I chose Heni Irihapeti as my blog’s title as it is ‘somewhat’ anonymous. In actual fact, Heni Irihapeti is the Māori transliteration of my own name, Jane Elizabeth.

Life at South Head tends to be governed by the ebbs and flows of the seasons. And there are often days that turn into weeks when the only person I see (other than my husband, Ben) is the Postie.

My head is frequently in a ‘writing’ space, while my heart tends to be ruled by the natural world. When you live far enough away from civilisation, the weather and the surrounding environment has a huge impact on each day.

As I sit here, updating my ‘About’ page, how can I not hear the chirps of baby sparrows nestling in the tōtara, or the rattles of kihikihi in the lilly pillies. How can I avoid breathing in the sweet aromas of manuka and harakeke flowers drifting through the open window behind me? How can I not sense the waves of heat pushing in through the open front door? And if the occasional vehicle drives past on the gravel road, I’m definitely aware of the drift of dust that floats annoyingly in our direction, ready to coat our solar panels.

Writing a blog is a personal thing. And I have to ask myself, “Who is it for? Is it for me? Is it for someone else to read? Do I have anything useful to say?”

“I’m not sure about the answer to these questions but I’ll keep these pages up. And perhaps for 2018 I’ll be motivated to spend more time writing and less time in the garden, dreaming.” (January 2018)

Three years later and I still don’t have the answers. What I do know, is that I’m very patchy at keeping my blog alive.  (April 2021)

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