Auckland Unitarian Church Goods and ServicesAuction

Saturday, 10 November, 6:30pmAUC Sanctuary

Here is a currently complete list of the items to be auctioned. Get familiar with what will be available and plan your bidding strategy. Additional items and services may be added on the night.

Cash, check and EFTPOS accepted Saturday night!

Absentee bids will be accepted. If you cannot attend the event but would still liketo bid on items or services, please email betsy_marshall@icloud.com or marymillermason@hotmail.com and include the item number and name as well as your maximum bid. Someone will represent you on the night.

Items1. Brand New Book -- Drawdown (Barbara and Clark Thomborson) Starting bid is $40.Our gracious donors call this 2017 book “the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming.” A definite must-read. Available in NZ book shops for $45

2. Christmas Cake (Kurt Payne) Starting bid is $30.20cm square slice of heaven. Rumour has it this cake is really, really good and won't last until December 25th. May contain traces of nuts!

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3. Custom-made Fair Isle Sweater (Kurt Payne) Starting bid is $80.100% NZ wool, spun and dyed in Napier and machine knit in Auckland. The traditional Shetland shape is a blank canvas for your choice of colour, design andfit. Knitted especially for you by winter 2019.

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4. Stunning Hand Blown Glass Vase (Shirin Caldwell) Starting bid is $75.Pale pink ovoid vase 20 cm in height and about 60 cm in diameter. Bought at hand-blown glass specialist studio in Pollen Street (Ponsonby) circa 15 years ago.

5. Lollipop-brand waffle maker (Clark and Barbara Thomborson) Starting bid is $2Brand new with price tag of $70 still on it. Never used. Indulge yourself.

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6. Crystal Bowl – (Josie Coker) Bids starting at $40Donated by Josie Coker, the longest-serving member of our Unitarian Church, this prized Stuart Crystal bowl (17 cm wide) comes from England. Stuart Crystal can be credited with some truly iconic contributions to the history of crystal, suchas Stuart Medallion Cameo Glass (1887), and the Beaconsfield Pattern (1907), which is still used today. Stuart Crystal is also notable for supplying glass to shipping liners, including the Titanic, and a remarkable 22,000 items made for the Queen Mary in the mid 1930’s. In 1995, the crystal-making firm was successfully bought out by the equally renowned Waterford Wedgwood company. Sadly, in 2001 the Stuart factory was closed forever, making the preservation of those Stuart Crystal pieces that remain a matter of great historical importance.

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7. Original Silk Tapestry by Linda Landau Moss – (Church archives) Startingbid $70

Skillfully designed and lovingly crafted by former AUC co-minister the late Linda Landau Moss, this gorgeous banner will be a beautiful addition to any UU home. One of a kind! Just like Linda.

8. Home-made bottled slightly drunken Christmas fruity delights – (Rachel MacIntosh) $7 per jarChristmas will never be the same after you taste one (or more) of these little stunners. Prunes marinated in port. Each bottle is 300ml.

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9. Antique East German Nutcracker (Stowe Alrutz) –Blind BidThis guy’s picture says it all.

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10. Wooden Helicopter Centerpiece (Stowe Alrutz) – starting Blind BidProbably the only one of its kind in New Zealand. A decoration like this is a sure conversation starter. Name your price. Take it home.

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11. Travelling UU Rooster (Tina Huesing) – Blind BidQuite possibly the world’s ONLY Travelling UU Rooster is looking for a new home.

This beautiful rooster comes with provenance: Corinne Henrikson acquired him some years ago in the context of her work with Animal Welfare Groups. He thoroughly enjoyed his time at her house. Two years ago, it was time for the rooster to re-locate and visit with someone else. Tina Huesing was delighted to pick him up at the Service Auction and offer him a home. Now it’s time for the rooster to move on to another good home for a while. Will you take him home with you? Keep him for a while, enjoy his good looks, and then put him back into a future service auction, adding to the story.

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12. Rimu Photo Frame (Corinne Henrikson) – Blind Bid

13. CD/DVD Stand made by X-N-Trix wooden furniture – (Corinne Henrikson) Blind Bid

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14. Pan Forte (aka Italian Christmas Cake) – (Shirin Caldwell)Bids starting at $25Shirin’s family doesn’t like Christmas cake, but they do love this delicious chocolate, dried fruits and hazelnut traditional Italian Pan Forte and demand it every year. Shirin will deliver it to the church for you the week before Christmas.

