The Wonderful World of Sam

Tūrangawaewae

2011-12-10T22:49:00.001+13:00

Recently I came across the Māori concept of Tūrangawaewae.

Instantly it struck a chord within me.

Tūrangawaewae is one of the most well-known and powerful Māori concepts. Literally tūranga (standing place), waewae (feet), it is often translated as ‘a place to stand’. Tūrangawaewae are places where we feel especially empowered and connected. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home.

definition from Te Ara

Aotearoa / New Zealand gets under your skin. Sometimes I find it hard to put my finger on what it is - the land, the people, the culture, the spirituality, the 'specialness' that seems to abound in this country.

When I first read the word & definition 'tūrangawaewae' in Tapu Te Ranga Marae (a not entirely traditional Māori meeting house, but still a very special place) I was rapt in the idea, enchanted by a concept which felt much more grounded than any european concept I'd ever come across.

When I consider how connected I feel to Aotearoa's land, sea, sky and everything in between, I know I have found my Tūrangawaewae.

When I think about the people I have met here, the work that's found me, and the beautiful place I live, I know I have found my Tūrangawaewae.

When I consider the community initiatives I've joined and kickstarted, and what we're achieving with them, I know I have found my Tūrangawaewae.

I feel incredibly lucky to have landed with enspiral especially... this group of talented peeps, the 'brighter future' we believe in, and the platform we're building for ourselves to stand on to do what we think needs to be done. Enspiral is my Tūrangawaewae.

I don't see myself moving for awhile, not when I have my feet in this soil, my mind in this business, surrounded by these people (enspiral, intersect, collaboration cafe, conservation volunteers), and in love with this girl.

Can't wait to have my folks join me in my 'place to stand' tomorrow.

Moving from Less Bad to More Good...

2011-11-23T17:30:00.001+13:00

Let me take you on a little journey.

It’s a journey I myself have travelled in the last few years; both in experience, learnings, global trends and noticings.

Only 5 years ago, our generation and our parents’ generation had experienced times characterised by wealth which was almost unprecedented compared to previous decades & generations. A few lone voices began to talk of sustainability - a term that had been put to the wayside whilst free-market economics & capitalism were championed and wealth was amassed.

2008 brought the world to reassess just how some of that wealth was being amassed. Slowly, out of an economic crash, came the realisation that free-market economics and unchecked capitalism may not quite be as self-sustaining as we thought. However, the lure of that wealth seems to have blinded us to the throws of a dying economy.

Three years later, we see Europe’s economy in ruins, and America’s not far behind. Banks were bailed out to the tune of trillions, CEO’s are still being paid multi-million dollar bonuses, but we still can’t find it within ourselves to end extreme poverty.

Check out this quirky run down of what it would take to deal to some of the bigger problems in pure economic terms;

Facing the Future

So lets consider that perhaps what we’re seeing is not a recession, or even a double-dip recession. What we’re seeing is the failing of a major system.

We’re seeing a new normal emerging. At the moment, the creation of this new normal is being hindered by the vested interests in retaining the paradigm which amassed extraordinary amounts of wealth, very quickly, and to very few (with the promise of trickle-down).

I will throw in a mention of the Occupy movement as it embodies much of the distrust, anger, concern & hope that relates to this collapse and reinvention.

If you think Occupy is anti-capitalist, vague, leaderless, confused, angry, or any other negative emotive, I caution you to look a little deeper, and listen. What will you will find, is a movement not concerned with demands. They are not terrorists. They are people who are creating a platform for discussion; people who are concerned with creating that new normal, naming the vested interests which are hindering its creation, and modelling what civilisation which works for the 99% could look like, and inviting others to join.

Their actions have already created a global awareness; a shared consciousness that others think the same - an important first step in effective social change.

Consider Gandhi’s work in India. He didn’t issue demands, or form leadership structures, create strategies for change. He stood up, began conversation, and catalysed a nation’s shared consciousness that they were the 99% and the British were the 1% who oppressed them. Thus, I liken Occupy’s tactics to Gandhi’s approach.

Recently I’ve been buoyed by hearing and seeing much more talk, understanding & action in relation to living systems. In my mind, this approach to understanding complex behaviour, relationships and interactions is key to moving us forward as a global society; my first exploration of the concept was through observing nature and learning more about biomimicry.

We need to understand complexity if we are to truly move forward - our attempts to simplify economics, community, environment & culture has led us to a ‘common denominator’ approach to these facets of our society, which has caused incredible destruction of the richness and diversity to all of them.

Simple rules can massively guide how our world emerges, so it’s hugely important that we consider deeply what those are.

A simple example we could use is how corporations externalise costs. As they are able to pass the costs of production and disposal, there has been a trend toward finding the lowest costs of labour possible - sometimes that can mean working conditions tantamount to slavery.

There has also been a trend toward shifting the costs of production onto the environment - take the extraction of oil, creation of climate polluting gases, or use of fresh water by intensive dairy producers. Or perhaps take the example of globalised businesses which buy up incumbent companies, change the imagery or product to a homogenised version, thus destroying part of a country’s culture... then perhaps add the sucking of profits out of those nations, back to the ‘global base’ of the organisation, thus destroying the economies of those nations too.

This is tantamount to some of the worst behaviours of empire building which characterised the 18th Century, and most people would agree is unacceptable in today’s world.

So lets flip this - what would happen if we changed the rules? What happens if we had rules which would force business to recognise these costs?

A price on carbon creation has been touted as a way to change the energy industry quickly. Business would be forced to evolve energy generation techniques which have lower carbon footprints, or perhaps even sequester carbon - helping redress the debt we have to our climate. Or perhaps a change for our food systems in line with permaculture principles could cause agricultural practices which create soil fertility, cleaner water, and prise animal health. You get the point I hope?

We don’t have to wait for governments to legislate. We don’t have to wait for policy change. It begins with us.

For me, it is the difference between creating value and stealing value. When I started educating myself, I found that a large amount of our economic growth of the last 50 years seems to have come from simple stealing value from other economies, communities, cultures and the environment. I see very little other way of explaining it, but am always willing to listen...

It leads me to wonder whether we need to change the discussion about c21st business away from simply being less bad - sustainability, corporate social responsibility, regulations... all of these conjure up images of drudgery to me... something to which I am beholden - debt is still a means of control. I would like to see society breaking through this to rejoicing in working positively, collaboratively and with purpose. I’d like to see a worldwide movement of people who delight in being more good instead of just less bad.

So, despite the unprecedented challenges which befall us as we tick onward into another decade, I am remarkably upbeat about what is coming. The beauty of a shared consciousness is it can lead to collective action. This is the Opportunity Generation.

Our opportunity could be described as this:

“I see a problem. I can do something to make it better. I will start doing it today. I will talk to others, tell them why I’m doing what I’m doing, and get them to join me. We will make things better together.”

So what can we do? What part of the solution can I play?

Well, we can start with where we put our energy every day. We can start with the businesses we work for, or the businesses we create.

Here’s some principles of how we need to begin to change our ‘growth engine’ to begin to drive things in a direction which goes beyond simply being ‘less bad’, and aims to start being ‘more good’.

Purpose (startups that matter)
Flexibility (adaptive to change)
Resilience (lasting value)
Eco-systems (resource cycles)
Communication (socialise ideas & visions)

We can use business to achieve our desired outcomes - there’s already people doing it in fact.

I would like to see us break down this idea that business is for economics, pure & simple. I want to break down the idea that not-for-profits / NGO’s / charities are for ‘good’ or social/environmental benefits only. We need these to begin to merge much more as the c21st moves forward.

Here’s a couple of case studies to show you what I mean:

BareFoot Power

Creating micro-solar powered products for the developing world - training young people in those countries in entrepreneurship & business management, and distributing these products to enable young children to study into the evenings, improving their chances of escaping the poverty cycle. This is a startup that matters; sometimes we call it social entrepreneurship, and it connects Purpose with action. www.barefootpower.com/about.html

Threadless

Flexibility is built into the DNA of Threadless; they engage with a community of graphic artists (or anyone with an eye for design) to crowdsource designs for T-shirts and then using voting mechanisms to decide what to produce. By doing this, they’re highly adaptive to change, and create a lot less unwanted products which they would have to try to push onto the market.

www.threadless.com

Grameen Foundation

Creating lasting value is certainly something Dr Yunnus was aiming for when he began to micro-finance women in extreme poverty with small loans and mobile phones. His vision was to break the poverty cycle through entrepreneurship and access to capital. Whilst Dr Yunnus is no longer with Grameen, his vision, drive and actions have helped thousands out of poverty, lifted up families, and created viable businesses serving communities.

http://www.grameenfoundation.org/

Kalundborg

Industrial Symbiosis. A term not all that regularly used, but a casestudy I came across whilst at a biomimicry gathering recently. In the ancient harbor town of Kalundborg, Denmark, various processing companies, a waste handling company, and the Municipality of Kalunborg participate in industrial symbiosis. All participants exploit each other's residual or by-products mutually. The symbiosis co-operation self-organized over a number of decades and today comprises some 20 projects. The main resources circulated among the partners are steam, gas, cooling water, and gypsum. Excess heat is used for fish farming, heating of nearby homes, and greenhouse agriculture. Other by-products not usable within the industrial park, such as sulfur, fly ash, and sludge, are sold to companies in the vicinity. One company's by-product becomes an important resource to one or several of the other companies. The outcome is reduced consumption of resources and a significant reduction in environmental strain. This mimics the resource cycles of a mature ecosystem. This is where c21st is headed if we’re smart.

http://asknature.org/product/b08979c20b2d379a8af64fa83826db34#changeTab

Escape The CityCommunicating your vision and sharing it is really important. Not as important as your actions, granted, but to grow, stay relevant, and connect up with all kinds of other people & opportunities - sharing is good. Escape The City are a great example of socialising your ideas, and what is possible because of it - their dream of escaping corporate jobs turned into a thriving business when they started sharing their idea with their friends, blogging about it, using social media, and engaging in conversation. Take a look:http://blog.escapethecity.org/some-things-were-learning/5-made-up-rules-for-starting-a-business-with-little-money-no-relevant-experience/

There's a good read on this theme written by Umair Haque who recently published The New Capitalist Manifesto, which delves deeper into how you can create a 'disruptively better business' (published by Harvard Business Press).

So, as many of you will know, I am currently pursuing the idea of social business & social enterprise here in New Zealand.

At Enspiral we’re creating social ventures, with mixed models of ownership, rewards & incomes. One of our furthest advanced projects is Bucky Box : Tools for a better food system. We’ve spent time creating a software for the local food movement; high quality enterprise software to manage the ins & outs of vegetable box schemes & food hubs, to help make local food enterprises viable against ‘industrialised food production & distribution’. We’re using a large chunk of our revenue to give back to the educators, advocates & researchers who work on creating a better food system with us. I hope this is a good example of how we can spend our energy building businesses which matter for the c21st.

The ground swell of people in this generation who want to spend their time working on projects that will make a difference in the world is wonderful to see.

All over the world, there’s entrepreneurship competitions, incubators & networks which are working towards positive impact, here’s just a few:

So what now?

Well we all have a choice. We can choose to spend our lives working on something that matters, or we can trudge on just making money.

It’s time to choose wisely.

Finally I would like to leave you with a little motivational RSA Animate:

And check out this write up from Escape The City - good people doing good things in the UK. This article is about starting a values based business with little time & money!

**UPDATE**

I just watched this TEDx talk today and had to share - totally hitting the same notes:

Keystone is Dead

2011-11-12T15:53:00.001+13:00

Yesterday was an epic day for the fate of the planet.

No, we didn't dodge an asteroid, or fight off an aggressive alien species, or even find a cure to a global epidemic.

But we did affect the decision making of one man.

That one man was one of the most powerful in the world; President Barack Obama. Yesterday he made a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline which was to connect the Tar Sands of Canada with US markets. He decided to send it back for a review.

Mining the tar sands of Canada for their oil content was described by prominent environmental & climate scientists as "Game Over" for the planet in terms of their carbon release into the atmosphere when burned. Not only would it cause widescale environmental damage in the mining sites, but likely effects would have reduced US energy security, hinder investment and job creation in the US & Canadian clean energy sectors, and created very few jobs but made a lot of money for TransCanada Corporation through destroying the global climate for us and future generations.

However the rallying of thousands of people around the world, 350.org especially, put enough doubt in the mind of President Obama, that he sent the proposal back for re-review. Most analysts agree this is the burying of the Keystone Pipeline proposal for ever, as it can't possibly stand up to robust questions around environmental & climatic impact, energy security & economics.

It took mass civil disobedience (over 1000 arrests), a public demonstration encircling the White House, an online petition, a global social media outcry, and even industry advocates from across a variety of sectors to make it happen. But it happened.

So firstly, a massive congratulations to President Obama, for his leadership on energy security, climate change, and a decision to aid the preservation of the planet for future generations. There is still more to be done.

Secondly, an invitation to join us in letting Obama know we back his decision, and that pledge to work toward a better future. 350 Pledge & check out TarSandsAction.org for news, or Stop The Pipeline to see the web of corporate corruption tied into this proposal.

My eyes now turn to the leadership around the world which eye America's positioning on climate change, and ask them to take the same strong position in the face of pressure from large energy companies and lobbyists.

I ask them to act as if they are acting for their grandchildren. I ask them to listen to the voice of the people who see a brighter future, and are investing their energy & lives not only into activism on these subjects, but to those who are already developing solutions, working on the opportunities which lie ahead in the coming years - to develop a world we want to occupy.

I look to my own country of residence, Aotearoa/New Zealand, which is coming up for a big national election. I look to our Politicians, with all the events that have happened in the last couple of years - explosions in Coal mines and the Rena leaking Oil into the Bay of Plenty.

I ask them to recognise the Leadership shown by President Obama;

I ask them for leadership on climate solutions,
I ask them for leadership on environmental conservation,
I ask them for leadership on agricultural systems,
I ask them for leadership on food security,
I ask them for leadership on resource use,
I ask them for leadership on preserving water quality,
I ask them for leadership on moving beyond just sustainability to thrivability,
I ask them for leadership on economics which recognizes true costs,
I ask them for leadership on an economy based on our beautiful country's environment, not on degrading it, not using it to subsidise our position in the global market, but actively benefitting our environment.

And of course I ask my friends, my whanau, and anyone that reads this, to vote according to policies which show some recognition of this.

What we do today, affects the economy, society, community, environment and climate of tomorrow. I'm not getting 'holier than thou' here... I'm asking people to be aware, to educate themselves, to think about the choices they make, and to act for their grandchildren. Today.

Back to Black

2011-10-26T19:59:00.000+13:00

As I farewell Elinor once more, and make my way onto a small propeller plane, we're warned that we're going to be taking off into a stiff, gusty northerly from Wellington.

The twin prop jettisons from the runway, and immediately hits bouncy turbulence as the blades whir over the Wellington harbour, and lift us skyward. As the turbulence gets increasingly vigorous, I tighten my seatbelt around my lap and divert my attention from National Geographic to the horizon to try to steady my stomach.

Clouds soon break from a monotonous grey into more fluffy, shapely forms, and the sun breaks through. The propellers hit a steady whir, and we hit a more settling stride onward to Tauranga.

Single serves are dolled out, and the half-empty plane's passengers gaze downward into their newspapers, whilst I begin to sketch out my understanding of what I'm heading up to the Bay of Plenty to take part in. Boxes, circles and bullet points soon fill my page, as I build the picture of who, what & how I will help to co-ordinate for the community cleanup response of the Rena oil spill. Pen down for now, I think things may well have changed in the four days I've been away. Every day brings emergent changes in the whole operation.

I can't help but let my mind wander from the slick black oil spills on the Bay of Plenty beaches, to the nation's pride (and perhaps relief) flowing forth from the weekend's world cup win by the All Blacks after 24 years of efforts.

For 3 years I have watched keenly as the All Black prepare for the world cup through tests both in Aotearoa and overseas. Three years of seeing a team mature, a style of play develop, and a confidence flow forth… and expectation building all the time in the country's many rugby-mad followers.Sure, perhaps it wasn't the best game of rugby in the final (that came in the semi's for the AB's against France… simply breathtaking!) but the grit, training, strategy and desire was there in the final to see the boys through. The country is proud - hence the ticker-tape parades through every major city!

My mind snaps back to the job at hand though, and I steel myself for the coming days - reminding myself that despite the apparent complexity and unknowns, I have the knowledge, experience & skills to do this role as I have done many before. When I wrote 'paths less travelled' awhile back, I didn't necessarily expect to find myself sitting in an incident control centre for a major southern hemisphere oil spill - but I still feel lucky to have the opportunity to be involved.

Whilst I have the tendency to feel a little isolated on these journeys up north, I also remind myself of the amazing support I am getting from Elinor, from CV, from family and friends around the world, and know that I shall just broaden my shoulders and get the job done. Thanks everyone for all your support, it means a lot.

Respond

2011-10-16T15:51:00.000+13:00

Earlier this week I wrote a blog about the Oil Spill affecting the Bay of Plenty coastline.

I was frustrated, somewhat angry at the seemingly lackluster official response, and of course not being able to respond to what threatens to be the worst oil spill in the southern hemisphere.

There's been widespread discontent from the community about being blocked from involvement in the clean up; beaches closed and oil washing ashore, but no one out on the beaches cleaning it up for several days. Certainly it seems like the official response was somewhat haphazard, and a commentator on the radio today went as far as identifying the government response as 'incompetent'.

On thursday, I was extremely happy to get a phone call from my boss at Conservation Volunteers to jump in the car and head to Tauranga and hit the ground to see what I could do in terms of finding out how we could help. Just to bring you up to speed, CV has 28 years of experience in volunteer recruitment, management & safety. We've responded in the past to bushfires in Victoria, floods in Queensland, and several other incidents, as well as our regular every day work with volunteers on social & environmental programs.

So Thursday I hit the road, and 7 hours later I was in Tauranga. Not much seemed to be happening, so I spent my time doing more research on the various official websites, news sites & social media, and preparing for the next day.

Friday morning I hit the beaches, speaking to everyone I could find in any official / semi-official capacity in relation to the clean up. I sought out people in hi-vis jackets, chatted with police, tracked down numbers for the command unit, and scoured the beaches to try to estimate the scale of the cleanup, and how long a likely response will take.

I headed around the bays, past Te Puke, and out to Maketu. I met up with one of the WWF wildlife response team who I know from here in Paekakariki. He was poking around some oily sacks, where a dead bird also lay - this one from fishing line, not oil, however to date about 1200 seabirds have either washed up, or been found dead on land by the recovery team.

