On 12 May you can sip tea and nibble delicious dainties whilst listening to Lauraine Jacobs, Tui Flower, Julie Biuso and Julie Le Clerc – four of the many food writers and chefs who contributed to A Treasury of New Zealand Baking.

Also on 12 May, Emily Perkins, Finlay Macdonald, Gordon McLauchlan, Steve Braunias, Bill Hastings and Jennifer Ward-Lealand will argue the moot: “Off the Shelf and Into the Hard-drive: the Book is Dead” at St-Matthew-In-The-City, with Te Radar as moderator.

14 Year Old Daughter’s favourite band Ivy Lies will be talking about songwriting on 13 May as part of the 2010 Schools Programme. If 14 Year Old Daughter can’t talk her teachers into taking the class along I may just have to take her myself, or risk her imploding with disappointment!

If your brain needs some shaping up tutor Kathryn Burnett will lead participants through a series of exercises designed to stimulate imagination and give your right brain a workout in Brainstorm: Creativity Workshop on 15 May.

This is just a sampling of the events on offer, a full programme and ticketing information is available on the Readers and Writers Festival website.

So to celebrate my impending move, I am writing a list. All the stuff you say ‘I should totally do that one day’ – goes on the list. Thanks to my Wellington list, I’ve eaten dinner at the restaurant with Wellington’s best location and worst food (Fisherman’s Table), dragged flatmates on day trips (Somes Island), attended my first sports game (Phoenix) and investigated Welly’s urban legends (the trippy tree).

In return, I may provide vaugley interesting reports back on my list-based activities. So let me know! What needs to be on the list?

It looks like John Banks’ lair, cunningly disguised as a sculpture-that-looks-like-John-Banks’-lair-but-couldn’t-possibly-because-that’d-be-too-obvious therefore rendering its true function totally inconspicuous.

My brief research into the sculpture (I didn’t want to find out it was actually some famous artist and be tainted by the desire to pretend to know about art) dredged up an Aucklandista post from a few years ago which had much the same tone as this one, and the fact that this sculpture had made it on to the ‘Worst of Auckland’ list compiled by Inunison, Unitec students online.

My apologies for the repetition but seriously, that is one hell ugly sculpture.

Other events will also be on offer during the weekend, including heritage tours of the estate; live music, dance and theatre performances; art workshops and demonstrations of Pacific weaving. Local caterer Claire Inwood will be providing lunches, snacks and beverages at the Corban Kitchen Cafe, and fresh coffee will be available from the Flow coffee cart.

More information is available on the CEAC site, the Corban Estate Arts Centre is located at 426 Great North Road, Henderson.

You don’t have to be a gardener to appreciate the rose. In fact, having tried to grow the little blighters in the past I appreciate them more when I’m not having to tend then – they are a lot of work.

At Auckland Museum the exhibition Wonderland: The Magic of the Rose tells the story of the rose and the many ways it appears and is represented in our lives, from its growth and breeding it to its inclusion in poetry and fashion.

“Wonderland is about telling the stories of our favourite flowers in fun and accessible ways,” says Auckland Museum director, Dr Vanda Vitali. “The iconic image of the rose has infused itself with art, myth and legend since the dawn of civilization. This is a chance for Aucklanders of all ages to discover the rose’s allure in a unique setting.”

A programme of events including including panel discussions, Fabulous Fridays, a Midsummer Night’s Dream-themed performance and sleepovers for children accompanies the exhibition, which is on until 16 April. Entry is $8.00 for adults, children under 15 and Museum members are free.

Do you like dressing up crazy and having your photo taken, while drinking delicious punch and contributing to an art project? Then Maz Leyden at the Cross Street Studios totally has your number this Saturday, April 25:

Bring  fancy dress, silly props, contribution for punch & a sense of humour. There’s more information here.

Over the years NZ has produced thousands of hours of television and film and much of it sees the light of day only a few times.  NZ On Screen gives you access to the gems of our moving image past and present.

So what does this have to do with Auckland? Well a fair whack of the good stuff has come from north of the Bombay Hills, and some of it even celebrates the fine old town of Auckland.

