Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to 2026, when Te Rimutahi will be one year old in May.
The past few months have been gratifying as we have watched people discover and enjoy Te Rimutahi. From the moment the construction fences were quietly taken down after the project was completed, and even before the official opening on 17 May, people began exploring, admiring, and relishing being in the new space. It was as if the concept drawings had come to life, as real people in the real world began to populate the space. Kids scootered, young mums met up with their babies, dogs sniffed and snuffled, people ate their lunch, enjoyed coffees, caught-up and generally took pleasure in being there.
And DANCING!
The past few months have been gratifying as we have watched people discover and enjoy Te Rimutahi. From the moment the construction fences were quietly taken down after the project was completed, and even before the official opening on 17 May, people began exploring, admiring, and relishing being in the new space. It was as if the concept drawings had come to life, as real people in the real world began to populate the space. Kids scootered, young mums met up with their babies, dogs sniffed and snuffled, people ate their lunch, enjoyed coffees, caught-up and generally took pleasure in being there.
And DANCING!
So much DANCING has been happening at Te Rimutahi. Organically organised and scheduled, usually happening on at least 3 evenings (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays) each week. It has added an indefinable element of magic to the urban canopy space at Te Rimutahi. Bravo! So if you’re wondering which way to head for an evening stroll, head to Te Rimutahi to be enchanted.
By publication date, LandLAB, the BRILLIANT design studio that conceived Te Rimutahi, will have presented to the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA), Tuia Pito Ora Tāmaki Makaurau Branch, at Te Rimutahi on 29 January. A member of the Community-Led Design Group (CLDG) will also join the discussion to outline how the project came to be and their role throughout the design and delivery phases of the project. Project Leads Sam Gould and Jeremy Thompson, along with Bela Grimsdale, will then speak to the design response to the CLDG brief and also the input from mana whenua and their significant contributions. This will then be followed by some discussion about the ongoing care/activation of Te Rimutahi.
For anyone interested in holding an event or an activation at Te Rimutahi, remember Te Rimutahi is a public space and is open to everyone. So long as your event doesn’t need a permit to operate, then you are most welcome to hold an event at Te Rimutahi - people can check on the link below to see if a permit is needed. Just remember, everyone has to share the space, and so negotiation may be required to ensure your event integrates with others on the day.
/www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/en/licences-regulations/event-permits.html
The previously unloved and dilapidated site at 254 Ponsonby Road has been transformed into a beautiful and multifunctional public space. Te Rimutahi is the common ground for everyone to come together; to rest, relax, and recreate. A place to meet new people and catch up with old friends, to enjoy some of the many activities, exhibitions & markets that are already happening there. Te Rimutahi is an urban oasis that is good for the people, good for the environment, and good for Tāmaki Makaurau.
Bravo! See you at Te Rimutahi soon.
For more information or to contact the Friends of Te Rimutahi (formerly the CLDG), see our website 254ponsonbyrd.org.nz - Instagram te_rimutahi_ - Facebook Te Rimutahi or 254 Ponsonby Road.
