Author Archives: walkingward3

April 12, 2021 Today we decided to go for a stroll through our alma mater, The University of Auckland, where Mal did his BA and Law degrees and Lauren did her MA. We were joined by our friends Judi and Arlette who were both at university with us back in the eighties. In fact, ArletteContinue reading “Auckland, New Zealand”

April 3-5, 2021 We just spent an awesome Easter weekend at the beach town of Whangamata with our dear friends Dave and Jac, their son Nick and his partner Nicole. Whangamata comes from the Maori words ‘whanga’ meaning bay and ‘mata’ meaning stone, and refers to the obsidian which washes up on the beach. TheContinue reading “Whangamata, New Zealand”

After dinner, we decided to go for a walk along the length of Ponsonby Road. For DC residents, Ponsonby Road is best likened to 14th Street, but on steroids. Along its length are scores of restaurants, cafes and boutique stores. Even on a Tuesday night it was bustling. Many of the early street names inContinue reading “Auckland, New Zealand”

March 27, 2021 The Auckland Art Gallery (Toi o Tamaki) is the principal public art gallery in Auckland. The original gallery that was constructed in 1887 in French Renaissance style has been through a number of extensions and renovations, culminating in a massive extension in 2011 that increased the exhibition space by 50%. It isContinue reading “Auckland, New Zealand”

March 26, 2011 Completed in 1932, Tamaki Drive follows the coastline east from downtown Auckland through Okahu Bay, Mission Bay and Kohimarama before coming to an end in St. Heliers. It is about five miles long and, as practically the only flat street in Auckland, is popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists. The beaches areContinue reading “Auckland, New Zealand”

March 23, 2021 We spent our last night and day in the South Island with our dear friends Dot and Georgia and their three sons. Dot and Georgia grow peonies but not so much for their beautiful flowers but for their roots. Originally, they had decided to plant peonies to export the blooms but onContinue reading “Dovedale, New Zealand”

March 21-22, 2021 We started our tour of Marlborough in Picton, waiting for a boat to take us to Furneaux Lodge, in Queen Charlotte Sound. Picton is where the large ferries dock that sail over from Wellington at the bottom of the North Island. We liked these colorful chairs, a perfect spot to sit inContinue reading “Marlborough, New Zealand”

March 20, 2021 On the way to Kaikoura, we stopped off in the small country town of Geraldine, where we had coffee in a beautiful cafe surrounded by flowers. Even by New Zealand standards, Mal’s cappuccino was pretty elaborate. The pleasant vibe of the town was reflected in the local police station which included anContinue reading “Geraldine / Kaikoura, New Zealand”

March 19, 2021 On the way from Clyde to Lake Tekapo, we stopped in at the Omarama Clay Cliffs. As we have travelled around New Zealand, we have often thought how certain parts remind us of other countries. Consequently, our suggestion for an effective New Zealand travel ad campaign would be to show photos ofContinue reading “Omarama / Lake Tekapo, New Zealand”

March 18, 2021 After a hard day on the trail, we decided to spend the next day relaxing in the small historic town of Clyde. Clyde was formed at the time of the Central Otago gold rush of the 1860s. This was New Zealand’s biggest gold strike and led to a rapid influx of miners,Continue reading “Clyde, New Zealand”