Auckland adventures

Earlier this year I joined a global business networking organisation called EO (Entrepreneur's Organisation). It's an incredible global network of local chapters filled with some amazing talented people - and access to some impressive contacts and business content. I’ve been surprised to discover a number of people with high public profiles are members including two of Artiwood’s key supplier contacts in Hong Kong.

Membership comes with a range of benefits including regular networking dinners headlined by entertaining speakers, plus online and in-person learning (training) events. As part of your membership, they split local chapters into smaller groups (called Forums). To join a forum, you must apply to a forum and be voted into the group by its incumbent members. Each forum meets once a month and once a year the group organises its own mini offsite retreat to bond and share life and business experiences.

Each local chapter also organizes an annual retreat for members. Garry and I decided to join this year’s four-day retreat which was held in Auckland, New Zealand. Over four days we spent time with more than 50 members and their Significant Life Partners (SLPs) dining in some eclectic locations and learning plenty of business and life lessons from a bevy of guest speakers.

This included some of New Zealand's top All Blacks, All Black coaches, and incredibly talented entrepreneurs. I also got to me Jeff Wilson, one of New Zealand's all-time top 10 All Blacks. However, the most productive day for me was an all-day training session where we heard from three of New Zealand's most talented business entrepreneurs. Their business insights and experiences were simply mind-blowing.

In between speaking events, the group toured Auckland’s Eden Park stadium, visited a winery on Waiheke Island, and flew a helicopter over the summit of Rangitoto Island. Attendees were booked into the SO/Hotel on Auckland’s waterfront. It’s a quirky boutique hotel with superb harbour views from its rooftop terrace bar. Garry and I also squeezed in a couple of hours of dining at Viaduct Harbour before heading to the airport.

Moving on

In early June my mother began a new chapter in her life. For some time, she’s been struggling to live independently at home. The unrelenting and insidious toll taken by dementia has slowly robbed Mum of many fundamental life skills. The degree to which her capabilities had diminished was a genuine shock when I visited in April. So much had changed during the COVID-restricted 11-month period since my visit in May last year.

My brother Matt, and his family, live in the house next door. As Mum’s independence diminished, they'd found themselves taking on the role of full-time carers. Perhaps the saddest aspect of all of this has been Mum’s increasing isolation as she progressively deselects herself from a growing array of social engagements.

Two months ago this challenging, and ever-evolving, situation finally came to a head. Mum had a fire in the kitchen and came perilously close to burning down her home. Sadly, we all agreed that it was time for her to move into a dedicated facility where she could be supported and cared for safely around the clock. There were plenty of tears for all.

Since May my brothers and their families have worked tirelessly to help Mum plan, prepare for, and execute this move. On 6 June she moved into full-time care at Avida Copper Crest in the Tauranga suburb of Pyes Pa. This facility opened less than a year ago so it’s still very shiny and new. Mum has a corner suite with a wrap-around balcony that looks out over internal gardens and a tree-lined access road. The room also includes a small kitchenette and there’s room for some of her more treasured possessions.

A few weeks after her move I flew across the Tasman to see her new home. COVID restrictions are still very much in force in New Zealand. I visited Mum daily for a week. Each visit involved a RAT test and face masks were mandatory within the facility. While there I took Mum on a few excursions including a drive to see Tauranga’s famous Hairy McCleary statue on the waterfront, a trip to Mitre 10 to buy pots for her new outdoor balcony, and coffee at a few cafés around the area.

 

We also went back to visit Mum’s old house. It’s now on the market to help her raise funds to cover the cost of her semi-private care. The family has worked hard to get it dressed for an open-home display. As Mum noted on her first return visit, her old home is barely recognisable.

However, her new home is equally impressive. The grounds at Copper Crest are immaculate, and the complex has plenty of sunny nooks and a cozy onsite café. It’s also bathed in plenty of natural light thanks to a façade of picture windows. The only “disappointment” for me was that some of its common areas are a little smaller and a little more “cluttered” than I’d anticipated.

While I was there, I met with the nursing team. They’re incredibly professional and are clearly committed to providing the best possible care. As a family, we’re still navigating our way through this new and sometimes bewildering change. However, it’s comforting to know that Mum is safe and well cared for in a new, sunny, and modern facility. Overall, this life-changing move appears to have gone as well as we'd have hoped for all involved.

My week in Tauranga also gave me a chance to try out Matt and Shelley's Airbnb studio. It was a comfortable place to stay. In between visits to Copper Crest, my brothers and I found time to gather as a family and let our hair down after an incredibly traumatic few months.

Return to paradise

After a three-year absence, Garry and I finally returned to Fiji for a much-needed Spring break. The decision to return was an easy one after Garry secured another of his renowned deals at the Sofitel Waitui Beach Club on Denarau Island. We first visited this tropical paradise in 2018.

