Every murder is a tragedy. But we must also continue to look at the other, less public, kinds of continuing violence that make our nation unsafe, unhealthy and unhappy for many women. Thirty years ago, Marilyn Waring’s book Counting for Nothing: what men value and what women are worth was published. She documented the huge […]
…and finally, a good place to stay…
December 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment
…a small town whose population increases from 3000 to 10,000 for a couple of weeks over Christmas and New Year, every year, but outside this peak Christmas period offers a lively, diverse community, every outdoor activity you can think of , and outstanding places to stay, to eat, and to explore: Whaingaroa-Raglan As part of […]
Creativity in the City…
November 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Architects… Taiga, our 9-year-old friend from Earthsong, joined us for a day exploring the work of some of Aotearoa’s leading architects. Fifteen central Auckland architecture firms held open days, and we managed to spend time at four, talking with staff and looking at current project models, past work images and futuristic designs. Taiga had two […]
Celebrating Women…
November 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Renée … novelist, playwright, and inspiring older woman (in her 90th year) has just been awarded a Prime Minister’s Literary Achievement Award ( with a $60,000 koha- so well-earned!)… An excellent item on the NZ Herald website includes the lovely photo above by Rosalie Phillips for the Otaki News. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12144016 We have many fond memories […]
Celebrating Te Reo
November 18, 2018 by 1 Comment
We’re still enjoying the upsurge in use and acknowledgement of Te Reo Maori. And we urge you all to read the excellent article on page 112 of the September-October issue of New Zealand Geographic. Kennedy Warne’s essay, A Flash of Fire: what a difference a name makes , explores the differences between Maori and English government […]
Close to Home…
November 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Puha and Pakeha We have a new cafe almost next door… And one which definitely celebrates a harmonious diversity of culinary delights! Just the other side of St Columba Church from us (on Surrey Crescent, opposite the end of Richmond Road) is Puha and Pakeha, which offers tapas-style dishes blending ingredients and cooking styles from […]
Tanya has a new knee…
November 18, 2018 by 2 Comments
Tanya had a new knee installed three weeks ago. In Ormiston Hospital- as for her two hip operations – she felt quite at home, in a room with a view, and with the same surgeon, the same favourite lesbian nurse and the same physio. However, a knee op is very different from a hip […]
Women won the right to vote – 125 years ago today, in Aotearoa
September 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment
We caught a bus to the city heart at 6.30am this morning, 19 September, the 125th anniversary of women winning the right to vote in Aotearoa, for a 7am ceremony in Aotea Square. We were all welcomed by the wāhine toa of Ngāti Whātua Orākei on the steps of the Aotea Centre, with Sharon […]
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