Big Island, Hawaii

It was 2 yrs since my first meeting with Pele and Big Island and I was grateful to have more time this trip, an opportunity to connect with the land and the people and drop in with the Pahoa Community.

It was lovely to surprise my partner coming in from San Francisco by connecting through Maui on my way from Kauai, I love surprises and very rarely experience them, probably because of my sensitivity to subtle energies I often see them coming before they happen, as a side effect it gives me pleasure to experience responses by creating surprises for others J

Our hostess on Big Island was H, who over a period of 3 yrs had turned her little life-style block into an abundant tropical garden and homestay. Such a warm welcome not only by H but also Pele who was threating to cross the road and disconnect the residents of Pahoa from the main access route south. I find it fascinating how a potential natural disaster can so quickly bring community together.

Soon after we arrived we offered a public talk to introduce ourselves and our work, to those who resonated and felt a calling to explore; embodiment & evolution through shamanic energy medicine and sacred sexuality . . . In a society that has been programed that sex is a sin and we are separate from God it is time for a revolution! What better way to keep the collective disconnected from their bodies and the earth, out of their power and easily manipulated than by inciting so much shame, fear and guilt around sexuality, which is in fact our life force energy.

To me liberating our sexuality in a healthy, natural and organic way is a vital piece to any individual on that journey home to self. So many spiritual seekers, and I was certainly no exception, are all about love and light, pure heart, enlightened mind however often, as also the case with me, I became an incredible visionary for both myself and others with no ability to manifest or anchor the visions and dreams in physical reality. Poverty consciousness ruled supreme until I took the time to clear the blockages in my own lower chakras, free my creativity and surrender to being embodied, in this body on this earth, and volia my ability to manifest was reclaimed instantly!

I enjoyed living on the land, offering private sessions and exploring the island on my days off. This included a morning visit to Uncle Robert’s market, I didn’t understand why I was more excited than usual about going to the market and then just when I was going to get a juice I bumped in to my brilliant little brother B. I had met B on my first visit to Big Island 2 yrs earlier, he had left soon after and although we had been in touch a couple times through email we really hadn’t much idea what each other was up to. As you can imagine it was a beautiful moment of synchronicity that he literally flew back to Big Island on the same day I did to begin construction of his new energy device; http://www.phi-tek.com

Sunday’s were also a favourite . . . Sunday morning ecstatic dance at Kalani, a picnic lunch on Kehena black sand beach and then afternoon and sunset community gathering on the lawn on the red road  :)

It was on Big Island that I was invited to hold a one-day workshop for women, perhaps more a sister’s circle of supporting each other into our self-sourcing sovereignty. One day in sacred space making up for those Rites of Passage that we didn’t experience that have kept us disempowered and in co-dependent relationships for far too many centuries. I hadn’t held a space for ‘women only’ for quite a few years and I had forgotten how beautiful and empowering it was for us to gather in sacred space . . . I have a feeling that this was a taster for what lay ahead . . .

Meanwhile it was such a pleasure to explore Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, so much so that I had to make two trips. The exquisitely powerful and untameable, wild energy of nature, the raw feminine in her full expression of the fire element . . . I bow in love, honour and respect and in so doing can feel her strength and natural beauty within and pervading the limited human body in all it perfection and imperfection . . . gratitude for life.

Aloha Kauai

I will always remember the first morning I woke on Kauai, I actually felt as though I was back in Aotearoa in the far north of New Zealand, the land where I was born and grew up, so familiar was the vibration . . .

The journey to Sedona and Hawaii had been guided and all I knew was that I had to spend some time at the Hindu Monastery and connect with the whales. Friends that I would normally stay with were unavailable or out of the country so I expanded my search to those who I didn’t know so well yet knew they had a connection with our cetacean family.  As you can imagine it made me laugh out loud when I discovered that I had organised myself a room to rent with J & A right next door to the Hindu Monastery on Kaholalele, Whale Altar Road :) 

 

 J & A are both very gifted musicians and it was a pleasure to share their home and heart space while I followed my path and resonant field to some extra-ordinary meetings with some beautiful souls, sacred sites and natural sound scapes. Meeting with M, a very gifted and connected Sistar was an absolute pleasure. Not only did she have an amazing Earthwalk of her own to share, she kindly helped me better understand the nature of the island and its multi-dimensional role in relation to our earth’s evolution . . . why I had been called to Kauai was beginning to reveal itself.

