Our weekend guide to Auckland has everything you need to know to get you out of the house and amongst all the fun happening in the big smoke.
It might be tempting to let the chilly winter weather anchor you to the couch but there’s life to be
Things to do in Auckland this weekend (now that winter’s here)
By Zanna Gillespie
NZ Herald·
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Large-scale illuminated art installation Tūrama opens this weekend on Queen St in Auckland's CBD. Photo / Jay Farnworth
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Neither you nor your children have ever experienced a live orchestral performance as much fun as this one. Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Peter and the Wolf with Dynamotion is a retelling of the classic musical tale by Sergei Prokofiev but with a twist. Comedy dance troupe, Dynamotion, will be returning to perform with the orchestra. Dynamotion features Lara Fischel-Chisholm, comedian Tom Sainsbury and casts of “dance comedians”, a genre of comedians we didn’t know existed. It’s aimed at primary school-aged children but caregivers will be tickled just as much by the expert physical comedy and the opportunity to enjoy the stunning Prokofiev music performed live by the APO. You’ll need to get on your bike and get tickets if you’re going to make it to one of Saturday’s two performances.
When: Saturday, June 8, 11am and 2pm.
Where: Auckland Town Hall, Auckland Central.
Price: Tickets start at $22 + booking fees from ticketmaster.co.nz or aucklandphil.nz
2) Pacific Dance Festival - Western Springs
There are loads of reasons not to hibernate this June, one of them being the Pacific Dance Festival, which kicked off earlier this week. Throughout the month, there’s a range of live performances, workshops, open rehearsals, fashion shows and dance films on offer at various locations across Tāmaki Makaurau. The highlight of this year’s festival is TOLU, a collaboration between Pacific Dance NZ and classical music ensemble the NZTrio, which will be a somewhat unexpected and spectacular fusion of live music and Pacific dance. This weekend, the spotlight is on Aua e te tagi, a music and dance piece that explores the complexity of being human from the innocence of youth to love to identity to loss and grief. Featuring an original score by Samoan-born composer and conductor Opeloge Ah Sam, there are just two performances of the piece on Sunday at TAPAC.
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When: June 5-27.
Where: Various locations in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Price: Visit pacificdance.co.nz for more information.
Aua e te tagi
When: June 9, 2pm and 5pm.
Where: TAPAC, 100 Motions Rd, Western Springs, Auckland.
Price: Tickets $30 + booking fee from iticket.co.nz
3) Bach Musica - Auckland CBD
Classical music enthusiasts, get yourselves along to the Auckland Town Hall on Sunday for Bach Musica NZ’s performance of The Lark Ascending & Best of Dvorak. The vocal and instrumental ensemble is likely the country’s finest and Sunday’s concert is set to prove why. Under the direction of conductor Rita Paczian, they’re performing The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams and Dvorak’s Romance in F Minor, op.11, Slavonic Dance No 2, op 72 as well as Mass in D Major in its version for four vocal soloists, chorus and full symphony orchestra. Soloists for the evening include violinist Yanghe Yu and vocal soloists Emma McClean (soprano), Kate Spence (alto), Taylor Wallbank (tenor) and Joel Amosa (bass). In the wake of Smith & Caughey’s announcing its closure, it feels more important than ever to take every opportunity we can to enjoy the city’s historic venues and buildings before they all go the way of the dodo.
When: Sunday, June 9, 5pm.
Where: Auckland Town Hall, Auckland Central.
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Price: Tickets start at $30 + booking fees from ticketmaster.co.nz
4) Tūrama - Auckland CBD
Quickly becoming a Matariki tradition, Tūrama opens this weekend in the city centre. It’s a large-scale illuminated art installation that’s lighting up Queen St from this Sunday until the first Sunday in August. The installation honours the Waihorotiu Valley, which is the land and waterway that Queen St now stands on. The artworks tell the story of the abundant natural habitat that was once there, the spirit of which is still alive in the space. Created by artists Graham Tipene (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Manu), Ataahua Papa (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Mahuta) and Angus Muir Design, with Auckland Council’s Barbara Holloway, visiting Tūrama is a wonderful way to kick off your Matariki month celebrations. Along with Tūrama, Auckland Council has a 20-day diary of free Matariki celebrations that are worth checking out at ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
When: Sunday, June 9-August 4.
Where: Queen St/Waihorotiu Valley, Auckland Central.
Price: Free.
