I’m publishing this post from Russell, formerly the infamous Kororareka, or hellhole of the Pacific. Once upon a time this beach was home to drunkards, whalers, crimps, sailors, prostitutes, grog shop owners and other rogues both lovable and not. It was witness to duels, brawls and even wars. […]
Today marks 150 years since the flagship of the Royal Navy’s Australian squadron sank off the entrance to the Manukau harbour. It was a beautiful sunny day but there was a hidden danger lurking beneath the waves. At about 1:30pm the Orpheus hit a submerged sand bar. Of […]
This is the true story behind what I suspect might be the earliest known photograph of a waterspout or tornado in New Zealand. As I’ve stated many times before, every photo, postcard or piece of paper has a story to tell, however this one really will blow you […]
Today I’m going to share one of the oldest postcards in my collection, one which also happens to include a message relating to New Zealanders fighting in the Boer War. It is one of a small group that I found in a junk shop as a teenager and […]
Recently I came across a beautiful photograph in a secondhand book store and snapped it up for my collection. Usually I don’t blog about items that I’ve only recently purchased but this I thought was an exception. I give you – four Dunedin children and their pet cat. […]
This is the post where History Geek wades into an academic debate slashing with the cold hard steel that is his personal opinion. Apologies in advance for any casualties, I’m not too skilled with this weapon. All jokes aside, this is a topic that if not addressed might […]
This evening a good friend of mine shared this beautiful photo of a snow-covered Dome of the Rock. It is the first time in four years that snow has fallen in Jerusalem and it looks like the locals are enjoying the novelty. According to this article it is […]
