{"id":23469,"date":"2023-02-27T10:53:08","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T15:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=23469"},"modified":"2023-02-27T11:07:03","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T16:07:03","slug":"episode-751-new-zealand-camping-is-luxurious-and-take-our-house-in-wellington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=23469","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 751 NEW ZEALAND CAMPING IS LUXURIOUS and \u201cTAKE OUR HOUSE IN WELLINGTON”"},"content":{"rendered":"
EPISODE 751    NEW ZEALAND CAMPING IS LUXURIOUS and \u201cTAKE OUR HOUSE IN WELLINGTON”<\/p>\n

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alan skeoch<\/div>\n
feb. 25,  2023<\/div>\n

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I hope these New Zealand pictures cheer readers up, especially this living here in Ontario where<\/div>\n
winter winds and driving snow have kept so many housebound. <\/div>\n

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This episode deals with Camping\u2026New Zealand style<\/div>\n

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IS THIS CAMPING?  COMMUNAL CAMP KITCHEN IN EVERY CAMPROUN<\/div>\n

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As soon as we landed in Auckland we bought new sleeping bags and two gigantic bath towels <\/div>\n
No need for hotels in our trip.  The towels served as extra blankets if we got cold.   Felt a little resentful doing so.<\/div>\n
As it turned out that was all we needed.  Our first campsite was<\/div>\n
unbelievable.  Small cabins No need for a tent.  Each campsie had a communal kitchen fully stocked except for food.<\/div>\n

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These communal kitchens meant that meeting new people was automatic.  Easy to make new friends<\/div>\n
and get ravel tips.  Showers, clean washrooms\u2026all part of the New Zealand camp experience.<\/div>\n

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Enough\u2026take a look at the picture above.  Says all that is necessary.<\/div>\n

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PRETEND THE CANADIAN BLIZZARDS ARE GONE: IMAGINE YOU ARE IN NEW ZEALAND <\/div>\n
(John Lennon said imagination is  “easy if you try\u201d)<\/div>\n

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While readers are freezing in Canada, let me warm you up in New Zealand.  Pretend you are with us\u2026an<\/div>\n
imaginary trip.  Not meant to make you jealous.  Just for the joy of those of you with an active <\/div>\n
imagination.  And so let Marjorie and I remember something special in your lives.”<\/div>\n

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YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED ON A DARK NIGHT IN A CAMPGROUND <\/div>\n
ON THE NORTH ISLAND.<\/div>\n

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Imagine a pitch black night.  We had booked a campsite en route to Wellington and from<\/div>\n
there to the South Island.  Shadowy people drifted past us….  Then I got a glimpse of a man in a Boy Scout <\/div>\n
leaders uniform. Never did see his face.  Let me recreate the dialogue.<\/div>\n

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\u201cHi there, what troop\u201d<\/div>\n
“Wellington Scouts.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a Canadian Rover and ASM, 38th troop back in Canada. Nice to see you.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWhere are you headed?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWellington,,,then ferry to South Island\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWhy not stay in Wellington for a bit of time\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cNo campground near.<\/div>\n
\u201cTake our house\u2026we are heading north to the 90 mile beach for a few days.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cAre you kidding?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cNo, take our house\u2026the key is under a pot\u2026beer in the fridge.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWe couldn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cSure you could.  My brother is nearby.\u201d<\/div>\n

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So we did.<\/div>\n
Hard to believe that happened but it did.  And we spent a night in<\/div>\n
Windy Wellington and next day Andrew dove for Abalone shells<\/div>\n
from a rocky shore.<\/div>\n

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\u201cDad. stop the car\u2026. now backup\u2026\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cI feel like a swim\u2026a swimming hole \u201c<\/div>\n
\u201cYou cannot dive there\u2026could be rocks.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201c will check first then dive.\u201d<\/div>\n

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And so Andrew did.<\/div>\n

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HOW COULD I DO THIS == SHOULDN\u2019T I BE TEACHING?<\/div>\n

