soto Designed for Living Well An intelligently-designed neighbourhood development is set to become a modern landmark in Auckland’s eastern suburbs

E

levated on a northern sloping site on the Remuera ridgeline, Soto celebrates minimalist modern design, offering an opportunity to those who love living in the east, and want to embrace contemporary living in their preferred neighbourhood.

Soto’s half-hectare site at 6-14 Meadowbank Rd borders Meadowbank and Remuera, and is in close proximity to local shops, supermarkets and eateries, great schools, trains, buses and motorway access. Neighbourhood favourites like the Remuera Golf Club, Waiatarua Reserve, Ōrākei Basin, and the popular eastern beaches are also nearby.

When completed, Soto will offer 58 apartments (the Residences), all with seamless indoor-outdoor covered decks, in a six-level building. Additionally, there are seven threestorey townhouse homes (the Pavilions). All apartments and townhouses get views, which sweep to the city skyline, the Waitematā harbour and Rangitoto, and across Soto’s own generous, park-like grounds. The green jewel central to the development, Soto’s Central Park is a sunny and gently cascading 1100m2 of terraced lawns and landscaped gardens, that residents can enjoy but don’t have to maintain!

The project’s developers, Southside Group, have bought together leading architects, landscape architects and interior designer, to collectively create a beautiful and calm environment that both celebrates and enhances the local neighbourhood.

The design presents a sleek and elegant face to Meadowbank Rd, with the Residences apartment building flanking the southern and eastern boundaries. It deliberately steps down to the north and west to create an appropriate relationship with the neighbouring homes. Along the north-western edge stand the townhouses, the Pavilions.

The topography of the site and its established neighbourhood locus were key influences on how architects Monk Mackenzie approached the design. the hobson 26

Top, left to right: architect Hamish Monk, Southside Group's Cary Bowkett, and architect Dean Mackenzie.

Below, an indicative outline of the 5225m2 site at 6-14 Meadowbank Rd

“Overall, the challenging site constraints within Soto’s suburban location drove us to consider a quiet architecture that contributes to Meadowbank’s built environment, adding to and enhancing the suburb’s emerging elegance,” says Monk Mackenzie partner, Dean Mackenzie. “It was a key design challenge – and element – to visually reduce the mass and height of the project. This was considered to be extremely important given the context.”

To achieve this, Monk Mackenzie used balconies to break up the apartment building’s horizontal façade. Every second balcony has privacy screens, which both create more flexible living space for the resident, and stop the six floors looking identical, which helps reduce the visual impact.

The use of materials was also key to create a building that sits lightly in its landscape.

“The materials reinforce the basic principles of the design,” says Dean Mackenzie. “The base of the building is clad in a German limestone, and creates a strong datum or podium that speaks to the ground. The upper levels are clad in glass and metal, and suggest a much more lightweight and airy language.”

THE PAVILIONS Dual-aspect, the three-level townhouses offer three bedrooms, three bathrooms and private courtyards fronting both Central Park and the city skyline to the north. The Pavilions also feature a second ground-level living area, with exclusive-use terraces. Each has private, internalaccess basement parking for two vehicles.

THE RESIDENCES One-bedroom apartments are sized from 58m2 to 76m2, with 18m2 to 22m2 balconies. Two-bedroom apartments range from 90m2 to 129m2, with 32m2 to 77m2 balconies.

Three to four-bedroom options span 137m2 to 241m2, with 16m2 to 179m2 balconies. Each apartment includes between one and three car parks.

Median prices are under $2 million. Apartment prices start from $620,000 for qualifying first homebuyers, to more than $4 million.

All residents have access to the lawns of Central Park, which includes edible gardens and a communal barbecue area. Soto is pet friendly. Facilities include bike storage and electric vehicle charging available to every car park.

THE TEAM BEHIND SOTO The Developer Auckland-based Southside Group has been involved in property development and management for nearly 50 years, beginning with small residential projects before stepping into medium and large-scale commercial developments. Since the 1990s Southside has been investing, building and managing master-planned projects, from subdivisions to residential and commercial developments.

The Architects Monk Mackenzie Architects is a highly creative, multidisciplinary studio. Partners Hamish Monk and Dean Mackenzie have both worked for respected practices internationally. Many Aucklanders will be familiar with one of their newer works: the globally-lauded, award-winning cycleway #LightPathAKL, which has become an architectural statement for the city.

The Interiors Lauren Hare and her team at Hare Interiors specialise in delivering intelligent interior design solutions for boutique residential and commercial projects. The interiors at Soto will feature Hare’s signature elegant colour palettes, and materials including oak flooring, European travertine and porcelain tiles.

The Landscapers Boffa Miskell is a leading New Zealand environmental planning and design consultancy, which works for both private and public sector clients. The landscaping plans for Soto include established trees enhanced with substantial new planting, rolling lawns, stone retaining structures and aggregate pathways.

Private appointments to visit the display suite at 6 Meadowbank Rd may be made via Colliers International — please call 0800 00 SOTO (7686). For further information about this thoughtful development, see www.soto.co.nz the hobson 27

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the councillors

DESLEY SIMPSON

I

t’s officially springtime, and while we settle into the warmer weather and look forward to summer, the effects of winter storms and flooding on Tamaki Dr (particularly between Mechanics Bay and Ngapipi Rd) haven’t gone from our minds.

I’m sure you will be happy to hear that this issue has FINALLY received the attention it deserves.

Following a public meeting co-hosted by our residents’ associations of Ōrākei, Mission Bay/Kohimarama and St Heliers/Glendowie (also attended by many from Remuera), I lobbied hard for Auckland Transport (AT) to show they had listened to the concerns raised at the packed meeting at the Outdoor Boating Club, about flooding on Tamaki Dr.

More information can be found on the AT website, including a link to the feedback form so you can have your say: at.govt. nz/easternpath. Separating vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists will enhance the safety for all users, match the objectives of the Tamaki Drive Master Plan and maintain the current number of vehicle lanes in the road corridor, in both directions.

Many also choose this time of the year to do their spring cleaning. For me, this year’s spring clean is a bit different. One of the roles assigned to me by the Mayor is to chair the political oversight for Council’s “Value for Money” review. This gives me the opportunity to see where Council is operating well, and where there is room for improvement and savings.

The Value for Money review is a requirement for councils under the Local Government Act. It is designed to ensure that local authorities periodically take stock of the services they deliver, and make sure that these are done in the way that provides best value to residents and ratepayers. For Auckland Council, the

FLOODING AREAS FLOODING AREAS

I am pleased to advise I was successful. Tamaki Dr will now have three storm mitigation projects added as part of the current Tamaki Dr/Ngapipi Intersection upgrade. These are: 1. Tamaki Dr will be raised by up to half a metre so the

height is consistent from Point Resolution to Ngapipi Rd.

It’s currently very uneven due to road subsidence and the

water particularly pools in the low spots 2. Stormwater valves will be added below the road to reduce

the inflow of seawater through the culvert pipes onto the

road. This will specifically reduce the incidence of flood ing in fine conditions 3. Adding a curve to the seawall in flooding hot-spots

(potentially even the whole distance of Point Resolution

to Ngapipi Rd) to help deflect waves from breaking onto

the footpath and road All three will be started in this financial year and will be funded from this year’s budget. It’s not the perfect full solution, but it’s a good start, and it will happen now. I will be advocating for a more permanent solution, particularly around road stability, road strengthening and sea level projections, as part of the long term plan.

As for the Glen Innes to Tamaki Dr shared path, the route for Stage 4: the Ōrākei Train Station/Orakei Bay Village to Tamaki Dr, is now out for consultation. The route Auckland Transport have chosen to consult on goes along Ngapipi Rd and then comes out at the lights, as opposed to following the railway line.

review will focus on 32 separate areas of Council activity, with the whole review expected to take three years to complete. We have begun with what’s known as the “Three Waters” (fresh, storm and waste), plus Domestic Waste, Communications and Engagement, and Economic Development. The review of these will see a series of improvement recommendations for staff to implement, coming before our Finance and Performance committee in October.

Early signs are that Council does, in part, do well in some respects, showing savings and avoiding costs while showing some good performance against industry benchmarks. However, there is always room for improvement (sometimes a lot) and these reviews allow us to shine a light on performance and to make the adjustments necessary to balance costs with effective delivery of services. It’s important to me that this programme of work assists with our transparency as an organisation, and helps Council to be a public service that Aucklanders can be proud of. Ratepayers deserve to have confidence knowing there is tangible independent advice confirming the value for money they are getting from our key departments.

If you would like to receive my monthly newsletter, please feel free to contact me on desley.simpson@aucklandcouncil. govt.nz and I will add you to my list of recipients.

Desley Simpson is the Councillor for Auckland representing the Ōrākei ward

MIKE LEE

T

he announcement by Ports of Auckland chairwoman Liz Coutts that it was “no longer acceptable” for the port to reclaim the harbour was the most sensible utterance from any city leader on this subject for some time. But while Mayor Phil Goff continues to wrestle with his puzzling problem of how to sell the port and at the same time move the port, the prospect of another America’s Cup defence has returned Auckland Council’s focus to the rest of the waterfront.

In 2012, building on the momentum begun by the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) in the Wynyard Quarter and the opening of Queens Wharf, Waterfront Auckland produced the

Waterfront Plan. Created with a great deal of public participation, it was visionary and at the same time practical. However, due mainly to rivalry between Waterfront Auckland and Auckland Transport in particular, critical momentum was lost. Subsequently in 2015, on the recommendation of the Council chief executive, Waterfront Auckland was “reviewed” out of existence. Its assets and waterfront-focussed mission was absorbed into another CCO, Auckland Council Properties Ltd. The entity was given a new name of Panuku Development Auckland, and with it a portfolio of non-waterfront-focussed responsibilities, such as redeveloping the former Manukau City centre.

In recent weeks Panuku and Auckland Transport officials have been busy “refreshing” the Waterfront Plan in publicexcluded “workshops”. The proposals being rushed through entail significant departures from the Plan – without any intention of public consultation or input. As they presently stand, many of the proposals (eg, moving cruise ships from Queens Wharf to a significantly extended Captain Cook Wharf) are impractical and will destroy economic value, and are therefore even more expensive than claimed.

