Forget what you eat - for those that love their cars, you are what you drive.
Many think of their cars as extensions of themselves and their personalities, whilst others eschew cars altogether and take to the streets on two feet or two wheels.
I asked a few local faces what they are driving at the moment and how it makes them feel, as well as posing the question: if money and time were no object, what would you aspire to drive?
Nikki Ralston is an Auckland yogini and founder of Brown Street yoga studio, Urban Ashram. A favourite with locals and those that make the trip into Ponsonby alike, her studio is always incredibly welcoming and the wonderful Nikki’s passion - and laugh - is instantly infectious. Having devised her own yoga practice which blends together the best elements of hatha, vinyasa, precision alignment and mindfulness teachings, Nikki has created something really rather special in her boutique Ponsonby oasis, empowering her students to become their own guru in whatever they do. When she’s not on the mat, she’s often seen zipping around town in her very sleek 7-seater SUV, new rescue puppy Moose riding shotgun like the furry little boss he is.
When asked what she is driving and how it makes her feel, the yoga teacher says: “I’m currently driving a black SEAT Tarraco, and I feel sexy, sporty and confident!” She says if given all the cash in the world, she’d still stick to her current ride, “because I’m just so happy with the SEAT Tarraco; it suits my lifestyle and vibe perfectly. But if money were no object, I’d just like to switch to the e-HYBRID version if I could.”
Designer Adrian Hailwood of the Hailwood label is all about a sleek ride, as well as one with plenty of space to transport samples and the like in the lead up to his show at New Zealand Fashion Week later this month. He drives a LEXUS RX 450hL from Lexus of North Shore, and if money and time were no object, he would take the step up to a LEXUS LF-FC fully Electric Luxury Coupe. And as for what he’ll be bringing to the runway this fashion week? “Sleek lines, contrasting colours, textures and a bit of old school glamour to celebrate my 21 years in the business.”
Becs Caughey is the co-owner and co-founder of Cook & Nelson, a company that scours the globe in order to bring to New Zealand exceptional fare crafted by the best artisan producers in the world. She and her husband Nick work together in the company, and are always swapping between their two vehicles. “If you see us in the van we’re working,” she says, “and if you see us in our car we have our two kids and our giant labradoodle in tow.”
Their car is a Skoda Octavia which is Cook & Nelson branded, “and is a station wagon so always super helpful for either delivering stock or loading in bikes and scooters,” says Becs. “I will always remember the day we got the car as it was the same day as I gave birth to our first child, our daughter Ella. I think Nick all of a sudden decided we needed a suitable family car so went out and bought a brand new very safe station wagon - a day of firsts!”
After a couple of years of delivering stock out of the Skoda the pair almost blew the tyres thanks to a particularly heavy load of McClure’s Pickles, so decided they needed a delivery van. Their Seedlip-branded VW Caddy is now always out and about delivering their products, and has also been an amazing way to make new friends. “We often get stopped by people asking about the product and where to try it, so we kept Seedlip samples in the glovebox,” says Becs. “You’ll often see us passing these out to people talking to us in car parks or stopped at traffic lights!”
If money and time were no object, Becs says she would love a classic van for when they hold events and create experiences, “one that’s converted that we could instantly create a party from. When I was in the music industry touring internationally, there were some amazing converted double decker buses with spa pools and bar conversions backstage which looked like a lot of fun. But that wouldn’t be very practical when trying to park on Ponsonby Road!”
Isabel Pasch is the owner of Bread & Butter Grey Lynn and the bakery’s stall at Grey Lynn Farmers Market, and in a previous life was a microbiologist and science journalist. Passionate about the future of the planet, it comes as no surprise to learn that Isabel favours two wheels over four, cycling to work most days on her Avanti road bike.
“It’s a 7.5km distance from home to work and welcome exercise after a whole day of sitting at a desk,” she says. “It’s great because I always know how long it’s going to take to get to work and back home; it’s exercise that I enjoy and need and it doesn’t cost anything. Our family also has one car - a Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid.”
Isabel isn’t afraid to say she isn’t really a car person per se, adding, “I don’t even really know the different brands of cars, so I have never had a dream car. If money wasn’t an issue though, I would like to have a better electric car with a longer range.” At the same time she believes that for New Zealand, hybrids are the best option, “because it will take a very long time before the electric charging infrastructure gets into all the small towns and far flung places”. She doesn’t believe that electric cars are going to save us from climate change however, saying: “my dream would be that people use electric bikes, scooters or pushbikes for most of their trips. That way we could save a lot of energy and make our cities more liveable, spaces for people - not cars. Have a car just for when it is absolutely necessary. That’s what I try to do.”
Ponsonby resident Kathryn Wilson, CEO of Kathryn Wilson Footwear is a big fan of the Volvo mark, with a new model taking her everywhere she needs to go in style. “I am currently driving the new Volvo XC40 recharge PHEV (plug-in) and I love it,” she says. “It is such a cool looking car that fits car seats easily for school drop offs and pick-ups, and is also amazing to drive to the Coromandel for family weekends away with the dog and cat and kids in the back!” If money was no object and time were no object, she says she would love to be in the fully electric VolvoXC60 that arrives by 2030, “and they have announced big plans to have all Volvo’s available as fully electric cars by the end of the decade... so awesome!” (HELENE RAVLICH)
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Published 6 August 2021