Articles in ‘Editors Note’

By the time you read this, the Christmas season will all be over, and we will be heading into a brand-new year, 2023. That’s 23 years since the world teetered on the brink of a potential disaster as computer programmers grabbled with the Y2KBug, the point at which the world slipped over to the 21st century, and the year 2000 ticked over from 1999. It was thought and hyped up by the media that computer systems would experience huge malfunctions…

If you have ever delved into the history about the Christmas season, you will know it is both complex and varied. From its origins steeped in pagan and Christian beliefs alike many centuries ago, it has evolved into a holiday that is celebrated by over 159 countries officially and 23 unofficially making it the most celebrated and universally recognized holiday worldwide. The Christmas season has been involved in a cessation of hostilities in…

It’s been an interesting month, local body elections resulting in many fresh faces at councils across the country and a new Auckland Mayor starting to make some noise (writing to Watercare and council chief executive Jim Stabback telling them to stop all work on the Government's Three Water reforms and asking for entire CCO boards to step down.) Renegade Labour MP Gaurav Sharma resigned prompting a referendum (byelection) that Labour probably…

If you are anything like me, then the death last month and subsequently funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II has been very much a pointed reminder into the history behind both the Monarchy and its impact on us as a member of the Commonwealth. She was a remarkable woman of service and the funeral if you haven’t already watched at least part of it, is well worth it. It is indeed a moment of History that will never be repeated in our lifetime.…

I had an email last month from a reader in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia who wanted to check on the whereabouts of his elocal from his home address in Pukekohe as his sister mentioned she hadn’t received one for a few months and he was disappointed as she would send them to him in Jakarta and he would pass them to the expat kiwis to read and there were thoroughly enjoyed. We know that hundreds of you mail your elocal to friends and family…

A farmer named Bob was overseeing his animals in a remote mountainous pasture in Canterbury when suddenly a brand-new 2022 BMW iX, advanced toward him out of a cloud of dust. The driver, a young man in a Brioni®suit, Gucci® shoes, RayBan® sunglasses and YSL® tie, leaned out the window and asked the farmer “If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, will you give me a calf?” Bob looks at the man, who obviously is a…

I’m writing this at 1.30am in the waiting area of Middlemore Hospital’s accident and emergency department. We are here because since contracting Covid on May 1, my 18-year-old has endured a cacophony of painful symptoms that are just not resolving. They are not respiratory but are preventing her from returning to work and life in general. We got there at 4pm, in part because there was a 4 hour wait at the local emergency department and a 1 week…

For many of us, there’s no greater support than what we receive from our Mother, the person who gave birth to us, or who has treated us as if she did. From the time spent with us in fun childhood games and endless snack preparation to sticking by us as moody teenagers and being the occasional shoulder to cry on – they’ve always had our backs. This month, Mother’s Day gives us the chance to say thank you for everything they have done for us. …

This year marks the 100th year of Poppy day, and we tell you all about how it came about in our series This month in history this month and while the reason for the poppy day drifts further back into history each year, one thing is for certain. War impacts immensely on thousands of lives, displaces whole communities, and leaves scars deep in nations for many years. New Zealand’s remote location has ensured it has remained relatively untouched…

I like the above car analogy. The author is unknown, but it reportedly first appeared in print in 1998 uttered by a US youth football coach whose team had had a bad season. It is pretty self-explanatory when driving and can be applied to most of life’s situations. Simply put, it means that where you’re headed is much more important than what you left behind. The past is the past, it can not be changed or undone. For some it contains painful…