By Antony Phillips in The Vertical
For this edition of Kāpū Tī with Antony, I sit down with journalist and academic, Dr David Robie. A professor of journalism who has worked in Aotearoa and abroad, David is a Central Aucklander and regular visitor who is highly engaged in the City Centre. We sit down for a cuppa — coffee on this occasion and what a delight it was.
Kia ora David, this is a column that brings the interviewer and interviewee together over tea and today we are enjoying coffee together — do you drink tea?
Antony, I have to confess that I rarely drink tea, and when I do I feel vaguely conspiratorial and subversive. Selling out on my notorious coffee habits. Although visiting some tea plantations and a tea culture museum in the mountains near Taipei a couple of years ago, it was a fascinating experience and I became tempted — for a day or two.
How do you take your tea?
When I do take it (for a break from coffee), I go for green teas, or with lemon and ginger – just tea bags, not via the lovely little teapots my wife Del has.
You’re hosting afternoon tea at your home, who are your top five guests?
You mean a wish list? Francesca Albanese, Jonathan Cook, Wendy Bacon, Mehdi Hasan and Abbas Araghchi. But then, I am sure they’re all primarily coffee drinkers.
Now you’re not a City Centre local, we in the City Centre would almost describe you [in Inner City Grey Lynn], jokingly, as “semi-rural” — tell me about your relationship to the City Centre.
Yes, I am a fringe local, about a 20 minute walk if you like (although I use the many buses at our disposal – let’s have free public transport like in Dunkirk and Montpellier in France; Tallinn, Estonia; Luxembourg and a host of other progressive cities). But I am a regular townie and love the way the city has been becoming far more pedestrian friendly with blended streets. Although I must confess I have long wanted Queen Street to be totally pedestrian like Brisbane’s Queen Street.
What are your favourites parts to the City? For instance, if you were hosting visitors, where do you like to take them?
The Viaduct, although I am not very keen on luxury motor yachts — an insult to green footprints; Silo Park is better for a walk and with the night and fish markets. Not sure whether Karangahape Road precinct counts for “City Centre”, but I love the quirky bohemian atmosphere there and I am excited about the soon-to-be-opening City Rail Link and the new neighbourhood station is going to inject sparkling life (providing the modernity doesn’t eclipse the iconic K Road character). Also, the Ellen Melville Centre and Freyberg Place have a really appealing sense of community space.
Queen Street has become more pedestrian friendly with the widening of the eastern footpath and improved seating and planting. Do you feel Queen Street has improved?
Yes, it has improved — but not enough. In fact, it is a bit schizophrenic at the moment — the eastern side is more pedestrian and cyclist friendly, but the western is still captive to a fossil fuel regime. It is confused about what it is, so lacks a genuine “heart of Tāmaki Makaurau” identity. As I mentioned earlier, I would rather see it as totally pedestrian like Brisbane’s Queen Street.
There’s strong history of citizens’ assembly and protest on Queen Street, you’ve had a long history of activism, what’s your feelings about Queen Street as a civic space of national significance?
Love it! One of the best features of Queen Street is its photogenic and audio qualities for protest photography. In many ways, I feel I have been almost living every weekend in the urban heart troika at Aotea Square, Queen Street, Te Komititanga Square — either at rallies or marches. Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau has now hosted 132 [now 138] consecutive weekly rallies for an independent Palestine and against the Gaza genocide.
That is an extraordinary track record for the city — and far exceeds the longevity over any other issue. The creativity, sounds and ingenuity of protesters is impressive. Having lived through the annual May Day and other protests while living in Paris, France, some years ago, I think we can be truly proud of Auckland.
Belated republication from The Vertical City Centre newsletter April/May edition.
