Years ago we traipsed to the Arctic Circle in hopes of chasing the Northern Lights, never ever thinking that one evening we’d be watching the Northern Lights in London, shimmering over our very own garden. Yes, you read that correctly. The aurora borealis, aka the Northern Lights shimmered over our London home in May 2024. It was around 11, 11.30 pm and we were just settling in for the night, phones in hand as we read educational literature scrolled Instagram, and Mr Kiwi turns to me to exclaiming “there might be Aurora Borealis over London tonight! As in, now!” I laughed, thinking he was cra ..read more

High above the Salisbury Plains, one of the biggest pieces of New Zealand graffiti in the world overlooks an army base. The Bulford Kiwi. Image: Courtesy of Kate at Slow Travel – she wrote an excellent blogspot about the Bulford Kiwi pre-viewing spot. Forget the Westbury White Horse in Oxfordshire or the Cerne Abbas Giant over Dorset both cut into the hillsides by the Celts (possibly dating back to 500BC) as pagan worship to their gods; a giant Kiwi was dug into the rolling hills above Bulford Army base just after World War One and attracts curious locals and crazy visitors to this day. Much ..read more

Ever thought about making your day extraordinary? It’s so very easy to sink into the daily grind no matter which country you live in; alarm goes off, snooze too much, jump out of bed in a panic, breakfast, shower, brush teeth, pick something to wear, get stuck under an armpit on the tube, debate whether to salad or not to salad for lunch, gossip by the water cooler, catch up on your favourite blogs, dream of holidays, get stuck under a sweatier armpit on your commute, feel gym guilt & promise to go tomorrow, eat dinner, watch the box and moan about how rubbish it is, go to bed too late. I ..read more

I’m going to make a bold claim here. I think I’ve found the perfect afternoon tea for London visitors. I know, I know, I told you it’s a bold call. But, short of nipping up the Shard for a non-London-themed afternoon tea overlooking the actual various spires and towers of London town (don’t get me wrong, I adore the Peter Pan afternoon tea at Aqua and the changing teas at the Shangri-La Hotel), this is the perfect place to bring your visitors to London for a little pinky waving. The Dilly is perfectly situated in central London; a two-minute walk from the tourist icon of Picadilly Circus, it ..read more

I’ve actually haven’t spoken about this much, just a cheeky peek on Instagram Stories here and there, but I’m a year into reading* a degree in Digital Marketing. As a (literal) card carrying student, I wanted to share my version of a student’s guide to the London lifestyle. My cat boss literally cracking the books… Digital Marketing is a field I’ve been working as a freelancer in for the last 7 years as a social media specialist and I am absolutely loving the challenge of being back in Higher Education, filling in those theory gaps that my on-the-job practical experience has missed. (Sometime ..read more

Drawn into Austin by the lure of classic blues, we began in the city where guitar players wander off the stage and into the road, the pavements where students Snapchat alongside families and blocks upon blocks of bars showcase local talent. Austin Texas, the self-proclaimed ‘live music capital of the world’. 2 US states, 3 cities, 800 miles of driving + 1 internal flight, a serious amount of Texan BBQ, a swamp tour on a Louisiana bayou with gators and raccoons, music pouring from doorways, a small red car christened Bonnie (just because we could), 7 hotels (definitely a record for us, we like ..read more

Struggling to find a Christmas present for someone that has everything? How about paying kindness forward to a charity. I’ve been sharing a charity gift guide annually since 2014 (which have also helped me buy meaningful presents for those friends and family who are notoriously hard to buy for as well…) as well as supporting great small businesses who are making a difference in the world. Blogger gift guides are pretty well established now, but as ever I couldn’t just do a normal one – it needed a slightly Adventures of a London Kiwi twist (I even spotted a couple of little sheep fellows – he ..read more

Honestly, when asked where would I go if I won the lottery, the answer is more where wouldn’t I go. But. I’ve managed to rein myself in and only pick 5 destinations that I’d angle my private jet towards (to start with.) I’ve been so lucky to explore so many of my dream destinations over the years, but these locations are still at the top of my lotto win list… New Zealand Would I be in trouble with the family if I didn’t visit them? Very much so! I’d hire a beautiful house (maybe two), complete with open-air jacuzzis, an amazing garden for the nephews and a wine cellar for the adults ..read more

All we could hear was the soft crunch of our shoes on the path gravel, the occasional click of a camera lens and birdsong echoing around the Karangahake Gorge valley. We made our way up the gradual rise of old mine tracks, with an occasional flurry up a flight of sturdy steps. Stopping every so often to grouch at our cameras, and then crouching to read the information boards posted in front of moss-covered mining equipment, we simply followed the path. Slipping between the Coromandel and Kaimai ranges, the road winds from Waihi to Paeroa, following the carved-out riverbeds and soaring hillsid ..read more

Over the last few years, I’ve been listening to a podcast called Off Menu where two foodie comedians chat to celebs about their dream menus. I’ve given it a lot of thought, many times, and finally pulled my dream (dinner) menu together. I think. The courses are: water, bread or poppadums (they’re English lads), starter, main course + sides, drinks and dessert. Oh, Ed Gamble is the head of this magical restaurant and James Acaster is a genie waiter who can conjure anything from any time or place. I may have hacked the format a teeny tiny little bit – but the hosts have done that themselves. T ..read more