On June 15 this year we lost a dear friend, Nganeko Minhinnick. We first met Nganeko in 1987, at a Forest and Bird Society meeting where she spoke about the mining by New Zealand Steel of the Maioro iron sand dunes, her people’s ancient burial area at the mouth of the Waikato River, and the […]
Kahurangi Nganeko Kaihau Minhinnick
July 18, 2017 by 1 Comment
On Thursday 15 June 2017 Aotearoa lost one of its greatest environmental advocates, Kahurangi Nganeko Kaihau Minhinnick, of Ngaati Te Ata – Waiohua. From the age of eleven, Nganeko Kaihau was expected to undertake legal and environmental issues for her iwi, Ngaati Te Ata, because she was the most fluent English-speaker in her whanau. With […]
about us…
May 17, 2017 by 1 Comment
Kia ora koutou, We’ve had a break from writing newsletters since November 2016, and feel it’s time to start again. Not necessarily every month, though! From Tanya… Kia ora koutou…It’s now two months since my left hip joint was successfully replaced, so I’m back to swimming, and biking to strengthen muscles. I made good use of […]
Coromandel Peninsula
May 17, 2017 by Leave a Comment
We’ve just returned from a five-day visit to the Coromandel Peninsula and Mercury Bay. We had two reasons for going at this time: to go to the one-off Moana Maniapoto Concert in Coromandel Township, and to link up there with our friend and former gardener Sue and her partner Susie for a late summer holiday […]
Tanya’s year of studying Te Reo Maori
December 19, 2016 by 2 Comments
Nga mihi matakuikui ki a koutou, I have just emerged from a year-long immersion course in Te Ara Reo Maori at the Lincoln Road campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, exhausted and elated, appreciative of my new understandings, skills and inspiration. I’ve been immersed in, but also “on the edge of”another way of seeing the […]
Raukura O Te Koroto
December 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Our family friend Nic Moon won the commission to design a sculpture which was also a useful structure at Wenderholm Regional Park to celebrate 50 years of regional parks in Auckland. She worked with three mana whenua groups on the project. We were delighted to be present at the dawn blessing for the sculpture by mana whenua groups […]
Auckland Regional Parks
December 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The Regional Parks in Tamaki Makaurau are amazing – 26 of them, from Te Arai in the north to the Hunua Ranges in the south, and on both east and west coasts. Many have baches which were farm cottages, now available to the public to rent for holidays. We honour the foresight of the regional […]
Two Roads Worth Travelling
October 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
From Turanganui-a-kiwa to Te Wairoa: on the inland road… From Gisborne, the inland road leads across plentiful plains, up into rugged hill country , and then descends into Tiniroto, Frasertown and Wairoa. A side road took us to Tiniroto village – pub, school, community garden and a couple of houses clustered above the lake. A hospitable publican […]
Earthsong Eco Neighbourhood
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