on the move....again...

P is for Poi E

2012-01-29T07:41:00.001+13:00

Poi E is sung by the Patea Maori Club, a very classic Kiwi song with great footage of New Zealand fashion in 1982!

O is for Oz

2012-01-29T07:30:00.002+13:00

Australia, affectionately called Oz by its citizens, is the greatest country in the world. I feel comfortable saying that without causing others offence because everyone feels the equivalent amount of pride about our home countries……don’t we? Anyhow, my positive impression of Australia has only been intensified since landing here in Aoteroa for no reason other than it is a big part of who I am. I have mused before about what I miss from my homeland so will spare you the dribbles once more, but it really warms my soul when I think of these things. How about another cliché – absence makes the heart grow fonder-lame but something definitely resonates for me from those words. So it is with great excitement mixed with a slightly heavy heart that I can share that my time in New Zealand is drawing to an end. A decision was made recently by my other half and I that it is time to head back to Australia to live. This decision was nothing at all to do with being dissatisfied with New Zealand as I can not seriously fault my adopted country in any way, shape or form. It’s a very simple case of longing for that part of me that remains in Oz. But rather than trying to go back to exactly the same place and time that I left, we are heading to Darwin. Not sure what to do or how it is going to work out, we don’t have jobs to go to or anywhere to live. We sold almost everything to move to New Zealand, so it is going to be another real adventure in change. On the move….again……

N is for New Zealand

2012-01-19T08:45:00.001+13:00

Kind of an obvious one really. It is where I am and what has shaped me for the past 3 years. It's what started this blog in the first place and gave it momentum as time journeyed on. It is everything and everyone that I see around me and it is all very beautiful and inspirational. New Zealand is too much to put in to words and means too much to me to be able to express it sufficiently to give it justice. Put simply, N is for New Zealand and I love you.

M is for Marcus Lush

2012-01-14T10:10:00.001+13:00

How coincidental – L was for Lush and now M is for a fellow called Marcus…..Lush! A lame joke aside, Marcus Lush is a well-known NZ journalist. He currently has a prime time slot on the national radio station talk back session, but also pops up in newspapers and magazine editorials from time to time. He has presented a range of documentaries over the years that he is passionate about especially travels and the regions in New Zealand. He is a straight talker with enough eloquence to not overtly offend yet still share his personal opinions with the world. He is loved by some, despised by others and characters like him are usually at the bottom of my Xmas card list of favourites. But there is something undeniably charming about Marcus Lush. He is absolutely a Kiwi through to the core and passionate yet positively critical about the shortfalls of life today. Not to mention, he is a bit of a spunk.

L is for Lushness

2012-01-05T16:30:00.001+13:00

Not the ‘harlot’ type of a girl who would hang around salubrious establishments in the 1940’s looking for their next heart to break either. Lush as in the word that describes copious amounts of thick vegetation – green, dense, abundant, verdant and luxurious. With a big degree in variation between the wettest and the driest locations in New Zealand and humans unquenchable craving to clear yet more forests, the word cannot be used to describe every square inch of the country. Lush can however be used linguistically correct to still describe the majority of this land, from its lush green pastures to its lush mountain slopes to its lush coastal forests. You get the picture. Thanks to a rainfall that falls relatively evenly over the cycle of the seasons, rich soils signifying a volcanic history as well as vast alluvial flood zones, New Zealand was cloaked in this lushness for most of its existence until the arrival of mankind. What remains however, is mosaic of greens, forever lovely and lush.

