Archive for January 2026

The catalyst for this story was having some Mediterranean fare with two friends at Falafel Gourmet today. One friend mentioned seeing an amazing crimson flower display on a tree in Nelson and asked us whether we knew what it might be. A Rata tree I said, and indeed it was! Here are some photos just…

Karamea and early settlement: I draw on a recent trip to see a good friend in Karamea, a small town tucked away in the upper reaches of the South Island’s West Coast. I stayed at my friend’s old family home on the south side of the Karamea River; now called Arapito (“end of the path”)…

There is a way out of the pit: Here, I am drawing from one of King David’s Psalms. [PSALM 103]. First David seeks to bless God from deep in his soul. He speaks of the great God of the Bible who forgives, heals, redeems him from the pit and then crowns him with loving kindness…

Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. [GENESIS 8:11] Coffee time: I am sitting in the Little Dove Café in Nelson and my thoughts turn to Noah of old and the…