Meanwhile, of more urgency is the plight of one of Auckland’s oldest waterfront heritage icons, the harbour ferry Kestrel. This lovely old lady, the last of the big double-ended Waitematā ferries still afloat, could be lost forever if Panuku managers

continue to stymie plans for her restoration and permanent place on our waterfront.

In recent years Kestrel had been owned by a charitable trust, the Kestrel Preservation Society. With backing from the ARC chairman’s discretionary fund in the last days before the super city, and subsequently Waterfront Auckland, the society did good work in rescuing her from Tauranga, bringing her back to Auckland and maintaining her. In March 2016 however, Kestrel sank at her moorings, dashing the restoration hopes of the under-resourced society.

But thanks to the intervention of Waterfront Auckland’s former CEO John Dalzell, Kestrel was refloated, her hull repaired and a purchase negotiated with a private developer, Darby Partners. They have come up with an exciting plan that has Kestrel the centrepiece of a visionary harbour-edge development, including boutique hotel accommodation and

a restaurant. Interestingly, Darby Partner’s preferred site, presently an unprepossessing office building and cafe on Z Pier at inner Westhaven, is a stone’s-throw from the old Bailey’s shipyard where Kestrel was built over 112 years ago.

Unfortunately, Panuku managers are claiming such use of the site is at odds with the Waterfront Plan (rather ironic given their secret plans to change it). Instead they want to push the project off to what the developers consider a commercially unsuitable site – one moreover already leased to Sanford.

Prior to the 2016 sinking, the Kestrel Preservation Society struggled to obtain funding for restoration. Given the lack of interest from Council and the Maritime Museum, if Kestrel cannot be restored as part of a viable commercial venture, then she is likely headed for the breakers’ yard.

Unhappily Panuku is doing what bureaucracies all too often do – taking forever to make any progress, prevaricating over options while charging $5000 a month for Kestrel’s berth.

One can only ask why such an excellent development, one providing a rare opportunity for privately-financed maritime heritage restoration, is being squandered? It is quite tragic that such a magnificent harbour city should be inflicted with such mediocre decision-making. Auckland deserves better than this.

Mike Lee is the Councillor for Auckland representing the Waitematā and Gulf ward

the reps

DAVID SEYMOUR

PAUL GOLDSMITH

I

’m writing this column in the thick of the campaign, taking a break from door-knocking and fixing hoarding signs on a day when the rain is thumping down.

All campaigns are nerve wracking under the MMP system, where the margin between success and failure is fine. The difference between having the opportunity as a cabinet minister to improve the lives of fellow New Zealanders, current and future, and the frustrations of being an opposition MP is colossal. That’s why we fight so hard.

We have had seven “meet the candidates” debates in the Epsom electorate so far. These have been robust and reasonably good-natured affairs. One of the most enjoyable so far was at Brothers Beer in Mt Eden, partly because the candidates each had a nice glass of craft pale ale to help the debate along. We also gathered in Parnell, in Mt Eden village, at the St Kent’s school hall, and there are still more to come at the time of writing. At each, half the crowd comprises the supporters of various candidates, peppering opposition candidates with tricky questions and their own with friendly ones. The rest seem genuinely interested to gain deeper insight into the thinking that drives the candidates, beyond the soundbites of media coverage.

The Epsom electorate has four sitting MPs standing for re-election: David Seymour for ACT, myself, David Parker for Labour and Barry Coates for the Greens. David Parker is not a resident, but he’s stood here in the past, and as a senior member of the Labour caucus adds something to the debates.

The issues raised at these meetings have tended to be national ones, or Auckland-wide: plans to ensure the economy remains internationally competitive, taxes, housing affordability, inequality, transport and mental health have predominated. The point I’ve made throughout is that when I first stood in 2011, we were borrowing $350 million a week as a country ($18 billion for the year).

There were three drivers: we’d inherited structural budget deficits from Helen Clark’s Labour government, the Global Financial Crisis had increased unemployment and we were determined to support those most vulnerable; and the Christchurch earthquakes. They were frightening times.

Since then, in large measure due to Bill English’s competence and determination, we’ve restored the Crown’s books to surplus and now have choices about where to invest. We’ve proposed a mix of new spending to produce better public services, investment in infrastructure, repayment of debt, and tax relief or family income packages.

Finally, as a candidate, I can say it is a joy to campaign.

People feel strongly about the issues we debate, but with very few exceptions I’ve always been treated with courtesy and moderate respect. That’s something to celebrate.

Paul Goldsmith holds three ministerial portfolios, including Tertiary Education, and Science and Innovation. He is a list MP based in Epsom

N

ew Zealand has become the envy of the developed world. We enjoy job growth, low unemployment, low interest rates, rising incomes, and a fantastic lifestyle. That’s why most of our biggest problems today are a result of people wanting to come here. Being popular is not the worst problem to have, but it’s still a problem.

Auckland will gain another million people by 2040, according to Auckland Council. The pressure on our schools and infrastructure that we already see will intensify.

That’s especially true in the Epsom electorate. We’ve currently got 62,000 residents, but the Unitary Plan allows for an increase of over 50,000 in these suburbs by 2040.

This should spark alarm bells, considering how our schools and transport systems are already reaching breaking point.

For all of local government’s proclivity to waste money on events, committees, and self-promotion, there’s been a serious underinvestment in infrastructure. The best time to address this was 10 years ago, the second best time is now.

ACT’s proposal is to give councils half the GST from any building projects they consent, with the proviso that they use it on basic infrastructure. That means Auckland, with $7.5 billion of building in the last year, would have received over half a billion dollars for use on improved roads, public transport, electrical infrastructure, and so on. That systemic change would ensure infrastructure is funded automatically by growth, instead of by political whim.

Then there’s the challenge of overstretched local schools.

I commissioned a report from Property Economics that produced some astounding figures. The Epsom electorate is set for an influx of up to 8000 school-age students, exceeding Ministry of Education projections. Within the next 18 months, 14 developments will bring over 1700 apartments into the Auckland Grammar School zone alone.

We must ensure pressure on schools doesn’t damage the quality of education. As MP, I’ve been meeting with principals and staff at Grammar, EGGS, Newmarket Primary, Kohia Terrace and Remuera Intermediate, and there’s a clear problem. These schools are at or above capacity, and are concerned that Ministry projections underestimate likely roll growth. And despite roll growth, and the proportional increase in funding, they struggle to find teachers. State schools are not able to pay enough to attract talented teachers to teach in Auckland. A unionnegotiated salary is capped at $78,000, and pay levels are determined by seniority, not expertise or performance.

ACT says teacher salaries could be funded an extra billion dollars nationwide. That would mean, on average, a $20,000 raise per teacher. But for schools to be eligible, they should have to opt-out of the union contract. This means they’ll have flexibility to attract and retain high-performing and high-expertise teachers, with higher salaries. In other words, we’d break the union monopoly on contracts and elevate teaching as a profession.

David Seymour is the MP for Epsom

BARRY COATES

I

t’s voting time! I am asking you to give your party vote to the Green Party. This is a vote for cleaning up our rivers and protecting our environment. It’s a vote for taking action on climate change and improving our quality of life. It is a vote for a modern transport system to reduce Auckland’s traffic congestion. And it is a vote for a more caring society that leaves no child behind. Voting Green creates a beating Green heart in the next government.

It is a privilege to be your Greens candidate. As I knock on doors and meet voters across Parnell, Epsom, Remuera, Newmarket and Mt Eden, I hear strong support for these issues. We can do better. We can become more sustainable — a healthy environment, a fair society and a sound economy.

I would encourage you to look at what a good economy means. Economic growth has been pumped up by immigration. At a time of rising population growth, a better measure is GDP per person. It has declined in the last two quarters and was 1 per cent last year. Even more worrying is that our productivity has been stagnant over the past four years. We are falling further behind OECD countries.

Families are struggling to pay the bills and children are in poverty. That’s not a good economy for most people.

The government has neglected investment in housing and social services, so that we have the highest rate of homelessness in the OECD, the highest rate of youth suicide, the second highest rate of imprisonment and Auckland is the least affordable city in the world. 60 per cent of our rivers are polluted and our forests are being damaged by mining. We are still reliant on the export of unprocessed commodities. That’s not a good economy.

The Greens would spark the transition to a sustainable economy. It is my passion — I was awarded Sustainability Champion last year from the Sustainable Business Network.

I know that we can do better. There is already strong movement for sustainable business across our country.

Leading businesses are creating export opportunities to growing numbers of consumers who care about health, wellness, sustainability and low carbon. The government needs to work with them and provide leadership. This is a huge opportunity for our economy.

The Greens will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, reducing agricultural pollution, cleaning up our rivers and planting more trees and native forests. We will switch spending from roads to invest in an integrated transport system of rail, light rail and buses. This will reduce traffic congestion and make Auckland more liveable.

We will invest in R&D, innovation and skills training. We will reorient agriculture from unprocessed commodities towards natural foods, organics and added value exports, and strengthen our clean green image. We will support small business and our thriving creative economy.

New Zealand needs the Greens in parliament, putting sustainability at the heart of government. Party vote Green.

Barry Coates is a Green Party list MP based in Epsom

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tell my friends that we bought in Remuera because we couldn’t afford Grey Lynn; always gets a laugh, because first, it’s true, and second, it’s a surprise. Who would have thought 20 years ago that Grey Lynn would outstrip Remuera?

If you’re looking for evidence of this – or maybe a symptom – look no further than the Remuera Rd shops. Genteel, quiet, neighbourly and locked in a time warp. A stranger, arriving blindfolded, could be forgiven for thinking they were in the main street of a small provincial town: buildings one-to-two-storeyed with parapets proudly announcing their origin in 1909. A few cafés, some women’s clothing stores, banks and a village green.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not being critical – at least not in the pejorative sense. But my architectural sensitivities make me wonder how it got like this, and what it would take to change. The first answer, as always, is economic. With new ways to shop — from malls to the internet — fewer people are making significant purchases in their local shopping areas. Many shops on Remuera Rd are, I’m sure, doing very well; many others are struggling, and more have recently closed. What worked so well in the ’80s is no longer wanted.