This trip was also Garry’s first commercial flight since March 2020. Little did he know that our flight back from a Melbourne trade show that year would be the last time he’d board a commercial airline for 2.5 years. Thanks to my flights to New Zealand in May last year, and again in April this year, it was my third international flight since the pandemic began.

Of course, this is the COVID era so our travel included a mandatory testing regime. Garry was required to register for a COVID RAT test at the hotel within 24 hours of arrival. I was exempted from this requirement after securing a waiver letter from my doctor. This advised the Fijian authorities that, in the 30 days prior to departure, I’d already had COVID and was fully recovered.

Garry successfully completed his test without incident. I’d already warned him that if he failed the test, I’d leave him to isolate in a designated quarantine room elsewhere in the hotel while I continued to enjoy our beach club room. However, karma almost got the better of me.

Upon arrival at the hotel, the staff kindly advised us that they’d “upgraded” us from the ground floor garden access room we’d booked. We took one look at the new room on a higher floor room and demanded they restore our original booking. Instead of the private tropical garden vista we’d booked, they’d moved us into a room with a tiny balcony that looked out over soul-destroying views of concrete paths and stairways. Below is the view that greeted us on our first morning in our restored booking. I’m so glad we made a fuss.

We then spent ten glorious days lounging by the pool. We had made plans to do a day trip to an island. However, in the end, we barely left the resort. The package Garry secured included a daily meal allowance, daily massages (or a spa treatment), high tea, and a cocktail hour. We honestly struggled to spend our daily food and beverage allowance and missed a few massage sessions. Our first high tea was a definite winner when our first day of sun-baking by the pool was interrupted by a dramatic tropical downpour.

As the final day of our vacation drew near, unbeknown to the other party, Garry and I had each researched options for extending our time away. We quickly realised that for a couple of hundred dollars, we could change our flights and extend by another week. We then asked the hotel if we could extend our booking. It agreed to accommodate us in the same room for another five nights with the same benefits at the same rate. We then booked the neighbouring Sheraton hotel for our final two nights.

The additional week of leave was a blessing in disguise. After more than two years of COVID isolation, business stress, and emotional fatigue the extra time off was just what we needed. We also enjoyed our time at the Sheraton. It gave us a feel for another resort on the island that helped benchmark our experience at the Sofitel. We decided that the food was potentially better at the Sheraton while the beach club pool and staff were better at the Sofitel.

I also took some time to restock my tropical shirt collection. I’m now officially the uncle that always makes an appearance wearing loud Hawaiian shirts.

Prime Minister No.9

Australia’s ninth prime minister in 15 years has just been elected. It’s been a bit of a revolving door at the Lodge since John Howard was defeated in the 2007 election. We now have Anthony Albanese as our new Prime Minister. Given the pace at which Prime Ministers have churned in recent years, I wonder how long he'll last? Watch this space!

UPDATE: 30 May

The new Labor Government will govern with a razor-thin majority of one seat. However, the talk of this year's election is the rise of the independent Teal movement. Six formerly safe Liberal seats in urban and suburban areas, held by the party and its predecessors for decades, were won by independents (who’ve adopted the colour teal as their distinctive branding), unseating Liberal incumbents, including Treasurer and Deputy Liberal Leader Josh Frydenberg. 

Seats that have progressively fallen to independents in recent years include those previously held by Liberal Prime Ministers such as John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. Urban voters are clearly turning against the Coalition's polarising right-wing conservatism. It'll be interesting to see how the opposition evolves over the next three years.

A COVID vacation

As the COVID pandemic slowly normalizes, international borders are reopening in the South Pacific. This month I took advantage of New Zealand’s decision to end mandatory quarantine for international visitors. As soon as the news was announced, I book flights over Easter to visit my mother. It’s been almost 12 months since I last saw her – and this last trip was my first visit in more than 18 months.

However, It would be fair to say that flying trans-Tasman again, is currently an expensive and bureaucratic process. Every airline was offering only one flight a day and each plane was heavily booked. The New Zealand government also required a fistful of paperwork that took days to prepare. In addition to my passport and e-ticket, I arrived at check-in with a New Zealand Government pre-departure clearance pass, an international COVID vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test report (only $300 for a same-day result – as you’ve got to fly within 72 hours of taking a test) and a copy of the testing laboratory’s international certification.

On Easter Saturday, I arrived at the airport early anticipating long queues and delays. I was pleasantly surprised to find the terminal almost empty. However, the paperwork made check-in a time-consuming experience. I watched a family of five checking in with the same pile of documents I was carrying. The poor staff member behind the desk spent 15 minutes reviewing, verifying, and processing everything before their tickets and luggage were eventually processed. On a more positive note, my early arrival gave me extra time to enjoy a leisurely champagne breakfast in the Qantas First Class lounge.

