The British have just had a general election. One of the worst possible people ever to hold a position of power was elected, over the other worst possible person to be in […]
Brexit’s Cabbie
The Olive Tree
I’m glad I started my blog all those years ago, it was a kind of therapy for me to jot down my views, memories, observations and so on, after the sudden death […]
Sunday Morning. 17.03.2019
It’s 7:30am on a Sunday Morning, Sunday 17th of March 2019 in New Zealand. Two days after an Australian White Supremacist terrorist murdered 49 innocent people in a Christchurch Mosque. Another has died […]
Are We Sitting Comfortably?
It’s 4pm on a sunny Tuesday, January 1st 2019. Amazing to think just a few short years ago, or nearly twenty years in fact, yesterday, we were all concerned about aeroplanes falling out […]
Surprising New Zealand
Let’s talk about New Zealand again! My wife and I love a road trip, we have just finished one around the central South Island, a short 4-day epic. There are images from […]
Retail Therapy
The title is ironic, if you really did need therapy for anything in New Zealand; one of the worst things you could do is go shopping. I was watching the television news […]
Eating Out
There’s an awful lot of, mostly awful, advertising on New Zealand television. Much of it the sort of thing you’d see on QVC in other countries. One of the most common phrases […]
Superlatives And Other Things
If I had a dream job, it would be working with words and pictures, improbably as a roving blogger and photographer for Tourism New Zealand. I’m not greedy; they could just pay […]
Chapter Six: Being Forgotten
It’s been a while since I was here, I had other things to do. While I remembered I had a blog of course, I’d just neglected the writing. Actually I had decided […]
The Deep South
This should probably go on my photography blog, but there is a bit more explaining to do than on the usual photography post so I’ll wheel out the words blog for this […]
20 Tips For Surviving Driving In New Zealand
It seems an awful lot more people are visiting, or moving to New Zealand these days. Either because of Brexit, or Trump, or cheap airfares and new aeroplanes, which can fly further. […]
The Living Is Easy
We have an iconic New Zealand comic character from the 1970’s called Fred Dagg. We were big fans in my home when I was growing up. Fred Dagg was an archetypal Kiwi […]
Road Trip
This can be a travel post of sorts. Well it’s not even of sorts; it’s a travel post. I went for a drive. I know I don’t write much anymore. Not sure […]
Driving south in the North Island
I’ll get straight to the point for once. I said once upon a time that only two towns in New Zealand were worth making a special trip for. Russell and Queenstown. I’d […]
A River runs through it
This is a bit of a travel post. I’m going to talk about a place plenty of people on their New Zealand holidays travel through, but not many travel to. I’d venture […]
Our ‘other’ stuff
Look, it’s me again! I’m like a bus, or something. A British bus, not a New Zealand one. The adage in London is that buses don’t appear at all for a while […]
The Fencers
I’m not a poet, I don’t write poetry, well hardly ever. It’s outside my comfort zone so I don’t go there, much. However this is quite a cool little story about a […]
Somewhere else
This is a tale that goes nowhere, what’s the point then you may wonder, why does there have to be one? I might respond. It’s kind of like an open discussion, designed […]
The nature of New Zealanders
So here’s a thing. well two things. This is about us, not our nature, but our nature. I’m also going to put a couple of images of the incredible New Zealand scenery […]
An open letter to Emirates Team New Zealand, from Team New Zealand
G’day Deano and the crew. This is from us back home. You’ll be having some strategy meeting. Knocking around a few ideas. Hell, you might even be asleep. Us at home? We’re […]
Going for a drive
I’ve been back in New Zealand for just over a month now. For three weeks of that month I went for a bit of a drive, just to have a look around, […]
The trip home
The 2nd of July 2013. 8:30 am on the 2nd of July, my dear friend Dawn, my colleague, the person who does what used to be my day job in another part […]
The wrong place
This is the continuation, the next stage of what started as the giant eel story which is the opening of my novel. (There is no mention of eels in the rest of […]
The Extinction of the Falcon
As you probably know, I’m off back to New Zealand in a month or so. When I say a month or so I mean I set off a month today. At the […]
Going home
Momentous day today, it’s worth a note. Friday 17th of May 2013. Sounds non-descript, a day like many other days in mid-May. However, it’s my own May Day, nothing to do with […]
New Zealanders at War
NZ Memorial to the lost in the battle of the Somme I was in the New Zealand Army for a while and take quite an interest in NZ military history. There are […]
About a giant eel
This is a fictional short story, it’s loosely, but not all that loosely, based on a true story. I’ve changed some names of course. But the situation is real, the eel was […]
East Cape, revisited
This post is special. It’s about an amazing part of New Zealand. I wanted to get some proper images up of the location this story is about. It’s an incredible area and […]
The games boys play
I have friends who have boys. Young men, little chaps, whatever they call male children. It appears there is no consensus but little bastards seems a common description as well. My friends […]
Waitangi Day
The 6th of February is Waitangi Day in New Zealand. Also known as New Zealand day. It’s sort of our little version of the American 4th of July but with an awful […]
Guest post ‘Droving days’ (by my late father)
If you have read my last post you will know I talked about the importance of recording your own corner of history, writing down what you’ve done for those that come after […]
A Hero
A couple of simple numbers inspired me to write this particular post. They are the numbers 102 and 116. I’m writing it because it is nice to have a positive tale of […]
A quick trip down New Zealand
If you come here a bit, you’ll know I am from New Zealand but live in England. People ask me about New Zealand a lot, so, now that I can write it […]
How to get to New Zealand
I’m going to enjoy writing this one. It’s a story I have told to so many people I can’t even count. I have yet to tell it to someone without getting a […]
Amazing customer service. Well done Air New Zealand
I had an amazing experience with Air NZ when my Dad died. I’m going to send this to http://www.verygoodservice.com. We had booked and paid for tickets (non flexible of course) for a […]
My poem about New Zealand, quality stuff
I come from New ‘Zilind’. I reckon it’s beaut. There’s real spunks to perv at and live things to shoot. We’ve got pig dogs and boguns, The All Blacks and bro’s And […]
The All Blacks will be fine, I’m staying away.
It’s largely my fault the All Blacks have failed to win a world cup. I have had a hideous time when the RWC has been on or the All Blacks have been […]
Before the world cup final, I would like to say this to the All Blacks.
Hi guys, I am Sandy, just a member of the New Zealand public who has the opportunity to say a few words to you. You have your drills and tactics, you are […]
Why I lived in England
Following on from a discussion about how everyone thinks New Zealand is better than Britain. This isn’t exhaustive and isn’t meant to be biased as I am a hugely patriotic kiwi, but […]
Most amazing kiwi sports story ever
In the history Of New Zealand, only 6 men have played both Rugby and Cricket for NZ at international level. In NZ rugby history, one of the most controversial moments was Andy Hadens famous […]
My tribute to my Dad
The following is what I read out at Dads funeral in 2009 I am Sandy, the middle son. I won’t know many of you in the room and there will be many […]