Check out some of the following titles for a bit of nostalgia, a few laughs, and some celebratory wow-ness of Auckland and Aucklanders.

Gloss
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/gloss-1987
The ultimate soap opera set in Auckland in 1987. So so brilliant!

Town and Around: Auckland Highlights
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/town-and-around-auckland-highlights-1969
Presenter Keith Bracey picks out the highlights for 1969 from the northern edition of magazine show Town and Around. This end of year special features two lconic turns by Barry Crump, plus a parting interview with English TV presenter (and future Pavlova Paradise author) Austin Mitchell, criticising the state of New Zealand’s media. Overall the concentration is more on comedy, with probing coverage of garden gnomes and a man who uses a carrot as a musical instrument.

Pasifika 2005
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/pasifika-2005-2005
Presented by Samoan hip hop artist King Kapisi and transgender rock queen Ramon Te Wake, Pasifika 2005 documents the biggest Polynesian festival in the world. Held in Auckland every year since 1992, the Pasifika Festival is a free one-day event that celebrates Pacific Island culture, music, dance, food, arts and crafts and film. Held at Western Springs Park, and supported by Auckland City Council, Pasifika (as it’s popularly known) attracts more than 140,000 people.

ASB Polyfest 2008
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/asb-polyfest-2008-2008
ASB Polyfest 2008 is an action-packed showcase of M?ori and Pacific youth competing in the annual schools’ cultural festival in South Auckland. M?ori, Tonga, Samoa, Niue and Cook Islands performances, 100,000 people and trophies to be won make this competitive event one of the most important dates for youth in Auckland. Behind the scenes footage, colourful costumes, trials and tribulations and “the Pacific way” are captured. Made by the Tagata Pasifika team, with directors including Naked Samoans Shimpal Lelisi and Mario Gaoa.

Sione’s Wedding
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/siones-wedding-2005
A feel-good comedy about four 30-something guys who must each find a girlfriend before their best friend Sione’s wedding – or be left out in the cold. Through the efforts of these bumbling blokes to get the girl(s) Sione’s Wedding brings to life the colour and humour of New Zealand’s urban Samoan community in Auckland, the largest Polynesian city in the world.

The Road to Jerusalem
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-road-to-jerusalem-1997
Readings from the poems of James K Baxter trace the poet’s life through its various New Zealand locations, and provide a biographical voice in this film by Bruce Morrsion (co-written with Dr. Paul Millar). Baxter’s family and friends discuss the man and his work, and the readings and beautifully shot landscapes fill in the gaps. The film won Best Documentary at the 1998 Film and TV Awards. The opening montage, describing “the chugging noise of masturbation from the bedrooms of the bourgeois” of Auckland, is seminal Baxter.

Lew Pryme – Welcome to My World
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/lew-pryme—welcome-to-my-world-1990
Lew Pryme’s life was a wild ride that took in everything from rock and roll to rugby before it was cut short by AIDS in 1990. He was discovered in the small Taranaki town of Waitara in the sixties and became one of the most popular hip-swinging music stars of the time. He later became the first executive director of Auckland Rugby Union.

Walkshort
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/walkshort-1987
A slice of life amongst the pedestrians of Auckland’s Karangahape Road shot in an increasingly hilarious baton relay-style narrative. Directed by Bill Toepfer this classic New Zealand short film features both halves of musical comedy team, The Front Lawn (Harry Sinclair and Don McGlashan) playing all the roles in a range of disguises.

Clare
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/clare-2000
Clare is based on the autobiographical book Fate Cries Enough by Clare Matheson. It describes the experiences of the author, who, for 15 years, was one of the women unwittingly part of a disastrous gynaecological study at Auckland’s National Women’s Hospital that would become known as ‘The Unfortunate Experiment’.

Telethon
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/telethon-1975
A 24-hour live television spectacular aimed at securing donations from viewers for a specific charitable causes. The first, in 1975 (for St John Ambulance) was Auckland only, but subsequent Telethons were broadcast nationwide. Beneficiaries included The Child Health Foundation, the Mental Health Foundation and the Arthritis & Rheumatism Foundation. Celebrities included Basil Brush and Leeza Gibbons, as well as local identities and the perennial host, Peter Sinclair.

