iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

I’ve been inactive a while. Apologies. (Life and work!) What would people like to see on this page? Or should I sell it? (I had a low ball offer.) Kia pai te rā! / Have a good day! 👋

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Meri Kirihimete! / Merry Christmas! 🎄 Whether you celebrate or not, I wish you and your loved ones health and happiness. ❤️💚

A pōhutukawa or “New Zealand Christmas tree” in full bloom with beautiful red flowers.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

Tokangawhā / Split Apple Rock Approx. 50 metres off the coast between Kaiteriteri and Mārahau, Māori legend says the rock was split by two gods arguing over ownership. Geologists say it was a naturally occurring joint in the granite which water, waves and ice weakened over time. 📸 Pablo Heimplatz

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

The UK’s Online Safety Act is genuinely draconian. The internet in one of the most powerful tools in history. Access to it should, frankly, be a right. In some places it is. The UK government, past and present, is hiding behind the disingenuous “won’t someone please think of the children” argument.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Time to lead the way, I say. Hoake! / Let’s go!

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Perhaps not the most popular of takes but I loved seeing the King open the Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Carney and Canada are showing that patriotism, tradition, and constitutional heritage can be centrist principles and don’t have to be the preserve of the right. New Zealand next, please!

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, speaks with King Charles ahead of the King delivering the speech from the throne in the Senate in Ottawa. Between them is draped the flag of Canada.(Source: Associated Press)

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Lake Rotoiti in the Tasman District in the northwest of South Island. Surrounded by beech forests, the lake has a maximum depth of 82 metres and is popular for tramping and trout fishing. It is, unsurprisingly, a popular photo destination. 📸 Tim Foster

A wooden pier stretched into a still, dark lake with mist touched mountains and low grey clouds in the background.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Canada’s closest ally shouldn’t be the US (especially now). It should the UK and the Commonwealth. I know it’s not very popular or trendy to think it, and there are all manner of political and economic implications and ramifications nowadays, but I wholly support #CANZUK. 🇨🇦🇦🇺🇳🇿🇬🇧🤝

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

It all comes down to profit, sadly. Selling cow’s milk – especially to China – is far more profitable to farmers than wool from sheep. Something like 97% of milk produced in New Zealand is exported.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

New Zealand has always had dairy farming, it was just dwarfed in size and revenue by the sheep industry. Specifically the wool industry which, as recently as the 1960s, accounted for ⅓ New Zealand’s export revenue.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

That 24 million continues to decline year on year. New Zealand sheep population peaked in 1982 at 70 million but only 5 years later it was overtaken by dairy farming as New Zealand’s primary agricultural sector and there are now estimated to be slightly more cows than sheep in NZ.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Two lambs in a field in Rosewill. Sheep farming is a major industry and in its early days NZ built itself on the wool and lamb trades. With approximately 24 million, NZ has the highest density of sheep for any country in the world and were the world’s leading exporter of lamb. 📸 Tim Marshall

Two lambs inquisitively look into the camera as sun shine over a paddock.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

“𝘒𝘢𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘢 𝘪 𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘪: 𝙠𝙪𝙖 𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙠𝙚, 𝘬𝘶𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘪 𝘮𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘪.” “He is not here: for 𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧, as He said.” Believer or not, wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and hopeful Easter! ✝️🙏🕊️ (Apologies for late post!)

