5. …and what of the future?

    We are filled with gratitude that we are still both alive, loving and supporting each other, mostly  in good health, and able to enjoy life in this amazing country, Aotearoa. We specially appreciate the  tree-bordered streets and parks of Grey Lynn, the easy access to  interesting cultural activities and eating places , the […]

2. The Media…

On  8 March, on Maori Television, Moana Maniapoto devoted her whole programme (Te Ao with Moana) to interviews with 12 Maori women on the subject, ” Speaking rights on the  Marae”.  There were many different views  about women speaking on the marae.  Acknowledgements were given to the late Whaia McClutchie, Merata Mita and Eva Rickard.  […]

3. Other Women’s Events This Month.

ALBA – an Octagenarian cyclist ALBA, the Auckland Lesbian Business Association, had as its guest speaker on Wednesday 10th March a very special woman – Jill Lundmark, who has, for the last 13 years, until Covid Lockdowns stopped her, taken her bicycle and gone overseas for 3 months of every year, exploring new places each […]

5. Poroporoaki for Ama

We heard this week that Māori activist Miriama Rauhihi Ness, known to many friends as Ama, had died , a month  after becoming ill at Waitangi.  She was farewelled by a packed congregation of Māori, Pasifika and Pākehā friends and supporters at Tipene Funerals on  Wednesday 17 March in the evening, and by family at […]

Wrangling with Racism

Although many Pakeha people in Aotearoa have become more aware of the racism we’ve inherited and continue to perpetuate, and more inclined to call it out, we still have a long way to go. A few recent examples- and the reactions to them: Racism in Parliament: Trevor Mallard, speaker of the House, made a blunder […]

Toi Tū, Toi Ora

We’ve been back to the Toi Tū, Toi Ora exhibition in the  Auckland Art Gallery a couple of times now, and our appreciation of the diversity and significance of the Maori art works has deepened.  There are paintings, of course, and sculptures, models, kinetic features, flags, jewellery, computer images and all manner of visual objects, […]

Adventures in Te Waipounamu

Tanya has just returned from a stunning adventure in Te Waipounamu …here’s her story and pictures… It began with an unexpected invite from our younger generation of Cumbos – Barney, Jo and 8-year-old Ellie – to my older brother,  Garth,  and me, to join them on a cycling adventure (A2O: Alps 2 Ocean) in the […]

Some Brilliant Things…

Toi Tu, Toi Ora The most outstanding current event in Tāmaki Makaurau is the contemporary Māori Art exhibition in the Auckland Art Gallery – a wonderful celebration of 112 Māori artists (60% of them women) , filling the whole gallery, and ranging from works, several storeys high to tiny exquisite objects, and in many different […]