Back to China

In a few days time I will be on a plane heading back to a place that has given me so much. Wonderful friends, my eldest child (“Made in China”, ahem) and a beloved career. Oh, and let’s not forget the unnaturally eager predilection for yum cha....

Good for you

Oh, the good advice we forget and forget and forget again. The things that cajole us out of a funk, that dust us off and yank us to our feet, that make life sweet again. Mum’s wisdom, your best friend’s sage counsel, the oldest of chestnuts. Sleep on it,...

Surprise!

How do you give good news? Can you bear to hold it in? Do you fashion a crazy way to reveal it? I had some good news for the girls this week, news I could barely contain it was so rad, that I decided to share with them in a memorable way. Wanna find out what it was?...

The Bach

“A bach (pronounced ‘batch’) is a small, often very modest holiday home or beach house.”* This summer we were lucky enough to score ourselves a bach holiday in Scandretts Bay, about one hour’s drive north from Auckland. Four nights, right...

French Breakfasts

  Last year we were fortunate enough to go to Europe – Croatia and France – to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday. It’s no secret I’m a huge francophile. The french chapter titles and macarons in my first book, The Colour of Tea, no...