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Begin forwarded message:
From: David Hill <dhill057@gmail.com>
Date: March 15, 2012 8:43:54 PM GMT+13:00
To: peghill6@gmail.com
Subject: PC260006
PC260006
Thursday, March 15, 2012
John we feel your pain. Viaduct marina NZ,the morning after a dare
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Begin forwarded message:
Fwd: Phillimermaid in NZ
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: David Hill <dhill057@gmail.com>
Date: March 15, 2012 8:46:13 PM GMT+13:00
To: peghill6@gmail.com
Subject: Phillimermaid
PC270027
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Beyond with John and Wendy 2011
Jennifer and I by Sutherland Falls
Friday, March 9, 2012
Milford Track
Milford Track
Jennifer
After two weeks of adjustments here at Bayswater,completing Olivias Student visa,with chest x-rays and all,tea at the school, I began to really get excited about Jen coming and our next tramp! I felt confident with the idea of packing and relaxed into the anticipation.
Everything seems so so easy with three of us aboard. We all miss Joey and his provocative -pizazz ,but it is an interesting time. Change,oh the pontificating I could fill these pages with on that concept ,it's like the element of time,it is organic and happening always.To be present...oh,the cure!! I feel like this pause here in NZ is like an intense "retreat" in itself. We have no MISSION,it will soon be right in front of our noses but at the present moment and over the last few weeks,this abrupt change- one kid,no job,no destination...just us,our 27 year old marriage,our last high school age child,and... our ripening ages... Really has our patterns challenged. How do we move through this new atmosphere? Everything seems electrified and up for assessments. If you really are reading this and I'm not sure if anyone does,I'm sure you can read: too much time to think....Yes,unlike my Dad,my parents,they are in a vivacious city,with spunk and a very infectious and healthy upbeat energy....Well,our time will come but for now,I'm alone on the boat on a saturday and I am finally writing a few wee tidbits for blog
The MIlford!
Yes! Jennifer arrived,it was grand to see her,at the airport she arrived with jumbo planes filled with contaminated passengers,NewZealand is over the top in their inspections and customs is very strict.By the time she emerged,she was exhausted...over the next few days we walked to break in her world traveled hiking boots.We lunched at the charming Devonport,one of many many beachside towns all over NZ. She got blisters. WE nursed the blisters,planned our packing and food and had a little cocktail party the night before we flew out to Queenstown. We booked a backpackers that nite and on our way back. WE walked with the trepidation of wrong weather wrong bus fears and ate out at one of many outside touristy pretty inviting..expensive restaurants. Queenstown is a ski town and I had a deep memory resurrected from when we were there with Jeremy and Philippa in 1988down at the lake...We couldn't stop thinking about the rain,rain rain..it was the word associated with the Milford track,it's true,it rains ALOT....however,to me,in retrospect,that is IT,it is all about WATER.It is a force ,an energy from the earth and ski and sea,"it is life giving,elemental" , isn't that Buffy St Marie?? There are two main waterfalls both named after the two pals,MacKay and Sutherland. There is a route that the mauris used to use to come inlabpnd to collect greenstone. In 1880 the Europeans cut a pass to the falls.Now 14,000 people hike it every year. Think,Machu Picchu now must restrict visitors to 2500 people per day !
In 1908 a poet,Blanche Baughan said of the track,it's , " the finest walk in the world".
Jennifer and I really loved it.Jen kept saying,against all rules,"it's perfect". She is right.The otherworldly beauty,with this rushing water magic energy that juxtaposed the atmosphere of sweet peace was transcendent. We loved the forty people we meandered along with together we ;stayed in the huts ,cooked,listened to the Park Rangers nightly talks snored and stopped to feel the majesty of it all together..some took zillions of pictures,not me.I had Davids camera which I protected with rain proof care,to find out that it's so waterproof as to actual take pics fully submerged!!! Oh brother,just look on line and you can see,it looks- just like that!!!
More Later
Jennifer
After two weeks of adjustments here at Bayswater,completing Olivias Student visa,with chest x-rays and all,tea at the school, I began to really get excited about Jen coming and our next tramp! I felt confident with the idea of packing and relaxed into the anticipation.
Everything seems so so easy with three of us aboard. We all miss Joey and his provocative -pizazz ,but it is an interesting time. Change,oh the pontificating I could fill these pages with on that concept ,it's like the element of time,it is organic and happening always.To be present...oh,the cure!! I feel like this pause here in NZ is like an intense "retreat" in itself. We have no MISSION,it will soon be right in front of our noses but at the present moment and over the last few weeks,this abrupt change- one kid,no job,no destination...just us,our 27 year old marriage,our last high school age child,and... our ripening ages... Really has our patterns challenged. How do we move through this new atmosphere? Everything seems electrified and up for assessments. If you really are reading this and I'm not sure if anyone does,I'm sure you can read: too much time to think....Yes,unlike my Dad,my parents,they are in a vivacious city,with spunk and a very infectious and healthy upbeat energy....Well,our time will come but for now,I'm alone on the boat on a saturday and I am finally writing a few wee tidbits for blog
The MIlford!
Yes! Jennifer arrived,it was grand to see her,at the airport she arrived with jumbo planes filled with contaminated passengers,NewZealand is over the top in their inspections and customs is very strict.By the time she emerged,she was exhausted...over the next few days we walked to break in her world traveled hiking boots.We lunched at the charming Devonport,one of many many beachside towns all over NZ. She got blisters. WE nursed the blisters,planned our packing and food and had a little cocktail party the night before we flew out to Queenstown. We booked a backpackers that nite and on our way back. WE walked with the trepidation of wrong weather wrong bus fears and ate out at one of many outside touristy pretty inviting..expensive restaurants. Queenstown is a ski town and I had a deep memory resurrected from when we were there with Jeremy and Philippa in 1988down at the lake...We couldn't stop thinking about the rain,rain rain..it was the word associated with the Milford track,it's true,it rains ALOT....however,to me,in retrospect,that is IT,it is all about WATER.It is a force ,an energy from the earth and ski and sea,"it is life giving,elemental" , isn't that Buffy St Marie?? There are two main waterfalls both named after the two pals,MacKay and Sutherland. There is a route that the mauris used to use to come inlabpnd to collect greenstone. In 1880 the Europeans cut a pass to the falls.Now 14,000 people hike it every year. Think,Machu Picchu now must restrict visitors to 2500 people per day !
In 1908 a poet,Blanche Baughan said of the track,it's , " the finest walk in the world".
Jennifer and I really loved it.Jen kept saying,against all rules,"it's perfect". She is right.The otherworldly beauty,with this rushing water magic energy that juxtaposed the atmosphere of sweet peace was transcendent. We loved the forty people we meandered along with together we ;stayed in the huts ,cooked,listened to the Park Rangers nightly talks snored and stopped to feel the majesty of it all together..some took zillions of pictures,not me.I had Davids camera which I protected with rain proof care,to find out that it's so waterproof as to actual take pics fully submerged!!! Oh brother,just look on line and you can see,it looks- just like that!!!
More Later
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South Island Golden Bay,Takaka
South Island Golden Bay,Takaka
North Island Takapuna
North Island Takapuna
Then,came January and my highly anticipated trip to Golden Bay,Takaka and specifically,Anahata Yoga Retreat. I was nervous but very very hopeful that this experience could restore the me in me.
It delivered on all fronts; outrageously beautiful,as I ascended in a hitch hiked car I was awash with awe. The dirt road zigzagged up to the top where the retreat in little buildings lay nestled. Many sheep cows and lots if wild horses scattered on the green grass with big parrot like birds called Kakariki cruising high.
On either side of Anahata was the Golden Bay,on one side was the Abel Tasman National Park . It was striking and as I could breathe deep into the beauty,it felt like a ten course meal. " Anahata "is the name for heart Chakra and my heart began to feel like it was home again. It is really an ashram..yoga as a science,as a way to live. Originally ashrams were religious,today,many are a spiritual hermitage. Anahata,run by Swami Muktidharma and his wife,Swami Karma Karuna is not a religious ashram. I did three retreats,The Celebration of Sound,The Science of Life Yoga and Ayurveda and ,Explore Yourself Yogic Lifestyle Retreat.
I loved all the Karma Yogies and my fellow explorers...We ate heaps( Kiwi word) of delectable veggie food,chanted,did yoga,meditation and Karma Yoga.
Karma Yoga was fascinating to me:Karma is action,Karma Yoga is action with a meditative awareness.The aim,just to remind myself,is to combine the qualities of efficiency,renunciation,equanimity,egolessness and duty,into one action,one thought.
It's incredible to recall how we as a family do our chores together. It's always about doing the job FAST,with the least effort and if anything goes wrong it's who to blame? How sad when I experienced working with others,often taking orders that I would normally argue about,having to on a number of occasions,do the job over again and to realize,how much simple joy can be found when we lt go of the competition and the outcome.
I met some fabulous people,some I hope to continue to connect with.
A sailing friend,Pete Hall had just completed his circumnavigation and I knew he lived in Golden Bay. Just before I left I Takaka,13 km down the mountain from Anahata.I met up with him at his sisters gallery. I got another overwhelming showing of NewZealand beauty and tenacity. Petes property,with thousand year old trees is so enchanting and beautiful,a house he built himself with dead trees from the land...soooo cool,and apparently with a Canadian portable sawmill!!! He had a generator that created so much power he didn't know what to do with it all...I noticed the large ol gal porcelain bath tub outside,which got me counting .It's been since Nov.2010 since Ive been in a hot tub! No breaking records,but I did gorge on ruby plump plums in a healthy orchard of fruit trees....
David,is on his way down as I write. It is March9 and Ive still got some other stories to tell,briefly.....
I stayed a month and I hope to remember and live what I learned there;the practices,the capacity for an open heart however vulnerable,the ability to cultivate compassion and the trust in life .How I can love love so many people...
Back home,to Rhythm,on the North Shore and
Olivia attending Takapuna Grammar.....
Bayswater Marina and amongst our neighbors we love,Don Quixote(Americans,now citizens of NZ,Gromit( Canadian),Casulu(Brazilians,now citizens of NZ)
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Aotearoa
Aotearoa
New Zealand
Auckland," City of Sails
New Zealand
Auckland," City of Sails
I've started many paragraphs here in NewZealand as a beginning for an overdue blog entry.Over the last week the awareness of time has shocked me,I'm shocked that we have been here for four months,I am shocked that the dentist enlightened me,we do not have the time left here to complete my implant/ crown dreaded procedure....!!! We've discussed a lot about June,the month we plan on leaving this island of the long white cloud and the keen cool interesting young adults who want to join us for the journey to Fiji.Where will we go after that?What do we need to do to make sure Rhythm is ready like a debutant? Will Olivia be launched and confident to stay here until her school year is completed? Will we have explored and experienced these beautiful islands with contented hearts?
What have we experienced?
We loved staying at the hot spot Viaduct Basin Marina downtown Auckland when we first arrived from Opua. Thats north of here,where we checked into the country after six harried days at sea from Fiji.
When Philippa and then Jeremy with Kate arrived before Christmas,David had already been back to Toronto for a month and Olivia and I had found two schools to choose between for the February start.I had also succeeded in the daunting task of choosing and preparing for the preXmas " tramp" the 7 of us would experience together. We had reservation for Christmas eve,the night we would return and an invitation to share Christmas with our new friends,the Romaros at their home on the north shore. We had Kelly Cathcart and her partner,John coming up from south island travels and adventures and Wendy Lyons to celebrate with us when we returned.
The tramp was a highlight,we did the Northern Tongariro Circuit ,stayed in huts four nights and experienced the very typical weather personality here,variable daily- we had hail and rain and cold parts of the first two days,sun and warmth for the last. Philippa had blisters from new boots that were so bad she wore bare feet over the black volcanic stones,as we brushed past" mT Doom ",partially visible,partially cloudy and ominous. I just LOVE the memory of that comfortable,scenic,precious family jaunt.A very special NewZealand souvenir.
Too bad the now infamous horrid summer weather kept us prisoners ,docked with hatches closed and a sense of panic perpetuating confinement....however,Jeremy and Kate energized and hopped on a daily ferry to the pretty waihiki island where they biked and wined at the local vineyards.Looking back,we were9 crowded aboard but everyone pitched in and we really had fun.Now,Rhythm is eerily quiet,be careful what you wish for.
I miss my Mum!DAD!SIS! BRO! friendsssss
Olivia and Joey had lots of friends,many foreign students they met through our school scouring days. The viaduct was central and I personally walked and began to run again. I enjoyed the newly restored Art Gallery,the Auckland Domain( park) and the liberating feeling of just stepping off Rhythm,no dingy coordinations,crew corral,hand held radios to tote...
Then they left.All separately,first Joey,then Philippa and then on NYday,Jem and Kate. Oh,BooHoo....Very sad to see my babies fly away..Olivia an only child,on a trajectory of more change,exciting and challenging.
Happy NewYear NZ and 2012
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