Small ships going nowhere on the mantle piece. While the big black boat in San Francisco is having a hard time of it across the ocean, I’m starting to get a little fed up with it all, and so life must go on. But continuing the boating theme, how does this (soon to be) historic boat fit in with New Zealand’s proud maritime history? I thought…
Fish
1,103 Articles
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Maximus
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It’s one of those blink and you’ll miss it sort of moments – after years and years of waiting and hype, the America’s Cup races are actually on, and already we’ve had 3 – no, hold it, by now probably – 4 races. And yes, Emirates Team New Zealand has already won 3 of them, giving “us” a lead of 5 matches (and since writing this,…
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Maximus
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While the focus of most of us interested in controlling sprawl is centered with wide-eyed horror on Auckland and it’s never-ending appetite for land and motorways, it’s not the only place that is suffering from sprawl. Hastings, the sunshine town of the Bay, the shining apple in the fruit bowl of New Zealand, the radiant centre of the wine region of Aotearoa’s finest concoctions of fermented…
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Maximus
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I’m puzzled. Within days of each other, two announcements are made. Spend $8 million on a referendum for all New Zealanders to have their say about Asset Sales – John Key says it is a Waste of Money. That’s despite it being a issue which quite clearly a majority of New Zealanders think is a bad idea, including Maori and Pakeha, Left-Wing and Right-Wing (admittedly it’s…
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Maximus
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The DomPost today reported that an Opus report on possible future road congestion, was completed in December (now 9 months ago), but has “not yet reached the Regional Council table” ie Greater Wellington. Despite having been produced by Opus, who are completely independent of GWRC, and despite it having somehow been sat on or mysteriously mislaid by either Opus, GWRC, or the NZ Postal Service, Councilor…
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Maximus
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I’m unsure about this. Is it right? Is it in the right place? Is it the right building in the right place? So many questions, so few answers. The architects / architectural designers are Design Club, and there are refererences to local pa in the palisading, local tukutuku weaving in the cladding, and a ships mast in the flagpole structure on the roof. It’s loaded down…
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Maximus
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While the Wellington apartment scene continues on its merry way, with Casino, Clyde Quay, Elevate, Market Lane and the new Nouvo / Nuovo developments all furiously underway (nearly all catering, need i say, for the well-heeled end of the market), the Orclanders are also having a tilt again at the apartment market. Sugartree, a new development of nearly 500 apartments (Crikey!) on Nelson St, is aiming…
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Maximus
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History, never repeats, sang the Split Enz, except that it does repeat, all the time. Time after time after time, humankind ends up doing exactly the same things that our grandfathers did, and follow exactly in their footsteps, only to crash and burn, just like their fathers did. The world seemed to sing out in agreement with the removal of Hosni Mubarak, and then the toppling…
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Maximus
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Once again, Wellington has a lucky escape and shows its resilience, by shrugging off what could have been a serious earthquake. As it is, the damage suffered is very light in Wellington, although more serious in Seddon. This photo typifies the damage apparent on at least one brick-clad Seddon house. Yes, an earthquake is an Act of God, but actually: what really is wrong with this…
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Maximus
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I’ve always been a fan of this painting: Carlo Crivelli’s painting of the Annunciation, with Saint Emidius, is an architect’s dream – a one-point perspective of stunning richness of detail and depth of colour. Dating from 1486, and held in the National Gallery in London, it depicts the town of Ascoli (in model form on the knee of Saint Emidius), as he chats about town planning…