Goodbye, New Zealand
For those who don’t know, I’ve been living in New Zealand for the past two years. Last week, I left. It’s no more than one stage of my life finishing, and another beginning. But the memories created…
Tramping
In New Zealand, any hike that doesn’t require staying overnight is called a walk. Even if you’re hiking for 8 hours over alpine scrub, it’s a walk. But an overnight hike – now that’s a tramp….
A Home Away From Home
I went away on holiday this week, and had a fabulous time. Did some tramping, did some shopping, ate mussels, and even got some review reading in. That’s all good. But what made my holiday great…
Chapter: A Romance Bookstore in Auckland
New Zealand is a land of many attributes, but Romance Central it is not. The tendency is to tuck away romance novels at the end of shelves like tails between legs. So imagine my surprise when…
When the Drive is Funner Than the Destination
The first week of school holidays was entirely devoted to sleeping and reading, in that order. But the second week I got my hair cut, went to the National Army Museum, looked at my calendar, and…
Staying Warm in New Zealand: Part II
One of the most enduring wood-chopping images in my mind comes from one of my favourite movies, an MGM musical from the 1950s called Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. In the beginning, our hero (the wonderful…