The river of time is a-flowin' on GBI The rains came at last! Tanks are full, lawns and paddocks are green (as Winnie says, to the happy cows the lush grass is like choccie bars!), and there’s a palpable sense of relief among people, the land and all things green and living that an extreme situation was averted just in time. A fantastic outcome is that the local board has begun the process of having drilled and available three community bores for emergency water supply – one each in south, central and north Barrier. That too would be a great relief to everyone who relies on rain and stream water, which is almost everyone! No overstocking here! For every happy hello there will be goodbye We savoured every moment of 15 days with Paul and Mary, those dear, fun-loving people of good will and glowing smiles. They’ll be sending several hundred photos from their three cameras, but below are a few for a taste of this year’s fun and ever-more-connecting experiences. Swim with a view One day perhaps a month ago, before they arrived, we went blithely down to the south end of Medlands for our swim. As I walked to the water’s edge, a visitor approached to say she’d been watching a shark swimming in very large circles that included a pass not far from shore. I didn’t take another step! The tide was high enough to have a quasi-swim in the entering stream. Thinking it was an anomaly we returned the next day and had our swim. Once back on terra firma, a guy we know informed us that an hour earlier two sharks were right there in the surf in the exact spot we’d just been! He thought they were coming around for bits that thoughtless fishers and spearfishers threw back in near shore, so the next day we swam at the north end of the beach. All good! THEN we spoke to someone who said he was at Medlands overlook on the way down from Sugarloaf (the hill between Kaitoke and Medlands) that same day and watched a shark approach a group of people frolicking near shore not far from Memory Rock, in the middle of Medlands Beach! They ran out and it swam off. That was the end of swimming at Medlands or any ocean or bay for a while!!! We finally returned to Medlands a few days ago, so we never went swimming in the sea at all with Paul and Mary, which we did every day last year! Instead, we went to the refuge of the Mermaid Pool or to Kaitoke Stream, whose current and depth varies along its course and with tides, moon phases and rainfall. We call this part of the river “the lake”, because it’s a long, wide pool that’s always very deep, a tranquil spot for a shark-free swim with a wetlands and mountain view! One day we headed to North Barrier, with a stop at the delightful new Okiwi Park, a project of the local primary school. Photos will have to wait! Then on past Port Fitzroy to a half-hour track that leads through magical bush and four stream crossings to two waterfalls with refreshing mineral pools. Paul and Mary carried on to the upper falls and looped back around to the starting point, while we returned the way we’d come, which viewed from the opposite direction is almost like being on another track! Last year we celebrated Ro’s birthday, 22 February, with two birthday dinners, one for the four of us on the deck, and the other a surprise catered meal with friends in the large holiday home over the road. This year, we decided, we’d celebrate my birthday on the 22nd, and next year Paul’s and then Mary’s! So it was my turn! My pick was a visit to Awana Beach, where they’d never been, and a picnic dinner at the top of the dunes at Kaitoke. Dessert at home followed, with beautiful cards of loving words and a exchange of affection and appreciation among all of us. Food prep is always near the top of the agenda during a visit with Paul and Mary! Mary’s a brilliant cook whose eyes shine as her mind turns over possibilities for using the ingredients at hand. From visualisation to actualisation, Mary's meals, prepared with assistance from the rest of us, are always spectacular! But this year, from the evening of their arrival, cooking at our place reached a higher level than ever before. It's no wonder their luggage had a “heavy” tag – they lugged along two gifts they said would save us hours in the kitchen! What could they be? Even charades didn’t help because we couldn’t work out devices that we didn’t know existed! Ever hear of Salad Master? Attach one of five cutting cones – shredder, stringer, French fryer, think slicer or waffler, place a vege or fruit against it, turn the handle and in seconds a bowl will fill with beautifully shaped bits ready for the salad bowl or... … for gift #2, an electric skillet that cooks food quickly to perfection and that our solar system can handle at all but the higher temperatures. You can