Only a few days later we were invited to go sailing, only J & A could not make it so I was given Capt. C’s phone number and directions to Hanalei Wharf and was sent on my way. As it turned out J was not the only male invited that could not make it so we ended up with 2 men on board to fulfil roles of captain and 1^st mate and a crew of seven beautiful Seastars, most of which had never met each other before. It was incredible to be on the ocean and reminded me of how much I love being on and in the water and how little time I had made for such nourishment in the last few years . . . note to self, time for change!

Little did I know that this was the day of my whale meeting, although I had been looking out for whales and dolphins it took me by surprise that our meeting was of the energetic variety. We had been sailing out of Hanalei all the way to the north and soon after going about I found myself perched up on the aft seat singing the whale songlines of the north and the south and somehow weaving them together . . . my body and being were in ecstasy and I was home :)

Roaming the Red Rocks of the Southwest, Sedona & Arizona

It was a long flight to Phoenix and I was so grateful to be able to land at the home and heart space of such a special sister as L. We do not tend to meet often however, when we do, there is usually an adventure awaiting. Having been present when she was shifting in to her new space a couple years previous, it was timely to return for the preparations of anchoring in the new crystalline grid of her home and sacred working space. 

Needless to say after my two weeks of non-stop sessions I also needed to be still on the earth and share some quality time with sisters and starry desert evenings soaking in the hot tub. That didn't prevent us from weaving in a little lightwork connecting the pyramid of Phoenix with the Giza Pateau ;)

Once rested first stop was Canyon to Chelly, a sacred space for the Anasazi within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation, home of Spider Rock and the mythology of Grandmother Spider. I had often felt like a spider as I wove my way around the earth consciously connecting brothers and sistars of resonant vibrations across countries and continents for co-creation.

Taking time out to rest in the presence and energy of this unique place of pilgrimage was a gift unto itself therefore the blessing I received was a bonus . . . as I sat on the edge of the canyon watching the eagles soar in the thermals above and below it felt as though all of my loose threads were weaving themselves through time and space, back into connection with source.

Sunset in the heart of Red Mountain was a slow dance with silence an opportunity to merge with the earth, a moment in time that I chose to expand as long as I possibly could. With nowhere to go and no one to see I simply rolled out my ground sheet and mattress and climbed into my sleeping bag with so much gratitude to be alone in nature, exposed to the elements and serenaded into the dreamtime with the sounds of the desert dwellers nightly chorus.

Such a world away from the next few days and a very sociable girls weekend in Sedona; wallowing naked in the cool waters of Oak creek, an evening circle supporting sacred sexuality, the opening of Lulu’s Raw Chocolate Alchemy, Saturday Ecstatic Dance with Mixtress Hava, and Sunday afternoon at the Chocolate Tree community space … it felt good to be home in Sedona again :)

The following week my Swedish family arrived and what a pleasure it was to share the magical trails, energy vortexes and sacred sites of Sedona. I have felt very at home in my body wherever I am on the earth for quite some time however there are a few places where my body and being resonate with more then others and Sedona and its inner earth light city just so happens to be one of those. A place on the planet where simply by being on the earth I am nourished energised and recharged. And just as well, as before long I was busy gain with private shamanic soul embodiment and skype sessions.

Time for a night out with Deva Premal and Mitten in concert, I had gone to purchase my ticket online however, as often happens; not having a US credit card is regularly met with complications. V had suggested that I purchased one at the church but when I went it was closed so I figured that I may as well just get one at the gate. On my way V called to say all the cheaper tickets had been sold out, I asked her to please purchase one of the next level available and she said she would just save me a space at the front of the line and make sure there was one for me when I arrived, walking in trust that everything happens for a reason . . .

Anyway when I arrived I couldn’t believe what happened, as I walked up to V another woman was also walking up on my left and as she approached the ticket booth she called out if anyone needed two tickets, V shot up both hands and pointed to me and a man in blue to her left and on that cue we all withdrew to the foyer where we met another woman standing with the two tickets she had been gifted by Deva that she would not use and wished to pass on.