It's worth saying that this isn't a small oil leak. It's already 300 tonnes 'unaccounted for'; the largest other southern hemisphere incident I've heard of was about 240 tonnes. This isn't Exxon-Valdez, or BP Gulf of Mexico, but it's a major marine & coastal eco-system catastrophe which will be a whole lot worse if we're not able to salvage the remaining 1200 or so tonnes still on the ship which is not far from breaking up!

Scenes like this are all too common.

Thankfully the Bay of Plenty has good marine biology data on the health of the ecosystems, so with any hope New Zealand should be able to nail the ship's owners & their insurance company to the wall.

Efforts are now underway, with 3000 volunteers registered, to train, equip and ensure the safety of the cleanup crews. There's some pretty nasty stuff on the beaches - the oil doesn't come off clothes, wipes plastic numbers off mobile phones, and has already made various people & pets quite sick. Not to mention there's still the possibility of all kinds of other hazardous materials & chemicals continuing to flow onto the beaches of Mount Maunganui & further afield. It's important to go through the official channels for this reason.

Go to Bay of Plenty Volunteer Hub for more information.

Finally, wondering what else you can do if you're not in the Bay of Plenty? Well, in my opinion now's the time to take stock, if you're the National Government, and start taking notice of what the community think (especially considering they've already been shown to be lying about this). So it's time to make your voice heard - here's a few campaigns you might want to register your voice with;

Greenpeace - stop deep water oil drilling in New Zealand waters

Our NZ - online petition for answers from the government

WWF New Zealand - donate to the ongoing efforts of the wildlife response team

Forest & Bird - campaign to support the shorebird program (which had it's funding cut this year...)

Hopefully you will also soon be able to volunteer for the cleanup through Conservation Volunteers - I'll keep you updated!

Minor Meltdown

2011-10-10T21:07:00.001+13:00

Breathe.

It's been a crazy old night... I was happily trawling news and reviews online, and slowly various newsfeeds started jumping out at me. Oil spills, ice shelves melting, people trafficking, politicians wooed by power, industrial food production, health concerns, and don't even get me started on the economic systems.

Yet we just carry on. Seemingly without a care sometimes. Without concern that this insanity that we call life, is leading us to do anything other than simply survive.

And then...

I went back to a little video Joshua posted earlier, entitled Moments.

I'll take solace in the moments in this video, and that really, perhaps there's millions of beautiful things happening all over the world. All the time. And that whilst there's big, gnarly, crazy shit happening too - we need to see both, otherwise it's all a bit too much.

El's home. There's my moment.

And the oil spills onto the beaches once more....

2011-10-10T19:59:00.000+13:00

Alright, so here's the situation.

ANDREW GORRIE/Fairfax NZ

A big oil tanker has run aground on the reef just off New Zealand shores. There something like 1700 tonnes of fuel on the ship, and an unspecified number of 'dangerous containers' aboard the ship which Steven Joyce (the transport minister who I will not be voting for in November) has so far been tight lipped about the actual contents of.

It's said to have the potential to be the largest oil spill in the southern hemisphere. Ever.

Here's the pretty damning report from TVNZ news about the official reaction to the spill. And another from Stuff.co.nz; Toxic Oil Crisis

Some of the 'highlights':

"Oil could continue to wash up for weeks, Transport Minister Steven Joyce said at a press conference this afternoon."

"The ship is also carrying 11 containers of dangerous goods, including four of the hazardous substance ferro-silicon which is flammable if it comes into contact with water, Radio New Zealand reported."

"The highly toxic oil is scattered down kilometres of the coastline,and dead birds doused in oil are also littering the touristhotspot. It is the locals, not authorities picking them up, and the lackof official action is leaving locals furious. The Defence Force said in a statement this afternoon it had 300personnel on standby ready to clean up the beach."

The little video clip from this Stuff report includes Stephen Joyce admitting that "THREE or FOUR of these kinds of incidents happen per year" that comes just after John Key saying that this kind of thing is "extremely rare".

You're standing next to each other. Get your stories straight guys. Let alone asking the question "are we accepting, as a global population, that three or four serious oil spills per year is acceptable"?!

"They're computer modelling this in London" states John Key, "it's not just as simple as moving it on". Thanks for your insight into that one. How about some authorities on the ground cleaning up the oil for a start?

I hope you join me in asking some tough questions when it comes to election time - the official response to this has been questionable, and we've still got a tanker full of oil & unspecified 'dangerous goods' sitting on a reef, washing oil onto our "clean green shores".

Time for us to start asking the National Government just how much they are committed to an environment suitable for a '100% Pure' brand they so espouse, and what they're going to do to start protecting and enhancing it, instead of simply letting it slowly (or as the case may be, all too quickly) degrade.

I for one would like to hear some answers if this is their level of capability and accountability for a primary asset of the nation.

Lets see if John Key is at all interested in getting on National Radio and actually debating the role of government in this one... my money's on that he'd rather stick to breakfast TV...

Perhaps this is what they're hoping for...

Stuff about the Future...

2011-10-06T19:01:00.000+13:00

How funny.

Today I had a colleague walk up to me and say 'nice article!'...

A little confused, I enquired into things a little more, and found he was talking about the latest issue of Unlimited Magazine - a publication here in New Zealand which focuses on 'Inspiring New Zealand Business'. Turns out, when I spoke to a journo a few months back, they ended up publishing the story after all.

Here's a scan - they don't seem to have it online anywhere.

Click 'view image' to see full size

It also relates to a couple of other blogs I wrote as of late for the Enspiral blog. Perhaps you might like to check out "New Paradigm, New Possibilities" and "In the pursuit of Purpose".

Finally - it's well worth checking out our Bucky Box blog - where the story is unfolding of a software startup out to create the tools for a better food system, with social good entwined into it's DNA.

Occupy?

2011-10-02T14:38:00.000+13:00

I've posted a couple of links on Facebook in the last few days, but I think this warrants a bit more.

A few months back, I was invited to an event on facebook which read simply #OccupyWallStreet. It peaked my attention, so I did a little more searching and found out there were some fundamentally disgruntled people who planned a peaceful take over of Wall Street in New York City.

It lay a little dormant in my mind for the months proceeding, but never quite out of my mind. Then, about 2 weeks ago, the event began, as about 1000 people began a peaceful march on NYC's financial district.

They call themselves the 99 percent, they're a leaderless resistance against corporate greed in America. In the last two weeks their numbers have swelled, much to the distaste of the officers of NYPD - check out one or two of these videos to see what I mean.

Yup, that's a knee on the throat.

Yup, he just maced peaceful protestors.

I wont even comment on this one.

Anyway, the protest has moved beyond 2 weeks now, and finally it's starting to hit the mainstream press - but for most of the last two weeks you would've struggled to hear anything about it other than through the Occupy Wall Street website, youtube, or their livestream from the square.

The police are using all kinds of interesting tactics - some of them legal. But the movement is spreading - a couple of days ago 'Occupy Together' popped up and within days there were cities all over the US and Canada registering their towns and cities, setting up facebook pages to self organise, and setting dates to march on banks / financial districts / corporate headquarters.

Today I took another look, and found events have now started popping up in Australia, Germany, Ireland, Holland, Finland, UK, Sweden, Mexico, & Japan. Many are calling this America's 'Arab Spring'.

I don't know whether this is the movement that will bring significant change to America, or whether this is a flash of 'peaceful anger' (unlike the more regular anger of the UK riots).

The Guardian picked up the story of the Brooklyn Bridge protest today where tens of people were arrested for occupying one of NYC's main bridges. And the day before a march on the police headquarters went down after the pepper-spraying police officer was named by the activists. I wonder whether he'll receive any legal action for his seemingly unlawful use of pepper spray? Hmm...

One thing is for sure - this seems to be more than just a few radicals. This seems to me, to be a mass movement of discontent - thankfully peaceful at this stage. I would expect the White House to be acknowledging this group soon, and I would expect the banks and giant corporates of America to be shifting somewhat nervously in their seats as their disproportionate amount of power is challenged by the 99% of America which claim to suffer at their hands.

Finally - one last video to have a watch of. This one is from #OccupyWallStreet itself;

Nobody Can Predict The Moment Of Revolution from ivarad on Vimeo.

Go on, I urge you to research a little more for yourselves - find out why these people are out there in the cold, calling for change.

**Update: one of my favoured bloggers & authors of the moment Umair Haque, just posted this blog about The Metamovement. Well worth a read**

Thoughts about Spoons

2011-09-28T18:13:00.000+13:00

Simply put.

Find out more at Maxistentialism's blog.

Camera-ing the Coast

2011-09-25T14:52:00.000+13:00

I have been considering of late, a series of photos of various long exposure shots from around the Kāpiti coast, with varying aspects of Kāpiti Island in dimming light.

Here's the first few...

And here's the Album Link in case you want to keep in touch with them as the develop!

Kapiti Fever

2011-09-24T09:15:00.001+12:00

Did I forget to mention it's the Rugby World Cup at the moment?

Ooops, sorry...

Well most of the country is currently going fairly nuts for it, butI'm feeling a little out of the loop at the moment. I watched the first All Blacks game, listened to the second one, and that's all I've managed out of about 20 games already played! Damnit. Still, I've gotta say, the run up to the tournament was almost more interesting - not sure how much of this made the news around the country, but there was some wicked out pourings of Māori culture in the form of several 'flash haka' around Auckland... check it out;

(Video link here: http://youtu.be/puXad30DSfg)

(Video link here: http://youtu.be/1Dc0Gf5Ql1U)

(Video link here: http://youtu.be/G6_O7NE3R7E)

and finally this one's pretty mean...

(VIdeo link here: http://youtu.be/-WdhlQBhNHc)

Anyways, it's great to see the streets slowly filling up here in Wellington, as the cup heads into the end of the group stages. Lots of Aussies & Americans on the streets yesterday, and noticeably more people around the Kāpiti coast at the moment (we're only 30-40mins from Wellington). We even got a new sign to coincide with the start of the RWC.

I actually really quite like it actually. Good to see it all taking shape here - particularly like the koru's representing Kāpiti island & the waves we so associate with this coast.

Anyhows, we're going to head into town and give ourselves a dose of the Rugby Fever and enjoy the sounds of Little Bushmen - a local music venue is putting the rugby on the big screen, and then the live music comes after... what a tops night!

Here's a quick blast of Little Bushman in case you're interested!

(Video link - Mary : http://youtu.be/amPxRYE-POc)

Information Flows...

2011-09-22T15:44:00.000+12:00

Wow, this is a real tear for me at the moment...

I'm finding that time to sit down and share a lot of the stuff I've been working on is few and far between - which is why I've gone back to simply writing about our adventures around the country. Wondering how I can change things so all my work can be a little more consolidated....

I've become increasingly interested in the way we are now creating information flows instead of static information pages. In the past we created websites, and may've changed things once or twice a month... now we're constantly updating the digital footprint of our projects & companies with social media - are our web presences keeping pace with this? In general I'd say not, however I stumbled across Flavors.me the other day - information flow website builder is the best way I could describe it. I like - and I want to use!

Anyway, just to create some more static content - here's a quick run down on a few of my projects on the go;

Enspiral - a collective of professionals working on a variety of public, private, community & social change projects. Enspiral has many heads, but at the moment, it's just a great vehicle for resourcing people who want to make positive change in the world. It's definitely a passion of mine at the moment.

Bucky Box - creating the software tools for a better food system : enterprise level software for your neighbourhood vege box, community supported agriculture (CSA) and soon food co-operatives too! I'm putting just over half of my energy into this start up at the moment, and loving it. It's great to feel part of a team which has the ability to make significant change to re-localise the food system - my role is really to be the connector of community, customers, local food champions, and keep the comms rolling. Lots of stuff coming through on the blog too - take a look!

Conservation Volunteers - connecting people to the environment. I'm currently setting up the presence & programs here in the Wellington region. Lots of exciting stuff happening - this is the organisation I was working with in Australia and on the west coast down in the South Island of NZ, so it's great to be back on board working with them again!

Collaboration Cafe - kickstarting community action over a cuppa. A nice little side project for me (just voluntary for now) where a group of friends and I are able to create a space once a month for people to come and talk about their community projects, social enterprise ideas, share, connect & collaborate. Think 'the offline meeting once OpenIDEO has done it's thing'! It's really enjoyable, and we've so far run two in Wellington, and have another one coming up soon for the Intersect Wellington face-to-face network.

There's lots of other things scheming and brewing, but at the moment this is where most of my energy lies.... well that's other than lots of love going Elinor's way, pleasure every time I get out and about with the camera, a smidgen of exercise, planting a spring garden, and delight any time we can squeeze in some socialising too...

Service

2011-09-18T19:28:00.002+12:00

Service is a concept and a topic which I find coming up a lot as of late.

Having just spent four days with a collection of active & budding social entrepreneurs (and some 'in training' such as myself), at the Changemakers Masterclass in Auckland - it's not a huge surprise. It's a common theme, as it's a lens which many of us look through, when we're considering what motivates us to do what we do.

Service to me, is 'for a greater good' than simply my own end goals, or that of my friends / family / tribe. It's one of the concepts which has crept up on me the more I understand that ultra-individualistic philosophy of the c20th is dangerous enough to have caused many problems in our world.

When we disconnect from the results of our actions; be they personal contact, what we say online, what coffee we buy, what car we drive, where our diamonds are from, or even supporting political parties hell bent on endless economic growth - we are a lesser society, and a lesser person essentially. Often we are disconnected as we simply don't know the causes of our behaviour (both up and down river), but equally I think we've been trained to live in blissful ignorance, and are happy to go along with that in fear of what we might find if we do start tracing back the source of our lifestyles, and the results once we've used up our goods and thrown them away.

This all might sound quite theoretical - so lets take a quick look;

Coffee Choices

Fairtrade Vs. Other

Why would we willingly spend 5c more per cup of coffee? If we're to believe the current pervasive economic model, then cheap is good. As cheap as possible - "give the market what they want". However without some level of education & knowledge about the production techniques, we're really buying blind. Larger producers demand larger yields, and would rather deal with larger producers - this is known as externalising the cost. Really it should be called 'shifting or stealing the cost' - as generally us paying 5c less per cup means that this cost is shifted to the producers of the coffee, once all the efficiencies of the supply chain have been gained. So pay 5c more and suddenly the producers can afford to educate their families, feed them, and not leach the soils by overgrowing (an environmental cost shifted forward to our children).

Filling the Land

Cradle-to-cradle Vs. Planned obsolescence

Externalising the cost of disposal; a simple concept - "someone else pays therefore I don't have to". We've never really accounted for the cost of disposing of things as once upon a time the globe seemed like a huge expanse of land with resources and terrain which would support us for ever. Then, as population hit the exponential growth curve, an economy based on 'forever more' principles, and greater forethought took hold - we realised we might just be in trouble. Digging holes and burying stuff - be it toys we no longer wanted, or radioactive material - didn't seem all that logical any more. Yet we still continue to do it. Why? Because the fundamentals of our lifestyles and economic system demand more stuff be produced, and therefore more stuff disposed of. I sadly had a trip to the dump on Saturday, and was reminded all too vividly that planned obsolescence (manufactured to fail) rather than cradle-to-cradle (closed loop of production-consumption-disposal) thinking pervades our world. Much like shifting the cost to the producer, here we're actually shifting the cost to the environment - whether it's leaching chemicals into rivers & lakes, letting 100s of tonnes of plastic float in the pacific, or burning fossil fuels releasing CO2 into the atmosphere.... we're shifting the cost to our children and grandchildren... lets rephrase that - we're stealing that cost from our grandchildren.

Explained simply & easily:

Back to the beginning. Service.

For the benefit of others; or taken simply 'for a brighter future'. Perhaps I surround myself with people who think this is a valid perspective to take, or perhaps it's truly a groundswell as the veil is pulled back, and we're able to see what our ultra-individualistic lifestyles have, and are still having, on the social & environmental fabric of the world around us.

I like to think that a little of this has crept in because of the internet; because the interests of the advertisers are not solely controlling our media, we are now able to get a greater picture of the world at large - be it the problems or the opportunities in thinking in a more 'joined up' way about the world around us.

The sooner we see that everything we do on this planet is interconnected, that our actions have reactions, and that simply lifting the rug and shoving problems beneath it will eventually lead to us (or our future generations) being tripped over, or more likely - having to scale a monumental mountain of issues further down the track.

So my suggestion is this; take 3 minutes to think about how the basic root meaning of service relates to what you do, and more importantly why you do.

Some time in the Snow

2011-09-18T17:57:00.000+12:00

I've got to admit; I really like going to the snow.

I have been kinda glum the last couple of years, that winter has come and gone, but I've only had 3 days skiing in the whole two winter ski seasons here in New Zealand.

However, El chimed up the other day "lets go to the snow!". I almost fell over with excitement.

We'd managed to book some time in a fair way in advance, so I was hugely excited in the week running up to our planned weekend, when it started to snow in Wellington. In fact, the whole of Aotearoa/New Zealand copped one of the heaviest snow falls in 40 years; snow in Wellington and Auckland is almost unheard of!

Here's a great little video of some of the excited people!

Snow on Cuba Mall in central Wellington (HD) from Ro Tierney on Vimeo.

Thursday night rolled around, and whilst the snow had receded from the side of the road here in Wellington, we knew we were in for a treat up at the volcanic ski area of Tongariro. Will (one of our friends & my Bucky Box colleague) had kindly lent us his campervan whilst away in Germany - so we loaded up "Noble not George", hit the accelerator and pootled up north.

The closer we got to the ski area, the more the weather closed in, until I was reduced to 40km/h with the "star trek warp speed" effect in the headlight-lit darkness. Thankfully we'd booked a spot near Turoa, whereby we could just pull up, pop the top of the campervan, and bed down for the night.

Our eyes immediately wrinkled as we stepped out into the bright light of the morning - snow lay in abundance around us. We were in a winter wonderland, and one of the best things was - there were heated floors in the shower blocks!!

We checked out the weather forecasts; snow was forecast for today (Friday), whereas Saturday & Sunday looked clear and beautiful. That meant only one thing; hearty breakfast, fuel up on coffee, and head for Turoa's lower mountain where we could walk in the snowy forest.

This really was El'd first proper experience of snow - even though she'd been up to the high country in Oz, it was really wonderful to see her delighting, like we all do, in a truly child-like state, at the surrounding snow.

