Eloquentsonia
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eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Eloquentsonia
@eloquentsonia.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.4K following 3.2K posts
Writer, ghost writer, & editor who also does PR & comms. Confirmed do-gooder. Ao NZ Secret Santa Elf. Shopping Ninja. Tāmaki Makaurau.
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eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Oooh! My #SecretSantaAoNZ gift has arrived! I can’t wait to open it (but I know I have to 😂).

Thank you to my Santa - & everyone taking part. It’s a wee bit of joy in a cray-cray year! 🎄🎉
A grey-haired woman is smiling at the camera, & holding up a gift wrapped in a black & white bag. It is her #SecretSantaAoNZ gift. She promises she hasn’t shaken or sniffed the gift… much. 😆
December 9, 2025 at 11:24 PM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Discovered the Cookie Time Candy Cane Birthday Edition chocolate & candy cane cookies this weekend. If you like a minty-chocolate boost, these do the trick! They’re small and perfectly formed, but are not gonna last until Christmas! 🎄🍪😆
A pink bucket of Cookie Time Candy Cane Birthday Edition cookies, with a pink monster on the lower middle of the bucket. A pile of 4 small Cookie Time candy cane chocolate biscuits on a white plate. The chocolate brown cookies are the size of a NZD$ 50 cent coin, and have flecks of white & pink through them, which are the candy cane pieces. They taste of mint chocolate.
November 16, 2025 at 7:17 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Looking forward to trying this 🍫🔥😍
A wrapper for the 250g bar of Whittaker’s Brandy Snap block, made with 33% cocoa creamy milk chocolate, & real NZ brandy snap pieces. The packaging has golden snow flakes and green stars on a gold background.
November 13, 2025 at 6:11 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Reminder to check the expiry dates on any gift cards & vouchers you may have. I was given a Whitcoulls voucher at Christmas, & hadn’t used it until yesterday (they’d had issues last time I tried 😬). It was expiring next month!

Picked up this wee beauty (& some excellent chocolate 🍫). 😁
Marie Kondo’s book “Letter from Japan” written with Marie Iida, her translator. On the cover is a gold foil sticker with ‘Author of The life-Changing Magic of Tidying’. The cover image is a drawing of blue-shaded mountains, in white clouds, with colour gradients moving upward from pink to yellow to blue. It has gold foil outlines marking the mountain ranges, like kintsugi. The quote on the bottom reads: “This is the book I would give to anybody interested in what makes Japan… Japan” Genki Kawamura.
November 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Yesterday I went to Dum Dum Dumplings on Wellesley Street West. It’s in the same block as The Civic, & open Monday-Fri. They make your dumplings to order, so there’s a small wait time, but it’s worth it. I had the Shrimpalicious & it was all that!

Support local businesses in the CBD if you can. 🙌
The bright, vibrant menu board from Dum Dum Dumplings is. They offer 6 flavour options, including one gluten free version. You can also order a soft drink with your dumplings. Six Shrimpalicious dumplings from Dum Dum Dumplings, covered with garlic sriracha sauce. There are 3 pickles on the top left corner. The very yummy shrimp filling in the Shrimpalicious dumpling from Dum Dum Dumplings goes right up to the edges. It is being held up to the camera by chopsticks. In the background are more dumplings.
September 26, 2025 at 10:29 PM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
I got to sit & watch my gorgeous daughter perform onstage at The Civic in ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ yesterday. I went with her sister, aunt, & extended whānau. We all cried at some point. It was so moving & so much fun! 🤩🥰🥹🥰
I’m backstage again next week, dressing the cast. 12 shows to go! 🎶🎭
A smiling young woman with brown hair & dimples features in the programme of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, currently on at The Civic in Auckland. The word ‘Diva’ is in white lettering below her. Three stunning women wearing bright red wigs and silver & black sparkly dresses stand facing you with looks of surprise on their faces. The middle person has her hands on her hips. They are the Diva trio for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, currently playing at The Civic theatre in Auckland.
September 22, 2025 at 1:50 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Lissy & Rudi Robinson-Cole yarn-bombed their wee Mitzi in their signature neon/bright colours…
A Mitsubishi Mirage covered in a patchwork of bright crochet squares sits on a grey driveway. A woman wearing a black & white dress, pink stockings, & a colourful headdress with her right arm in the air stands next to a man wearing a brightly crochted vest, & blue jeans. He is holding his left arm in the air and they both look very happy. They are Māori artists Lissy & Rudi Robinson-Cole.
September 14, 2025 at 2:38 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
If you want an antidote to *waves hands* all THIS, I recommend a night at The Civic, watching Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It opens TONIGHT, & runs until October 4.

