Ponsonby News

Ponsonby News Ponsonby. Anyone not heard of us? We are Auckland's most talked about part of town.

Ponsonby News has free passes to give away to 4 lucky readers. We have 2 double adult passes and 2 family passes - 2 adu...
12/06/2026

Ponsonby News has free passes to give away to 4 lucky readers. We have 2 double adult passes and 2 family passes - 2 adults and 3 children.

Want to go and see the dinosaurs?

Email: [email protected] with your preference, email address and contact phone number and be in to win!

12/06/2026

Today's opening of the new MECCA store in Three Lamps, Ponsonby. Thanks to Helene Ravlich for the great video!

MECCA reimagines its iconic Ponsonby location with an elevated new beauty destinationMECCA, Australia and New Zealand’s ...
12/06/2026

MECCA reimagines its iconic Ponsonby location with an elevated new beauty destination

MECCA, Australia and New Zealand’s ultimate beauty destination, today officially opened its elevated new Ponsonby store, marking the next chapter of the brand’s nearly two-decade journey in New Zealand.

Located on the iconic Ponsonby Road, on the corner of Cowan Street and within a beautifully restored 1908 heritage building, the new 323sqm store is almost triple the size of the original Ponsonby store opened nearby in 2007 as MECCA’s very first location in New Zealand. Designed by Hecker Guthrie, the new space thoughtfully preserves the building’s original architectural character, including its pressed metal ceilings, while introducing a refined and contemporary retail experience.

The opening marks the evolution of a long-standing local favourite into an expanded full-service beauty destination, with customers now able to explore 31 new brands, alongside an elevated offering of services tailored to the Ponsonby community. New additions include globally recognised brands such as rhode, Charlotte Tilbury, Glossier, Le Labo, Maison Francis Kurkdjian and By Terry, alongside a curated fragrance offering featuring niche fragrance houses including DS & Durga, Escentric Molecules, Vilhelm Parfumerie and DedCool.

Customers can also experience an elevated suite of services with dedicated makeup artistry stations, a semi-private skin bed, and personalised fragrance consultations within the store’s expanded Perfumeria offering.

MECCA New Zealand Country Manager Nicky Shore said the new Ponsonby store marks an exciting milestone in the evolution of MECCA in New Zealand. “Ponsonby has always held a special place in our heart and in MECCA’s story as the home of our very first New Zealand store nearly 20 years ago,” Nicky said.

“This new space allows us to honour that history while creating a more immersive experience for our loyal customers in one of Auckland’s most vibrant and creative neighbourhoods. As beauty continues to become more deeply connected to lifestyle and self-expression, we’re excited to bring an expanded offering of brands, services and experiences to a community that has been part of the MECCA journey from the very beginning.”

The opening of MECCA Ponsonby forms part of MECCA’s continued investment in New Zealand, where the retailer has expanded from a single store in 2007 to a network of 15 locations across the country over the past 19 years, alongside an online offer serving customers nationwide.

Opening morning celebrations today began with a blessing ceremony delivered in partnership with local iwi, followed by an official ribbon cutting alongside the Ponsonby store team. Customers queued from early morning to experience the new store, with first customers through the doors welcomed with pastries from local bakery Daily Bread alongside exclusive opening offers and complimentary gifts with purchase, including Emma Lewisham’s Illuminating Body Oil and limited-edition MECCA Ponsonby keyrings.

To celebrate the launch weekend, customers will also be able to enjoy complimentary fragrance engraving across all full-size home and personal fragrance purchases, alongside a curated schedule of bookable beauty services and consultations available from today until Sunday 14 June, including makeup applications, express facials and personalised fragrance experiences.

MECCA Ponsonby opened at 9AM on Friday, 12 June 2026 and is located at 286–306 Ponsonby Road.



Photos: Hugh Davies

Walk-in businesses know their regulars...They just can't reach them. An Auckland founder launches flock, built for walk-...
12/06/2026

Walk-in businesses know their regulars...

They just can't reach them. An Auckland founder launches flock, built for walk-in businesses that want to bring their regulars back on demand.

Every week, thousands of customers walk into local cafes, barbershops, bakeries, and dairies across Auckland, spend money, and leave without a trace. No name. No number. Nothing. The business has no way to reach them, thank them, or bring them back.

Steve Pulley has spent years helping local business owners grow their customer base. He kept running into the same wall: owners with loyal regulars and no way to contact any of them.

flock is his answer.

A printed counter stand holds a QR code. Customers scan it on their phone, enter their number, and join the owner's text list in under a minute. No app to download. No tablet to manage. Nothing for staff to do.

When the owner wants to fill a quiet Tuesday or promote a new special, they send one text. A text reaches 95% of recipients. A Facebook post reaches around 5%.

"Walk-in businesses are in a different position to service businesses," Pulley said. "A dentist has a client's contact details because the appointment requires it. A walk-in business often has no idea who just came in and made a purchase. No booking was required. No invoice was raised. flock is built for that gap."

flock launched in late May with its first merchants across Auckland's North Shore and Hibiscus Coast. Each gets a custom-branded counter stand, a real-time dashboard showing every customer who has joined their list, and full ownership of their contact data from day one. Setup takes less than a day.