We decided to head into the forest on a 'waterfall walk' which was a fairly short 1hr20 kind of length. We probably spent about that amount of time simply at the trail head, taking photos, looking at the patterns of the snow in the trees, and wearing snow as face packs.

There were truly some beautiful sights to behold - icicles everywhere we looked, frozen rivers, leaves & sticks poking out, and we even made a new friend - "Sir Percival Battlethrop"

The time ticked on, and we slowly made our way up the valley through knee-to-thigh deep snow; eventually we came across a signpost which read "45 mins to Waterfall". We'd already been on the trail for 2hr30! Still, we pressed on, and were glad to break out of the trees at one point, to an open section which our housemate, Mel, had told us about - a boardwalk over alpine swamp, had become a perfect snowy expanse. No sign of boardwalk, no sign of shallow ponds. Only one person had been on the trail ahead of us that day, and they'd left a trail for us to follow - which we took up, and soon found ourselves, every other footstep, missing the boardwalk and delving to thigh depth into the snow. With big grins on our faces, and snow in all sorts of places, we paused by the only evidence of what Mel had mentioned to us. I got a little excited by snow at that point too....

Eventually, we knew the waterfall was too far for us to reach, as the snow pushed in again, and we acknowledged that no one knew where we were, and that we were tiring despite the childish glee. It was time to head back out, and get ourselves to our next anchorage for the night - Whakakapapa Village; the bottom of the north island's primary ski field.

The roads were open and easy driving, and we began to meet many of the people coming back down the mountain after a full day's delights. I was keen to peruse where we were heading to carve up some snow the next day - so we headed through Whakakapapa Village, where the chateau stands looking out over the plains. The mountain's peaks were shrouded in cloud, and the sun was dropping as we urged 'Noble not George' up the slopes toward the summit.

We were greeted with truly beautiful views as the late winter sun sloped lazily across the tussocks of the mountainside, and long shadows were cast by our trusted steed.

The day was done, except for a last ditch dinner & vino back at the campsite, with snow on the ground and in the trees all around us, and happy chatterings of neighbouring campers who were talking excitedly about the day that had been, and the day that would be tomorrow. El seemed to be getting the ski buzz, and I was itching to pull on the ski pants & jacket the next day.

What a day greeted us; we skipped to the front of the queues to the top, and hastily pulled on boots, jackets, gloves & googles, and trekked to the ticket office. A great deal awaited Elinor for the learners package; gear rental, a lesson, a learners lift pass, and a ticket to the 2000m mark. For me, well I learned I should just buy an early bird season pass - but that didn't dampen my excitement for the slopes! So once El was all sorted to get gear and find a class, I jumped straight on the express to the top ~ about 4 lifts later, several chats with strangers, I arrived at the Knoll - 2245m.

What a luxurious position to find myself in - great snow, blue skies, and views out to several snowy volcanoes around the north island of New Zealand. I really do love life sometimes!

After half a day or so skiing on my own, I ventured back down the slopes to find my lovely Elinor, to see how she was doing. I was half expecting to find a bambi-legged Elinor finding her way down the slopes (much like I had been when I first started), but instead I found a young lady who was ready to carve up the slopes!

Here's the result of El's first full ride on her own down the slopes - I'm sure you'll agree, it's a pretty amazing effort!

After a trip to 2000m and a G&T at that height, we decided to come back down and have a good hack in Happy Valley until the slopes & lifts closed for the day. El was going great guns, so thought I would get another video of her carving it up;

We felt replete after a full day in the snow, and whilst we were scuppered on our plan to ski half a day on the sunday (due to a blown out culvert at Turoa) it was a hugely wonderful trip up to the snow all the same.

El's since grabbed herself some bargains online; ski pants, goggles, and soon a jacket too I'm sure. We're all set, and can't wait for our next trip! Huzzah!

Photos coming soon - link to be uploaded here!

Heading south for Winter...

2011-09-18T15:39:00.014+12:00

Blog written at end of July

Like two birds, we head south in winter...

It all begins with an excited Elinor, packing t-shirts, shoes and jeans into a bag. She looks so very very happy, and all I can do is look back at her with warmth.

We know that the next day, after work, we'll be hopping on a big blue & white boat and that will take us to a Winter Wonderland. We know we'll see a place that is very special to us.

Friday rolls around and the day elongates – we get caught up in the strange churn of work and knowing that all we want, is to be back together in George (our car) and heading up the ramp onto the ferry.

A blur of activity... curly fries, documents, nods from men in kiosks, handbrakes on, and we're reclining looking out at the stream of white & red lights on the distant highway, and the mass of rippling black in between. Chugging & smiles, and we glide through the calm waters of the harbour and out to the more undulating Strait.

I always remark at the wonderful tourist publications they put out for the crossings – most people are heading somewhere else in the country, so they're always a showcase of the delights of this beautiful country. Such diversity – be it the snowy slopes & boarding parks of the southern alps, the winter opening of wineries & restaurants in the south, or the bush clad volcano country and geothermal hotpools of the central north – it just makes us wonder when we can take 3 months off to see more, experience more, and get to know this special country more fully.

Lights on, captain's announcements, handbrakes off, tail-lights & driving rain. Maps out, driveways, a search for our room, heads hitting pillows, and eyes blink closed....

We were greeted by the cold grey view of a port town, but then the warmth of southern hospitality brightened the day and assured us the weather was clear where we were headed. Why is it southern hospitality is always better wherever you are in the world?

The open road beckoned, and we were soon enlivened by the endless vines and mountainous backdrop of the premier wine region – the drizzle soon abated, and it was noticeable how our city stresses were already eeking away. The whir of rubber on tarmac took us further into the centre, beyond the viticulture, and climbing into a markedly climatic zone; snow on either side of the road, beech forest and ski's on roof racks. Childish glee flowed forth when we stopped to see the ripples of the lakes and the cunning of children pelting one another with snowballs on a school trip.

We pressed on with abandon, knowing what lay before us was worth skipping quickly through the beautiful forest sections and deep river gorges. The road shrank as the trees grew, and the towns that flitted past became all the more familiar. A climb through the last of the gorges, past the vibrant green of the rimu and the striations of the horoeka, until BAM! Expanse!

The churning West Coast was there to greet us, with its rolling waves, clean beaches, and lush foliage of nikau palms. Home.

Well, it used to be. And it still feels that way we found out... felt like the last year of life in Wellington, was in fact only a month away on holiday in Australia. We went straight to the cabin; ascended the trail, stopped to say hello to the fantails and to give the buns a rest, before alighting at the horoeka patch at the top, hugged the big old rimu, and peeked at the old place through the bush. Little had changed, but this is the place that holds so many memories for us – a true 'story for the grandkids' about how we spent our first 6 months of life together in New Zealand; living in a remote part of the country in a ramshackle little shack in the hills, surrounded by roaming weka, centuries-old rainforest, and the ever-changing elements of the west coast.

I began to ruminate on the little things around the place as El wandered the house and then prepared the wine & cheese. 'I wonder how the weedy patches are coming along?', 'it looks like the original settlers of the place cleared back forest to here, here and here...', 'perhaps there's lots of regrowth around the big tree that fell out the back', 'is the winch still working ok?'... The day-to-day of being ingrained in this place all came rushing back to me, and whilst so little had changed in a year in Punakaiki, so much had changed for us in a year in Wellington. Momentum is an interesting thing, and whilst we still lust to live back on the coast, perhaps losing the momentum that life has at the moment wouldn't be right. In the meantime, it was much more fun watching the flitting fantails, with their wings being caught by the shards of light cutting through the forest.

Tromp down the track, gumboots off, whir of rubber on road, back down another secluded road, smiles & familiar surroundings, warm wood interiors of a beautiful whare, and back to the tavern.

We were greeted back to the Punakaiki Tavern by Jeff, who is pretty much always outside smoking a roll-y, who looked at us, cocked his head, then broke into a smile and extended a hand. It was almost like seeing his mind think “have they been away for a month or much longer?”. Punakaiki's a bit like that, and we were soon to experience that with many more old friends from the village; we had stumbled into the pub on an All Blacks night, which meant half the village popped in to watch too. It was a really warm welcome from some familiar faces, and great to catch up with some of the local gossip, and then two more of our good friends – Si & Charl – joined us too, all the way from Christchurch... a pleasure to see & catch up with them as always. The All Blacks won. Of course.

We'd made an appointment with Si & Charl to make the most of the following day's forecast and explore a spot of Paparoa back-country which they'd not see before. You may well have seen a Cave Creek {LINK} album before, and this time was no different in its stunning beauty of white limestone, lush green moss & surrounding bush, and clear waters flowing forth from deep within the aquifer-riddled landscape. My delicate balance on a knife-edge outcrop was not as sharp as in the past, so on exploring a little further than I had before, I plunged knee deep into frosty waters of cave creek's clear waters after a minor-overbalance

A plethora of greens greeted us wherever we tramped, and snow clad hills formed a beautiful backdrop to the Paparoa landscape, which we enjoy so much. Still, pretty though it was, we had an appointment with the hot pool in Greymouth ~ a favoured Friday night activity back when we lived on the coast. Whilst steeping in the waters of the spa, we were very happy to be joined not only by Si & Charl, but also Breda and Julie – two good friends from our Punakaiki days. We topped off the relaxation & pampering by forcing 3 course dinners on ourselves, complete with slabs of steak for Si & I.

Rubber on road, hugged goodbyes, fluffy pillows, green shapes swaying between blinked eyes, roaring ocean, and light glistening on temperate palms. Coffee, more familiar faces, pounamu carving, quick moving clouds, the crunch of gravel underfoot, salt spray and thrashing waves. You know you're back in Punakaiki when the marked layering of rock types – also known as the Pancake Rocks – greets you on an overcast day with gnarly waves and offshore winds whipping the top off waves creating 'steam trains' smashing into the coastline. A landscape is shaped in front of our eyes.

Putai, the largest of the blowholes, even spat and gurgled for us, as the surge pool continued it's fearsome attack on the eroding rock formations, and the neat sets of waves rolled mercilessly and relentlessly toward Punakaiki.

Our final catch up we'd planned was with our good friend Lisa, who used to manage the beautiful Te Nikau Retreat (where I now sit ensconced in it's beautiful centre-piece whare) and is now searching for something new. Lisa, who hails from Wales originally, is always a delight to catch up with – full of energy & listens keenly to whatever ups and downs of our life we have to share, as well as sharing how life's twists and turns in Punakaiki have changed her time here. Always wonderful to see ya Lisa.

We were treated to a rare showing of a light sleety snowfall as we guided George back from Greymouth along the coast road. I had to pull over and delight in El's first experience of falling snow, and the fantastic showing of contrasty light as the sun bore through the snow clouds over the Tasman.

More kms, blurring bush, another pass of the project site, a return to Te Nikau, a final run back to Punakaiki, an explore of the river track, the coo of kereru in kowhai above, crunching sand & pebbles underfoot and out on the beach spit.

There was one place very close to 'home' I'd never really wandered out on, and it was an iconic part of the punakaiki coastline – what I call simply “the boot”.

This rugged sandstone pillar, stuck out in the ocean, is constantly thrashed by the salty Tasman, but stands strong still. Whilst the light was dimming, it was wonderful to re-acquaint myself with a modicum of the elements which are so base to the world around us, but so often we forget as we tread the pavements of the city. Sand scrunched under foot, salt water splashed my jeans above my gumboots, rain lashed my hooded-head, and panoramic views abounded of the Paparoas which rise directly from where the ocean laps the shoreline. The spit which forms a barrier between the Tasman and the Pororari which flows out of the forested gorge, is sometimes submerged by larger waves which wash over the top – I was in the firing line for one such wave which delightedly covered not only my feet & ankles, but topped my gumboots and filled them with water which I am surprised was still in liquid form, as it felt very much like liquid ice as it sloshed around inside my boots – the disappointing part of waterproof boots is obviously that once it's inside, it wont leave easily. I sloshed back along the beach, squelched down the river track, and squidged back along to the car, and let the muddied water gush out of my boots as I slipped into some spare shoes. Seeing El back in the toasty whare in the green surrounds was warming indeed, as her eyes smiled back at me and I was wrapped in the red blanket she too was snuggled under.

We had the company of some friendly backpackers who were also staying in the same whare, and traded stories of travels, dubbed films, food, Amy Winehouse (who was found dead today) and a variety of other tales as we cooked up our respective morsels of fine dining. The bulbs throw out soft warm tones, the strains of Angus & Julia Stone are played from the stereo in the corner, the heater churns out warmth, and the holiday slowly draws to an end – we go home tomorrow. It's clear we're not done with the south island, as a holiday destination, or as somewhere we would like to return to live sometime – the rugged beauty, feelings of space and big hearted people, have a grip on us which will be difficult to shake.

Double duvets, long deep dreams, starry skies, glistening forest, snatched breakfast, hasty packing & wanders back through the idyllic forest setting of Te Nikau. A wave farewell, and a last shared chuckle. Wheels scrunch gravel, then tarmac, and then eat up the few kilometres back to my old project site one last time in this trip.

Dave & James were there to welcome us, share a coffee, and give us a brief run down of how the site has progressed over the past year. Some of the first trees to go in the ground are now taller than me, but most are between waist height & chest height. The tendrils of the planting extend well out beyond where I was expecting, and there's plenty of plans in the pipeline which will see it hit its 100'000 trees target in the allotted 5 years. It was truly exhilarating to see a patch I spent some intensive time with volunteers, friends & Elinor, flourishing. I have full confidence that a return in 10 years would render me speechless in seeing a densely-forested regenerating area of native bush, full of birds, with cleaner waterways & hopefully a boardwalked loop track where we could meet families enjoying the stunning mix of wetland, regenerating native patches & stands of ancient nikau & kahikatea.

Time was up for us in Punakaiki, so a final stint on the road lay ahead of us, with a little uncertainty whether the roads would be open to make it through to Picton – a massive snowfall hit the south island overnight which has seen the likes of Christchurch and Nelson receive fluffy white dumps down to sea level. We were luckily treated to excellent driving conditions with bright blue skies, and only a little snow on the sides of the roads in spots, but beautiful thick white tops to the mountains which accompanied us all the way to Picton.

“HEAVY” was the sign that greeted us at the Interislander terminal – on enquiring a little deeper into this crossing forecast, we were told “4.5m waves in the Strait on the way over!”. We'll expect some big seas on our way home then – and only the shortest of trips home to the other west coast.

The trip will stay with us for quite some time, and so many highlights we'll never forget.

Facebook Album Link here.

#LiveBelow - half way in!

2011-08-24T18:18:00.004+12:00

So, here we are... over two and a half days into Live Below The Line.

There's been some frayed nerves around the office as people come down off their caffeine addictions; headaches & grouchiness so far attributed to that. There's been some awesome creativity and sharing of recipes on the Live Below The Line page, including top tips for scavenging every bit of taste & value from things we normally throw away - roasted pumpkin seeds and sliced broccoli stems being some of my faves!

Today's rice meals have been fried leftovers with a sprinkling of veges, and for lunch an extravagant $0.99 rice & lentil soup with a few greens and a whole mushroom. EXTRAVAGANT!

El's joined me on the Live Below mission, and has been faring a lot better since she got some miso - we get regular updates of the wonderful things she's been cooking at work - whilst people look over her shoulder and wonder why she's using 1/8 onion, 1/2 stem broccoli, 1/2 stem of silverbeet and 1/8 of a mushroom. you can support her here though if you so fancy!

I also have to share a couple of El's fine haiku's, poems & other writings which have scored her some fundraising dollars thus far:

"A warning about Chickpeas in haiku.."

Chickpeas - can't trust 'em
Don't shove them up your nostrils,
To prepare for farts.

And "a lentilly limerick"

There once was a man who liked lentils,
He ate them with pasta & pencils.
But if you asked him about,
Making sauerkraut.
He'd say "Gads! I don't have the utensils!"

I chuckle when El whips out her acrostic poems, limericks and 'knock knock' jokes, let alone her suggestions of hiding burgers amongst her rice dishes. I think the lack of choice is sending her a little stir crazy, but come Saturday morning I am sure she will get her revenge at Brunch.

So we're ticking along nicely now - almost a full 3 days down, and only 2 still to go. Our stocks are dwindling too much, but I know a few others who are - perhaps we'll be able to share with them to ensure they don't finish up Friday with hunger cramps.

Finally, I wanted to say that I am $5.25 short of raising $1000 for Global Poverty Project - so PLEASE get involved with our fundraising page today, and push me over into 4 figures!

Sponsor me for the Live Below The Line Challenge now!

#LiveBelow - gearing up

2011-08-21T17:11:00.005+12:00

Kia ora e hoa!

It's getting close. We begin tomorrow.

If you don't know what I'm talking about - I would really like you to check out our Live Below The Line page.

We need your support. The Global Poverty Project needs your support.

So tomorrow, Elinor, myself and Team Enspiral along with hundreds of Kiwis, Australians, Americans, and perhaps a few more people from around the world, will all kick off the $2.25 a day challenge. Yup, that covers all our food & drink each day.

Our grand strategising & planning has resulted in what we pretty much decided on day #1 - rice, lentils & chickpeas to sustain us, a few fresh local veggies to give us the nutrients & vitamins.

I'm picking right now that we're gonna be hungry pretty quickly, but really this is just a tiny window - call it an exercise in empathy - to how people who live below the extreme poverty line cope. And we're cheating - only food & drinks, not all our living expenses, health, education, etc.

That's it. Final call. Sponsor us now!!

I find myself asking "What is the rugby of collaboration?"

2011-08-10T16:06:00.016+12:00

Alright, I think we need to rewind.

So, I find myself here in Wellington for just over a year. And what a year it has been.

I feel like I've had a really solid year of re-education - kind of like going back to university to have a veil removed from my eyes, which has enabled me to re-look at the dynamics of our society, economy & environment ~ how they work together, or not as the case may be sometimes.

Well, I already had a pretty good idea of how important the environment is ~ not just to myself for peace, calm & photography jaunts, but the importance of "environment services" to give them the economic term. Bleurgh. Functioning eco-systems such as wetlands, lakes & forests are integral to keeping the flow of clean water and clean air, and a climate which is in balance. I think it's pretty clear we've not done the greatest job of looking after that.

Society as a mass is a hard one to talk about, but largely over the last 60 years, we've seen not only a widening, but an acceleration of the 'haves and the have-nots'. Whilst extreme poverty has reduced, this is juxtaposed with various other problems of access to education, health, employment, gender equality, and global stability & peace have suffered and things aren't looking like they're getting better as quickly as we need.