Hero Parade
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/hero-parade-1998
Marching girls and boys, Camp Mother and Camp Leader, even synchronised lawnmowers, dance down Auckland’s Ponsonby Road in this celebration of gay pride. The theme was Age of Aquarius, fitting given the heavy rain, and the parade went ahead despite controversy that almost saw it cancelled. The parade was saved by sponsorship from Metro Magazine after the City Promotions Committee declined the request for funding. The parade had 70 floats, and up to 300,000 spectators.

The Magical World of Misery
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-magical-world-of-misery-2006
Innovative director Mark Albiston (Sticky Pictures) takes viewers on a magical tour of the work of artist Tanya Thompson, aka Misery. The film explores Misery’s early years as a prominent but self-conscious graffiti artist on the streets of Auckland and looks at the rise of her successful art, fashion and toy empire, culminating in a visit to the Taipei Toy Festival to showcase her collectable 3D characters.

The Mighty Civic
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-mighty-civic-1988
The Mighty Civic is a delirious and colourful celebration of Auckland’s grandest old movie palace, made at a time when the building’s future was under threat. The film uses a mixture of stylised sequences, archive footage and poetic narration together with interviews with “old timers” to evoke the spirit of the theatre in its heyday. Director Peter Wells’ film galvanised public support, and ultimately the building was saved and refurbished to remain the crown jewel of Queen Street’s cinema district.

City Life
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/city-life-1996
City Life follows a group of apartment-dwelling Twenty-somethings (lawyers, bar-tenders, drug-dealers, art dealers, et al) on the emotional merry-go-round of urban living. The tight-knit group of friends are thrown into conflict when one of their own decides to marry outside the circle. The television series was a conscious effort to create popular drama relevant to contemporary Auckland ‘city life’ and to appeal to a Gen X demographic – to inject Melrose Place into Mt Eden.

Talkback
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/talkback-1987
A talkback radio operator is forced to stand in for the regular host when he walks out because of a personal crisis. In between trying to answer calls, organize a replacement and discuss odd topics with a succession of callers, the flustered operator makes a surprising connection with another lost soul. Auckland’s urban soul is captured with distinctive assurance in this neglected television short film from writer (with Geoff Chapple) and director Alison McLean.

Pictorial Parade No.185
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/pictorial-parade-no185-1966
Pictorial Parade was a long-running series produced by the National Film Unit. This duo from 1966 includes, ‘Championship Golf,’ a jaunty commentary narrates the final game of a four-match series played on Auckland’s Middlemore golf course between Arnold Palmer and Bob Charles; and ‘Sounds of Progress,’ an instructional film from the Department of Health, which draws attention to the dangers of industrial noise and offers advice on how to avoid it.

About Face: Danny and Raewyn
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/about-face-danny-and-raewyn-1985
Gritty, award-winning drama, set in Auckland suburbia. Danny and Raewyn’s relationship is skating close to the edge. And so are their finances. Though the physical attraction between them remains, Raewyn is growing tired of encouraging Danny to make more effort. Then one night alcohol and memory collide with an order of black-market meat, and everything turns on its head. One of the most acclaimed episodes of the About Face series, Danny and Raewyn won funding after another episode fell through.

About Face: Universal Drive
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/about-face-universal-drive-1985
Sean’s prize possession is a 1958 red and white Ford Fairlane. His sister Annie works in an auto paint shop. But Annie is sick of playing shotgun, while her brother drives. What she wants is Sean’s trust, and the chance to use her spraypainting talents to give the Fairlane a new look. After the Fairlane is stolen, the pair find themselves caught up in an adventure which tests their relationship. Writer Debra Daley based the script partly on growing up in the ‘car culture’ of West Auckland.

