Former Auckland Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore was born and bred in Franklin District, with his family having been there since the late 1800s as sheep and beef farmers in the Hunua Ranges. Bill has lived on the east coast of the Franklin Ward all of his life and agreed to tell us about his favourite spots across the district and what keeps him there.
East Coast Bays
My favourite part of Franklin ward would be the beaches on this east coast. From Maraetai, Waiti, Tuturau Bay, Tawhitokino and Ōrere Point beach are beautiful. My favourite beach is Waiti beach. It’s at the end of Kawakawa Bay coast road, there is a track that goes up and over the hill and it’s a long flat beach with white sand. It’s about 1.3 kilometres long, and not many people go there because there is no vehicle access. When I was a young guy, I would walk from Ōrere Point to Wait and one time, I had a fall. Still got the scar on my shin.
Hunua Ranges
As a young man I did a lot of pig and goat hunting up there and my son still hunts there. I walked a lot and tramped up to the Kohukohunui, which is the summit of the Hunua Ranges. It’s a good solid walk and a challenge. But the pay off is the beautiful bush and the air is just so pure, it’s beautiful. At 688m, Kohukohunui is recommended for fit trampers only.
Pukekohe Shopping Centre
I love Pukekohe, it’s our shopping centre now. You can get everything you need there from work and dress clothes to good food. Franklin people are good people. You meet some good characters, and they want to give you a good experiences and be helpful. One of things that I really admire about Pukekohe is the business association itself. It’s full of people doing interesting things, there are so many people there that do a good job, especially in tough times. They provide a great retail service at a time that the Pukekohe is going through a lot of change and getting bigger.
Eating Out
When it comes to eating out, I particularly like The Monarch on King Street in Pukekohe. It’s a classic Kiwi restaurant with great table service, and it’s been around for 25 years. They do incredible whitebait fritters – very fresh – with a very respectable wine list.
Another favourite is the pub at Waiuku, The Kentish Hotel. It is said to be the country’s oldest licensed pub and it was built in the 1850s by an Englishman from Kent. You can pop in for a drink and some food on quiz night or stay in one of the historic rooms for a real kiwi experience. Quintessential Franklin.
When it comes to asian food, the Blue Elephant in Clevedon does the best Thai food. It’s hard to find authentic Thai that is up to scratch these days, but the Blue Elephant is the exception to the rule.
