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4. Ki Tau, Ki Tai

March 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Ki Tau Ki Tai – from ridge to sea – Tanya’s story of a guided cycling tour based around water landmarks in Tāmaki Makaurau 27 February 2021                      ————————————————————————                              Ki Tau Ki Tai – from Ridge to sea – a guided cycling tour through central Tāmaki Makaurau – organised by Auckland Libraries […]

Filed Under: Culture and heritage, Environmental issues, Our Local Community, Our Travels, Tanya's photos, Tanya's thoughts

5. Poroporoaki for Ama

March 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment

We heard this week that Māori activist Miriama Rauhihi Ness, known to many friends as Ama, had died , a month  after becoming ill at Waitangi.  She was farewelled by a packed congregation of Māori, Pasifika and Pākehā friends and supporters at Tipene Funerals on  Wednesday 17 March in the evening, and by family at […]

Filed Under: Charmaine's thoughts, Culture and heritage, Gender issues, Social Justice Issues, Treaty issues

Happy PRIDE Month!

February 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

There are lots of exciting events in Tāmaki Makaurau during Pride month.. …we started with the SameSameButDifferent Writers’ Festival The SSBD Literary Festival is the only LGBTQI  Festival of its kind in Australasia- a celebration of Aotearoa’s LGBTQI writing talent.  This is its sixth year- it was founded in 2016 by Peter Wells, who, sadly, […]

Filed Under: Culture and heritage, Gender issues, Social Justice Issues

Tea for Two…

February 19, 2021 by 1 Comment

On Monday 8 February, Tanya and I celebrated 36 years since we first had dinner together in 1985.  On that first evening we discovered that we shared many values in common, but also recognised we had very different personalities and lifestyles.  To some people’s surprise – and our own at times – we have managed […]

Filed Under: Culture and heritage, Environmental issues, Our Travels

A Feast of Films…

February 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

There are two exceptional films on at present in Tāmaki Makaurau – both made in Aotearoa.   Rūrangi– written by Cole Meyer, produced with Oliver Page and directed by Max Currie: “one of the most beautifully drawn evocations of romance I’ve seen..” and “a ground-breaking production from New Zealand” are two of the media comments. […]

Filed Under: Culture and heritage, Gender issues

Wrangling with Racism

February 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Although many Pakeha people in Aotearoa have become more aware of the racism we’ve inherited and continue to perpetuate, and more inclined to call it out, we still have a long way to go. A few recent examples- and the reactions to them: Racism in Parliament: Trevor Mallard, speaker of the House, made a blunder […]

Filed Under: Charmaine's thoughts, Culture and heritage, Gender issues, Social Justice Issues, Tanya's thoughts, Treaty issues

Toi Tū, Toi Ora

February 19, 2021 by 2 Comments

We’ve been back to the Toi Tū, Toi Ora exhibition in the  Auckland Art Gallery a couple of times now, and our appreciation of the diversity and significance of the Maori art works has deepened.  There are paintings, of course, and sculptures, models, kinetic features, flags, jewellery, computer images and all manner of visual objects, […]

Filed Under: Culture and heritage, Our Local Community, Tanya's photos, Treaty issues

Adventures in Te Waipounamu

January 22, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Tanya has just returned from a stunning adventure in Te Waipounamu …here’s her story and pictures… It began with an unexpected invite from our younger generation of Cumbos – Barney, Jo and 8-year-old Ellie – to my older brother,  Garth,  and me, to join them on a cycling adventure (A2O: Alps 2 Ocean) in the […]

Filed Under: Culture and heritage, Environmental issues, Our Travels, Tanya's photos, Tanya's thoughts, Treaty issues