Tuesday, December 13, 2011

back to reality


A year and a half ago I decided to take up fulltime extramural study. Just got my latest results back and I am pleased to say that I passed all of the last semester papers. Whew! I’ve completed 12 papers now, focused on Māori studies, and I have learnt a heck of a lot. Over summer I am going back to a job that I used to do and I am amazed that it has happened. There are some areas that are so special and tapu, unique and pristine, wild and untamed, so natural that it fills the heart to be allowed to interact with them. Farewell Spit is such a place. This nature reserve is known as Onetahua (heaped up sand) and as you can see from the map it looks like the head of a kiwi.


There are two companies that take tours out to the lighthouse on Farewell Spit and I will be working for one of them. It is a good role for me as I enjoy meeting people, being in nature and interpreting what we are seeing and experiencing so that the interconnections become apparent. As you can imagine over a full 6 hour tour a lot of information can be covered, but it is maximising the enjoyment of the guest experience, not regurgitation of facts, which is the key. Everyone can connect with the spit in some way because we all have interests, and the subtle identification of those connections is part of the experience. So if you get to Golden Bay and want to do a tour, send me an email and we'll sort it out. It will be fun I assure you.

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