It has a FABULOUS cast & amazing costumes (I’m dressing them), wonderful musicians, & fun songs to sing.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW!
A group of performers from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, wearing blue & silver costumes, kneel & stand in front of the Priscilla bus. They are holding a sign thst says “opens tonight”.
September 11, 2025 at 9:27 PM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
There’s a butter churn up for auction at Cordy’s, & someone needs it:
A wooden butter churn sits on a chair. It is shaped like an oval on its side, with a separate lid on top, and a handle on the side. It is going to auction.
August 28, 2025 at 9:42 PM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
An everyday sign for JuCo:
A sign with white lettering on a black background that says: Fuck off. Then keep fucking off. Keep fucking off until you get to a gate with a sign saying “You can’t fuck off past here.” Climb over the date, dream the impossible dream, and keep fucking off forever.
August 20, 2025 at 8:27 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Found this artefact in my car’s glovebox
A spiral-bound Wises Auckland map book from 2002. On the cover is a photo of Auckland in summer with the Sky Tower prominently in the background. There is a small drawn map of Westmere on the lower part of the cover.
August 11, 2025 at 2:15 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Went to the launch of an amazing book called “This is not yours to carry” written by Matt & Sarah Brown, illustrated by their talented daughter, Oceana Olsen. It covers domestic violence from a child’s view. The book is available to buy or donate to local schools & organisations. 🙏
A crocheted doll wearing braids, a blue shirt, black shorts, and white & blue shoes, sits next to a small white crocheted wolf. They are characters from a book called “This is not yours to carry” written by Matt & Sarah Brown, illustrated by Oceana Olsen. The doll is sitting next to a vase of flowers. A group of people stand in front of three people seated at a table covered with a blue cloth. They are signing books they have created. The QR code where people can donate a book to young people & organisations. A woman with long grey hair, & a blue jacket & flowery pants holds a large image of a blue book called “This is not yours to carry” alongside another woman with short grey hair, wearing a long green coat. Her name is Marama Davidson. She is the Co-leader of the Green Party.
June 26, 2025 at 9:04 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Nice! Here’s the view from the deck at my BFAM’s whare in Dairy Flat this morning.
Looking over a valley blanketed in white fog, with orange-tinted skies beyond and a few clouds hovering near the ground. The image is framed with trees to the left, a row of trees below, & a Kauri tree to the right. Venus is up near the top left-hand side of the image.
June 24, 2025 at 7:48 PM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Here’s a quick flick through the book - from back to front. I can’t wait to read it!

Thank you so much to my very thoughtful #MWSecretSantaAoNZ - you’ve really chosen well. I appreciate your kindness.
Merry Mid Winter Christmas! 🎄 ❤️💚🥰
June 7, 2025 at 12:57 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
They created a gorgeous card with a terrific Takahē, & put the loveliest message inside.

The gifts are PERFECT! So incredibly thoughtful! @pepperraccoon.com stickers and a beautiful poetry book from Ōtepoti Dunedin (where Dad was born). 🥰😍
#MWSecretSantaAoNZ
A hand-crafted card of a Takahē wearing a red Santa hat with white trim. The back of the card, which reads: Merry Midwinter & keep being awesome! 💜 An array of gifts: a card featuring a Takahē wearing a Santa hat, witchy stickers & sticky notes by Pepper Raccoon, & a poetry book called “A Town Trod by Poets” by Roger Hickin, with photographs & poetry by Peter Olds.
June 7, 2025 at 12:53 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Had a busy morning, so just getting to my #MWSecretSantaAoNZ gift now.

