Tuakau Cosmopolitan Club on Carr Street is a small-town members' club with a big weekly calendar. It extends a very warm welcome to members, affiliated members and members' guests, and prides itself on a family-friendly atmosphere with amenities and activities for all ages — a bar for socialising, a lounge for cosier evenings, outdoor space for sunny days, plus 14 gaming machines, TAB service and a self-service TAB Pod.
DJ's Bistro anchors the food side, open to members and non-members for dinner from 5pm Wednesday to Saturday and on Sunday evenings (bookings essential on Sundays), with lunch served from 12pm on Wednesdays and platters available on quiz nights. The same team, DJ's Catering, handles function catering — buffet and snack menus served at the club or your location — and there is no charge for members to host private functions.
Nine sports and interest subsections keep things lively, alongside Wednesday quiz nights, a friendly 500 card group, alternate-Friday 8-ball, live bands, monthly senior citizens gatherings and the Lions Saturday Market in the main car park. Add a courtesy van, a Kids Room and a book exchange, and the club is very much Tuakau's living room.
Tuakau Cosmopolitan Club — the 'Cossie Club' of old photo albums — extends a very warm welcome to members, affiliated members and members' guests. Set on Carr Street in Tuakau, it is a family-friendly club where you can socialise in the bar, relax in the bistro, stay warm and cosy in the lounge area on a cold evening, or head outside on a sunny day. For those who like a flutter, there are 14 gaming machines, a TAB service and a self-service TAB Pod.
Membership is at the heart of the place. The club runs nine sports and interest subsections — whether you want active sports or relaxing excursions, there is something for everyone — and those subsections run raffles in the club to raise funds for their activities. The photo gallery gives a sense of the calendar: Melbourne Cup days with best-dressed prizes, Christmas parties with face painting and a visit from Father Christmas, the grand opening of the children's room, travel-section day trips to Puhoi and the Waihi goldmine, Tuakau Soccer Club cup victories and even a visit from the Ford Mustangs. As a member of Clubs NZ Inc, the club also welcomes affiliated members from other clubs, and a membership application can be downloaded from the website.
Food is a big part of the week. DJ's Bistro is open to members and non-members for dinner from 5pm, Wednesday through Saturday, and on Sunday evenings — with bookings essential on Sundays. A lunch is served from 12pm on Wednesdays, and on quiz nights the kitchen is open from 5pm for meals and platters. The style is relaxed and family friendly: come along, settle in and enjoy an easy meal at the club. It is the same kitchen behind the club's function catering, so the buffet and snack menus members know from events are an extension of what comes out at dinner.
The weekly rhythm is busy for a small-town club, with regular entertainment scheduled throughout the year. Wednesdays start with the friendly '500 card group' at 1pm and build to quiz nights from 6.30pm. Every other Friday there is social 8-ball from 6.30pm to 9pm, with a $5 entry that goes into the prize pool. Live bands take the floor on selected Saturday evenings, the Tuakau Senior Citizens meet on the second Thursday of the month, and every Saturday morning the Lions Saturday Market runs from 7am to 11am in the club's main car park.
Planning an anniversary, 21st, wedding, funeral, unveiling or any other special occasion? There is no charge for members to host a private function at the club, and DJ's Catering offers buffet and snack menus to suit your budget — catering either at the club or at your location. The club also runs a courtesy van staffed by volunteer drivers, who are called on roughly once every two months and receive a free meal from DJ's Bistro and non-alcoholic drinks for their trouble. Families are well catered for: children are welcome, with the Kids Room the place for them after 9pm, and there is a book exchange where you take a book home and replace it with one of your own.
One practical note: closing hours are subject to patronage, so on Thursday to Saturday nights the club stays open as long as there are people to stay open for. Check the calendar, book in for a Sunday dinner, and you will quickly see why the Cossie is where Tuakau catches up.