There has been very little new development in this strip since the 1980s (with one notable exception – the new Ray White building) and the major renovations that have occurred have been the banks and real estate agencies. Both of these business types have a vested interest in maintaining a contemporary look – and often deep national pockets to pay for their fitouts. Some real estate agencies could make more in a single commission than many other surrounding businesses would take in a week.

Clearly tenants are loath to invest in upgrading their premises, but what of landlords? There seems to be a reluctance on the part of building owners to put money into their properties. Perhaps they are invested in the outdated retail model and can’t see how to recover any investment from the rents they are able to achieve. This way lies stagnation.

Disruption is needed and it is likely to arrive next month when the new property valuations are sent out by Auckland Council. The Unitary Plan has zoned this central Remuera strip of properties as “Business – Local Centre”, which is no surprise. The zone primarily provides for the needs of surrounding residential areas, including retail, commercial services, offices, food and beverage, and appropriately scaled supermarkets. Sounds about right.

The provisions typically enable buildings up to four storeys high, enabling residential use at upper floors and to date, apart from the new Ray White building, none of the other properties or owners have taken advantage of this opportunity. Higher valuations could change this, as owners might be catalysed to respond by adding floors to existing buildings, or pulling them down and starting anew. The Unitary Plan requires that “new development within the zone [be] designed to a high standard which enhances the quality of the centre’s streets and public open spaces”.

There is a great opportunity for landlords to build to three or even four storeys, with a mix of retail and cafés on the ground floor, and offices and apartments higher up. Having people living in this stretch of Remuera Rd could revitalise the area. A rising tide lifts all floors – to badly mix a metaphor. Other local centres around the city have recognised the value that the right mix of apartments, retail and hospitality can bring to an area. Remuera’s time is ripe.

I also tell my friends that I love living in Remuera because it is beautiful, close to everything and that we got here before the wave of cool arrived. It’s coming folks, and you heard it here first.

— Tommy Honey

the investment

A CGT and Economics 101

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y the time you sit down to read this, you are likely to know the outcome of the 2017 general election. At the time of writing, we are four weeks in to “Jacinda-mania” which has seen an extraordinary surge for Labour in the polls at the expense of primarily National, but also NZ First, with the Greens selfcollapsing. So at this moment, everything’s up in the air and we face some uncertainty regarding policy direction and settings. What does seem certain to me though is that if Labour were to be successful on September 23, then, in spite of Ms Ardern’s pretence, a stricter capital gains tax (CGT) regime will be implemented. Although we really know that such a tax is at the heart of the Left’s belief system —“ie tax the rich”— they’ll promote the implementation of the regime as firm action necessary to combat runaway (Auckland) house prices and the “Housing Crisis.” Please . . . !

I’ve written previously for The Hobson about the ineffectiveness of various tax and lending constraint arrangements on keeping house prices in check, and I will reiterate those points here. I don’t think the house price increases we’ve seen over the past few years are terribly inconsistent with what’s happened in the past. House prices in NZ have increased at an annual average of just less than 8 per cent over the past 30 or so years. During this time there were many lengthy periods of higher (than average) increases, most recently in the mid-90s, and the mid-2000s, and probably over the past five or so years. In fact, I’d be surprised if house prices weren’t strong given interest rates at record lows, bond and stock prices at record highs and the simple fact that demand is outstripping supply!

High population growth driven by immigration is, of course, creating demand for housing and we simply are not building houses and other new dwellings fast enough, or at sufficiently low prices. Back in 1987, when I began my first year university paper in microeconomics — Micro 101 — the very first thing we were taught is that prices rise when demand exceeds supply. Simple!

Here is the hard data behind the current observation: in the 12 months to June 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively, net immigration

into NZ was 72,000, 81,000 and 83,000. The gross numbers were even higher, around the 150,000 mark each year, and I reckon these numbers are skewed around Auckland: ie a higher proportion of the gross arrivals stay in Auckland than those that leave NZ, so Auckland is probably receiving disproportionately more net immigrants.

So demand (even from that source alone) looks particularly strong. Now let’s look at the supply of new houses. In the same three 12-month periods, Auckland Council consented just 8300, 9700 and 10,300 new dwellings, including houses, apartments and retirement-village units. Nowhere near enough new housing stock to meet the demand of the growing population. Did you get that?

Micro-101 — demand is exceeding supply, so prices are rising!

Now let’s turn back to the issue of the mooted CGT as a tool to combat these dangerously high house prices. Australia introduced a capital gains tax in 1986 and has since seen house prices increase by more than 7 per cent per annum. It’s the same in the UK, even though its stamp duty imposes a 3-5 per cent, one-off tax on the purchase of a house worth up to £2m, and a whopping 7 per cent on more expensive properties. Even the GFC in the late 2000s didn’t have much of an effect, with house prices still rising an average of more than 5 per cent pa in the UK and nearly 7 per cent in both Australia and NZ since the turn of the century.

Capital gains taxes and stamp duties don’t keep house prices down. Supply and the cost of supply is the issue. How is a CGT going to encourage more building and more supply of housing? It’s not, in fact it will probably make things worse. Perhaps the government and other central authorities and regulators should leave the housing market alone: it will do what it’s going to do.

I suggest the real issue is to focus on the cost of building materials — get them lower — as well as developing a framework where more houses can be built. What about interest-free loans to developers as an example? Let’s get the supply-side right, do something about the demand side, and don’t fiddle with the market by imposing unnecessary taxes. — Warren Couillault

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the hobson 35

6/09/17 10:26 AM

the give back

Giving Gold The Auckland Foundation’s Giving Circles philanthropic program shows how just a little silver can be spun into very useful gold

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very fortnight, a group of Auckland women send between $10 and $20 from their bank accounts to an account administered by the Auckland Foundation, the province’s largest donor-advised independent charitable foundation. The women are part of the wonderfullynamed The Fabulous Ladies’ Giving Circle, which was formed four years ago by a group of then-colleagues at the University of Auckland Business School.

Since it started disbursing its funds, the Fabulous Ladies’ have supported 11 parents enrolled at the university, with disbursements totalling close to $18,000 to pay for childcare, which allows the parent to continue studies.

The Fabulous Ladies, who include professors Deborah Levy and Susan Watson, took time to settle on an objective for their giving, picking the brains of guest speakers and doing their own research, before settling on the aim of reducing child poverty through education, by supporting young parents through childcare needs.

Fabulous Ladies’ member Amanda Stanes, a Remuera resident who is now head of advancement (fundraising) at Auckland Grammar, describes giving circles as perfect for people who want to make a bigger impact than they could individually.

“I know that my $15 a fortnight is not going to do much,” says Stanes (pictured, right). “But when you add that together with others giving the same amount, that suddenly makes a big difference — it’s a multiplier effect.”

Recipients of Fabulous Ladies’ grants come via the university’s student association welfare office, which encourages those who qualify (New Zealand residents enrolled at the university) to apply for funding. Sometimes it’s for shortterm need, such as extra childcare hours during study leading up to exams, or for a longer-term placement in an afterschool program. The funds are paid directly to the registered childcare provider.

“When you listen to some of their stories, it’s humbling,” says Stanes. “You realise that giving somebody a couple of thousand dollars may not sound like much, but the impact that has on not just that person, but their children and their future, is huge.”

“Some [applicants] have really sick children. Some are solo parents, some are working full time and study full time – which I think is crazy. When you look at what their income is and outgoings, I think they are phenomenal people, they are sacrificing a lot – it’s short-term pain for long-term gain. The role-modelling they are giving to their children is incredible.

“It makes you angry and disappointed - these people are in these situations that they’re trying to better themselves, and there’s nothing out there – no safety net for them.”

Stanes says the Auckland Foundation has been key in the

Ladies meeting their aims.

“They keep us well organised, which is fantastic! We are all busy women with careers, families and other commitments, so having a system which makes giving easy is important.

The administration is done for us, as we rely on them to steward our funds appropriately and ensure we meet all legal and tax obligations. The Foundation really has helped make the establishment and management of our fund a painless process.”

Collectivism, says Stanes, is the key to making a difference, by grouping together with like-minded friends or workplace colleagues to achieve a greater aim than could be reached by many individuals.

“We’re always looking for others, to grow the group, and who have the same core values as we do. With more members, we would have more opportunities to make more available.

And we can look at other ways to assist – maybe outside of Auckland University Students’ Association.”

The Fabulous Ladies’ fund focuses on growing the fund’s capital, using its income plus a portion of capital to give away each year, enabling the fund to exist in perpetuity.

— Kirsty Cameron

the hobson 36

ABOUT THE AUCKLAND FOUNDATION The Auckland Foundation was formed six years ago. As a donor-advised community foundation, its role is to take care of compliance, administration, investment and governance for its funds, which are granted to Auckland-based programs as directed by the donors. Donors can be as involved, or not, as they wish to be.

While the Foundation manages large-scale philanthropy and bequests, it also encourages giving circles, such as the Fabulous Ladies. As well as management, it also offers education and information about philanthropy.

FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER 2:00pm to 4:00pm

Conversation with

Councillor Desley Simpson Drop by Remuera Library on Friday 20th October to discuss any Council issue on your mind with your Auckland councillor.

To schedule an appointment between 2.00pm and 3.00pm, email desley.simpson@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz otherwise, simply drop by between 3.00pm and 4.00pm for a first-come first-served meeting.

This ad has been personally funded by Cr Desley Simpson and is at no cost to ratepayers.

Many of the larger scale donors request anonymity, like the Auckland couple who support work in the Hauraki Gulf via a handsome endowment.

Others are happy to put their names to the funds they lead or contribute to: see “Auckland Stories” on aucklandfoundation.org.nz for examples of funding in the community and some of the people involved. Newer funds include the Daphne Gretta Mary Stevens Community Music Scholarship Fund, a $100,000 fund created by a 92-year-old music teacher (above) to support musicianship in northern Auckland. It will disburse $3000 scholarships annually.

