Lessons in life and business

I've just returned from a business networking and professional development retreat in Queenstown, New Zealand. The forum group I travelled with is part of the Sydney chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO). Once again I was roped into organising the event after delivering memorable outings to the Gold Coast last year, and to Wellington in 2023. Earlier in the year I’d unsuccessfully tried to lobby the group to visit Far North Queensland. This struck me as a far warmer location than Queenstown in June.

However, despite the time of year, we enjoyed partly sunny, albeit, cold conditions most days. We also based ourselves at a luxurious homestead near Arrowtown, a holiday home owned by a forum member’s relatives. Our first evening kicked off with night luge rides at Skyline, a tourism complex overlooking Queenstown, before retiring to a private dining room. Here we were joined for dinner by an impressive guest speaker I’d secured via an old contact in Wellington.

We spent four days learning from some extraordinary speakers, including Jim Boult on our first night. He’s the former mayor of Queenstown (and former CEO of Christchurch Airport and the iconic Shotover Jet Group). The following day we heard from Olivier Ravel (former owner of PDL, a regional shipping company), before Jo Eddington, an incredibly talented serial entrepreneur, joined us for dinner on our final night in town. 

On our second day we based ourselves at the spectacular Kamana Lakehouse. I’d secured a meeting room for the day that offered floor to ceiling windows and an open deck with stunning views of Lake Wakatipu. We later dined at The Nest, the Lakehouse’s onsite restaurant. I can honestly say the venison I ordered was one of the best game meals I’ve ever had.

As a group we also took time out to enjoy a few of Queenstown's classic tourist attractions. Highlights included a rather tame Zipline ride in the Kawarau Gorge and a phenomenal indoor skydiving session. This was a last minute change of plan after a scheduled day flight to Mt Cook was cancelled due to inclement weather in the mountains. Let’s just say indoor skydiving is a lot harder than it looks. Although the “high flight” I took with an instructor was truly awesome. Enjoy the video!

We also enjoyed a leisurely lunch on the lakefront at the Boatshed Cafe, before bearding our flight back to Sydney on Saturday. Our departure was delayed. As a result, we took off over the Southern Alps at the Sun was starting to set. The snow clad peaks simply glowed in the sun’s golden rays. It was a spectacular end to a superb event. It would be fair to say I’ve been permanently appointed as my forum’s annual retreat organiser. I’m not sure how I’ll top this week’s effort.

One final story. One member of our group, Daniel (that’s him on the Zipline above) recently.y became a Platinum One frequent flyer with Qantas. His status was recognised on our flight in spectacular style. We were handed snacks upon boarding, logo emblazoned key rings mid-flight and handed a bottle of wine to take with us as we left the aircraft. The youngest member of our group was simply blown way by the experience. It was fun to see it through the eyes of a newbie after decades of top status flying.

Up the Mount

I took advantage of some relatively fine weather today. I decided to climb Mauao, something I haven't done in a long time. According to my blog, it’s been 15 years since I last summited The Mount. You can read about it here.  The summit, 232 metres high, offers a spectacular view over Mount Maunganui and the surrounding coastline. Climbing it was once a regular childhood ritual. 

I set out from Valley Road shortly after noon and walked the new coastal boardwalk to the base of the summit track. I climbed Mauao (slowly!) and then returned via Pilot Bay. The entire walk from start to finish took about three hours, and I clocked up 14,400 steps along the way. 

I subsequently learned that the Waikorire track I took to the top was the most challenging option. This eastern route involves more than 500 timber-framed steps, compared to the less taxing Oruahine track, an inclined trail with only a handful of steps. Not surprisingly, more experienced hikers recommend descending the mountain via the Waikorire track.

While I was admiring the view from the top of The Mount, Air New Zealand called and asked if I'd be willing to bring forward my domestic flight time. It was concerned about the tight connection I had in Auckland (approx 1:20 hours).  I agreed to change my flight. How ironic. My flight across the Tasman was subsequently delayed 20 minutes, thus leaving me with ample time to dine in the Strata Lounge before boarding my flight. We landed back in Sydney shortly before 10:00pm.  Along the way, I clocked up another 5000 steps, bringing my daily total to 20,272.

The Rotorua redwoods

On the edge of Rotorua you’ll find a six hectare grove of Californian Coastal Redwoods, part of the Whakarewarewa State Forest Park. The trees were planted in 1901 as part of an experimental program assessing the viability of various exotic tree species for commercial forestry in New Zealand.