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Education in Ontario was in turmoil.  The Ministry of  Education was about to drop the Grade 13 year.<\/div>\n
  The President of our Teachers union, Margaret Wilson,  asked me to serve on a<\/div>\n
committee to look into the issue.  Others there as well.  I applied for a short sabbatical leave and flew south to examine how<\/div>\n
Australia and New Zealand high school functioned.  All at my own expense.  No public or union money<\/div>\n
involved therefore I was free from any red tape.  Yes, I did get a reduced salary for which I remain grateful.<\/div>\n
Signed agreement to come back to teach\u2026no guarantee where but thankfully back at Parkdale.<\/div>\n
Turned down job offer at Facutly of Education that time.  Preferred to teach just like most of my friends.<\/div>\n

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What was the result?   I do not remember.  Blank.   The Ontario government did away with the Grade 13 year.<\/div>\n
There was a hue and cry that students were too young for higher education such as University or <\/div>\n
Community College.   But it was a done deal   Grade 13 was gone.  No one asked my advice.  What would <\/div>\n
I say if someone asked?  <\/div>\n

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What did i learn?  As I sit here in 2023 I must confess I did not learn much.  Sad to say.<\/div>\n
I knew we would need strong evidence to save Gt. 13.  Did not find ilt  The only strong memory is<\/div>\n
that Australian and I also believe New Zealand High Schools took a mid morning break so the<\/div>\n
teachers could relax with a cup of tea.     Enough said.  Not every change in life is earth shattering.<\/div>\n
I rather liked the tea breaks.  Impressed to say anything about eduction I would say that kids\u2026students\u2026<\/div>\n
all seemed the same to me bo matter where I had a chance to teach\u2026Canada, England, Slovakia, New <\/div>\n
Zealand, Australia.   Throw out a big question\u2026a question that is not some phoney pedagogical trick\u2026<\/div>\n
throw something that triggers their curiosity\u2026.and they seem to have sudden energy that explodes<\/div>\n
like a rocket .<\/div>\n

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What question?  Here is one question:<\/div>\n

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\u201cLet\u2019s suppose we are living in the year 2050, how will our lives be different?\u201d<\/div>\n
I asked that question once while teaching at Forest Hill Collegiate to a bunch<\/div>\n
of tough demanding\u2026take no prisoner\u2026students.   One answer remains in my brain.<\/div>\n
\u201cSir, in the year 2050, we will have sent spaceships throughout the solar system and beyond<\/div>\n
and we will discover one thing.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/div>\n
\u201cWe will discover that we human beings are absolutely alone.\u201d \u201cALONE, ALONE, ALL, ALONE\u201d <\/div>\n
Samuel Coleridge came to mind \u2026 <\/div>\n

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\"Samuel<\/a><\/p>\n
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\u201cAlone, alone, all, all alone, 
Alone on a wide wide sea! 
And never a saint took pity on 
My soul in agony.\u201d<\/h1>\n


\u2015 Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, <\/span>The Rime of the Ancient Mariner<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n


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That is a treasure.  Earth is a treasure.  Our place on this earth should be treasured.<\/div>\n

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“But, sir, isn\u2019t this history course about the 20th and 21st centuries?\u201d<\/div>\n

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\u201cSo, I guess my big quieten is irrelevant, right?  A waste of time.\u201d<\/div>\n

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Now is a good time to take a break for a cup of tea\u2026<\/div>\n

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How did I answer the question?   Took the whole class t o see DOCTOR STRANGELOVE<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EPISODE 751    NEW ZEALAND CAMPING IS LUXURIOUS and \u201cTAKE OUR HOUSE IN WELLINGTON” alan skeoch feb. 25,  2023 I hope these New Zealand pictures cheer readers up, especially this living here in Ontario where winter winds and driving snow have kept so many housebound.  This episode deals with Camping\u2026New Zealand style IS THIS CAMPING? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23469\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}