"We started local because that's where we could see the problem most clearly," Pulley said. "But every suburb in Auckland has the same businesses facing the same problem. If an owner wants to stop losing track of the customers they've already earned, this is built for them."

Merchant enquiries: flockapp.io

Gypsy Tea Room in Richmond Road is being forced to closeI’ve been to a large number of public meetings in my 22 years of...
11/06/2026

Gypsy Tea Room in Richmond Road is being forced to close

I’ve been to a large number of public meetings in my 22 years of editing and publishing Ponsonby News. I attended one last night, where a crowd of around 200 locals were at the Grey Lynn RSC to support Brett Simeti, the co owner of The Gypsy Team Room. I have never seen such a big crowd ever!

This iconic bar is always packed and draws in celebrities along with locals and punters from other parts of Auckland. Barfoot & Thomson, the owner of the building housing the Gypsy was invited to attend to set out their plans for the site. They were asked on several occasions but declined the invitation.

Richard Upton, a local resident chaired the meeting and says the aim was to bring the community together to show Barfoots how the locals feel about the situation. I spoke to Brett after the meeting and he told us, “The outpouring of support, love, everything, you know has really amazed me. A petition to try and keep The Gypsy open has generated over 3000 signatures. The fact that people are willing to go out of their way to try and help find a way where perhaps both my interests and Barfoot's interests can merge together should be a no brainer.”

There was a number of slides shown last night, showing Barfoots using the Gypsy in their real estate listings marketing. Hearing people last night, many of them said Barfoots will loose a huge amount of goodwill in the neighbourhood. There has to be a way forward to keep our bar open without The Gypsy needing to relocate.

What can you do? Vote with your feet when choosing an agent. Remain vocal. Email Barfoots to tell them how you feel.

[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) (Barfoots HQ)
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) (Grey Lynn office)
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
(Ponsonby office)


[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
(any other ideas are welcome)

The Dinosaurs are back at Auckland Zoo!A breathtakingly tall Brachiosaurus and crocodile-mimicking Suchomimus are among ...
10/06/2026

The Dinosaurs are back at Auckland Zoo!
A breathtakingly tall Brachiosaurus and crocodile-mimicking Suchomimus are among pre-historic giants now making their way to Auckland Zoo’s Dinosaur Discovery Track – now open to view.

Following last year’s dino outing, this Dinosaur Discovery Track experience (free with regular Zoo entry) is an opportunity for all ages to discover many intriguing new species and reconnect with some 2025 favourites, like the Tyrannosaurus rex - that this time comes with offspring!

You’ll see no less than twenty pre-historic animatronic replicas moving and roaring, and even try your hand as a palaeontologist and take part in fossil digs.

To cater to all, there are also ‘quiet times’ with no sound or movement on Tuesday mornings and the first Sunday of every month between 9.30am – 11am.



The Dinosaurs are coming back to Auckland Zoo!A breathtakingly tal...

The Ponsonby News team would like to acknowledge the huge loss of Nutana Nathan Andrews, AKA the inimitable NaeNae from ...
09/06/2026

The Ponsonby News team would like to acknowledge the huge loss of Nutana Nathan Andrews, AKA the inimitable NaeNae from SPQR.

An incredibly kind, witty and generous person who was capable of turning any night into something really quite fabulous, Nathan was a true Ponsonby superstar and will be missed by so many.

Much love to his whānau and all those that loved him, Rest in Peace dear boy.

Are you a Queen fan?One night only. Queen: An Acoustic Tribute. Friday 19 June, 7:30pm, Ponsonby Baptist Church. featuri...
09/06/2026

Are you a Queen fan?

One night only. Queen: An Acoustic Tribute. Friday 19 June, 7:30pm, Ponsonby Baptist Church. featuring Leo Ronayne, Nick Jones, Hadley Ronayne. Hear iconic songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are the Champions, Somebody to Love, Radio Ga Ga, Don't Stop Me Now, Killer Queen, I Want to Break Free and more.

Book: link in bio www.orchestratedevents.co.nz

The Dinosaurs are coming back to Auckland Zoo!A breathtakingly tall Brachiosaurus and crocodile-mimicking Suchomimus are...
09/06/2026

The Dinosaurs are coming back to Auckland Zoo!

A breathtakingly tall Brachiosaurus and crocodile-mimicking Suchomimus are among pre-historic giants now making their way to Auckland Zoo’s Dinosaur Discovery Track – set to re-open on Wednesday.

Following last year’s dino outing, this Dinosaur Discovery Track experience (free with regular Zoo entry) is an opportunity for all ages to discover many intriguing new species and reconnect with some 2025 favourites, like the Tyrannosaurus rex - that this time comes with offspring!

You’ll see no less than twenty pre-historic animatronic replicas moving and roaring, and even try your hand as a palaeontologist and take part in fossil digs.

To cater to all, there are also ‘quiet times’ with no sound or movement on Tuesday mornings and the first Sunday of every month between 9.30am – 11am 🦕

Address

Ponsonby

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ponsonby News posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share

Category