even make cakes and pancakes, “boil” eggs and do all sorts of other nifty tricks with ease and delight! Just as notable this year was our SIX after-dinner walks to the hot springs! It all started the weekend of the full moon, but we enjoyed it so much that we kept going even after the moonrise was too late to even see the moon on our way back. Instead we saw the stars! The moon, the springs, the track and the bush are special indeed, and I loved stopping on boardwalks over the wetlands in the absolute dark and just listening to the absolute silence. And then one day a tiny plane bore Paul and Mary away to a big jet for their return to San Francisco, an overnight flight with sweet dreams of mermaid pools, hot springs and waterfalls! Paul’s NZ story Hello! My wife, Mary, and I returned to New Zealand on 6 February. We spent the first three nights in Rotorua in a rental which bordered Murray Linton Rose Gardens. We enjoyed tea on the porch, watching families play and even saw some cricket. We also – of course! – mountain biked on all but our departure day at Whakarewarewa Forest (http://redwoods.co.nz/), a terrific collection of biking and hiking trails (https://www.trailforks.com/region/new-zealand/?lat=-38.182316&lon=176.303959&z=12&m=trailforks). In fact, we arrived in town at 9:40 AM after our flight, and went riding straightaway, leaving our bags at the bike rental place. This is the largest bike park I've ever seen with something for everyone and loads of sweeping, banked corners. And don't forget the shuttle. :-) We had a relaxing morning at Hot and Cold (http://www.nzhotpools.co.nz/hot-pools/the-bridge-the-secret-spot-waiotapu-stream/), a confluence of a hot stream and cold stream and are eager to return for more!! We also spent an afternoon at Lake Tikitapu, alternating swimming and warming in the sun. We left 9 February for Great Barrier Island where we spent a fabulous two weeks visiting my mother and her partner Ro. We again stayed with Vicky on Medland's Beach and highly recommend her accommodations and company. Our days were spent enjoying great conversations, beautiful scenery and lots of swimming. Our favorite is the Mermaid Pool, at the base of Sugarloaf. Be sure to go at low tide! We all went to the Kaitoke Hot Springs (http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/auckland/places/great-barrier-island-aotea/things-to-do/tracks/kaitoke-hot-springs-track/) many nights. In fact, during the full moon weekend we went three days in a row. According to locals, there are actually seven other hot springs in the general area. Next time! With very little light after dark, GBI is also a stunning place to watch the night sky. Many times we'd stop on our way back from the springs to listen to the quiet and observe the evening's show. You may be surprised to know that Joanna's unbirthday was February 22. We had a lovely beach trip and picnic dinner. We had a lucky bonus of running into Johno almost last minute and also getting a little time with Rata. However, we never got to sing happy birthday to Lina. :-( Of course our food was constantly delicious with local, organic produce from Joanna and Ro's garden and Caity and Gerald's farm (http://www.okiwipassion.co.nz/), along with local eggs and meat. Mary was Head Chef and kept us all sated with exquisite meals, including desserts. New people for us were Clair, a super sweet UK gal who was also staying at Vicky's, and Winnie and Charlie, long time GBI residents who live very close to Joanna and Ro on a large farm. They're loads of fun and wow, a wealth of knowledge. Per custom, we left a day early "just in case" (note the word barrier in the island's name) and spent our last night in Marietai, about a 40 minute drive west from the airport. Staying to the left of course. From the Heart of the World We knew nothing about the Kogi of Colombia until Mary wrote last year that she was part of a group invited to stay with and learn from them for several weeks in December, and then I started to find out a lot more, beginning with the film From the Heart of the World: The Elder Brothers’ Warning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvckocaVPNA This film infused me hauntingly and unsettlingly, and I felt I’d never view the world in the same way. We also watched the second film, Aluna, made 22 years after the first, though it’s not yet available on YouTube in New Zealand. For weeks after seeing the films my heart and mind were full of the Kogi, and I had a strong feeling that I needed to share them with as many people as I can, to explain what I know about these beautiful, peaceful people, their culture, wisdom and situation (what I know, of course, is minuscule), and why I think they represent much of significance to think