The Foundation is currently establishing The Auckland Women’s Fund, which will both create an enduring endowment, and make annual grants for projects that improve prospects for the region’s women and girls.

According to the 2016 Charities Aid Foundation World Giving Index, NZ is the fourth most generous nation (measured on donating money, time or helping a stranger). Myanmar was No 1, followed by the USA and Australia.

To find out more about The Auckland Foundation, The Fabulous Ladies’ Giving Circle, the Women’s Fund, or forming your own giving circle, contact philanthropy services manager Lettie Bright: lettie@aucklandfoundation.org.nz, 021 818 307

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the anniversary

Starship’s 25 Years of Care As Starship Children’s Health comes to the end of its 25th anniversary year, Mary Fitzgerald spoke to local families about their interactions with NZ’s largest specialist paediatric hospital

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ur national children’s hospital came into life on November 18, 1991, after an extensive publicity and fundraising campaign to replace the rundown paediatric wards at Auckland Hospital. Everything about Starship was innovative, from the name — it was to be called The New Children’s Hospital — to the child-appealing building with its rainforest atrium, and the fundraising arm that was established shortly after the hospital opened.

The fundraising Starship Foundation was established in 1992, when adman (later Waitakere mayor) Sir Bob Harvey, Dame Rosie Horton and others, recognised that ongoing financial support would be required to go above and beyond government health funding. Dame Rosie would also establish Friends of Starship, an active volunteer group of helpers within the hospital.

Today’s Starship is a specialist healthcare provider, research and teaching centre, serving not just Auckland, but children who need specialist care from around New Zealand and the Pacific. Treating around 100,000 children, from newborns to 16-year-olds every year, it has 200 beds, 16 day-stay beds, a staff of 1130 (full-time eqivalents) and a rooftop helipad for the rescue helicopters that transport critically ill children from all over the country.

Corporate sponsorship has played a vital role in funding, with Barfoot & Thompson, ASB, Mercury, New World and SKY TV becoming sponsors. Starship has also had generous support from individuals, schools, families, clubs and community groups, and in 25 years, more than $148 million has been raised to support services, research and the bricks and mortar itself. Later this month, the Foundation will wrap up the anniversary year with a charity ball (see page 55 for details).

Anniversary year improvements, via the Foundation, include a refurbishment of the day-stay unit and the central atrium.

At the heart of Starship of course, are its patients and staff.

Here are some of their stories.

THE ELLIOTS Eight-year-old Kiriana Elliot was one of Starship’s 11,930 Auckland region in-patients last year, as she underwent treatment for leukaemia. Her mother, Ursula (pictured with Kiriana earlier this year), says she feels blessed to have had the best nurses and doctors helping Kiriana to get to where she is now in her recovery.

The St Heliers family’s lives were turned upside down when, the weekend before Easter in 2015, then six-year-old Kiriana was diagnosed with leukaemia. The youngest of Mike and Ursula’s four children, Kiriana’s tiredness and complaints of a sore ankle were initially put down to a little one trying to keep up with older siblings. The diagnosis was, says Ursula, the worst day in her family’s life. As sick as Kiriana was, the Elliots were thankful Starship was their local children’s hospital.

“Our Starship experience was incredible — we can't fault it. We were in a terrible situation with a very sick child, and Starship made everything we faced so much more bearable, with their amazing medical care, and incredible family support.”

Ursula says she felt very lucky to have had Dr Andy Wood supporting Kiriana throughout her treatment, as her primary doctor. “He has really looked after Kiriana so well and always gave just the right advice we needed to get us through some of the times during treatment.”

In May this year Kiriana completed her treatment, is back at school fulltime and tearing around doing all the things an eightyear-old girl does.

THE DUTHIES Many people may remember the headlines about a little boy who wanted to get a really good view of the elephants at Auckland Zoo. In 1995, four-year-old Michael Duthie toppled over the wall, into the elephant enclosure.

the hobson 38

“I hit my head on a rock on the way down and basically caved in my skull,” says Michael, now 27.

He was taken to Starship’s emergency department, and admitted with a brain injury.

Such was the extent of his injury that it required seven years of rehabilitation — physiotherapy, occupational therapy, clinical psychology, speech and language therapy, and more, all conducted at Starship.

He was able to attend primary school for the first time when he was 11-years-old. Despite the setback, he’s a graduate of Auckland’s Unitech.

Michael’s mother, Jacqui, is very proud of him. “We didn’t know whether he would speak, or walk again – we just didn’t know. When you think about it, the outcome has been phenomenal.”

Michael now lives in Newmarket and works in hospitality and events. “It is all thanks to the amazing support and care of Starship,” he says.

THE SEETOS Ellerslie resident Sharon Seeto had spent five years actively fundraising with the Friends of Starship committee. Soon after stepping down in 2006, Sharon was back at Starship in an entirely different role, this time as a parent with a daughter diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer. Sharon and Ron Seeto’s six-year-old daughter, Ruby, had a cancer that saw her gall bladder and 70 per cent of her liver removed along with the tumour, in an operation by surgeon John McCall that lasted seven hours. Ruby then underwent 14 rounds of chemotherapy at Starship over the following 12 months.

Once Ruby recovered, the Seetos maintained their connection with Starship, with Ruby (pictured right) designing and selling a fundraising teatowel every year for 10 years. Partnering with Wallace Cotton, Ruby has raised $484,000 for the hospital. Her 2017 design, “Pineapple Paradise for Starship” is on sale now: see wallacecotton.com. Ruby is now 19, fit and healthy (with a regrown liver) and is at Victoria University studying commerce.

She is, says Sharon, “living a normal, healthy, super, super life – thankfully. We’ve been very lucky.”

THE PIPERS When the Piper family migrated to New Zealand from South Africa in 2008, they were blissfully unaware of the paediatric hospital only a few kilometres from their Kohimarama home.

That changed a few months later when daughter Hannah, at 10 months, developed a temperature and tummy upset.

Rosie Piper took Hannah to a local emergency medical centre, and was told she needed to take Hannah immediately to Starship, which initially floored the new resident. the hobson 39

the anniversary

“I wondered what they were talking about, what Starship could be, and why Hannah might need to go there. It sounded like Star Trek Enterprise rather than a hospital!”

Reassured that it was a medical centre and not a film set, Rosie headed to Starship. “Our first encounter was excellent. I had recently immigrated from South Africa and knew no-one in Auckland. Starship took great care of us both.”

In 2008, aged three, Hannah (pictured above, with Rosie) had her second visit to Starship after she developed an infection after having her tonsils removed. She was admitted to Starship after her surgery, which was elsewhere.

“It really is a fantastic hospital,” recalls Rosie. “There was even a bed for me so I could be close to Hannah, there were breakfast-making-facilities, even a library.

Coming from South Africa, I had never seen anything like it before. The treatment Hannah received and the family support for me was phenomenal – and all the doctors and nurses were wonderful.”

JANE STAFFORD, PICU NURSING SPECIALIST Of Starship’s medical staff, 643 are nurses. Jane Stafford (right, and at PICU some years back) was a nurse looking after young patients at the then-Princess Mary Hospital, where children needing intensive care were admitted. Jane was part of the team that drove Starship’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) from a concept, through planning, into reality.

“I’ve been a paediatric nurse since 1980,” she says. “When they were planning the new hospital, it was really great because

they actually involved staff. We were involved long before it went up.”

Jane was the PICU charge nurse for 13 years. After stepping down, she moved to Starship’s day-stay unit, where she continues to work, chalking up some 40 years of paediatric nursing. The city resident says the rewards in her work come from patient care, and from the camaraderie and shared sense of purpose with the staff she works with. “I love it. I love my job.” p To donate to the Starship Foundation, visit starship.org.nz

the hobson 40

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the magpie

Spring Forward The Magpie welcomes the sunshine with updated pieces around her nest

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1. The beauty of the Prisma Dining Table,

by Reflex of Italy, shines through whether your choice is glass, marble or wood for the top, or metal or wood for the base.

Not to mention you can have it round, or rectangular. Price on application, call in to Sarsfield Brooke, Level 2, 155 The Strand, Parnell (opposite Milly’s) and discuss your ideal iteration. sarsfieldbrooke.co.nz 2. What fun! The George & Co Mildred and Charles vases are gorgeous with fresh cut flowers or alternatively, a welcome addition to the kitchen bench for utensils. $69 each, from Texan Art Schools, Broadway. texanartschools.co.nz 3. Raise the tone of your nest with the Dahlia 3S Sofa. Accessorise with lighter toned cushions for summer, warm it up for winter with richer jewel tones. $2399 from Freedom Furniture, Broadway. freedom.co.nz 4. Bring the outdoors in with these gorgeous Hanging Planters, large $49, small $35. They do an excellent job bringing life to a dull corner. From Hedgerow, 371 Remuera Rd, hedgerow.co.nz

5. The Magpie is drawn to the work of Wellington artist Yukari Kaihori. Let’s Talk about that we have VI, 2014, is oil and cotton embroidery on canvas, as lovely for its filled space as it is for its silences. 605 x 650mm, $1950 from The Vivian Gallery, 39 Omaha Valley Rd, Matakana. thevivian.co.nz 6. When you’re looking for a gift that says “Kiwiana” while staying within the bounds of good taste, check out NZ-made Steiner Ceramics. The Icon Kawakawa (Heart Leaf) fits the bill. This large size is $68, there’s medium and small ones too, in a multitude of colours. www.steinerceramics.co.nz 7 Modern Scandi style is right on point at The Porcelain Lounge. This Kähler Fiora Vase, $195, sits beautifully on its own, or enhanced with cut flowers. The Porcelain Lounge, 2/319 Remuera Rd. theporcelainlounge.com 8. A welcome addition to the nest, these handwoven, 100 per cent NZ wool rugs are inspired by the colours and textiles of Morocco. The Moroccan Ribbed Diamond Rug measures 2.5m x 3m and is $6500 from

the hobson 42

Artisan Collective, 31a Normanby Rd, Mt Eden. artistanflooring.co.nz 9 Mr Browning, you had me at hello.

