I remember the first time I ever got a blank face for booking a staycation. “You’re paying money to stay in a hotel, but you’re still in Auckland! Why don’t you just stay at home?” I think they thought I was suffering a head knock. Granted that unenlightened yarn was 15-years ago, but oh how…
Anita Pointer dead at 74 – 10 Pointer Sisters’ essentials, from blistering funk to the country song Elvis adored
I’d always been a fan of the Pointer Sisters, but I don’t think I really understood the breadth of their brilliance until I became a dad. Baby Riley Roxy took to Neutron Dance the first instance she heard it. She couldn’t get enough. She’d bop her shoulders, bounce her bum-shuffling legs, and giggle every time…
Why Rotorua is still a brilliant place for a family holiday
We are fans of the intergenerational holiday, specifically in this case, three generations, three days, and with Rotorua the destination. Travelling with children as well as grandparents makes memories for the entire family, while also making looking after the little one(s) that much easier. As most people will know, there’s so much to do in…
Christine McVie dies aged 79 – the greatest Fleetwood Mac song you’ve probably never heard
Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie has died of a short illness at the age of 79. Here’s my tribute: Christine McVie was one of the two ‘Macs’ of Fleetwood Mac. She was the key melodic link between the first, more bluesy era of the band, to their transition to a second, more melodic pop-rock era. She…
Rotorua’s Black Swan Hotel & the extraordinary Whirinaki Forest
Location: The Black Swan Lakeside Boutique Hotel is on the shores of Lake Rotorua in the Rotorua suburb of Kawaha Point. How big is the hotel? Think of it as a mansion converted into a boutique hotel, in this case, a 9-bedroom luxury property on a finely manicured 1 acre section. What sets the Black…
The Pacifica: What it’s like staying in NZ’s tallest residential building
Location: Apartment 3401, level 34 of the 57-storey Pacifica Tower, 12 Commerce Street, Auckland CBD. On the doorstep of the fashionable Britomart neighbourhood with its restaurants, bars and boutique stores. Just how tall is the Pacifica? At 178.7m, it is the tallest residential building in New Zealand and the third tallest structure behind the 180.1m…
Aitutaki’s ‘Pursuit in Paradise’ – Running the world’s most beautiful marathon
When you’re on the wrong side of 40, recovering from knee surgery, having never run further than five kilometres at any stage in your rapidly middle-aged life, and then someone suggests competing in a marathon in just four months time? You surely laugh. And then swiftly say no. That is unless, of course, the setting…
Barry Gibb on Olivia Newton-John: “We’ve lived the same life”
Barry Gibb wasn’t exaggerating when he told me that he and Olivia Newton John had “lived the same life”. British born, Australian-raised, first strides to fame in the UK, superstardom in the USA, careers of various astounding triumphs that are perennially overshadowed by one particular cultural earthquake; it’s not hard to see the parallels between…
8 essential Paul McCartney & Brian Wilson songs to celebrate their 80th birthdays
Did we know that Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson were the exact same age? That save for a couple of days in June 1942, two history-changing songwriters – for whom the moniker “genius” is an understatement – both chose to enter this world? Well, if this synchronicity somehow passed you by for the undoubted euphoric…
‘Still Waters’ at 25 – How the Bee Gees’ late 90s comeback cemented their legacy
May 2022 marks both the 25th anniversary of the release of the Bee Gees’ Still Waters album, as well as 10-years since Robin Gibb died aged just 62. To commemorate these anniversaries, I’ve done a deep dive as to why Still Waters became the Bee Gees’ biggest LP since 1979. It’s hard to overstate just…
Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl & the visual power of friendship in rock & roll
When I think of Taylor Hawkins I immediately think of friendship. Sometimes the profound power of a band is beyond just the sounds they make. Indeed, that’s hardly surprising given the importance of image in entertainment. But what always stood apart for me with Taylor is that he was in a rock band – the…
Michael McDonald is 70 & this Yacht Rock classic with Kenny Loggins needs to be heard again
Michael McDonald is as mysterious as any singer I’ve ever heard. This most unassuming of entertainers – a man who couldn’t look more Dad-like and less rock-star if he tried, a Doobie Brother who’s been sober for 37 years, a showbiz veteran who’s been married for almost 40-years – is still, at the age of…