Treasures in the North

We discovered two very different treasures during a few days in Northland this month- Te Mirumiru in Kawakawa, Earth House in Peria Valley -and enjoyed special friends in a lovely landscape. Te Mirumiru… Te Mirumiru is an award-winning childcare centre in Kawakawa. Ngaati Hine have built this eco-friendly and inclusive early childhood education centre, in which 80 children – […]

Media Minutes…

We do find time for some media indulgence  – more often the media seem like a penance. Each month we’ll try and mention something outstanding – where posible with a link to something we think is specially worthwhile. Grandpa Herald…   The front page of the NZ Herald, most days, is repulsive – another celebration of violence […]

RANUI PATAKA KORERO- Ranui Storehouse of Knowledge

At 5.30am on Friday 3 October nearly a hundred residents of Ranui and the wider community gathered for the dawn blessing of Rānui Pātaka Kōrero, the new library for Ranui and Swanson people. Leaders spoke about its significance to the community and the special importance of learning to all our young people.         […]

WATERWAYS

    Tanya has been cycling weekly in the last month, and a fine Sunday last week tempted Charmaine to go with her to visit two lovely lakes near Ranui.  Both have been landscaped and planted creatively with native wetland species. In addition to these two lakes nearby, another treasure in the West is the Twin Stream project […]

PROUD TO BE OLD, PROUD TO BE GAY

We’ve seen two wonderful films in the last month: Hip-Hoperation and Pride. HIP-HOPERATION Hip-Hoperation features women and men from 65 to 95, and young Otara people in a top New Zealand hip-hop group.  It also shows the relationship growing between young and old, first on the Otara group’s visit to Waiheke and then in Las Vegas, where […]

SPECIAL PEOPLE…

As usual, we have had a lovely diverse mixture of people around us.        

SPRING AT EARTHSONG

Recently, Tanya organised a working bee with the Permaculture focus group to clear overgrown garden beds around the Earthsong Common House in preparation for spring planting.  24 Earthsong people turned up to help.  Six large beds cleared, a giant hot compost built, and delicious muffins and coffee provided … Now most Earthsongers are busy planting up their […]

living in different worlds

This month we’ve been living in three vastly different worlds within Aotearoa Read more in the other postings : ..a cooperative community ..a city of contradictions ..an election