We had a week in Dunedin last month – and managed to find all the ingredients of a fine holiday: catching up with family and friends, lesbian company, cultural activities, conservation projects, and a political visit. We stayed the first night with former Aucklander, Pleasance, in her hilltop villa, and joined a monthly dinner group of Dunedin lesbians. Ann Charlotte, whom we met there, […]
Towards “A Ukulele Revolution”
October 19, 2015 by 1 Comment
(from left) Joe, Bernard, Tanya and Charmaine with some of Bernard’s beautiful instruments We have an exciting new project – helping to raise funds for a ukulele-making workshop and training centre in Poutasi, on the south-east coast of Upolu, Samoa. This village was destroyed by the 2009 tsunami, partially rebuilt, and then severely damaged again by […]
A new Coromandel enterprise..
October 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
A highlight of our recent holiday weekend in Coromandel was going for a guided walk with Jamie Watson, a young local Maori man planning to develop a Maori tourism enterprise in the area. We met him at Driving Creek Café after our trip on the Driving Creek Railway with our friends Shila and Farida. We admire […]
Samoa scenes…
August 19, 2015 by 4 Comments
We’ve just returned from the winter warmth of Samoa and Tanya’s 70th birthday. Here’s a few glimpses of our week… Flowers… Fale… Poutasi Village Developments : Crafts, Education and Gardens… Church on Sunday, of course: the Methodist Church in Siumu Tanya’s 70th birthday surprise from Sinalei Staff… accompanied by “Manuia lou […]
Whole House: ReUse – not Refuse
August 10, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Whole House ReUse Project was founded and codirected by two women: Juliet Arnott and Kate McIntyre. With teams organised by Rekindle almost 100 artists and craftspeople from throughout Aotearoa (and beyond) have turned a red-zone Christchurch building into 390 creative works ranging from a 4m x 2.5m studio-sleepout, and dining suites, to an elegant Maori flute, […]
Christchurch-Otautahi
July 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
We’re in Christchurch for a few days this week – to see the Whole House Re-Use exhibition in the Canterbury Museum (open till August 24th), to explore the new Christchurch emerging from the ruins of the 2010-11 earthquakes, and to visit family and old friends. The Whole House Re-Use project is so powerful and important […]
cranes, containers, construction, creation, contrast…
July 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
[singlepic id=130 w= h= float=center] The central city engages us, shocks us, grieves and enchants us. It is a personal experience, human stories around every corner. the cathedral, its new gateway a tiny wooden whare with richly planted roof and sides, its gaping nave a black cave with pigeons roosting in it giant cranes nudging […]
A Treat at Tongariro
June 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment
We ‘ve just had an invigorating break in the dramatic Tongariro National Park in the Central North Island. We enjoyed the icy air and rosy snow-capped mountains at dusk on our first day, exploring the mounds on the plateau left by an ancient avalanche, a drive up to Scoria Flat on the rocky volcanic slopes of Ruapehu, misty bush walks beside […]
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