Due to the rich volcanic soil, favourable climate and high rainfall in the area, they grew faster in New Zealand than in their native homeland of the United States. In the USA they rely on the west coast’s frequent fog to protect them from dry spells, when rainfall is not consistent. They even create their own ‘rain’ by trapping fog in their huge branches and absorbing the moisture.

In New Zealand, consistent rainfall throughout the year along with vast amounts of sunshine means the Redwoods grow rapidly year round. With the right amount of moisture they can grow almost a metre taller in a year. Currently the largest redwood in Whakarewarewa is 72m tall and 169cm in diameter. That’s approximately two-thirds of its potential full grown height.

On Saturday, Matt, Shelley and I took a day trip to Rotorua to hike through the Redwood forest. I’m currently in New Zealand for a five day weekend, in part to visit my mother’s grave a year after her death. I flew in on Thursday night, and depart again this evening.

I last visited the Redwoods while on a brief vacation to Taupo with my mother in 2022. It was my mother’s last vacation before she moved into full time residential care a few months later. Although, at the time, we had no idea it would be her last. It felt somewhat appropriate to revisit the trees while commemorating the first anniversary of her passing.

We walked an extended loop around the grove, before Matt and I went on to try the Treetops Walk. This is a dramatic canopy walkway suspended between the trunks of the redwood trees. It’s 700 metres long, and boasts 28 suspension bridges and 27 platforms that form an aerial circuit through the forest. At its highest point the walkway is suspended about 20 metres above the ground. Understandably, my mother and I never attempted this walk in 2022.

We finished our time in Rotorua with a brief visit to the lake itself. We walked the city’s recently completed lakeside boardwalk, then drove around the lake to enjoy a late lunch at the award-winning Okere Falls cafe. Apparently, it regularly wins the nation’s annual “best toastie” award. We made a quick stop at the falls before returning to The Mount.

The year that was

Yesterday, my brothers and I paused to reflect and remember the first anniversary of our mother's death. It was a day of conflicting emotions. I'm angry that so many memories are tainted by dementia in her final years. Equally, I'm grateful that her boundless curiosity and strength of character have had such a profound influence on my life. I'm sad that she's gone.

 
I fly to New Zealand to visit her grave tomorrow. A small part of me still lives in denial that when I arrive, she won't be there to greet me.

 
However, I cherish the memory that the last time she ever spoke to me was in a moment of pure joy. I will never forget the way she leapt to her feet when she saw me enter the room, burst into a flood of tears and embraced me warmly. In that moment, I knew I was loved and always would be.

Rest in peace, now and forevermore.

Vivid memories

Vivid Sydney is an annual festival held in Sydney. For the last 15 years, over five weeks, the cold, dark nights of winter have been transformed by an eclectic array of outdoor immersive light installations and projections throughout the central city. At times, the effect is simply dazzling.

Yesterday, Garry and I caught the tram into town to experience this year’s festival. We picked the perfect night to be outdoors. The sky was clear, and the weather was unseasonably mild for this time of year, with temperatures hovering around 17C for much of the evening.

We began our evening in Chinatown. Here, we stopped to admire an installation called "While You Were Dreaming" at Darling Square. It’s a five-metre-high sculptural face, split down the middle to reveal a swirl of colour and light.

However, I was stunned by the redevelopment that’s gone on in this area. The new Darling Square and the nearby Tumbalong Boulevard have completely transformed a space once dominated by the Sydney Entertainment Centre. This precinct is now a bustling pedestrian mall filled with shops, bars and cafes that lead directly into Tumbalong Park and Darling Harbour.

For the next hour or so, we made our way through Tumbalong Park, the shores of Darling Harbour and on to Stargazer’s Lawn, part of the recently redeveloped Barangaroo Reserve. Along the way, we admired floating sheep, iridescent clouds, and a dazzling array of light sculptures. We even walked on water. Well, a floating pontoon walkway that spans Darling Harbour.

We continued our Vivid tour by walking through a projected display inside the Argle Cut and watching the sails of the Opera House light up. We finished with a final stop to enjoy the always impressive light show projected onto the front facade of Customs House at Circular Quay.

With more than 10,000 steps under our belts, we went for dinner at the recently refurbished Argle Centre complex. What was once a slightly sad array of market stalls and shops is now a stunning collection of indoor and outdoor dining and entertainment venues. We dined at The Cut, a new French steak house. The meal and service were a little underwhelming for the price we paid. I doubt we’ll be back anytime soon.

We completed the evening with a quick stroll around Circular Quay to admire the lights on the Harbour Bridge, before catching the train back to Redfern. Another few thousand steps on the walk home saw us finish the night with a tally of more than 14,000 steps.