Category Archives: Uncategorized

April 15, 2021 Today we walked along Karangahape Road, commonly shortened to K Road by the locals, over the Grafton Bridge and on through the Domain to the Auckland Museum. K Road was Auckland’s most popular shopping street during the first half of the 1900s and was home to many of New Zealand’s most popularContinue reading “Auckland, New Zealand”

April 13, 2021 The Auckland area is home to 48 volcanic cones, many of which are clearly visible standing above their surrounding suburbs. The most recognizable is Maungakiekie (hill of the kiekie vine) more commonly known as One Tree Hill. The hill got its English name from a solitary tree that stood near its summit.Continue reading “Auckland, New Zealand”

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”