On a recent rainy weekday I had an hour to kill between meetings. Rather than settling into a cafe with a coffee and a magazine, I decided to duck into the Auckland Art Gallery to see what’s going on. Quite a… Read More ›
New Zealand
Coffee and chandeliers
Since I gave up an office job, I’ve become a big fan of cafes where I can sit for a couple of hours working on my laptop for the price of a cappuccino. My needs are simple: a comfortable place… Read More ›
The best little pancake shop
You’ll know you’ve found this hole-in-the-wall takeaway kiosk by the throngs of people waiting patiently on the pavement. It’s not a long wait even though about 400 Korean pancakes are made fresh every day for those in the know. Small balls of… Read More ›
Little and Local in Snells Beach
It used to be true that cafes with personality were hard to find outside the major centres in New Zealand but no longer. Nowadays, we like our trim flat whites served to us in colourful cups and saucers (intentionally mismatched) in surroundings that are… Read More ›
OK Auckland. Are you ready to eat your way round India?
Who knew that just 10 minutes away from Auckland’s city centre there is a place where it is possible to take your taste buds on a trip all over the Indian sub-continent ? Not me, but an afternoon in… Read More ›
Art that makes you think is the best kind
There was a kerfuffle in the New Zealand media recently over the exhibition of eight photographs taken of members of the NZ Mongrel Mob. The owner of the gallery has had to defend his decision to display the images, especially one… Read More ›
ANZAC spirit not forgotten
There are not many days when I will willingly get out of bed at 4.30am. But one day every year there is a very good reason to. It’s April 25th. ANZAC Day. A day when thousands of New Zealanders gather before dawn in… Read More ›
The West Coast: a Road Less Travelled
Mention to anyone that you’re planning a road trip in the South Island and they will immediately tell you stories of spectacular coastal roads and rugged mountain passes. “Picture postcard moments around every corner” they’ll say and they’d be right…. Read More ›
Grind on High: for coffee that tastes as good as it looks
There are so many great places in Auckland to drink coffee. Some have great locations, some have comfy chairs and free wifi and don’t mind if you hang out for hours with your laptop, some are great for people-watching, and… Read More ›
A Day to Remember
You can just about make out, through the sea spray, a little spot of red at the end of Murrays Bay wharf. That’s a man in a red windproof jacket. What you can’t see is that he has two children… Read More ›
