AUCKLAND HUNGARIAN CLUB

- ABOUT TRAVEL, NATURE AND EDUCATION - Boróka Szőcs and Gergő Vizeli are a Hungarian traveling couple for whom traveling has always been a way of life. They have been to many places, but a year ago, they left their usual lifestyle behind and set off on a trip around the world. Their destination is Australia, Oceania, and the Southeast Asia region. They spent half a year in Australia, where they traveled across half the continent, lived in a car, ventured into the thick of rai

On Saturday afternoon, November 8, the courtyard of Richmond Road School in Ponsonby was once again filled with the irresistible aroma of food simmering in cauldrons. The Auckland Hungarian Club’s traditional Bogrács Festival once again proved that Hungarian gastronomy can remain a living heritage even in New Zealand’s largest city. From early afternoon, enthusiastic cooks bustled around five cauldrons, each hiding a different delicacy: the scents of beef goulash, pork stew,

It was a great honor to be able to take part for the second time in organizing an event for the Hungarian community in Wellington. I am truly grateful to Klári Szentirmay, President of the Hungarian Millennium Park Trust, for placing her trust in me once again. This time, we commemorated the 69th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence. During the preparations, we organized a quiz, an acrobatic rock and roll dance performance, and a dance house. T

I’ve always been fascinated by the art of tattooing. I got my first one at 17 — the logo of my band on my right shoulder. With that band, we finished as the fifth-best act in the 2021 anniversary season of the X-Faktor talent show. My second tattoo came at 25: a Shakespeare quote over my heart — “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” When I was in my third year at university, Attila Vidnyánszky Jr. directed our exam performance of Shakespeare’s A

I remember the smells when I arrived in February. It was late summer. Life was bursting everywhere; the sun was shining, and the wind, like a giant air freshener, blew the scent of the ocean between the skyscrapers. Later, winter washed it all away, and now that the landscape is blooming again, I feel nostalgic. Every ending is the beginning of something, and every beginning is the end of something else. I will miss teaching. The kids, playing marbles with them, the situation

I don’t even know where to begin this farewell — so much has happened over these nine months that it’s hard to sum it all up. The whole adventure started with the Hungarian Festival in February, where I immediately found myself immersed in the vibrant life of the local Hungarian community. From then on, one event followed another, and everyday rituals started to form. I organized hikes, girls’ nights, movie nights, children’s days, pub quizzes, and day camps — and every singl

Three members of the Pannonia Ladies’ Wine Order arrived in New Zealand at the end of October as part of a special mission to showcase the outstanding products of Hungarian winemaking. Starting their journey from Budapest, the ladies held presentations – which also served as wine tastings – first in Singapore and then in Auckland. Their trip will later continue through Wellington and the South Island to Australia, where they will further promote Hungary’s wine treasures. Cele

20 December 1941 – 18 October 2025 There is something ineffable about the way a life unfolds across the decades – how a boy becomes a brother, a husband, then a father, and finally a grandfather and great-grandfather. Péter's life was exactly like this: built in layers, gaining new dimensions with each stage, while his essence remained unchanged. He was an emigrant and an explorer who achieved the impossible not only in geographic terms, but existentially too: he created a ho

On October 15, the Hungarian Diaspora Council held its 14th session, where Petra Lipóth, Hungary’s Honorary Consul in Auckland, represented the Hungarian community of New Zealand. Each session concludes with the adoption of a closing statement that provides direction and encouragement to Hungarian communities living around the world. The closing statement includes the adoption of the following goals and values: The members of the council agree that the foundation of the futur

On the evening of September 21, the Auckland Hungarian community gathered once again to take part in the now traditional Pub Quiz, which has been held for the third consecutive year. The venue was once again the well-proven Lumsden Freehouse, where four teams competed: the Quiz Climbers, the Eszelősök (“The Crazies”), the Domaszékiek(“The Domaszék Team”), and the Hát nem gyalog (“Not on Foot”) team. Most of the questions were based on Hungarian and international events, music

