The Routeburn Track and Rain

I have posted some more photos from NZ, this time (mostly) of the Routeburn Track, the 3-day 'epic' walk along two Alpine river valleys, the Hollyford and Routeburn river valleys, crossing from Fiordland into Mt Aspiring National Park, South Island. I first walked this track 35 years ago, and had always wanted to do it again, and last December, we did it! It was so amazing to do this with my two sons and partner. I had forgotten that S gets vertigo, so it was challenging for him. I had sore feet (and still do - need to see a podiatrist) whereas the two boys found it easy. more unwelcome confirmation of the ageing process, but it was worth it. The walk was exactly as I remembered it (as far as I could remember) - because it is in a World Heritage area, nothing has changed! Which is amazing when I think about everything that has happened to me in the past 35 years (and I have changed lots!)...

Tasman Glacier, near Mt Cook, South Island, NZ

The glacier is the disappointingly grey blob at the top of the lake. But the mountains are beautiful.

Lake McKenzie, Routeburn Track

The first night of the walk was spent at Lake McKenzie. The boys swam in this lake, which is full of snow melt...shiver. The lodge was warm, with hot showers.

Routeburn Track, Lake Mackenzie to Harris Saddle

Lots of the walk is through rainforest, and it rains a lot. The trees are dripping with moss and lichen. 

Routeburn Track

Then, after trudging uphill for some time, you come up above the tree line (where the snow starts in winter), and its a totally different walk, with broad views on a grand scale, where you understand the concept of the sublime in landscape painting...and you feel your own insignificance in the immensity of the landscape. Then, you are in the mountains!

Routeburn Track

At one point, called 'Ocean Corner', you can see the West coast and the ocean. Then at Harris Saddle, you track across a pass and into the Routeburn valley, which you can see down below.

waterfall

 Routeburn valley

the boys, just out of the water...

Back home, its raining heavily at the moment, and Brisbane is flooding again. More later.

NZ - the emerald isle?

I have finally added some watercolours from our trip late last year to South Island, New Zealand. I only did 4, because we were 'too busy'. In this post, they are interspersed with photos.

Akaroa (Aka Banks Penninsula) - view across the harbour from Onuku Bush Retreat

Akaroa is very picturesque, a large, sunken volcanic harbour, with panoramic views. I have already written about the mosaic garden, or Giant's House. Here are a few more photos:

this is the toilet floor!

Totally amazing stuff!! We also tried sea-kayaking in Akaroa Harbour, but had to stop due to bad weather.

Twizel - near Mt Cook

Twizel was our second stop after Akaroa, an area of stunning views of mountains and lakes including the strangely blue Lake Tekapo.

It was an action-packed two weeks, and after the wonderful Routeburn Track, and the adventure sports mecca Queenstown, we only stayed one night in each place, in our dash up the beautiful West Coast. This method of non-contemplative travel is not really recommended, and we were all feeling frazzled, and definitely over the car, by the last few days, but we did see lots, including (in order from South to North) Jackson's Bay; the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers; Lake Matheson; the beautifully rugged coast between Greymouth and Westport; the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki; and the Seal Colony at Westport, where my maternal great grandmother is buried, (not in the Seal Colony though); and we also took lots of photos.

We took the trans-alpine railway from Greymouth back to Christchurch, which was very obviously badly damaged, and looking like a war zone. I had different, happier memories of Christchurch from my first visit almost 35 years ago, seeing this city devastated was - devastating.

Fox Glacier

The West Coast is very lush, the weather was mainly wet and cold. It is all strikingly green.

Fox Glacier

This post seems quite disorganised and chaotic to me - perhaps I am trying to write about too much.
More later.

ethical consumption - of all kinds

'Passage' - coloured pencils

This drawing is a bit unusual for me - looks like some kind of sea creature with a feathery tail, at first it looked a lot like a sperm, but I have tried to change it into something more interesting! I can still see some reproductive themes though. It feels optimistic to me. One year on from the Brisbane floods - creative recovery...

Seems like I have been away for ages - I had no internet at the weekend - again - so although I have been thinking a lot about writing, I haven't done much recently.

One of the things I have been thinking about a lot is ethical (as opposed to reckless?) consumption. I noticed that I had somehow started more buying stuff - in the past two weeks - unlike most of last year. Perhaps the combination of no longer officially trying not to shop, and the January Sales? Anyway it wasn't that reckless, although I felt some guilty pleasure, and it also felt pretty slack.

I have bought books, (including the fabulous this book will save your life by A.M Holmes, which I am currently listening to as a talking book in the car), some clothes (mainly cheap and boring - singlets and socks), but also some other clothing items from Seasalt, in Cornwall. And then more books (Book Depository, Avid Reader)...but not art materials. So its not too out of control (I definitely don't need more art materials, unless its for a specific project).

Tempting my self control, I also went to Ikea, bought loads of play equipment for work (mainly soft toys including soft sculptured breakfast), but didn't buy much for the house, except a blind for the kitchen and some bowls. That is a first. 