5) Dining for Dementia - Auckland CBD
This Sunday you can enjoy a fine dining experience at Origine while doing something good for the community at the same time. Chef Ben Bayly is partnering with the Young Onset Dementia Collective after encountering some moving stories from volunteers and carers while filming his series, A Restaurant That Makes Mistakes. Sunday is a fundraiser he’s calling Dining For Dementia. It’s a “Walk & Fork Autumn Feast”, meaning it’s a standing event where you’ll get to enjoy mouth-watering delights such as freshly shucked Te Matuku oysters with Meyer lemon; pāua and blue cod pie and duck and black truffle parfait, sauternes jelly, and brioche. If you’re camera shy, this might not be the dinner for you as Great Southern will be filming it for Bayly’s television series, in which case you could just donate directly to the Young Onset Dementia Collective and make your own wildly inferior dinner at home.
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When: Sunday, June 9, 5pm-7pm.
Where: Origine, Commercial Bay Level 2/172 Quay St, Auckland.
Price: Tickets $89 per person from origine.nz Visit aucklandfoundation.org.nz for more information about Young Onset Dementia Collective and to donate.
6) Repair Cafes - Grey Lynn & Onehunga
If you’ve ever lamented “things just aren’t made to last the way they used to be” then you probably have use for a Repair Cafe. It’s a wonderful initiative run by Doughnut Economics Advocates New Zealand that pops up across Auckland and is run largely by kind volunteers. This weekend, there’s one taking place in Grey Lynn and another in Onehunga. You can bring in small electrical appliances, clothing, bikes, toys or anything you think someone with a bit of skill and some know-how might be able to repair and avoid sending whatever it is to landfill. It’s completely free but, of course, if you can throw them a donation/koha to keep them going, it’s highly appreciated. So pull that broken lamp or ripped pair of pants out of the rubbish bin and take it into a Repair Cafe on Saturday and you might just save yourself a few bucks and help the environment at the same time. Win-win.
When: Saturday, June 8, 11am-2pm.
Where: 1a Ponsonby Rd, Grey Lynn, and Onehunga Community Recycling Centre, 24B Alfred St, Onehunga, Auckland.
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7) West Harbour Food Truck Takeaway - West Harbour
Unless hours spent preparing lavish meals is your idea of rest and relaxation, we strongly advocate for food preparation avoidance on the weekends. If you live in or near West Harbour, you can indulge your taste buds this Saturday by picking up some street kai from the Food Truck Collective. The convoy is rolling into West Harbour with Phong Nha Limited, Crate Kitchen, Double Dutch Fries, Lalele Organic Gelato and Ma Va Pizza. Unlike the summer FTC events, there won’t be a designated seating area or pop-up bar at this one but if you don’t mind a slightly chilly outdoor eating experience, by all means bring a picnic blanket and your cosiest winter jacket and settle in, or just take your food to go.
When: Saturday, June 8, 5pm-8pm.
Where: Luckens Reserve, Marina View Drive, West Harbour, Auckland.
8) Toi Whakaata / Reflections by Fred Graham - Titirangi
May we all have the vitality and creativity of Fred Graham who at 95 years old is still making sculptures and exhibiting his vast body of work. On Saturday, he opens a retrospective exhibition at Te Uru entitled Toi Whakaata / Reflections. With a career spanning 70 years, Graham is one of Aotearoa’s most important contemporary artists. Even those with little knowledge of New Zealand art will have seen Graham’s work, like Kaitiaki the giant steel bird sculpture in Auckland Domain, or his sculptures in the central city. This year, Graham was one of eight artists invited to exhibit at the Venice Biennale. Toi Whakaata / Reflections is a selection of some of Graham’s sculptures on loan from various collections. The official opening of the exhibit is Saturday afternoon. It’s a must-see show for anyone with even the slightest interest in New Zealand art.
When: Saturday, June 8-August 18, opening June 8, 4pm-6pm.
Where: Te Uru, 420 Titirangi Rd, Titirangi, Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.
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Price: Free.
Plan Ahead: Guru of Chai - Auckland CBD
Jacob Rajan is a bona fide New Zealand theatre legend. The co-founder of Indian Ink Theatre Company was the first Indian to graduate from the country’s most prestigious drama school, Toi Whakaari, and would go on to create brilliant, groundbreaking theatre, while also starring in many of the country’s biggest television shows. When he first created Guru of Chai, 14 years ago, he staged it in patrons’ living rooms. Since then, it’s toured the world and been described as a work of genius. Don’t miss your chance to admire Rajan playing 17 roles in this story of romance, intrigue, betrayal, and loss, which opens on Wednesday.
When: June 12-23.
Where: Q Theatre, 305 Queen St, Auckland.
Price: Tickets $25-65 from qtheatre.co.nz