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 […]

Stuff, and Ihumatao…

Congratulations to NZ Stuff Media for their courage in taking responsibility for their long history of institutional racism, and making a commitment to change.  This is the first time a major media group has acknowledged its bias, with examples, and taken responsibility for the change that is needed – throughout almost all media and other […]

Elections 2020 in Aotearoa

      Sunday 18 October – the day after our  elections How lucky we are to live in a country where a warm, eloquent and truthful woman Prime Minister has been able to hold our nation together during the difficult times of the last three years.  We  hoped that Jacinda Ardern and the Labour-led […]

Out and About

Bubbah at the Basement Theatre… Our first theatre outing after Covid Lockdown was a Basement Theatre production: Bubbah: My Ode to South Auckland, described  as “South Auckland stories by South Auckland people”, written by Bubbah in her garage with her team of Maori and Pasifika mates, describing life as it happens in their ‘hood – […]

Elections 2020

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..

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 […]

Amazing Autumn Artistry..

Before the outbreak of Covid-19, we had the good fortune to engage in a range of stimulating and challenging events around Tamaki Makauraru, Kelmarna Gardens Trust put on a fundraising dinner, in the gardens, in cooperation with Forest and Ozone Cafés – a feast of fruit, vegetables and herbs picked from the gardens, prepared and […]

Pride…

  During February we have felt a growing sense of pride in Aotearoa- pride in the progress we are making to become a Treaty-based nation and in our growing capacity for diversity -the ability to welcome and include people of different ethnicities, cultures, religions and genders.  We’ve enjoyed the rainbow colours of Skytower, and of […]