No ordinary sculptor: The man who makes wood come to life
August 18, 2019
What appears to be clothing hanging on the walls in reality is creations made of wood. … More No ordinary sculptor: The man who makes wood come to life
Tag: New Zealand
My environmental poems
November 3, 2018
Beach Rhythms at Mount Maunganui at 5pm The way ranks of clouds saunter across the sky The way sand ripples reflect dark shadows onto gleaming white The way four legs of walkers step in unison The way each surf wave rises and descends with a thud The way I listen for the silence between The … More My environmental poems
Whale Island in Bay of Plenty
January 10, 2017
It looked like a humpback whale to both the Maori and Captain James Cook, who charted New Zealand for the first time in the far-back 1780s for the British Admiralty. The Maori called it Motuhora and the captain, Whale Island. I lived at Bryans Beach, Opotiki for many years, and the island was central in … More Whale Island in Bay of Plenty
A Walk on the Wild Side – sort of
December 12, 2016
We volunteers met at the kohanga, the hut where the supplies are kept for the pest eradication project for the Aongatete Forest Restoration. We’re put in groups of 2 or 3, allocated a line, a track along which the bait stations are located, load the supplies into a backpack and with the track plan in hand, … More A Walk on the Wild Side – sort of
Two Good Keen Girls
December 11, 2016
It was supposed to be a rat-station baiting day in the forest, but a previous check by volunteers found only two rats had been caught! The forest was safe for the birds this time around. Instead, we volunteers would have a walk and a barbecue. Meeting at the kohanga, literally te reo Maori for nest, … More Two Good Keen Girls
Te Aroha – the mountain of love and a surprise Edwardian town in the Waikato
August 27, 2016
Te Aroha snuggles beneath the moutain bearing the same name on the Waikato side of the Kaimai range which divides the Bay of Plenty from the Waikato. Hot springs emerge from a fault line at the base of the bush-covered mountain. The small rural town surprises me with the number of large fancy Victorian/Edwardian buildings; … More Te Aroha – the mountain of love and a surprise Edwardian town in the Waikato
Wilderness as therapy
February 22, 2016
Have you ever wished to get away from it all, get into nature and escape into solitude? Probably, and I’m there now for two weeks, minding a garden and a B&B for friends. Ohiwa Harbour between Whakatane and Opotiki, New Zealand, is a magical place to retreat and reflect. What force of nature draws … More Wilderness as therapy
Doctor Peter’s Good Earth Magic – my first book out now
September 27, 2015
Exciting stuff! I’ve just picked up my first book from the printer. i’m now an Indie author, self published and independent. It’s a fairy story in a chapter book with a real live person working with the fairies to sort out their soil problems, the same problems that farmer’s have. Here’s the cover – Doctor … More Doctor Peter’s Good Earth Magic – my first book out now
Exploring the outdoor art murals in Katikati, New Zealand
July 5, 2015
I’m house sitting with a stuffed grizzly bear in a small rural town called Katikati in the western Bay of Plenty New Zealand. I’m here for five months over the winter and spring, from June to October. I write children’s stories. I paint landscapes and I explore. This is an exploration story. Katikati is a … More Exploring the outdoor art murals in Katikati, New Zealand
I’m back again.
June 25, 2015
Where have I been? House sitting round the North Island of New Zealand. And writing. As the song goes,”I’ve been everywhere, man…” Napier, Wellington, Levin and Katikati, Horowhenua by the beach, on a farm and over the Bombay Hills to Auckland. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zntSv18kDYjI.kqUukHZv0ISE&hl=en I’ve trailed round the route that my character in my children’s story took on … More I’m back again.
