“A beautiful hesitation”: a New Zealand memento mori in The Met

An intriguing photograph of an extinct bird joined other works from New Zealand in The Met in 2025. Solitary Female Huia by Fiona Pardington (2006, inkjet print, reprinted 2024) is one of a series of confronting, mournful bird photographs, several of which can be seen at the Venice Biennale now and through until November 2026. The Met exhibits just one photograph from this remarkable group, but it is such a compelling work that much can be learned from it about the artist, her philosophy and the cultural traditions she draws on. 

light display over illuminated city at night

Stopover on Your Way to Australia: Seoul, Korea

For Australian women living in New York, the trip home is never exactly short. Even on the best route, you are looking at a serious long-haul commitment – multiple time zones, dry cabin air, swollen everything, and that slightly feral feeling that comes somewhere between your second airport coffee and your third security line.

So, on my latest trip, I decided to do something different: instead of pushing straight through, I built in a two-day stopover in Seoul.

And honestly? It may be one of the smartest travel decisions I have made.