Another guilty pleasure is magazines - usually don't buy them much, but I have a weakness for Frankie, and I still buy Good Taste from habit, although I hardly ever use the recipes anymore. I grudgingly buy the local rubbish newspaper (CM) once a week on Saturdays, so I can read Kathleen Noonan and William McInnes, and do the crossword. And the Australian (not much better) for the Review. Other magazines that come into the house are When Saturday comes - the half decent football magazine - and various bikes mags. And the Guardian Weekly, which we all read. I am fairly careful about what I read, I guess, that is one form of ethical consumption: avoiding rubbish as far as possible.

'Bird' by Pippa my lovely niece

I have just applied to have a $10 share in a dairy farm, so I can buy untreated milk. And I am appreciating getting veggies and fruit from Food Connect, which has a great organic box scheme, and who organise the herd share. And here are their tips for ethical consumption:

TRIED & TRUE TIPS TO GET INTO SOME GOOD HABITS FOR 2012

1. Strive to eat less processed foods that come in boxes or bags. Some say it like this, “eat foods without a barcode.”  In the meantime, become a label reader!  Find short labels with words you can pronounce.
2. Eat local, seasonal, sustainable and ethical foods whenever you can, since these have many more nutrients and are safer to eat than what you find at the supermarket. Grow your own food, or know the person who does.
3. Question everything you’ve always believed about health and nutrition.  Search out the truth and what makes sense, not just what “they” say is right. Then share what you’ve found with others.
4. Eat out rarely. Make time for preparing food at home, and remember you can always make meals ahead on the weekends or make quick meals that are still nutritious. Eat as a family around the table as often as possible and share the good and bad about your day with each other. Try new recipes and see how you can make them healthier by cutting the sugar a little, eliminating the vegetable oils, etc.  (Do you still have corn, canola or soybean oil in your cupboard? Please throw it out and melt some real butter instead!)
5. Learn about the teachings of Weston A. Price, read books by Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan, and our own Gay Bilson, watch Gardening Australia (with the wonderful Costa as the new host) and attend as many local, community food events so you can hang out with others who want to learn more about good health and Real Food.

The main thing for me is avoiding over-consumption of 'junk' - whether it is reading rubbish, eating rubbish or buying rubbish. Something I do want to keep on track with this year. I have also been trying to get ris of rubbish we already have - pest control visit tomorrow - external house cleaning on Friday!

Having said that reminds me that I really need to go through my goals again, reviewing the last year and refocusing. I am not anticipating major changes though, as I am going to be studying, and need some stability and good routines.

I also want to write about New Zealand, before it becomes a distant memory.

One more thing this week: bike riding around the city loop is becoming more regular. Its fun now the renovated bikeway below the riverside expressway has reopened, after the flood damaged it last year. Here is a photo from the weekend.

sky from the goodwill bridge - storms on their way...

 And murals in the Valley, from the week before (I don't know the artists' names, or the title of the second one):

painting is dead...long live painting (after Rembrandt?)

face

 more later.

reflect, review, renew

As promised, time to review the past year. The original thirteen areas for committed action, which I identified a year ago, are listed below:

• family,
• health,
• environment,
• community,
• friendship,
• creativity,
• leisure,
• frugality,
• therapy,
• home,
• emotional growth
• communication
• spirituality

I am going to keep them as they are, as I think they cover most things in my life, pretty comprehensively. Some overlap, but that is ok. Because they are not goals, but are based on values, they will never be totally achieved, its more about staying on track with what is important, or doing what matters.

I have changed my blogger profile (only took about two hours!!), as the original email account, which I opened this blog with, is now defunct. This means, I am no longer using bigpond as our internet provider. This is something I have been meaning to change for ages, but of course, inertia wins out for most of the year...this slightly dormant period of the year is important to me, to get back on track. Its worth working less, to have more time to do these things. Clearing out the fridge yesterday, for example, has helped. Its still full, mysteriously. And I hope the chooks like old marmalade.

Giving things up

This means I have given up my old business name, 'creative art therapy services', or 'cats', which was the email name I was using. More significantly, I have also given up one of my 'casual' jobs, which is co-ordinating our Masters of Mental Health Art Therapy program at UQ. I will still be teaching, however. I may also be giving up another of my work days. This is all to make space for something new. I am going back to uni.

more later.

happy messy new year

fern unfolding - NZ

Its a brand new year, and I have made a mess already! One of my presents this year - self chosen (often the best kind) - was Keri Smith's Mess: the Manual of Accidents and Mistakes. It one of a series of books she has published which inspire creativity...Wreck this journal being another of my favourites.

Besides the unfolding fern, which is a suitable metaphor for the new year (see my friend Amanda's website for her new year's metaphor), I wanted to make an image for the new year, and I came up with a firework: not too original, especially since the only fireworks I usually see at new year's are in Sydney at 9pm on the tv, (the early version), basically because I can't stay awake until midnight, ever! I like this column, which asks 'is new year's eve the best or worst night of the year?' - interesting that the Sydney firworks changed her mind about new year's eve.

Anyway, here it is, with nuts and bolts crayons from my younger son (some of the best presents are the ones you don't choose for yourself) which I used for the wax resist: 

 

making a mess...

And I also have black ink all over my hands.

I decided to have a new years day party instead, so that is happening today. 

I still need to review the year, but I know I am going to keep blogging. Happy new year!

more later.