Then there's the political hot potato of the economy. This has been one which has been getting a lot of global and personal attention recently. Now, I'm a business management graduate, I grew up with an entrepreneurial father, and I've spent probably half my working life in private businesses of some kind. I would say I had a fairly strong faith in capitalism like so many others. But of course this unregulated financial casino which has emerged from unregulated capitalism - guided by the moneyed hands & minds in the US, Europe and of course influencial throughout all other markets... well, lets be honest. #FAIL.
I realised this year that it's just a giant ponzi scheme - a house of cards that has been created to drive unparalleled economic growth to the pockets of the few, rather than the many. I'm not exactly advocating communism, lets be honest. #EPICFAIL.

So what am I advocating? Well, I think we need to take a step back and think about the fundamental building blocks of the capitalist manifesto. 'Economic growth'... sounds nice doesn't it? The economic growth that our economies rely upon, is based on debt - and debt must be repaid, or moved. At the moment, we're moving it; buying more debt for example, insuring against debt, and of course - simply creating more to pay off the interest. Now you see what I mean about a house of cards. TO take another analogy; when the music stops playing, whoever's got the most debt, doesn't have a chair left to sit on ~ America came mighty close this week.

We also have an economic growth paradigm which is not linked to the resources on which it depends. At the moment, the economies around the world are heavily reliant on oil - for transport, fuel, petro-chemical based products, the list goes on. Only problem is, it's not renewable. Once we've sucked all the oil out of the sea beds, it's gone. Then what do we do? How can we feed the growth of the economy without a fundamental lubricant of the system? No avid capitalists have quite given me the answer for this yet. This doesn't just go for oil - it's all the resources we're consuming. Every day. At a frightening rate. Then factor in population increases to around 9-10 billion over the next 20-50 years, and you start to see we're living on a shrinking ark.

Finally, I'd like to also point out the problem of debt in a different light. At the moment, the human race owes a massive debt to the environment for things it has essentially stolen from the earth - oil, gas, metals, clean water, climate make-up, functioning eco-systems, rainforests, coal, you name it - if we could find a use for it, we've taken it. The earth may soon not have more to give (as mentioned above) and when fundamental eco-system services start failing from pollution & the warming effects of our choices ~ we start to find we will be in some serious trouble. The way this unregulated capitalism is working at the moment, actually we're also stealing from ourselves... pushing the cost of our goods either down to workers making the goods (sweat shops take your bow) or to the other end of the scale - where the products are consumed (obesity & diabetes, public health, allergies, housing estates built on toxic landfills - it's time to take your bow too).

Essentially I feel we need a radical rethink of what we think free trade and the 'market system' could really be used for. Is it churning out mass produced food, widgets, and empty meaningless 'things' - or is it for creating authentic value to people & planet? Imagine a future where fuel is clean and transport is guilt-free, where our goods champion the farmers who grow the food, components of our technological devices are bio-engineered, and we're able to enjoy some clean, green, open spaces full of the amazing diversity of life that lived in the forests 1000 years before. Actually, all this technology and possibility exists ~ it just needs us to be conscious consumers and for business to recognise the social & environmental impacts of its work. Positive & negative.

If this even tantalises you a small bit, I would get reading Umair Haque's 'New Capitalist Manifesto'. He's even got a Harvard Business School blog if you're interested; @Umairh on HBR.

Here's also a bit of a prezi I knocked together about the need for social business;

The need for Social Business on Prezi

Collaborative Rugby

Ok, so you might wonder where that tangent was leading, but I felt I needed to take you on a bit of a journey first.

At least now you see we live in a world with resources being depleted, and population & demand spiking. Good.

This is where my other part of my education this year comes in - facilitation & social processes. I have experienced multiple workshops and different facilitated events this year - a few stood out, and they had the art of hosting in common; AoH claims to host & harvest 'conversations that matter'. One of their tools is a social process known as 'Proaction Cafe' - which I have been playing with along with a few friends in the form Collaboration Cafe Wellington.

Part of our kaupapa (agreed vision / values) is the need for collaborative action on social & environmental problems. Certainly with more people & less resource, collaboration is becoming more and more important - efficiencies & effectiveness, reduction in wasted time, effort & resource in re-inventing what is already known etc etc.

That got me to thinking about the society I grew up in - one founded on competitive thinking, consumption & growth, and 'survival of the fittest'. I realised that really we can't be living life striving to 'win' as that's only going to increase the chasm between the haves & have nots. We need new thinking, not 'business as usual' if we're going to thrive and not just survive ~ we're arriving into a new paradigm of human existence where global resources will be restricted for one of the first times in our evolution.

So how do we vision a new society, full of those wonderful utopian ideals we talked about earlier? Certainly the tools of collaborative communication and productivity are getting there with the rapid evolution of the web (check my friend James' article about this).

So what do we need to do offline? How can we create a world where collaboration is championed over competitiveness, or at least a mixture is the every day we grow up with (for there are obvious benefits to competitive abilities too). Collaboration Cafe is a step toward this, but very small & isolated - certainly not the norm.

The question, therefore - really has to be "What is the 'Rugby of Collaboration' and collaborative behaviour?".

Would love your thoughts on this, and any other rabbit holes it takes you down. Do you agree / disagree? What is your experience with collaborative projects? What are the barriers to collaboration? What do you think is 'the rugby of collaboration'?

Living below the line

2011-07-26T19:42:00.009+12:00

I'm not totally sure what I've got myself in for with this one, but I'm 100% there all the same!

So it all began a couple of months back when we were at the Enspiral Retreat, and the awesome Will Waterson of The Global Poverty Project (GPP) came to give us the '1.4 Billion Reasons' presentation. A couple of moments really hit the tear ducts, but coming out of it, I really felt like their goal of alleviating extreme poverty in a generation was possible.

We had a great jam on the GPP project during the retreat, whereby we came up with some ideas & connections for Will, and thoughts about how fundraising and social enterprise could make GPP's mission sustainable financially, and even sharing our knowledge on web-based technology which could make their money go further. That was one thing which spurred me to write the 'Tools for Self-organising Causes' blog.

How else could we support the GPP cause? Well, there has been a very popular campaign that GPP ran last year in Australia : Live below the line.

Live below the line consists of individuals or teams, taking the challenge to live on less than $2.25 (NZD) per day for all their food. There's the chance to fundraise whilst you take the challenge, and raise money for any of the following charities who work on extreme poverty issues around the world;

Global Poverty Project
P3 Foundation
Volunteer Service Abroad
Christian World Service
Oxfam

So our chance to hop aboard Live below the line was one we all felt passionately enough to take up in August from 22 to 26 August.

Our Enspiral team will probably number around 8 people by the time we launch into a communal buying frenzy. The initial reaction of course was that $2.25 NZD per day would go much further overseas, but we were soon set straight that living in extreme poverty is living on $2.25 or less per day, for all basic life needs (food, shelter, water, education etc) : that's living in New Zealand, buying New Zealand goods!

We're doing this as a team, so we're going to shop as a team - we're preparing ourselves for not much more than rice, and perhaps a few vegetables in there. For every meal. For 5 days. Whilst we accept this is nowhere near the every day reality of people living in extreme poverty, it helps us empathise somewhat with their situation, build some awareness of the cause, and fundraise to help GPP carry their message around the country.

Who knows, perhaps we'll concentrate and find some way Enspiral's skills can be used to help the alleviation of poverty in the future...

Check out the Enspiral blog soon for more stories of our experiences.

If you have any spare change, it would be an absolute privilege if you could donate it to our cause - we're aiming for $20'000!

Support Enspiral here.

www.livebelowtheline.co.nz

Knock Knock, it's the Lost Generation

2011-07-18T17:25:00.004+12:00

Hey peeps, today it's a multi-media extravaganza post.

Whilst sitting in on the Inspiring Stories workshop in Wellington last Friday, I was really blown away by two particular videos that Guy & Laura shared.

The first one is a really powerful piece of slam poetry by Daniel Beaty - watch + let the chills run up & down...

The second one I wanted to share is something you need to watch all the way through. Simple. Brilliant.

Yup.... I know.....

Peace out peoples + yes, I cannot wait for the Inspiring Stories FILM FESTIVAL!!!! Yeow!

Paths less worn

2011-07-14T17:57:00.010+12:00

I had an interesting chat with a friend the other day about the importance of each person's personal journey, and how our individual experiences give us unique viewpoints & lenses through which we view the world.

It got me thinking a little about how, when I was younger, I viewed my forthcoming working life and even more widely about how we're educated in western society.

The education system in most western countries is a hangover from the industrial revolution – we teach quite mechanistically, in batches, and expect every batch (organised by age) to progress at the same rate. Quality testing, or exams as we know them, is done every now and then, and we then put our youngsters back on the conveyor belt. It's very linear in general, and my experience was very much being taught knowledge, than learning to explore and think – until I got to University, by which stage you're so set in the mindset of learning knowledge it takes a year or so to break out of it. We also educate toward professions a lot these days – breeding a swathe of people with their future paved out for them.

There's a great RSA Animate on this subject:

You should also check out School of One after that video!

I felt like my working life was fairly boxed in back in the UK – quite deterministic in the way it was heading, and there was a certain path you had to take if you wanted a certain job; be it a graduate scheme, a diploma, or a series of other jobs before 'working up the ladder' to more interesting roles. For example, to become a marketing manager, you must've cut your teeth as a brand assistant, junior brand manager, and senior brand manager first.

And then I broke the cycle – I shelved my business & marketing background for 9 months to go and volunteer as a project leader in Borneo, co-running an enviro project building a bridge in the jungle and working in youth development. Bit of a change, granted, but it was the kind of radical step I needed to expose me to different ways of living, different cultures, different values, alternative working practices, and new ways of thinking about the world. You know what – I found I quite liked it – working with your hands in the earth, with trees all around you and people close-by really felt like a good thing, so I purposefully sought out that kind of work when I headed to Australia and again in New Zealand.

This path, whilst not necessarily unique, certainly isn't all that common – and put me in a rather privileged position when I found myself in Wellington with no job, and some bills to pay just under a year ago. I looked at it as an opportunity, and wondered 'what next?' - and kept myself open to opportunities and possibility.

Last night I was reading back over my blog of that time, and it took me back to the 10 days it took me to stumble into a network called Intersect, and shortly after – Josh Vial. I soon found myself employed as a campaign assistant for 350 Aotearoa – a kind of community building & project management role with climate change action as the goal. I think my work & life path gave me that opportunity; simply put:

Project management (design agency) + Volunteering (Raleigh) + Youth development with Enviro NGO (CVNZ) = Campaign assistant (350)

Likewise at the same time, I found myself stumbling upon a role with Zealandia/Karori Sanctuary, perhaps the equation would look more like this:

Volunteering & youth development (Raleigh) + Enviro conservation work (CVNZ) x Eco-systems study (NZ polytech course) = Educational Guide (Zealandia/Karori Sanctuary)

Then I stumbled into another role – with Joshua's outfit, Enspiral – a web business with a heart;

Business management degree (Uni in UK) + Project management (agency) + NGO work (350 & CVNZ) + People (volunteering) = Connector & Business Development (Enspiral).

There's more that's happened recently with CVNZ too – setting up an office for them – but you get the gist. Today, and perhaps it's always been this way, but we're starting to see the importance of 'paths less worn' to recognise the value of being able to solve problems in new ways; new ways that are desperately needed to solve some of the social & environmental problems we face today.

I was writing an application just last week, for what I see as the natural next step in this evolution for me; a Vodafone World of Difference application to incite, catalyse, inspire, expose & advocate for young people to be involved in social enterprise as a way to make systemic change. We'll see how that comes along, and I might even write a whole blog about that shortly.

I'm feeling more and more that we need to be creating bright minds & creative thinkers in our youth, not drones who will slot happily into our existing industries and corporate structures, as I see that is not the way the future will pan out. We need a flood of youthful energy directed toward social & environmental questions and solutions, rather than embroiled in the ranks of organisations which 'make stuff' and clip the ticket on financial transactions. We need people creating thick value to take Harvard scholar Umair Haque's phrase, not an empty value which doesn't create social/enviro benefits.

Anyway, thanks for coming on that little journey with me – it's a really exciting time in my life, and there are many opportunities out there for all of us to be working more purposefully – sometimes we just have to take paths less worn, and look beyond the normal channels for more interesting opportunities, or simply get all entrepreneurial and create them ourselves.

Tools to self organise; a blog for changemakers

2011-07-13T22:56:00.007+12:00

I've been playing around with this for awhile, and eventually decided to just get on with it.

So here's a list of Web 2.0 resources that any self respecting NGO, social entrepreneur, changemaker, or cause-led group should know about; self-organisation tools for free/minimal cost which would've got $1000's if not $millions 10 years ago.

This is by no means exhaustive, but it's a good bit of ground covered.

Go forth and spread the good vibes!

SOCIAL NETWORKS
Facebook - social networking
Crabgrass - a free web application designed for social networking, group collaboration and network organizing. Crabgrass is a secure alternative to for-profit social networking and organizing platforms.
Google+ - the giant just launched their own social network
Yammer - enterprise social network for internal comms (locked to domains)
Socialcast - enterprise collaboration platform built on activity streams that unites people, data and applications in real-time
Twitter - real time micro-blogging / news channel + networking
Tweetdeck - the epicentre for your social networking streams - all in one interface
Hootsuite - as above but with analytics

CLOUD APPS FOR COMMS & DOCUMENTS
Google Apps - web based collaborative software - email, calendar, docs
WikiSpaces - space to hold important docs to be public/private facing + edited
FrontlineSMS - SMS large groups of people anywhere there is mobile coverage.
CiviCRM - is a free, libre and open source software constituent relationship management solution. CiviCRM is web-based, internationalized, and designed specifically to meet the needs of advocacy, non-profit and non-governmental groups.
Dropbox - keep your documents safe in the cloud & on your computer
OpenOffice - not cloud based, but handy to have Office suite for free on your computer

COMMS & SHARING
Skype - free video/voice calls to anyone, anywhere in the world with Skype
Wordpress - free website/blog builder
Tumblr - extremely simple free blog builder w/ engaged community for amplification
Delicious - web-based bookmarking system so you can get your favourite sites anywhere, any time, any device
Flickr - share your photos online with individuals, groups, or the world (very engaged photographic community)
YouTube - host your videos online for free
VeoTag - break up your videos into manageable chunks
Change - create petitions online & embed to your website
Prezi - dynamic presentation tool to replace tired powerpoints!
MailChimp - the go-to for building newsletters & contact databases
CauseCast - consultancy out of Huffington Post which specialises in integrating cause into campaigns, website & organisations.

CRISIS RESPONSE
Ushahidi - mapping & visualisation - recently deployed as eq.org.nz when Chch Feb earthquake went down.
CrisisCommons - emergency response network of people & resources which swing into action

FUNDRAISING & SPONSORSHIP
Givealittle - online fundraising & donation platform (small fee charged)
Pledgeme - crowdfunding 2.0 for New Zealand
We-Care - donate when you shop. Simple - but only in N.America at the moment?

MICRO-VOLUNTEERING
VolunteerMatch - give your skills for good
Idealist - much the same as above
If We Ran The World - post your vision for a better world, find others who resonate, and get micro-volunteering together!
Social Actions - apps to embed on your website to encourage volunteering
SocialVibe - matching micro-volunteering for CSR to charities in need

SITES FOR INSPIRATION
Mashable Social Good - the tech-mecca Mashable launched a social good feed now too - well worth keeping tabs on.
RSA Animate - taking amazing talks from the RSA series, and turning them into pictures
TED - “Ideas worth Spreading”... if you don’t know already, prepare to have your mind blown

Decisions in the Green

2011-07-11T21:13:00.010+12:00

Strange things happen when you take to the forest...

Elinor and I decided that it was time to get out exploring again, and high up our agenda was Kaitoke Regional Park.

We'd heard good things about this place; that it still had some remnant pockets of lovely old forest, there was some good shortish walks, and it even had swing bridges. All proved to be true.

We soon found ourself freed of any tensions & exasperations which had built up during a week of work, and moving from marvelling at the towering rimu, rata, matai & kahikatea, to running happily betwixt the trunks.

Funny things happen to us when we're in this environment, and soon the conversation got onto how New Zealand very much feels our home ~ where life together has really pushed beyond meeting & getting to know one another, to feeling like our lives are very much more intertwined.

Of course it was about 2 years ago that I proposed to Elinor, but we've been stalling a little on wedding plans as, among other things, even coming up with a location was difficult - what with my family in Europe, and El's in Australia, and us in New Zealand.

However it all came abundantly clear in Kaitoke - this is home, this is where we want to be. This is where we should get married.

Whilst neither of us are religious, we would indeed like to stand in front of friends, family & loved ones, preferably amongst some green, and say some nice things about one another... perhaps even rejoice a little in the leafy surrounds, and then find a reason to retreat to somewhere warm & homely, and have a darned good feed, some good wine, and enjoy the sounds of familiar boisterous voices raised aloft in happiness & excitement.

New Zealand is where we now thrive, and we're both very much loving life here. We'd love to share this place with you all, share the life we've created, and share the friendships we've made. Who knows how it'll go down, but I know that I can't imagine doing this anywhere else right now, so lets just hope a few people might be able to come out to join us & raise a glass.

Thank you foresty-ness... decision made.

No hurry of course - we'll look forward to welcoming you somewhere between Feb & April 2013 probably.

The Information Age

2011-07-10T21:36:00.006+12:00

Courtesy of Matt Britt (creative commons)

Most of you will know that I'm now heavily involved with a web / IT outfit called Enspiral. It's really been opening my eyes to what's going on in the web space at the moment, so thought I would scribble down some reflections - always interesting to know what others think of them.

So as a global community, most of the developed world, and even much of the developing world has made much of the internet revolution in the last 10 years or so. We've moved from marvelling at the novelty of sharing & communication to a world whereby a portion of our life is lived in our digital footprints of personal websites, shared photo albums, networking sites, social media pages, not to mention communications routed through the web & even doing business there in online shops.

What does this mean? Well, for me it means there's a HUGE amount of data flying around.

Data on it's own is largely meaningless, until it's given context, communicated, managed & analysed. This is essentially an age where all that data or information is what drives so much of our world, and if we had just a brief insight into some of the analysis behind it, we'd have deep insights into trends, patterns, thought - perhaps even some kind of 'collective conciousness' of all those who spend time online.