My wonderful giftee wrapped my presents in tissue paper with such cute stickers, which was very thoughtful. 🥰

#MWSecretSantaAoNZ
A blue NZPost bag with red stripes, addressed to EloquentSonia Three parcels wrapped in tissue paper with cute stickers on, & a card with a note that says “For Eloquent Sonia (pressie spoilers in card - open gifts first!) A gift wrapped in white tissue with a pink unicorn sticker. A gift wrapped in green tissue with another shiny sticker.
June 7, 2025 at 12:36 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
What’s this? A community safety meeting on Friday 13th June, organised by that paragon of community safety, BVV? 👀
Have at it, folks.
An envelope-sized colour pamphlet featuring a photo of Tāmaki MP Brooke van Velden grinning at you, as she removes all pay equity, health & safety, & environmental protection from working NZ taxpayers. Ironically, it is advertising a Community Safety Meeting on Friday 13, at Sacred Heart College Theatre, starting at 7pm. This from the ACT Party, who had a now-convicted Party President, which they tried to hush up. The reverse side of the pamphlet, which reads: Come along and hear from NZ Police, Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, and Government on how agencies are working to keep Tamaki safe. Last year, panellists representing local, regional, and national government connected to discuss local crime and safety concerns. Once again, we invite you to come along and raise your concerns with local representatives and our front-line. Representatives from other support groups will also be on hand to share their mission. Please rsvp and submit your questions in advance to mptamaki@parliament.govt.nz or online www.brookevanvelden.nz” Your taxes fund this. Feel free to go along & ask her questions.
June 3, 2025 at 12:23 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Confused shopping 🤔🤭
BBQ Chicken-flavoured lamb chops, anyone?
A tray of NZ lamb shoulder chops with a BBQ chicken seasoning.
May 28, 2025 at 7:12 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Someone nicked your license plate @napierinframe.bsky.social 😲
A grey Ford Ranger bearing the license plate “Frames” is on the road ahead.
May 27, 2025 at 11:04 PM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
H/tip @ninjakitty.bsky.social 🤣
A photograph of a walking thumb in a black National Party zip-up polyester jacket holding a sign with his gormless, ugly mug on it that reads “National, putting the ‘N’ in cuts since 1936.” Behind him, a woman wearing a white cap and black tracksuit looks at him with an “I’m with this idiot?” look on her face. This image has been photoshopped, for anyone playing at home. It was the ACT party that introduced “cunt” into Hansard & NZ Parliament.
May 27, 2025 at 11:00 PM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
The parcel has been dispatched - I’ve got the badge to prove it! 🥰

#MWSecretSantaAoNZ
A Mid Winter Secret Santa Aotearoa New Zealand badge featuring cartoon images of a kitten wearing glasses, next to one with glasses on its head looking fierce, and a smiling fox wearing a Santa hat. They are all in the basket of a hot air balloon, with “gift sent” at the bottom.
May 22, 2025 at 2:17 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Squee! IT HAS ARRIVED! My #MidwinterSecretSantaAONZ gift is HERE! 🎅🏼🤶🏼🎄

I’m posting mine today - it just needs one more thing. 🥰
A NZ Post postage bag with a blue background and red diagonal lines across it. The recipient name is Eloquent Sonia. It is for the Mid Winter Secret Santa for Aotearoa New Zealand in 2025.
May 22, 2025 at 12:15 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Cashing in my Christmas present - at Alison Moyet tonight. 🥰
The auditorium of the Civic Theatre in Auckland. Constellations of stars twinkle from the ceiling, & at the top of a highly decorated proscenium arch gold winged lions face each other. There is a row of white lights facing the audience. There stagd is bathed in blue lights, with 3 low stages set across the stage. We are waiting for Alison Moyet to make her entrance.
May 21, 2025 at 7:54 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
I’m volunteering at the Auckland Writers Festival, & I’m simultaneously (silently) fan-girling & trying to be welcoming & supportive, while wearing a mask. 😷 #AWF25
Looking across the peach-coloured tiles of Aotea Square, there is a large rectangular yellow plinth featuring some of the events on at the Auckland Writers Festival is. Next to that is a large n-shaped sign with ‘Welcome to the Auckland Writers Festival’ on it.
May 17, 2025 at 3:04 AM
eloquentsonia.bsky.social
Hello my #MWSecretSantaAoNZ sleuth.
I like salty AND sweet food, prefer good quality dark chocolate, don’t really drink alcohol any more, & have a coffee machine (but start my day with tea 🤣).

Have some fun, & don’t blow your budget. 👀 I’m in this for fun, joy, & happiness. We need MOAR OF IT! 🥳🎉
A graphic with the following questions Aotearoa NZ Mid Winter Secret Santa clues: Getting to know ya Salty or sweet foods? Dark, Milk, or White Chocolate? Alcoholic or Non-Alcoholic? Coffee? Tea?
April 24, 2025 at 3:32 AM