Month: September 2013
ZB Travel – Italian Riviera
Mike Yardley’s travel notes from Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show, Sept 28. What part of Italy does the Riviera encompass? The Riviera is essentially another name for the coastal region of Liguria. 2 hundred miles in length, this narrow, crescent-shaped region, hemmed in by the Maritime Alps, stretches from the French border at Ventimiglia ,… Read More ›
The Press-News column Sep 24
Christchurch’s CBD recovery. Mike Yardley’s weekly column in The Press. Sept 24. The commencement of construction on Antony Gough’s dazzling Oxford Terrace development exemplifies the renaissance in confidence that is coursing through Christchurch. In a city riddled with road cones and pot holes, exasperating detours and traffic delays, driving around Christchurch can be a one… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Cape Town Sep 21.
Mike Yardley’s travel notes as discussed on Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show. Unlike Joberg, Cape Town enjoys a reputation of feeling safe and comfortable. Was that your impression? The contrast couldn’t have been starker. After dabbling in the heady crime-racked cauldron of Joberg, Cape Town greets the visitor like an urban Garden of Eden. An… Read More ›
The Press-News column Sep 17
A big pay-day for Christchurch City Council’s outgoing CEO. So, the bucks do stop with Tony Marryatt. All $492,932 of them. As Christchurch cringes at his hefty exit package, a host of questions remain. Why should this individual receive such largesse, when he has “chosen to resign.”? I think Tony Marryatt should have been forced… Read More ›
ZB Travel – South Africa Sep 14
Mike Yardley’s travel notes, as profiled on Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show. Is Nelson Mandela’s imprint ever-present across the nation? His influence, his shadow, his image and his name is omni-present. In Johannesburg, I drove past his leafy Houghton mansion, like a shameless rubber-necker. The world’s media are camped out on the manicured footpaths in… Read More ›
The Press-News column Sep 10
2 Abreast Cycling Rule should be abolished. With the darling buds of spring bursting forth, the blaze of lycra seems to grow in tandem with the explosion of blossom. Yes, the warmer weather brings recreational cyclists out in ever-increasing force. Cycling advocates are stepping up their campaign for legislative protection, which would force motorists to… Read More ›
ZB Travel – San Francisco. Sep 7
If you’ve ticked off San Fran’s big ticket attractions, like Alcatraz and Fisherman’s Wharf, what would you recommend for a repeat visitor? It’s the watery delights around San Francisco Bay that I think are great fun to explore. The waterfront has been progressively redeveloped since the quake of 89. Of course a legacy of the… Read More ›
The Press-News column Sep 3
Street Prostitution in Christchurch. Jonathan and his young family no longer use the front rooms of their Manchester St house, after dark. They’ve been forced to confine themselves to the back half of their home, due to the loud, offensive and explicit activity that pollutes the front of their property, night after night. And in… Read More ›
Mike Yardley News and Travel 