So who has these kinds of insights? I'll tell you who - Google. They may or may not have known what power they would end up with back when they were designing Google Search 1.0, but they sure do now. Not only do they have the ability to capture and analyse what we're searching, but they crawl millions of websites constantly, and have powerful analytics focused on understanding internet consumers to help them make money, develop new products, and continually develop their business. Fascinating eh?

Facebook, with something around 500 million users, also has a huge weight of information flowing through it's digital veins. It too holds much sway, and all too regularly is known for using this to their advantage - be it monetising the site through adverts, or sharing our data around more freely than we expect.

But I'm not really interested so much in the now, and all the arguments over privacy. I believe we have to understand that in being online we must accept that we are entering into a non-private system where, whilst we may be largely anonymous, we are constantly being tracked.

So where is the web going in the future?

Well that's where things get really interesting, I think. Obviously with all this data flying around, we're slowly getting overloaded with too much data trying to get in front of us. I'm already noticing a trend that the cleanest, most usable websites are winning out (in general) - and I would say that most of the usable websites have a highly visual interface which is simply obvious to each and every one of us, how to use.

The next big wave of innovation I'm beginning to notice, is data visualisation. Much of it began with visualisation of networks - such as Twitter or Facebook - but now it's extending out into other areas too. I believe data visualisation is the 2-5 year growth area which will be really interesting, and will start to move the web even more into the 'human realm'. As humans, we learn and interpret best through imagery primarily, and words & language secondarily (don't get me onto how this should related to education!). As the web moves this way, design & visual communication will again be prized highly in our society.

The range of infographics hitting us now are truly wonderful - and this is just the beginning!

Courtesy of One Week of the Guardian

Here's a few sites explaining where I see data visualisation brewing from:
Information is beautiful
Gapminder / Hans Rosling (now owned by Google)
Google Maps - visualising directories/listings of an area by location
Munterbund - a research project on graphical representation of themes within essays
Visual Complexity
Information Architects - holding the fort for design agencies
Fidg't - much buzz about this tool but limited functionality at the mo (does anyone actually still use microsoft messenger?!)

Tipping Points : Recognition of Nature

2011-07-01T22:50:00.005+12:00

Borrowed from Planet Green

Well you may not've heard too much from me recently on this topic, but it's always at the forefront of my mind.

I've been heartened recently, to see quite a bit of press on the value of nature - not necessarily in economic terms, so much as it's intrinsic values to our lives too.

To share but a few articles I've spotted;

Nature is 'worth billions' to UK - BBC Science & Environment

The UK's parks, lakes, forests and wildlife are worth billions of pounds to the economy, says a major report. The health benefits of merely living close to a green space are worth up to £300 per person per year, it concludes. The National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) says that for decades, the emphasis has been on producing more food and other goods - but this has harmed other parts of nature that generate hidden wealth.

Recognising the Economic Benefits of Nature - BBC News

The world is waking up the fact it can no longer sit back while the planet's natural resources, and the species that depend upon them, are systematically destroyed. The economic and human costs of inaction are simply too great.

Healthy Parks, Healthy People - Parks Victoria campaign

Ask most people about the purposes and benefits of national parks and other protected areas and they're likely to tell you about the protection of flora, fauna, scenery and historical features, and about recreation and tourism.

All these are important values of parks. National and other parks are well recognised for their vital role in protecting our natural environment and cultural heritage, and in bringing social benefits in terms of the physical, mental and spiritual health of individuals and the community - as recognised by the Healthy Parks, Healthy People campaigns in Victoria and other states.
Parks also bring measurable direct and flow-on economic benefits to local, regional, state and national economies. These economic benefits are a key enabler for communities to function and prosper, allowing them to build social cohesion, social capital and healthy communities.

Pricing the Value of Nature - News Wire report on UN Environment Program

TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity) has documented not only the multi-trillion dollar importance to the global economy of the natural world, but the kinds of policy shifts and smart market mechanisms that can embed fresh thinking in a world beset by a rising raft of multiple challenges," said Sukhdev today in Nagoya.

"Mainstreaming the Economics of Nature," carries the message that failure of business to account for the value of natural capital, particularly in sectors such as mining, can pose major business and social risks.

Natural Capital Project - Stanford University / WWF / Nature Conservancy collaboration.

Queen of the Sun - Documentary Film Trailer

What's next and where does that take my thoughts?

Well, it certainly tells me that we're slowly waking up and recognising that there are things we can't simply value with money, and we need to build a story for those who still don't see that.

Certainly here in New Zealand, we're famed for the clean, green image, but as many of us realise - this isn't quite so true. Even the Prime Minister, John Key, fumbled his words when asked about the topic on HardTalk when in the UK recently.

Essentially we need to tie together the cold hard facts of the undeniable importance of ecosystems ahead of economics, with the more emotive issues - such as the stories coming out of Christchurch when the quake hit, where people were spending a lot more time in the parks because they felt a lot safer there. There are those of us who are sold simply on the emotive (give me a dripping, mossy forest any day) but then there's still many many more who we might need to convince with some

I'm lucky enough to find myself within a leading NGO here in New Zealand, and I have good relationships with several other NGO's who advocate as the voice of nature. We're looking at a project to tell the story of the incredible wealth and value represented by nature here in Aotearoa, so keep your ears open for further links and hints on this subject!

Blurring Aotearoa

2011-06-07T20:43:00.004+12:00

Aotearoa. New Zealand.

"Land of the long white cloud" - the translation of Aotearoa, was first coined by the Maori in reference to the north island of New Zealand, not both the main islands as many people think.

I feel like I've just had the whistlestop tour, after picking up a 'relocation deal' (a little hatchback) this morning in Wellington, and 9 hours later arriving in Auckland.

Leaving the green hills of Wellington, I travelled up the Kapiti Coast - with the ranges on the east, and the Tasman Sea on the west. As you wind inland, you head into the farming country of the north island, and then a few hours later up toward the volcanic plains of the Ruapehu/Tongariro region. A brief lunch stop at the volcanic crater lake of Taupo, and onwards into the shallow lakes of the Waikato region, and then, finally to the harbour city - Auckland.

10 hours, such diverse landscape, and a tank and a half of rather expensive petrol.

Whatta drive!

"A belief in people and the power of opportunity"

2011-06-04T13:59:00.013+12:00

Frustration at my own lack of writing has given in to acceptance now, but I feel the desire to write today, so here goes.

It's been a busy but great start to the year, and I've plunged headlong into a world which for the last few years has been quite foreign - people with a positive impact.

I feel since heading to Wellington, my somewhat negative slant on the majority of humankind has been completely reborn - with my eyes open to all the wonderful, positive, incredible, inspiring things that humans have been responsible for, and are continuing to achieve.

The little journey has taken me through the climate change movement with 350 Aotearoa's campaign last year. Seeing young & old stand up and shout loudly in favour of climate solutions was a really positive reinforcement of my feelings since I have been educating myself about the human impact on earth. Becoming part of this movement, made me realise just how many people see the issues, and are proposing ways to move forward, together.

The journey continued with joining the enviro education team at ZEALANDIA: The Karori Sanctuary, and being given the opportunity to work as part of a project which simply wanted to restore habitat for the intrinsic value of ecosystems & biodiversity. It was wonderful to be part of a team of people who work hard to do this with the community buy-in & support it needs to succeed.

Another step on the path was joining the ever-growing, thronging hub that is Intersect, and all the amazing people I met through this network + the events it holds. Whenever I need inspiration, this is where I head - online and offline - and recently I was lucky enough to be part of a hosting team for the Be Amazed event in Wellington. As long as I'm in Aotearoa, I think I will find a way to be involved with Intersect.

And then a big chunk of the equation fell into place: finding a social business which believed in more than money - both for what to work on, and in motivating people. Getting in on the ground level as Enspiral is being built, has really made so many things possible for me this year. It's re-alivened my passion for work, for people who want positive change, for seeing the potential & possibilities for design & web tools in the future of social/environmental change, and for the opportunities to be involved in social good start ups with a potential to emancipate. I really do put everything I have into Enspiral, because I believe in its foundation, it's mission, and it's potential to shift the business paradigm.

Through my time with Enspiral, I've spent a lot of time speaking with people engaged in, and doing research into the social enterprise & innovation movement. This too, has shown me that Enspiral is not a one off - it's part of a movement of businesses which are recognising that it's possible to make positive social & environmental impact with their every day work. These are individuals and companies who do not lie down and accept the status quo - but spend their lives working for a better future.

It's not been enough for me just to talk with & research - I've felt the bite and drive to do something too. Inspired by the truly amazing Regeneration New Zealand, and friends who run projects like Inspiring Stories Trust and CommuniTeas, I've found myself searching for what it is that I see a need for in our community, and what it is I can give back. Collaboration Cafe Wellington was born after being involved in a social process called proaction cafe, and having a conversation with some good hearted people at the Regeneration Summer Jam.

So on June 20th, our pilot version of Collaboration Cafe will kick off, and welcome through the doors, 20 people who either have a community project they wish to launch/strengthen, or they're interested in a social night out where they can engage in conversation & give their perspective on driving forward the projects in the wellington region.

I'm also working with a couple of big hearted chaps - Roger & Andre Bate who are intelligent fellas and also keen on the social innovation space. We're looking at what else we can do for all of the people around Wellington who are making leaps & bounds toward rapidly changing the social/environmental problems we face. More on this soon I'm sure.

So, finally, it brings me to the last week's activites ~ a 3 day workshop to be a part in the co-creation of a network of young professionals working in the environmental & recreation industry. It was held out at Tapu Te Ranga marae, which was an absolute privilege to have been welcomed onto. It was wonderful to be part of another set of social processes, and just hang out amongst some highly driven people who are very much like-minded. In the end we formally moved forward with the Generate network. One of my take-aways from the 3 days was that my reason for wanting to be part of this was not only to benefit the environment through our work together, but very much as I have a belief in people, and the power of opportunity and proactivity. Ask me a year ago, and I don't think I ever would have said that!!

Much aroha from Aotearoa. Look forward to speaking with you all soon.

The 'naki

2011-06-01T16:13:00.004+12:00

This shall only be a short one as I'm catching up, but still - I wanted to share with you another bit of adventuring with Elinor.

Easter seems a distant past now, but we were blessed with a few days off work, which Elinor has managed to coincide with the end of a trip to Taranaki for work, so we stayed on a few days.

As evidenced by this wonderful photo taken by El - we had an amazing time exploring the maunga / mountain alpine terrain, as well as padding through the hobgoblin forests of Mt Taranaki. Can't wait to go back!!

Check out the Taranaki at Easter Photo Album.

Coming of Age

2011-05-25T16:51:00.001+12:00

“You don't count your life in breaths you take, you count them in moments that take your breath away”

I seem to be writing a lot of blogs about 'how we spent our birthdays' this year, and this one, to some degree is no different. However I want to acknowledge that we've now both moved into a new chapter of life; our 30's.

Nothing feels different of course, but granted we now probably need to tick a different box on most forms. For me, it was nothing to fear and I had nothing to freak out about. A new chapter is beginning, and opportunities are opening up every day. I embrace my 30's.

So we had decided to celebrate with a trip to Australia!

It was perfect timing to celebrate not only my own birthday, but re-celebrate El's, and also her Oma's. I'm sad to say that Omi was a little off-kilter and we were to visit her in hospital, but it was good timing to do so.

Our birthday celebrations came very early in the morning of the Sunday 3rd April; a 5am depart from Ing & Doug's place [El's folks], a blurry eyed drive out to the Yarra Valley, and a check in with a bunch of pilots.

No ordinary pilots I should add - these ones drove cars, unpacked baskets, cranked up fans, and then turned on the burners. These pilots were HOT AIR BALLOON PILOTS!

Yes, our birthdays were to be celebrated with a sunrise balloon trip over the wine producing region of Victoria - the Yarra Valley! A massive thank you to my wonderful parents for such a kind gift ~ and of course to Ing & Doug for their part - allowing El to be there too!

So off we took - at dawn - rising way above the world, up up into the mist.

Everything went quiet as we ascended into the clouds. We floated high above the slowly awakening city, with the occasional blast of flame to keep us up - and out toward the Yarra Valley. Many photos were taken, and oohs & aahs from around the basket as clouds shifted and our views extended out beneath them to the stretch of the countryside & wineries below. It truly was an amazing experience to feel lifted & supported, but without the hum or roar of a jet engine or propeller.

When you land, successfully, it's customary to drink champagne. So we did. Lots of it!

The rest of our time in Australia was a wonderful mix of friends, family and camping our little hearts out in the high country.

Feel free to have a browse of the photos - it's been too long to describe properly all the highlights. But it was a most wonderful time! Thank you to Elinor & family for making it a very special 30th :)

"'Straya when you're 30" Album Link

Collecting Causes : Lunchtime Reflections

2011-05-04T13:55:00.005+12:00

Ever find you're collecting causes, but few of them get solved?

Today I was reading the Time Magazine on the Coast of Natural Gas at lunch, and it backed up a film I watched recently - Gasland - which brought to my attention the term 'fracking'. Fracking is a pretty horrible process of releasing natural gas by drilling and then pumping chemicals into layers of shale in the ground and exploding them. Problem is - those highly toxic chemicals are increasingly finding their ways into ground water (well... duh!) and then coming back out of people's home water supplies as explosive & flammable gases, and poisoning them. Screwed up, right? This made me kinda angry, even though the film was focused on USA - then I found out it's also happening here in New Zealand too [with incredibly low citizen awareness].

Another notch in John Key's National Party list of monumental environmental fuck ups.

So, I'm collecting causes. But, you know what? I'm not really ticking any off.

I don't want to get burn out, I don't want to stop caring, or feeling that I can make a difference. But I know for a fact that I can't tackle them all, or even give lots of them my full attention, so what do you pick, what do you do, and how do you cope with all those things that enrage you which you decide not to do anything about?

So, is anyone else out there finding this? How do YOU cope with the same situation? What would you give up a year of your life to find a solution for?

Techniques? Action? HELP!?

Acronyms for Inspiration

2011-04-21T00:18:00.005+12:00

Photo borrowed from blogs.photopreneur.com

Sometimes you just need a break from the purposeful work you're doing, and need to top up on inspiration.

Where do we turn?

There's two sites which have become by 'go to' pages. Know what they are? I sure hope so:

TED : Technology Entertainment Design
Wikipedia's view on things...

a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading." Since June 2006, the talks have been offered for free viewing online, under a Creative Commons license, through TED.com. As of July 2010, over 700 talks are available free online. By January 2009 they had been viewed 50 million times. In July 2010, the viewing figure stood at more than 290 million, reflecting a still growing global audience.

RSA : Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
RSA's self bio...

For over 250 years the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) has been a cradle of enlightenment thinking and a force for social progress. Our approach is multi-disciplinary, politically independent and combines cutting edge research and policy development with practical action. We encourage public discourse and critical debate by providing platforms for leading experts to share new ideas on contemporary issues, through our public events programme, RSA Journal and RSA Comment.

So here's a few of my recent faves:

And then there was Kapiti

2011-04-19T06:49:00.011+12:00

There's an island across the water, which stares back at us every day when we drive to work, and when we arrive home.

It is always there, sloped in its characteristic shape, showing itself in different ways depending where the light is shining from, or whether the clouds are cloaking its tops.

We played a game once to guess how far it is from where we live ~ turns out it's just over 12kms. Bit of a swim...

But there's something special about this island; it was turned into a bird sanctuary in 1897, and is home to many species which would be struggling to survive if it wasn't for this reserve. You can include the little spotted kiwi in those numbers.

I've been fascinated with producing a series of photos for Kapiti Island for quite some time, just due to it's shifting lights, colours & relative isolation out in the Tasman sea.

Well, we decided to stop just looking at it, and get on a boat and have a look around. So we booked our permit with the Dept of Conservation, and arrived at Kapiti Tours to hop on the only ferry to the island. Whilst it is a little dear at $55 per adult, I'm happy to support local economy, so fair play to them.

With the wind blowing in our hair as we bounced along in the speed-boat of a ferry, the island morphed from 'speck on the horizon', to bush-clad hills, to thriving island of forest and species. We landed on a pebbled beach on the North End, and were greeted by Deb - a representative for the island sanctuary.

We were invited to take a stroll from the beach to the wooden shelter, along which way El & I thoroughly enjoyed the throng of bird song, fluttering of wings as silvereyes flitted from bush to bush, the explosion of wingbeats as we startled the colourful kakariki, and the occasional stirring of weka in the bushes around our feet. We relaxed and soaked up the sun on the wooden decking as Deb took the role of kaitiaki [guardian & educator] and took us through a little history of the island (historical & spiritual), a run down of the unique & special species which now call the island home.

Ourselves and the rest of the group (which numbered only 80 between two areas) were then waved off into the island paradise - given the guidance, 'follow the paths'. The island is looked after by the Dept of Conservation, so the tracks and signage is pretty good for the most part, so El & I wandered happily behind the main throng of people which slowly thinned out. We were happy to tag along at the back, where we could stop and enjoy the quieter moments amongst the fluttering birdlife that thrives on Kapiti.

We were lucky enough to spot many a silvereye, fantail (piwakawaka), whitehead (popokatea), bellbird (korimako), tui, north island robin (toutouwai) and a few others. We were also lucky enough to enjoy the regenerating forest which clads much of the island now - a few decades after farming practices (including slash & burn) were halted, and not too long after all introduced pests were eradicated from the island. A while back I wrote a post about the uniqueness of Aotearoa/New Zealand and what makes it so special - so if you're interested, check it out HERE.

We slogged all the way up the hill to the top, where we emerged from the tree-clad path into an opening which culminated with a cliff edge and the outstretched Tasman Sea beyond. Simply breathtaking. A shared moment with a couple who were also soaking up the majesty of the views turned into a conversation & realisation they too were Paekakariki-based. Lovely couple & we resolved we would have to share a dinner with another couple who were mutual friends soon. Always good to write these things to remind yourself!!

When they departed we decided it was a perfect lunch spot and it was time to break out the ingredients for fresh rolls. We'd been warned of the kaka (bush parrots) which swoop out of the trees to nab the food from your hand, but we also knew of the cheeky weka – a formidable trickster which sucks you in with it's mottled brown appearance & flightlessness. We know better, and soon enough one particularly friendly & unafraid weka came to join us... or to join us for lunch, if it was up to him.

We toasted our joint-30th year with cheese & cracker, a common refrain for Elinor & I. Taking time to celebrate moments in life which are special we believe – but it doesn't always have to be a big party. A letting the sun warm your face & a warm embrace is sometimes just right.

