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Happy New Year Everyone

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Hi guys,

Another glorious day in paradise with bright sun, blue skies – the door is open, the breeze drifting through, Anika Moa’s In Swings the Tide is playing from the kitchen where daughter Indigo and young friend Coco are making crumble from the delicious plums dripping from the garden trees and I just wanted to wish you all a happy New Year. 2010 feels like it’s going to be an awesome year.

Mouli and I took an evening stroll in the wind [do love the wind so - Celtic heritage :) ] along the foreshore last night admiring the new offices that have been going in – really dig the perspex office divide in Marlborough Sounds office – very groovy! – It’s looking cool, really hoping that there will be lots of glass in the building that’s still going up – fingers crossed and greenery throughout the car parking area.

Have really enjoyed a break from the computer, a tikitour to visit our eldest son Jakob in Invercargill, and then chilling at home with friends, weeding the veggie garden, harvesting broad beans and lettuces for salads – yum, browsing through the most recent World Sweet World magazine -= have to love the funky bookshelf made from books (intrigued, pick up a copy and check it out). Recycling or upcycling is becoming kinda trendy, has been for a while, but the message is important especially in view of the little achieved at the Climate Summit in Denmark. It’s got me thinking that we need to improve our own position… We do shred all our dedundent office paper and then use it for hen bedding before adding it to our compost system, and try and use our own bags around town if shopping, but it is alarming how much packaging there is on products.. maybe we could start Picton as a no plastic bag town. Anyone else keen?? Anyone out there!

(6th January 2010 just received my Greenpeace newsletter and came across tips to be more green at home)

Anyway I’d best actually go and do some work since my garden won’t supply me with everything! and remind me to tell you about our newly launched Portage site next blog.

Okay I’m off,

ciao tika x

Thank you to World Sweet World  from their free music download compilation of beautiful Folk/ Indie songs by very talented musicians from Wellington and Tauranga.

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Gifts for Christmas: Ecobooks (I do have cool friends lol!)

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

LisaBookYes a blatant plug again – just in case you are in doubt… but Lisa, one of my talented friends  has just published the first of many ecobooks, which I highly recommend  A Washing Line Spider.
(Yes my copies are en route – excellent gifts!)
Check out www.zaozoo.co.nz and order your copies now.
16 pages, full colour, illustrated. Retail: NZ$19.90

If you wish to order books, please contact: lisa@nobledesign.co.nz
03 573 5359 / 021 204 8712

ZaoZoo books are printed digitally by Astra Print in Wellington, using papers and inks with the best environmental profile available. Book owners are also asked to pass on their book to others, to increase its lifespan… and also because it’s just a nice thing to do.

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Kayaking in Marlborough with Driftwood Ecotours

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Hi everyone,

Wow!! We had the best weekend ever, very fitting for the 150th Marlborough Anniversary Weekend. Saturday saw us in Nelson, browsing the culinary delicacies of the market – cumin and walnut cheeses, red onion and pumpernickle bread, thai noodles… mmm yum, and Sunday morning jaunt up and run down the fantastic Tirohanga Track, Picton followed by the one of the most magical experiences of my life thus far!!

No, I’m serious… you all have to book a trip with Will Parsons of Driftwood Ecotours right now!

Our group arrived – husband Mouli, daughter Indigo, son, Tarn and a friend Marama to be greeted by Will and Rose, his wife, and were welcomed inside to get an idea from a linen and wax map of the reserve and the splendid view from their deck of where we would be kayaking, a quick browse through a beautifully illustrated book of the extinct birds of New Zealand ( a whole book – that is so sad!!) including of course the Moas before heading to the shed to don life jackets etc  and select kayaks.

Once we had taken to the water a whole new world opened… so near Blenheim, but yet another realm. The Opawa River (smoky river) edged by beautiful flowering rushes is home to a host of birdlife, and the birdsong is music to your ears along with the sound of your paddle. Shags glide along and dive for mullet, we pass Mihis (duckshooting hides and thank our lucky stars it’s not duck shooting season!), further along near the the former Pilot’s House we meet whitebaiters catching the high tide to go across to the far side along by the Wairau Bar. Here we were treated to Will’s homemade Morning Glory Muffins and a welcome cup of tea, served in his Primus teacups – all quality! Will tells me his recipe is on his blog (which is in my blogroll, guys) – so I’ll be hunting that down, they were delicious!

The light on the water and the reflections, the wonderful mantle of colour on the Wairau Hills meant that I was stopping frequently to take photos…more of that later…

Driftwood Ecotours Kayaking Tours are  in the words of our twelve year old, “a must-do experience” and Will is doing a Christmas kayaking deal of 4 for price of 3 if you book before December 31st 09, so please book soon and tell him Tika and tribe sent you. :)

We took to the water again paddling leisurely along the  boulder bank, and in the distance the water was dark with black swans – a beautiful sight. We picnicked on the bank, doning more layers as it grew cooler with the dusk, tucking into Will’s wonderful homemade fare. Feasting and watching the sun setting, we counted our blessing – how lucky we are!

Paddling back on the inky river, lit by a moon, near full, it was like moving through a Japanese painting, ethereal spoonbills ghosted past the eeiry lights from Montana Winery and a wonderful feeling of peace..a fish nearly jumped into Marama’s lap as she paddled along, splashing back into the black water..

