Carlotta Arona

Category: Auckland

  • The Big House

    The Big House

    All the time Dom and I have been in Auckland we have been living at The Big House in Parnell, Auckland’s oldest suburb since it dates from the earliest days of the European settlement of Auckland in 1841.

    Located at 42 St Georges Bay Road, off Parnell Road, The Big House was a Catholic boarding school for girls in early 1900. Even the Maori Princess Te Puea Herangi attended this school.

    The building was then sold and refurbished to become a rental property with twenty one rooms!

    Since the 1970s The Big House has been a house-share for students, artists, musicians, kiwis and foreigners alike happy to share their talents and backgrounds and live in a mixed interesting community.

    It was strange at the start due to loads of different reasons. Culture shock coming from living in South East Asia probably most of all but also the fact of being back to share with other people after ten years of living independently, having to adjust to “rules” and habits and The Big House is a unique place to live, different from all the other house-shares I had lived in.

    I am very adaptable so I got used to it. It is definitely an experience, a different experience.

    There is a mix of great people here at the moment, each one of them has something special and unique to bring to this community.

    I am stoked to live in the most notorious, largest flat in Auckland and probably New Zealand.

  • Western Springs

    Western Springs

    Walking through Western Springs Park in Auckland. One of the many natural parks in the city.

  • A Hippy in Auckland

    A Hippy in Auckland

    Most of the time in New Zealand, so far, has been spent in Auckland. Auckland is an interesting city, busier and bigger than Wellington, it is also home to the tallest building in the South Hemisphere, the Sky Tower.

    Auckland is the largest and most populous city in New Zealand.

    The geological aspect of the city is also very interesting and unique, in fact Auckland is built on a volcanic field.

    There are 50 volcanoes within an area of approx 1,000 square kilometres, forming the hills, lakes and basins of the city. Rangitoto Island, just across Auckland city, was formed by the most recent eruption 600 years ago!

    Underlying Auckland there is a pool of magma that occasionally finds its way up to the surface through different routes and erupting in a different place each time.

    Each volcano that can be seen on today’s Auckland’s landscape is dormant while the underlying magma is still active meaning that it may be coming through at a new place and form a new cone at any time. Quite impressive!

    The whole of New Zealand is such a recent geological formation that the plate is still in continuous adjustment.

    People that know me well, know that I am not a big city girl anymore (or maybe I have never been?) but I have tried to adjust to life in the city.

    The good thing about Auckland is that it is surrounded by native bushes and plants and it is right on the sea so it does not feel claustrophobic like normally a big city would do. The city is quite easy going and it is common to walk around wearing jandals (big bonus for me!) or like some people do even bear foot!

    Since I love taking photos of nature and underwater photos, at first I did not take many photos. Then I started to look at the city under different eyes and discovered that even in a city one can find interesting subjects to portray and create a story.

    Now I cannot stop taking photos. Every time I go out I find interest in anything I look at. Unfortunately I do not always have my camera with me but at least my iPhone can take reasonably good pictures.

    So, this is Auckland!