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Kia pai tō whakatā Aranga! Hope you have a good Easter! ✝️🐣

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

X used to be a good place to post for gaming. I could share ideas and tips with followers and those I followed. It was engaging and fun. Then Musk bought it and suddenly my timeline wasn’t people I followed, it was generic clout chasers and U.S. alt-right rage bait. What a platform Musk tanked.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

Rainbow Falls (Māori: Waianiwaniwa; lit. “Waters of the Rainbow), a single-drop waterfall on the Kerikeri River. The 27 metre waterfall is popular with tourists and located along a 3.5 km track. The river passes through kiwi habitat, regenerating native trees such as kauri and tōtara. 📸 Marc St

A wide but shallow waterfall careens over a cliff into a large, dark pool surrounded by greenery.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

I went here as a kid in the 90s and you could spend all day up there and never see another visitor. Now? Can’t get close to it for the crowds, mainly – I hate to say – overseas tourists who have absolutely no respect for the area.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

I quite like them but they are invasive and cause issues.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

The Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo. The iconic Anglican church was built in 1935 to commemorate early settlers. One of the most photographed places in NZ, in recent years its grounds have been damaged & services interrupted by est. 600,000 annual tourists. 📸 Peter Hammer

A stone church with dark slate roof sits atop a hill heavily flowered with purple and pink spear-like lupins as the sunsets in a golden sky.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

So I recreated the account from X in this post 👇 on BlueSky and within 12hrs it’s been labelled “spam” and all posts hidden 🙃 I only made 2 posts and they were pictures from a game I play (which X account was about) Apparently that counts as “spam posting/interaction churn” (what even is that??) 🙄

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

It’s always busy. Can’t blame me!

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Apologies that this post was a few days late! 🙈

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

25 March was the day the One Ring was destroyed in Lord of the Rings canon. The site of Hobbiton, a farm west of Hinuera, was chosen by Peter Jackson because it “looked like a slice of ancient England”. Originally temporary, it was eventually kept and, of course, can be visited. 📸 Nate Johnston

A hobbit hole at Hobbiton. Stone steps lead to a round wooden door that is ajar and sits nestled in the side of a green, flowered hill.

A house burrowed into a hill with a yellow door and picket fence with flowers planted all over.

A wooden wharf stretches into a tranquil pond with the Green Dragon pub, with its thatched roof, in the background.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Head to South Island for those stars, friend! Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is the largest reserve in the Southern Hemisphere at over 4,000 km²! I camped out there a few years back (only during summer!) and it was amazing! Have fun, friend, wherever you go!

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Why not both? They each offer different experiences and landscapes. North Island: Tropical beaches, touristy cities, volcano climbs, lush forest hikes. South Island: Rugged mountains, glaciers, lakes, open country tramping. Pick the former for relaxation; the latter for adventure.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Golden fields and mountains of Lindis Pass (Māori: Ōmakō). Crossed by State Highway 8, it is the highest point on the South Island's highway network. It is surrounded by snow tussock (Māori: wī kura) which grows up to 2 metres high. Some specimens are estimated to be centuries old. 📸 Eugene Quek

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

Got a promotion, clearly! 👌

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Queensland is Australia. Do you mean Queenstown? If so, it’s overly touristy.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Why do people – sorry, but it’s mainly Americans – think this is an official Government of New Zealand account? One glance at my bio or what I post should spell it out, surely? 👀 So strange to log on and be tagged in unhinged rants from non-Kiwis… 🙃😅

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

You realise this isn’t actually the New Zealand government’s account, right? I post pictures and history. I don’t get involved in politics and I certainly don’t have any say over government policy, mate.

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Reposted by New Zealand

Duskfallcrew @duskfallcrew.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

@aotearoa.bsky.social Koru outside the Manse on Stewart Island, Nikon D3500 (I THINK THATS MY MODEL?) - 2018. :3 Thought i'd share.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Haha I love the roads! But yeah, they’re not for everyone!

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

I’ll keep an eye open for some highlights! Ngā mihi / thank you!

