Towards Tangi-te-Keo

Up the back of Newtown — past the hospital, past New Zealand’s first branch library, past the community display-window where the Conscientious Objectors’ memorials absent from Pukeahu Park quietly underscore ANZAC celebrations — runs a narrow path marking the spine of Tangi-te-Keo (later Mt Victoria). Māori knew the spine of Tangi-te-Keo as Te Ranga-a-Hiwi, the Ridge of […]

No mere cat: the Meerkat encounter at Wellington Zoo

Wellington Zoo is now offering MEERKAT ENCOUNTERS. The capital letters are there to try to convey my excitement when I heard the news. I don’t think even capital letters can convey how excited I was when the zoo invited us along to meet the meerkats for ourselves. I’m making it my aim to touch all […]

A lion (and others) in winter

Right now the magnolias are in bloom along Roy Street in Newtown, and it’s gorgeous. But of course, it’s around this time last year that it snowed, so don’t be fooled – it’s still winter. The good news though, means that Wellington Zoo has entry for only $5 on Wednesdays throughout all of August. Naturally […]