Livin' and Lovin': Four years on GBI In mid-March 2015 we pulled out our Golden Bay roots, 16 years in the growing, and journeyed north to the unknown of a bush-clad, beach-fringed, off-grid island we knew only from Dennis’s sketchy descriptions and his assurance we’d like it. We came on faith, without seeking information online, or even a map. We needed to make a move and we made it! How right Dennis turned out to be! The Visit lives on in photos and memories Thursday evenings were extra special during Paul and Mary’s summer visit, when I hosted them my weekly radio show. Paul was my guest for an hour on three evenings and Mary on the fourth. He called his track lists Origins and told the stories of the songs as they came into his life to stay. Paul brought his well-honed database skills to bear in the sequencing of the tracks Mary played an hour of medicine melodies, which have long been used around the world to support healing, beginning with the first natural healers. We were all thrilled when Naomi, my thesis-writing friend and faithful livestream listener in Japan, emailed that the songs helped soothe an acute health issue that had been giving her great discomfort. Mary led yoga-based classes on Women’s Pelvic Health on three Saturday mornings. At the Claris CBD Mary’s book and Judy’s book on the shelf at Pigeon Post Sam interviewed Mary about Haiti and the Teyuna people of Colombia. Sam’s partner Eunate is on the right. We bought sweet corn from Annette at her wonderful garden. Every day, Annette works in her garden and restocks her stall from daybreak to late morning, and then reads an entire book! We had a great time at the annual summer barbie for Aotea FM presenters (25-30 in all!) and met some we didn’t know before. We spent heaps of time cooking and eating! Paul’s Happy Birthday adzuki bean brownie cake. Well, his birthday is in September, but he was here so we celebrated it! It was delicious! Garden of Grace We all visited Winnie’s sister Grace in her garden of delight at Medlands. She’s another member of this wonderfully long-lived family, also past 80, and still teaching nursing at Auckland University of Technology. She’s quite the creative one as well! She used to host children’s book days, with adults reading aloud to children at different nooks in the garden. To set the scene for the readings, over the years she made sculptures in a variety of materials depicting characters from classic children’s literature. Some of them are now in her little museum, along with artifacts from earlier days on the island. A fourth-generation Medlands, her and Winnie’s ancestors were among the earliest Pākehā settlers here. Everywhere you glance, or investigate, in her garden, you’ll find something that brings a smile. At the end of the rose walk is a statue of Grace’s inspiration, Florence Nightingale. She intends to write a book about her influence on nursing in New Zealand, and if she does, I’ll be her editor! Refreshments in the gazebo – we enjoyed the cucumber water so much, we made it for the rest of the summer! Annual summer events, fading fast and soon to be gearing up for next year New Years Picnic The band Some traditions stay around a long time! While I edited Naomi’s thesis, Ro went with Russell and Caroline to the Mussel Fest at Port Fitzroy. Sandcastle Comp at Medlands Beach A good idea, in theory Oruawharo Pond Like Kaitoke Stream between Kaitoke Beach and Palmers, Oruawharo Creek at the south end of Medlands is sometimes blocked at its mouth, creating for a while a deep and tranquil place to swim when the sea’s too rough. Did you know it was a Kiwi who’s been plunging parts of the globe abruptly into darkness year after year? 125 years ago the amateur Wellington entomologist George Hudson wanted more time for insect collecting after his day job and took his request to those who decide these things for the rest of us. Like it or not, we’re still dutifully turning our clocks back and ahead, though vast regions of the world know better and let dusk and dawn look after themselves. I’d be hugely grateful if everyone would tell me musos and music you’d love to hear, (even if you don’t listen via livestream at aoteafm.org) to help keep my show diverse and fresh. Asking people their favourite music is great fun, and I’ve been thrilled by the awesome suggestions I’d never have thought of. I’ve also played music by Golden Bay musicians – Purple, Levity, Sika, Francis, Lethea, the marimba band, and more to come, and some musician friends from the States, as well as music by friends and rellies of my friends and rellies! Lava Dreams and Other Amazing Stories I’m editing a fascinating book of stories from the risk-taking life of islander and retired professional photographer John Kjargaard. Taking pictures may not sound risky, but it is when you’re filming active volcanoes up close. Other stories are about pre-photography adventures in the national parks of Hawaii, including rock climbing escapades, as well as clairvoyance and healing. John’s photos were in National Geographic and other publications, and he produced a doco about Kīlauea, the active volcano on the island of Hawai’i, as well as docos about two famous healers. An excerpt from John's first trip out onto Kīlauea’s active lava flows, in 1970. …. Soon we were crossing flows only hours old and I could fully appreciate why I had been instructed to wear long-sleeved clothing and the toughest boots I had. The ground was so hot that whenever we stopped, even for a few seconds, everyone jumped onto their pieces of driftwood. Nothing could have prepared me for what I found myself in the midst of. Everything, in all directions, was rough, black and smoking hot. The rising heat was intense, almost overwhelming, and everything appeared to move in mirage-like waves. Even the molten river between us and our destination wavered and undulated, reminding me of a Chinese dragon in a New Year’s parade. Don, our leader, had chosen this inland route hoping that the lava channel would have tubed over by the time we reached it. Unfortunately it hadn’t, leaving us with no choice but to jump over it. It was about a yard wide and I thought it would be pretty easy, until Don explained that the channel margins were very thin and could break under our weight. This meant we had to start our jumps a foot or two from the edge and land about the same distance from the other edge, making it nearly a two-yard running jump. "The lava is 1200°C, so if you fall in you will burst into flames, not just your clothes, but you, your body. If you only stick a foot in you'll be so painfully burned that you'll wish you’d died instead." Don went first and stood ready on the other side to grab anyone needing help. By then I was so hyped up on adrenaline I didn't even think about what I was about to do until two visiting geologists said they weren't going to chance it. Then it was my turn. One of the guys showed me how to hold my driftwood. "Keep it up under your chin," he said. "It will block the radiant heat and you can keep your eyes open. Otherwise you'll sear your eyeballs." As I jumped I was surprised to see my clothing flash over as all the fine fuzz on the fabric instantly singed. I could also feel the heat burning my right wrist, which was exposed as I held up the driftwood.... Light a Candle for Peace, Love and Remembrance As New Zealanders and even those in other parts of the world are aware, the Christchurch mosque shootings opened hearts to strong emotions of shock, love, compassion and support, and opened discussion about hate and extremism and how they might be healed. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was strong, compassionate and unifying. I found her words were something to grasp onto in those early gut-wrenching days. Just two excerpts from much that could be quoted: “He sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety. And that is why you will never hear me mention his name. He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless. And to others I implore you: speak the names of those who were lost, rather than name of the man who took them. He may have sought notoriety, but we in New Zealand will give him nothing. Not even his name.” “… the responsibility we too must show as a nation, to confront racism, violence and extremism. I don’t have all of the answers now, but we must collectively find them. And we must act. I have said many times, we are a nation of 200 ethnicities, 160 languages. We open our doors to others and say welcome. And the only thing that must change after the events of Friday, is that this same door must close on all of those who espouse hate and fear. We wish for every member of our communities to also feel safe. Safety means being free from the fear of violence. But it also means being free from the fear of those sentiments of racism and hate, that create a place where violence can flourish. And every single one of us has the power to change that.” Immediately following this first act of terror in this country, the government banned sales of military style semi-automatic and assault rifles and other semi-automatic weapons and accessories. A complete ban came into effect when the new laws were in place in a few weeks. The government is buying back these weapons from current owners. It’s long past time to not only ban them from the military as well, but to ban the military altogether. Sorrow, concern and longing for a world where atrocities don’t happen are still reverberating in New Zealand. Among many such gatherings in recent weeks throughout New Zealand, St John’s Church in Medlands invited the community to an hour of learning, reflection and discussion. Rev Douglas Pratt, a scholar of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations, Islamophobia, religious extremism and interreligious dialogue, gave a talk on Islamophobia – what it is and what we can do to overcome it, including changing the conditions that lead to alienation and fear of differences and make certain people susceptible to messages of hatred and violence against others. The thoughtful group had an opportunity to express what was in their minds and hearts and acknowledge the loss of 50 human beings. St John’s Community Church is the only church on the island. It was brought here by barge from the mainland when Dennis was still living here, and he helped place it on site and paint it. A few days after the murders, my friend Lethea sent our mutual friend Julia the song “No Hate, No violence – Not in Our Town”, a true-story song by US singer/songwriter Fred Small, about a 1993 incident in a town in Montana. Members of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan were targeting the few Jewish families in the town. The townspeople’s strategy for supporting the Jewish families succeeded in stopping the violence. Julia sent the song to me, which I listened to weeping, and I played it on my show. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wL19BFP30iv2wDNNaaAOe9kN2Dq6DquP/view Lethea was not only moved to share the Fred Small song but to create and distribute signs inspired by it. Most of the businesses in Takaka and Collingwood are displaying them, and individuals are posting them in their cars or at home. Please print and share if you would like to. The tragedy was also the focus of heart sharing at last month’s ElderRing.These gatherings are not meant for conversation but for sharing what’s in our hearts about the community and our aspirations for it and ourselves within it. It was started not only to fill a need many people share but with the expectation that the deeper feelings and intentions shared will spread to the wider community and we may see an uplifting shift in consciousness. Listening to everyone’s wisdom a few weeks ago I entered a deep heart/mind space that stayed with me a long time. It was the first one Ro went to and he loved it too. Impressions Perhaps you remember Bev and Les Blackwell, whose hidden gardens we toured two summers ago. Their son Ken is a serious amateur photographer who’s doesn’t shy away from using transformative special effects, especially one called Impressions. They certainly make an impression. View from Ken’s parents’ flower garden. Our house is just down the road – the partly hidden one on the left on the little rise. The program loves to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative, giving everything an enchanted look. Here the background is brought very far forward – we’re not nestled that close in the foothills of Hirakimata! Sense Poetry Ro had a hour’s tutorial with short-term poet in residence Airini Beautrais. He was keen to explore possibilities for writing poetry enhanced by sensory stimuli from within the poem or the surrounding environment. An excerpt: My senses draw from within As free rain falls we begin My nostrils tickled by pure Pollen’s pistils – ahhh, freshness My ears pricked to the Dancing flow – mmmm, soundness My eyes kissed by the Beauty blessed – oooo, picturesque The garden Chives, two kinds of sacred basil, and basil (bottom to top) Lemon balm, nettles, mint Potatoes Tomatoes and cukes protected from the wind Passionfruit Dahlias Dear Jordan brought another cornucopia from the garden on the land where he lives at Blind Bay. Nicest guy you'll ever know! And more from dear Bev and Les New wee deck on the south side of the house, built by our friend and sometimes neighbour, David. Curtains for the kitchen cabinets, made by Marion from lavalavas we got in Samoa thirty years ago. Cayenne peppers – when they're dry we'll grind them into powder. At Kaitoke Beach Meanwhile, 9000 km to the north, lovely Naomi gets her diploma Rainbow over Whangaparapara Harbour, sent by Glenda, who often stays there with her husband on their boat. Crescent moon over Pitokuku
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