The Ancient Greeks used to separate comedy and tragedy: you'd either go and have a good laugh at a lighthearted tale about a blundering fool, or combine a serious moral lesson with a good cry at the downfall of some proud hero. Even in Shakespearean times one generally went to see a play about one ...
The Dutch House: Paradise Lost in Pennsylvania
A cautionary tale that explores what it is to have everything, and then to lose everything. The obsession that comes from having something taken from you, and the inability to move on. At the centre of this family drama lies The Dutch House: more a piece of artwork than a home, which seems to "float ...
Burial Rites: Murder in Iceland
Murder, fire, ice... Burial Rites follows the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the last person to be executed in Iceland before the death penalty was abolished in 1928. Read this if you... Can't get enough of Nordic noir, Scandi crime or, like me, are just generally obsessed with Iceland and ...
Hiking the Ōmanawanui Track
Auckland may be New Zealand’s big city, but that doesn’t mean that you have to feel cut off from nature. The wild west coast, less than an hour’s drive from the city, is full of eye-wateringly beautiful hiking tracks. So, as soon as the weekend hits, for us it’s always “grab your boots and go go ...
Sleepover: Pomare’s Secret, Bay of Islands
As a newbie Aucklander (yes, I officially live here now!) I'm very much enjoying finding out what the top of North Island has to offer. Auckland may be NZ's big city, but it doesn't take long to escape. For our first holiday from the city we headed up to the magical Bay of Islands where, as the name ...
