Dolphins We Have Loved
Dolphins are perhaps the most loved and respected creatures in the sea. Considered by marine biologists to be highly intelligent, they have a brain-to-body mass ratio second only to humans. They are also very sociable mammals, and almost always swim in pods, or groups. Lone dolphins are extremely rare and most likely orphaned, and of […]
Shot in New Zealand – Part I
Part one in our series on movies filmed here in NZ. This time last year filming was underway on a new Disney movie, Pete’s Dragon, at Stone Street Studios in Wellington. It’s one of the latest in a long procession of major overseas productions filmed here in NZ, and happily, these movies have drawn […]
Auckland Heritage – Queen Street’s Oldest Building
Whilst looking for something else I found this photo. It was taken in 1922, in Lower Queen St, Auckland. Among other things, it’s a snapshot of technology in transition: jaywalking pedestrians, electric trams, cars, and even a horse and cart. The Guardian building is on the right, home to NZ Insurance as it was […]
Hub of Wonder – Auckland’s Western Springs
Auckland is New Zealand’s busiest city. Home to one-third of the country’s population, demand for housing is constant and real estate prices climb faster than incomes. It’s something of a miracle then that we have two very substantial green areas within a few kilometres of the central business district. One is Cornwall Park/One Tree Hill […]
Happy Birthday Dear Cable Car
The iconic Wellington Cable Car celebrates its 114th birthday today. This milestone in Kiwi engineering began service in 1902 and was devised to connect the then-new suburb of Kelburn with the CBD below. The track was 785 metres long, and climbed 120 metres from Lambton Quay to Upland Road, passing over three bridges and through […]
En Nouvelle-Zélande Nous Utilisons des Toilettes
Ahhh, France. The very mention of it conjures up so many romantic images: its legacy of exquisite wines and fine cuisine, the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum, fashionable ladies with sensual accents, and the dashing young men… …urinating out of moving cars. Last week Angela Chilton was traveling on SH6 toward Milford Sound behind a […]
Up Your Grill Game: Recipes For A Better BBQ
If you live in New Zealand, and it’s summer, hosting a barbecue is considered almost a civic duty. And luckily it’s not too hard to do – some packs of sausages and chops, a couple of trays of beer, and you’ve fulfilled the obligation. But for those who aspire to slightly higher culinary heights, the […]
NZ’s First Schoolbus Recreated
In April 1924 New Zealand’s first motorised schoolbus service began, with the acquisition of three specially constructed Model T Fords by Piopio School, located south west of Te Kuiti in the North Island’s Waitomo district. Now, in honour of this pioneering moment, a replica bus is being built. Once upon a time, before the horseless […]
The Nostalgia Trade
Summer’s here and the time is right for… well, outdoor festivals and concerts. At this time of year UK and US bands of bygone decades can either sit at home where it’s cold, weathering the financial drought and contemplating their tax dilemmas, or tour sunny Australia and New Zealand. These giants once strode the earth, […]
In One Year & Out The Other
Here we are, on the eve of New Year’s Eve. 2015 and all it contains is about to become a memory. So Thursday night, where will you be? A family evening out with the kids, partying with friends, a quiet wine and some TV with your significant other, or catching a show and doing the […]
