Mary Jane Walker's Blog: Adventures at Snow Farm Part 1 – Skiing with a broken shoulder! , page 28

A Misty Day Out at the Remarkables: Matchstalk figures amid the snow

On the 5th of July I visited the Remarkables skifield, on a somewhat dismal day. The brightly coloured pops of skiers in the snow reminded me of the painter L S Lowry's matchstick figures. Even with a lock-out of foreign tourists, it's a lot busier when the weather is fine!

Changing Times at Coronet Peak: From a cosy ski club to costly commercialism, and having to make their own snow

In this post I talk about a visit to Coronet Peak, which started out as a club field in 1947 but is now commercial. I also talk about the old days when skiing was a way to get around and not yet a sport, and how it seems that back then the snow lay on Coronet Peak all year round. These days it's melting away, and the field has to use the largest collection of snow-making machines in the Southern Hemisphere. The cost of which is, no doubt, included in the inflated price of today's ski passes!

Russian Splendour Renewed: A Heritage Tour of Moscow and St Petersburg

Russia is a country where opinions about the past are constantly changing. In the Communist era many old buildings were pulled down or neglected (though some were preserved), but now more of the old buildings are being done up. Even buildings once demolished have miraculously reappeared.

The Peninsula of the Dawn: Te Atat�� and its living mudflats

In the western suburbs of Auckland lies another slice of wilderness, the peninsula of Te Atat�� and its two bush-clad estuaries, the Henderson and the Whau. Until 1960 the peninsula was almost cut off from the world even though it's close to the inner city, and it's kept some of its old, wild character.

Amazing Arrowtown: New Zealand's Colonial Time Capsule

In this post I talk about Arrowtown, Queenstown's smaller neighbour, which has preserved its heritage as a tourist attraction while its bigger, brasher neighbour has relied on selling scenery.

Bobs Cove: A Sacred Pool to the M��ori, a Mine to the P��keh��, Instagrammable Today

This post is about Bobs Cove west of Queenstown: a really interesting place to spend a day, with one of the most Instagrammable views in New Zealand from the top of Picnic Point, other attractions nearby, and a ton of local history!

Auckland: Thoughts on a Young City

Auckland, New Zealand, is a city that���s now almost 180 years old, yet which even most locals don���t seem to think of as having much of a history. This post touches briefly on the history of Auckland, with some colourful images and three videos. It talks about the degradation of a metropolis once dubbed the 'Queen City' by traffic and motorways, and asks if Auckland can get its mojo back.

Behind the Scenery: Striking Historical Gold in New Zealand

This a short, sharp post in which I reflect on the screening of 'The Luminaries' in New Zealand and why it is that we don't do more to promote our fantastic historical stories, as we could.

Auckland's Icon: A trip to Rangitoto, the harbour volcano

I hike up Rangitoto Island, the iconic green volcano that dominates the approaches to Auckland Harbour. I swim on the far side of the beautiful island, where you can't see Auckland at all and could imagine yourself completely away from it all in the South Pacific.And all for the cost of a harbour ferry ride.

An Undeveloped Gem: Auckland's Rotoroa Island

In this post I visit Auckland's Rotoroa Island, a refuge for alcoholics from 1910 till 2005, which missed out on being over-developed for tourism in the same way that neighbouring Pakatoa Island was. Perhaps fortunately so! These days, Rotoroa Island is a nature sanctuary with lots of flightless birds running around under the developing trees. It's still pretty low-key, but there are places to stay.