Recently, I had the opportunity to share something truly special with children in New Zealand.I taught Hungarian folk dance to folk music at a school in Auckland.It was a wonderful experience — and also quite touching — to be able to pass on a small piece of our culture, even this far from Hungary. How did I end up there?The story began back in March, when I organised a táncház (dance house) for one of our club days. Although I met many people there for the first time, every

We commemorated the 125th anniversary of Sándor Márai’s birth on 24 August in Auckland, at the Europe House.The Déryné Company flew all the way from Hungary to bring a cultural and theatrical experience to Hungarians living here. Péter Havasi, member of the Déryné Company, performed a nearly one-hour monodrama based on Sándor Márai’sKassai őrjárat (Patrol in Kassa). Many Hungarians from Auckland attended the performance, as such a cultural event is rare at this distance from

The story began in November 2024, when I found out that I had been awarded the Kőrösi Csoma Sándor Scholarship. My mentor, Petra Lipóth, connected me with the Hungarian community in Brisbane. The renowned Brisbane amateur theatre group was looking for a new play for their upcoming premiere, and they asked me to assist in selecting a suitable piece. Since November, we’ve kept in regular contact, having conversations from time to time, and in February 2025, I even had the chanc

Laci Szabó and József Leitner were good friends during the 1956 revolution in Hungary, yet the events took their lives in very different directions; the question of whether to stay or leave ultimately determined the course of their futures. Although their paths diverged and they drifted apart, both found what they were looking for, and their friendship remains deeply alive in their hearts. Now, at 87, they eagerly await the day they can meet again. The following recollections

The Hungarian community in Auckland celebrated August 20th in a warm, family-like atmosphere.To mark the occasion of Hungary’s state foundation and the celebration of the new bread, a variety of programs awaited those who attended the festive event. Cultural performances, a craft corner, and culinary specialties all contributed to a rich and memorable community experience. Participants of the club day had the chance to admire a miniature replica of the Holy Crown, encased in

The story of this flag will be a bit shorter than the others, but it speaks volumes. It happened during our performance of Ludas Matyi .At a certain point in the play, Teacher Döbrögi gave Matyi a good spanking with a pillow stuffed full of goose feathers.As the beating went on, feathers flew everywhere.Those with a keen eye might have noticed something red-white-green appearing among the feather storm.That something happened to be the third flag, which I had hidden inside

In the article, I refer to them without names, out of respect for their situation.I visited two elderly Hungarians who emigrated to Auckland back in ’56.Beyond emigration, the lady and the gentleman have one more thing in common: they both fell at home, and were taken to Auckland Hospital.They were in the same building, just one floor apart. First, I visited the gentleman.We had never met before, yet it felt like we had known each other for a thousand years.He welcomed me wit

dr. Nagy Gábor Tamás, Magyarország Wellingtonba akkreditált nagykövete Aucklevél: He arrived in Wellington on January 27 and presented his letter of credence to Governor-General Cindy Kiro. Already in the first few days, he was able to participate in several significant New Zealand events with Hungarian relevance, including the 2nd Hungarian Festival and Market held in Auckland. A few months have passed since then, giving him the opportunity to settle in and build numerous co

When someone travels to New Zealand, they can encounter certain challenges that make them feel very alone. By this, I mean being far from family, friends, familiar places, smells, and routines. Of course, in today’s world, staying in touch online is almost always possible, but the large time difference can make even that difficult. And, of course, a video call is never quite the same as meeting in person. So what can a person do in such a situation? You have to start socializ

On Sunday, May 25th, in celebration of Children’s Day, the play Lúdas Matyi was performed with the participation of members of the Auckland Hungarian community. Rehearsals began in April, when we met once a week online; during that period, we primarily worked on writing the script. Since I was still unfamiliar with most of the community members and their previous stories, I decided that instead of sticking to the original Lúdas Matyi , we would create our own Auckland versio