stephen blyth’s blog

With the end of daylight savings I’ve finally come in from the wilderness where I’ve spent most of the summer. It’s not that I haven’t had lots of ideas to share, but staring at this screen has been surplanted by walks, swimming, socialising, tramping, etc.
In February I started in a new position with Family and [...]

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I’ve been trying to work out what made the second World of Music and Dance (Womad) held in New Plymouth so special.
The sun shone continously, healthy food and Montieths were served up and the big crowd was appreciative. I got to hang-out with many of my friends, and there were chance meetings with half the [...]

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When I looked up from taking the photo of Mt Taranaki on the left, I saw that the rest of the tramping party had moved on. I stuffed my camera in its case, threw on my pack and raced to catch-up.
It was the first morning of a three day walk around the base of the [...]

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Now that the mild weather has returned it’s time to enjoy the great New Zeeeaaland outdoors. I went tramping over Labour weekend with the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club. Our trip was due to take us from the Holdsworth roadend to Otaki Forks with lots of open tops travel. The weather disrupted our plans: fearing [...]

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On 26th July I begin an online course offered through the Christchurch Polytechnic. Because the course is delivered entirely over the Internet I need to have a reliable and easy connection. One that doesn’t hog the phone line. So I’ve decided to get a broadband internet connection. Ouch!!! It’s a sellers market.
Here’s what my only [...]

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Greeting me on my return to Wellington are some seriously strong winds. News reports of roofing iron torn off, garage doors pummeled and elderly folk lifted Mary Poppins like into the sky.
It’s an elemental sort of place. Gales, downpours, crashing surf, rocky sea shore…. the people stoic, braving what may come. I must try to [...]

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You probably can’t tell but my computer is shaking as I write this. Not violently, but dully shuddering. I’m on the Ghan, a quarter of the way from Alice Springs to Adelaide. It’s not exactly smooth nor quiet.
There’s plenty of space in the Red Kangeroo carriages. We’re the folk sleeping in our seats on the [...]

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It’s unseasonably wet in the Centre at the moment. The Todd River in Alice Springs is usually a sandy ditch, but at the moment water is actually flowing through the river bed. Temperatures are below average too. A maximum of 14 degrees is expected, ten degrees lower than the May average.
It would be churlish to [...]

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I’m pictured here with Wally Jacob, a senior Aboriginal guide with Anangu Tours. The tour was definitely the highlight of my trip to the Uluru. The Anangu are the local aboriginal and they welcome visitors to learn about their home and culture.
Wally told our group of four the creation story of Kuniya Python Woman. His [...]

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It’s not quite the desert around here, but I surely have found an oasis. Needing to swap my book, get a copy of Saturday’s Age, buy some replacement tent pegs and hook up my iBook I’ve found all this and more in Alice Springs within half an hour of arriving. Ferdinand, who runs the Green [...]

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