Sitting in an outside chair at his Papamoa home, with my eyes squinting nearly shut, I could faintly visualise what Tom Bradley was telling me. It was pre-lockdown and we were enjoying one of the many  sunny summer days. “I have this imaginary...... Read More

My mother is moving house in early April, leaving behind her three-bedroom home in Bethlehem to go to a smaller two-bedroom townhouse at Bob Owens. After adjusting to realising that I too would be saying ‘goodbye’ to many wonderful family...... Read More

Ingredients 200g penne pasta 1 Tbsp butter ½ red onion, cut finely 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ½ glass white wine 3 Tbsp parmesan powder 200ml cream 1 Tbsp mild mustard 4 sundried tomatoes, chopped 1 bunch fresh small kale leaves Salt...... Read More

I often find I need help interpreting the meanings behind the motifs, carvings, murals and artistic designs that appear around our city. Fortunately we are provided with information plinths that have helped turn our landscape into an outdoor museum...... Read More

Ingredients 4-5 pears, peeled, cored and sliced 2cm thick 3 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp baking soda 1 pinch of salt 2 ½ cups plain flour 2 ½ cups of brown sugar 275g butter melted (and cooled) 1 cup golden syrup 3 eggs beaten 250ml...... Read More

Many volunteers behind the Aongatētē Forest Project can remember the chorus of birdsong that used to echo throughout  the Kaimai Range. Remember being the key word – a devastating result of having no pest control in the Kaimai until 2006. That...... Read More

Not many realise the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in Tauranga, 180 years ago on April 10 1840, two months after it was signed at Waitangi. I watched Mr G unveil the final installation of his Home exhibition outside Waikato University and discovered...... Read More

Introducing colours to your home is an easy way to assert your personality. But beware – while you might feel confident pairing a hot pink shirt with a leopard print jacket, the combination might not work so well on the walls of your bedroom. Every...... Read More

The rich vibrant costumes, dancing, food, music and art are some of what makes the Tauranga Multicultural Festival in March so special. More than this though, it’s the people coming together, laughing and smiling as they celebrate the joy of living...... Read More

Every day in my travels around Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty, I am loving that we have an ever-growing diverse and vibrant community of people living here. As a lecturer in the 90s, in the Wellington region, I would often find that students...... Read More