Possibly the highest value apartment at $5.2million, in New Zealand has just been sold by Harcourts Cooper and Co on the North Shore. with an area of 668m2 on three level atop the Sentinel in Takapuna, the young Asian businessman who has purchased it will have an envied lifestyle. See more here. And here’s more evidence of Takapuna’s growing style and metro flavour…a sleek spacious 350m2 apartment for sale.

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mmmmmmm……..Fresh Baked Bread

I have (like many people) a passion for good bread. I’m excited to have Wild Wheat on the Shore now (originally in Mt Eden) and visit a few times a week to buy my bread. This is the good stuff, mainly artisan and mainly sourdough (their apple based starter is reputedly 10 years old!). If you think sourdough bread is not to your liking, put your prejudices aside and go sample some of the Wild Wheat product. It’s wonderful! I’m slowly working my way through all the flavours, and standouts for me are the fruit bread, the baguette (ooh that deep crust!) and the kumara sourdough. The breadmaking process takes about 36 hours, which helps to develop the great flavour, as well as making the bread far more digestible. It also keeps really well – just wrap it in a clean tea towel and store in the pantry. This is bread the way it used to be made and the way bread should taste. Wild Wheat Bakery also has cakes and other sweet things, and you can pick up a great sandwich for lunch, then go eat it on Takapuna Beach. Wild Wheat is located at 1/69 Lake Road, Belmont (the Takapuna store has closed down but you can buy the whole range of breads everyday at Farro Fresh in Constellation Drive. You can check out the range of products and some background information on the Wild Wheat website.

One of the colourful Takapuna stall holders

Originally called the Takapuna Flea Market, this regular Sunday morning market had humble beginnings but is now positively thriving. Covering the whole of the municipal carpark in Anzac Street, it kicks off at 6am. There’s plenty of parking around Takapuna, but you have to be canny to get a free park. If you’re a serious shopper, you should arrive well before 9am for the pick of the day’s fresh produce and flowers. On the other hand, if you’re more interested in bargain hunting, it can pay to whizz around nearer to the midday closing time when many stallholders will do some great deals simply because they don’t want to take anything home with them.

Markets are a great place to buy fresh fruit and veges

As well as a huge selection of well-priced fresh fruit and vegetables, the Takapuna market is a popular spot for browsing the second hand goods, from tools to trinkets. Artisan products such as bread, olive oil, handmade soaps, cheeses and sausage are in abundance here, as well as some delightful cakes, local and ethnic foods (the mussel fritters are in huge demand), honey and fresh fish. You’ll also find a number of art and craft stalls. One of my favourites is the ponga logs carved with beautiful Maori motifs.

Visit the Lake House Arts Centre in Fred Thomas Drive, Takapuna. In a beautiful garden setting (formerly the site of the Barry’s Pt tip), which often has fantastic outdoor sculptures, the Lake House is a fine example of Victorian and Edwardian architecture, preserved and lovingly maintained by a charitable trust. It was a boarding house in earlier times, built at the northern end of Takapuna Beach and was moved to its present site in the late 1990s.

You can visit the Lake House galleries to enjoy the rich variety of artworks on exhibition, you can join an art class for a term or more (adults and children’s classes are offered), or enjoy breakfast or lunch at the on-site cafe, amidst this wonderful piece of North Shore heritage. Perhaps you’d like to book your kids into a school holiday programme. Check out the timetable here.

Old building, new face

The Department Store, located at 10 Northcroft Street in Takapuna, is a refreshing change from the bland sameness of shopping malls. It’s a groovy industrial space – polished concrete floors, concrete ceilings and exposed beams – occupied by some savvy designers and retailers. Karen Walker Clothing, Black Box Boutique, Simon James Furniture/Design and Michael Lett Galleries occupy the ground floor, along with The Marr Lab (organic, non-toxic skin care), and The Tea Room (excellent coffee and delicious treats – I love the poppy seed cake!). There’s so many gorgeous things to look at and try on, and I really enjoy browsing the range of books on offer – architecture, design, cookery, art – the goods may be up-market but the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. A white spiral staircase leads to Lucy and the Powder Room (beauty spa), and the new Top Shop is on the top floor, sharing space with Stephen Marr Hair. The wash basins are cleverly hidden from view by an exotically lush, living wall of plants, all growing quite happily and providing a soft contrast to the hardness of the concrete. This building has come a long way since it was used as the Post Office (I worked there as a bank teller in the 70s). Good on the designers and business people who had the sense to retain the building and reinvent it as a superb, sophisticated retail experience.

So much yummy food to choose from!

A cafe with a name as cute as this has to be on the list of things to do on the North Shore. It’s little indeed -  a commercial kitchen with a bit of space out the front for customers. And it was only supposed to be open on Fridays. Fortunately, they’re now open Wednesday to Sunday, between 8 am and 3 pm.

The kitchen is separated from the public area by a glass counter that’s just bursting with  delightful looking goodies – quiches, cakes, brioche both sweet and savoury, and wonderful pies. Homemade fudge is piled high on the counter and the individual-serve cakes are works of art. They serve Supreme coffee (an awesome Wellington roastery) and the friendly barista makes a great espresso.

Sitting in Little and Friday is a bit like being in your mother’s (or grandmother’s) kitchen. Wonderful aromas waft out,  you can see everything that’s going on, and you get to sit around the big old dining table with its linen tablecloth, array of cookbooks, bowls of fruit, vase of flowers and fresh baked cookies under retro glass covers. It’s cluttered, homely and unpretentious. Even the outdoor furniture is an intriguing collection of old wooden beer crates, packing boxes and odd chairs.

This wee cafe is very popular with the locals – it’s run by people who are passionate about food and the passion is contagious. Read what the locals say about Little and Friday. You can order whole cakes and anything else on the menu by phoning 489 8527 or email kim@exquisit.co.nz

Piles of delicious fudge with samples to try

Visit the Shore’s Heritage Performing Arts Venue, right on the edge of the beautiful Lake Pupuke. See the latest exhibition in the art gallery, go to a live show in the theatre, or simply enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat in this historic venue.Watch the windsurfers and rowers, feed the ducks and swans, or take a walk around the lake edge. There’s plenty to see and do here, and it’s only a short walk from the Takapuna shopping precinct.

Originally built in 1905 to provide water for the North Shore (bricks and timber supplied by local businesses), the Pumphouse was in action until 1944, when the odd eel started to find its way into residents’ bathtubs. Neglected and almost derelict, the building was just saved from demolition by the casting vote of  Mayor Fred Thomas in the 1960s.  In 1971, the North Shore Theatre and Arts Trust was formed, funds were raised and the Theatre was opened in 1977. The gallery is a later addition.

The intimate theatre seats 192 people and has been used to host some exciting local productions such as Ship Songs, Pear Shaped and 1953. It’s a popular spot for music recitals, and children’s plays and musicals are also staged at The Pumphouse – Badjelly The Witch, The Greedy Cat and The Man Whose Mother Was A Pirate are some recent productions.

The amphitheatre is an additional space for live shows and is well used in the summer months with productions such as “Shakespeare in the Park” .

Go to the Pumphouse website to see what’s on and what’s coming up. If you’re keen to help, sign up to become a Pumphouse Theatre supporter.

Taking anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to walk, the coastal pathway from Milford Beach to the boat ramp at Takapuna is well worth the time. Taking in Black Rock, Thorne Bay and NZ’s only example of a fossil forest, the walk is a fascinating geological landscape.

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