While visiting a thermal area near Rotorua, I had a fairly dramatic fall down a bank and rearranged the bones in my wrist. Surgery was required to set them back […]

Tom and George: An Announcement

I’m delighted (and hugely relieved) to announce that I’ve just completed the first draft of Tom and George. Many different factors have come together to get in the way of […]

In late 1918, in the immediate wake of the Great War, an influenza pandemic was raging. During the two months of the pandemic New Zealand lost 9,000 people to the […]

European Odyssey

We recently returned from a wonderful holiday in central and eastern Europe (and a few days in England), a glorious mix of sightseeing, hiking and kayaking. Castles, ancient cities, lovely […]

Victorian Heritage in Oamaru

Last month we attended the Oamaru Victorian festival, an annual event when this South Island town celebrates its Victorian heritage making fine use of its wealth of 19th century buildings. […]

My kete of memories

A kete is a traditional Maori basket, made from harakeke (New Zealand flax). This is my kete. It’s one of my oldest possessions, as I was given it when a […]

I’ve been neglecting my blog, so it’s high time for a short update. 2016 was a busy year, with time taken up in travelling and researching (sometimes both at the […]