15. Traditional Kiwi Fruitcake – (Allan Lynch) Bids starting at $25Allan describes his version of Christmas cake as “a simple mid-sized fruit cake a bit fancied up.” Made with 12-hour soaked fruit and lots of nuts.

16. A Vision Splendid: The Influential Life of William Jellie, A British Unitarian - (Donated and personally signed for you by the author) RRP=$30.00 Written by Wayne Facer (an independent scholar with a postgraduate degree in history and long-time Auckland Unitarian) this is a biography of William Jellie (1865-1963), who was a pioneering Unitarian minister and educator and a key figure in the history of Unitarianism in New Zealand. As outlined by the publisher, “in a world where religion is increasingly associated with hatred, bigotry, fanaticism, violence and misogyny, Jellie’s story provides an alternative -a vision splendid - where values rooted in the liberal religious tradition are the very ones required to promote social justice, protect the powerless and reduce social and economic inequality".

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17. Christmas Cake (Karn Cleary) Starting bid is $30.A Unitarian Church Service Auction tradition! This Christmas classic is a must for your holiday celebrations. Ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, spices, jumbo raisins, sultanas, green and red glace cherries, mixed peel, brandyand pecans. Will be available to take home on the night.

18. “The Diary of a Bookseller” by Shaun Bythell - (Shirin Cauldwell) Blind BidA delightful bestseller whose author participated in this year’s Auckland Writer’s Festival. Printed in 2017, hardback and in "as new" condition.

19. One cubic meter of cut firewood delivered to your home –

(David Fougere) Bids starting at $35

Get in now while it's still legal! Cut firewood, approximately a cubic meter. Tree prunings, mostly natives including pohutukawa. Lovingly cut and sawn up, just for you! David has several piles like the one shown here, that he will "cut to measure". Should be dry enough for burning by next winter/2019 (i.e. not green).

Diameters up to 15cms (6 inches) – OK for most fireplaces without needing to be split. Mostly 20-30cm long, can limit length to your chosen maximum if needed. I can also limit the diameters if you'd prefer not too many long all-evening slow-burners! AUC firewood expert Henri's advice probably available free with this offer.

David is happy to deliver to you anywhere in Auckland as part of the deal. Delivery most likely early next year, at a time to be worked out that's mutually convenient.

Please note that the market price of pine ($80) or Douglas Fir ($150). This is much better wood, though.

20 .VIP tickets for two to an Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Concert – 2018 or 2019 - (David Fougere) Bids starting at $120 for the package (should really be more)

David's company (Phoenix Research) provides research services to the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra (APO), which is how he is able to offer these 2 VIP tickets.Your choice of (almost) any concert over the rest of 2018 and all of 2019.

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If you opt for a Town Hall "main stage" concert, you get tickets in the balcony, a fabulous place for a spectacular view and appreciation of the orchestra (including all those instruments at the back that you can barely see from the stalls!) Plus you'll benefit from the special hosting for VIPs in the Town Hall Balcony area, with a glass of wine before the concert and further refreshments at interval. Here's how the APO describes the VIP package on their website: Premium reserve concert seats Pre-concert and interval refreshments, including a selection of Villa Maria

wines and platters by Dawsons Hosting in the APO’s VIP hosting area with other VIP guests Complimentary concert programmes for each guest Price: $140 per person + GST

Tonight's auction winner gets to take home both the 2018 and 2019 APO Season Brochures, to drool over and think about which concert you'd like to come to. (These brochures will be on show at the Auction Dinner, so do pick them up and have a browse.)

For the full list of APO concerts and events see: http://apo.co.nz/concert-events

Services40. Professional Up Do and Full Face Makeup Application (Sidra Luna) Starting bid is $50.Here’s an opportunity to look your best for a special occasion. New AUC Member Sidra Luna, the proprietor of Auckland Wedding Hair and Makeup, will transform the lucky winner of this auction item with an “Up Do” hairstyle such as a fancy braid or chignon (Google it if you don’t know what it is) as well as full face makeup application including false eyelashes. The session will take between 1-2 hours at a mutually agreeable time and location. This is a steal ladies! The price at a Newmarket salon starts at $145. See samples of Sidra’s work at https://aucklandweddinghairandmakeup.blogspot.com/

41. Murder Mystery Dinner Party on 16 March 2019 (Barbara and Clark Thomborson) 6 spaces available starting at $30 per personJoin the fun at the Thomborson’s West Titirangi home for a murder mystery dinner party with an Old West theme [think westerns of the 50s and 60s]. Everybody plays a character with a name and a ‘personality.’ There’s a loose script but no lines to memorise, etc. Dinner will be in keeping with theme – barbecued venison, baked beans, corn on the cob, greens, and fruit pie for dessert. Wine is included. Event will run from approximately 3:00pm-9:00 or 10:00.

