I was sitting on a plane bound for Charlotte, North Carolina when the lady next to me started a conversation. “Where are you from?” was her first question after she heard me pronounce water with a ‘t’. As we talked… Read More ›
art
In Love with Abingdon
On a day when the temperature didn’t rise much above freezing, I took a drive to Abingdon, a small town with a lot to recommend it. The town’s catch phrase “it’s always play time in Abingdon” is no doubt intended… Read More ›
A Walk in Wynyard Quarter
The Auckland waterfront has had its share of critics but it’s on its way to becoming a ‘must see’ destination for locals and visitors alike. There are bars and restaurants, of course, a funky little weekend market, the… Read More ›
Late night at the museum
I don’t think that there is a better place in Auckland for an evening event than the Auckland Museum. The views stretch across the city and it feels deliciously naughty to be allowed inside the building after closing time. Many exclusive occasions are… Read More ›
The Pah Homestead: art, coffee and views
It’s a thrill to discover the hidden secrets in a new city but it’s even more of a thrill when the same thing happens in the city that you call home. I recently shifted across town and suddenly found The Pah a… Read More ›
Christchurch, city of colour
Christchurch is a city in transition. The earthquakes that started in September 2010 and culminated in the devastating quake on 22 February 2011 forced the city to re-imagine itself and that is exactly what it is doing. The people who… Read More ›
Sunshine, sea and sculpture are a winning combination on Waiheke Island
Auckland is waking up to the fact that spectacular scenery and out-of-the-box, larger-than-life sculpture is a winning combination. Throw in a sunny day and a glass of a locally produced Waiheke wine and the organisers of headland sculpture on the… Read More ›
101 reasons to visit NZ Sculpture Onshore
There are so many reasons to visit NZ Sculpture Onshore that I don’t know where to start. There’s great pride in knowing that NZ has so many talented artists, established and emerging. There’s the spectacular location looking across the Hauraki Gulf… Read More ›
An hour to kill in Auckland
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 ›
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 ›