The Montfaucon chandelier by Jonathan Browning Studios brings mid-century sensibilities to a 21st century room. Its unglazed porcelain shades are hand-made, so the thickness and texture can vary, making each chandelier unique.

Shown in the light antique bronze finish, it’s also available in oil-rubbed bronze and nickel finishes. $18,840 from Trenzseater, 80 Parnell Rd. trenzseater.co.nz 10 A quick trick to updating a living space?

New cushions. Comfort, quality and style, done. These King Living cushions are just a few of the selection on offer, starting at $150. King Living, 535 Parnell Rd, kingliving.co.nz 11. Love. King Living has nailed the timeless, contemporary couch with this new release, the three-seater Zaza Sofa.

With its clean, classic lines, it will work with just about any interior style. In King’s premium fabrics, it’s $6907 at King Living, 535 Parnell Rd. kingliving.co.nz

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the hobson 43

the teacher

Embracing Change for the Future

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n advertisement in the paper recently caught my eye — “A good education changes people. A good teacher changes the world”. So true! It made me think about how hard teachers work, and how committed they are to preparing their students for success. But then there are those special teachers, who are so highly motivated and passionate, that they are making a difference to what education for the future looks like.

I love the fact that some schools are willing to take risks and trial something new that will benefit their students. Curriculum is only there as a guide for teachers and schools, and that is very important. But in my view, the curriculum is also to be challenged and pulled apart, in order to meet the needs of students in our ever-changing, exciting world.

And so, it was interesting, and refreshing, to sit down recently with my brother, Alastair Wells, who is completing his PhD on creative learning practices. Alistair, like me, has had a long career in education, and I so enjoy being with him to thrash out, and solve, the problems of education today.

Alistair has always been a forward thinker, teaching creativity and design in secondary schools, and as a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland. His passion for wanting to orchestrate change in education took him to Christchurch, where he was principal of Unlimited, a special character school, for several years, before returning to Auckland to further his studies. I was keen to pick his brain on where schools need to be focusing their planning, and what he thought would make an authentic 21st century school.

Alistair’s view is that students today need to be agile and as selfdriven as possible. This means that they will have to learn to be able to positively adapt to the many challenges and changes they will face. There are rapid changes in thinking, particularly around current technologies and creativity, where NZ excels on the world stage. It is also about teachers (and parents) equipping children with the confidence to engage with, and enter, the adult world on their own terms.

However, this can only happen if rapid shifts in thinking about learning are vigorously debated, and if parents and schools have the courage to try something new. Teachers seem to be afraid to

step outside of the traditional moulds because of accountability, and I can understand that. But Alastair’s viewpoint is that the future will need students who will be agile thinkers, who can recognise opportunities, build their own learning portfolios and know that learning is not confined to an educational institution.

They will also need to build relationships, in order to live well and happily in a community. A good education will need to provide them with the capacity to develop learning democracy, critical thinking and the entrepreneurial skills that will enable them to become designers of their own destiny.

Alastair, along with his team, has developed a programme called Creative Forest, designed to empower students to become the centre of their own learning pathway. It’s being trialled in several NZ, Australian and Los Angeles schools. It supports students in forming an ecosystem — a living network — where they support other students in the role of finding, and being, mentors, experts and critical friends. It all sounds a great move forward and listening to Alastair’s enthusiasm and passion for what he and his team are creating gives me such hope for the future.

Continuing my future-casting thoughts, I can also recommend an excellent article by Katrina Schwartz on British educationalist Sir Ken Robinson (see www2.kqed.org), who says that the fundamental diversity in the human population is not honoured within current education systems. He says it’s important for young people to become economically independent and self-sufficient, and to be able to do that, they shouldn’t all be made to learn the same thing. Couldn’t agree more.

Ken Robinson is a popular TED speaker on the role of creativity in education, and is well worth listening to. He believes, like Alastair, that education systems tend to foster conformity, standardisation and compliance, rather than creative approaches.

On a related topic, another interesting read about our future is Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future by Martin Ford.

After talking to Alastair, and doing my own research, I am happy that the discussions are being had, and progress is being made in this vital area of preparing our children for the future. — Judi Paape

Taking care of your loved one, every step of the way. Let us help you plan a ceremony that is a personal reflection of the life lived.

Gather, Remember, Celebrate 582 Remuera Road. Remuera. Auckland 1050 (09) 520 3119 | staff@sibuns.co.nz www.sibuns.co.nz SB_971/D

the second act

A Call to Action

I

have always been loath to call myself a life coach, as it sounds lightweight and fluffy and strangely indulgent, like having a personal aromatherapist. But because I work in the area of leadership development, it is important to consider that the leader cannot help bringing their whole self, their beliefs, values, hopes and dreams, to their leadership practice. So invariably, professional development — which looks at the outer game of leadership — often wanders into the personal development territory where we look at the inner game, i.e, what’s really going on for the executive. And in many cases, when working on leadership with someone close to, or a 50-something, there is a real desire to reinvent.

That reinvention is not necessarily a new job or career path, often it is just reinventing the way you go about your life. And that’s where the idea of this column came about. The editor approached me, not because of my leadership development work, but because of my fascination with, and personal history of, reinvention.

From a career perspective, I am up to my fourth industry/ profession, after accidentally following my interests into leadership roles in three different industries. I never followed the old career advice of making sure there were no career breaks on my CV, for fear a potential employer thought I couldn’t hold a job. Four times over, I have simply resigned when it didn’t feel right. I needed space to think about options and to act on instinct. I found working got in the way of thinking. (And to be honest, in all cases, I also wanted a staycation holiday).

Sure, it was scary as the phone didn’t exactly ring off the hook with job offers on day one, but it forced me into taking some action, which lead to many wonderful things. So, I know a bit about reinvention — not just from those who work with me, but from my own experiences and the discovery that it’s momentum that leads to change, not having a “big idea”.

Many people sit around trying to conjure up the idea of what to do next. They assume that as soon as they get “the idea”, they will be so filled with inspiration that nothing will stop them on their reinvention path.

But it doesn’t work that way. What I have come to understand, and have witnessed, is that even if people come up with

the big idea of “where to next”, they are still faced with the discombobulating feeling of being out of their comfort zone, of acting in unfamiliar ways, of facing a lack of traction. It is paying attention to action and momentum that gives more shape to an idea, and sometimes out of momentum, another completely different direction will emerge.

Oddly, I never wanted a “career” as such. In my teens, I dreamt of being a writer, but somehow work got in the way. I treat writing for The Hobson as a hobby, a sidebar to my main life’s work. But recently, I’ve been approached by a number of people who wanted to work with me not for leadership development, but for plain and simple reinvention. They are stuck, not on the outside, but the inside; stuck knowing that they probably want to do something else, but what is it? And how do they get there?

The upshot is I’ve decided to make room in my leadership practice to create a course specifically for these individuals, and it’s called The Second Act, after this column. It never occurred to me that the monthly discipline of writing a column on life’s mid-stage would lead to an opportunity like this! But now, it seems like a natural extension.

I know I am going to love working with these potential reinventers, and who knows where this will lead for them — and for me. But the most important thing is that it will lead somewhere!

A friend once gave me a wall hanging with an Albert Schweitzer quote: Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing you will be successful.

That’s my mantra. — Sandy Burgham

READERS OF THE HOBSON: I am curating a group of would-be reinventors for The Second Act’s pilot course, which will be conducted with six to eight women, aged around their 50s. Interested? There will be a good deal for a reader keen to be involved. To find out more about the course and criteria, contact Laura-Jane: lj@playclc.com

the heritage

Rock of Ages The Auckland Heritage Festival runs to October 15.

Local historian Carolyn Cameron shares her research on a 151-year-old heritage building, Parnell's Stonemason's House.

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y 1860, stonemason John Benjamin Strange had built several houses in Parnell for the Anglican Church, buildings we know so well today — 4 Takutai St, Kinder House at 2 Ayr St, and the Old Deanery, which sits on the corner of St Stephens Ave and Brighton Rd. Strange was Bishop Selwyn’s preferred stonemason and this man of superior craftsmanship has left a very visible legacy for all to appreciate.

Oxfordshire-born Strange, his wife Maria, their daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren, had arrived at Auckland on the Katherine Stewart Forbes on March 9, 1852. It was not long before his workmanship came under the notice of Bishop Selwyn, and he employed Benjamin (as he was known), to build a stone house for the Anglican Church in Hobson Bay Rd (now Takutai St). Benjamin and Maria were the first leaseholders of the house, moving to Parnell from the city on account of Maria’s health. When Archdeacon George Kissling suffered a stroke at the end of 1860, the Stranges vacated the house so that the Kissling family could live there. During the next five years, the couple lived in the Remuera/ Newmarket/Parnell area.

Already owning three properties in the city, Benjamin then began purchasing land in Parnell. In August 1861, he bought two adjoining sections in Falcon St for £100, registered in Maria’s name. This practice was not unusual, as it protected the property should any bankruptcies occur. At the end of that month, he purchased another section in Scarborough Tce for £40, where he built a twostoried brick house as an investment. It was immediately tenanted, and is still in existence today. In 1865, Strange added to his portfolio with the purchase of the leasehold interest of two properties in Hobson Park (now Birdwood Cres and part of Parnell Rd).

In 1866, Benjamin, 62 and semi-retired, became actively interest in local affairs — he was later elected a trustee of the Parnell District Highway Board, which became the Parnell Borough Council, on which he served a term as town clerk.

During this time, his stonemason practice was limited to monumental masonry.

In January 1866, Benjamin took out a mortgage with a Miss Fanny Evans Cole, using Scarborough Tce and two of his city properties as security. The amount — £250 — was used to build his house in Falcon St. In June 1866, the mortgage (now reduced to £220) was transferred to the Land Association No. 2, an organisation affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The year of construction, I believe, for the Falcon St

house is therefore 1866, which differs from the widely quoted date of 1863. “J. B. Strange, stonemason”, appears on the 1866-67 Mitchell and Seffern Street Directory for Rutland Rd [the early name for Falcon St], Parnell.