What surprised me more than anything was that V gave the tickets to K and I, I did wonder why she hadn’t either given her ticket to K so that we could sit together or to me so they could however, I continued to trust that the first blind date of my life has just been arranged by divine design and I was gifted a beautiful evening with a very conscious heart centered man at Deva and Mitten’s concert 3 rows from the front . . . gratitude and so very curious …

So much so that K and I decided to invite V to supper the following night to thank her for her magnificent role as an earth angel and to simply hang out for the evening and explore what this extra-ordinary meeting might be about … corresponding themes included, embodiment and evolution, sacred sexuality, consciousness, relationship, presentations and workshops, authorship, self publication, Bali, Cuba, multi-dimensional magick, life on earth and living in Sedona.

I was so grateful for my familiar place on Stardust Lane to rest and work, watch the night skies and receive my partner who had just flown out from Europe for a weeklong introduction to the secrets of Sedona. Although I enjoyed our time together I was aware that when I was alone I actually had more energy and much more magick and syncronciity in my everyday life. There was no good or bad, right or wrong I simply seemed to maintain a higher frequency of energy when I was alone on my own body and bubble than when I shared this intimate space, a truth I realised that I could not ignore for much longer.

Whilst in Sedona I also had the opportunity to experience some very unique and specific healing modalities for the first time. This included the work of Nina Joy Rizzo and her teacher who incorporated; Ortho-Bionomy, Craniosacral Therapy and Visceral manipulation in a joint two on one session, wow, what a gift to myself :)

And thanks to M’s ongoing research into the polyvagal theory, and its connection to the freeze response of the reptilian brain, we also had the opportunity to meet and experience a private session with Dr David Bercelli the founder of TRE, Trauma Release Exercises.

David had spent many years working with refugees in war zones and through observation had realised, that after the shock of war, children would often shake uncontrollably for a period of time, a perfectly natural response of the human body, after which they would resume life as usual. In the very same situation adult would often shut down and if anything disassociate from their bodies and remain in a semi state of shock.

From observing this David developed a series of exercises to activate the body into a natural tremor response. I was amazed and delighted to experience a release from this journey, after so many physical and energetic sessions during the past few years I had just discovered a new technique that literally worked from the inside out. And an invaluable key to disengaging the majority of the worlds population from their sympathetic nervous system into a deep space of relaxation and expansion.

For more photos of Roaming the Red Rocks of the Sedona & Arizona;

https://www.facebook.com/EARTHWALK.PROJECT/media_set?set=a.758772920847162.1073741860.100001433826118&type=3

Summer’s End in Sweden

It was my third summer in Sweden and my first summer not to be presenting at any of the festivals there, I was feeling very complete with the European summer festival circuit, giving gratitude for the gifts and the many synchronistic meetings with soul family, I was ready to let go and very curious what might come next.

Meeting my partner again in Stockholm after our time at opposite ends of the world of sacred sexuality felt very different, there was a clarity in my field and sight and an internal resolution to trust my intuition, follow my calling and walk the truth of my path, whether that would take us closer together or further apart, deep inside I have a feeling that I already knew the answer . . .

We had an incredible turn out for our public talk at Buddhafield and I knew by the end of it the evening that I would be letting our Unlock Ecstasy Retreat go. With 5 days to go there were only 5 people confirmed and I had over 12 people interested in shamanic soul embodiment sessions. It was time to re orientate myself back into the flow of universal law, to respond to what the world was asking of me and serve those who were seeking support with embodiment and evolution so that they too could answer their soul’s calling ☺

I was also becoming more aware of an unseen connection between Sweden and New Zealand, there were more people in New Zealand speaking light-language than any other country I know on the planet and Sweden seemed to be full of so many star-seeds awakening to themselves . . . coincidentally the country codes for NZ and Sweden were also exact reverse +64 and +46.

