Hilary Barry

Why I Love the Shore

Hilary Barry

North Shore local Hilary Barry has become a familiar face to all who tune in for the TV3 nightly News and watch her share the big events of the day. In the mornings she can also be heard on the RadioLIVE breakfast show and during the weekends you’re most likely to find her cheering on the sidelines of her sons’ cricket or rugby games. Hilary lives in Milford with her husband and those two sporting sons. This month she tells Channel readers her North Shore highlights and why she Loves living on the Shore.

Channel Mag How long have you lived on the Shore? Where were you before? What was it that brought you to the Shore?
Hilary Barry I’ve been living here for about 15 years but my family’s been here for generations. Our house sits on land that my great-grandparents bought in 1930 and has been in the family ever since.

CM What’s your favourite Shore restaurant and why?
HB Ah, so many choices. Dinner out is likely to be Marvel Grill, The Engine Room, GPK, Monthien or Musashi. For lunch or coffee; Takapuna Beach Cafe and Latin Larder are wonderful, as are the pies at the Swiss Bakery after a tough morning at footie and after a late night, Ian and Ruth’s gourmet sausage rolls at Robert Harris in Milford are impossible to walk past.

CM Saturday morning North Shore style?
HB A takeaway double shot flat white and then hours spent on the sideline watching the kids playing rugby in winter or cricket in summer.

CM What’s your favourite Shore beach and why?
HB Milford and Campbells Bay are my top picks. Great safe swimming, plenty of sand for everyone and what a view.

CM Where do you go to relax on the Shore?
HB When you live on the Shore everywhere seems relaxing. You feel the weight of the city lift as soon as your wheels touch the Northcote Road off-ramp.

CM What’s the Shore’s best kept secret?
HB Kennedy’s Park and the beach beneath it. The new stairs the council built are fantastic and because it’s the only pedestrian access to the beach, you can have the whole place to yourself.

CM Have you ever found anywhere else in the world that reminds you of the Shore and if so, how?
HB No, never.

CM Finally, what do you love most about the city you call home?
HB I love the people most of all. Shore people stop to take the time to talk to one another, everyone knows their neighbours and there’s a great community spirit.