Author Archives: walkingward3

December 9, 2023 Point Chevalier, or Point Chev, as it is commonly known, is an Auckland suburb about three miles west of the city center. The suburb was originally a working-class area but now is solidly middle class. Like many Auckland suburbs, the original homes had large quarter acre sections. These sections were large enough,Continue reading “Point Chevalier, Auckland, New Zealand”

November 28, 2023 Our dear cousin, Annette, led us on a tour through her neighborhood, Westmere. We started walking through the neighborhood’s streets, where, like most Auckland suburbs, there is a vibrant mix of older and newer homes. We then walked down into a trail that winds around the harbor and through some marshland. AutomobileContinue reading “Westmere, Auckland, New Zealand”

November 25, 2023 Matakana is a picturesque little village about an hour’s drive north of Auckland. Matakana is generally translated from the maori as meaning ‘distrustful’ or ‘watchful’. More specifically, mata means face and kanakana is an expression made by bulging the eyes and tongue to intimidate. It is the expression the All Blacks makeContinue reading “Matakana, New Zealand”

November 23, 2023 Kohimarama, commonly known simply as Kohi (pronounced koey) is a coastal residential suburb of about 4,400 residents that centers around a beautiful beach and a large park. In maori, Kohimarama, apparently refers to the gathering of the scattered wood chips that are left from the carving of waka (canoes). After a deliciousContinue reading “Kohimarama, Auckland, New Zealand”

November 16, 2023 On a beautiful point overlooking Narrow Neck Beach on Auckland’s north shore, we visited a large sculpture show, raising funds for Women’s Refuge. With over 130 works by 100 artists, it was a spectacular show to visit on a beautiful sunny day. Here are some of the stunning works. The most powerfulContinue reading “Narrow Neck, Auckland, New Zealand”

November 7, 2023 In September of 1967, Mal and his family took The Queen Mary across the Atlantic from New York City to Southampton, England, on one of the iconic ship’s final voyages. Soon after, it was retired from service and entered into its new life as a hotel in Long Beach, California. Fifty sixContinue reading “The Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, USA”

November 6, 2023 About an hour’s drive down the coast from LA is scenic Laguna Beach. We made the drive down to meet Lauren’s old school friend Lisa and her husband Dave. After a beautiful lunch at Las Brisas restaurant, sitting high on a point overlooking the beach, we went for a stroll along theContinue reading “Laguna Beach, California, USA”

October 28, 2023 Named after Griffith J. Griffith (cool name), who donated the over three thousand acres on which it sits, the Griffith Observatory is the place to go for extensive views of Los Angeles and the nearby Hollywood hills. Opened in 1935, it is a beautiful deco style building that has featured in numerousContinue reading “Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, California, USA”

October 27, 2023 Silver Lake is a hip suburb in Los Angeles. It is east of Hollywood and straddles across Sunset Boulevard. Our son, Ben, recently purchased a property there. On yet another sunny LA day, we headed out to explore the neighborhood. It was quite a strenuous walk as it is very hilly inContinue reading “Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, USA”

October 25, 2023 Our son, Jake, and daughter-in-law, Kylie, recently purchased their first home. It is a beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival house in the California Heights historic district that was developed in the late 1920s. Jake and Kylie took us for a tour through the neighborhood. Here are some of the houses we passed, startingContinue reading “California Heights and Los Cerritos, Long Beach, California, USA”