2 March, 2026

Flagstaff Notes

I was one of thousands of Devonport residents glued to the couch last Friday morning watching Mischa Thomas give her all in the women’s halfpipe at the Winter Olympics.
There’s something uniquely galvanising on the peninsula when a local athlete is starring on the world stage. And star she did. “Go Mischa” signs were highlighted in the crowd and pre-run commentators noted she had “so much style”. She didn’t disappoint, finishing 10th overall after the first two rounds to qualify for the final last Sunday night, in which she finished 8th. The sporting hug she gave a fellow competitor after a run in the early rounds was also notable.
The temperature at the Olympic venue was -3, but Mischa’s performance was truly heartwarming for all of us cheering her on from home. At 17, she was at her first Olympics. I hope she has more ahead.

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Convenience, frequency and price are always key components of a public transport offering. I was thinking about this the other day when my partner Jo and I and a visitor from Britain known as the Queen of Hove headed to the city for an evening with author Bill Bryson.
With the recent ferry price increases, the cost of a return ferry trip from Devonport to Auckland City was just over $45 for three of us. It was one of those nights that have plagued this summer, carrying the threat of a heavy downpour, which make a car trip over the bridge to the Aotea Square underground car park feel like a sensible option. Especially when you factor in the inevitable sprint down Queen St for the 10.30pm ferry after a show ends after 10pm. Typically, a performance ends at 10.17pm and the ferry is missed by two minutes. Then comes a bleak, cold wait at the windswept ferry terminal for the 11pm boat.
The car trip was looking appealing until a reality check: what about Lake Rd and the bridge? Congestion getting out of Devonport, snarl-ups through the on-ramp to the motorway, then nose-to-tail traffic on the Harbour Bridge. In a close call, the ferry trip won out. The rain held off and we made the 10.30pm ferry.
Still, $45 seems an expensive public transport add-on to a night out. In many cities around the world public transport options are actually becoming cheaper to encourage more use and get people out of their cars.

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The prospect of tolling any new second harbour crossing brought back some memories of toll booths on the Harbour Bridge.
My parents had a stationery shop at Whangaparāoa, and my mother would often drive to Auckland to select goods from various suppliers. As a child in the 1970s I’d go with her during the school holidays and got to be in charge of the book of pink toll tickets to be handed over when passing through.
The toll booths feature in another memory: my first rock concert, seeing Cheap Trick at Auckland Town Hall in 1979.
Coming home with a few mates, we were stopped at the toll booth by police with shocking news: the mother of one of my friends had suffered a stroke and died.