Last week involved a round trip to Otaki and Wellington mainly to catch up with family members. As we moved south – with Waikato officially in a drought scenario – the only real green land…
Last week involved a round trip to Otaki and Wellington mainly to catch up with family members. As we moved south – with Waikato officially in a drought scenario – the only real green land…
Recently a family asked me to lead a memorial service for a loved one. Lots of thought went into the ‘components’ of the service for this lady who I had known well. At least, I’d…
This week I will start by talking alcohol. The minimum legal age for purchasing alcohol in New Zealand is 18 years. Alcohol affects our rangatahi differently to adults, because they are still developing – physically,…
People around the world are often familiar with the most significant eruptions, such as the 1883 Krakatau eruption, which had profound and far-reaching effects. However, there are many stories of volcanic eruptions that have impacted…
It did not come as a complete surprise when Adrian Orr resigned as Governor of the Reserve Bank – it was clear there was tension between him and the government. But the abrupt manner of…
A pithy saying goes, “being wrapped up in ourselves, we make very small parcels”. It’s particularly relevant in a culture where multiple influences push us increasingly into self-absorbed life-styles with isolationism reducing contemplation and thoughtful…
Starting with some recent good traffic catches – for one of our traffic constables. A 7am traffic stop last week brought more than he expected. A roadside breath test resulted in the driver returning a…
Aotearoa has not experienced a catastrophe. Cyclone Gabrielle and the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes were disasters that impacted many lives, but they were not catastrophes. A catastrophe is much worse – on the staggering scale…
A labour of love occupying hours over many weeks, engaged a father and son in a project where dad passed on his creative woodworking skills to his eagerly involved 11 year old. Following the classic…
In my last column I said my main mission while remaining as a councillor was to try and keep the rate rise for the 25-26 year and future years under three per cent. I am…