All in all it was a wonderful evening, and I can’t speak highly enough of this trip. The only downer was I got my camera wet!! My fault I left it in my lifejacket pocket when we hauled up the kayaks. However all is not lost I have recovered the photos from the trip, which I will add as a gallery just as soon as I can. [have done!!! - camera still sick though :( ]

So for now,

I’ll away and get back to work.. ahhhh

Tika

p.s please ask if you’d like to use my photographs – donate to Forest and Bird, or plant a tree!





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Peddling for Nature

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Peddling for Nature:: Forest and Bird
Just occasionally you get a email newsletter that inspires you and today is that day… in the course of reading my Forest and Bird newsletter I came across a forthcoming adventure.. one of those you wish you too could do… a Belgian- Spanish family with their one year old daughter Ella are to cycle 4000km from Cape Reinga to Dunedin to raise funds for Forest and Bird. How cool is that!

During the trip beginning 1st November (if Wouter’s knee recovers – check their blog!), Vanessa, Wouter and Ella will be  doing various challenges to raise money – the first challenge they have accepted is streaking naked through Cathedral Square in Christchurch!  (Here my thoughts of joining them fly apart!! – they would be on their own for that bit!) Challenges will be determined by the public, and can be issued via their website: www.cycle4nature.org . Donations can be made through their website or through fundraising website givealittle

If you are interested in birdlife and nature, do also check out another blog, which is always worth a browse… Will Parsons from Driftwood Ecotours Marlborough’s answer to David Bellamy.

He and Rose have just got back from Iceland – wicked photos for sure…and Myths and Legends Ecotours, Guardians of the Sounds.

for now, Tika


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Live at Le Cafe Picton – Modern Dance – Kinetics of Stone

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Hi everyone,

I’m here to plug an event involving a  friend at one of our favourite haunts, so please excuse the obvious advertising factor!

Kinetics of Stone (check out their tour blog for more info…) will be performing on Wednesday this week 5th August at Le Cafe

There will be a $6 door charge. It’s not often we get the opportunity to see modern dance in Marlborough, so come along and check it out..

The New Zealand Tour 2009 of Kinetics of Stone builds on the exploratory private tour accompanied by a documentary film and photography crew of the top of the South Island that occurred in December of 2006, which emphasized improvisational, responsive dance to Timothy’s large marble sculpture park on location at Forrest Estate Winery in Marlborough, a group of his large works at Lochmara Lodge in the Marlborough Sounds, and a debut performance at Le Cafe of Picton with small works.

Outline of NZ tour 2009:

The formal NZ Tour 2009 begins with improvisational dance throughout Christchurch at over 25 public, yet to be disclosed locations on the day of the 1st of August, captured by documentary photography and film, recording audience responses.

The primary focus of the August 1st work will be to share the creative spirit of KOS with the NZ public at a diverse number of locations including public buildings, cafes and landmarks with an emphasis on brief, spontaneous responsive dance to the given inspirational spaces.

August 2nd is the KOS premier indoor performance at Sumner Community Hall, 5-6:30 pm
Adult tickets $8, Students, Seniors, Children, $4, Door Sales Only

The August 2nd Sumner performance will integrate 20 marble sculptures in a central performance space, opening with an interpretation of playwright Athol Fugard’s seminal work “Bloodknot” and featuring responsive dances to Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech, and an adaptation of Alan Paton’s novel ‘Cry, the Beloved Country’.

On August 4th the group will travel northward and feature a performance at Crossroads Gallery in Cheviot complimenting an exhibition of Alan Brydon Photography and Timothy’s sculpture. Mornings on the tour will be booked with creativity workshops open to community with emphasis on school-aged children.

Locally:

5th August there will be an evening performance at the Waikawa Marae from 6-7pm will be followed by performance at Le Cafe in Picton from 7-8pm.

Forrest Estate Winery will host a unique progressive performance at Timothy’s sculpture park on August 6th from 3:30pm to 4:30 pm involving guest dancers from Marlborough dance schools, performing a five minute choreography accompanied by live music and a food and wine pairing that responds to eight marble sculptures ranging in scale from one to seven tonnes.

and then in Wellington:

Improvisational dance in Wellington at the Botanical Gardens will be documented on film on August 7th, before the group travels to Auckland for a private performance scheduled at the George Street Gallery on the evening of August 8th.

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More Info:

“Kinetics of Stone is an international performance collaborative, embracing creative groups and individuals across the spectrum of fine and performance arts, rewarding a diverse public with uniquely dynamic, inspiring, and enriching community productions.

Co-founders Timothy Mark and Elbert Watson merge their respective disciplines of sculpture and dance into an ever-expanding repertoire, drawing on their diverse backgrounds as international educators and artists, introducing audiences to unique choreographies with content spanning theatre, literature, poetry, music, photography, painting, film and beyond.

To date they have worked in close collaboration principally with Christchurch-based photographer Alan Brydon, in addition to an ever-expanding network of guest artists who work in a broad range of fine and performing art disciplines. Alan Brydon’s work captures the dynamic and compelling History and Heart of the Kinetics of Stone Collaborative in extraordinary limited editions of Black and White photography.

Kinetics of Stone performances are by nature and intent responsive to each unique environment and culture in which they occur, and encourage the participation of emerging and established artists of all ages from local communities across the spectrum of fine and performing arts. Scheduling educational workshops and seminars to complement performance work is a fundamental aspect of the Kinetics of Stone philosophy.

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Anyway I bet it will be awesome, so come along to whichever event you can manage and see for yourselves.

If you are in Picton, do book a table at Le Cafe first and dine prior to the event… great ambiance and food.

Speaking of food, guess I best go and cook tea… dancing on the newly varnished (but dry!) boards…

Tika ;)

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