St Valentine's widow spider
In honour of Valentine’s Day this post will look at the wonderful world of courtship in the spider genus Latrodectus, more commonly known as the widow spiders. Readers of my previous post will recall this genus includes species such as the American black widow (Latrodectus mactans), the Australian redback (L. hasseltii) and the New Zealand katipo (L. katipo), all
Margaret Stoddart, Roses, 1920s
In Europe during the 1300s February 14th was thought to be the day when birds paired off to mate. This date was originally an ancient Greco-Roman pagan festival, and was later called St Valentines Day Feast by the Church. Since the 1300s, on February 14th each year, roses (and flowers in general), have been widely accepted as gifts and Saint Valentines Day is now
The portrait room, Nga tai whakarongorua | Encounters, has been at the heart of Te Papa’s Toi Art galleries since their opening in 2018. We’ll be saying goodbye to these […]
29 APRIL – 5 MAY 2024 Explore the richly historic and scenic Otago region, from its former gold rush towns to its alpine mountains and gorges, then across to the city streets, wild coasts, and heritage architecture of Dunedin, all with knowledgeable local guides.
A profound slice of life. Mum’s Vege Patch explores the relationship between three sisters, their Mum, and the things we grow inside us. Have we done enough weeding to sustain what we’ve planted? A dark comedy about a funeral and losing Mum’s ashes.