Posts from April 2024

Seduced by a Princess  A couple of weeks ago I went for a walk up Mt Princess, a peak in the St James Range behind Hanmer. On the long, slow haul to the summit, I climbed above a large tarn known as Princess Bath. It lay glistening below me mirroring the rugged terrain and capturing the clouds in its deep blue and green waters. My legs were aching and heavy, my stomach was hankering for kai and wai, and my sweaty body was cooling…

This week I’ve been inspired by a prayer of St. Patrick. Here are some excerpts from his prayer, sometimes called the shield of St Patrick as it is a prayer for protection (lorica) before setting out on a journey: I arise today throughThe strength of heaven,Light of the sun,Splendour of fire,Speed of lightening,Swiftness of the wind,Depth of the sea,Stability of the earth,Firmness of the rock… I arise today throughGod’s strength to pilot me,God’s might to uphold me,God’s wisdom to guide me,God’s eye to…

The Map is not the Territory   Do you recognise this map?  Google Maps let me down last week. I was driving to a funeral in Darfield, dutifully following his route directions, when I ran into some ‘Road Closed’ signs. Google clearly didn’t know about this major road work and tried to direct me on through into an army of orange cones, dug up road, and oncoming trucks. Giving him new location instructions proved futile as he stubbornly kept directing…

Over Easter, I tramped over Ball Pass with some friends down in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. We climbed this stunning ridge with the tallest mountain in the country taking up space opposite and above us. I didn’t even realise it was Aoraki! I knew that was a few kilometres away and I was wondering what this big beast in front of me was called… One of the boys on this trip was frustrating me. He is probably the…