Recently my brother sent me a link to an article on a British news website about New Zealand being a great place to retire. It cited the quality of life, how cheap things are here, how great is our healthcare, etc. I read most of it with a wry smile, wondering where on earth this […]
Tag: New Zealand
Volcanic
A decade or so ago we’d just signed a binding contract to buy a house in Ohakune when the alert level for the volcano that looms over the town was raised. Last week, for the first time since such levels were introduced, it was raised for the volcano that lies under New Zealand’s largest lake, […]
Weathering: Part 2
(A lame title, I know, but I’m hopeless at naming things and my usually helpful assistant clearly has inspiration issues.) I realise this is my third post in a row about weather, but it’s a fascinating subject and I am English, therefore predisposed to talk about it. I’m also now a Kiwi, and Kiwis like […]
Weathering
Here in Ohakune we’re on our fourth day of solid rain. We’re not alone – storms have swept across the country and I wonder if we should rename New Zealand the Soggy Isles. There have even been mini-tornadoes in some areas, trees being tossed aside like cocktail sticks and rooves ripped away. We’re paying for […]
Tongariro Alpine Crossing: Part Two
8.30am. The shuttle driver warns of how hard the next few hours will be, briefly describes the challenges we’ll face, and asks us to use the toilets now available along the route and not just hop off the path as: you wouldn’t do it in your own home, please don’t do it in ours. He […]
A Bridge to Nowhere
During and after World War I the New Zealand government offered land in the Mangapurua and Kaiwhakauka valleys to returning soldiers. Many took up the offer on the understanding they would soon have easier access via a new road, but the land was remote, untamed and hilly, and clearing it was challenging. Without its bush […]
Beasties: Part Two
WARNING: This post contains images and descriptions of pest animal trapping. If this distresses you, please do not read on. When the chunk of land that became the islands of New Zealand broke away from the great southern continent of Gondwana seventy million years ago, it wasn’t just the nasty beasties that stayed on the […]
Beasties: Part One
A friend sent me this picture the other day. The subject, one of its fangs clearly visible between two front legs, fell on her back whilst she was sunbathing. She claims the only reason it didn’t take a chunk out of her is that she was smothered in tanning oil rather than sun cream so […]
Reflections
One of our regular walks (Waitonga Falls: https://purplehippo.blog/2020/06/12/on-the-mountain-waitonga-falls/ ) provided us with a pleasant surprise on Christmas Eve. As it had the day before, the sun shone from a clear blue sky, so we left early for a quick walk before its heat made anything more than a snail’s pace unbearable. Within the trees it […]
In the Ida Valley
Spring in New Zealand is a tale of two seasons: winter tries its hardest to maintain its grip as summer struggles to assert its authority. Nowhere is this more evident than in Central Otago, a place that regularly records both the highest and lowest temperatures in the country. The sun feels hot through a window […]
Tracy Annenberg 