This was one of the first images I captured on my recent return to New Zealand in March of 2025. It’s a place along the South-West coast of the North Island a little north from Wellington called Paremata which adjoins the newly developed Camborne suburb. I’m looking South-East towards Pauatahanui inlet. My walk there brought back memories of childhood when our family of 5 children travelled to Paremata on day trips by train to this inlet beach to gather clam shellfish that we called “pipis.” We worked hard digging in the tidal sands for these small white mollusks, gathering a bucketful to take home for the next day’s meal, as they had to be left in fresh water overnight to spit out sand from their shells.
At some point Mum would send me, along with perhaps my next youngest sister, to the local fish and chips shop to bring back a large bundle of steaming hot fare (of course wrapped in newspaper) that we’d spread out on a picnic blanket and dive into with our fingers. There was usually a baby in a pushchair (stroller) and this device offered a handy means to transport the heavy shellfish back home after an invigorating and tiring day in the sun.
It occurred to me that what I was revisiting impacted in such a profound way that the imagery and memories would lend themselves to a new series of needle felted artworks. This Paremata memory (here at high tide) is the image the I decided to begin with.
Using wool fibre then silk in subsequent layers I have recreated this scene captured on the walk with my sister around the Paremata harbour/inlet. The feature plant is flax which may be one of 2 indigenous species, either Phormium tenax (harakeke). Likely this one as its a larger species than the mountainous Phormium colensoi (wharariki). As it had just flowered, I am unable to tell if its flowers were red (tenax) or yellow (colensoi). New Zealand flax (not related to the European variety) is a hardy plant which was traditionally used by the Maori people for woven mats and baskets, ropes and clothing. It was also cultivated by the European settlers for their own and commercial use. Now reintroduced in many areas, the plant attracts native birds such as the Tui – a black song bird featuring a white ball of feathers at the throat.
On my next work depicting part of this Paremata walk, I will discover more about what I am seeing in the image. I will also travel up the coast, into thicker forest and make a trip down to Christchurch in the South Island.
The second work in the series is a view returning to the start of the Paremata walk, now looking west towards Paremata. We are now on the sand dunes close to where I recall those childhood days at the beach.
Work no. 3 is still looking westwards. The expanse of tidal waters struck me with its very distinct tidal patterns. This work was a little more of a challenge although it may at first seem more simplified in its composition. The striations of the water became too dominant and the subtle perspective of the cloud formations became just as important. I took a bold move by removing the entire layer and moving is down to create a horizon that would share both water and sky equally. By doing this I disturbed the vertical striations such that it softened the look and I was able to direct the water movement horizontally as well. I felt this worked better.
I continued to work on the first pieces of this series although not documented during the process as much. Below is the progress of Mana Island from the Plimmerton coastal walk. I remember this beautiful fall day with my sister: We lunched at a corner cafe then set off around the coast admiring luxurious coastal homes but moreso, the view of Mana Island and, on this clear early Autumn day, the tip of the South Island (a 3-hour ferry journey that can be taken from Wellington to Picton).
My sister sent me a lovely photo of the same walk which she made alone one evening shortly after (now into the NZ fall) which I thought deserved a place in this series.
I took several train rides with my Mother during this visit as she travelled from her home in Tawa to the frienship group that she hung out with in the coastal retirement town of Paraparaumu. Situated on the Kapati coast the train ride there passes through several small towns and vacant land, some with grazing pastures and others left as scrubland. These beautiful pink pampas grasses are synonamous with the importation problems that New Zealand has faced throughout its colonization. Beautiful but invasive, they have reportedly cross-polinated with the native toe toe (pronounced toi toi/toy toy) grasses – a much lighter coloured species of which there a several varieties. The second image was from a photograph taken at my sister’s home – everything in this area grows huge! I loved the skies on this particular day – little dotted cumulus clouds.
I did many walks with my sister – an avid walker who participates with a group each week. They explore remote areas around Wellington and its ajoining townships and cities. One of the most striking colours can be found in native species such as the bottle brush tree below. Along with the Pohutakawa and Rata vine (all members of the laural family of which holly belongs to) they add a brilliant accent to any garden or naturalized area. Wellington and area has taken on a mamoth project to naturalize lands which had formerly become overtaken by introduced species such as European gorse and broom.
My trip to Christchurch, an area that I was not very familar with, introduced me to wonderful remote farmlands and resorts. Christchurch is situated on the Canterbury Plains and surrounded to the South by the Port Hills which separate the city from the port at Lyttleton. The intial part of the journey takes you through the flat plains where sheep (and cattle) graze year round. I was surprised to see scrubby gorse plants being used as hedgerows. With their distinctive yellow flower at this time of year, they add some character to the landscape.
Travelling through the windy Port Hills opens new scenery at every twist and turn of the way. Cabbage trees and flax, which grow from the far South to the Northern tip of New Zealand provide character to the almost stipped farmlands beyond. In the far distance, this image may be revealing the Southern Alps, which in winter, add a majestic backdrop to any Canterbury scene.
As we began the desent towards the harbour at Akaroa, this view caught my eye. Are those cultivated poplars at the bayside? I loved this remote tourist destination which was originally settled by the French – apparently for no other reason than to get away from the British.
These images are just a taste of New Zealand. There are many more that could be added. And, my travels in the North from 2017 could become part II of this series.