Strange but beautiful

Today I drove out to Wellington's blustery south coast to talk to a man who makes art from the corpses of animals. As I sat amongst boxes of bones, a fossilised cat and rat on the wall behind me, and this chap explained how his socio-political leanings inform his artistic endeavours, I was reminded how honoured I am to do a job that allows me to pull back the covers of people's lives and peek underneath.

In between wrangling three interviews into coherent copy, there was just enough time to take the Hound into the Town Belt. This view of Welly never, ever fails to take my breath away.

Herein lies madness

A day of interviewing architects - the first about their work rebuilding an iconic Wellington bar after it was razed by fire not one but three times, the second with a brilliant chap responsible for the fit-outs of almost every bar, restaurant and cafe worth visiting in the Capital, Auckland, Melbourne, Tokyo and Dubai.

I now have to transcribe hours of tape and write the pieces. There was also the setting up of another interview tomorrow for a different magazine and the signing of a contract for a part-time marketing role I start on Monday. Did I mention I am still writing for the place I contracted to for the past six weeks? And I have six pieces from the Seoul media trip still to write.

As a freelancer, it's great to have an excess of work, rather than too little, but my sanity window is fast closing and I fear making it through the next few months.

On the upside, today I scored a media trip to Melbourne for a long weekend which hopefully my lovely mate Doriette - from my London days who now lives in Sydney - will join me on. I haven't seen D for about four years and can only imagine how tired our jaws are going to be after three days of non-stop catching up. Now I just have to organise the bluddy thing....

If anyone needs me, I'll be face down in a vat of red wine.

(Pic credit: Melbourne Tourism)

Floral goodness

This is what 100 bucks looks like.

Remnants from last week's photo-shoot, thankfully paid for by the magazine. The brief was for green and white, with a pop of something from the coral whanau to go with the top I was wearing.  

The more observant among you will notice that the water should have been changed days ago; probably why they're starting to turn. Yet they still dominate the room, demanding to be adored as much as the day I brought them home from the shop.

And yes, I guess that answers the question about the kind of woman I am - one who has the time and inclination to photograph flowers but not to change the water.    

Eeek, that's me in the paper!

Apologies to those reading the travel section of this morning's Dominion Post newspaper; hope you didn't spit out your cornflakes when you got to page 12.

I knew they were going to mention my win in the Cathay Pacific Travel Writer of the Year Awards but I had no idea it would be so, well, big.

Click here to read 

A love letter to DO

I'm always slightly wary of passing on those feel-good, hippy sayings that plop into my inbox with increasing regularity. Not because I think my cold, cynical heart is too good for them - even though, let's be honest, they often fall on the wrong side of twee - but because of the contrary tendencies that lurk in the dark crevices of my mind. Thanks to them, I often find myself breaking the onward electronic chain, unable and unwilling to hit the forward button.  

But today a friend sent me this and, with my defences battered by the remnants of last week's flu and a workload that threatens to pull me under, it felt right to share. You're welcome.  

Imagine on your deathbed you were able to see two films of your life: One showed highlights of what you actually achieved. And then the other showed highlights of what you could have achieved with your ability, your talent, the opportunities that came your way etc.

It would probably bring you to tears to know what else you could have done. The heights you could have climbed. The people you could have met. The races you could have run. The ideas you could have made happen. The change you could have made.

If only when you had come to the edge, you hadn’t taken that step back to safety. If you had just kept going after failing that one time. If only you had believed in that crazy dumb idea enough to tell the world about it.

Yes, if only you hadn’t, well, played so damn small.

- David Hieatt. Co-founder of the DO lectures and Hiut Denim

(Pic credit: Tumblr)

Auckland weekend

Last month, you may recall, we spent a weekend oop north on Auckland Tourism's dime. And, as usual, had a lovely time.

On Wednesday, the DomPost ran the piece; in the excitement/illness of  last week, I forgot to share.
Pushing the "like" button on the Animator's pics. Click here to read. 

Birthday

In an ideal world, my birthday would go something like this:

• A long, lovely sleep in 
• Breakfast in bed
• Sunshine
• Bubbles
• Lunch with friends
• A book 
• A walk in the bush with the dog
• No chores
• Dinner cooked by someone else.

Some of the above did happen today, and later there will be a meal at a favourite Mexican restaurant. However, my birthday was also spent doing two loads of laundry, making museli, catching up with invoices and writing two freelance pieces that are overdue. 

On the plus side, the Animator made me breakfast and lunch and gave me a badly-needed voucher at a day spa. And of course there was this little angel who makes every day special. These fabulous pics are c/o the Animator who shot them yesterday at the beach.