In Channel Magazine we love highlighting people in our community who make a difference. Two local Devonport peninsula people, Kate and Lauren, have created ‘Local Life NZ’ a social media entity doing similar online. We love what they do, so we’re now collaborating with them to include content in Channel Mag. This month they profile Anna, Natanahira and Bob.
Anna
“Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my high heels, and I can’t think of anything better than other people getting pleasure out of them as well.
“The support from the community has been amazing -- I love the way that reusing and recycling has crossed over into fashion, and people feel a sense of pride wearing something second-hand. I know I do.
“At the end of the day I want people to feel good about themselves, and if they don’t have to pay to do that, then even better. I’d love for the idea to extend beyond the ball season to weddings and fancy dress. We’ve all got stuff stashed away at the backs of our wardrobes that we hardly ever wear. How great that someone else can get joy from wearing it – and it’s good for the planet.”
– Devonport resident Anna Yallop has launched a ball dress library (including dresses, shoes and suits) for use by Takapuna Grammar School students. Please contact her 021 799 314 or anna@rmltd.co.nz for further information about lending and borrowing items.
Natanahira
“Matariki is all about the change in seasons – it’s bigger than just the stars. The start of Matariki signals that winter’s coming and we’ve got to collect stores for the colder months when food sources aren’t so plentiful. Think of a bear or a flock of migratory birds – they hibernate or fly south to winter over.
“It’s a time for whānau, a time for wānanga, a time for working the garden. It’s about a sense of wellbeing, of looking after ourselves and the environment.
“It’s about living in the world that’s around us, and bringing people back to what’s really important. We need to get our heads out of the stars and focus on what’s in front of us – it’s a real change of mindset.
“I’m a Devonport local from way back, and I love the fact that we’re making our whenua the focus of Matariki celebrations this year. The idea is to shine the light on Devonport, and we’re going to make it bigger and better than anywhere else.”
– Natanahira te Pona (Ngā Puhi, Tu Wharetoa, Ngati Awa, Te Aopouri, Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Porou, Te Arawa oku Iwi Ko Matangirau, Mangamuka, Hirangi, Tunohopu oku marae) is a master wood sculptor and is the resident carver at the Lake House Art Centre. He is co-ordinating the Puanga Matariki Celebrations taking place in Devonport on Saturday, 25 June and is running lantern-making workshops throughout June. More details are available on devonport.co.nz
Bob
“We first got the idea when one of our Rotary members noticed that local children had made their own bike track between the trees by the golf club. It was just a rough track, and not very useable in the winter. She told us how much fun the children were having and that maybe we could help them.
“We got the local BMX club involved, along with the Council and the Waitemata Golf Club. Everyone played their part to make the bike track at Woodall Park a reality. But we couldn’t have done it without the community – the support from locals has been overwhelming. We’ve had donations of diggers, timber, fencing, labour, signage and funding. Local people have turned up and worked hard at Saturday morning working bees, and the Narrow Neck Café has shouted us coffees.
“It’s been a two-and-a-half-year process, but it’s been worth it. The uptake has been tremendous. Riders are coming down to the track from all over the North Shore, and it’s particularly popular with family groups -- young riders accompanied by their mums and dads. That’s what we love to see.
“Providing community facilities for our young people is integral to us at Rotary, and the pump track is their own space to ride freely – that’s what’s great about it.”
– Bob McGuigan, member, Devonport Rotary. Bob was one of the members, along with Libby Boyd, Phil Le Gros and Colin Cannon, who led the Woodall Park Pump Track project.
Fish ‘n chips by the sea
Surrounded by the sea, Devonport is a fish and chips lovers’ paradise with options galore. From local chippies to elegant seaside fish restaurants, there are plenty of local options if you’re craving your fix of New Zealand’s number one takeaway treat.
When the sun’s shining and you’ve got a cold beer in hand, there are few things more satisfying than tucking into a newspaper-wrapped pile of fresh fish and crispy chips. Devonport has a wide range of cult favourites, including Bema Takeaway on Vauxhall Road which has everything you could want for a seaside picnic on nearby Cheltenham Beach.
Fishy Business, on Lake Road, boasts the best-battered oysters on the peninsula and also offers fresh sushi, which is the perfect grab-and-go option if you’re feeding the team or heading down to Narrow Neck Beach.
If you fancy a view of the cityscape over a pile of cod and chips, then grab some takeaways from Catch 22 on Victoria Road and wander down to Windsor Reserve. They serve chips from Mr Chips – which many local fans claim are the best.
Riba Fish & Chips, nestled at the foot of Takarunga/Mt Victoria, is a classic old-style fish and chip shop which serves up some of the finest snapper, blue cod and hoki on the peninsula. You can eat in, or take out – and head up the maunga for some of the best views of Tāmaki Makaurau.
If fine-dining fish and chips is more your style, Fish Kitchen on Devonport Wharf is the perfect place to watch the sun set over a pescatorial platter. With a focus on sustainably caught seafood, they have adopted a zero-waste policy in the kitchen, with no fins, wings or bones discarded. Ultra-crunchy Southern Fried Snapper Wings served with a tangy Louisiana Remoulade is a restaurant fave, while beer-battered fried fish served with a homemade tartar sauce is perfectly crispy and goes down well with a cold craft brew.
Other family-friendly fish dishes served with a view include the Torpedo Bay Cafe and Platter Cafe, both on Devonport’s King Edward Parade.
Bema Takeaway & Cafe, 87 Vauxhall Road, Devonport, (09) 445 4441. Open daily 12-8 pm.
Fishy Business, 71A Lake Road, Devonport (09) 445 7333. Open daily 11am-9 pm.
Catch 22, 9 Victoria Road, Devonport, Tel (09) 445 2225. Open daily 11am-8:30pm, except Mondays.
Riba Fish & Chips, 28 Victoria Road, Devonport, Tel (09) 446 0877. Open daily 11:30am-8:30 pm.
Fish Kitchen, 1 Queens Parade, Devonport. Tel: (09) 445 1777. Open Thurs- Sun Lunch 11:30, Dinner 5 pm.
Torpedo Bay Cafe, 64 King Edward Parade, Devonport. (09) 445 4670. Open Monday- Friday, 9am-4pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm.
Platter Cafe, 33 King Edward Parade, Devonport (09) 446 6626. Open daily 7am - 2pm.
