Matariki light show Invercargill 2022

This year was the first year that Matariki (Māori New Year) was celebrated as a public holiday. It is related to the lunar calendar and the rising of the Pleiades star cluster. This usually happens late June/ Early July.

This is a 35 second short video of the Matariki light displays in Queens Park. Friday 24/6 was Matariki this year and this was the day that the light show opened. It runs for 4 days. 

I ran into two issues with this as a disabled person.

  1. The roads close to the park gates were closed. So I had to park a long way away – not ideal when I can’t walk far. When I got to the traffic control to complain they said oh, you should have driven up to here, we would have let you through. Well a road sign would have been nice, I’m not a mind reader.
  2. There was a one way system over a small bridge at the duck pond. This was not made obvious to me till I had walked a long way in the other direction to be turned back saying the bridge was one way the other way. The arrow I was meant to see was on the floor, in the dark under the masses of feet of the crowds around me. Not helpful.

Simple little things can ruin your experience when you’re disabled.

On my Rock: 9 years without you

The place I sat on my return
Waves rolling as I wept
I had just laid you to rest
But memories are kept

Magic powers of the sea
Listen to its roar
Scream, yell, cry and sob
The sea can always take more

Water is the breath of life
And also takes away.
I sit atop the viewing point
And quietly I pray.

That you are looking down on me
Proud of all I have achieved
Your arms wrap round, give me a hug
It’s ok to grieve.

📝 POEM By Melanie Magowan

The right and wrong way to pay a compliment to a disabled person.

I was in a local op shop today. This shop is in a wealthy district of town, usually has some good bargains. I found some shoes (I was not looking for shoes!) that were my size so I found a seat to sit on to try the right shoe on. Here’s what happened next.

Continue reading “The right and wrong way to pay a compliment to a disabled person.”

#233 Adaptive Waka ama training: the road to London

Para Waka ama training camp 2: lots more learned.. including a surprising fact about disability access during domestic flight travel.

Continue reading “#233 Adaptive Waka ama training: the road to London”