News 
The Press-News column Oct 7
Cycle Safety: Ban two Abreasting Greetings from Washington DC. Want to know the best way of seeing the American capital? Hire a bike and hit the dedicated cycle lanes, that have sprouted like alfalfa sprouts across the city. Topping the lot, the epic, courageous cycle lane that carves right down the middle of majestic Pennyslavnia… Read More ›
The Press- News column Sep 30
Why the NZ flag referendum is money-sucking malarkey. Greetings from New York. With the United Nations General Assembly wrapping up, the city is flamboyantly festooned in the flags of the world, flapping in the warm September breeze. How sweet to spot the New Zealand ensign, proudly aflutter on a lofty pole, overlooking the East River…. Read More ›
The Press- News column Sep 23
Election 2014. One of New Zealand’s more bizarre and unsavoury election campaigns has proven to be a personal triumph for John Key, victoriously steering his party across the finish line, after navigating a campaign trail, laced with toxicity and tripwires. To score your biggest slice of the party vote in pursuit of a third term… Read More ›
The Press-News column Sep 16
The battle of artist renderings in Christchurch. Yesterday’s official opening of the eye-catching Hagley Oval pavilion marks a welcome addition to the city’s incremental rebirth. What an alluring new facility in a dream setting. Primarily developed with the Cricket World Cup in mind, it’s proponents spruiked the development in 2012 as a priceless opportunity to… Read More ›
The Press- News column Sep 9
Labour a long-shot for September 20. With just 11 sleeps to election day and as the campaign trail hits the home straight, we seem to be back where we started. Despite all the political histrionics, National remains in pole position with Labour seemingly marooned on 25% support. The maths would suggest Team Cunliffe needs to… Read More ›
The Press-News column Sep 2
Let’s party, but responsibly. With the 4th anniversary of our natural disaster on the doorstep, the re-creation of the central city finally has a spring in its step. 2014 is proving to be the circuit-breaker year. For night-owls, a tangible semblance of momentum is crystallising within the city core, with fresh pockets of light, laughter… Read More ›
The Press-News column Aug 26
Too many miscarriages of justice. There is something septic and grossly unjust about the historic sex allegations that have skewered a stream of British celebrities, with Sir Cliff Richard being the just latest cab off the rank. Operation Yewtree continues to carry the whiff of an overcooked witch-hunt. Rolf Harris may have been a big… Read More ›
The Press-News column Aug 19
When Foreign Ownership goes too far. As Saturday’s Fairfax poll vividly illustrates, the firecracker issue of foreign ownership of our prime farm land transcends political persuasions. No reasonable-minded person wants to slam the door on foreign investment in the New Zealand economy. We simply have insufficient domestic capital, as the Christchurch rebuild, or the tourism… Read More ›
The Press-News column Aug 12
Why are late-night flights into Christchurch Airport such a turn-off? I don’t consider myself a particularly impatient or intolerant sod. I’m not a red-light runner, I don’t misappropriate mobility car parks and I certainly don’t indulge in that egregiously piggish practise of pre-parking your trolley in a supermarket check-out lane, only to skive off for… Read More ›
The Press-News column Aug 5
Unacceptable Rates Rises and the need to Sell a stake of the Silverware. Ripping open your quarterly rates invoice has been an expletive-laden business for many Christchurch homeowners in the past fortnight. Recalibrated to reflect the impact of the average annual rates rise and the city’s recent revaluations, my latest rates bill has blown out… Read More ›
Mike Yardley News and Travel 