My sessions were amazing and I loved the rhythm of daily life in shared temple space on the edge of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Morning lovemaking, yoga & meditation, smoothie, shower, session, lunch in the garden, session and afternoon walk and swim in the nearby park before supper. Our evenings were spent responding to enquiries and reservations to create sacred space for more of the same . . . yes, this is what I came here for ☺

What really caught my attention though was after a soul embodiment session with one Sistar in particular she mentioned that she had plans to travel to Sedona. She would be there at the exact same time as me the following month and, if I needed a place to stay for a few nights I was welcome to join her . . . in my reality nothing happens by chance and I looked forward with excitement to our next meeting on the other side of the Atlantic.

Reactivating Earthwalk

Toward the end of last year I was aware the chapter of life I had been walking was coming to closure, it was time to die so something new could be birthed . . .

The event that triggered this realisation took place in early August, our retreat in Finland had been cancelled and we were visiting a special sister in southern Spain. My partner decided he wanted to participate at a Tantra Festival in Scandinavia and I received a very loud and abrupt, No! Not about him going, of course I respected his choice, the no was for me, and came from somewhere deep inside that knew far better than my mind.

Over the last couple years without me realising, I had gradually lost some of my razor sharp clarity. Interestingly this had not changed in regard to planetary matters or when supporting others however, in writing now, I realise that it was around personal issues that the colour, zest and clarity for life had slowly faded. Where had I strayed from my path, my centre, from the mystery and magick that I had become so accustomed to? How had I gradually started slipping back in to the numbness of existence?

So as I asked into the stillness where to for these days, I was intrigued to hear Montserrat, an island in the sea of the Catalonian Plains and home to the Black Madonna. And the very same place on our planet where Shelley Lemaire, another gifted sister, had been anchoring her work with the new incoming souls. (www.incomingsouls.com)

I had to laugh when I arrived at my destination and realised the cosmic joke, my partner was playing at a Tantra festival and I had a single cell in the former Monastery of Montserrat for the next few nights. Unity through diversity were the words that came to mind ;)

Waking to the sound of church bells was a far cry from the mosques I was used to after 20 yrs of living and traveling in developing countries. Now, 5 yrs out of Africa, I wondered in amazement on where this little adventure had so far taken me, the people I have met, the places I have journeyed and the extra-ordinary synchronicities that have become an integrated part of everyday life, if and when I listen ;)

My soul had been excited about this journey since we decided to take some time off on the Med and the moment I felt a full ‘yes’ to Montserrat that excitement had amplified. I was also curious why two possible traveling companions, one brother and another sister who had independently raised their hands with a yes to join me had subsequently fallen away again . . . it had been some time since I had done any solo earthwork and it made me just a little curious as to what was up in the ether?

My first stop was to pay my respects to the Black Madonna; I sat down on the pew in the front row of the church and wept for humanity until there were no tears left, one of the joys of working with the collective conscious is the reassurance that at least this one isn’t only mine. And, as the tears began to subside, a very frail elderly woman came from behind the curtain, and when almost the entire church was empty she squeezed into the front row directly beside me until our shoulders were almost touching.

I was aware of one of the etheric teams I work with coming in and working with her for about 15 mins or so and once they were complete I started to receive a transmission, which felt very much like a transference of codes or energetic information. Maybe you have experienced something similar, perhaps without even realising what was happening. Have you ever had someone come up to you and have a conversation about nothing in particular and then after some time continuing on their way never to be seen again?

Now what was interesting is that almost as soon as the transfer was complete I had a feeling of urgency to catch the funicular to the top of the mountain. There was an natural history display at the top of the mountain which I wandered through however, what caught my attention when I stepped outside, was the sign for Santo Magdalena. I set off directly along the path and up the mountain to the saddle between two peaks overlooking the hermitage on one side and wide expanse of Catalonian on the other, not another soul in sight.

Despite the relatively fine and clear blue sky above, as soon as I arrived there was thunder and lightening and I watched as the clouds began to gather and darken, growing out of a small caldera on the valley floor. It was as though the earth was creating its own little thunderstorm from within. As I sat and witnessed the power and beauty of nature, energy began to stream through me into the earth with an intensity I hadn’t felt for a very long time. Reigniting that connection between the earth and the cosmos that reminds us of who we are.