As we began to descend, the flora changed once more, and the kanuka & kohehoe groves grew to mature stands around us, and it wasn't too long until we ran into the couple from above. We found Reuben crinkling a crisp packet, with a smile on his face, and a kaka staring back at him, and inquisitively hopping around on a branch. It progressed down to check him out much closer, and eventually head off, when it realised there was no food to be gained from this game. In the meantime I got this shot.

Cheeky Kaka

The forest slowly turned back to scrub as we moved closer to the bottom of the hill – closer to the remnant effects of the destructive farming practices. As we emerged once more, into the bright light of the afternoon, I couldn't help but think of how this island must've been before humans arrived ~ thronging as only an intact eco-system can. We took the beach-ward path back around the lagoon, watching weka walk shonkily on the tops of dense coastal bushes (a mix of coprosma & Muehlenbeckia), and gulls cruise the up drafts and coastal breezes.

Our time on Kapiti Island drew to a close, with the boat returning to take us back to Aotearoa's shores ~ but our spirits had been lifted by the conservation efforts which were extensive and successfully securing the immediate future of a large population of endemic species to this lush green land.

I will never look at the slim profile of Kapiti Island in the same way again, and it was a privilege to tread it's paths and share its space with those characterful species. Keep up the good work Dept of Conservation, and maybe one day in the not too distant future, we will come back and stay with Kapiti Island Nature Tours (as long as someone else picks up the tab).

Kapiti Island Photo Album Link

Happy 30ths to us..

[beaut image borrowed from Tammy Circeo @ tammycirceo.typepad.com]

Back to Mac

2011-03-15T06:26:00.001+13:00

I was going to have Amy Winehouse's Back to Black auto-playing when you opened this post, and then realised it might traumatise children. So we're going with the lowest common denominator instead - not.

Oh it's been such a joyous week - from the moment that Enspiral approved a loan for a new computer, to the decision that it was time for me to return back to the world of Mac.

Ever since I left my job at the design agency in the UK, I have essentially been Mac-less… picking up cheap PC's in Australia & New Zealand as stop gaps, and not really having too much need for them other than photo editing, internet browsing and Skype.

But finding myself spending more time back in the office with Enspiral, I was finding the pain point of working was all too common my aging Hewlett Packard, bless him. He hung on for quite some time, considering I probably bought him 2 years ago, and he was already 2 years old; 4 year old computers are sadly destined for the dump (or hopefully recycling) these days, even with an upgrade in there. But a brainwave hit, and I decided to gut him and install Ubuntu - an Open-source operating system... I am now free of Microsoft :)

So, I toddled off to the Mac reseller, with a smile on my face and a skip in my step.
I walked up to the counter, and announced I would like a MacBook Pro 2.3GHz version - did I mention I'd done my homework?

image borrowed from Mac shop - you can have it back when you need it!

So far, it has been nothing but joy - the capacity to work without a cord trailing behind me (yes, it has battery life!!), the lack of fear of viruses, the smooth running & user-friendly system of OSX, and no time lags between asking it do something and it carrying out my request.

So yes, it's a happy return to the world of Apple. If you've never used, you'd be surprised just how wonderful they are.

30 - count em..

2011-03-14T21:52:00.003+13:00

Part I: Reflection & Escaping the Capital

11/3/11… an important date for a special someone in my life.

Traditionally traversing from one decade of age to another is a 'big deal' - we make much of milestones as humans. No one really knows why - seems like a time to take stock; look back at what we've achieved, look forward at what awaits us.

El and I are separated by 27 days of life lived - so we've both had eyes on 2011 as a 'big year' for a little while.

30 is traditionally looked at as 'growing up' age - you've normally attended a plethora of friends' weddings, sometimes welcomed into the world some of their newborns, and if neither of those are the case for you - sometimes people panic!

Thankfully, thus far, El hasn't. Nor do I feel the tentacles of fear gripping me. Perhaps it's because we're both fairly content in life - we don't measure success by the things we own, or the size of our bank account; our experiences, human interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life are largely the metrics through which we gain contentment & happiness.

El said to me yesterday "I'm happy where I am in life", and that means a huge amount to me.

And so it was, instead of notching up a big piss up in town, an extravagant meal or me having to purchase a sparkly necklace, we packed up the car in the morning, and headed for town.

Our first stop was Sweet Mother's Kitchen, where we refreshed our commitment to breakfasting together - with breakfast burrito's and a big plate of 'Flossy's Favourite' (hash, eggs, creamy mushrooms, & black beans). SMK is one of our favourite places in town, so it was right that El's birthday started here.

After a brief hiatus of work, and after El has undergone a heavenly massage, we pulled into the peak hour traffic to wind our way out of Wellington, onto the state highway through the Hutt Valley, over the Rimutaka hills, and down into Wairarapa.

Our plan for the weekend was to take extricate ourselves from the city, away from any large settlements, and have an explore of more of Aotearoa's fine shores. South Wairarapa was our target - specifically the shore line which served to travel to the southern most point of the north island, and a few little spots to experience.

After a burger-laden dinner and drink at the 'social hour' of Chilee Brown's in Martinborough, we drove on down to the Putangirua Pinnacles where the Dept of Conservation (DOC) have a little campsite beside a brook. The campsite was surprisingly full - some of the dregs of the backpackers in campervans for the summer season I suspect, and a few kiwi's besides. Finding ourselves a little spot nestling into a corner of green, we pulled up and hopped out. We stood in a steep sided gully, clad by regenerating native forest on our side, where a volley of birdsong erupted from now and then; fantails & silvereyes bobbing and weaving to catch insects in the fading sunlight.

I insisted our tent was put on a strange angle so that when we awoke, and crawled from the tent, we would be confronted by a thicket of native bush about 5 metres away; a mix of kawakawa, manuka & ngaio. Like a well versed unit, we popped up the tent, and whilst El nested inside, I collected a mix of dry wood from around the vicinity to create a smokey fire to keep away any nasty insects.

As the night closed in, we retrieved our bottle of wine from the creek where it'd been chilling, and lay down next to the fire to watch the night sky light up above us; full on milky way, shooting stars, and satellites a'plenty greeted us, and we drifted off on the rug.

Not exactly rock and roll, but we thought it a fitting way to close off El's birthday.

At some point in the night we crawled back into our tent & cosied down against the nip in the air, and fell into a communal slumber until the sun was already up the next morning.

The cicadas and a mix of native & introduced birds already beat us to the punch when it came to waking up, likewise had many of the other campers - evidenced by about half of the campervans already having departed by the time we lumbered to the amenities and maps of the area further up the river/campsite. Still, El managed a morning routine of jogging & yoga - whilst I tried to join in, and then retreated to read when the pesky sandflies woke up. We were ready for a supplies run to Martinborough (we'd forgotten cash, and of course a morning coffee & muffin!), which was fairly short lived as we had a couple of things on the agenda for the day which were in the other direction.

Driving the coastal road took us through country side, along past gullies of uplifted river gravels, past small gatherings of family baches (beach shacks), up over outcrops, past seals lounging on the beach, and sometimes we even glimpsed sections of scrubby forest which was trying with all its might to re-grow or cling on despite human activity, salt-laced winds, and landslides.

Eventually we arrived at Cape Palliser - known primarily for its lighthouse which stands atop a hill, at which we arrived at the bottom of. 285 wooden steps face you as you wind your way through stoney & grassy patches toward it. We were alone on our ascent - perhaps some oxygen, or even massage therapists would've been welcomed at the top - but instead we were met with sweeping views of the coast both east and west… you can't have everything eh?

The lighthouse stood majestically, if not welcomingly (no access is allowed) but for the thrill of ascending and descending 570 steps, it was well worth it. The seals on the beach seemed non-plussed by our exertion, so we headed back east to find a lonely outcrop for a picnic lunch.

Our landlady, Pam, had furnished us with a fine old style picnic box, complete with plates, flutes, cutlery and salt & pepper shakers - so we had brought it with us and we prized him open to reveal a spread of rolls, cheese, salami, avocado, hummus, tomato, and mixed leaf salad for our bellies. We dined sumptuously with the crashing waves and barking of more, likely equally-unimpressed seals, not far away.

Our tiki tour of the south Wairarapa coastline continued as we headed back toward Putangirua, and took us into a unique little community - Ngawi.

This community is renowned for its fishing prowess, which provides many of the restaurants in Wellington with freshly caught koura / crayfish. Sadly there are no roadside shacks which cook it up fresh and sell it, but we were treated to the signature method of launching their fishing vessels; catepillar-tracked tractors.

Yup, at this steep beached area of the coast, they put their boats in the water by backing them down the beach on trailers using tractors which churn up the sand with caterpillar tracks. On reaching the water line, they keep going until the trailer is fully submerged, the boat is floating, and normally the tractor is sitting partly in the water. We were assured by the local who drives "tinky winky" (a fine pink steed with eyes painted on it) that they'd never lost any to the sea - "just the odd trailer which came unhooked". Genius.

Our time on the coastal road was only prolonged a little more, by my insistence on taking lots of photos at various pull-in points on the way back to the campsite. Now I find myself happily lazing back on a red throw, by the smokey fire & our tent, listening to the birds chirping, watching El voraciously flick through 'The Road', and taking in the greenery whilst I tap out the first part of this blog on my shiny new Mac.

Part II: How big is your fritter?

It was dinner time, and so we headed for a little place called Lake Ferry. Lake Ferry Hotel welcomed us in, with their icy cold drinks and capacious decking areas where we caught the last of the day's sun which dropped behind the Rimutaka ranges which stood directly behind the glimmering lake. Whilst the menu was lean, we had heard of the hotel for its tasty seafood, so ordered a garlic bread to whet our appetites, with 2 starters & a main to follow: Scallops cooked with bacon, a whitebait fritter, and a whole flounder.

Our gender-stereotyped option of a beer, with a "white wine for the lady" quenched our thirsts of the day, and soon the crispy fried garlic bread was upon us… and then, gone.

We moved to catch the dying rays of the sun, and to get away from the clamor of the bar, and questionable chart music which pulsed forth from it. I was even heard to utter "oh, please stop playing Rhianna". We watched the blades of a helicopter start up, as our waitress brought out our meals - and she told us "there's a few of them that come regularly, from over Wellington way - they're private crafts, and they tend to shout all the kids in the bar free food and spend a couple of grand in an afternoon". Impressive that a little pub on the lakes of Wairarapa can coax over families in their private choppers if you ask me; our waitress confided that she'd happily swap the hefty tips for a ride over the hills.

Dinner was pretty tasty - and for once I left the photography out of it, whilst I tackled the fullness of fresh flounder on my plate + El tackled whichever starter garnered her attention at the time. Alright, that's a little cheeky - really it was a bit more of a three way share. It was a good meal, probably not as incredible as we'd heard, but I believe they rotate around their chef, so some days will be better for certain dishes I guess. Definitely worth a stop in though - good friendly service, great garlic bread and montheiths beer on tap. Hurrah!

A walk down by the lake was a perfect way to round off the night, as the pastels on the horizon intensified and then ebbed to a suggestion of light. Our stone skipping skills were questionable, but the roar of the ocean was ever present, and learning about the history of the lake & hotel made the area all the more special; as a lagoon-lake which sometimes closed over with a sandbar, the need for a ferryman was only ad hoc - and so a license was granted for a hotel/pub where weary travelers could stop over, for this was a common route (pre-roads) for travelers to head from Wellington to the East Coast, instead of taking the more direct but largely impenetrable route through the forests of the central country.

Once again returning to the campsite, a small smokey fire was started, and we stretched out on the rug with a glass of wine, and an almost 360 degree view of the clear night sky - and let our minds wander into the impossible scale of what twinkled back at us.

Part III: The Pinnacles

One of the main reasons we headed out this way, was to have a look at an area which is famed for its rock formations - 15 million year old river gravels which have been uplifted and eroded into a series of towers or pinnacles. A scene or two of the Lord of the Rings was apparently filmed there. I wouldn't know - I haven't watched them (shock, horror!).

We began the morning with a bimble up the river track, which took us right into the heart of the crumbling towers of the Putangirua Pinnacles.

Mäori mythology teaches us that Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga was the demi-god who fished up Aotearoa from the Pacific Ocean, using the enchanted jaw-boneMuri-rangi-whenua, which he had fashioned into a beautiful fish hook. Legend records that Palliser Bay is the mouth of the huge fish and that Wairarapa Moana is the fresh-water eye of Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga’s fish,
Te Ika-a-Maui (Maui’s fish).

Early ancestors, by word-of-mouth transmission, tell that Te Ika-a-Maui had lain dormant for many, many moons until the tall and handsome Kupe of Rangiatea, with his wife Kura-maro-tini, and their people, set sail aboard the large and handsome canoe Mata-hou-rua (a double canoe capable of carrying up to 300 people). Kupe and his people set sail from their homeland, Hawaiki, to discover the promised land that the demi-god Maui had created for the Mäori people.

After a long and hazardous journey across unknown seas, the navigators sighted Aotearoa. They eventually made it to Palliser Bay, where they rested and recuperated at Matakitaki and decided to make it their headquarters. Mäori tradition records that Kupe and his people were the first residents and pioneers of the South Wairarapa and were in occupation for more than
two decades.

Kupe himself named Matakitaki, which means ‘to look upon with admiration’ because of its beautiful view. When he and his wife ascended a nearby hill, he looked across the blue waters of Cook Strait and saw the snow-capped Tapuaenuku, the highest peak in the inland Kaikoura Range.

We explored little gullies and chasms, craning our necks upward toward the oft-bush clad tops of the towers. I constantly find it amazing how adept plants and trees are at clinging on to seemingly inhospitable places which seem to offer so little stability, nutrients, or earth through which they can extend their roots. Perhaps I like that they're non-exclusive - they don't only pick the nutrient rich soils of gullies or swamps - the variety and abundance of these colonizing and stabilizing species makes me realize that this world isn't here for us - we're very much just part of life on this planet.

We turned back as the gullies got narrower and a few small rocks toppling down would be sure to land on our heads. We tracked back on ourselves, saying g'day to the Grandpa, Dad & two small sons who we'd stopped and chatted with on the way up - "we're looking for rabbits!" one of the little ones had proudly announced. As we walked back down the riverbed, and looked back at the frames of the adults disappearing into the gullies, the true size of the Pinnacles began to be apparent.

Whilst our feet were tiring from all the uneven walking, we decided to take the forest track up the slopes to the look out. Stopping briefly for an important TimTam & water break, we were greeted by a male bellbird, now sadly quite rare in the north island, who sang to us for a good 5 minutes, with his clicks, whistles and silvery tones. It was a delight - whilst I've seen them in Zealandia/Karori Sanctuary where I work, it was a pleasure to see them clinging onto life in a pocket of green in the Wairarapa.

The forest track made me exalt as we headed past some fairly mature rewa-rewa, manuka & kanuka forest - and climbed steeply to get up to a lookout. The bush was soothing, as the feeps, whistles and wing beats of various native birds sounded out around us, and we climbed ever further toward the summit. Every now and then we would get a glimpse through trees or at turn in the track of what was to come, but when we saw the familiar wooden structure of a DOC lookout, I smiled; I half knew what was going to greet me, but couldn't help allowing a "WOW!" to escape when it did.

Looking back at us were the soaring spires of the Pinnacles which we'd been walking amongst only half an hour before; towering white/grey columns clad and surrounded by thick native forest, in full sunlight. It really was a sight to behold. I don't think photos can quite do it justice - the size and multi layered nature of the formations, and their instability are all remarkable and completely at odds with one another. Still, here's one or two of the better photos from the top of the lookout.

Our time was up however, and whilst we were able to greet everyone going the other way up the track with "it's worth it!" and "keep going, you'll love it!" - we were heading home. We stopped once more where we'd paused for water & TimTams as our mate the bellbird was happily singing away still. We farwelled him, and headed back to break camp after another sumptuous picnic lunch.

The road home was smooth and we enjoyed winding through the Wairarapa countryside once more, this time detouring only slightly through Greytown which we'd heard so much about as a little haven of artistry and good cafes. Cafe's indeed! We accidentally found ourselves ordering cheesecake & chocolate brownie, iced coffee & caramel smoothie. Oops.

A deliciously decadent way to finish off a weekend away for what we accept, and embrace, as a milestone year in our lives.

30 - count 'em - we're happy to.

PHOTOS NOW AVAILABLE HERE

123

2011-03-07T18:10:00.007+13:00

We do love to live beside the sea side.

Just two weeks back, we struck upon a bit of luck; with only 10 days until we our lease was due to terminate on our idyllic house o'erlooking the Tasman Sea & South Island, we were introduced to Pam.

Pam was a good friend of our landlady, and had been told that we could make good tenants for her place she was soon to vacate – and here's the kicker: it is only 6 doors down from the place which we were living at the time.

Pam was soon to be packing up 22 years of life in Paekakariki, and heading to Wellington to be closer to her daughter (Maxine), and grand daughter (Bella). Whilst we empathised with the difficulty of leaving a house in which so many memories have been created, we were somewhat excited about the prospect of having found a place which afforded us a couple of key things;
a rental property in Paekakariki in a great spot, which ticked all our 'liveable' boxes, and
we could afford (in fact a little bit better than our last place)

We were lucky enough that Pam was sold on Elinor & I as tenants, and after an overlapping transition period of Pam packing and moving out, and Elinor & I moving in – we became tenants of 123 Wellington Road.

Paekakariki, in case I've not said it enough, is just about our prime spot at the moment. It's got a great, swimmable beach and views of the majestic Kapiti Island. It's a quirky, interesting little town with artistic and theatrical people nestled together with a resilient community of people from all walks of life who really know how to look after themselves and enjoy life. It's close enough to Wellington that we can commute by car or train, in about 40 minutes. It's far enough out the city that we feel we're coming back to a different pace of life – village life. There's regularly awesome live music and a variety of events throughout the year. There's a pub, a couple of cafes, a milk bar, a florist, a jade shop, and a mechanics. What more do you need? Oh yes, and we've got some good friends around and about.

We're happy to tell people we live up on the Kapiti Coast, and even happier to say we're in Paekakariki.

So a virtual tour of the house would look something like;

Haere Mai! Welcome!

On your left is our fairly newly fitted kitchen with heaps of hidey-holes, and a big store for all our delectables.

Wander on through into the dining area, and you've got a bathroom on your right, and a nice big long wooden table to share some kai/food. Off to your right and left respectively, are the toilet (with annex through to the utility room & garage) and spare bedroom / yoga room. Wander straight on into the next little section which we've made our 'entertainment' section with new LED screen for DVD watching (we don't have a TV) and the 'master bedroom' annexes off that to your right.

