Most writers work in silence. Even the only notable exception I know of, Stephen King, apparently plays loud thrashy music only as a kind of ‘white noise’, not as something he listens to. Several writers I know say they can’t write at all if music is playing. I, however, need music. I write in a […]

I’ve decided that having started to blog, I may as well continue, though at a much reduced rate. About once a month should be enough at the moment. Getting home wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it might be. We arrived at Heathrow just before a cold January dawn, but had a warm taxi waiting. […]

Much as I’d like to tell you about the last three days which I spent at an Indonesian beach resort, I’m typing this at Singapore Airport, with only a few minutes until we board the plane back to London, so to take my mind off the fact that the Big Trip is almost over, I’ll just […]

Leaving aside the Shopping Incident (see previous blog entry), I think I like Singapore. Not like as in ‘want to live here’ but I’m certainly impressed by it as a city. My condescending western assumptions had painted the place as something like Lima – high rise privilege cheek by jowl with conscience-jolting poverty, but it’s […]

I must confess to being a little remiss in my blogging duties as I near the end of the Big Trip. Our stay in Fiordland seems like weeks ago now, and, looking at the calendar, I see that in fact it was. After Fiordland we spent a couple of days in the Catlins, the laid-back bit at […]

I like woodland. Call it woods, forest or bush, I love places with complex, chaotic ecosystems including lots of trees. Perhaps the most complex (and exotic) woods are rainforests. But the problem with your classic rainforest is that it tends to be hot, humid and full of bugs. However, New Zealand’s rainforest, largely confined to the cooler […]

Just before Xmas we met up with some friends who’d just been to Queenstown. They’d hated it; one of them said it was so tacky that it reminded her of Blackpool. Given that they had foul weather they could maybe be forgiven for not noticing the majestic mountains and crystal lake, and yes, it is […]

Back in old Blighty, I’m in the habit of visiting a nightclub every month or so, to dance the night away with like minded inidivduals. I knew that this particular type of wildlife might be rare in NZ, but I’ve tried to seek suitable dance emporiums. The first attempt was in Taupo back in November, […]

Being neither a believer in Christianity nor Capitalism, I’m not a great fan of Christmas. I’d probably be able to handle it if it didn’t go on for so long, but Christmas cards are in the shops by September, and by October resturants are playing ‘Don’t They Know It’s Christmas’ (has anyone who puts that […]

I don’t eat meat, though I do eat fish. By New Zealand standards this makes me a vegetarian. If I was a real vegetarian (i.e. I didn’t eat meat or fish), then I’d have had trouble both in New Zealand and South America, but I draw my personal moral line at food I’m willing to […]