And, as the flow of energy subsided, the rain drops began and the thunder and lightening danced right up to the cliff face to meet me, wow, such a blessing. Slowly it moved to the north side of Muntanya Montserrat and, having completed a full half circle, it came to a stop almost directly behind me. As I watched the last lightening bolts hit the earth the earth responded with 2 bright pulses of light directly each side of the second to last strike. I couldn’t believe my eyes, never have a witnessed such a response after 5 yrs of more conscious service to our dear planet earth.

My energy was so high I felt as though I had turned into lightening itself . . . work for this day was done with a very clear understanding I was to return same time, same place the following day.

That evening I had a very leisurely and beautiful visit with the Black Madonna. My hands started vibrating when I was still 50m away and they only intensified as I came closer. When I arrived it only made sense to lay them on the ball she held and as I did even more of her immaculate energy flowed into me.

When our meeting concluded I walked through the chamber behind her statue and proceeded to receive more cosmic codes. Full of light and buzzing with energy, my heart wide open there was nothing more to do than give gratitude to my time of rest in Malaga, my second liver and gallbladder cleanse, some great myofacia and psoas release work and 10 days on a raw food diet inspired by our special sister E. I have no idea how I would have managed to conduct that lot without that extra space in my body and being!

My day was done and sleep was nowhere in sight although I must have dozed off eventually until 5.45am with the sound of the first bells, a warning for the 6am ones that seem to ring endlessly until the whole population of Barcelona must be able to hear them!

It was Saturday morning and the weekend tourists, local vendors, cyclists and climbers had started arriving. During my early morning visit to the Black Madonna another round of sobbing burst forth, the tears flowing freely down my cheeks felt like another huge cleansing for people and planet. I was wondering if they would ever end as I really did want to get up the mountain and escape the masses that were beginning to gather each on their own personal pilgrimage to Montserrat.

I was wondering if I got my instructions right yesterday for same time, same place as this time the mountain was full of climbers and there were many people in the area of my destination, trust, perhaps I needed extra support today. And right on que, the thunder and lightening began only this time it came up to the mountain face and turned south to dance with me all the way back down and around the mountain. Each lightening strike was amplified through the wire spokes of my little black umbrella, it was like receiving miniature electric shocks, never ever have I felt so electrified.
There must have been at lest 50 – 100 strikes, each one orgasmic, I laughed so hard my heart burst again and again only this time tears of joy streamed down my cheeks. So many were so close that my field literally felt I had been plugged in to the earth/cosmic mains, another planetary switchboard activated!

Never have I felt such pure ecstatic, bliss and joy for being here in a human body and so much gratitude for being here now at this incredible time of humanity’s evolution. My body’s lightening bolt of yesterday had just transmuted to a living, active volcano, firmly rooted in the earth and vertically connected to the cosmos and everything in-between . . . oh how long I had waited for this moment, I felt as though I had come home.

Knowing this connection was coming for so long, yet not knowing when, had been a constant lesson of faith, trust and patience. The physical discomfort and lack of energy during this whole stage of transfiguration from carbon to crystalline had been frustrating and yet the hope remained, I trusted enough in the experiences I had had until now to know all was perfect and also that this journey was not yet complete either.

It was reassuring to know that as one chapter of life was coming to conclusion the next was already beginning. I felt so alive and soooo excited about jumping off the cliff again into the past/future/present, known and most of all, the unknown! Deep inside there was a feeling that the next chapter of my Earthwalk had just begun!

From Waiheke to Te Wai Ponamu, Summer in the South, 2011

In early March I enjoyed ten days on Waiheke Island for a wonderful wedding between two very special people that had recently come into my life. It was fun sharing time and space with new and old friends while exploring a corner of the country I had never before visited, the microcosm of the macrocosm a taste of rural New Zealand only a short ferry ride from our largest city. I would like to thank all of you who made this possible through your invitations, open hearts and open homes. Just as well I hadn’t discovered Waiheke 20 yrs ago or I may never have left for my walkabout!

On a more multidimensional level, whilst we were out and about I have the feeling that we may have assisted with establishing the foundations of what appears to be another Stargate for Aotearoa while being given the impression that the rarely used Peace Park may become a space for future Earthwalk gatherings . . . inshallah!


