North Island or South Island? When visiting New Zealand, many travellers ponder on this very conundrum. The former has active volcanoes, the City of Sails (Auckland) and one of the world’s best coffee capitals (Wellington). The latter has crystal clear lakes, rugged coastlines and the … Continue readingCrossing Cook Strait
We stroll unhurriedly along the length of the Wellington Pier till we reach The Crab Shack at the southern end of Shed 5. Hard to imagine but raftered shed is over a century old, no longer meant for maritime use but now a haven for … Continue readingThe crabs and the invasivores
The Wellington Botanic Garden stretches as far as the eye can see. We are overwhelmed, defeated by its 25 hectares. After half a day here, we have barely covered half its grounds. The slopes of dramatic hydrangeas, the garden of fragrances, the duck pond, the … Continue readingRoses, roses
How many robins can you fit on the head of a pin? Perhaps it depends on the robins in question. If these Robins are the Dark Knight’s beleaguered sidekicks — the original Boy Wonder Dick Grayson, headstrong antihero Jason Todd, the analytical Tim Drake, trained-assassin … Continue readingAngels and robins
We must all stop somewhere, sometime, if only for a breather. After driving over 370 km and nearly all day from Taupo to Wellington, we are glad to check into our hotel, reaching it a couple of hours before sunset. Our room embraces the French … Continue readingThe wisdom of summer sweetcorn