Posts Tagged ‘New Zealand’
14/06/2013
Tom on board his yacht in Bluff, New Zealand
I had the good fortune to meet Tom Shepherd yesterday, here in the little town of Kingston, New Zealand.
Although he won’t admit it, Tom has a remarkable story to tell, which actually isn’t over yet. He’s half way through a “figure-8 circumnavigation” of the North and South Islands of New Zealand – and he’s learning to sail as he goes along. What’s more impressive is he’s approaching his 84th birthday next month, and, he has been diagnosed with cancer. Seven years ago he was given six months to live. Every six months after that, for two years, nothing happened. He finally decided he wasn’t going to sit around to see would happen. Learn more of his story:
When he sailed in to the docks in Motueka, near Nelson, people were gathering and walking down the dock to greet him with “You must be Tom Shepherd, the fellow sailing down the coast.” Word had traveled before his arrival. Since then he’s been interviewed by the Maori Channel here in New Zealand. He was kind enough to grant me the interview (see above), but, half joking, said he was considering going into hiding.
The next leg of his journey would provide an opportunity as a recluse, as he heads from New Zealand’s southern tip into the deep fjords of the the west coast. I want to keep track of this man – who is an inspiration. He’s getting out there and doing something. He’s not posting on Facebook or blogs, he’s just doing it. Tom’s adventure is about being alive as much as it is the uncharted journey on his yacht. It reminds me of the quote by William G.T. Shedd – “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”
Please see the pos
t interview clip, (below) of how Mr. Shepherd “rubbed off” on a bummed out cab driver in the Christchurch area. It’s been said that one of the tenants of a spiritual person is to serve as a fire that helps kindle the soul of another. Tom Shepherd humble, but the results around him seem to be clear. He’s making this place a better world, just by living.
See this great video piece on
Maori TV’s Native Affairs about Tom’s Journey
Tags:A ship is safe in a harbor, bucket list, cancer, inspiration, Kingston, life, Maori TV, Mountain Spirit, Mountain Spirit NZ, Native Affairs, New Zealand, Randall Richards, Tom Shepherd, what now, william G.T. Shedd
Posted in 1- Video Posts, Boating/Water, Health, Holistic Living, Indigenous Wisdom, Inspirational People, Leadership, New Zealand, Spiritual | Leave a Comment »
24/02/2013
By R. Richards, Founder
Mountain Spirit Institute
Dateline: Auckland, New Zealand
Let them eat cake
I don’t mean write just anything of course, but get writing. For some of our regular readers, you may have noticed I haven’t been around much these past months. It’s been quite a year, what with selling the family home (a good thing), sifting through and giving away a lot of stuff, running MSI programs, and lastly, moving back here to New Zealand.
We arrived yesterday, complete with our 19-month old toddler, on my birthday. (Thanks for all the good birthday wishes by the way from folks on Facebook.) We had planned on being here months ago, but in toddler-ville, everything seemed to take longer. Not that I’m complaining, because we saw people, go for a ski or a skate, and plan the move properly.
Now that we’re here, it’s time to, among other things, put on the writing hat back on, and keep writing – something, anything.
I’ve got a lot on my mind, and of course, I want to post an update and synopsis of our latest collaborative program with Lama Willa Miller and Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in the Dartmouth Lake Sunapee Region of New Hampshire called Nordic Nirvana. Stay tuned with some other observations and things that have come across my path, including Searching for Sugarman, (It looks like we might actually see Rodriguez in concert here in Auckland in a few weeks), and wherethehellismatt.com plus some of the random observations and news I have covered over the years.
We’re pretty tired, and we’re still geared to NH time, which makes it 4:30AM (and I’m still not in bed), but I thought I’d write something, anything.
Tags:Auckland, Lake Sunapee Region, Lama Willa Miller, Mountain Spirit, New Zealand, Rodriguez, Searching for Sugarman, wherethehellismatt.com, Wonderwell Mountain Refuge
Posted in Focus on MSI People, MSI News, New Zealand | 2 Comments »
10/08/2012
Article on Bullying and Communication
Thanks to Laura Jean Whitcomb, publisher of Kid Stuff for letting us reprint this article about a ground-breaking move by a small school in central Vermont, The Willow School. One look at the their website almost has me rethinking our departure for New Zealand this fall, and instead, having our young son attend the school!
Outward Bound mandatory for all young people?
Like legendary Headmaster Dave Fowler at Proctor Academy in Andover, NH where he pioneered incorporating Outward Bound principles of experiential education and community building into the school’s fabric in 1971, it sure looks like the founders of the Willow School are doing the same thing for younger students. The article below covers what will hopefully be incorporated in many schools across the U.S. and abroad. In New Zealand as well, (where we’ve been living), bullying appears to be a problem.
Proctor’s experiential model
I’m reprinting this article in hopes that it will fall into the right hands of school teachers and administrators. During my 15-plus teaching years at Outward Bound, the debrief and reflection were key to a successful outcome for the students, and helped insure some strong “takeaways” that they could use as life skills. In fact, Outward Bound Professional Development courses also incorporate these basic techniques (more…)
Tags:Andi Diehn, Andover, bullying, Communication, community building, Compassion, Dave Fowler, debriefing, Experiential Education, Kid Stuff, Laura Jean Whitcomb, Mountain Spirit, New Zealand, NH, Outward Bound Professional, Proctor Academy, professional development, Recess Chat, student behavior, The Willow School, Vermont, Vt, Wilder
Posted in Experiential Education, Holistic Living, Inner Work, Leadership, Sustainable Living/Communities, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
12/07/2012
Mountain Spirit Institute Offers Upcoming Programs and Special Events
Mountain Spirit Institute of the Dartmouth Lake Sunapee Region and Queenstown New Zealand area, is offering programs this summer and fall in New Hampshire, based on its mission to “help people reconnect with the environment, each other and a deeper connection to one’s self”.
The first program, on July 22nd , is an Adventure Educator’s Sharing Symposium open to teachers, students and outdoor educators who would like to share, learn and apply best practices of group processing and facilitation, especially with a holistic approach. There is no charge, as MSI is offering this as a public service.
Mountain Spirit will also be offering a Reconnection with Nature Hike on July 24th where there will be hiking to a local mountaintop, and participants will have a chance to relax with a short meditation and powerful nature reading. Again, there is no charge, as MSI is offering this as a public service.
On July 28th there will be a one-day Solo retreat starting at eight in the morning with a basic orientation and safety talk. Participants will then be shown their own “solo spot” where they will spend the day with minimal gear and distractions. There is a nominal program fee for this event. There will also be an Overnight Solo on August 24th and 25th where participants spend the night under a tarp in a beautiful local setting. The goal for Solo’s are to reconnect, unplug, contemplate and be present in nature with few distractions with the safety net of experienced facilitators and guides. Solos will also be offered as an on-demand basis.
Lama Miller
Mountain Spirit Institute is collaborating with Lama Willa Miller of the Wonderwell Refuge, in Springfield NH on an outdoor adventure program called Mindfulness in the Mountains. The Natural Dharma Fellowship has a retreat center, where the program will be based for the weekend of Oct 12-14th.
MSI will offer again its MSI Film Series, one of which will be Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. This remarkable film follows two men, one an Australian and other an American truck driver, on their amazing path to recovering their health through juicing and healthy lifestyle choices . There will be some testimonials and discussion after the film. They do what their website calls a “reboot of your body”.
Rock Climbing will be offered to parent/children pairs, as well as families up to four, on the local crags in the region by appointment.
Mountain Spirit Institute is an insured non-profit educational organization started in 1998. Their first program was a cultural immersion trip to Peru. All of the summer and fall programs will be facilitated and managed by internationally recognized guides and facilitators. For more information on any of these programs or on Mountain Spirit Institute, visit their website at www.mtnspirit.org or call 603-763-2668
Tags:Darthmouth Lake Sunapee Region, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, Hiking, Kingston, Lama Willa Miller, Meditation, Mountain Spirit Insititute, Mountains, MSI Film Series, Natural Dharma Fellowship, New Zealand, Queenstown, Randy Richards, Rock Climbing, Solo, Sunapee, Tibetan Buddhism, Wonderwell Refuge, Zen
Posted in Climb/Ski/Mntneering, Experiential Education, Film/DVD, Focus on MSI People, Health, Holistic Living, Indigenous Wisdom, Inner Work, MSI News, Power of Place, Spiritual | Leave a Comment »
24/03/2012
Mountain Spirit Institute names Ken Wylie to Board of Directors
Ken Wylie
Ken Wylie, a veteran certified mountain guide from Cochrane Alberta, Canada with years as an experiential educator and program manager at Canadian universities as well as Outward Bound Canada and the Outward Bound USA, has recently been named to the board of directors at Mountain Spirit Institute based in the U.S. and New Zealand. In addition to helping guide the U.S. organization, Wylie has plans to launch a Mountain Spirit Institute Canada where he will create mountain programs based on the mission statement. Mr. Wylie and founder Randall Richards along with fellow board members are in discussions about also collaborating on mountain programs in the U.S, New Zealand and possibly the Alps.