All arriving travelers are required to test two RAT tests after arriving in New Zealand. The first must be taken within 24 hours, while a second is required five days later. Free test kits are handed out as you pass through Auckland customs and immigration. Masks must be worn in the terminal in Sydney and onboard your flight. However, masks weren’t required within the Auckland terminal.

Mum and I decided to take a quick road trip after I arrived in Tauranga. We booked ourselves a three-day excursion to Taupo, home to New Zealand’s largest lake. I took advantage of my status with Hilton Honors and booked us into the Taupo Hilton. The hotel sits on a hill above the town. As a result. our room offered panoramic views across the lake from an attached balcony.

As a precaution, before I booked the hotel, I took my first mandatory COVID test. The result was negative, so we were all set to depart the day after joining my brothers for a family reunion lunch. Our Easter Monday meal was a fun-filled affair with plenty of laughs. 

The first day of our Taupo adventure was a full itinerary. We packed in plenty of activity including a wander through the Redwood Forest in Rotorua, a glass-blowing demonstration at the Lava Glass Studio & Sculpture Garden, and a stop at the spectacular Huka Falls.

Our second day was just as busy. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we kicked off the day with a cruise to see the famous Ngatoroiranga Mine Bay rock carvings, stopped at The Vine for a fancy lunch, and took Mum shopping for new clothes and bed linen. We finished our day with a long and leisurely soak in the hot pools at Wairakei.

On our final day, after checking out, we wandered the lake foreshore, visited the Wairakei Geothermal Power Station lookout, and watched the Aratiatia rapids in full flood. The rapids are an interesting phenomenon. In the 1970s a hydro dam diverted water away from the natural rapids that mark the start of the Waikato River’s journey to the sea. However, the popularity of the rapids is such that the dam schedules a controlled release of water three times a day. As a result, for 15 minutes the power of this spectacular water course is briefly restored for visitors.

After watching the rapids, we made our way back home, stopping briefly to admire the Okere Falls. These falls, located north of Rotorua were once the site of this city’s first power station. This facility has gone since gone leaving just a handful of artifacts for visitors to see.

It was shortly after returning from Taupo that Mum and I embarked on an unexpected COVID adventure. I completed my mandatory Day 5 RAT test after we got home. The positive result was a shock, to say the least. Mum invariably tested positive three days later. As a result, I had to change my flight home, isolate with Mum for seven days, and then isolate again for a further three days once Mum tested positive.

I’m pleased to report that Mum and I have recovered with no lingering after-effects other than a residual cough. My triple vax and Mum’s quad vax have clearly made all the difference. I still don't know how I contracted COVID. I tested negative three times before I flew to New Zealand (both RAT and PCR results), and again after I arrived.

I ultimately spent an extra week in New Zealand caring for my Mum before finally making my way home to Sydney. I had to rebook my delayed return via Brisbane as, with only one flight scheduled per day to east coast cities, vacant trans-Tasman seats were few and far between.

However, my travel adventures weren't quite over yet. My flight to Queensland departed three hours late. As a result, I missed the last connecting flight to Sydney. Fortunately, Qantas put me up for a night at the Siebel. I finally made it back home on a 6:00am flight the following morning.

ABBA fever

Every so often Facebook flicks an interesting advert my way. This year’s winner would have to be a promotion from an event organiser called Fever. Its offering includes a series of quirky candlelight concerts in some eclectic venues.

One concert caught my eye. It was a string quartet playing ABBA’s greatest hits in St Stephens, a classic Edwardian stone church in Sydney’s CBD. I was intrigued by the notion of 80s pop music being reproduced by a string quartet. On a whim, I booked a couple of tickets.

Garry and I kicked off our evening with dinner at District Brasserie in Chifley Tower. This set the tone for our night out. The meal was superb and the venue’s atmosphere had a quirky Wall Street gastro-pub kind of vibe.

The concert itself was a delight. The music really did sound like ABBA. The venue was surreal and by the end of the evening, the audience was tapping its feet and singing along to each classic hit. I’m not sure I’ll ever sit in a church pew again while sitting ABBA hits by candlelight. Our verdict; heaps of fun!  The following video gives you a taste of the experience.

Telling our story

We’ve all had one of those days when you walk into the office and wonder why you’re there. However, every so often there’s a magic moment that suddenly makes it all worthwhile. I’ve had one such moment this week. 

Reed Gift Fairs, one of the world’s largest tradeshow organisers, recently chose my company for a professionally produced video profile. The profile was published online this week in the latest edition of its "Big Book" show guide. I'm simply blown away by the exposure it’s given Artiwood. Words cannot express how much this incredible endorsement means to me and my team. 

You can watch it here on YouTube.

Update 20 August 2023

The Reed Gift Fair profile has now been viewed more than 9,500 times.