This year, to celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori, we joined a hikoi up Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) with a couple of thousand young people, their teachers and family members. At the top of the mountain there were prayers, haka, waiata and the call of the conch. We talked along the way […]
Spring Round About…
September 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Alcohol and Drug Court supporters’ dinner We’ve heard about the great work of Auckland and West Auckland Alcohol and Other Drug Courts for a while now. But Justice Department money doesn’t cover all the costs of court clients…such as rental deposits, transport costs for appointments with potential employers or Work and Income, repairs for damaged […]
Good Judgement
August 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
If you’ve ever wondered what the induction of a new judge into the court system in New Zealand might be like, you might have imagined rows of dark-suited lawyers, and elderly be-wigged Pakeha men presiding. When we were invited to the swearing-in of Auckland barrister Faumui Penelope (Lope) Ginnen as a Judge in the Manukau […]
Best Book, Best Writers, Best Bookshop…
August 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
(Charmaine’s unabashedly personal views…) A Teaching Life, by Carol White, has just been published by The Cuba Press. It has been eleven years in the making, since Carol retired from her position as Co-Principal of Selwyn College, in East Auckland. I was delighted to be asked to write a foreword to it, and then to launch […]
Charm from the Chathams
August 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Kaa’i and Francesca, our friends from Rekohu/Chatham Islands have been in Auckland again, this time supporting and judging the culinary efforts of children in South Auckland, and extending the marketing of their new unique freeze-dried honey from the Chathams. They are also finalists in the NZ Artisan Awards…to be decided later in the year.. It’s […]
And finally, a celebration… a political activity…and a great writer
July 19, 2019 by 1 Comment
Charmaine celebrated her 77th birthday on Thursday 11 July, and Tanya had organised a lovely day- a cuppa in bed and a beautiful gift, breakfast at a cafe in Grey Lynn, and a surprise outing in the evening- all Charmaine knew in advance was to be ready for an Uber at 5.40pm. We went outside […]
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