NZ’s First Schoolbus Recreated
In April 1924 New Zealand’s first motorised schoolbus service began, with the acquisition of three specially constructed Model T Fords by Piopio School, located south west of Te Kuiti in the North Island’s Waitomo district. Now, in honour of this pioneering moment, a replica bus is being built.Once upon a time, before the horseless carriage […]
The Nostalgia Trade
Summer’s here and the time is right for… well, outdoor festivals and concerts. At this time of year UK and US bands of bygone decades can either sit at home where it’s cold, weathering the financial drought and contemplating their tax dilemmas, or tour sunny Australia and New Zealand. These giants once strode the earth, […]
In One Year & Out The Other
Here we are, on the eve of New Year’s Eve. 2015 and all it contains is about to become a memory. So Thursday night, where will you be? A family evening out with the kids, partying with friends, a quiet wine and some TV with your significant other, or catching a show and doing the […]
The South Seas Eiffel
On this day in 1889, NZ’s very own Eiffel Tower opened for business. Only eight and a half months earlier, Gustave Eiffel had unveiled his elegant namesake as the centrepiece of the Paris Exhibition Universelle. It was pure in concept, ingeniously engineered, monumentally modern, and at 300m the world’s tallest tower (holding this record until […]
Local Growth: Discovering Farmers’ Markets
The farmers’ market was, in a pre-twentieth century civilisation, the best and in many places the only way to buy fresh produce. In small towns, they were your weekly shop, in cities your local greengrocer would source their stock directly from the growers. With the advent of the supermarket the number of middle men between […]
There But For The Grace Of Whales…
About 180km north of Christchurch on SH1 is one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist stops. The attraction is not the small town itself, although with its backdrop of mountain ranges there is plenty of coastal charm. Those ranges are a stray branch of the southern alps which travels east, descends to a brief plateau […]
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
For anyone wanting to experience both New Zealand and exotic wildlife while in Christchurch, Willowbank Reserve is a rich experience that’s easily accessible from the city. There’s a diverse range of species on display, with lots of information on the animals’ behaviour, ecology, and the state of their habitat and population in the wild. Everything […]
Anna Willcox: Olympic Objective
Anna Willcox-Silfverberg (known increasingly to the media as simply Anna Willcox) is an emerging star in an emerging sport. The 23 year old Kiwi is a native of Auckland’s North Shore, and first learned to ski on the legendary slopes of Treble Cone whilst holidaying with her family when when she was four. That family […]
Guide To NZ’s East Cape
The East Cape is one of the more isolated regions in New Zealand, and is absolutely worth the journey to discover for yourself. The term refers to the region north of Gisborne all the way up to Opotiki, and it’s full of both natural beauty and a unique local culture. The area has a high […]
Tutukaka Marina: A Guide To The Tutukaka Harbour
The far north of New Zealand is famous for its beautiful weather, pristine beaches, clear water and sunny skies all through the year. It’s no wonder then that it’s a popular playground for boaties of all vessel types, and the Tutukaka Marina is one of the best ways to access this natural marine wonderland. For […]
