OK. Here we go. Flying into New Zealand. Ithaca to Philadelphia to Los Angeles. (6 hours) Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand. (12 hours!) Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. Got some sleep. Watched 3 movies. Sipped champagne!
Then Auckland to Whangerei (pronounced “Phangerei”) 35 minute flight north to rural harborscape, rolly polly pasture land dotted with lava rock spat out by a now dormant volcano. (located right behind our B&B. I hope its dormant!).
[slideshow]
Annemarie and I are here as guests of Open Spaces Preschool http://www.openspaces.net.nz/ and to give a keynote + series of play / art / nature workshops at the Natural Phenomena http://www.thenaturalphenomena.co.nz/ The preschool is an amazing place – filled with nature, art, mosaics, whale bones! The conference is being held OUTSIDE in their “wild woods”. I’m giving a keynote slideshow under the stars, Annemarie is leading a fairy hut building workshop (Annemarie Zwack, renowned international fairy hut builder!) and I’m leading a hands-on workshop to create some environmental art installations with scavenged natural materials from the woods to BURN in saturday’s bonfire!! yeah, baby…
Rusty:
Love the blog and I’m wondering…….do centers in New Zealand have chickens and a chicken coop?!
Christina at Faith
P.S. We’re having our first playground demolition day on Saturday. Yahoo!
Hi Christina, they certainly DO have chickens and chicken coops. (check out the latest blog post of Open Spaces Preschool. chickens.)
I’m wondering…do centers in Rochester, NY have chickens and chickens coops? (or will they soooooon??)
Well, Rusty, we are certainly working on the coop here in Rochester but the chickens… (well sooon is a relative term, isn’t it?) We’d love a fairy hut, too.
Kia Ora Rusty and welcome to Whangarei,
I had hoped to be right there in the wild woods to experience your gifts and talents but unfortunately it was not to be (this time anyway). Great to be able to tap into your blog and keep up to date. I am not a centre worker but a passionate parent and currently researching all that I can re natural playscapes and providing the opportunities to keep my nature loving naturally happy kiddies naturally connected for life. Thank you for your fantastic skills and passion. Enjoy our beautiful NZ and please do come again!!
I would love to receive updates made to your blog. Can you add me to the list? Thanks!
Hi Wendy – I’m new to the blog thing but I think you can “subscribe” somehow. click around. see what you find…
bring on the fairy huts! (you could do that now – bring kids to the wild woods edge and see what materials they find – sticks, pine cones, leaves, feathers….)
and of course: BRING ON THE CHICKENS!
Hi Christina
Hen runs (Kiwi for chicken coops) and hens are not too common in centres in NZ. But we’re working on it thanks to inspiring people like Rusty
cherry