Hello 2018!
Happy New Year!
First blog of the year, it’s going to be a bit of a wrap up of 2017 and some thoughts looking towards 2018. I’ll try and keep it brief but there’s a lot I did during 2017!
Trip Album: Alice Nash Memorial Heritage Lodge
Alice Nash Memorial Heritage Lodge: Ruahine Forest Park
14 & 15 December 2017
I’ve been travelling so much lately for the Enabling Good Lives work that I was well overdue for an outdoors trip. Needed some time out but also didn’t want to push myself “too” much, so I headed for Alice Nash Memorial Heritage Lodge in the Ruahine Forest Park. A great trip out by myself.
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I did a vlog this week
Vlog instead of Blog
This week I got adventurous and did a vlog instead of a blog. I forget how much work they are! I barely got my “weekly” post up!
Full transcription below video! It can also be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTM9T7BBNrI
I’ve kept pretty quiet this week
I took a bit of time out this week.
I’ve had a reasonably quiet week this week, apart from a trip to Wellington for the 2nd “Networking” Working Group meeting on Wednesday for the system transformation. For me the travel went relatively smoothly with AirNZ, apart from being entered into the system as a visually impaired person with a golden retriever. I know I wrote “Black Labrador” on the form, I have the original! This just further demonstrated that there is a big disconnect between “Special Assistance” and the ground crew.
It’s been a bit of an interesting week!
Hold on for the ride because this is a long one!
I spent Monday and most of Tuesday doing housework and prepping to head to Wellington on Tuesday afternoon for the first of the “Networking” meeting for the System Transformation on Wednesday.
Enabling Good Lives Regional meetings
Progress is happening.
We shot home Tuesday morning from Lake Taupo as I had the Disabled Person’s Core Group meeting to attend. Not only that but I also had the opportunity to meet Valeria, who I sent a Search & Rescue team after in the Far North a few weeks ago. Although I got the “Lost Party has been located safe and well” response from SAR it was good to see her and give her a hug. It was also good to hear her side of the story of what had unfolded that day. It was a pleasure to meet her and get to know Valeria a little.
I love seeing people bitten by the climbing bug.
It was time to hit the walls.
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| We had a great group turn up. |
I haven’t done a lot of climbing since the Paraclimbing competition at the end of August so it was well and truly time to hit a wall. With the Enabling Good Lives work I’m involved in it could be easy to lose sight of what really drives me; climbing. On Saturday I was invited by Waikato Climbing Club and Parafed Waikato to help out with an adaptive climbing session hosted at Extreme Edge & Climbzone Hamilton. Thank you to David from Parafed Waikato, Sylvia from Extreme Edge Hamilton, Doug and and the club members from the Waikato Climbing Club that came along to haul ropes.
I had to stop for a few days
I took a few days out.
It’s been almost 2 weeks since my last blog, I had a bit of a health blip and needed to stop and actually rest for a few days.
This week started with the 4th meeting of the Safeguarding Working Group. Being part of this group has been really intense. I came onto the group to ensure that the disability community wasn’t “over safeguarded”, due to wanting to protect people from harm considering perceived risks. I totally agree, acknowledge and understand the need to protect people and particularly those in a “vulnerable person’s” (Crimes Act definition of Vulnerable person) position, but I had concerns that in order to protect people, regulation and/or policy would be restricting others choice to participate in “risky” activities. “Risk” is different for everyone and each persons individual circumstances must be considered.
Another busy start to the week.
No rest for the wicked?
This week I had the second of the Safeguarding Work Stream meetings for Enabling Good Lives. I’m still trying to get used to urban travel. We travel down to Wellington on a Monday afternoon for the meetings held on Tuesdays. It appears that heading to Wellington once a week (most weeks) will be likely for the next couple of months for this type of work as I am participating in the Network Building Work Stream as well.
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