Blog
Welcome to My Happy Place.
I’m Sandra, a writer and storyteller, passionate about helping people to tell their stories. Here in my blog I share my love and fascination with nature, heritage and tourism and living a healthy and organised life!
Birdwatching bliss: my fascination with birds and bird songs
For a while, I have been watching birds in my backyard. I don’t know what it is about birds that fascinates me. Maybe it’s the sounds they make or maybe it's their natural beauty. Whatever it is I am drawn to them. This curiosity about birds led me to delve deeper...
The knowledge of our ancestors: matauranga maori
I wonder what it was like for my ancestors when they crossed the Pacific Ocean from Hawaiki to Aotearoa, New Zealand. Paddling an enormous waka for days and nights, guided by the stars. Bringing with them the hopes and dreams of their people. What gives me confidence...
The power of images and sounds in nature
Photo by Elle Spacetoco.com on Unsplash Whenever I am outdoors, I notice my surroundings and the audio. So I’ve been interested in finding out more about what power, if any, images and sounds in nature have on overall well-being. Studies have found that nature’s...
A book review: nature and well-being in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Lockdown fatigue is real right now. Many people are struggling to cope with the uncertainty of Covid-19. That’s why Catherine Knight’s book ‘Nature and Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand – Exploring the connection’ published last year is so topical. Knight grew up with...
e-newsletters build relationships with your clients
Email newsletters are a popular marketing tool to inform and persuade people. They are an ideal way for businesses to keep in touch and connect with clients. Email newsletters can be very effective if you know how to use them as a tool correctly. In addition, it is...
Hug a tree – it really makes you feel better!
On my wedding day, I remember TOUCHING a tree; it made me happy. I wondered, why touching or hugging a tree is good for me? I decided to do some research. According to Wikipedia: “hugging a tree increases levels of the hormone oxytocin which is responsible for...
Five tips to get your website content read
In today's modern world, as a writer I'm competing to get my website content read. I've found the best way to get content in front of users is to understand the features of the World Wide Web (WWW) as a communication medium and how this affects my content writing....
Rich in heritage and nature: Nelson Tasman
In November I was lucky to get away for a holiday to Nelson Tasman at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. My top five reasons you should visit Nelson Tasman: Heritage is remembered at Founders Heritage Park.The Abel Tasman National Park.Westport with panoramic...
Is shorthand a dying art form?
I must be one of the few people that still uses shorthand. I first learnt shorthand when I was at high school in the 1980s. Teeline based around handwriting took me six months to learn. I was then able practise and developed speed over time by listening and...
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