K is for Killing

2012-01-01T11:46:00.002+13:00

A great topic to start the New Year on but it’s time to create some controversy. There is a general acceptance in New Zealand that hunting is a perfectly normal activity that the entire family can enjoy. I am well learned to hunting being one of the basic skills man developed which advanced civilisation. To this day it is still a means of support and survival in many areas of the world. But I can’t move beyond the fact that for most of us, we have moved on from a hunting and gathering lifestyle to agriculture and urbanisation. Hunting is now termed as a ‘sport’ and a ‘leisure’ activity, no longer a requirement for daily survival. This is what is evident in New Zealand. The government contributes huge financial resources to the production and protection of introduced species such as dear, trout, pigs and pheasants. The same government is spending millions trying to counteract the negative impact these same animals are having on the environment by replanting forests, cleaning streams and protecting what little native birds are left. This makes as much sense to me as providing weapons to a country to fight in a war against your own. Furthermore if the prey is getting limited, more get released in to the environment so that hunters are always satisfied. If the hunters still don’t manage to kill anything, they can pay for someone else to round up animals up on a cliff or run it down with exhaustion, so the hunter can enjoy the moment of the kill. Excuses such as keeping feral numbers down or helping protecting the environment are simply that, excuses. Here’s to some change in legislation in the future………

J is for Journal

2011-12-29T07:21:00.001+13:00

Way back when I began writing this blog, its sole intention was to be an online journal. I wanted to write about my experiences on this adventure and be able to share them with family and friends that were being left behind. A record of events. A historical narrative. Proof. I look back on old postings, especially the early ones leading up to leaving Australia, and I am instantly transported back to the feelings of anticipation and excitement of the unknown. I reflect on what may have been done differently if I had known what I know now. I find myself wanting to talk to the John Ray from then and tell him how magnificent the future is going to be and how many adventures he will be experiencing, big and small. This journal has become part of the adventure in its own right.

I is for Islands

2011-12-23T09:34:00.002+13:00

One of the ambitions we set ourselves when arriving in New Zealand was to take advantage of the proximity to other Pacific Islands. Two factors have helped us achieve this. The first is an obvious geographical benefit of being closer to the Pacific Islands than Australia = cheaper fares. The second is the fact that New Zealand has a significant proportion of people from the Pacific Islands living here. This results in a lot more flights, airlines and options travelling between NZ and The Islands = cheaper fares. First we went to Samoa, then Niue, most recently Vanuatu and in February we are off to Tahiti. Each island has been different – culturally, linguistically, geographically and geologically. Some had ocean caves full of colourful fish like a huge underwater aquarium; others were fringed with reefs in an endless mosaic of patterns. Others had white sandy beaches fringed with swaying palm trees or black volcanic rocks tumbling into deep ocean cliffs. Some had volcanoes, spewing lava and ash into the atmosphere; others were clad tightly in dense jungles. No two islands had the same combination of elements but one thing they ALL had was an exotic charm, feeling of remoteness and loads of friendly smiles.

H is for Happiness

2011-12-18T13:48:00.000+13:00

Happy to be here. Happy to have done what I have done. Happy to do more of it. Happy.

G is for Grab-a seat

2011-12-14T06:13:00.001+13:00

This is a website set up by Air New Zealand, the national airline of this great country. Every morning hundreds of cheap seats are put up for sale giving passengers the chance to fly between set destinations for a fraction of the normal price. It’s simply a matter of watching out for something that interests you and you GRAB it! We flew to Auckland for lunch one day, even though it is only an hour and half drive away. Every few months they do crazy things like $1 airfares and such. There are usually a selection of seats to various other Pacific Islands and Australia and every few weeks they include flight to almost all of their worldwide destinations. If only we were rich……..and didn’t have to work. Damn. Anyway, about a year ago they added something a little different to the bargain and that is a reverse auction. Every 15 minutes during the day a few tickets to one of their domestic or international destinations is advertised with a clock which runs backwards for a minute. With each second, the price drops and the first person to stop the clock gets the tickets for the price that it was stopped at. So the real gambler will wait until the minute is almost over as the price could be a mere $1 by then. If only other airlines did this as well.

F is for Fotography

2011-12-12T13:29:00.001+13:00

I know the spelling is wrong, but it did seem like a good match. A little over a year ago I bought a big camera with two lenses and no idea how to use them. I had always wanted to get in to photography but found the cost debilitating and so just admired great photography from afar and dreamed of what I would do if I had a better camera. A few short courses later, and hundreds of hours of reading later, I finally feel that I am getting a feel for taking good photos. I have been experimenting with exposures, getting in to night photography, and have bought an array of lens filters and other accessories. I now find myself looking at objects and landscapes as potential photos and trying to work out what settings and lenses would be best to capture it all. I love it.

