Seagulls – sunbathing (not), rather they are bracing themselves in the wind Floating ball in the civic square – yes, it’s really floating…… Old crane against the modern building scape. Getting ready for the sailing season. Looking back up to the church on the hill

Last night there was a heck of a rumble, the biggest we’ve had yet which almost sent me packing under the dining table for cover. Reference Number: 2625245/GUniversal Time: September 15 2006 at 11:43NZ Standard Time: Friday, September 15 2006 at 11:43 pmLatitude, Longitude: 40.95°S, 174.48°EFocal Depth: 50 kmRichter Magnitude: 5.040 km north-west of Porirua40 [...]

Being a stranger in a strange land is always an unsettling thing. But in Wellington there are some key institutions that make the transition as easy as possible. In my first few days I signed up to join the library, an airplane hanger type building packed to the gunnels with books, magazines, DVDs, CDs and [...]

Filled with the excitement that the bridge across the Pakuratahi Stream bringing us one step closer to our dream home, I decided to celebrate and bake a cake. This simple domestic pleasure often seems like a nightmare because cakes have never really been my thing. Although I have acquired new muffin making skills I’ve been [...]

There is a quaint expression here in New Zealand would have worked well to quell the politics of the Labour Party in the UK and the parliament here in Wellington this week. If only people had stopped and “pulled their heads in”. As far as I can tell, this expression is used to cut down [...]

Today I was in the big smoke after taking a big aeroplace north to Auckland. It was my first business trip north and probably the closest I’ll get to the Auckland Races (it was a meeting in the Race Course Grandstand). Quite apart from the adventure of getting up early for the flight, I am [...]

My dear supportive husband has thrown himself into sharing domestic duties since I have started full time work. I can’t quite work out whether his enthusiasm is just another routine that he draws pleasure from or whether he’s getting more obsessed about standards of domestic hygiene. So for 90 minutes each weekend we get into [...]

If you’ve read Nigel Slater’s book, The Kitchen Diaries, you’ll be familiar with the practice of shopping locally for seasonal produce. For most people the labour intensive style of food retailing is beyond their time limitations and a short sharp trip to the supermarket is the most efficient way. Since becoming a domestic-executive I’ve been [...]