‘St Kilda in sight!’ Kees calls out, his head around the cabin door. His glowing face makes me jump up and grab my shoes, ignoring my nausea. Despite a calm sea I feel rather queasy. Last night, the skipper told us the ocean was as smooth as it could be. This was terrific news. St …
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Shares Her Strategies for Mental Health and Self-care
When it comes to staying sane, focused and efficient, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern knows what to do. But she admits it took her a long time to realize you don’t need to feel guilty when taking the space and time to look after yourself and your mental health. “When we’re in a responsible role, we …
How to Use Random Words to Kick-start Your Writing
A 10-minute Writing Prompt Because the silence of a writer not writing is among the most deafening, here is a 10-minute writing prompt to get started. I’m offering you 4 different, easy ways to go about it. First of all, set your kitchen timer (or the timer on your phone if you must) for 10 …
New Zealand’s Far North: Let’s Take a Virtual Tour Now Most of Us Can’t Travel
There’s an equally popular and persistent myth about New Zealand/Aotearoa: that the South Island is more beautiful than the North Island. Perhaps it’s because of the Lord of the Rings movies. Or it could be because many European immigrants initially settled on the South Island in the 1950s and wrote lyrical letters home about the …
