Charmaine had no wish to ride a bicycle for three days in the mountains, and decided to stay home and get her mind in order. (“Mind has mountains, cliffs of fall” wrote poet Gerard Manley Hopkins- and she had definitely been feeling anxious about bike-riding, and in need for some sustained quiet time to re-order […]
Christchurch Whanau
January 22, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Before starting our cycling adventure in the South Island, Garth and I spent two days in Christchurch. Our first date was with our cousin Philip Carter, who took us on a guided tour on electric scooters (an exciting first for Garth and me!) of the new city developments in Christchurch. Philip is one of the […]
An hour from our front door…Rangitoto Island
January 22, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Back to the simplicity of bach life in summer… On New Year’s Day we hopped on a bus downtown, then a ferry across the Waitemata Harbour to Rangitoto Island for a stay in Bach 52, five minutes walk from the wharf. Bach 52 is another small 1920s bach which has been lovingly restored to near-original […]
Trumped! Now Biden- Our Time…
January 22, 2021 by 1 Comment
The last four years have made the USA feel like a foreign country, to us – our wonderful ex-wwoofing friends have been stuck in an alien land run by a psychopath, egging on the sad and the bad to acts of intimidation and violence, and destroying many of the bonds of friendship and solidarity […]
Happy Solstice, we hope…
December 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
We wish you a Happy Solstice, with a colour-full covid-free summer if you are in Aotearoa or the Pacific… …and if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, or in a Covid-infected area, and dealing with lockdowns and deaths, please take care, and know that we are sending our love to you, with our hopes […]
Some Brilliant Things…
December 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Toi Tu, Toi Ora The most outstanding current event in Tāmaki Makaurau is the contemporary Māori Art exhibition in the Auckland Art Gallery – a wonderful celebration of 112 Māori artists (60% of them women) , filling the whole gallery, and ranging from works, several storeys high to tiny exquisite objects, and in many different […]
Stuff, and Ihumatao…
December 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Congratulations to NZ Stuff Media for their courage in taking responsibility for their long history of institutional racism, and making a commitment to change. This is the first time a major media group has acknowledged its bias, with examples, and taken responsibility for the change that is needed – throughout almost all media and other […]
Toys for the Boys
December 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
We are doing our best to ignore all the fuss currently going on in Auckland surrounding the America’s Cup. And the costs… the Government is paying more than $136 million and Auckland Council almost $99 million…and for what? A few bizarre-looking ‘boats’ trying to fly on the Waitematā Harbour… Chris Rattue, in his excellent […]
Earthsong Eco Neighbourhood
Public Good