The End is Naenae

Emeritus

Like a lot of people, I've watched the tragedy of Jason Arday with horror – wondering if I had anything useful to say, especially when others, including people of colour, are writing so articulately. Adding my voice risks talking over better voices. At the same time, silence feels like

Slappdash

This was sparked by a thoughtful comment from a reader which I’ll respond to with thanks. If there’s anyone who deserves to be pissed off, it’s Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa of Otago University. Despite that, his response to me was thoughtful, gracious and lengthy – me, a complete random

Rocking the boat

I discovered a dismal sequel to my last piece. Enjoy. We all have our quirks, and here’s one of mine: when I’m in a shitty, I make a spreadsheet. I figure out the structure, label the columns, and begin pouring my feminist rage into the cells. That’s

Friends in low places

To be clear, I’m not accusing anyone of wrongdoing – but I believe I’ve stumbled into a system problem, and there’s nowhere to take it. For privacy and safety reasons, I’ve only given people’s names where it’s necessary to the narrative. I have a bonkers

The hundred million dollar man

In confidence for my paid subscribers.

Four and a half kilometres of happiness

This piece builds on some cracker reporting by The Spinoff. If you can, consider supporting them financially. In the year of Our Lord 2025, for reasons I couldn’t quite put my finger on at the time, Wellington lost its shit. A series of dirty politics scandals marred local government

At the Cat Café

Today was family fun day. That meant me, my two sons, and my older son’s partner. My sons are known affectionately as Big Boy and Small Boy. Not long ago, Small Boy caused a kerfuffle by growing taller than Big Boy, but frankly it was too damn late. Childhood

The worst idea in the world

In confidence for my paid subscribers. Today brought a surprise that should’ve been wholly unsurprising.

Food in the mind

This post includes a vote of thanks to Lani, Hugh and Aaron of Pukerua Bay’s Escarpment Domes, who offer a residency programme to writers and artists – including very lucky me. The picture you see above is from my view this week out to Kāpiti Island. You’ll sometimes hear

The grift of the gab

This opinion piece talks about extremist and offensive content. It owes a debt to some excellent reporting by a range of organisations. Judy is coy about her background. Last year, when Michael Laws interviewed her for The Platform, she gave away only a little. She said she has qualifications in

Koro

I thought these few days couldn't break my heart any more until I read the story of an elderly couple, both disabled. When the water came for them in the middle of last night, they never stood a chance. It was only luck the firefighters got there first.

The law is an ass – or at least sitting on its ass

In confidence for my paid subscribers. Be aware this post touches on violence.

The warning

I've been watching the news - what can I say, I'm old - and saw a short interview with a swaggering guy, sipping his beer in some campground up north, saying he's not worried about the warning. He reckons he'll spend Cyclone Vaianu with

Thoughts from an overthinker

Today, e hoa mā, I’m going to tell you a light-hearted story. It began in January, when a business-strategist-writer guy got in touch with me. He’s running an interview project on insight, and a reader had suggested me as an interviewee. Would I be keen,

Up and down and up again

In confidence, for my paid subscribers. My heart broke this morning, quietly but decisively, on the 7:40 train from Upper Hutt to Wellington. Constable Jacob rang as I was just south of Petone, where the tracks curve around the harbour. I like Jacob a lot, and I know he&

Karen vs the tapdancing bird

Here's a cautionary tale. We're told not to behave like Karens, and sometimes this is useful to remember, including for me. But other times a bit of Karen is essential. This last week, it saved my bacon. In December, a weird thing happened. Something got trapped

I’m a former teenage girl: mess with Wuthering Heights and you mess with me

You think I’m reviewing the movie a week late – but I’m also reviewing the book 178 years late. No real spoilers, I promise. Teenagers feel stuff acutely, especially girls. I remember reading Wuthering Heights on a train. In my 17-year-old mind, this heightened the romanticism – even

WFH or WTF? Hot takes from 1993

We all need a bit of light relief right now. I found some today, and I'm going to share it with you. This morning, I drove from Upper Hutt to Lower Hutt for an appointment. Most of the destruction from Sunday night's storm, which has since

Making his excuses for him

Over the long weekend, I read 'No words for this' by Ali Mau. It was profound, and it's helping me process the world right now. Tricky themes lie ahead, so read with care. It's been a while since I was a (barely) trendy leftie

Run, Anna, run!

Before I got sick I was reasonably fit, but never much of a runner. I liked the mental health benefits of getting outside, and so I’d plod a loop around Te Awa Kairangi, the Hutt river; but that was where I drew the line. More motivated friends would invite

Pigeon vs duck

In confidence for my paid subscribers, for reasons that will become obvious. Last year marked a batshit turn in my already batshit life. It seems like nowhere is immune these days. Dirty politics is proliferating – and it tends to go hand in hand with harassment. Pōneke, generally such a sensible

Thought for the day, 23 January 2026

We are bound to each other. This is not a popular thing to say, but it's true. The tradies who were passing and pulled up their truck, took out their tools, rushed to climb the mud and debris barefoot, began frantically to dig. The first responders who arrived

The way we talk about men

A warning that this post is about the tragedy at Waitārere Beach. I want to write with compassion for all involved, but also be loud and clear: it's time to stop promoting harmful ideas about violence. Whoever they are and whoever they've lost, a person is

Banality

Be aware this post talks about troubling current and historical events, so might not be timed right if you’re feeling fragile. Thank you to my lovely paid subscribers for your initial feedback. Sometimes, when I’m feeling down about the world, I reach for the only thing that could

Into the air

This story was subject to reporting errors at the time, and speculation continues to this day. Where sources are in conflict, I've chosen the ones I've judged the most reliable. Be aware that some of the details are gruesome. Fifty years ago, almost to the day,