Shade-giving trees in inner city Pōneke. 📷 #trees #shade #InnerCity

Trees and undergrowth in an inner city area. Footpaths, crosswalks and roads under shading trees. City buildings beyond. Trees and undergrowth in an inner city area. Footpaths, crosswalks and roads under shading trees. City buildings beyond.

Today’s book purchase: “Procopius: The Secret History” (Folio Society, 1990) from the excellent Ferret Bookshop on Cuba St, Pōneke. 📚#Books #SecondHand #History #Roman #Byzantine #FolioSociety

Hardback book with cover in the form of a full red and green mosaic showing two figurative lovers. Book sits atop a plain cream coloured cardboard sleeve.

It’s a big one. 📷 #Construction #Infrastructure #Water #Pōneke #Wellington

Four men in hi-visibility jackets inspect a large reinforced hole in the ground. They are surrounded by digging machinery and safety fences. Taranaki St, Wellington and the Methodist Church in the background.

Bird flying over a Pōhutukawa tree in Te Aro park. 📷 #Pōhutukawa #tree #bird #park #TeAro #Pōneke #Wellington #AtaMārie

A bird flies over a tree with dark green leaves and red flowers. Park with water features with geometric shapes and coloured tiles in the foreground. Buildings behind the tree. Clouds with spots of blue sky above.

Pōneke and Te Whanganui-a-Tara from Mata-i-Rangi lookout; view across the city and harbour to Te Ahumairangi hill. #AtaMārie #morning #views #pōneke #wellington 📷

View of a city and harbour ringed by hills from a lookout. Green trees and vegetation in the foreground, blue skies with flecks of clouds beyond.

Summer is in full bloom in Pōneke.

Pōhutukawa tree in Te Aro park.

📷 #Pōhutukawa #Summer #Pōneke #Wellington #Aotearoa #KiwiSummer

Pōhutukawa tree with dark green leaves and bright red flowers in a small park. Blue sky above.

Apartment renovations story

Today’s Pōneke / Wellington newspaper has a story about the recent renovations to the apartment that my partner and I have lived in for 22 years:

Guests love trying to find the way in to the secret room of this New York loft-style apartment in central Wellington

Many thanks to Kylie Klein-Nixon for the story, and to Andrew & Lynnette Scott (designers & project managers, Design in Residence), Liz Mark (design consultant), Phil Maxey (builder), and Reilly Joinery for making it a reality!

Also thanks to Oliver Cain for the wonderful piece, "Jeremy + Bill", which features in the story.

Wide angle shot of a loft-style apartment with wooden floors and steel beams. A richly patterned rug in the foreground. Two men on a couch, one higher than the other. Art, dining furniture and many designer lights fill the background.

Photo: Monique Ford / Stuff.

First negroni in a long while…

Not a bad day.

view of a marina on sunny day, still blue water, houses on hills behind

Flowers of Te Aro streets

Flowers seen on a walk along Te Aro streets.

Way up high

Various views of Pōneke

Plants and rocks at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park. Pōneke.

lush trees and bushes Tī Kouka flowercarved rockcarving on rock

Ivy. Hannah’s Courtyard.

ivy creepying up over a building's windows

Laneways of Wellington

The aluminium window frames of many modern buildings in Aotearoa have terrible thermal efficiency. But I think our heritage cast iron frames are even worse! #mbnov

Loft apartment iron window frames. View of similar apartment block across courtyard.

Reasons to get out of the office in Pōneke today ….

#Pōneke #harbour #Wellington #YCBWOAGD #sun #summer #raumati

I’m very keen to leave the office today and spend more time in the sun.

#Pōneke #raumati #summer #sun #tari #office #mbnov

Captivated and transported by Red Leap’s interpretation of Janet Frame’s “Owls Do Cry” this afternoon. It is now 65 years since the book was published; this performance gave it fresh relevance.

#writer #book #modernist #novel #autobiography #JanetFrame #Aotearoa #OwlsDoCry

Programme for theatre performance.

Late night views of an Aro Valley tower block.

#Pōneke #night #tower

Nighttime view of a modernist tower block. Nighttime view of a modernist tower block.