A few more paces onwards and you're into the big extension on the front of the bach (reading, sitting, chatting & a reasonable office space for me) – with big patio doors which we fling open as soon as we get home (hey, it's Summer here still!) which lead out onto a big wooden decking area with views out over our big rambling garden and onward to the Tasman Sea. As El would say begrudgingly “It's got a nice flow through the place”.

With a variety of my photos installed on any and every wall, our furniture, a funky old globe, and last year's copies of Empire and National Geographic lying around, this feels like our place.

We lucked out when we got a friend of Pam's family – Mel – to join us as a flatmate; there's a sleep out which she instantly gravitated toward and took up residence in, and there's lots of shared interests and passions (namely music & film) between Mel and El, and I.

And so it is, that 123 Wellington Rd, has taken on a new chapter in its illustrious history in Paekakariki, and a new bunch of people bring a different set of energy and excitedness within its walls and upon its decking.

Our time in Paekakariki carries on. Hurrah!

Life Elsewhere: Part V

2011-03-07T17:45:00.007+13:00

It's been awhile but forgive me my friends.

Crazy to think that just under a month ago, I hit the anniversary once more.

So 4 years down, and into the 5th. Every month that ticks by, the more I wonder whether I could ever see myself heading back to the UK for a long stint.

Life is good in the Southern Hemisphere to be honest.

Year 5 begins with yet another topsy-turvy year under the belt, and a new abode & location. El and I are now living together in Paekakariki on the Kapiti Coast ~ the western coast of the North Island of New Zealand, just 40kms north west of Wellington.

We've just moved into a renovated bach (beach-house style living) which was recently vacated by a kindly lady called Pam, who had been in the place for 22 years – it's their family home, but we've made it ours for now. More about our new home here [add link & story!].

We talk here and there about 'the big day' – but complexity lends itself to the situation the longer we spend in New Zealand. Suddenly the simplicity of an Australian wedding (which my friends & family can wing it in for), looks and feels less obvious, as the Kiwi contingent who we'd want to invite grows, and our shared experiences and connection to the land of the long white cloud, proliferate.

Lifestyle, climate, and meaningful work in Aotearoa keeps us anchored here, happy enough to sign a year lease on this lovely home, without batting an eyelid. So, our 'homecoming' to Australia is put on hold one year after El arrived – with the express intention that El & I get a year under our belts so we could get a de facto visa and head back to Oz.

Plans to return to the UK for 2012 Olympics and a stint of 'English life' get put on the backburner; in favour of a possible shorter trip around Christmas and a longer, possibly overland, journey via the trans-Mongolian railway becomes more attractive.

This 'life elsewhere' evolves once more; despite the inherent sadness of less time spent with dear friends and family in the UK & Europe, a selfish willingness to live this 'life elsewhere' in which I have invested so much, and begot so much back, draws me in ever more.

Home has become where the Elinor is, and life – as always – is a matter of evolving and adapting to the environment in which we find ourselves. I have begun my fifth year with focus and determination to be a positive force in the environment in which I live; people, flora & fauna, community, and any other facet which I can affect in any way.

So here comes a milestone year; we race toward half a decade with verve, passion and belief that this has been an utter turning point in my soon-to-be 30 years upon this quirky and interesting planet.

Stand Up (for what you believe in)

2011-02-14T08:58:00.002+13:00

Borrowed from marvinphythian.com

Ladies and Gents,

Good to be speaking with you again; I hope this is a return to normal blogging service.

It's been too long, and I'm sorry. I like writing - things just keep popping up which get in the way.

Lots more coming soon.

For now, I shall be out and about doing what I can to make the world a better place.

Be good and live well.

Sticky Ideas

2011-02-06T17:05:00.011+13:00

I've been reading a lot recently, watching lots of TED talks, and talking to a lot of people in Wellington and around the world on social networks (such as Brazen), about business, sustainability and our consumption habits.

I was stunned at the end of last year, to watch a talk by Rachel Botsman about the Rise of Collaborative Consumption. It was a talk given at the Sydney TEDx event, and I felt like she'd done such a magic job of joining up several dots in my mind, and several feelings and habits of my own; so well worded, persuasive in the swathes of evidence, and offered a hope for the future.

El picked up on my rantings, and managed to pick up the book for me for Christmas which the TED talk was based on by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers; What's Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption

It's really fascinating, and if you've not heard/watched/read about the line of study, take a look at their website. And here's their introduction to their research:

Collaborative Consumption describes the rapid explosion in swapping, sharing, bartering, trading and renting being reinvented through the latest technologies and peer-to-peer marketplaces in ways and on a scale never possible before. If you've used a car sharing service like Zipcar, experienced peer-to-peer travel on Airbnb, given away or found something on Freecycle or lent money through Zopa, you're already part of the rise of Collaborative Consumption.

Collaborative Consumption is a game-changing opportunity for networked technologies to transform business, public services and the way we live.

I love the opportunities which are growing around this idea, and what it could pose for the future of our planet. Celebrating experience over ownership, priding ourselves in sharing instead of buying, and shaking off the consumption habits we've learned from the industries which want to sell us products to make themselves rich - all of this excites and interests me. Take a look, let your mind travel over the possibilities, and think how much more sustainable our lives could be if we embraced these trends and made them the way we consume in the future.

The second main idea/concept which has stuck with me this year is a connection I made with the Art of Hosting.

Art of Hosting is a global community of practitioners using integrated participative change processes, methods, maps, and planning tools to engage groups and teams in meaningful conversation, deliberate collaboration, and group-supported action for the common good. Examples of these tools include Open Space Technology, World Cafe, Circle and Appreciative Inquiry.

The Art of Hosting is built on the assumption and experience that we need to find new solutions for the common good, whether in corporations, government, education, non-profits, social movements, communities or families. The time is now.

The Principles
High quality conversations arise when:

People in a group are present and grounded, working with a common purpose.
Conversation is hosted in a way that invites participation and self-organization.
People engage in participatory leadership, not top-down leadership, making the group’s wisdom more available to itself.
Groups working together over time take action and use feedback to continuously evolve and learn from their action.
Rather than working with a pre-determined set of tools, the “art” is approaching each conversation with a unique design perspective, crafting the best design for the context and the community.
The Process
The Art of Hosting is the “jazz” of emergent change processes. A team of hosts works with the conveners of the conversation to surface questions and activities that support their intentions. Hosting teams design the flow of an engagement by discerning what is most useful in the moment. Specific processes are often selected the evening before or morning of an interaction. As hosting teams design the experience, they invite participants in as hosts. As a result, in addition to addressing the intended issue, participants are introduced to the skills of hosting, learning to ride the waves of the present moment while tending to an abiding intention.

I am loving the Art of Hosting, and connected with it at the ReGen Summer Jam, during a 'Collaboration Cafe' run by Carl & Jo. I instantly saw great value in the simplicity of the model, but when my brain started to explore the possibilities, I could see so much coming out of it within the community in which I live. I committed there & then at ReGen to make sure this format would run in Wellington this year.

The more I found out about, the more I found that a fair few people I knew had trained up, but were largely busy doing other things - or the vehicle wasn't quite right to use it last year. I think this year it is, and I had a chat with a cool young lady, Sophie, who is fairly new to Welly and will join me to help host some of these sessions. Ah, collaboration!

I'll be seeking out some training this year, and hoping to pursue two main projects out of it:

Regular Collaboration Cafe events in Wellington/Kapiti Coast to support and nurture a thriving community of people committed to creating social enterprises, or volunteer projects to raise the condition of life for humans & other species alike.
Build and Deploy an Enspiral Facilitation service - of which I can deliver some, but largely we will have a team of hosts & harvesters around the country (prob around the world in Year 2).

So there we have it;

Collaborative Consumption + Art of Hosting = two Sticky Ideas for betterment

Well Held : Positive Change for all

2011-02-06T14:49:00.011+13:00

Since hitting the shores of Wellington, I've actively been seeking out people who interest & inspire me, and happen to have been remarkably lucky in the people I've met in doing so.

It all started with a pal from the south island, Louis Brown, who indicated I should really check out Intersect; a network for Purposeful Young Professionals. I did, and haven't looked back - within that network was a thriving community of actively engaged, aware citizens, who are doing some amazing things to live their lives with purpose and make the world a better place.

Through Intersect, I found myself working with 350 Aotearoa on the latest 10/10/10 campaign, and subsequently a step back into the business world with Enspiral. Through all of the people I've worked with, notably Joshua Vial, I was invited to something mysteriously billed as 'Summer Jam'.

Having tried to be as open as possible to opportunities which popped up since moving to Welly, I simply said 'Yes', without asking too many questions. Joshua & a few others seemed pretty excited, so that was enough for me! I knew it was run by ReGeneration New Zealand which I had heard a fair about.

And so it was, that I found myself jumping on a ferry & train (I love travelling overland) to travel from Wellington to Christchurch, with a bag on my back, having committed myself to a 4 day 'Jam'. With no preconceptions, no real idea what I would be doing, but a buy-in to being involved - I found that I was saying hello to a lot of people I knew, or had spoken with and emailed with Intersect and 350 when I reached Summer Jam.

Summer Jam began once over 100 people had turned up, on a Sunday night, from all over the country. It began with a general welcome, and some kai/food but really kicked into gear on Monday morning with an acknowledgement of the north, south, east and west - and then joined up outside to make some noise and stand face-to-face in a circle with about 120 other people who'd made the investment in self, and turned up.

What proceeded over four days, was an intense period of connecting, learning, sharing, outpouring, fun, empowerment, and up-skilling.

I really enjoyed the Maori concept of a 'tuakana-keina relationship' used at Summer Jam - so whilst some of us were 'elder' we acknowledged that we weren't, by any means, always the teachers. I really enjoyed the amazing array of ReGen's core crew who hosted - and held - the whole experience, and made it a powerful experience for everyone involved.

Highlights from the week are hard to pick as to pick it apart would do the rest of the experience and injustice, but here's a couple that jump out to give you an idea of what went on:

Inter-generational open spaces where projects and ideas could be discussed
'Whanau groups' - everyone was assigned to a smaller focus group which met every day and looked out for one another - ours was wonderfully chilled, interesting, and an appreciation session on the last day was warming to the very core
Inspiration from projects going on around Aotearoa which I had no idea about
Collaboration Cafe - a facilitated workshop run by (Young New Zealander of the Year nominee) Carl & Jo to help develop & strengthen ideas into actions (for example getting ideas for a project to fruition)
Water polo - seeing the competitiveness coming to the fore
Hearing about the ReGen roady
Morning yoga - specifically the first morning when the sun's first rays broke over the hill just as we began
Inspiring Stories night - people sharing their own stories, from the heart
Performance night - the talents of so many people came out in so many creative ways
Froth - so very many people with so much passion, heart, enthusiasm & a deep belief that we can make the world a better place

I went to Summer Jam hoping to re-inspire and focus me for 2011, and maybe find a project to sink my teeth into.

I came out of Summer Jam with more inspiration and empowerment than I can shake a stick at. I came out with verve and passion, a renewed faith in what it means to be human, knowing that there is not only a community of people with purpose in Wellington, but around Aotearoa - across several generations. I came out with a close-knit network of Wellingtonians who're committed to rocking the capital in 2011. I came out with a whole new focus of study, and a couple of projects which I feel can make a genuine difference to the community this year.

I came out frothing, and committed to working with ReGen well into the future.

We were well held by the ReGen crew.

Resolutions and Reflections

2011-02-05T17:51:00.000+13:00

Photo Courtesy of wavesofgratitude.blogspot.com

Kia ora koutou,

Here we are again!

Another year down, another action packed year of ups, downs, and excitement. SO much has changed since I wrote the equivalent 2010 post.

I couldn't have foreseen so much of what happened this year, but I'm extraordinarily grateful for how it was shaped and has turned out. I have a lot of love for 2010 - as always, our struggles give us great learning and strength, and I feel a stronger person and that I have a stronger relationship with my Elinor because of it.

What was I writing this time last year?

I will...
Complete some studies for Ecotourism/Environmental education
Complete my Photography course and sell 5 pieces
Settle El into NZ and build ourselves a bunch of friends over here
Travel to Abel Tasman for kayaking and/or walking
Save for a holiday to the UK for Christmas 2010 with El

What did we get up to?

Studies - TICK! With a commendation from my tutor, in fact! I would love to carry on with the course in the future.
Photography - Course: TICK! Selling: Meh, only 1... but I am supposed to be exhibiting some images down in Punakaiki Cafe now.
Settle El - TICK, I think.. a little way to go, but she seems to be loving it here, and it's wonderful to be part of her life as she grows and becomes even more independent. Good friends take time to build, but that's not totally my job!
Abel Tasman - TICK! El's birthday took in the sights from the seas and the land (and she's off to kayak and walk a big chunk of it in a week's time)
Save for a holiday - yeah, no. Savings went awry this year with us both being in & out of work, moving to Wellington, and having a house which almost crippled us financially. But it didn't and we're bouncing back now!

Other big 'life changers' this year (for me):

Leaving the west coast, and life with Conservation Volunteers mid-year
Moving to Wellington and then up to the Kapiti Coast
Meeting an amazing community of change-makers
Working with 350 Aotearoa on the 10/10/10 campaign
Becoming an Environmental Educator with ZEALANDIA: The Karori Sanctuary Experience
Working with Enspiral - a whole new 'work-life experience'

So where are we heading?

In 2011 I will...

Continue to grow as a person along with Elinor: to grow together
Learn & experience more of the Maori culture, specifically culture, language & flora/fauna
Buy a bike and use it
Travel to more parts of Aotearoa we've not seen yet
Work to make positive change in Wellington/Kapiti
Enhance my own education regarding the ecosystems of Aotearoa
Become part of a supportive, nurturing community of friends
Grow as much kai/food at home as possible
Develop my photography onward & upward

Bring on 2011. I'm frothing.

Live well my hoa.

Kirihimete o Aotearoa

2011-02-05T16:51:00.014+13:00

Christmas may seem like a distant blur now, but I'm going to scribble a write up all the same.

I was very excited this year to be spending my first festive holiday in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Instead of El & I heading across the ditch to Australia – Ing, Doug & Dan hopped on a plane and soon found themselves in Wellington.

Excitement turned to hugs, which turned to smiles, which turned to Chardonnay & Gin.

Needless to say we were all feeling the effects of over-indulgence by the next morning.

Christmas Eve was soon upon us, and we took the opportunity to explore a little more of our local area, starting with Pukerua Bay where we explored the shore in the present of the rather trashy Tasman Sea. Amongst the large quantity of driftwood, we happened upon many a washed up neon blue jellyfish ~ quite the fascination for awhile. We felt as if we deserved a good feed after all of that, so a traditional Ellerbock/Cuttiford spread of cold meats, potato salad and tasty cheeses was whipped up, and washed down with plenty more chardonnay. Then in traditional Ellerbock (Ing's side of the family which stems from Austria) style, we brought in Christmas with a song around the tree (ours being a 'Driftmas Tree' as we decided to recycle a spindly log from the beach) and a lit candle as the 'bells of Christmas' chimed out from Silent Night.

Despite a multi-day hangover, I was up at 7.30am on Christmas Day. Poking my head around the door into the lounge where Dan was sleeping aroused him, and we agreed it was time for the meat. For Christmas Day, El and I had decided we wanted as local as possible food – so we had sourced half a lamb from a friend who has a farm closeby, and a turkey which had started life in the north island. The lamb went into a 'wet roast' concoction of stock, white wine, herbs, garlic, and seasonings, and the turkey in for a traditional roasting. Meanwhile, as they began to cook, we shut our eyes for a couple of hours to try to sleep off the effects of the night before.

As the day slowly crept up on us, we peeled ourselves off pillows, freshened up, and poured the fizz. Game on.

A champagne breakfast of croissants, OJ, and bubbles soon led to a chatty family once more, and Christmas was in full swing with gift-giving bringing warmth and love to our already lovely house. I was very lucky to notch up a beautiful 1950's globe (I've ALWAYS wanted a globe!) from Elinor, and also a book by Rachel Botsman on Collaborative Consumption (I watched her TED talk [link] and am super interested by her work), not to mention 22 bottles of wine from my family to fuel the celebrations over here in Aotearoa.

Our Christmas cranked onward with the bubbling stovetop giving off wafts of home-grown veggies and herbs, bubbling gravy, and wine-infused lamb. We were wonderfully lucky to have the warm company of one of our good friend's for lunch – Megan – who dropped in to join us with kind gifts of eggplant kasundi [LINK] and salad. Christmas lunch was a wonderful mix of lamb, turkey, potato salad, roasted beetroot, leafy green salads and fine wines, all shared amongst family and friends.

Once Megan had bimbled on home, and after a good skype session with both Ellerbocks and Ryes, and then introduced Ing & Doug to the wonders of Eddie Izzard to round off the day with some chuckles.

The theme of wine, which seems to thread together this merry tale, continued on into Boxing Day when we headed to Martinborough in the Wairarapa grape growing district for lunch at Alana Estate Winery. El and I had visited the winery with Fiona a little while back, but we thought the food was so good that we should revisit, and we were very glad we did. Not only did we have the delightful company of little Storm, daughter of our waitress, who brought flowers from the garden (and planted some on our encouragement), but we also met the very inspiring chef, and learnt of his passion for locally grown/reared food, free of chemical and intoxicants, cooked fresh, and his learnings and will to spread the words of the health benefits of various wonderful morsels. After this we indulged the tastebuds for some wine tastings around Martinborough vineyards, before heading back to the cosy surroundings of Paekakariki .

[Kirihimete o Aotearoa Facebook Photo Album Link]

Our time with Dan was sadly limited to only a few days as he had a wedding to get back for, so his departure from Wellington gave us an opportunity to explore Lonely Planet's 'coolest little capital' with Ing & Doug. A trip to Te Papa – Our Place, the nation's museum, gave up its wonders and exhibitions for our pleasure for several hours before we had to take a break to eat curly fries at the city's best restaurant – Sweet Mother's Kitchen. It was most delightful to be joined by a wonderful friend from University days; Bethany Moon, and her partner, Matt. We were overjoyed to find out they had just got engaged – at the top of a volcano none-the-less – and would soon both be residing in New Zealand. Congratulations our friends!

Our time on the Kapiti Coast was to come to an end, yet so much more beckoned – North Island Road Trip!!