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Hooker Valley Track with Aoraki / Mount Cook in the distance. At only 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long and gaining only about 100 m (330 ft) in height, the well formed track is the most popular walk for tourists in the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park in central-west South Island. 📸 We Are Travellers

The wooden walkway of Hooker Valley Track winding through alpine tussock with Aoraki / Mount Cook snowcapped and towering in the distance.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Taranaki Maunga, formerly Mount Taranaki/Egmont. North Island’s second highest peak at 2,518m was made a “legal person” by Parliament in 2025. It is the third geographic feature granted personhood in Aotearoa, officially recognising it as sacred to—and an ancestor of—local iwi. 📸 Sophie Turner

Taranaki Maunga, formerly Mount Taranaki or Mount Egmont, rises over the Pouakai Tarns amid the purple skies of sunrise.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

The Shotover River (Māori: Kimiākau) in Otago, South Island. The 75 km river is fast flowing, cutting a path through Skippers Canyon before joining the Kawarau River east of Queenstown. Once a rich source of gold, today it’s a tourist spot for whitewater rapids and jet boating. 📸 Werner Sevenster

The turquoise blue waters of the Shotover River running through a deep and heavily wooded ravine.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

The sun rises over Wharariki Beach near Pūponga, the northernmost settlement of South Island / Te Waipounamu. 📸 Boon Panthalany

Golden light scatters over rolling green hills as mist lingers.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Maungawhau / Mount Eden overlooking Auckland. Mount Eden—whose Māori name means “whau tree mountain”—is the remnant of a long dormant volcano, one of—and the highest—of many on the Auckland isthmus. It was also once the site of the main pā (fort) of Tāmaki Māori. Today is the rohe of Ngāti Whātua.

The crater of Maungawhau / Mount Eden overlooks the city of Auckland with its distinctive Sky Tower in the distance.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

You pronounce it “Glen OR-kee”, emphasis on the “or”. 🙂 Unless, of course, you’re my Scottish grandmother who would pronounce the “proper” Scottish way with the “ch” being said like that in “loch”. 😅

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

I am amazed.🤯 I passed 2K followers – or as I prefer to call you all, friends (Māori: “hoa”)!🙂 I began posting lesser known tidbits from our wonderful home NZ in the hope some may find it a little interesting. The engagement regularly floors me and I thank you all for it. Kia ora! (“Be well!”) ❤️

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Some of the most exciting racing was between working vessels – fishing boats, centreboard mullet boats, scows. Powerboats raced for the first time in 1903, and seaplanes in 1919. These days there are races for waka, tugboats, dragon boats and radio-controlled—as well as conventional—yachts. 🛶⛵️

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Horse racing at Epsom replaced it for the next few years until its revival in 1850 The regatta is an annual event and has been cancelled only twice: in 1900 amid the South African War; and 2023 after severe floods. In the early years, races were between ship’s gigs, dinghies, whaleboats and waka.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

The first regatta on the harbour—an impromptu three-race affair—was held on 18 September 1840, the day an advance party arrived to found the colony’s new capital. The government chose 29 January as Auckland province’s Anniversary Day in 1841 and the first regatta was held the following year.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

On this day in 1842, Auckland held its first Anniversary Day Regatta. Auckland’s Anniversary Day commemorates Lieutenant-Governor William Hobson’s arrival in the Bay of Islands in 1840. Today it is best known for a regatta on Waitematā Harbour that is possibly the largest such event in the world.

This painting depicts Waitematā Harbour with two large ships, HMS Miranda (left) and HMS Fawn, with Māori waka and smaller sailboats in the foreground taking part in the regatta.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

So my original post is accurate. I’m not saying you’re not, just defending myself. I don’t want or intend to argue. 300 characters isn’t a lot of space for historical context, sadly, so I chose present over past. Maybe a fact about Connie Scott would’ve been better in the end… Have a nice day.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

They literally are being currently sowed to secure nitrogen and convert high country to pasture – and have been for nearly 10 years. I know because I have family and friends in the industry in the Mackenzie Country.

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New Zealand @aotearoa.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

That was then, this is now. I said nothing of their origin owing to character limit other than to mention they’re not native to NZ. (Sources: Ministry for Primary Industries; Department of Conservation; Commissioner of Crown Lands.) And the station owner’s wife was called Connie Scott.

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