I fell in love the first time I visited the PumpHouse Theatre.

The first time I visited the PumpHouse Theatre it was love at first sight. The theatre was located beside a lake, with wide-sweeping views of the surrounding town. The skies at sunset were rich in purple and blue hues. The brick structure looked old and filled with history, as if it had so many stories to tell from the past. My love for art and nature has combined in this place. How more idyllic can you get? 

The PumpHouse Theatre is located in Killarney Park on the shore of Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, Auckland.

Formerly, it was a pumping station to early settlers, but was converted by a group of local artists into a community theatre and arts centre for the North Shore. It is a venue for the performing arts and other types of staged events like stand up comedy, book launches, play and poetry readings and even psychic mediums.

The lake with a catwalk reminds you of holidays in an island resort. The building is made of bricks which adds to the overall look and feel. There is an amphitheatre outside which is used for shows in the summer. There is also a café beside the theatre you can go to and have a coffee while marvelling at the beautiful scenery. Other patrons bring their own mats and chairs and have a picnic outside while waiting for the show to start. This is a public place so people can just come in and take a look, take pictures, have a picnic and swim. There is also ample parking. 

The main theater is small and cozy. Upholstered seats and the sound system is good. Check out their upcoming shows this summer, eat at the French Cafe or just bring your own food and have a look. 

What to do if you have lots of time and also love the theatre? Volunteer of course!

I was happy to be a volunteer for Shakespeare in the Park this year at the PumpHouse theatre in Takapuna, one of my favourite places to visit because it’s a theatre beside a lake! It's really a picturesque place especially during sunset. You can read my previous post about PumpHouse here. Shakespeare under the trees with a cool breeze is too much to pass up! A perfect summer thing to do for this Pinay Kiwi.

Setting up for the night. Look at that beautiful sky!

I volunteered for three (3) nights for the month of January. I was assigned to be an usher. Duties included checking tickets at the gate, directing guests to the loo and cleaning up some stuff left at the seats after the show. We also had a Health & Safety briefing in case of emergencies and what to do. 

It's official! Show me your tickets please!

We already have a crowd waiting for opening.

On each night I was assigned with a different partner usher. This part was interesting for me because you get to meet a lot of people and I always ask them why they volunteered. People had different reasons. Some were part of productions before and missed the environment. Others just wanted to give back. One guy in particular just lost his job and was looking to find himself. Something I can relate to. For my part  I took the gig mainly to watch live performances for free! On my last night I was paired with an older lady who was more fit than me! She could lift this big box of cushions over a flight of stairs while I was huffing and puffing behind her. 

Show is about to start! Go to your assigned areas please.

On my first night, the play was Hamlet. The show was doing fine and the weather was fine too initially. There was a cool breeze and the sun was about to set. The play was held at the outside amphitheater, but midway through the performance it started raining and then later, it was really pouring. We were told we will only stop the show until it was raining cats and dogs. The actors did their best to carry on with the show until it was just too much. We then had to transfer them to the main theater inside where Hamlet continued his diabolical and tragic scheme of revenge. We had to shuttle the remaining audience under the rain to go inside. They were really a good sport about it and went inside and stayed to finish the play.  I didn't bring a jacket because it was summer and was hot earlier in the day. Needless to say I was wet and shivering. 

One of the main characters in the play Much Ado About Nothing, her name was Hero, looked like half Filipina/Latina (like Vanessa Hudgens). A Filipina mom from the audience approached me during intermission and asked me if I was Hero’s mother! At first I was offended, did I really look that old to have a daughter her age? But then again, Hero was beautiful so maybe she could see the resemblance?! I decided to go with that. 😉 I politely told her no and just smiled. 

All in all it was a good volunteer experience for me. For those who would want to try this, here are some tips: bring a water-proof jacket because Auckland weather is unpredictable, have some bug spray and bring some water. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Shakespeare at the Park will run until the 20th of February. 

Thank you for reading and see you again soon!

I love books. I remember when I was young I would be cooped up in my room reading instead of playing outside with other children.  My mother, however, did not approve. She was afraid I was becoming a loner and would not have any friends. She encouraged reading, but not to the detriment of my social life and I guess social skills. I would go out to play just to oblige her, but reading was always my special “me time.” Thankfully, despite her disapproval, my mom continued to buy me books. In my home country we didn’t have public libraries so access to reading materials was limited, and most people buy them in bookstores. 

Coming from that, I was so pleasantly surprised to find the libraries in Auckland were, well, awesome. (I am a fan!) Their libraries are not only for reading books, but are centres for all kinds of knowledge.  In the Central Library for example, you can practice 3D printing and coding. You can borrow DVDs, children’s games and puzzles. They have free WIFI and water fountains. The design and interiors of some libraries are beautiful too.

The libraries are free, anyone can enter and read. If you want to borrow a book you can get a library card also for free.

Needless to say the bookworm in me was in heaven. When I was studying it was my favorite place. Others might find it funny or maybe even weird that one of my favourite places in New Zealand, a country known for its beautiful nature, were the libraries. But this is me.  I loved the beaches too and I will probably write about them in the future, but for now this is my homage to the Libraries. I now make it a point to check out the library if I’m in a new city.

Auckland Central Library

My first choice to feature is the Central Library in the CBD, which is probably the biggest.

Fun reading area for kids

The ground floor is where you can find the children’s books with a very cool area to read with your  kids. It looks like an indoor playground.

Borrow not just books!

You can borrow DVDs, learning materials, maps and some games. In some libraries you can borrow board games and jigsaw puzzles.

The ground floor is also where you can find, to my delight, graphic novels, comics and mangas. I can read my fave ones: Neil Gaiman and Fairy Tale!

Not just a library

There was also the Makers Corner, where you can try 3D printing and coding.

The second floor is where you have your fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and magazines. There are study areas and computers you can use for studying. This is also where the Citizens Action Bureau (CAB) is located, a free government service for those that need employment and immigration advise.

The third floor holds the restricted, rare and heritage collections, which I haven't really visited. 

Whether or not you are a bookworm like me, I highly suggest you pop in one of the libraries today. 

When I first came to Auckland, I had no friends and no money to spend on entertainment. I had to be creative in finding ways to amuse myself aside from books and Tinder (wink...wink). Fortunately for tourists and new migrants out there who love the arts like me, this city has plenty to offer. I was thrilled to get a chance to watch the Auckland Symphony Orchestra (ASO) in concert for free.  I have always fancied the orchestra but back home I didn’t have many opportunities to watch them. I was so excited to see the famous more than 80 members community symphony orchestra at the Bruce Mason Theatre.

The Concert: Myths and Legends

The programme was made up of music that portrays a range of myths and legends from around the world. The concert featured two wonderful soloists Sara Lee on Piano and Seyoun Park on the traditional Korean string instrument Gayageum, and of course Auckland Symphony Orchestra.

I wasn’t allowed to take pictures during the performance and I was too busy absorbing everything in. I was able to find a good seat near the front too. The orchestra was lovely, I was enthralled and my heart was full. I feel like I want to learn to play the violin or something! LOL. My favourite piece was the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean, just because it was also the only one I knew!  I found a video of their performance of the same piece on Youtube to share with you. You’re welcome! J

Pirates of the Caribbean performed by ASO