"New Zealand is the only country I know well enough to write about. It can sometimes lead to complications"

This quote by Margaret Mahy speaks with the difficulty of discussing a location that one understands intimately. Writing about a place that a person understands well can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it can supply a level of detail and insight that would be hard to accomplish otherwise. On the other hand, it can lead to problems, as one might be too near to the subject matter to be able to objectively evaluate it. This quote recommends that Mahy understands the potential risks of blogging about a location that she knows so well, and understands the requirement to be able to go back and look at it from a various perspective. In this method, Mahy is able to produce a more nuanced and accurate portrayal of New Zealand, while still being able to make use of her own experiences and understanding.