Says Wylie, “I am drawn to Mountain Spirit Institute because of the organization’s vision. MSI has the vision for the 21st century in my estimation, and is what I have been searching for in my career.” Adds Wylie, “The mountains are an experience that can change people’s lives, but are more often than not just another consumable, another peak to check off the list. What people need now more than ever, is to connect and MSI helps them do that.” (more…)
Tags:ACMGA, Alberta, Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Board of Director, Book, Buried, Canada, Climbing, Cochrane, Experiential Education, Ken Wylie, Mount Royal University, Mountain Spirit, MSI, New Zealand, Outward Bound, Randall Richards, Thompson Rivers University, UIAGM, University of Calgary
Posted in Books, Climb/Ski/Mntneering, Experiential Education, Focus on MSI People, Inspirational People, Leadership, Mountain People, MSI News | 1 Comment »
14/01/2012
An Outpost of Sustainability
Robert and Robyn Guyton were determined to start a food forest instead of mowing a front lawn. And a forest did they grow, when in the mid-’90’s, they purchased some land and a house in the small coastal town of Riverton, New Zealand. Riverton along with its neighbor, Invercargill rank as one of the southernmost towns in the world, and back then Riverton was an affordable place to buy land. It still is compared to the northern resort towns of Wanaka and Queenstown, the latter which graces its runway with private jets, rivaling Aspen Colorado.
The Guytons worked in earnest on their two lots planting trees and plants based on permaculture practices. When they first started, they received some odd looks from the neighbors, as their front yard started to take on the forest look. There were no other like-minded people in Riverton when they arrived, but undeterred, they started a cooperative learning center called the South Coast Environment Society.
YOUR FOOD SUPPLY #30: Build it & They Will Come Note: (This video series started in 2010, while listening to the audio version of the book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, when Amanda and I were driving across the U.S. and were seeing the effects of industrial farming in real time while listening to the book. Here’s that first entry Your Food Supply #1 To see the whole series, click on the category “Your Food Supply” in the category section of this blog on the right of your screen.
Today the organization modestly states on its website it is an umbrella group for a “several” local environmental groups who have information,displays and meetings in the centre. Those several groups include:
Groups working for protection and enhancement of local ecosystems:
- Riverton Estuary Care Society
- Aparima Pest Busters
- Aparima Nursery Enterprise
- Seed Balls for Restoration projects
Groups working to promote sustainable lifestyles:
- Riverton Natural Health Group
- South Coast Permaculture
- Sustainable Lifestyles project
- Riverton Organic Food Co-op
Groups promoting sustainable growing methods
- Riverton Organic Growers Gardeners Group
- Southland Seed Savers
- Riverton Organic Farmers Market
- Riverton Community Orchard
- Rivertonians for Alternatives to Toxic Substances (RATS)
Robert Guyton
My wife and I met the Guytons when they were giving a presentation on sustainability to the ultra small Garston School, (which deserves its own blog post), New Zealand. We were intrigued with their presentation, which included a movie (to be posted on this blog) called “Welcome to the Food Forest”. We decided to take our chances and take the hour and half drive from our place and show up unannounced. Even though we had a standing invitation, we happened to miss them, when we stopped by to say hi. Nevertheless, I decided to interview Mark Baily while visiting the centre. You can see the video on my adjacent post. We’ll have to get down there again when Robert and Robyn are home, so we can get the proper tour of their food forest!
