Keep Discovering

Month: May 2013

The Press – News column May 28

A Fishy PR Sham Lyttelton has been uplifted by the awesome generosity of the Auckland-based Landmark organisation. Their $1 million donation will kick-start the replica rebuild of the Timeball Station, which Mayor Bob Parker has rightly lauded as the resurrection of Lyttelton’s most important landmark. What a pity the Christchurch Mayor hasn’t exhibited the same… Read More ›

ZB Travel – Riviera May 25

It’s party time on the Riviera, isn’t it? Yes, mother nature is still sporting her winter blanket in Western Europe. It’s been ridiculously wet, windy and cold through May, but that hasn’t stopped the big sunglasses, the big hair and the big money swarming the Riviera for the two headline events of the year. The… Read More ›

The Press – News column May 21

Send Them Packing. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Christchurch Airport has come under heavy fire for booting out the overnight squatters, who’ve freeloaded for far too long. The backlash to their “outski” edict has been operatic. The nightly spectacle of the arrivals terminal morphing into a rag-tag gypsy camp has festered out… Read More ›

ZB Travel – Rome’s Walls May 18

Why the walls? What’s the back story to this? Well, I’m a sucker for the punishment of a long, hard walk. But I do think it’s one of the best ways to tap into the soul of a city, and I came across a story about how the NATO Defence College in Rome uses the… Read More ›

APN Travel – Bangkok. May 15.

Thailand, the Kingdom of Smiles, continues to woo the world with its magnetic tropical beach resorts and big city thrills.  A quick city-break in the heady soup of Bangkok delivers incredible bang for your buck – or baht.  Yes, it’s a sprawling monster of a city with ever-expanding roadways and belching pollution. But beneath the… Read More ›

The Press – News column May 14

Back the Buses. The biggest shake-up to our metro bus service in twenty years, came into force six months ago. As I flagged back in November, the city council would be caught with its pants down, for failing to invest in suburban interchange facilities. Enter Dame Margaret Bazley, the Swiss Army knife of the public… Read More ›

ZB Travel – Europe guide. May 11

Spring has finally dawned in Europe, and there’s a slew of top drawer events and exhibitions to beckon the summer visitors, right?  Yes, May traditionally heralds the start of the annual visitor invasion. It’s also primetime party season, best exemplified by the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix, which are about to burst… Read More ›

The Press – News column May 7

A Question of Honour. The two big local issues to billow of late, both boil down to a question of honour. Or in the case of Aaron Gilmore MP – the gaping lack of it. First up, the Volunteer Army Foundation ( VAF) is under fire for planning to “name and shame” hundreds of students… Read More ›

ZB Travel – Chester

Chester probably isn’t one of the first British cities that tops the list for visitors. Why is that? Well, I suppose we tend to travel a bit like sheep, and a trip to the UK will normally be headlined by London, Stratford, York and Edinburgh. But beyond the big four, Chester is a top spot… Read More ›