An accomplished builder, it is most likely that both the Scarborough Tce and Falcon St houses were also designed

by Benjamin. The Falcon St house was described at this time as a “double house”, or semi-detached, with two separate front entrances. The original interior walls, roof beams and ceilings were of kauri, and each house had a staircase, and rear verandahs. On the exterior there were wooden additions on both sides. The lower windows on the front were rectangular, whilst the three above were round-headed. The corners were quoined to add strength to the building, and also served as an architectural feature. The original roof is long gone, but was likely shingled.

When street numbers were introduced, the building became 15 and 17 Falcon St. Benjamin died on June 7, 1882, aged 79.

Maria died four years later. All of their real estate was bequeathed to their eldest grandson, John Strange Lepine, who then lived in the Falcon St house. One would presume that the ownership of so many properties would have set Lepine up for life, but in 1893 he filed for bankruptcy, and lost everything, including Falcon St. It was sold by mortgagee sale to Miss Ethel Diana Fowler. Both houses were rented until 1914 when No. 17 was occupied successively by Fowler extended family members, Ethel, Mabel and Arthur. In 1921, the New Zealand Herald reported a small fire in a bedroom of No. 15, which was put out before much damage was done.

The Fowlers lived in Falcon St for six decades, until Arthur Fowler sold the property in December 1973 to Michael Wilson.

His brother, Patrick, was a builder/property developer, and the original plan was to demolish the house and construct a modern building of several storeys. After visiting his sister, Frances, in London, Patrick had a change of mind. On his return, began an extensive renovation of Falcon St, with Frances managing the interior design. The restoration plans by architects Stanich and Withers involved combining the two houses internally, repairing the rear verandahs and replacing the roof. The grounds were enhanced with brick paving and planting, and carparking added to the rear of the building. Benjamin Strange’s home-andincome property re-emerged as 12 boutique shops across two levels, with a cafe in the attic space. The renovations took place between 1975 and 1977, and cost around $200,000.

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Above: The Stonemason’s House in the 1950s, during its ownership by the Fowler family. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries: 7-A2813; and below, as it is today.

At last the house was given a name. A large sign was attached to the front wall — “The Stonemason’s House 1863”. The 1863 date may have been given because original deeds were lost, and in 1863 a reaffirmation of the sale was entered into the deed registers by solicitors Jackson and Merriman, and verified by Colonel Henry Matson, the owner of the land before Benjamin Strange. The fact that the mortgage was taken out on other properties would have made it impossible to pinpoint the date of construction by looking only at the Falcon St property deeds.

The Wilsons also believed that the architect was Frederick Thatcher, with whom Strange had worked previously. But there is no evidence that Thatcher had any connection with the design of this residence, and it was in fact very likely that Benjamin Strange himself designed the house.

Benjamin was obviously impressed with the plastering effect of another stone house in Parnell, Hulme Court, and both his new constructions in Parnell were plastered and painted on the exterior.

In 1977 the Auckland City Council scheduled the building to be preserved under the current district plan, and it was later listed by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, now Heritage New Zealand. In 1978, it housed radio station 1ZM, and by 1979, the shops had been converted to offices and studios. After later street numbering realignments, the Stonemason’s House became 27

Falcon St. The Wilsons sold the property in 1984, and it entered another life phase for the next decade as a restaurant and night club, Rick’s Blue Falcon, owned by musician Richard Roff, and Elizabeth Nichols.

In 1999, having come full circle, it was converted to six residential apartments. No doubt this return to its original purpose would have been most gratifying to Benjamin Strange. p Sources for this story include Heritage New Zealand Northern Office, New Zealand Archives and Auckland Council Archives.

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the pretty

You Scrub Up Well Justine Williams faces up to spring with a good cleansing scrub This leave-on exfoliating treatment is designed to be used daily, to brighten and tone all skin types with the help of alpha and beta hydroxy acids and enzymes.

35 single doses, the Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer, $140, from Dermalogica stockists and dermalogica.co.nz

New to Mecca Cosmetica, NūFACE PrepN-Glow, $31 for 20 cloths, is the triple threat. Double-sided, single-use cloths cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate. So handy, so great for travelling. Instore and from meccabeauty.co.nz

The charcoal and sulfur in Dermalogica’s Charcoal Rescue Masque, $89, helps rescue tired, lacklustre or dull skin. From Dermalogica counters and dermalogica.co.nz

A pre-shampoo wash could sound like overkill, but come summer, with hair product and sunscreen getting everywhere, Kérastase Chronologiste Soiné Gommage Rénovateur is just what your hair and scalp needs for a thorough cleanse. $50, from Kérastase salons and stockists

I adore a little scrub in my mask. Use this twice weekly to slough away dead skin cells and brighten your complexion.

Easy as. Bobbi Brown Radiance Boost Face Mask, $85, from Bobbi Brown counters If you love a multitasking product, then this two-in-one is for you. Clinique Pep-Start Exfoliating Cleanser washes away anything the day can throw at your face. $38, from Clinique counters

Ideal for hair that benefits from a deep cleanse but also needs a shine boost, Redken Diamond Oil Glow Dry Gloss Scrub, $35, uses easy-torinse soft exfoliants to purify, while producing lightweight moisture to make locks shine.

From Redken stockists

It’s October! Which means its racing towards bare skin time. Get summer body ready with REN Guerande Salt Exfoliating Body Balm, $43. Massage onto dry skin, shower, and emerge deliciously smooth and moisturised. Available at Mecca Maxima, Mecca Cosmetica on Broadway and at meccabeauty.co.nz

So pleased Aesop is now here, though it gives us one less excuse for a quick trip to Sydney.

The divine Geranium Leaf Body Scrub, $43, is designed to polish all skin types. Utterly addictive.

From Aesop, 2 Osborne St, and aesop.com/nz Not a scrub, but a very useful product if your skin is oily. After cleansing and before moisturising, swipe with Clinique Clarifying Lotion to clear away excess oil. $45, at Clinique counters Who can resist a beauty bargain? Open pores be gone with L’Oréal Paris Pure Clay Mask. $24.99 and a good one to share with the whole family.

From pharmacies and supermarkets A perfect selfie-worthy pout? GlamGlow Poutmud Fizzy Lip Exfoliating Treatment puts paid to rough lips, and keeps your lippie looking on point too. $37 from Mecca Maxima, Queen St, and online at meccabeauty.co.nz

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Dr Paul JM Salmon BhB MBChB FRACP FACMS AFFILIATED SOUTHERN CROSS PROVIDER

EXCELLENCE IN DERMATOLOGY

Discover Early Parnell with specialist publications by local historian Carolyn Cameron Enjoy an in-depth tour of Parnell’s most important colonial buildings, and the stories of the people who lived in them

Open 7 days 10am – 5pm from October 21st Brimming with decorations, vintage inspired toys and exquisite Victorian paper crafts.

In stock now at: Paper Plus Parnell, 213 Parnell Rd Poppies Bookstore, 4/415 Remuera Rd Jason Books, 16 O’Connell St, Auckland central

Free parking on site.

Mortimer Pass (off Gillies Ave) Newmarket, Auckland

Interested in knowing more about your Parnell house or where your early Parnell ancestors lived?

Commissioned research available, contact parnellhistorian@gmail.com

(09) 524 5729 n highwic@heritage.org.nz n www.highwic.co.nz

Carolyn ad.indd 1

6/09/17 5:39 PM

the garden

A Green Heart The biannual Auckland Garden DesignFest will be held next month, revealing the neighbourhood creations of professional garden designers. Landscape architect Paul Gallagher spoke to writer Megan Horsburgh about the Parnell garden he designed, which is part of the festival.

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andscape architect Paul Gallagher doesn’t complain about Auckland’s wet weather. Hailing from Ireland, he says that despite what some people may say about our rain, it is definitely more agreeable than Donegal, where he grew up. Gallagher also believes our weather positively influences the Kiwi culture of using our gardens more, than say, the average Dubliner.

This year Gallagher has put forward a garden for the Garden DesignFest for the first time, because he believes his work (pictured above) in St Georges Bay Rd is a good example of the future of Auckland gardens – a smaller space that requires thought-through design, and multifunctional, flowing, spaces.

Do you think your Irish heritage has had an influence on your work here?

Yes, definitely. I came to New Zealand in 2011 and joined Mace Landscapes in 2014. In Ireland I was raised with a good work ethic, positive attitude and tendency to problem-solve rather than complain. These attributes are quite useful to landscape architecture. Coming from a beautiful part of rural Ireland meant the landscape had a strong inspirational influence.

What do you like about the conditions here, soil and weather-wise?

The diversity of its landscape makes Auckland a wonderful city to have a garden. Depending on where you live in Auckland, the landscape can offer different opportunities to enhance your garden. Whether it’s rich volcanic soil, coastal views or bordering on native bush, your home and garden can avail of these natural opportunities that people in other cities do not necessarily have the luxury of taking for granted.

What are you most proud of with the Parnell garden that’s been selected for the festival?

The clients had a strong vision for the standard they required

— they didn’t engage with a landscape designer lightly. Getting the layout right therefore was imperative. When you undertake a design you are at pains to ensure the clients will be rewarded for placing their trust in you. It’s never about ego; it’s about passion for design and for creating unique, successful spaces.

What is your favourite part of this one?

The fireplace. It’s integrated into the back of the carport wall, yet embellished by structured planting either side, and even incorporates a floating effect by having a low hedge run beneath the hearth. Fireplaces hold an inherent sense of security and comfort within our psyche, and in this case the fireplace is integral to the courtyard space. Before the landscaping was even finished the clients had the fireplace burning and it instantly brought the space to life.

What are some of the contemporary influences on the Kiwi garden?

Every new garden, no matter the style, can be said to be a contemporary version of that style. This is because modern influences dictate finishes and styles. The old bi-swing patio doors that opened out onto your old, stained pine deck, have now become modern bi-fold doors that open out onto your new hardwood or composite deck. Perhaps your patio will have the latest in concrete finishes, as the old plain concrete gets replaced by a coloured, textured and sealed version. Your old trellis screen might now be a laser-cut Corten panel with up-lighting.