YOUR FOOD SUPPLY #30: Build it & They Will Come Note: (This video series started 13 years ago, while listening to the audio version of the book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, when Amanda and I were driving across the U.S. and were seeing the effects of industrial farming in real time while listening to the book. Here’s that first entry Your Food Supply #1 To see the whole series, click on the category “Your Food Supply” in the category section of this blog on the right of your screen.
Tags:Garston, Garston School, Kingston, Mountain Spirit, New Zealand, Permaculture, Queenstown, Randall Richards, Riverton, Robert and Robyn Guyton, South Coast Environment Society, Sustainability, Wanaka, Welcome to the Food Forest
Posted in Environment, Inspirational People, Leadership, New Zealand, Service, Sustainable Living/Communities, Traveling, Your Food Supply | Leave a Comment »
06/01/2012
Cultural shackles?
I’m in the middle of a book called “A Man’s Country? The image of the Pakeha Male“ by Jock Phillips. It’s a well-known fact that the New Zealand male, and Aussie as well, has a “She’ll be right” attitude. All is well and good, but what happens when things go wrong, or life events happen that one didn’t plan for, doesn’t want and has no intention of participating in. Is “opening up” an idea who’s time has come?
A Man’s Country? From the back cover:
” A rugged practical bloke – fixes anything, strong and touch, keeps his emotions to himself, usually scornful of women. Yet at heart a decent bloke, loyal to his mates, provides well for the wife and kids…
Few Pakeha (white) men grow up in New Zealand without a strong sense of the Kiwi bloke they are expected to become. Jock Phillips’ book is a penetrating, provocative history of that stereotype.
Where did that stereotype come from? How has it changed? What truths does it hide? At what costs? The book begins with the Pakeha colonial society of the nineteenth century – the absence of women, the harsh physical conditions, the growth of an exclusively male ethic. It then examines in detail the image of the Pakeha male, as booze, as rugby player, as soldier, as family man, in the 1980’s, says Phillips, the stereotype has been well and truly exposed as a role model. We now know the costs we have paid as both men and women. After reading this book, no New Zealand man will quite be the same.
Published by Penguin
For another take, see my post on the movie The Men’s Group
Tags:A Man's Country?, bloke, Book, conditioning, history, Jock Phillips, Male roles, Mountain Spirit, New Zealand, southern male, stereotypes
Posted in Books, Health, Holistic Living, Inner Work, New Zealand | Leave a Comment »
11/11/2011
We had 11/11 a bit earlier than most of the planet (if you’re going by clock-time). We decided to kick ours off with a picnic, a short sage ceremony, and finished it off with an evening rainbow. Welcome – The Age of Aquarius.
11 min after 11AM on 11/11
The Author, another tailgate picnic in Roberts Canyon, NZ
Evening Rainbow with Mtn Shadow Cutting In
Double Rainbow on 11/11 New Zealand
Tags:11/11/11, Ceremony, Kingston, Mountain Spirit, Mt Eyre, New Zealand, Pictures of Watch, Rainbow, Roberts Canyon, Signs, South Island
Posted in New Zealand, Power of Place | 2 Comments »
01/11/2011
Nothing to see here, keep moving..
Milford Sound is renowned for its world class beauty, its fjords, hikes, and waterfalls, wildlife and dramatic alpine terrain. It’s something to put on your “must do” list, despite its popularity with so many that come to New Zealand. However, the drive through (and under) the mountains, on NZ Highway 97 and its the 1270 meter Homer Tunnel also got my attention. I’m looking forward to getting out into the Darran Mountains soon, where there’s granite and lots alpine adventure to be had.
A sense of perspective and vertical relief from our sunroof
We took a day off, and drove over to Milford last month, and thought we’d share a few images.
Heading back to Kingston, we caught a glimpse of the wind farm, which is somewhat controversial in this area, and stopped to take an image of the huge blades above the fields of sheep.
Yep, we did get out of the car, these are just some images taken along the road. More on the backcountry and Milford Sound in another post.
Windmills in New Zealand
Tags:Darran Mountains, Kingston, Milford Sound, Mountain Spirit, New Zealand, Te Anau
Posted in Climb/Ski/Mntneering, New Zealand, Power of Place, Traveling | 2 Comments »
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