Next stop was Christchurch but due to the first major earthquake I was diverted, courtesy of Air NZ, to Dunedin. I must offer special thanks to the Air NZ crew who on a full flight managed to find me three seats in a row at the back of the aircraft where I could lay down, something had happened to my back whilst packing and I could hardly walk . . . interesting as my looking back along my journey it has always been my back that has protested just before I took another major step along my path . . .

I thought I was in the South Island to go on walkabout with Leslie Lightfall of Earthsong but soon after arrival realised that it was actually her landlady that I really needed to meet and share time with. I also felt very fortunate to have the time to share space with my extended family on the Edwards side, some of whom I had not seen for many years. It was fun to take the horses out for a ride along the beach with my cousin just like old times when we were kids growing up in the Bay of Islands.


It had been almost 15 yrs since my last journey through Te Wai Ponamu, New Zealand’s South Island. There has been many changes yet the vibration of the land still carries its ancient and ageless wisdom. The harshness of the southern alps, the central plains and wild west coast play an important part of Te Wai Ponamu’s , raw beauty and magnetism . . . I also remember meditating on Clyde dam one day, feeling myself sinking deep into the depths of the earth’s core where I was shown that when the earth really does begin to move that many of the dams will break and when they do it will be like the waters breaking as our new earth begins to birth . . . I guess only time will tell.


Sharing space with Dave and Jo, old friends from Zambia who had recently settled with their family in Central Otago was a wonderful reminder of the beauty and simplicity of rural life in New Zealand, something that I didn’t realise I had been missing from my nomadic existence. A few of the highlights of my stay were; walking along the Clutha river from Alexandra to Clyde, climbing mountain trails with Jo and on my own, talking the girls out on an afternoon picnic, just the three of us, sharing the grape picking with family and friends during harvest time and the tea party afterwards 


And my journey would not have been complete without sharing a week on walkabout with Michael who had shared part of my Coromandel journey and who had been the inspiration of this one. We met at my cousin’s place just outside of Christchurch and our first destination was Te Kohanga (Castle Hill), the heart of Te Wai Ponamu. What better place to connect with the spirit of this ancient island? From here we wove our way through the backroads from Lake Tekapo, to Mt Cook, where Michael and a few angels fitted me out with a new set of wings, and then on to Wanaka formally known as Wanaga ‘Place of Learning’.


March and April proved to be a perfect time to visit the south, not too many tourists and still warm enough to hike mountain trails in t-shirts and swim in the southern lakes with magnificent views of the snow-capped peaks in the background. And once my journey was complete I managed to catch one of the last refugee flights back north from Christchurch to Auckland just in time for Easter and my Spiritual Sexual Shamanic Practitioners Training (SSSPT).

Waitangi Festival

Back to the Bay of Islands for a couple of days and with summer in full swing my most pressing appointment was one with the Pacific Ocean! A swim across to Motu Maire Island was the perfect way to connect back with the east coast along with the festivities of Waitangi Day, as I dodged NZ navy boats ferrying passengers between the Paihia wharf and the frigate anchored in the harbour. Jim was home and we gave Mum a call to see if she would like to join us for the afternoon and evening but she declined saying she was too hot and really couldn’t be bothered driving up.


I enjoyed an afternoon walk to the treaty grounds to observe the NZ Navy ceremonial sunset and listen to Ray Wolf playing at Hobson Bay. Returning back past the yacht club I watched the men practising in their waka (Maori Canoe) in preparation for the Waka Karakia the following morning. As Jim and I were home alone I stopped back past the supermarket to purchase some fresh fish and a bottle of wine for our supper and had to laugh when I got back to his house and discovered he had done exactly the same thing. Dinner for two on the deck overlooking Paihia was an absolute delight, it was fun to share supper with my Mum’s boyfriend as he reminded me of memories he had of me as a child growing up in Paihia.


Next morning I got up a little earlier than usual to allow sufficient time for my yoga and meditation before walking down to Waitangi for the Waka Karakia. As I wandered down the hill I was delighted by another synchronistic meeting with Michael Fleck who pulled up directly in front of me with two of his friends; Yuri and Gabriela. Yuri is a NZ resident of Russian origins who had been introduced to Earthwalk via a mutual friend and Gabriela is an author and friend of Michael’s from Hawaii who travels the world making her own documentaries of the different countries, cultures and people she meets along her way. She was busy filming while she was in NZ and had plans to screen her recent documentaries of Iran and Israel, two countries I have not yet visited, in Waiheke later in the month.

