Category Archives: New Zealand

West Coast Wearable Art Show WOWs All Comers

Karamea’s Creative Couture Transcends All Expectations   Off the Top of My Head   By Paul Murray   WOW! The World of Wearable Art came to the small rural community of Karamea at the top of the West Coast of the South Island … Continue reading

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Posted in Art, Artist, Buller District Council, Community, Community-Led Development, Culture, Education, Entertainment, Environment, Funny, Karamea, LivinginPeace Project, Nature, New Zealand, Paul Murray, Photography, Property Brokers, Tourism, Travel, Uncategorized, West Coast | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Little Things, BIG Things Come…

Karamea Co.Starters Graduate with BIG Plans for Business Success Off the Top of My Head By Paul Murray In the small rural enclave of Karamea in a community ravaged by COVID, seven local entrepreneurial ladies graduated from a 10-week Co.Starters … Continue reading

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Posted in Business, Cheese, Co.Starters, Community, Economics, Education, Food, Karamea, Money, New Zealand, Paul Murray, Permaculture, Photography, Social Enterprise, Sustainability, Tourism, Uncategorized, West Coast | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fromagère Di Anderson Says, “Say “Cheese” Karamea.” 

Off the Top of My Head  By Paul Murray  After 52 years of “running around after other people,” Dianne Anderson said, “Right… It’s my turn now; I want a cheese room,” and, just like that, she started a new career … Continue reading

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Posted in Agriculture, Business, Cheese, Co.Starters, Community, Community-Led Development, Food, Kahurangi National Park, Karamea, New Zealand, Uncategorized, West Coast | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

In for a Penny, Out with a Pounding

Off the Top of My Head  Book Review: “The Last Front Line: Building the Paparoa Great Walk” by Brendan O’Dwyer  By Paul Murray  It’s a long way from Tipperary to the wilds of the Paparoa National Park on the West Coast of the South Island … Continue reading

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Posted in Adventure, Book Review, Brendan O'Dwyer, DOC, Environment, Historical, Karamea, Mining, Mountain Biking, MTB, Nature, New Zealand, Paparoa, Paul Murray, South Island, Tourism, Tramping, Travel, West Coast | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Artists Plan New “ArtofNature” Exhibition for Tokyo

Off the Top of my Head By Paul Murray This photograph really started something. It was taken on the Heaphy Track in the Kahurangi National Park at the top of the South Island of New Zealand in 2005. I’ve always … Continue reading

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Posted in Art, Artist, Artist-in-residency programme, Belgium, Heaphy Track, Japan, Kahurangi National Park, Karamea, LivinginPeace Project, Nature, New Zealand, Paul Murray, Photography, Resident artist, South Island, Uncategorized, West Coast | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Business Opportunity Knocks in Paradise

Off the Top of My Head By Paul Murray  In the Spring of 2006, German traveller Lena Fischbach happened across a remote Marlborough Sounds lodge, met Kiwi journeyman Mike MacMillan and ended up with two kids living in Karamea at the … Continue reading

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Posted in Business, Children, Community, Economics, Environment, Heaphy Track, Kahurangi National Park, Karamea, Marriage, Money, Mountain Biking, Nature, New Zealand, Oparara Basin, Oparara Valley Track, Paul Murray, South Island, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Karamean Foodies Visit Tasman Artisans On Quest for Gastronomic Enlightenment

Off the Top of My Head By Paul Murray A group of eight Karameans travelled to the Tasman region on September 26 and 27, 2018,  to visit artisan food processing and production facilities in Nelson and Upper Moutere with the … Continue reading

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Posted in Agriculture, Business, Community, Community-Led Development, Economics, Environmentally Responsible Business, Karamea, New Zealand, Paul Murray, Social Enterprise, South Island, Sustainability, Uncategorized, West Coast | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Charley Chop Chop Gets Your Kids Cooking

Off the Top of My Head By Paul Murray Parents in this “digital age” have a serious challenge…How to encourage our children away from passive screens and to pique their interest in more active pursuits. Chef Charley “ChopChop” Ainscough is … Continue reading

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Posted in Book Review, Children, Education, Food, Health, Nelson, New Zealand, Parenting, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Nelson Eatery Wows Discerning Diners

Off the Top of My Head By Paul Murray   A fabulous way to start your day awaits you at The Hardy Street Eatery in Nelson. Winter sunshine streaming through the broad windows onto Hardy Street, the aroma of fresh … Continue reading

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Posted in Food, Nelson, New Zealand, Paul Murray, Restaurant, South Island | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

West Coast Economy Benefits From Hidden Tourism $ Yields

Off the Top of my Head By Paul Murray There is quite a lot of talk at Councils and in the local media on the West Coast lately about the need for the tourism industry to be self-sustaining and not … Continue reading

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Posted in Business, Economics, Education, New Zealand, Paul Murray, Social Commentary, South Island, Sustainablity, Tourism, West Coast | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment