Entries by Wendy Cowling

Tales and Truths of the South Pacific

Wintry where you are? Try basking in floral customs of the Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, and Tahiti, courtesy of New Zealander Wendy Cowling. One of the pleasures of spending time with Tongan or Cook Island friends is that when passing a garden or bush plantation/vegetable garden, an islander often will pick some flowers, perhaps hibiscus […]

Pohutukawa: The 70 ft. Poinsettia

A native of Australia, Wendy Cowling moved to New Zealand 15 years ago. She kindly sent us this post on the New Zealand Christmas Tree: Pohutukawa (Maori for “drenched with mist”). Beaches of the Coromandel are now “drenched” in their annual festival. Thank you for this seasonal eye-opener, Wendy. In New Zealand people look forward […]