about. For me the films raise starkly the most important questions for us as individuals and our entire society – what we do with our very lives on Earth and what we’re actually able to do, in comparison to what we would choose to do, given all the entrenched institutions that form the mostly inflexible context we have no choice in having to deal with. We may wonder how to maintain our authentic selves as we work through the ever-present conundrum of how to respond to the woes of the world, but after learning about the Kogi I wonder if any of us have an authentic self to maintain. Mamo Shibulata The purity of those beautiful people and their unsettling situation infiltrated my very being. Their lives became my touchstone for thinking about “Younger Brother’s” world and my deep yearning for a different reality and the opportunity for a truly authentic way of life for all of us. After seeing the second film I realised it’s not as “simple” as them closing behind them the gate to their bridge. With all the assaults, actually insults, on the surroundings they rely on for their very existence, they seemed to me to be moving inevitably towards the tragedy of the impossibility of maintaining their perfect integration with the natural world. I was amazed to realise everything we take for granted as given necessities that they’ve done perfectly well without, much better than us. Every Western institution simply doesn’t exist. Entire categories of things we do and buy — simply not needed. Transport, communication, electricity, writing, plastic, anything in a package or container, cosmetics, hairdressing, shoes, anything but one standard item of clothing, and on and on. No weapons or violence either. What has it meant for them in comparison to what all of that has done to us? The details of their lives, the richness of their wisdom and their wholistic worldview are integrated on a deep and ancient level. Can you imagine even being born a Kogi? It wasn’t until the first film was made in 1992, by their request, that the Kogi had any communication with the outside world. They intended it to be a not-to-be-ignored message to the rest of us about the serious negative consequences of modern human's destructive way of existing on the Earth. We must drastically change how we live or endure drastic changes. Mary's firsthand experience was profound and inspiring. Though the Kogi seem incongruously out of place in Younger Brother’s world, as you’ll see in Aluna, Mary assured me that my concerns about “contamination" are unfounded – the strength of their wisdom seems as unchanged, grounded, resolute and secure as we felt it in the film. These 40,000 indigenous people (Kogi and Arhuaco), who live in total harmony with the natural world around them despite encroachment that weakens the natural systems they’ve relied on since time immemorial, are manifesting their deep and ancient inner peace in their interactions with outside world to maintain their protective power in the entire Sierra Nevada mountain range. She’s thrilled that the Kogi want those who have visited to return and to share what they learn with the world. They spoke of keys – needing to share with others the keys of the sacred centers on the planet. Mary offered to be the keeper of Mt. Shasta, and more will be revealed on her next visit this month. There is MUCH to think about and to feel deeply in From the Heart of the World. I would love your thoughts and feelings if you watch it. Gerald’s big fish A charter boat out of Port Fitzroy, a tug on the line, an hour and a half struggle, and then ... … the weigh-in! 130 kg!!! Gerald and Caity surprised their vege box regulars by including a hunk of smoked marlin! And baby makes three? From what I read online about the breeding season and behaviour of oystercatchers, it’s possible that our familiar pair, Rigg and Maggie, whom we didn’t see for weeks, were busy breeding, incubating, hatching and raising a progeny! Or maybe a friend came for a visit? (Confirmed days later: Yes! It’s a newbie! Photo when I can get it!) Meanwhile a pair of ducks were also enjoying the mellow scene. Another view of Kaitoke Beach Kaitoke Beach isn’t nearly as narrow nor the sand as fine. This photo from a real estate site was probably taken by a drone and enhanced to resemble Medlands Beach! Favourite colour (first equal with hot pink) A WWOOFer left the jacket long ago and far way, Judith brought the togs from Trash Palace, Grant Lewis sold us the car (including 500H!), I’m holding our trusty yellow solar lantern and yellow ear muffs, and note Paul at the door! Imagine them all (except Paul) in hot pink! Lettuce To thin as they grow…. … and in the remains of a straw bale.
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