I thought I knew Coromandel. I’ve certainly been there enough times and for good reason too: if you’re a North Islander and summer is your season, then Coromandel will have never not been on your radar. When the warmer months roll around, either you’re going to Coromandel or someone you know or are related to,…
You Can Now Stay At The “Tuscany Of The South Pacific” – Mudbrick On Waiheke Island
Mudbrick was one of those places that as soon as I’d heard they’d added accommodation, I knew I had to stay there. This is, of course, liberal interpretation of what “had to” means, but if you know Mudbrick, then you know that the only conceivable thing better than a day-trip visiting this “Tuscany of the…
Barry Gibb Turns 75 – 6 Brilliant Songs From The Vault
Some of the greatest musicians don’t really have a “vault”. For every Prince, there’s a Paul Simon, and where Prince’s vault is estimated to contain as many as 8000 songs, Paul’s genius is in no way diminished by the fact there are said to be very few leftover gems. As for the sole surviving Bee…
The Night Charlie Watts Punched Mick Jagger – RIP To One Of Rock’s Greatest Drummers
Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died in London at the age of 80. The above photo was shared by Mick Jagger on Instagram in tribute to his friend. I love that Charlie Watts once punched Mick Jagger. It’s not that there were regular fisticuffs between these two Rolling Stones over their almost 60-years of…
Coldplay ‘Coloratura’ Review: This 10-min Space Epic Just Might Be Their Greatest Ever Song
The first half would be enough to have it among my favourite Coldplay ballads, while the second half currently has me so obsessed it feels like it’s quite simply one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve ever heard in my life. In its entirety, the just released 10-minute long Coloratura ironically plays out…
The Outrageous Views & Suites Of Auckland’s New Park Hyatt
Location: Some of the best real estate in all of Auckland, right on the water at Wynyard Quarter on the site of the former Team New Zealand base, overlooking the ever-grown-up skyline of New Zealand’s largest city. How many rooms? 195 guest rooms across seven-storeys, including six spectacular suites. How spectacular are those suites? Well,…
The Hotel Buried Deep Inside Taranaki’s “Goblin Forest” – Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge
Most people can never believe it’s a year since any significant event in their lives took place. When have you ever heard someone say, “yes indeed, it feels like a year since that happened!” That’s right, probably never. So yes, I can’t believe it’s a year since me, my wife Aimee and our (then) baby…
Why The Hotel Britomart Is Auckland’s Most New York Hotel
I never thought an Auckland balcony could remind me of the time I stayed on the 22nd floor of a hotel overlooking Madison Square Garden in New York, but then again, I never counted on The Hotel Britomart. New Zealand’s first ‘5 Green Star’ certified hotel is simultaneously the most Manhattan-recalling property in Auckland, as…
The Bee Gees ‘High Civilization’ Turns 30 – Why This Tech-Heavy Experiment Is Worth Another Listen
This April marked 30-years since the Bee Gees released one of the more ambitious, underrated albums of their massive back catalogue. Fans are often split, though the more years that go by, the more I feel that history is kind to the industrialised, tech-heavy pop that was High Civilization. And the more that it’s worthy…
Six60 Are New Zealand’s Maroon 5… & That’s Not An Insult
It’s really nothing but a statistical reality. The more people that like you, the more that will profess to disliking you too. As in, if nobody’s heard of you then not only do you not have any fans, you also don’t have any objectors either. So if you happen to be big enough to sell…
A Rainforest Retreat & A Historic Firestation – 2 Unforgettable West Coast Hotels
When it comes to Covid and tourism, there are two stats I’m certain I’ll never forget: The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island – a densely forested, sparsely populated, mountainous slice of world-beating scenery – has seen a whopping 16-percent of all businesses close since the beginning of the global Covid-19 pandemic. 16-percent. That’s…
Stewart Island’s Unique, Boutique, Must-Visit Eco-Lodge
Stewart Island surprised me in so many ways. New Zealand’s third largest land mass may be two-thirds of the way to Antartica, but as I recently wrote in the New Zealand Herald, “forget notions this is some barren, unforgiving land”. Anything but. You realise this before you’ve even landed, provided you’ve been looking out the…