Yes. Free, I tell you! But now for the details…

Te Tuhi lemon tree grove, Preston Road reserve, East Otara

I’m pleased to announce that the foraging movement is growing around New Zealand. ha. Growing. Oh, I’m hilarious.

Anyway… Auckland in particular is lush with free fruit and vegetables. The brilliant thing is that Councils are now supporting the movement (among many other fabulous people). East Otara is on it’s way to having the first Freedom Fruit Garden:

The inaugural planting of a Freedom Fruit garden will occur on Friday 25 June from 9.30am, at Preston Road Reserve, East Otara, Auckland. The day of planting will be celebrated with an official opening event, with performances including Rongomai Primary School’s Kapa Haka group and conclude with a hangi.

John Darroch, guerrilla gardener and general horticultural genius, recently appeared on Close Up talking about foraging in Central Auckland. If you want to give it a go but don’t really know where to start, there is a helpful google map of free food sources all around New Zealand. General foraging etiquette applies… in basic terms, be nice. Also, feel free to add your own secret spots to the map. In particular, if you have a feijoa tree and happen to live near Newmarket, I’d be pleased to see your input. Kthx.

I’m on a mission to do some guerrilla gardening of my own. I think the empty section next door would be infinitely more fetching with a giant pumpkin patch on it. Yusssssssss.

We’ve heard howls of unhappiness coming from Wellington at the news that their beloved Matterhorn has been bought out by an Auckland company (although to be honest, few Wellingtionians that I know dig on the place, mostly it seems to be full of Aucklanders visiting for the weekend). Now they’re howling that the Matterhorn has switched from Supreme to Cafe L’affare as its coffee supplier. And just the other night on Shortland Street when Chris was making coffee in his plunger, what brand was he using? L’affare. Right, that’s enough evidence to convict. We’re picking L’affare as secretly Auckland. No wonder it doesn’t taste very good…

When the Audience Suitability section for an event reads: “Parental guidance is recommended with full puppet nudity and sex, songs about racism and porn we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you bring your kids!”, you know I want to see it!

Avenue Q won three major Tony Awards in 2004 and has gone on to be one of the longest running shows on Broadway, as well as being a huge hit on London’s West End. Most of the cast of Avenue Q are puppets (operated by actors on stage) and the show is largely inspired by Sesame Street.

The story centres around Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. He soon discovers that the only neighborhood in his price range is Avenue Q; still, the neighbors seem nice. There’s Brian the out-of-work comedian and his therapist fiancée Christmas Eve; Nicky the good-hearted slacker and his roommate Rod — a Republican investment banker who seems to have some sort of secret; an internet addict called Trekkie Monster; and a very cute kindergarten teaching assistant named Kate Monster. And would you believe the building’s superintendent is Gary Coleman?!? (Yes, that Gary Coleman.) Their lives also intermingle with renowned nightclub singer, Lucy the Slut, and school principal, Mrs. Thistletwat. Together, Princeton and his newfound friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

Avenue Q plays at The Civic for a strictly limited season from Thursday 13 May. Tickets are available from The Edge, and more information about the muscial can be found on its official website.

The Auckland Readers and Writers Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, and from 12 to 16 May offers up a cornucopia of events to tickle the fancy of the literary minded.

On 12 May you can sip tea and nibble delicious dainties whilst listening to Lauraine Jacobs, Tui Flower, Julie Biuso and Julie Le Clerc – four of the many food writers and chefs who contributed to A Treasury of New Zealand Baking.

Also on 12 May, Emily Perkins, Finlay Macdonald, Gordon McLauchlan, Steve Braunias, Bill Hastings and Jennifer Ward-Lealand will argue the moot: “Off the Shelf and Into the Hard-drive: the Book is Dead” at St-Matthew-In-The-City, with Te Radar as moderator.

14 Year Old Daughter’s favourite band Ivy Lies will be talking about songwriting on 13 May as part of the 2010 Schools Programme. If 14 Year Old Daughter can’t talk her teachers into taking the class along I may just have to take her myself, or risk her imploding with disappointment!

If your brain needs some shaping up tutor Kathryn Burnett will lead participants through a series of exercises designed to stimulate imagination and give your right brain a workout in Brainstorm: Creativity Workshop on 15 May.

This is just a sampling of the events on offer, a full programme and ticketing information is available on the Readers and Writers Festival website.

I have a 14 year old daughter who is obsessed with music (obviously nothing unusual there!). Her current favourite is Kiwi all-girl group Ivy Lies, who are originally from Christchurch, have a couple of songs playing on the radio at the moment and a recently-wrapped album soon to be released. She jumps at any opportunity to see them live, but the opportunities don’t come around as often as she’d like because for most local groups the pub circuit is where it’s at, and as a responsible mother (which I am, honest) I’m hardly going to let her hang out in pubs.

Luckily for 14 Year Old Daughter Ivy Lies are supporting Dane Rumble (whose debut album The Experiment is doing quite well by all accounts) in an all ages gig at Pukekohe Town Hall on May 15 from 5pm. Specifically focussed on the under-18’s there will be no alcohol at the gig and apparently parents are welcome too so I’m hoping she invites me because I’m quite partial to Ivy Lies too!

Tickets to the Dane Rumble / Ivy Lies all ages gig are available from iTicket.