Anzac Day Dawn Service
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/anzac-day-dawn-service-2008
A live broadcast of the Anzac Day dawn service at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland. This is New Zealand’s largest war cemetery and a service is held here each year. This service commemorates all service personnel who have served overseas for New Zealand. Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey speaks, Returned Services Association members, politicians and the public lay tributes. Miriama Kamo provides a commentary. This programme marked the beginning of TV ONE’s Anzac Day coverage, which ran on air all day.

Gladiator: The Norm Hewitt Story
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/gladiator-2004
Gladiator: the Norm Hewitt story is the story of former All Black hooker Norm Hewitt’s battle with alcoholism and his journey to redemption. After disgracing himself, a tearful public apology became a personal “defining moment” for Hewitt: he reinvented himself as a youth worker and ambassador for Outward Bound. Directed by Michael Bennet, shot by Rewa Harre and based on the best-selling biography by Michael Laws the doco takes him to meet legendary youth worker Mama Teri on the streets of South Auckland, and chronicles Hewitt’s life change.

Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/aotearoa-hip-hop-summit-2001
The Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit held in Auckland 2001, was the biggest hip hop event ever staged in New Zealand. This documentary showcases the hottest names in the 4 elements of NZ hip hop: break dancers, graf artists, MCs and DJs. Featuring international acts from Germany and Australia, with Ken Swift representing old skool break dancing from New York and Tha Liks from Los Angeles. Local acts include Che Fu, Te Kupu, King Kapisi, P Money and DJ Sirvere. Presenters are Hayden Hare and Trent Helmeright.

Nesian Mystik – For The People
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/nesian-mystik—for-the-people-2008
This documentary charts the extraordinary success of Auckland hip hop band Nesian Mystik, from their beginnings as an inner-city school band to gold albums and international acclaim. Filmed in New Zealand, London and Tonga the documentary explores the multi-cultural roots of the band members and the inspiration for their poetic lyrics. Director Makerita Urale uses the Nesian Mystik story as a micro lens to reflect the wider picture of M?ori, Pacific Island and Pakeha society in New Zealand.

bro’Town
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/brotown-2004
This animated TV comedy series is a modern day fairytale following the adventures of five kids growing up in one of Auckland’s grungier suburbs. With a fearless and un-PC wit, it also cheekily manages to be primetime and family-friendly. This popular show is made by the production house Firehorse Films, developed from the comedy of the theatre group Naked Samoans.

Otara Markets
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/otara-markets-2001
Otara Markets documents the biggest outdoor market in New Zealand, held every Saturday in the heart of South Auckland. Presented by Samoan writer and comedian Oscar Kightley (bro’Town, Naked Samoans, Sione’s Wedding) and directed by Lisa Taouma (Senior Director Tagata Pasifika), this colourful and entertaining documentary tells the stories of the multi-cultural Polynesian, Asian, Indian and Pakeha Kiwi stall-holders and market-goers at one of the country’s best known community institutions.

95BFM’s ace film guy Fabian Fanboy recommends Zombie movies [REC] and George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead, documentaries Bigger, Stronger, Faster (roids), Stranded: I’ve Come from a Plane that Crashed on the Mountains (Rugby players eating their mates), and The King of Kong (video game nerd-off). Fabian also recommends time travel thriller Timecrimes, the original The Adventures of Robin Hood, and The Red Balloon – you know, that movie. With the Balloon.

That’s only the tip of the iceberg of course, be sure to check the full programme, which is blocking open just about ever shop door in town (bonus – it should be much easier to navigate than the website). Sick shit fans should check out the Ant Timpson-curated Incredibly Strange Film Festival, his sordid little festival within the festival.

This just sounds like heaps of fun, and quite beguilingly odd.

Manda

I stumbled upon one of these – Die Henkel Spur (the Henkel Way) – today on the way back from a meeting as I walked through St Patrick’s Square. Die Henkel Spur is a fantastic recreation of one of New Zealand’s first known musical troupes and it was a joy to come across this performance well underway in the middle of the afternoon.

The Living Room series has not been hugely publicised to date and is well worth checking out if you have the opportunity – I certainly recommend the great gusto of the Die Henkel Spur group!

Check out the full details of the Living Room series on Auckland City’s website.