Or a new colourful variety of shrub replaces your hydrangea.

New ideas, styles and materials bring our gardens up to date, and if done cleverly, can add that timeless factor.

Can we be greener, or more environmentally conscious in our approach to a garden?

This is down to the individual. It’s a mind-set; a philosophy that is about being lifestyle-aware. People who are using the

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greener approach in their gardens are those who are greener throughout their everyday lives. We can all start with the basics, like recycling perishable waste products in compost bins. Use less chemicals in your garden. Think about the use of water – save or harvest rainwater if possible. Introduce more bee-friendly and native-bird-friendly plants. Use locally-sourced or reclaimed products if practical. There are

also products like permeable paving or composite decking that are worth considering. The list goes on. If nothing else, then at least plant a tree in your garden! The internet will fill people with ideas — those interested can look up the principles of permaculture. Remember there is no dead space in your garden – if it’s not a functional space for your use, then it should be a functional space for the environment. p

Jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Newmarket and the Garden Design Society of New Zealand, the 2017 Auckland Garden DesignFest will showcase 20 beautiful and inspirational gardens over the weekend of November 25/26, representing the talents of 19 landscape designers.

The designers will be on site, allowing visitors the opportunity to gain inspiration and learn more about the creative process behind each garden.

There will be six other local gardens on show in addition to the garden Paul Gallagher has designed in St Georges Bay Rd. They are in Rangitoto Ave, Aldred Rd, Bassett Rd and MacMurray Rd in Remuera, and in Tohunga Cres and Freemont St in Parnell.

Gardener creatives selected for this year’s DesignFest are: Trish Bartleet, Paul Gallagher, Damian Wendelborn, Trudy Crerar, Sue and Colin McLean, Sally McLeay, Barbara Garrett, Joanna Hamilton, Bryan McDonald, Keren McDonnell, Matt McIsaac, Kerry Speirs, Zoë Carafice, Mark Read, Jason O’Toole, Nick Robinson, Chris Ballantyne and Glenys Yeoman.

Tickets are available from iTICKET, plus various garden retailers and at the gates. A $65 ticket allows access to all gardens, three garden entry is $20, $10 buys single garden access.

For more information, visit gardendesignfest.co.nz or follow Auckland Garden DesignFest on Facebook and Instagram.

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the destination

There's a place called Kokomo Far from Fiji’s mainland crowds lies a new private island resort, Kokomo, which in a few short months has gained a reputation for unabashed luxury, and five-star gastronomy. By Sarah Thornton

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n hour by seaplane or helicopter from Nadi, Kokomo is on the edge of the Kadavu archipelago, cocooned by the coral gardens of the Great Astrolabe Reef. This luxurious resort only opened in April, the passion project of Australian property magnate Lang Walker, who apparently named it after his mother’s favourite Beach Boy song.

Your trip to Kokomo starts before you even leave home, with the filling out of a pre-arrival questionnaire. Did I prefer Grey Goose or Absolut? Tanqueray or Hendricks? What temperature would I like my bedroom? What spa treatments? There was even a menu of preferred pillow fillings.

Getting to Kokomo is an adventure in itself. From Nadi, a private helicopter flew me across Fiji’s main island and its spectacular Coral Coast, to the resort on its private island, which lies south of Suva.

Kokomo has 21 beachside villas and five hilltop residences spread over its 57ha. The resort is still a work in progress, with a 150-strong construction team on site. Kokomo’s 242 staff, mostly Fijian locals, are on hand to look after the 100-odd guests.

The island is a lovely mix of authentic Fijian culture and traditions, blended with five-star luxury. And its approach to the food it serves has quickly put Kokomo on the culinary map. The island is playing a major role in Fiji’s food renaissance, driven by sustainability in every part of its operation and its support of local and artisan producers.

Kokomo’s cuisine is led by Anthony Healy, an Australian whose

tropical culinary pedigree includes three years as executive chef “next door” at Laucala Is, and stints at Australia’s Lizard and Hayman Islands. He has also worked in top restaurants, including Les Trois Garçons in London and La Cote Saint Jacques in France.

Anthony’s had pretty much free rein to develop Kokomo’s cuisine, setting up a kitchen that includes a dry-aging fridge for the production of salami and charcuterie items. There is a kitchen garden, which is nearing completion. Spread over more than two hectares, it’s impressive in both scale and variety. It includes a vanilla plantation, with every type of vegetable and fruit you can imagine growing on its terraces. There are four different types of banana, and I lost count of the number of chilli species, including Anthony’s favourite (and hottest), the bongo.

“The gardens are about being able to offer guests the freshest seasonal food available,” he says. “As a chef, it’s exciting – I have input into what we grow and the style of food. The menu changes daily, depending on what our garden gives us and what our fishermen catch.”

Flowers to adorn Kokomo’s inside spaces grow in their own dedicated gardens, while thatched bures shelter seed-raising beds and micro-herbs. Recently Kokomo welcomed 200 new arrivals to the island – baby chickens who now reside in their bespoke hen house, with an outside play area with views over the ocean.

To complement the organic fruit, vegetables and herbs that are grown on the island, sustainably sourced fish, shellfish and lean meats are procured from neighbouring islands. Kokomo’s barge

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the destination Nightly rates for beachfront villas (2-6 guests) start from US$1995 (NZ$2757) per villa. Hilltop residences (6-12 guests, butler service included) are from US$6950, and the luxury beachfront villa (12 guests) is US$18,000.

Exclusive use of Kokomo — all 64 bedrooms for 100 or so of your closest friends — starts from US$120,000 per night.

The tariff includes all meals, nonalcoholic beverages, a private infinity pool at each villa, all non-motorised and some motorised water activities, a nanny service and access to the gym and kids' clubs. There's a spa, and facilities for weddings or larger gatherings.

Each booking also receives an introductory spa and dive voucher (Kokomo is a PADI 5-star resort) per villa or residence. Air transfers by seaplane or helicopter from Nadi are additional. kokomoislandfiji.com Kokomo is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. slh.com

CHEF ANTHONY'S CORAL TROUT KOKODA The marinated fish dish of kokoda, at left, is popular across Fiji. Kokomo head chef Anthony Healy prepares his with the local reef fish, coral trout, although any firm, white-fleshed fish can be used

makes two trips to Suva each week, bringing back produce and meat from local farmers, with whom Kokomo has developed relationships.

All meals and snacks are included in the tariff, so it’s a matter of deciding what and where you feel like eating. There are three restaurants — the Beach Shack, Walker d’Plank and Poolside Cabana; as well as the bakery, woodfired pizza and gelato bars.

However, you’re not limited to eating at any one of them. Anthony’s team of chefs can create private dinners, take you on a boat trip to an outlying island for a barbecue, serve lunch on the beach, or in your villa. If you have luck on a fishing trip (easily arranged) a chef will cook your catch of the day in any style you like.

There’s a distinct lack of menus at Kokomo and no set rules around eating. At the informal beachside nook, Walker D’Plank, Asian flavours rule. There’s no menu, just a discussion of what’s seasonal, what the guest feels like eating and what’s inspiring the chef. As a result of our conversation, I can recommend the Fijian curry degustation.

Kokomo is isolated, and breathtakingly beautiful. And it’s challenging the traditional notion of what constitutes tropical cuisine with its thought-provoking approach to food.

Sarah Thornton stayed as a guest of Kokomo Island Fiji the hobson 53

200 grams of coral trout, cut into small cubes 2 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp diced red onion 1 tbsp diced celery 1 tbsp diced tomato skin off 1 tbsp diced cucumber 1 tbsp fresh passionfruit 1 tbsp diced avocado 1 tbsp diced capsicum 1 tbsp coconut milk 1 tsp chilli diced, seeds removed 1 tsp coriander 1 tsp mint salt to taste Add lime juice to the coral trout, and leave it to “cook” in the juice for 2-3 minutes, just until the edges go white. Add the vegetables and fruit and mix through thoroughly.

Finish with the coconut milk, chilli, fresh herbs and salt, and serve immediately.

the sound

When the World Discovers your Band two groups of fans — those who know them from 1980, and those from 1988.

The same thing happened to Coldplay, who released Parachutes in 2000 and had an immediate hit with “Yellow,” but they were still perceived as an indie band. I instantly loved them. In January 2001, they came to Auckland to play the Big Day Out and also did a showcase at the Galatos theatre behind K Rd. I went. It’s a venue that holds 500 but 1000 were packed in, and all those 1000 people knew they saw something special. The next time they played Auckland was in 2003, after Rush of Blood To The Head.

They played to 5000 at the Showgrounds. After X&Y they played Vector Arena. Now they sell out Mt Smart every couple of years. But nothing will touch that January night at Galatos.

Maybe it’s something about New Zealand, because if you’re playing to us, you’re now on a path to world domination. I have a Photo: Graham MacIndoe

I

’ve just booked tickets to a band who some are calling the best in the world.

It’s not to Paul McCartney. I’ve already booked tickets to his gig. I went to his last New Zealand concert way back in 1993 at Western Springs. I remember that even then people were trying to tell me he was past his best — HE WAS 51! Younger than I am now. True, this summer he’ll be 75, singing at Mt Smart in front of 45,000 people, but based on performances I’ve seen in the past six months, he will be awesome.

McCartney’s last concert here started with “Drive My Car”.

Boom! Also in my memory is his performances of “Yesterday”, “Penny Lane” and “Sgt Pepper’s”. But the best bit was “Live and Let Die,” complete with fireworks. The concert finished with a singalong to “Hey Jude”. Paul was great then and I’m sure will be great now.

But that's not the act I’m talking about.

I'm off to see The National in February, at Villa Maria Winery.

Now this band gets two reactions: either “Whoa!” or “Who?” So, The National are a band from Cincinnati, who formed at the turn of the century. They started as a sort of alt country kind of outfit and slowly morphed towards a grumbling symphonic rock. It wasn't until their fourth album, Boxer, that the world really started to take notice.

