Permaculture Design Course. PDC an international mix of people and ideas bringing me to understand more deeply my own journey of learning all these many years. Where do I start? So many epiphanies, aha moments and the clunk of "I get it" And of course heaps of new knowledge all tied together in and around me. I made some new friends, explored an amazing environment, swam naked in a (relatively) warm ocean and taught/shared what I know with both teachers and students. As well the community of Tui itself was part of the adventure, meeting the residents, hearing about their journey and seeing their lives in a bit of a fish bowl. Quite an experience. The rainbow gathering and then Luminate brought the tribe and with all the travellers, folks tramping through Abel Tasmen and the wwoofers, it made for a rich mix of humanity walking the streets of Takaka, filling the cafes, markets and of course the library.
It has been awhile for me to write this blog, I am somewhat hesitant to go into it all. To start as I drove towards Tui, I found it difficult not to stop every 10 minutes to take more pictures. The scenery is stunning, overhanging sedimentary rock riddled with holes, blue green ocean stretching for miles, golden sand on endless beaches. Tui is at the end of the road up against the park, some interesting architecture and a sense of community that I judge needs more people to bridge the gaps. They have been a community however for over 25 years, longer than a lot of marriages. Recently(when?) the remaining members realized they needed to attract younger people to survive and some have come. Much possibility exists here. Myself I am energized and inspired to bring home all that I can of the lessons and learnings. I want to immerse myself in the creation of sustainable community , gardens, food forest and passing on the bits of wisdom I acknowlege I have accumulated. I see bringing the principles to mens' work, to my work in education and of course into all my relationships.
Meanwhile I am chomping at the bit to get moving, sharing my jokes and helping translate them for Hiroko my temporary travelling companion. After the course ended a group of us headed up the bay and out to the west coast. We followed a gravel road to its end, the scenery stunning in it's majesty and uniqueness. (It does continue into a small community but to get there one needs to ford the Anatori River) Spent the night camping near the beach. In the morning walked for an hour north with David enjoying the glistening foam sweeping across white sand. Past cliffs of clay and secret grottoes where streams poured forth their sweet fresh water, mindful of course of the sheep and cattle ever present in the steep pasture behind. Saw rocks half quartz in a straight line and stripes and crosses all worn smooth in the relentless crashing of surf stretching for miles, kilometres and leagues up and down the coast. The sun rising behind us lighting up the white crests giving the scene an ethereal quality. Why would I want leave here, ever?
I had not allowed myself to entertain those thoughts, finding myself scheming to sell my ticket blow off my job and accept I might seldom if ever see my family.... woah! Stop right there, get real! Yikes! Accept the fact that this is paradise and I am on vacation and I have a life that I love somewhere else, a partner and companion who I want to share more of these experiences with, and oh yeah camping at Pachena this summer!
After breakfast we dicked around getting ready to leave, it was pathetic really, none of us really wanted to go, so when Jen suggested crossing the river and checking out some big rocks , off we went. Gratitude all around, it was phenomenal, slits in the cliff, great flat platforms with the waves crashing all around, surge channels, the cliff with scooped out caves like mini and massive amphitheatres and an endless beach that beckoned like some siren spirit to explore, following the scent of sea and sand into some kind of paradisical oblivion. I kept my senses together and turned back before I succumbed. We almost lost Roo and David though... I crawled into the womb of the earth and somersaulted out birthing myself in metamorphosis of flesh and sand, rock and sea.
More to follow, I promise.
