Kia ora, greetings from author JUDE THOMAS
I'm a southern girl, and my Dunedin hometown has a great history. The early Scottish settlers nicknamed it the 'Edinburgh of the South', Dùn Èideann being the Scottish-Gaelic name for Edinburgh.
Like many Kiwis, I've travelled and lived abroad, but Aotearoa New Zealand is home. My favourite place is the southern district of Central Otago, which features in her books - it's where I spent family holidays as a child. Even when I'm not there, I can still smell the wild thyme and feel the shimmering summer heat. Today, vineyards spread across the spectacular landscape that originally hosted tussock and herbs. When I'm not sampling its world-class pinot noir, I enjoy spending time with family, friends and rescue animals. I'm now based at the opposite end of the country, Mangawhai, but Dunedin and 'Central' always remain my happy place.
As a social historian, I enjoy unravelling lesser-known stories about the past. So many closets are still waiting to be opened, so many stories to tell - so watch this space! read more
Like many Kiwis, I've travelled and lived abroad, but Aotearoa New Zealand is home. My favourite place is the southern district of Central Otago, which features in her books - it's where I spent family holidays as a child. Even when I'm not there, I can still smell the wild thyme and feel the shimmering summer heat. Today, vineyards spread across the spectacular landscape that originally hosted tussock and herbs. When I'm not sampling its world-class pinot noir, I enjoy spending time with family, friends and rescue animals. I'm now based at the opposite end of the country, Mangawhai, but Dunedin and 'Central' always remain my happy place.
As a social historian, I enjoy unravelling lesser-known stories about the past. So many closets are still waiting to be opened, so many stories to tell - so watch this space! read more