Seal of street cred for All Blacks

By ALAN PERROTT

Michael Jones on to Robin Brooke over to Adrian Cashmore, then finally Craig Dowd - it's not often that directions to your home can sound like a classic rugby commentary.

But it is in Manukau City's Chapel Park subdivision, where the roads are as black as the shirts worn by the stars they are named after.

"Rugby people always say, 'I wish I could live there'," says Tangata Noema, proud owner of 12 Marc Ellis Place - which, incidentally, shares a back fence with 7 Michael Jones Drive, possibly the coolest address in Auckland.

The sporting flavour emerged from a brainstorming session at Hawkins Construction.

Project manager Bill Haronga said every suggested road name appeared to be already taken. Then the general manager remembered that his cousin was manager of the Blues Super 12 side.

He said that after he had a quick chat with the players, the concept was set in tarseal and buyers began haggling over their favourite addresses or those they didn't like.

"Some people didn't want to live on Mark Carter Place," said Mr Haronga.

Mr Noema settled on his home for two reasons: he likes Marc Ellis ("a hard-case fella on television") and his son wore 12 in the Counties Manukau Colts side.

"It's pretty special. People always say something when we say where we live, so I love my address and I love the place."

Jones is the man, says Don Kasi at No 18 Michael Jones Drive. "It's a cool street to live on. You tell people and they all ask, 'Where's that'?"

The next question is usually, "Is there a Jonah Lomu St?" Er, no.

Mr Kasi's housemate, Nicco Niko, isn't so sold on the area. With family in Christchurch, he's a red and black supporter all the way and would have preferred Grizz Wyllie Drive.

But Henry Teao, who lives in Frank Bunce Grove, won't stand for any disrespect towards the champion centre.



"I love it. Well, as long as we don't get burgled I love it. But Buncey. Mate, he's the best."

Mr Teao wasn't so sure about the grove part. Maybe adding a few more Rs after the abbreviation for Grove would add some grunt to it.

The legend himself just laughs about there being a corner of South Auckland that will forever be Frank Bunce.

"It's an honour, I guess," said Bunce.

"I'm a South Auckland boy born and bred and it's where my roots are."

But he disputes Mr Haronga's claim that the players gave permission for their names to be used.

At least it helps that Ellis, his Sports Cafe television sparring partner, is relegated to a short deadend.

Being surrounded by rugby references isn't to everyone's taste. Raewyn Jolliffe is rather nonplussed about living in Walter Little Way.

"The All Blacks don't mean much to me unless I'm watching. My family keep asking why I didn't choose a better-looking one anyway. If I had a choice I'd choose Stacey Jones, even if he's a leaguie."

And for local postie Kandy Wright, finding her way around is a daily learning experience.

"I didn't even know who [lock] Robin Brooke was, but I don't know much about rugby except for the obvious names."

She doesn't think the players would be so happy if they saw what some people did to their names.

"Spelling mistakes happen all the time. I've seen everything like Frank Bundy, Frank Bunts and Mark Alice. I think that's shocking really."

But it's not as shocking as the misspelling of Glen Osborne's name on one street sign.

Chapel Park has also been an education for the Manukau City Council.

City manager Chris Freke said a run-in with one potential namesake means permission is sought before anyone is immortalised.

Mr Freke said the developers usually suggest names for all the 16km of new roads added to Manukau City each year.

The only criterion is that the names have not already been used elsewhere, are easy to spell and pronounce and can fit on a road sign.

So Va'aiga Tuigamala might have to wait until a new road is built in Samoa.