Saturday December 22 is the longest day of the year and promises to be warm here, of course. To our Northern Hemisphere friends and family experiencing the Winter Solstice on Friday 21 December, stay snug, and we’re glad the days will be lengthening for you from now on. We wonder what you will be doing […]
…and finally, a good place to stay…
December 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment
…a small town whose population increases from 3000 to 10,000 for a couple of weeks over Christmas and New Year, every year, but outside this peak Christmas period offers a lively, diverse community, every outdoor activity you can think of , and outstanding places to stay, to eat, and to explore: Whaingaroa-Raglan As part of […]
Creativity in the City…
November 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Architects… Taiga, our 9-year-old friend from Earthsong, joined us for a day exploring the work of some of Aotearoa’s leading architects. Fifteen central Auckland architecture firms held open days, and we managed to spend time at four, talking with staff and looking at current project models, past work images and futuristic designs. Taiga had two […]
Celebrating Te Reo
November 18, 2018 by 1 Comment
We’re still enjoying the upsurge in use and acknowledgement of Te Reo Maori. And we urge you all to read the excellent article on page 112 of the September-October issue of New Zealand Geographic. Kennedy Warne’s essay, A Flash of Fire: what a difference a name makes , explores the differences between Maori and English government […]
Close to Home…
November 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Puha and Pakeha We have a new cafe almost next door… And one which definitely celebrates a harmonious diversity of culinary delights! Just the other side of St Columba Church from us (on Surrey Crescent, opposite the end of Richmond Road) is Puha and Pakeha, which offers tapas-style dishes blending ingredients and cooking styles from […]
Founding Day at AGGS
September 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment
On Friday 7 September Charmaine was acknowledged at the annual Founding Day ceremony at Auckland Girls’ Grammar School. She has gifted her two medals (for the Suffrage Centennial commemoration in 1993, and for the CNZM awarded in 2002) to the school because, as she told the assembled gathering, it was working with staff and […]
Whakaalofa lahi atu…on The Rock…
August 19, 2018 by 3 Comments
Niue is a tiny emerald island set in the deep blue and grey of the vast Pacific Ocean. “The Rock”, as it’s called by Niueans in Aotearoa, is a coral atoll twice raised by underwater volcanic action, and now encircled by a 64km coastal road. The coast is indented with coves and chasms, and just […]
A local journey..
August 19, 2018 by 3 Comments
For Tanya’s birthday on 16 August, we went on a voyage of discovery to Onekiritea/Hobsonville . We caught an early morning Richmond Road bus to the city, walked to Pier 4 near the downtown Ferry Buildings and caught the 9.00am commuter launch on its return to Hobsonville in the upper Waitemata Harbour (plenty of […]
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