Category Archives: Uncategorized

January 15, 2024 Arrowtown is a small historic town situated on the banks of the Arrow River, about 20kms (17.5 miles) from Queenstown. It began life in 1862 when Jack Tewa, known locally as Maori Jack, found gold in the Arrow River. Soon a township of over 1,000 miners sprang up that would eventually rise toContinue reading “Arrowtown, Otago, New Zealand”

January 14, 2024 Neither of us are foodies, so we had no prior experience of dining at a truly high end restaurant. The type of restaurant where it takes five hours to eat nineteen courses (no exaggeration). Amisfield was named New Zealand’s top restaurant in 2023, and based on our experience it is easy to see why. AlongContinue reading “Amisfield Restaurant, Queenstown, New Zealand”

December 20, 2023 Back in Point Chev, we once again admired the solidly built state houses that take up most of the neighborhood. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Labour Government set out to build thousands of homes for those on low incomes. The standard of materials and construction was high because the government was determined thatContinue reading “Point Chevalier, Auckland, New Zealand”

December 12, 2023 Accompanied by our cousin, Annette, we returned to the streets of Point Chev. Here are some of the traditional houses we saw along the way. Generally, we have found the newer houses in the neighborhood to be less inspiring. One exception, however, are a number of houses that we have come acrossContinue reading “Point Chevalier, Auckland, New Zealand”

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”