E is for Extinct

2011-12-09T07:30:00.001+13:00

The most notable aspect of New Zealand for me is the silence of the forests. Where once a myriad of bird life coexisted to fill every ecological niche in New Zealand’s varied habitats, only a few remain. Many of the native species have become extinct since humans arrived here 900 years ago. What native species persist are largely outnumbered and displaced by introduced pests such as sparrows and starlings. Gone are the largest eagles ever known with a wing span of 3 meters and weighing up to 15 kilograms. Gone are the eleven species of flightless moa, ranging from small chicken size to nearly 4 metres tall. In fact New Zealand has lost over 47% of its bird species since humans arrived. Given that there were no mammals in NZ prior to this apart from a few species of small bats and coastal sea lions, this is still almost half of all terrestrial vertebrates that existed around 1400 AD when it is thought the first wave of humans arrived. The damage has been done through overhunting, land clearing, swamp draining and feral animals. The few remote areas which have remained less affected give glimpses of what may once have been an aural symphony of music filling the now silent theatres.

D is for Delightful dogs

2011-12-07T11:16:00.001+13:00

Another animal one I’m afraid. When we were originally only coming over here for one year we were planning to be leaving our 2 dogs behind in Australia in the care of others. Upon deciding to stay longer we opted to bring them over to join us. An expensive undertaking of about $4000, but one we didn’t ever consider not choosing to do. As a result we have been able to enjoy our days off with walks around the countryside and runs along the beautiful Raglan beaches with Renner and Flinders in tow. It has been great having this part of our ‘family’ life continued in our adopted country and they have loved it too. Being a water loving dog, Renner has relished in all of the streams and puddles that the wetter climate over here produces. Being surrounded by farmland and livestock has kept Flinders busy watching and trying to ‘round up’ all the neighbouring cows. Delight in the simple pleasures is what D represents for me.

C is for Chimps

2011-12-03T08:05:00.001+13:00

Chimps have been a big part of my life in New Zealand. From day one over here I have been involved in the chimp troop and some days I felt I was one of them myself. Many hours, if not months!, have been thinking, worrying, feeding, cleaning, training and playing with my little hairy friends. Some days have been joyful, others mentally challenging and a few even ending in tears. Lots of fights and screaming, banging and bashing, mind games and politics all definitely has a sanity tax for those who work with chimpanzees. These extra grey hairs in my beard can account for that.

B is for Black sand beaches

2011-12-03T07:24:00.001+13:00

The North Islands beaches along most of the western coastline are remarkably different than those along the east. Many of the rivers that drain the volcanic North Island flow out west, taking with them the dark coloured eroded sediments from past volcanic eruptions. These sediments are very fine, almost dust like, and so get carried along the coastline by the currents and waves to form long glistening beaches. On closer scrutiny, the ‘black’ colouring is from the moisture in the sand as the particles themselves are more of a grey colour. The different sized particles are slightly different shades of grey and as a wave recedes, a rainbow of these shades is left behind in amazing patterns of art.

A is for Annabel Langbein

2011-11-30T07:37:00.001+13:00

As a tribute to my time here in New Zealand, I am going to present 26 of my favourite memories and other things about my time here thus far. Why 26? To follow the path of all corny things that have gone before me, I will go from A- Z with each letter of the alphabet representing one of these memories.

So starting from the beginning and with a topic close to my heart, but even closer to my stomach, is the lovely and delicious Annabel Langbein. Annabel is the queen of the recipe collections here in New Zealand and took me quite by surprise with her fresh and easy attitude towards food. As a result, her book was purchased and many a recipe was prepared and will continue to do so. Her TV series "The Free Range Cook" and the subsequent book were set around Wanaka in the South Island as well, which is one of the most beautiful and one of my favourite places on this earth.

What I learnt at the Dunedin Art Gallery....continued...