It was lovely to have some like-minded friends to share the morning with and wonderful to reconnect with another soul brother from the ancient past. As a Bay of Islands resident Waitangi Day wasn’t so special for Yuri but for some reason he had felt (in his words) ‘to get his butt out of bed’ on that particular morning and join Michael. What was interesting was that within a short space of time he had concluded that the reason he had come was so that we could meet and in the spirit of the moment invited me to come to Waiheke Island and celebrate his wedding in two weeks time. Not being one to just show up at a wedding for the sake of it I asked him to give me a few days to feel out the possibility and I would let him know . . . I must have known something though as that afternoon I still went ahead and purchased a wedding gift.


Yuri, Michael & I

The Waka Karakia was brilliant and it was great to see such a large crowd gathered at Waitangi to enjoy the festival. Such a different scene from many I remember as a child, which although contained some very fond memories, many were overshadowed by angry crowds, protestors and riot police. Waitangi Day is now celebrated as Waitangi Festival, a celebration of Maori; art, craft and culture and, with sporting events and participatory performers, there really was something for everyone. Supported by a number of national celebrities it was interesting that Jim had been invited by the local MP to meet our NZ Prime Minister while Michael, Yuri and Gabriela ended up having supper at the table next to him in Kava Restaurant the night before.


I did have to smile when the only peaceful protest was being led by Kereru Ponamu, a soul sister and fellow Grandmother of Aotearoa, who just so happened to be one of the guest speakers at a gathering in Puhoi the following weekend. Kereru’s topic of choice being ‘from Protest to Peace”


I parted company with Michael and Gabriela at the Meeting House on the Treaty grounds and made my way back down toward the Waitangi Marae where I was hoping to meet up with a few of the visiting healers I had met at Karui Waihotanga in the Hokianga. I was called to enter the grounds through the main entrance and as I walked toward the area for stalls I noticed one of the Kaumatua who had spoken to Treaty of Waitangi Tribunal hearings in May last year. He was busy in conversation however the woman seated just behind him motioned me over, we introduced ourselves and I soon discovered that Whio, the Kaumatua’s sister, was one of the most incredible woman I have so far had the pleasure of meeting.

A beautiful heart-centered woman who had spent many years supporting her brother both in NZ and overseas had recently handed that responsibility over to another member of the family so that she could stay home and focus her energies on supporting young woman in her South Auckland Community. She explained her quiet way of working, taking women into the bush and reintroducing them to the old ways to help them reconnect to their spirit and the land. Such an inspiration . . .

There was no sign of my friends from Hokianga but I did manage to catch up with Valesi and Minni as I passed through the Marae grounds for the last time until next visit. Returning to Paihia I discovered Jim cooking up a huge pot of his famous seafood chowder which both he and I were disappointed that I would not be there to share as I had already made plans to meet friends for an evening picnic on Whangaumu Beach near Tutukaka. Time to pack and head south . . . I do love my life even though the continual unpacking and repacking doesn’t always entertain my sense of humour, perhaps I have to learn to travel even lighter still!


Taking the scenic route to Tutukaka provided an insight into the destruction caused by the recent cyclone. Thus dodging landslides and road cones where roads had been washed away became the order of the afternoon. I arrived at Sandy Bay in time for a lovely evening swim in the surf at the tail end of what appeared to be a National Surfing competition before moving on to Whangaumu to meet up with Chris Bone of Oceans Watch, his family and a few like-minded friends whose names I had heard over the past couple years and who I now had made acquaintance with. And what a wonderful way to end a very special week of friends and family in the Far North!


I enjoyed a few days with Mum while I sorted out what was to stay at her house, what I needed for my journey to the South Island and last couple months in NZ and what I might need for the next leg of my Earthwalk Journey, which by all accounts seemed to be heading back in the general direction of Australia, Africa and perhaps even South America before the end of 2011.