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Amazing Autumn Artistry..

March 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Before the outbreak of Covid-19, we had the good fortune to engage in a range of stimulating and challenging events around Tamaki Makauraru, Kelmarna Gardens Trust put on a fundraising dinner, in the gardens, in cooperation with Forest and Ozone Cafés – a feast of fruit, vegetables and herbs picked from the gardens, prepared and […]

Filed Under: Culture and heritage, Gender issues, Our Local Community, Social Justice Issues, Treaty issues

Pride…

February 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment

  During February we have felt a growing sense of pride in Aotearoa- pride in the progress we are making to become a Treaty-based nation and in our growing capacity for diversity -the ability to welcome and include people of different ethnicities, cultures, religions and genders.  We’ve enjoyed the rainbow colours of Skytower, and of […]

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

Solstice Greetings from the Far South!

December 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

… from Ōtepoti-Dunedin, where for two weeks  we’re  housesitting for  friends, Fiona and Glenn Erik, former neighbours at Earthsong. It’s wear-merino weather here still, cold even on the sunny days… We’ve slipped easily into our gracious 1920s red brick homesit high on the hills of Ōpoho in North Dunedin, and are enjoying tending to gardens and […]

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

Ōwairaka

December 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

In late November we became involved in political action  on our local maunga in Tāmaki Makaurau – Ōwairaka/Mount Albert.  We had heard on the news that a small group of local residents had gathered half way up  the mountain to stop a tree-felling firm from carrying out the instructions of the Tūpuna Maunga Authority to […]

Filed Under: Culture and heritage, Environmental issues, Our Local Community, Social Justice Issues, Treaty issues

New Books by Women in Aotearoa

December 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

  We’ve had precious time in the evenings to read three new New Zealand books. We have really enjoyed two new novels written by NZ lesbians we know, set firmly in Aotearoa, and with some clear political implications. It’s so lovely for us as lesbians to read about ourselves and our worlds for a change! […]

Filed Under: Culture and heritage, Gender issues, Tanya's photos

 Whirinaki Te Pua-A-Tane forest

November 18, 2019 by 3 Comments

Tanya’s four-day adventure with Stephanie.. On the last morning of our recent tramp out of the magnificent Whirinaki Podocarp Conservation Park (located between Rotorua and Te Urewera),  Steph’s acute eyes spied a whanau of whio, the rare native blue duck – parents and six ducklings –  preening themselves on a log, far below us in […]

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

Whānau, Whāngai…

November 18, 2019 by 7 Comments

Charmaine’s journey…. I have been on a journey too, this month, but a very different one from Tanya’s.   I’ve just returned from a week  in Sydney and surrounds, spending time with my birth family. Many of you will know that I have two families.  I grew up knowing I was adopted, and believing that I […]

Filed Under: Charmaine's thoughts, Culture and heritage, Our Travels

Local Body Elections

October 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

We are especially delighted that our friend  Lyn Riesterer , of Whakatohea  descent, became Mayor of the Opotiki District Council – she is the first gay Maori woman Mayor in Aotearoa.  Lyn has been on the Opotiki District Council for two terms, and was Deputy Mayor in her  second term.  Her background is in education […]

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