2011-11-24T09:22:00.001+13:00

In hindsight, this is what I learnt. I believe that first and foremost, art should speak for itself. It should stand alone without the need for lucid interpretations with pretentious justifications. A famous name does not guarantee great art. Ever heard of the expression ‘a one hit wonder’?

Ironically, my favourite visual experience was part of the building itself. Four gallery exhibition rooms which were each painted in a bold yet complementary colour. They had their doorways centrally aligned so that by standing in the middle of the first green room, you could see through in to the second blue room, then through to the third red room and then through this last doorway into the fourth black room. The striking contrast of these bold colours disappearing into the distance was astounding. Pity about the art blemishing the walls.

Dunedin Art Gallery taught me.....

2011-11-20T14:13:00.001+13:00

Art should speak for itself. That's what I think anyway. As an art novice I have been lead to believe I was inept. I was unable to look at art and start waxing lyrical about it, having it consume my consciousness as a result of bearing witness to its powers. I didn’t comprehend the diminutive descriptions that galleries post next to their collection pieces explaining what the art is or what the artist is representing, communicating and embodying. How is it those 7 paintings in a row, all white except for a small black dot in the centre of each, can get the label of ‘art’? We have all had similar experiences when visiting galleries, or seeing the unveiling of a public sculpture or simply flicking through a magazine. We have all at some stage gawked “that’s art?”

A recent visit to the Dunedin Art Gallery did change my life however. Not because I saw a piece of art that captivated me and spoke to me. There wasn’t a piece that epitomised my own conviction that a struggle between colours can mean a struggle between the sexes, or that smooth curves embody the changes in life stages experienced by the artist. Blah, blah, blah, No. The visit to Dunedin Art Gallery made me defiantly decide that I cannot be in a minority as someone who fails to understand the intricacies and intimacies of art. I must be one of millions who are missing the fictitious ‘art’ gene. There is no rational explanation for why many of the pieces were even held in the gallery. They all had descriptions, but even they struggled to make meaning to me. Some even read like excuses, justifying why a wall of bright coloured oversized sequins with a fan blowing air on them is in an art gallery and not a circus tent or a child’s birthday party. So, a sense of relief came over me as I left the building. This ‘art’ did have a massive impact on me after all but I am sure it was not the way as the artist intended. I will tell you about it next post……

A nice walk for a nice day....

2011-11-19T16:31:00.001+13:00

While strolling around the new Auckland waterfront development. I couldn't resist looking beyond the brand new and very shiny black lustre of the luxury cruiser, to the small and brightly painted yacht in the back ground. A nice display of the bold and the bright together.

Attention: Visitors To Australia

2011-11-05T09:03:00.001+13:00

These questions are from potential visitors to Australia. They were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have am Aussie sense of humor.

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV, so how do the plants grow? (UK).
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you’ve been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney – can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it’s only three thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/ gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets, especially The Taipans.

Australian Clouds

2011-11-05T08:58:00.001+13:00

Norway, land of inspiration.

2011-10-29T06:26:00.003+13:00

I wrote a lot of poetry while working in Norway. It was such a beautiful country with beautiful and down to earth people, that it was hard not be inspired and pensive about life. None of it will ever be published in a greatest poems of all times style of book, but it was a relaxing and thought provoking way to spend some down time with myself. So , without fear of reprimand and ridicule here is one of my favourites. This poem flowed from my mind one afternoon while sitting on the balcony in spring, looking down the long glaciated valley that I called home. Green grass carpeting the fields along the valley, snow slowly melting on the peaks and a gentle breeze carrying butterflies to golden flowers everywhere.

As the sun descends to kiss the horizon

these thoughts come clearly to me

through the spring mist.

There is no one beauty in the world,

just one world which is beautiful.

By embracing new places and allowing no stagnation

we have the chance to see beauty around each new corner.

All that is required is to open our eyes

and look closely at what lays before us at any point in time.

Feel it move within our hearts, souls and minds.

If we walk with our eyes closed

we become lost in an obscurity

that shields the individual from what the purpose of living

really

is.

It is to challenge ourselves, to experience and to learn.

To win, to lose, to conquer, to concede.

But most importantly.....

to shine.

