2024 Summer Highlights
Summer fun with Pink & The Auckland Art Gallery
Pink
Thank you, Pink, for coming to New Zealand!
Pink, the American singer and songwriter, captures hearts with her down-to-earth approach with respect to everything from parenting to being a self-taught wine maker (learnt outside of her day job). While conceding that parenting is not for everyone, having a family and ‘people to walk through this world with’ meant everything to her.
We were lucky enough to see her in concert in Auckland on her recent Summer Carnival Tour. The Energy; The Emotion – the song “When I Get There”; The Flying – singing while upside down; And the pièce de résistance in bringing her daughter, Willow, to sing Cover Me in Sunshine on stage was captivating.
The Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki
§ The Robertson Gift: Paths through Modernity (Finishes 1 Feb 2026)
We were honoured to attend a private tour of “The Robertson Gift: Paths through Modernity”. The collection of 15 works by influential modern European artists including Dali, Matisse and Picasso was curated by the absolutely epic Canadian curator Kenneth Brummel.
The art collection, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, was a gift to the gallery by Josie and Julian Robertson after Mr Robertson’s death in 2022 delivered from Mr Robertson’s Manhattan living room and sent to New Zealand.
To New Zealanders, Mr Robertson was better known for building everything from championship golf courses to luxury lodges, and for being made an honorary knight in 2010 – a rare achievement for a foreign citizen.
The paintings, which also include works by Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin and Piet Mondrian, make up one of the most significant philanthropic donations in New Zealand’s history.
§ Guo Pei: Fashion, Art, Fantasy (Finishes 27 April 2024) 郭培 ：时装之幻梦
Another favourite with Elements’ guests, both kiwis and our overseas visitors, was the spectacular exhibition by globally renowned Chinese designer Guo Pei. The extravagant and breath taking dress designs, using extraordinary fabrics and bejewelled embroidery are hailed as truly wearable works of art. The unique garments include the Yellow Queen gown worn by Rihanna to the 2015 Met Gala.
Favourite Summer Getaway – Great Mercury Island
New Zealand summers hold such a special place in the hearts of us Kiwis. Many of us have favourite childhood memories of warm balmy nights, with the light lasting long into the evening with the arrival of Daylight Savings where our clocks a moved forward an hour so we can savour the days.
Over the New Year holidays we were lucky enough to spend some time at the spectacular Great Mercury Island and surrounding areas, known locally as the Mercs. Accessible only by boat, we set off from the new marina at Whitianga which is a 2.5 – 3 hour drive from Elements. The trip out takes about an hour and each new bay brings with it deserted white sand beach, or shallow waters with stingrays sunning themselves, swing ropes and swings. From the idyllic shores of Peach Grove, there is a short 15 minute walk in to a waterfall that has two levels that you can swim in. While the adults are relaxing with new friends, sundowners and a bit of fresh kingfish ceviche caught in the nearby waters, the children are exploring new worlds on paddleboards and seas kayaks.
