hotel – and so she thinks

On The Right Track

admin — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 18:42:00 +0000

“Look at his legs,” fellow hiker Tessa says. I can’t stop looking at them, even though I’m panting heavily. Day One of the 81-kilometre Queen Charlotte Track and our guide, Ray, a rather sprightly 76-year-old who runs up the hills billy goat-style, is full of vigour. He’s been walking and running for years, “the chance to see places that I wouldn’t ordinarily,” he says. Every month, he completes this route five or six times, all this during his ‘retirement.’
Read more at Curious Animal.

Arty places to rest your head

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 13:55:19 +0000

A few months ago, when visiting the cool little capital of Wellington, New Zealand I stayed in the beautiful Museum Art Hotel. Filled with beautiful sights and sumptuous surroundings, it was proof that where you sleep is about much more than the bed, but also how a little creativity can really elevate a hotel from a place to stay to somewhere that you want to be and actively explore.

Architecture, Art Deco and Earthquakes in Napier

admin — Sat, 31 May 2014 20:29:20 +0000

Napier in New Zealand is a city shaped by its geology. Lying on one of the world’s most active tectonic fault lines, the north island city was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1931, leaving mid-century town planners wondering how to rebuild their city. The art deco marvel they created still stands today, one of New Zealand’s best architectural heritage areas and a reminder of Napier’s regeneration against the odds.
In Napier, as in much of New Zealand, architecture and art in Napier is influenced by a common factor: plates. Namely the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates, and their constant rubbing, sheering and sliding that has seen a tumultuous and turbulent history shape a people and a place. The country’s most fatal earthquake took place on February 3rd 1931 in Napier, a small town on the East coast of the North Island. At 7.9 on the Richter scale, buildings crumbled and 258 people died. Once the initial shock had ebbed the townspeople embarked on an ambitious rebuilding programme, with a few key stipulations: new buildings must be safe, modern, and cheap.
Enter art deco.
Read more at The Culture Trip.