Author Archives: walkingward3

May 26, 2023 None of us had ever been to Arkansas, so we decided to take a drive across the Mississippi to nearby Helena. We thought that we would find it hard to find a town more down on its luck than Clarksdale, but we were wrong. Many of Helena’s buildings were shuttered and dilapidated.Continue reading “Helena, Arkansas, USA”

May 25, 2023 Clarksdale is a small town in the heart of the Mississippi delta. We were there to celebrate the wedding of Joe, a dear friend of our family. The town has been in decline for much of the twentieth and twenty first centuries. Particularly devastating was the invention in the 1940s of automatedContinue reading “Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA”

April 23, 2023 Today, we walked around the Auckland suburb of Remuera, where we lived for three years during the eighties. When it was developed, the neighborhood consisted of large homes on quarter and half acre sections. The size of the sections allowed owners later on to subdivide their lots, building second and sometimes thirdContinue reading “Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand”

April 4, 2023 We decided to start our last day on the island like we had started the rest, with a hike. Once again, some uphill climbing was required and once again the view made it all worthwhile. With some time to spare before our flight back to the mainland, we headed to Medlands beachContinue reading “Great Barrier Island, New Zealand”

April 3, 2023 We started the day with a walk up Windy Canyon, which lived up to its name and required hands on hats. Fortunately, we had been in training going up and down the steps to Annette and Neil’s bach, so were ready for the seemingly endless steps that had been built along theContinue reading “Great Barrier Island, New Zealand”

April 2, 2023 On a misty day, we walked through some beautiful wetlands and up through the bush before coming to the Kaitoke hot springs. Thermal activity heats the water running down a small stream and creates small hot pools along its path. The pool we bathed in was almost too hot to get into.Continue reading “Great Barrier Island, New Zealand”

April 1, 2023 We have heard it said that visiting Great Barrier is like going back In time. It certainly did remind us of New Zealand from forty years back when times were simpler. It is the kind of place where approaching drivers give a friendly wave as they pass you by. Although it isContinue reading “Great Barrier Island, New Zealand”

March 31, 2023 Great Barrier Island lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, about 61 miles (100 kms) from Auckland. Neither of us had ever been there, so when our cousin, Annette, asked us to come stay at her bach, we leapt on the opportunity. The island is a long ferry ride or a short planeContinue reading “Great Barrier Island, New Zealand”

March 30, 2023 There are fourteen ancestral mountains of Auckland (Tupuna Maunga o Tamaki Makaurau). They are the volcanic cones that hold the greatest historical, spiritual, ancestral and cultural significance to the local Maori iwi (tribes). So far, we have climbed twelve of them, including Mt. Richmond, today’s summit. It is apparently named for aContinue reading “Mt. Richmond, Auckland, New Zealand”

March 23, 2023 On what felt like the first Autumn day of the year, with clear blue skies and a slight chill in the air, we went for a walk through the streets of Grey Lynn. We dropped in at our friend Kris’s store, Pearl. Lauren took a break from the walk to try onContinue reading “Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand”