Home again, Home again...

Hi All!

Apologies, it has been a while since my last update.

After Cairns, I traveled down the East Coast to Airlie Beach and the tropical Whitsunday Islands. This was where I managed to get out to the Great Barrier Reef to dive. What an amazing experience! Such a strange diversity of life down there. Turtles, sharks, eels, damselfish, angelfish, giant clams, sea cucumbers, amazing varieties of hard and soft coral, and 'Wally," the metre-long Maori Wrasse that likes to be petted by the divers! It was something I've dreamed of doing since my aspirations in marine biology at a young age, so was a great experience.

Then it was on to Noosa and the great Fraser Island. This island is entirely composed of sand. Transport is in 4x4 vehicles on the beach/road/airstrip. It has amazing freshwater lakes with brilliant white silica sand, next to tropical rainforests. Utterly otherworldly! Also, Fraser is home to the purest line of dingoes (wild dogs). They're becoming a bit of a problem as they're less afraid of tourism, and I myself was circled by one while meditating on the beach at sunrise! Luckily a ranger was driving by and happened to notice and chased it away. I felt badly for it, as it was only following its instinct. Another case of human/nature interactions and conflicts.

Then down to Crystal Waters Ecovillage to work for a family for a few days. What a neat place. The whole property is designed according to permaculture principles, and houses close to 200 people. What struck me here was that it didn't feel like everyone was living on top of each other. Perhaps because the lots are an acre each, but more likely because of the planning (the houses are designed so they don't visually extend beyond ridgelines, and so many trees have been planted that it is really quite quiet). Though only there a few short days, it was once again a really great learning opportunity. Plus, I stayed with a young family (with a three year old boy), so things were lively and entertaining!

Finally to Brisbane, where I spent a day and met up with my friend who is skating with Disney on Ice. Saw a show and then it was to the airport and home! It's hard to belive all that I've seen and done in the past six months. I've accomplished all the things I set out to do, and am so thankful for all the wonderful people, opportunities and experiences.

Settling back into life in Canada and at home is going well, though is not without its challenges! Everywhere I look I see unsustainability, but then opportunities to use permaculture in positive ways. It will take me a while to adjust I think, but I am excited about the possibilities and keen to start my studies in a couple months.

This will be my last update. Thank you to all that have followed and supported me on my journey. I'm thankful to each and every one of you!

I'll be uploading photos of the whole trip now.... so check the photo site frequently to see pictures! Also, I'll continue to update my blog site with thoughts and reflections, but won't send them out on email to avoid filling your inboxes. Please feel free to get in touch and catch up! I'd love to hear from you!

Love,

Kristi

Australian Adventures

Hi everyone!

 

It's been a while since my last update.  Flew to Melbourne, and felt I was in another world entirely!  Having been on farms in the country the past while, I found the people and pace of the city pretty claustrophobic.  As cities go though, Melbourne was nice.  Quite cosmopolitain and artsy.  Did a day trip out onto the Great Ocean Road..... miles of great surf beaches and rugged coastline with amazing limestone formations.  Saw koalas in the wild (very sleepy and slow!).  Then went to Sydney and spent a couple days there exploring the Opera House, harbour and surrounding beaches and suburbs.  I liked it as a city as well..... a very beautiful harbour that reminded me of Vancouver!  They'd just taken the shark nets out of the beaches a couple weeks ago..... the last attack was in 2000.  Great Whites aren't uncommon.  Hmmm......

 

Then it was to the dry Red Centre.  Alice springs was an interesting place.  A large Aboriginal population, but largely destitute and struggling with social problems.  Quite different to the urban Maori I encountered in New Zealand.  The landscape in the centre is amazing..... red sand dunes stretching on for miles, and brilliantly coloured rocks left from an ancient age.  That's what I kept feeling there, the sheer age of Earth.  Ayers Rock has looked the same for as long as humans can remember, but once it was a large mountain range to rival the Himalayas.  I can't imagine the scale of time that it has existed to come to its present state.  Awesome doesn't begin to describe the feelings one has.  For me, it felt like a Holy pilgrimage.  Uluru and Kata-Tjuta (Aboriginal names for Ayers Rock and the Olgas) are some of the most sacred places I've been blessed with visiting.  They have an otherworldly feel to them, and I'll never forget their flaming red presences as the sun set in the desert.  Many many photos to come!  It was surprisingly cold in the desert at night.  Nearly zero degrees and as I was camping it made for some chilly toes! 

 

What a change coming to Cairns in North Queensland!  It was like stepping off the plane and into another world!  Lush, tropical vegetation and mangrove forests, and the Great Barrier Reef.  Unfortunately the seas are really rough at the moment, so I'm just waiting a couple days for things to settle down before going snorkeling/diving. 

 

Then, down the coast to Brisbane and home!  Just 20 days left.  I'm enjoying myeslf, but really looking forward to coming home and integrating all that I've learned and experienced.  The East Coast is quite touristy and I'm not too into that scene.  Hope to spend a few days at Crystal Waters Ecovillage before I leave and reinforce my interests.  I just finished reading Coelho's "The Pilgrimage" and was amazed at the parallels with my journeys. 

 

Hope you are all well and enjoying summer there!  Can't wait to catch up with you all.

 

Love and Light,

Kristi

Farewell to Aotearoa

Hi Everyone.

 

Apologies for the late update.  I had a good week wwoofing for a family doing garden work, and then to the beautiful Otamatea ecovillage in Kaiwaka, Northland.  Lynne and Reinhold were wonderful people, with a beautiful 5 acres of permaculture-designed property, strawbale house with green roof, composting toilets and a beautiful woodfired outdoor sauna/hot tub.  They were also the initiators of Otamatea ecovillage, and as such a great wealth of information on intentional communities.  I learned a lot, pruning and weaving a living willow fence, mulching, reading all I could about intentional communities and permaculture, kayaking, laughing and generally trying to take it all in.  Their land (and the adjoining common lands) was a very special place, surrounded by tidal estuaries and mangroves.  I'm thankful for my time with them, their hospitality and knowledge. 

 

After another visit to Joe Polaisher's place for a farm tour, it was on to Auckland and the city (a bit of a shock adjusting to the dislocation from the land, the rushing, people and the city life.).  I've spent a nice past few days with my dear friend Leah, a fellow yogini and kindred spirit.

 

It's hard to comprehend that I'll be leaving the land of milk and honey (quite literally!) tomorrow.  This has been a very powerful past few months for me.  I've had such a diverse set of experiences here, learned a lot, and met so many great, like-minded people.  Apart from Canada, it's the only place I've visited that I'd seriously consider settling.  This is a truly special, sacred place and I hope to return someday, sooner rather than later.  I'll cherish the memories of the New Zealand bush, dewy pungas (tree ferns), expansive vistas, wilderness, rolling farmland, clear, clean seas and skies, Maori culture, and mostly, special people (you know who you are).  I hope to keep in touch so that if any of you come to Canada we can meet again!  My deepest, heartfelt thanks to each of you that has in some way touched me, not just on this trip, but on my life's journey in general.  I love you all! 

 

Tomorrow it's on to Australia, Melbourne specifically.  I'm just trying to plan my month there.  Such a huge country with so much to see, it's hard to decide what to leave out! 

 

Until next time,

 

Love and light,

Kristi

 

 

 

Permaculture Paradise

Hi everyone!

Wow. I just had the most amazing day, attending an "Introduction to Permaculture" workshop at Rainbow Valley Farm.

http://www.rainbowvalleyfarm.co.nz/

In less than a couple of decades, Joe Polaisher and Trish Allen turned a wasteland with no topsoil into a sub-tropical paradise, growing everything from bananas, eels, passionfruit, tomatoes, chickens, avocado, citrus, carp, absolutely everything one could imagine. All this, while actually improving the land quality and with a very low environmental impact. What an inspiration. Visiting this farm rekindled my belief that a sustainable future is possible and can be achieved.

Everything has been designed to make the most efficient use of the land with zero cumulative impact. Kiwifruit vines climb trellises of trees, but don't kill them because they are companion plants. Chickens scratch and aerate the soil, while disposing of kitchen scraps and fertilizing. Trapped possums (pests) fertilize trees and encourage root growth. Banana leaves mulch
around exotic fruit trees that shouldn't grow but do, because of created microclimates. Geese eat slugs, one species of goose for every species of slug. Shitake mushrooms flourish on spore-impregnated oak logs growing in a natural live willow greenhouse. Rice paddies produce different rice species. Aquaculture provides fish and eel. Greenhouses are heated by the body heat of chickens. A passive-solar mudbrick and reclaimed and self-harvested timber home sports beautiful bottle-art walls, tile mosaics, green roof and healthy fibres, while root cellar, outdoor kitchen and herb gardens encourage outdoor living. An artsy composting toilet uses worms to break down toilet waste in four weeks. No artificial off-farm inputs are needed, and artsy touches abound.

Sadly, the local council is considering shutting-down this farm because it doesn't allow composting toilets or education from farms. I just found out that wwoofing is actually illegal, as is selling honey from farms, or eggs or dairy products. The legislation is making it nearly impossible for small farmers to survive. The same ludicrous actions are happening around New
Zealand and the world, and gives an idea of how far we still need to come.

My interest in permaculture has been heightened, to say the least. This one-day introduction was a tantalizing taste of what lies ahead for me, and I'm eager to pursue further permaculture design training, and in somehow incorporating this into my master's studies. The past couple days I've been staying with a woman from the pc course, and tomorrow off to another family
that attended the course. It will be interesting to visit an ecovillage next week and see how these same design principles can be applied at the community level. Also a cohousing community in Auckland on the agenda, so excited about that.

Hope you're all well and enjoying spring (or autumn, in the southern hemisphere!)

Love,
Kristi

Northland

Hi everyone!

I spent a lovely few days on Waiheke Island visiting with wwoofing contacts. It reminded me a lot of the Gulf Islands in BC.... quite an artsy community, lots of vineyards, but only 35 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland. Every house has its own water tank and they rely on rainwater collection (or have to get water delivered), so seem to be a little more water conscious (moreso than Vancouver's 300 litres per person per day usage, anyways!)

I returned to Auckland and stayed a couple days with Leah, a yoga contact, which was nice, and gave me some more recuperation time. I'll probably stay with her just before leaving New Zealand as well. Then I spent a few days on the Coromandel Peninsula at Whitianga. What a beautiful spot. I rented a bike one day and biked 50 kms to Hotwater Beach and Cathedral Cove. Hotwater beach is a spot where natural hotsprings seep through the sand. At low tide, one simply digs a hole in the sand and voila.... your own personal hotpool! Cathedral Cove is a beautiful limstone arch surrounded by azure waters. The walk down to it passes along the clifftops with beautiful views of the sea and islands. Magnificent.

I'm now in Whangarei (Northland) planning my next stops. I found out about an Introduction to Permaculture workshop on April 30th that I'm looking into, and between seeing the Bay of Islands, Kauri trees, Cape Reinga, woofing and planning Australia, my last three weeks should be interesting!

It's gotten quite cold here.... Christchurch and Dunedin on the South Island had snow yesterday, and Northland is one of the few places in the country with highs in the double-digits! Brrr! Because houses here don't have central heating, it actually feels much colder than equivalent temperatures in Canada would. I'm looking forward to summer at home!

I'm flying to Australia May 20 and have confirmed that I'll be back in Penticton on June 20th. It's passing very quickly, but I've seen and experienced a lot, and am looking forward to being home amongst family and friends.

I hope that your lives continue to be full and happy!

Love,

Kristi

Surf and worms and hobbits....

Hi again!

 

The whirlwind continues!  I went to Waitomo for a day and saw the glow-worms.  Very surreal.  In an underground boat in the dark, and then from out of nowhere, the ceiling of the cave comes alive with glowing blue lights..... the glow-worms.  It's silent and erie, but magical.  Saw another cave with amazing limestone formations as well.  Fossilized bones and other things. 

 

Next to Hamilton, a large inland city.  From there I visited Matamata (AKA "Hobbiton") and learned all about the filming of the Lord of the Rings, from fake bridges and mills, to watering and gardening feats, and movie magic.  It was a goregeous day and a fun outing. 

 

Then to Raglan, world famous surfing destination on the West Coast.  Reminded me a lot of Tofino, a laid-back, artsy coastal town with amazing beaches and surf.  I had a lesson and am now confident catching and riding waves (small ones, but it's a start!).  I stayed an extra day since it was so relaxing, and spent the afternoon at Manu Bay (where they filmed "Endless Summer" in 1964) watching the pros catch huge 8 foot waves.... wow.  Pretty spectacular.

 

Then to Auckland and Waiheke Island, where I'm meeting up with people I wwoofed with on the South Island for a few days.  Then likely visiting yoga contacts in Auckland and maybe the East Cape.  I have some wwoofing possibilities on ecovillages, so am looking into that as well.  I still want to see the Coromandel and Northand as well.... Time is growing short it seems.... only a little over a month left here before heading to Australia!  Where has the time gone? 

 

Hope you are all well..... looking forward to seeing you when I return!

 

Love,

Kristi

North Island Whirlwind

Hi all!

Since I last wrote, I've been on a bit of a whirlwind tour of the North Island. First I headed to National Park and the volcanoes. Stayed there a day and did the Tongariro Crossing, billed as New Zealand's best day walk. It's a spectacular 6-8hr crossing of volcanic craters and emerald sulphurous lakes.... quite an alien landscape! Of course, Mt. Ngurahoe (a.k.a. Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings trilogy) added to the surreal experience! Unfortunately, the walk is so popular that some days up to 1000 people do it. This leads to some congestion, and I was lucky enough to get behind a school group of approx. 100 kids, which made for slow going. Still fantastic anyway though.

Then it was on to Taupo for a day, and then Rotorura. Taupo was rainy and reminded me a lot of Penticton again.... strange, the more I travel, the greater I appreciate home. I even went so far as to look up BC, Vancouver and Penticton in the Canada Lonely Planet guidebook and after reading the gushing praise for all three, felt very blessed to be able to call that corner of the world home.

Rotorura has been very busy.... it's a very commercial, touristy type place. I visited a couple geothermal parks and saw geysers and bubbling mudpools. Reminds me of when I visited Yellowstone way back when, except that Yellowstone seemed bigger, maybe because I was smaller. Also visited the spa for a nice soak in the hotpools and am now too relaxed to get up to much. In the evening I attended a Maori Hangi (feast) and concert. It was a neat experience, if touristy. The women's demonstration with Poi (balls on the ends of strings) was incredible and has caused me to want to learn it if I can! Food was also great. It's interesting, that a lot of the commercial tourism operations here are run by Maori iwi (tribes). They're excellent entrepreneurs and don't seem to have any qualms about showcasing their culture. Quite different to BC coastal First Nations that I've had some contact with. I'm eager now to get to the East Cape and find some unexploited Maori culture.

I'm heading to Waitomo to see some glow-worms next, then maybe do some surfing before meeting up with friends in Auckland for a few days. Then hopefully either the East Coast or up to Northland and more wwoofing and visits to some ecovillages. Time is passing so quickly! I've really enjoyed traveling on my own, but after staying in a family situation for a while, it's all a bit lonely again. There are plenty of other travelers to talk to though, so it's ok. Even so, I'll be happy to be home when I return at the end of June.

Missing you all, and hoping you are well!

Love,
Kristi