An interview with myself.....part 2.

2011-10-11T17:25:00.000+13:00

John Question: Do you see yourself staying in New Zealand for much longer?

John Answer: A little while longer, but not really sure beyond that. There are a lot of changes going on at work at the moment, within the bigger organisation of the council and even within the New Zealand economy as a whole. Things aren’t looking promising but we aren’t about to the flee the country in the dead of the night or anything. We have flight booked to Tahiti next year!

John Question: What is it you miss about Australia?

John Answer: There are the most obvious things like my family and friends. They are by far what I miss the most. Then there are a range of other things which I realise now, after being here for 3 years, that I took for granted. I miss the wildlife, all the colourful birds with their equally colourful singing all day, I miss waking up to kangaroos staring through my bedroom window, I miss the colourful native flower displays which change with the seasons so there is always something to marvel at, I miss the high wispy clouds of summer and the heady smell of eucalyptus at night….I had better stop there before I do flee the country in the dead of night!

John Question: Is there anything like that which you think you will miss about New Zealand when you leave?

John Answer: Absolutely, I look around and see things that I feel are very unique to New Zealand and my time here and know that once I leave, they will be things I wish I had somehow enjoyed more. I have met some great people over here, a few even that I would consider lifelong friends, so again, people top my list. Other things will definitely be the beach at Raglan, it has so many moods and I have spent a lot of time there running around with Phil and the dogs. It’s a black volcanic sand beach and is always so beautiful in a rugged west coast way. I will also miss the kebabs from the Turkish place on Brice Street; they are simply to die for. I will miss the regular sound of rain as it falls soothingly all around, the vast expanse of green in a myriad of hues, being able to ski down the sides of a volcano, cheap trips out to tropical Pacific nations and again I will stop there because there really are so many things.

John Question: Is there any message you would like the readers to take with them today?

John Answer: Epictetus was a Greek philosopher who lived in the first century AD. He wrote – “First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do”.

An interview with myself.....part 1.

2011-10-08T15:32:00.000+13:00

John Question: What’s the best thing you did today?

John Answer: I took the dogs for a predawn walk this morning up to the hill at the end of the road and watched the sunrise. Stunning way to start the day.

John Question: What are your plans for the rest of this weekend?

John Answer: I have a list of random things I want to do, but probably won’t get to all of them. I need to update my blog, make sure I do some yoga and some stretches and just generally relax. I also need to start looking at accommodation in Tahiti for our trip there in February. Generally, I want to relax and not think about work or anything negative that makes my soul feel heavy.

John Question: What is it about your work that makes your soul feel heavy? I would imagine working with animals to be very soothing and joyful?

John Answer: And to a large degree it is, which makes the bad things about the job seem even worse (he chuckles). Keeping animals in a zoo environment poses many challenges for those who work with them. There is a constant need of enrichment, care, observation and training, not to mention the daily cleaning and feeding. All of this can be different from one day to the next, so there lays the challenge of keeping on top of it all so in the end you are giving the animals a great life while keeping yourself sane.

John Question: What would you be doing if you weren’t a zoo keeper?

John Answer: I would imagine I would still be tour guiding, or I may have finally got around to becoming a teacher.

John Question: What do you think you will be doing in 5 years?

John Answer: I seriously consider my options for the future because zoo keeping is a very physically demanding job and I have never seen it as the job I will be doing until retirement. I hope that my next career change will see me back in the tourism industry again, either as a tour guide or a travel agent. I enjoyed the customer focus of tourism as well as the travel. I may end up doing a travel agent course sometime soon.

John Question: What do you think you will be doing in 10 years?

John Answer: Again, tourism would be something to keep me happy for some years, but again I think I would like a change after a while. Counselling is something I can see myself doing later in life. The personal contact with people and the issues that they face attracts me to the role. I have often been the one people come to for help and feel it to be some sort of calling. Sounds corny but that’s how I feel.

The remainder of the interview will be published soon.

Aussies vs Kiwis....again...

2011-09-16T14:58:00.000+12:00

Another example of how the Kiwis like to have a go at the Aussies. All in good fun!