We'd decided there was one 'must-see' on our agenda for the holiday period – Ahuriri / Napier. A town devastated by an earthquake in 1931, and largely rebuilt in the style of the time – Art Deco. Our plan was almost foiled by a storm front that rolled in across the north island, shutting one of the main arteries to the north – state highway 2 – but after some precarious backcountry driving, we arrived back out onto SH1, and cut across to the East coast, and rolled into Napier.

2 nights & 1 full day; action packed and wonderful – taking in the sights, sounds & smells of a town none of us had ventured to before, including a walking tour, night photography expedition, bike rides, gelato's, some dubious restaurant service, a beautiful sunrise, and a couple of pretty darn tasty coffees besides. Hopefully the photo diary will show our adventures.

[Art Deco Ahuriri Facebook Photo Album Link]

Whilst we had only really planned on time in Napier, we realised that there was nothing to rush back for, so we saddled up for a trip over the southern part of the hills of the Urewera National Park, and down into the basin that is Taupo. We'd booked in for one night on the Lake's edge, in what turned out to be quite a plush motel complete with spa pool and restaurant/bar facing west overlooking the lake. We still had enough time to book in a trip to Orakei Korako ~ a geothermal wonderland of silica terraces, bubbling mudpools, and regenerating forest. Again – perhaps the photo log is the best way to explain what felt like walking on a foreign planet.

[Orakei Korako & Taupo Facebook Photo Album Link]

Time enough to catch a sunset, fill our communal bellies with the best meal of the trip, and run into another friend travelling through – Mr Berrrrrr – a friend from my Melbourne hockey days who was travelling with his girlfriend from south to north, and managed to notch up enough K's in a day to join us for a beer in the evening. What a trip they must've had!

Our final day of road trippin' too us from Taupo to the Kapiti Coast, along the Desert Highway, with views of the Tongariro-Ruapehu-Ngaurahoe volcanic range to boot. We sidled our way back into Paekakariki only shortly before our very good friends, Si & Charl, arrived with their brand new addition to their family – Ian the greyhound – just in time for all of us to share a very satisfying BBQ to celebrate the closing of 2010 with a beautiful sunset from our decking overlooking the Tasman Sea and the south island – and an amazing nightsky fit for a collection of stargazers.

Thank you 2010, you gave us so much to be grateful for.

2011 began, and we farewelled both Si & Charl, and soon after, Ing & Doug with one last brekky hurrah at Maranui in Island Bay.

What a Festive array of stories, travels and the gift of company of dear family & friends. Thank you to all of you peeps that made it so special; who knows what 2011 will bring, and where we will be for Kirihimete this time next year.

The Modern Day Heretic

2010-12-22T12:32:00.004+13:00

A couple of months back I was at a conference called Signs of Change, where I was surrounded by interesting people and interesting ideas.

The conference was one of the first of its kind - a conference brought together for the new digital world ~ several seperate geographical hubs connected together by video conference technology. The aim was to bring together over 250 people without having the need to all travel great distances around NZ just to attend; we saved time, energy and a massive carbon footprint.

Here's a couple of excerpts from the Conference Manifesto;

My own journey to this new path starts in the past and the grief I have felt for what has been lost. But I am a thinking person, and I can choose a new way.

We have enough
We can share what we have
If we used less, it would be fine
We can move ourselves
The economy does not need to grow in order for us to thrive
Business can be ethical and fair
Business can express and nurture cultural values
Health is the care of humans
Public space in our cities belongs to humans
Open space belongs to wild things
We can meet at the market face to face
We can have humane relationships with the animals we depend on
We can work with Earth's systems
We can build our homes and buildings to last for 600 years
We look upstream to manage our waste
We derive wealth from our waste
We protect what nature creates, and we restore what we have damaged
We listen to what Earth's complex systems tell us
Our leaders listen to us and derive power from the mana of ethical behaviour and decisions
The powerful protect the weak
We are learning that this place is our home
We are weaving all the threads together
The most important people in our village are those who will be us some day
and we are listening to them.

The conference was based around sustainability - cross sectors and disciplines, to share and inspire, to inform and to collaborate. I came out feeling buoyed by the experience and the possibilities for the future.

I feel part of a building movement for a sustainable future - part technology, part innovation, but with a core value that 'more is not necessarily always better'.

The term 'heretic' has overtly religious connotations due to it being coined as a catch-cry in the last centuries to identify the enemy of religions; but actually it has nothing to do with religion originally. It comes from the Greek language, and means 'taking an opposing viewpoint'. We are the heretics of our age - we oppose the idea of unbridled growth, extractive industries, of lifestyle with no conscience of its impacts on the environment on which we rely.

Take a moment to think about how materialism/economic growth may not quite be the future. Have a watch of this amazing talk on TED.com.

As we move into 2011, take a moment to consider the opportunities that lie ahead to be a part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Be good, live well, and exist with passion.

Building something special

2010-12-09T13:35:00.005+13:00

Every now and then I get the hairs on the back of my neck rise up to remind me that what I'm talking about is something I'm truly passionate about and believe in.

Lately I have been experiencing it at work.

I've been very lucky to have linked up with Zealandia's Education team which enables me to talk about my passion every time I do a tour; the environment, ecosystems, and how and why New Zealand is unique and wonderful. Several times recently I have found myself quite impassioned when telling the youngsters about why we're relying on them to continue the conservation that we've begun in New Zealand, and how they can be part of the future of this very special country.

Strangely, I've also been finding I have a similar feeling with Enspiral recently. I've been talking with a lot of people about this venture - even doing some recruitment to get people on board to bolster the ranks and build the business. A couple of times I have spent 5 minutes or so communicating our vision, and what we feel can flow out of this exciting business if we hold true to our values and get the model right. It's been fun, interesting, challenging, inspiring, and keeping my eyes up to the future of what could be achieved has kept me focused and motivated.

It's nice to be part of two individual, un-related work places which both push me and test me in different ways, and balance two very different areas of my skills and interests.

It's been a good way to close out 2010 in a new city.

Kia Kaha Te Tai o Poutini

2010-11-25T18:13:00.005+13:00

Yesterday was a truly sad day for Aotearoa / New Zealand.

As many of you heard around the world, the twenty nine Pike River Miners on the West Coast of the South Island (where I used to live) were confirmed dead.

It was a tragic saga played out over 6 days, with an initial explosion which is likely to have killed the miners followed by a rescue attempt hampered by continuing dangerous conditions in the mine, and finally on the 6th day, a second massive explosion. It was confirmed no one would have survived the second, if indeed they had the first.

Today the country mourns, and we all send our thoughts and support to the family, friends and community of the West Coast and around New Zealand who were affected by this tragedy.

Kia kaha te tai o poutini / Be strong West Coast.

Becoming Indigenous

2010-11-18T08:09:00.007+13:00

Māori Wood Carving

(Sam Rye Photography)

I'd like to start this by asking you, the reader, to think about what the word 'indigenous' means to you. Take a few moments, and consider if you view yourself as indigenous to the nation in which you live.

I ask the question as this week I've been attending a conference around 'Signs of Change' in which it came up as a concept for a conference-wide buy in.

To me, the word 'indigenous' brings up certain thoughts / connotations;

Connection and/or a feeling of belonging to the land in which people live
Knowledge of the ecosystem of land & water which people live in & which they depend on.
Investment in & stewardship of the land in which people live for survival & perpetuation of our own species, and those on which we rely (sustainable practices).

From my understanding, most of this can be summed up in the Māori term 'kaitiakitanga'.

I can honestly say that in 25 years of life in the UK, by my own definitions, I never felt that way – indigenous to England.

By contrast, in 2 years of life in New Zealand (yes it's been 2 years already) I feel I am becoming indigenous. Now, I don't claim that I am tangata whenua (people of the land) by Māori terms, nor do I claim that I belong in New Zealand.

However, from my experience thus far, and continue to find – I understand and continue to develop my knowledge of the ecosystems of Aotearoa. It's part study, part passion, part work, but I feel the knowledge I have gained has begun to give me connection to the land. I think the time I have spent planting and educating people about the environment here has been an investment, and makes me feel I have begun to understand a way of keeping ecosystems intact and restoring broken ones.

I've been reading some articles by a researcher in Auckland called Charles Royal who is writing on the subject of 'Indigenity'. I particularly enjoyed his article entitled Exploring Indigenous.

Some concepts he ably put across, grabbed me particularly;

Length of time within a land - this doesn't necessarily make you indigenous; what you do in that time and space is what is important. What makes an 'indigenous people' is the conscious connection and relationship to the natural world.

To quote directly about England/Europe (I hope he doesn't mind!);

... others will also point out the ‘park and garden’ culture of Europe and the complete domination of certain environments and the decimation of whole ecosystems through urbanisation (not only in Europe of course). Hence, one could argue that the English in England are not indigenous, despite their tenure in that land, because of the attitude ascendant in that culture – in contrast to that held by conventional indigenous cultures.

Natural Indigenity - we are all naturally indigenous, be it city or wilderness - we "spontaneously and organically" adapt to our surroundings and echo their demands on us. Whilst this may sound a little over the top - my time in Borneo showed me the adaptability of teams of young people to the demands which the jungle put upon them. Many were from middle class white English families, but given the basic tools to survive they found ways to thrive in the jungle life we lived for weeks at a time.

Finally I replicate Charles Royal's conclusion which mirrors a way I feel about the concept of 'becoming indigenous';

Let me conclude by saying that another way of looking at indigenity – perhaps the most important way – is to consider the interior journey one, as a maturing individual, must take within oneself to find some kind of ground or centre within. I see this as an indigenous journey, the finding of one’s authentic centre.

In my mind, finding our connection and understanding of the world around us, and being conscious of the way in which we can protect the ecosystems which support us (but do not exist solely for us) is inextricable to 'becoming indigenous'.

For me 'indigenous' would be something to aspire to - how can we not want to perpetuate our future, and restore & protect intact ecosystems for future generations to learn from and enjoy as we are able to (in some remaining locations) today?

Cave Creek, West Coast

(Sam Rye Photography)

Zealandia : Congrats from an EnviroNinja

2010-11-11T18:41:00.004+13:00

New Zealand eco-attraction wins world Responsible Tourism award

ZEALANDIA: The Karori Sanctuary Experience in Wellington has fought off stiff competition from over 1500 visitor attractions and accommodation providers around the world to win a coveted Responsible Tourism award in the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards. Winners were announced at the World Travel Market in London yesterday.

Image: One of ZEALANDIA's many conservation breakthroughs: the first tuatara to hatch on the mainland in over 200 years. © ZEALANDIA

The groundbreaking conservation attraction, which is located just 2km from Wellington CBD, won the 'Conservation of Wildlife and Habitats' category for its extraordinary 500-year vision to restore a corner of mainland New Zealand as closely as possible to the way it was the day before humans arrived and for the way it "immediately stood out as an ambitious conservation initiative which engages with tourism to secure local support".

Entrants were judged on their contribution to the economic benefit of tourism to the local community; the conservation of local culture and biodiversity; and the steps they have taken to reduce negative environmental, social and cultural impacts of tourism. ZEALANDIA joins a growing list of New Zealand winners including last year's supreme winner, WhaleWatch Kaikoura, and accommodation category winner Wellington YHA.

"We're absolutely thrilled to have won,"

said ZEALANDIA CEO Nancy McIntosh-Ward.

"This is a great recognition of ZEALANDIA's international reputation as a model eco-tourism attraction, and the groundbreaking work we have done with the assistance of many dedicated local volunteers to bring many of New Zealand's rarest species back to the mainland. As a not for profit attraction, every single visitor makes a real, tangible contribution to New Zealand's natural heritage and takes away with them a deeper appreciation of our impact on the natural environment."

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler said New Zealand operators has a proud history at the Responsible Tourism Awards and ZEALANDIA's success further reinforced New Zealand's reputation as a responsible and sustainable tourism destination.

“This is an outstanding achievement for ZEALANDIA and New Zealand. The award for conservation of wildlife and habitats is well deserved and I hope ZEALANDIA's success will encourage other operators in New Zealand to see the international marketing value in making responsible tourism part of their everyday business practices."

The announcement comes just days after leading travel guide Lonely Planet described ZEALANDIA's night tour as a 'life-changing experience' in its recently-published Best In Travel Guide 2011.

"ZEALANDIA’s vision to turn back the clock 500 years to restore a piece of New Zealand was of significant international importance and was duly being recognised for it,"

said Positively Wellington Tourism Chief Executive David Perks.

“ZEALANDIA isn't just an attraction - it's a journey we can all be part of. It's about restoring a piece of the youngest country on earth back to what it once was and every day we get one step closer. Already we’ve seen kakariki nesting in Wellington city for the first time in what’s believed to be a century and tuatara hatch in the wild on mainland New Zealand for the first time in over 200 years. This is an incredibly important part of what makes Wellington the coolest little capital in the world.”

Life Is Good

2010-11-09T13:37:00.012+13:00

Today, I'm working from home. This is kind of the dream for me really... I've got to the point that I have a bit of a balance in life, and I'm grabbing 15 mins at lunch to share it with you all.

As many of you know, I'm balancing a couple of jobs at the moment;

Yesterday I was working at Zealandia / Karori Sanctuary running an educational tour for 10-12 year olds, focusing on Conservation as a learning outcome for a school project. Not bad - I get to wander around in the forest for 2 hours interpreting what they're seeing, and tying it all back together to a learning outcome.

Today, I'm focused on 350 Aotearoa (the environmental campaign) and writing a wrap up report for the Global Climate Working Bee. Teh great thing is, there's no pressure to be in an office, so I moved my desk and computer outside and have been working out on the sunny decking of my Kapiti Coast home.

This afternoon I aim to focus on Enspiral work whom I'm beginning to do some business development work with. The best way I can describe Enspiral at the moment is part-IT, part-Service Company, part-Save The World. Yup, I've found a company who's express intention (indeed it is interwoven into the very fabric of the company ethos) is do be an agent for positive change in the world; recruiting talented individuals who are keen to be involved in positive change, giving them the financial comfort to be able to work on projects they feel strongly about and volunteer their time, and even a portion of the company sales will go toward positive projects which will be decided on by all members of the company. Not bad. Oh, and did I mention I can also work from home on that too??

I've felt very inspired by many of the people I've met in Wellington so far. There's some genuinely interesting projects happening here, and of course in other parts of the world. But this is where I feel like I've actually begun to connect with people - inspiring people with big hearts. Thank you Aotearoa/New Zealand for giving homes to such people.

It got me thinking about the time I've spent here in New Zealand, my aims in life and passions which carry me along, and guide my steps through daily life.

I know now that I want to have a positive impact on the world and the people around me - from my environmental viewpoint that means conservation and environmental education. As a friend put it the other night - 'some people want a little more money or better relationships with friends... you've stopped at saving the world'. Yup.

I don't necessarily think I'm going to be on the frontline, carrying the flag, shouting "Onward!" when it comes to the Green movement. But I'd very much like to be involved in helping that movement happen.

I think life is about balance, and whilst I would like to devote my life to the enviro cause to get things done, I also very much would like to keep the balance as I have a very beautiful young lady who I enjoy spending time with, who gives me so much love and support. I would like a family and a puppy, and a little time out to enjoy the environment which I hope to conserve, too. I'm not going to be martyring myself to the enviro cause any time soon, because I think there are plenty of things which are very important on the 'here and now' level of life.

I believe that communication and collaboration is a hugely important part of our world today, and we're very much affected by the media when it comes to how we perceive the world around us. I can't help but feel there is a skew toward the negative in what is acceptable as "news worthy" - do you ever feel like the world is a dangerous, dispicable, destructive place shortly after reading or watching the news? I got to the point that I was thinking I just didn't want kids when I was back in England. Since being in New Zealand, I realised the whole world is not as the majority of the media portrays things. If you ever need a pick up in life, you should be reading these two publications;

Happyzine : where optimism and sustainability meet.

Happyzine is dedicated to focusing on the brighter side of life. We celebrate what’s going well, and dream together about what’s possible. Happyzine is a positive news website, weekly electronic magazine and blog with a strong Aotearoa flavour. We focus on the environment, Maori, youth, and inspiring New Zealanders. Happyzine also includes general good news from around the planet, opinion pieces, blogs, positive thinking success stories, and much, much, more.
Good Magazine : Good people. Good news. Good choices. Good living.

Good magazine is for forward-thinking New Zealanders who want to live more sustainable lives with less impact on the environment. Packed with inspirational people, world-changing ideas and practical, down-to-earth advice, Good will arm you with all the information you need to make wise choices for yourself, your family and our planet.

Be part of a new, smarter way of living. Be Good.

I love reading this magazine and web-zine - simply inspirational and it transforms, very quickly, how you relate to the world around you. Instead of seeing the dischord and 'devolution' of social decay, I realise there is a hope and a future - a way we can collaborate and come through the issues facing us. We need hope and we need solutions. Together we will move forward.

I had a little tale to tell Elinor the other night, from back when I was living down in Punakaiki;

One day I was walking along the Truman Track with a couple of volunteers, talking about how I had stopped really focusing on brands, as they had little meaning to life once you took many of them out of urban areas - they're just an expensive sham in the large part.

But then I had to make one exception (and since then I have a few more) - Life Is Good®

This is a brand of clothing from North America which I love very much, and have quite a few items in my wardrobe. Undoubtedly I wouldn't find the cute cartoons and quotes that adorn their clothing so impressive if the quality of the clothes didn't match up, but thankfully they're very much into their soft yet durable organic cottons and the like.

I was ruing the inability to get Life Is Good clothing in Australia & New Zealand and the fact the US website wouldn't even ship overseas, when a gent who was walking behind us piped up.

"I've got some t-shirts in the van which I was about to turf out as I'm going back-country and can't carry them all. You're welcome to some!"

After much backing and forthing, and "no no, I couldn't possibly", I relented when he said he'd be putting them in the bin otherwise, and accepted a "Global Roaming" t-shirt.

Big hearted people come in all shapes and sizes - even as complete strangers.

Another inspirational guy I've met in Wellington is currently overseas. He's called Aaron Packard, and he's a trustee of 350 Aotearoa and co-ordinator of 350 Pacific. He's over in the Pacific at the moment to lead some conferences, install some rain tanks, and generally get a picture of the state that the islands are already suffering from Climate Change. His blogs are available here:

http://350pacific.posterous.com/pages/on-the-edge-kiribati-nov-10

http://350pacific.posterous.com/toilets-in-the-sea-blog-update-from-kiribati

http://350pacific.posterous.com/from-the-highest-point-of-tarawa

My thought for the day:

Take a little time. Think about things a little deeper. Find the positive, the solutions, and keep on moving forward.