During the pandemic lockdown I’m reposting earlier blogs if they have more relevance now than when I first posted them. This one involves billionaire boltholes. Billionaire Boltholes: Present Billionaires from around the world have their escapes in New Zealand. Here’s a video on this real estate phenomenon from May 4, 2020. It has had over […]
In this time of self-isolation, I am once again happy that Eva Michelle Wheeler is sharing more of her recent trip to Vanuatu, an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. She found paradise! And a place that promotes good eating. Title image: The billboard says EAT HEALTHY ALL THE TIME Eva made it to […]
In this time of self-isolation, I’m happy that Eva Michelle Wheeler wants to share her recent trip exploring Vanuatu, and the South Pacific Ocean. Eva made it there and back to Durham, North Carolina by mid-March. Just before borders around the world started shutting down. Her posts today and next Tuesday will likely be the […]
This blog is about New Zealand movies – not about movies set in New Zealand only as a backdrop, such as Lord of the Rings. I got my initial list of seven New Zealand movies from the three Māori people I met in Rotorua: Stacee, Tiana, and Karangawai Tiana was in a Māori immersion school […]
Title image: Milford Sound. Just to the left of center is Mitre Peak, so-called because the top resembles a pope hat. You go to New Zealand for the adventure and the spectacular scenery. Sometimes you get a twofer: the adventure and the scenery all in one. That is what I got when we decided to […]
Title image: Lake Wakatipu with Queenstown nestled around a bay, South Island. The chain of mountains across the top has the memorable name: The Remarkables In our North Island journey from Auckland to Rotorua we saw plenty of gorgeous countryside. For instance, a twenty-minute drive from our hotel in Rotorua gave us this view Green […]
Title Image: Te Puia, a geothermal center in Rotorua owned by the Māori. The geyser viewing comes at the end of the evening’s entertainment. My trip to New Zealand was inspired mostly by wanting to look into the Māori language situation. It is often talked about in linguistic circles as being an example of a […]
Ten Things to Know about New Zealand – NZ is in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and is part of Oceania, along with Australia, Indonesia, Guam and Fiji. It has a north island and a south island. This is the first time I’ve been to NZ, and it is at every moment beautiful and eye opening. 1. […]
Title image: Auckland harbor, with Sky Tower in the middle The M Social hotel on Quay Street is great – I highly recommend it. It is newly renovated and the location cannot be beat, seeing that it is across the street from the ferries and in the middle of the downtown action. The view of the […]
Title image: kiwi birds pecking at slices of kiwi fruit Before I relate my adventures in New Zealand I’ll point out 10 famous New Zealanders you might know – or, at least, should know. In a country of 4.7 million people, these 10 stand out: Notable Women 1. Kate Sheppard (1847-1934) was the most prominent […]