This month we’ve experienced an Auckland Lockdown, pre-Election Politics, a Climate Change event, some Celebrations…and Spring is on its way here with Tanya’s photos of a burst of magnolia blooms in Grey Lynn… and a celebratory bike ride by Tanya into the West… (past Western Springs, through the Te Atatu Bike tunnel, to […]
Lockdown/Rahui again…
August 19, 2020 by 1 Comment
We’re in Level 3 for 12 days because of a new cluster of Coronavirus cases detected in Auckland City, and since a few cases in Tokoroa and Rotorua. The whole country has been put into Level 2: https://covid19.govt.nz/covid-19/alert-system/alert-level-2 Here in Auckland, we feel for the smaller shops and cafes that can’t afford to become delivery […]
Elections 2020
August 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
The Prime Minister has chosen to delay the every-three-year Aotearoa election from 19 September to 17 October 2020 to provide a full month for all the parties to launch and explain their policies. We both feel very lucky that we have a Prime Minister who is so highly competent and reassuring, and a Director-General of […]
Celebrations..
August 19, 2020 by 2 Comments
Tanya’s 75th birthday We managed special outings for Tanya’s birthday-she turned 75 on Sunday 16 August. On her birthday, we climbed her childhood maunga, Ohinerau (goddess of whirlwinds), previously known as Mount Hobson, with magnificent 360 degree views over Tāmaki Makaurau and the two harbours. We also discovered the newish walkway (previously a wild impenetrable […]
Ngā mihi o Te Mātahi o te tau
July 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Greetings for the first fruits of the Māori New Year! We had a special celebration this year during Matariki- a lunch at Manee Thai with our Shakti friends, because the birthdays of two of their older supporters happened to fall during Matariki this year: Retna, mother of Shila (July 14), turned 84, and Charmaine […]
1. In the south…Whakatū-Nelson
July 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
On 22 June we took off to the South Island for 10 days, to catch up with friends and explore an area we hadn’t visited for some years- Whakatū (Nelson) and Mohua (Golden Bay). Of course, we were doing our patriotic duty too, at PM Jacinda’s suggestion, supporting AirNZ and a range of small businesses […]
2. In the south: Mohua-Golden Bay
July 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
After our stop at Mapua we drove over Tākaka Hill to Tākaka township, which still has a distinctively ‘alternative’ atmosphere, with its gentle pace, organic shops and old-style hippy culture. Tākaka obviously also continues to have a strong community focus, and a more modern political focus too – a clear Black Lives Matter statement on […]
School Holiday Adventures…
July 19, 2020 by 1 Comment
We look forward to school holidays because we get to be kids again for a few days! Two of our favourite young ones come for overnight stays in our apartment- Ellie, aged 8 (Tanya’s grand-niece) and Taiga aged 10 (our Japanese neighbour from Earthsong days). With each of them, we look at what’s on downtown, […]
Earthsong Eco Neighbourhood
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