Paekakariki.nz proudly presents the second in its commissioned series of creative writing to go with our walks. In an epic poem, itself like a track, Michael O'Leary writes historically and contemporaneously about the rail, road and path between Paekākāriki and Pukerua Bay. This series sees our … [Read more...] about The Ballad of the Triple Track
Sometimes I need solitude, sometimes a village
For many, keeping on top of our mental health is a daily battle. To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, Dani Deluka shares a pilgrimage to reconnect with her roots in order to stand strong. Recently I took a trip to a motel up north. My studio room was compact and sweet but with a huge retro … [Read more...] about Sometimes I need solitude, sometimes a village
Driftwood bridges
Dani Deluka about reaching across water to touch those we can't and how a village can help get us to the other side. I am grateful for the quiet of April. This stillness. Is something else. Something good. Easter is different this year. We are connected. We are home. On … [Read more...] about Driftwood bridges
Where does a poem come from?
Paekākāriki writer Rob Hack on what motivates anyone to write a poem, or become a poet. Are poets born? Or formed and shaped by external circumstances? Albert Wendt the great Samoan poet and novelist wrote, 'like a sensitive plant, the artist, through an unconscious process of … [Read more...] about Where does a poem come from?
A restless person’s guide to a walking meditation
I practice yoga, I’ve meditated. But no matter, a vicarious enjoyment of other people’s travels and lives, laced with envy and a touch of masochism, works its way under my skin. I am constantly distracted from the ‘here and now’ by the temptation of other places. As I write, there are … [Read more...] about A restless person’s guide to a walking meditation
Taupo Swamp
A child at the time, I shared their dismissal of the swamp. Wet and inaccessible, wedged between the road and the rails, it seemed like wasteland to me. I thought it would be a matter of time before the road got bigger and it was squeezed into some more useful shape. When a newer, bigger road was … [Read more...] about Taupo Swamp
Centennial
Our house backs onto paddocks and on the other side of those paddocks part of Transmission Gully is being constructed. It’s a notorious road. One I can hardly believe is actually being built, having heard about it for as long as I can remember. I see the earthmovers and the hazard bunting during the … [Read more...] about Centennial