Kia Ora
This is the last newsletter of the year, and what a year 2020 has been! We would like to firstly thank the community for their patience and support with our works throughout the year. The Karanghape community is unique and it’s been a pleasure getting to know the area and its people while working. Secondly we would like to wish everyone a wonderful festive season and new year.
Some recent progress includes the concrete pour at Mercury Lane as pictured above. This is the start of the station's ground floor slab.
Our sites will be shutting down from 24 December to 4 January. But as always if you have any questions please contact us at Karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz or call 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255) and press option 4.
Ngā mihi
The Karangahape Station team
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‘Dame Valerie Adams’ roadheader heads underground
A tradition among tunnellers and miners is to name the main pieces of machinery after strong, influential women. With the arrival of our second roadheader to the Mercury Lane construction site we again looked to the local primary school Kadimah to help us with the task of naming it through a competition.
Three year five students were the winning team with their suggestion of Dame Valerie Adams.
Reuben, Shiloh and Daniel won a site tour with their guardians and some funky swag from local shop, Def Store. They were led on a tour by the tunnel superintendent, Tomo Otene, and got to see inside the noise enclosure and have an up close look at the machine they named before it disappears underground for a year!
No doubt it will be a day both parents and students won’t quickly forget as they all left with a giant smile.
Valerie Adams - because she is a very strong lady and an amazing role model, she shows strength of character, resilience and sportsmanship.
Reuben, Shiloh and Daniel - Year 5
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Return of 'The Twist'
The bronze statue by Tanja McMillan (Misery) in collaboration with John Oz, which had been located on Beresford Square and a well-loved piece by the local residents had to be removed for the construction of Karangahape Station as part of the CRL project. However, thankfully it hasn’t moved far! It was recently reinstated and can be found outside St Kevin’s Arcade as pictured.
The statue, commissioned by the Arts Council in 2015, was the first 3D piece undertaken by McMillian and is synonymous with her style and forms. A playful piece, both though its size and the story it references, invites passers-by and children to interact with it.
It refers to the story of the Ridgeway Circus, often told by renowned New Zealand artist Denis O'Connor. The circus used to set up on the roof of the former George Courts department store on Karangahape Road in the 1960s. It was renowned for having a baby elephant that would dance to 'Do the Twist' by Chubby Checker.
Through its reference to this story the work pays homage to the ever changing dynamic of the Karangahape Area. The massive expansion of motorways through the nearby inner city area – and subsequent flight of residents and retail into the suburbs from the 1960s onwards – turned it from one of Auckland's premier shopping streets into a marginal area with the reputation of a red light district, but is now considered to be one of the cultural centres of Auckland. Considering the current transformations taking place in Karangahape it is quite an apt time for its reinstatement and is welcomed back.
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The Moana Wall launch
The launch of the Moana Wall could not have gone better and is the start of a four year long and very exciting project with Pacific arts Trust Tautai. We would like to thank all those who made the event such an amazing experience.
The Link Alliance are honoured to partner with Tautai in promoting Pasifika creative talent to the community. The City Rail Link is not just a big infrastructure project, but also a huge work of art with a focus on unique station designs and outdoor spaces for people to celebrate. The partnership with Tautai Pacific Arts Trust is a perfect complement to this focus.
This collaboration brings to life a 70-metre stretch of East Street, taking art from inside galleries and onto the site hoardings, softening the sometimes stark nature of construction activities. The collaboration fits with the Link Alliance core value of developing the skills and knowledge base of Auckland through collaborations with the creative sector.
The wall is scheduled to be refreshed regularly throughout the four-year life of the project, providing an opportunity for a range of artists to showcase their talent.
A special thanks to the amazing Tautai team, artists Natasha Ratuva and Hōhua Ropate Kurene, curator Cora-Allan Wickliffe, Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua, MC Daedae, Samara Alofa, Church & AP and DJ Al'GOODIE, the amazing caterers – FOB bbq, Boil-up Crew, Ika Bowl and Blue Rose Cafe and Catering, Teisina and the security team, content team No Six and our TCs who all contributed to such a fantastic evening.
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The 'Dame Whina Cooper' Boring day out!
Earlier this year, nationwide voting opened for kiwis to vote on the name for the new Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) that will dig two tunnels from Mt Eden Station to Aotea Station via Karangahape Road.
Tunnelling tradition dictates a TBM cannot commence work until it has been given a female name to honour St Barbara, the patron saint of miners and tunnellers and as a sign of good luck and safety for the project ahead. The TBM was appropriately named after respected kuia Dame Whina Cooper who’s ‘ground-breaking’ legacy is still influencing change today.
The TBM was unveiled to the whanau of Dame Whina Cooper and blessed by her daughter Hinerangi Puru Cooper and her wider family at the Mt Eden construction site. In attendance were Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, Transport Minister Michael Wood, the city’s Mayor Phil Goff, alongside media outlets who broadcasted the ceremony nationwide. The unveiling signified the genuine relationship City Rail Link (CRL) one of New Zealand’s largest infrastructure projects wants to forge and maintain with Mana Whenua.
Following the private ceremony, the Mt Eden construction site opened to the public for one weekend to experience a ‘Boring Day Out’. We were pleased to welcome 5000 Aucklanders on site for a close-up of the TBM.
Now that she has received her official blessing, the TBM will start her first tunnel drive in April 2021.
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