From there, bit by bit, they’ve become more widely known. Their songs aren’t played on the radio, they're considered too “alternative”, which is hilarious, because they’re in a Leonard Cohen sort of groove and they’re in no way too challenging. But people who get a taste of The National get hooked, including the makers of Game of Thrones, who asked them for a version of House Lannister’s song, “The Rains of Castermere”.

It’s been fascinating watching the band grow, not least because they’re doing it in their 40s. They’re not young bucks, having had real jobs up until their 30s (there’s hope for all us frustrated pop stars).

But it’s also been fascinating watching the way the tipping point happens. All artists have a tipping point, but for many it comes so soon at the beginning of their career, that they seem to appear fully formed.

I’ve been fortunate enough to see a number of bands before they got big. I’ve seen them tip. REM formed in 1980, and in 1981 released their great debut, Murmur. I was at Radio B and we pounced on the album. We hammered “Radio Free Europe”. My personal favourite was “Perfect Circle,” and I enjoy it coming up on my iPod playlists and people asking who’s singing it. In fact, REM released five more albums before Warner Brothers signed the band and they produced the tipping point album, Green, in 1988.

They toured that album and I saw them with 2000 other people at the Logan Campbell Centre. The next time I saw them they were headlining Western Springs, with Crowded House as support. The funny thing is that because they changed record labels, there are

few more stories like this — Robbie Williams at the Bruce Mason Theatre just before his second album went ballistic. U2 at the Logan Campbell Centre in 1984 during the Unforgettable Fire tour, just before they went global with The Joshua Tree.

So The National are coming, and maybe after this latest album releases, we’ll be catching them at their biggest this coming summer.

But here’s a thing. When The National first played this town, it was at the Kings Arms tavern, the grimy little alt rock venue in Newton. They’ve played the Powerstation. Two years ago they played Auckland City Limits festival. Now, finally they’re headlining an outdoor show. There are a few people here who have seen this band well before the rest of the world, and I feel for them. It’s a bittersweet moment when your favourite band finds success. When cult bands go global, a little part of their first fans dies. Your secret is out. But then again, there’s also a little sense of pride that you were amongst the group that gave the world their next favourite band.

Good luck to The National. I give you to the world.

— Andrew Dickens

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the district diary

October 2017 1 Throw a lead on your fourlegged kids and head down to Heard Park, Parnell Rd, on the first Sunday of every month, 9am-12pm, for Paws in Parnell, a boutique minimarket for all things pooch As part of the Auckland Heritage Festival and its theme of transport and travel, Parnell Heritage hosts an afternoon of talks and displays of heritage medical transport and artifacts. 3-4.30pm, Selwyn Library, 8 St Stephens Ave. $15/$10 members, with afternoon tea. For Heritage Festival events (Oct 1-15) see heritagefestival.co.nz 2 School holidays begin The Auckland War Memorial Museum’s South Crescent rooftop will be opened up today to Friday – a rare opportunity to enjoy panoramic views, see restoration work, and the museum’s field of solar panels. Tour includes stairs, so not suitable wheelchairs or pushchairs, moderate fitness required. Sessions limited so book now, $10 from aucklandmuseum.com 5 Love shoes? Highwic gets to the sole of the matter with a Celebration of Shoes (to Oct 15), celebrating Newmarket’s shoe business, new and old Remuera Heritage celebrates the Heritage Festival with Wheels, Water and Wings stories from Remuera – Jean Batten, the Walsh brothers, Mohi, the air aces of WW1 and L J Keys’ buses. Remuera Library, 6.30pm, free 7 Artweek Auckland starts today and runs till Oct 15, celebrating

T he St a r ship Foundation i nv ite s you to

14 Time to declutter? Recycle your pre-loved belongings, or grab yourself a bargain at Parnell’s Community Jumble Sale, 545 Parnell Rd. The 2nd Saturday of every month, 8-11.45am 15 Join the fun at the 122nd opening day of the Royal Akarana Yacht Club. Fun events for all, see rayc.co.nz

A ver y spec i a l event i n celebration of St a r ship’s 25 t h bi r t hday, ra i si ng v it a l f und s for our nationa l chi ldren’s hospit a l. _ Fr iday 27 October 2017 SPA R K A R ENA , M A HUHU CR E SCEN T, AUCK L A ND _ th

CH A P T ER ON E - 6.30pm Recept ion CH A P T ER T WO - 7.30pm T hree course dinner w it h w ine, whim s y and imag inat ion on t he side DR E S S CODE Black Tie T ICK ET S $350 per person $3,50 0 - Table of 10 Ticket s a re l i mited. To purcha se, plea se v i sit w w w.st a r ship.or g.n z/25t hBa l l Principal Sponsor

Proudly Supported by

the visual arts of Auckland at a number of events around the city. See artweekauckland. co.nz for events and venues 11-14 A playful, squishy dance show, Dirt and Other Delicious Ingredients will delight kids at this immersive live event. Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna, for tickets and show information see aucklandlive. co.nz or 0800 111 999

13 Until next Friday it’s Sweet Louise week at Orakei Bay Village, all proceeds going to the charity that supports those with secondary breast cancer (see The Village, page 15) Step back in time with Mapping the Remuera Shopping Centre, a Heritage Festival event, Remuera Library, 6.30-8pm, free

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16 Term 4 commences for most schools (really? Yes) 20 Pick up some baked goods or flowers at the Baker & Bloom mini-market, held the third Friday of every month at Heard Park, Parnell Rd, 1.30-5.30pm 23 Labour Day public holiday, and the annual Mission Bay Art & Craft Market. More than 180 stalls will be in the Selwyn Reserve (around the fountain), 10am-4pm 24-31 Tales of terror from the Otago gold fields will thrill and terrify this Hallowe’en at Rollicking Entertainment’s The Dunstan Creek Haunting. Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre. Rated R13 (for a good reason!), tickets and info at aucklandlive.co.nz 27 Through the Looking Glass charity ball for Starship 29 Enrol your junior sorcerers in the Highwic School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for a day of magical mischief and creativity. 12.30-4pm, juniors $5, supervising adults $10.

Bookings and info at highwic. co.nz

the cryptic by mĀyĀ

ACROSS

DOWN

1 Ready for Heat magazine? (3,6) 6 Rubber ink land? (5) 9 Use ochre extravagance? O.T.T. in Remuera retreat (6,5) 10 Trades Union Congress backing end of take (3) 11 Chuck’s worth broadcasting (5) 12 More saggy, more wily about cry of pain (9) 14 Whaling more than once (7) 15 Half-hearted, most balanced, least fresh (7) 16 British architect with Coolangatta connection desires endless floozies to start with (7) 19 Relating to emblem of 25 down: rodents, tail first (7) 21 Supervisors of prophets following six deliveries (9) 22 Holder of a Toyland resident (5) 24 Periodically reclaim priest (3) 25 The first paper, I arrive by the ends of the day - you’ll laugh, you’ll cry! (11) 26 Beyond the ends of the day; 27 wouldn’t thank you for his (5) 27 Guarder of a plot, he allegedly eats without knife or spoon (3,6)

1 Implied bird in current? The other way around (5) 2 Input from Lawrence rose following directions (7) 3 Having finished with Shelley, spends a night in the 8 (11) 4 Breaks his in heartless films (7) 5 Poles bearing coin appearing before cells (7) 6 That is cold in the 8’s type of cap (3) 7 Flexible decoration may be found on bathroom wall, I’m told (7) 8 Worker damaged car; jerk’s after a pole position (9) 13 Coolangatta, left out for an hour, demolished? You can get there from track 29 (11) 14 Passage east held by Welshman at the end of the month (9) 17 Shirt dynasty reigning, I hear (7) 18 Be back in Chinese port, but not the whole nine yards (7) 19 Check whether you start to give evidence (7) 20 Weds briefly (7) 23 Crazy toys? (2-3) 25 A hard drink for baby (3)

Set by Māyā. Answers will appear in our next issue (November 2017). Can't wait, or need help? Visit https://thehobsoncrossword.wordpress.com/

SEPTEMBER CRYPTIC CROSSWORD ANSWERS Across: 1 Wunderkind, 6/26 Loanword, 9 Lentigo, 10 Upsilon, 12 Wilde, 13 Slightest, 15 Impacts, 16 Hidalgo, 17 Mr Magoo, 20 Punch-up, 22 Nonlinear, 23 Rural, 24 Remuera, 25 Routine, 27 Ornamental Down: 1 Walt Whitman, 2 Nonslip, 3 Eminence grise, 4 Knossos, 5 Nourish, 7 Oil well, 8 Nun, 11 Schadenfreude, 14 Trompe l’oeil, 18 Monomer, 19 Open-air, 20 Porirua, 21 Harpist, 24 Row

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Outdoor Furniture Manufactured with A-Grade Teak, Reclaimed Teak, Wicker, Concrete, 316 Stainless Steel, Sunbrella, Batyline, and Aluminum

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09 377 7710

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Toll Free - 0800 111 112

sales@designwarehouse.co.nz

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Trinity Apartments

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2

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Wrapped inside the architecturally designed Trinity apartments, this Penthouse apartment will offer you an easy and enviable lifestyle with large open-plan indoor/outdoor living. Situated opposite the Cathedral in Parnell this modern architectural development has a solid reputation for its outstanding quality. The park-like grounds, complete with lap pool and reflection pool, deliver an environment that is second to none in apartment living. Spread over two levels and encapsulating views to Rangitoto and the Hauraki Gulf, over St Stephens Avenue and some of Auckland’s most admired historic buildings, prepare to enjoy stunning sunrises from your private balcony and master suite. You have the added bonus of three generous sized car parks and a substantial storage lockup. Should you wish to leave the cars at home and explore the Domain or the Village of Parnell right on your door step, you will find some of Auckland’s best art galleries, restaurants, bars and cafes.

By Negotiation

Unit 503, 429 Parnell Road, Parnell | nzsothebysrealty.com/NZE10763

nzsothebysrealty.com

Ross Hawkins M +64 274 720 577 ross.hawkins@sothebysrealty.com

Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Browns Real Estate Limited (licensed under the REAA 2008) MREINZ.