A visit to Whangarei Heads… From Waitangi we headed to Whangarei Heads to stay a couple of nights with our old friends Steph and Annette on Seahorse Farm. We swam, walked, ate delicious food, and were looked after warmly by them both. One highlight was our walk from Urquhart’s Bay around the headland […]
Ōwairaka
December 19, 2019 by 1 Comment
In late November we became involved in political action on our local maunga in Tāmaki Makaurau – Ōwairaka/Mount Albert. We had heard on the news that a small group of local residents had gathered half way up the mountain to stop a tree-felling firm from carrying out the instructions of the Tūpuna Maunga Authority to […]
New Books by Women in Aotearoa
December 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
We’ve had precious time in the evenings to read three new New Zealand books. We have really enjoyed two new novels written by NZ lesbians we know, set firmly in Aotearoa, and with some clear political implications. It’s so lovely for us as lesbians to read about ourselves and our worlds for a change! […]
Whirinaki Te Pua-A-Tane forest
November 18, 2019 by 3 Comments
Tanya’s four-day adventure with Stephanie.. On the last morning of our recent tramp out of the magnificent Whirinaki Podocarp Conservation Park (located between Rotorua and Te Urewera), Steph’s acute eyes spied a whanau of whio, the rare native blue duck – parents and six ducklings – preening themselves on a log, far below us in […]
Local Body Elections
October 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
We are especially delighted that our friend Lyn Riesterer , of Whakatohea descent, became Mayor of the Opotiki District Council – she is the first gay Maori woman Mayor in Aotearoa. Lyn has been on the Opotiki District Council for two terms, and was Deputy Mayor in her second term. Her background is in education […]
Town and Around
October 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Half of the Sky This stand-out Massive Theatre production, written by Lennie James and produced by Sam Scott, stars: Kura Forrester, Rose Henare Ashby, Grace Palmer, Max Palamo & Pat Tafa It is on at Q Theatre in Auckland until Saturday 26 October …catch it if you can before it finishes! Three sisters, their […]
Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori
September 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
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 […]
Bike Auckland
September 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Bike Auckland’s AGM was the best AGM I’ve attended! Over in 5 minutes-” totally rigged!” as the dynamic silver-haired chair, Barbara Cuthbert, announced gleefully, ” because all the current committee members want to continue,” – “but”- she added “we can easily coopt any other keen bikers!” An evening to celebrate a busy year of hustling, […]
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