Hard News by Russell Brown

Pics or it didn’t happen: Garth Reeves and Dan Musgrove in Angels in America.

(Credit: Andrew Malmo photograhy)

We had a quiet weekend, except for a bike ride along the SH16 cycle path to Phoenix festival. I was impressed by the crowd turnout, the awesome dry ice icecreams and like Russel the Rocksteady cover. Congratulations are due to Phoenix and the organiser Reece Jensen for a great free event - long may it last.

We had a quiet weekend, except for a bike ride along the SH16 cycle path to Phoenix festival.

And what an excellent piece of infrastructure that was. My friends and I (and their kids) cycled and walked along the path to get there too.

Hey - thanks for the linky love. I was thinking much the same as you yesterday, as I was soaking my shirt and jeans in a bucket, and vigorously scrubbing my face to remove the purple stain...we live in a cool place where there are so many opportunities for fun if you venture out.

I didn't know Holi festival was celebrated here until that morning I turned up to work, but I'm setting a reminder in my calendar now, and next year will take the family along too, it was such a great vibe. I really hope it becomes an ever-popular annual fixture, along with so many of the other great events we have each year.

The Dunedin Fringe Festival was finishing up. I managed to see two plays this weekend – Velcro City and Cherie Jacobson: the Diary of a Young Cynic. The highlight of the festival as a whole for me was a one-person play called The Bookbinder, which made a great use of light and shadow and is touring the country later this year. It’s really worth seeing.

On Saturday afternoon I strolled through the Botanic Gardens, enjoying the autumn colours and the crunch of leaves underfoot. I returned there again on Sunday (I live nearby) and came across a brass band playing in the bandstand. It all felt very Edwardian. This is my favourite time of year, just before the weather turns really cold and the first frosts arrive.

We were equally puzzled about the arrangements for listening to Ladi 6 at Western Springs. So we watched/listened from behind the row of food stalls including the peanut butter on vogels toast caravan.

Meanwhile I ‘created’ uber-autumn using a clever function in my camera not quite as pretty as the pic above : )

Checked out the water feature at Potters Park too. Still warm enough for kids to use.

Sounds like a good city weekend. Ours was more suburban, but no less Auckland. Saturday was for fishing, off the bottom of Waiheke, plenty biting, three good size snapper in the chilly bin and one more which escaped at the last moment, plus a few thrown back. Sunday was relocating some roses in the garden, taking down a tree that was past it's best and finished with a community "do" which included bike races for kids, egg throwing, three legged races and a BBQ to finish. nice.

Walked from Mt Eden to Oranga via Newmarket and back to visit the kids, enjoying the farm-in-the-city of Cornwall Park along the way. Then sailed to Motuihe with friends on their yacht, swam, fell off the paddle-board a few times, lazed about, chatted, came home, washed off the salt, caught "Her" at the Capitol with another friend followed by a cheap but excellent feed at Spicy Joint afterwards. I don't think there are many cities where that would be one weekend's story. Love this place in the world.

I attended another fantastic event facilitated by the Auckland City Council, The Buddy Walk, at Tahaki Reserve on Mt Eden: a fundraiser and fun-filled event celebrating and supporting people with Down Syndrome and the organisations that support them. Such a vibrant and positive event, with lots of free experiences for kids of all ages and abilities (even my age and ability). The Council's presence was muted, but it was well run and organised and a triumph. Most of all it was fun!

I don't think there are many cities where that would be one weekend's story.

Yes. Both on the water and on the town.

We hit up the Harbourside Sculpture Trail in Te Atatu, it's a great morning out and the kids can run amok too.

excellent piece of infrastructure that was

My daughters were over the moon “we dont have to worry about cars”. More please Auckland Transport, NZTA.

I just wanted to second Peter's recommendation of Bookbinder. I saw it in the Wellington Fringe and it is remarkable. A deserving winner of the Best of Fringe award. The show works in very small venues (here in Wellington it was 15 people per show) so when it comes to your town BOOK!

Video from that New Lynn bowl jam:

Includes the legendary Lee Ralph and other old dudes skating.

We hit up the Harbourside Sculpture Trail in Te Atatu, it’s a great morning out and the kids can run amok too.

Snap. May do a full post on Capture later, but here’s a couple to be going on with.

Go, Auckland.

We often say that, but it never leaves...

There's nowhere else in the country this could happen

Newtown, south Wellington ?

we try sometimes

There’s nowhere else in the country this could happen

Newtown, south Wellington ?

I love Newtown and am there more than I am in most parts of Wellington. But the sheer, thriving scale, every Sunday, of Avondale Markets? No.

It seems to me that the fantastic to be in Auckland summer we've just had/are having isn't just the result of a miracle or lucky happenstance. Since the Supercity was set up a lot of rationalisation and standardisation has taken place and council run summer events are better organised and better advertised and better attended than ever.

The new super council has shown with two mega weekends that it can help Auckland pull off with effortless aplomb multiple events even one of which would stretch lesser councils elsewhere. Perhaps it is time to give some accolades to the new council and it's staff, and recognise that perhaps some of the fruits of amalgamation are coming to pass.

Newtown’s my ’hood, and we’re at the market most Saturday mornings getting the week’s vegetables, and pork buns for Saturday lunch. However, it’s only little – there’s not really space for it to get a whole lot bigger – and really just a food market. You don’t get sunglasses there! I think the only way it could grow would be to close off Emmett St and spread up there.
Occasionally St Anne’s hall next door will run a community market at the same time, but still, not the same deal as Avondale or Otara, and nor are any of the other weekend morning markets round Wellington that I’m aware of. I haven’t been to the Porirua one, so couldn’t comment.

nor are any of the other weekend morning markets round Wellington that I’m aware of.

Isn't there one in Waitangi park on a Sunday morning? or in the carpark under Frank Kitts Park on a Saturday morning? (Not that I've been to either, just vague signs and the traffic and parking issues seem to indicate so)

There is, and down by Te Papa, as well as the corner of Victoria St and Vivian. But Russ' point is that you don't get the same scale and diversity outside south Auckland, and that's because you don;t have the same population density.

But Russ' point is that you don't get the same scale and diversity outside south Auckland, and that's because you don;t have the same population density

I'd agree with that. Wellington doesn't even get the same scale and diversity as I remember in Christchurch at the Riccarton raceway on a Sunday morning back in the late 90s.

There is, and down by Te Papa, as well as the corner of Victoria St and Vivian. But Russ’ point is that you don’t get the same scale and diversity outside south Auckland, and that’s because you don;t have the same population density.

Yes. I love that little Waitangi Park market, but at a guess Avondale would be 30 times the size of it and far more diverse.