42. Computer Support (Paul Howarth) Bids starting at $402 hours of in-home computer tutoring. Paul will come over and help you with your computer issues for an hour. Then a few weeks later, he will come back over for a follow-up/refresher hour to see if what was learnt previously has “stuck” and to answer any follow-up questions.

43. Cut-your-own Firewood (Audrey Moss and Mark Werman) Blind BidsSpend a fun day in the country cutting your own firewood for next winter. Bring your chainsaws and some friends/helpers to Dairy Audrey and Mark’s property in Dairy Flat where you can cut a couple of felled gum trees into a few cords of wood for 2019. When you’re done loading your trailer, relax with a swim in the heated pool while your hosts serve you a cold drink and some of Mark’s fantastic homemade brownies. Remember it’s BYO chainsaw, trailer, togs and towel.

44. Commissioned Painting (Lynnette Farhi) Bids starting at $250Talented new member Lynnette will work with the winning bidder to create a one-of-a-kind original painting. You will work together to develop an agreed design, size and palette. Note that Lynnette will supply the paints and a 21x30 inch canvas (but if the winner wants a larger painting they would need to supply the canvass while she will still provide the necessary paints). See photos of Lynnette’s work below or view the real things at the auction.

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45. 4 hours of expert builder services (Hamish Mackenzie) Starting bid is $150; market value is $250Church member and expert builder Hamish is offering 4 hours of his professional services. Hamish owns and operates Villafixation, a company that specialises in small carpentry jobs on villas and bungalows. Hamish can do repairs & renovations to maintain the fantastic character of these beautiful homes. He delivers a reliable and expert service for your important home maintenance repairs and renovations.

46. Chauffeur driven Trip to or from Auckland Airport – (Petra Godnjavec) Bids starting at $45Do you know how much it costs to park your car at Auckland Airport? How about the price of a cab? Outrageous! Petra will take the hassle and high cost out of your airport transportation. She will collect you from home and take you to the airport OR drop you home from the airport. Whatever works. Offer good within the Auckland region on a mutually agreeable date. This is a bargain, especially given the current cost of petrol. Don’t miss out …

47. Babysitting – (Tess Brothersen) Bids starting at $50Mum of two Tess is offering up to 4 hours of babysitting in the Newmarket/Parnell/Remuera/Grafton/CBD/Mt Eden area. She is available on a

mutually agreeable weeknight or on weekends.

48. Choose a sermon! (Clay Nelson) Bids from $25 Tired of waiting to hear a sermon on a topic you care about? Choose a sermon topic for Clay to preach on in the next year.

49. Juke Box Sunday (Clay Nelson) Bids from $20 Love Music? Have some favourite hymns? The lucky winner of this item gets to choose the prelude, postlude and all hymns for a Sunday service at a date mutually agreed.

50. Auckland War Memorial Museum Highlights Private Tour with your very own Unitarian Guide - (Shirin Caldwell) 8 spots, bids starting at $30pp

Five thousand years ago there was no human habitation across the vast Pacific Ocean. Papua New Guinea and Australia had been inhabited during the last ice age when the sea was much lower and humans could walk across extensive tracts of land. Maori only arrived in Aotearoa 800 years ago. Did we have dinosaurs in Aotearoa?

Come and find out and learn a little of our pre-European Maori and Pacific historyand the tale of the Zero Japanese dogfighter aircraft.

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Shirin has just got her wings to take Museum Highlights tours at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Come and join her on one of her maiden journeys. The tour will take place on a Saturday afternoon in late February or early March (to avoid the vast numbers of cruise ship tours). Day and time to be advised. Includes fee for entry and official highlights tour.

Kave the magnificent malevolent goddess from the Caroline Islands

51. A Crafternoon to Remember (Kay Parrish) – Six spaces available starting at $25 each

Come join Kay at her Titirangi home for an afternoon enjoying craftmaking and high tea (aka a crafternoon). Participants will spend the afternoon engaging in a craft activity, yet to be decided, and a sumptuous high tea will be served. The Tentative date is 11 May, 2019, but that date is subject to change due to Kay’s busy and unpredictable work load.

52. Authentic Malaysian Chicken Curry (serves 6) Delivered to your Door (Kylie Chye) – bids starting at $50Kylie will prepare a big batch of her delicious Malaysian Chicken Curry and deliver it your door on a mutually agreed upon weekend day. You’ll never find anUber Eats delivery half as good as this. Guaranteed. Quantity will be suitable to serve 6 adults. Rice not included.

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53. Traditional German Second Advent Celebration on Sunday, 9 December, at 3:00pm (Tina Huesing and Logan Deimler) – Six spaces available with bids starting at $15Join Tina and Logan at their Parnell home for an afternoon of German coffee (or tea) and cake to celebrate 2. Advent with them. Get into the Christmas Spirit by listening to (not only) German Christmas music and share stories of holiday traditions. Frohe Weihnachten!

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54. Enjoy a Telescope for Most of Next Year – (David Fougere) Bids starting at $40

Overwhelmed by an urge to communicate more deeply with nature and the cosmos, I bought this a while ago. However, you can only commune deeply for so long before it gets a bit boring. So I've come to think of this as "Fougere's folly" – more about overwhelm by consumerism. Do I really need this thing?

Help ease my angst about undue consumerism by enjoying it for most of next year (March to November inclusive). It might even save you from the same folly.

It's WONDERFUL to lie there and look at the details on the face of a full moon, the phenomenal number of starsyou can't see with the naked eye on a clear night, a distant island, or roosting birds. For a while … !

Magnification up to X60. Great for inspiring kids, too, but does need to be handled carefully (moderately vulnerable to shock). Comes with a full sized and separate smaller table-top tripod. You can also take photos through it. (Ethically I have to ask you don't turn this on your neighbours!)

What offers?

55. Guided Kayak Trip for Two – (Paul Henriques) Starting bid is $40 (for totalof two people, not per person)Guided exploration of Hellyers Creek, Beach Haven, for two people on double sit-on-top kayak. Life jackets and reef shoes provided. Followed by locally produced chocolates and craft beer at our home overlooking the Creek. Outing will occur on a mutually agreeable date.

56. Therapeutic Aromatherapy Massage – (Elspeth Fougere) RRP $90-$120 with Bids starting at $60

Health and wellbeing is not about perfection. It’s the capacity to remain well amidst the summers and storms of life, and to be able to stay connected to one’sinner rainbow even when it's wet and grey outside.

Enjoy a peaceful and restorative 1-hour Therapeutic Aromatherapy Massage. This includes a wellbeing consultation, to tailor a bespoke blend of pure essentialoils for your particular clinical and wellbeing needs, and support with injury recovery, postural pain, or stress relief. Specialised pregnancy massage or a gift voucher for a loved one are other options!

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Elspeth Fougere has been a qualified massage therapist since 2013, with Conjoint Diplomas in Remedial Massage Therapy and Specialised Aromatherapy, and works from their clinic SKYRIVER Integrative Massage Therapy at MAMA Inc, Sandringham, Auckland. Ph 021 117 6001.

57. One-way Trip to or from Auckland Airport – (Marjorie van Roon) Bids starting at $45Such a fantastic auction item that this year we have two airport rides on offer … This is an excellent way to save money AND help the church treasury. Marjorie will either take you to the airport or bring you home. Offer good within the Auckland region on a mutually agreeable date.

58. Auckland – Foreshore Heritage Walk, Part #2 – (Jonathan Mason)(8 spaces starting at $20 per person)Join Jonathan Mason for Part #2 of the Auckland Foreshore Heritage Walk. (8 lucky bidders enjoyed Part #1 of the journey this past year, and now it’s time to hear the rest of the story.) We’ll start off at Point Erin and work our way to QueenStreet, where we’ll end with Jonathan paying for a round of drinks and nibbles at a local pub. There’s great signage along the walk, with 15 Heritage signs and Jonathan in possession of supporting books that will transport us back into the mid-nineteenth century. No date set, but it’ll be in April-May on a good weather weekend. Not a bad way to spend two hours on an Auckland autumn day with Unitarian friends.

Additional items may be available on Saturday atthe Auction