Podcasts about Queenstown

DJ Zesty (Andy Lehmann) is in studio! Olly and Davi sit down with DJ Zesty to hear how a jump bike and a patch of woods in Swinley led him to building world class freeride courses in Queenstown. Andy shares his journey through the UK trails scene, competing in Dirt Wars, digging for Natural Selection, living out of a van, surviving medical trials to fund trips and now, signing to the DMR Pro Team with support from YT Industries. BIG thanks to this episode's sponsors: - Do you get hangry? Want an easy way to tick your daily nutritional needs? Support the show and get 15% OFF HUEL products with code 'RIDE' at https://huel.com/ Unlock a healthier, easier way to eat with Huel—nutritionally complete meals in minutes, so you can focus on what really matters...biking. - Melon's Kingpin, Alleycat and Alleycat S riding glasses are now available with Vantage photochromic lenses. Use code THERIDECOMPANION at melonoptics.com to get a FREE lens cleaning kit + a low light lens with your order! (trail enhancing tints) - Health is wealth folks so why not get optimised, cover your nutritional bases and probably ride better with AG1. Get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D + 5 FREE travel packs at https://drinkag1.com/RIDECOMPANION Support our long term partners: - Marin Bikes: marinbikes.com/gb - Focus Bikes: focus-bikes.com - HUEL: Get 15% OFF with code 'RIDE' at huel.com/ - Hiplok: https://hiplok.com/the-ride-companion  - Nissan Vans: nissan.co.uk/vehicles/new-vehicles/primastar.html - Play Fantasy Downhill at The Race Companion: theracecompanion.com instagram.com/theracecompanion - Get 10% off Troy Lee Designs with code 'theridecompanion' at saddleback.avln.me/c/OzduCWvjtcOr - Athletic Greens: Get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs at athleticgreens.com/RIDECOMPANION - Compex: Get 20% off with code ‘THERIDECOMPANION' at compex.com/uk/ - Worx: Get 15% off with code ‘THERIDECOMPANION' at worx.com - LAKA: Get 30 days of FREE insurance with code ‘RIDECOMPANION30' at laka.co - HKT Products: Use code ‘PODCAST' for 10% off the entire site. Follow Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk

Jared discusses the latest events in Queenstown including an update on tourism.

Cowboys aren't real… right??There's a shot-in-NZ, self-funded, neo-western zombie flick called Forgive Us All in cinemas right now, and we've got thoughts.Join us as Larissa confronts her deep fear of the undead, Jasher obliterates any sense of cinema etiquette, and Chris forces the gang to lock in to decide the ten greatest monster movies of all time. CHAPTERS(00:00:00) Intro(00:05:07) What we're watching(00:19:46) Forgive Us All(00:51:55) Gonsta Monstas(01:19:25) Kiwi connections(01:21:32) Yeah, nah, or yeah nah?(01:25:59) Next episodeLINKSSend us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1978podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Theme by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stanley Gurvich⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The wheels on the school bus might not go round much longer in Queenstown. The Ministry of Education is considering a shakeup to the free service that takes hundreds of kids to school each day. But, as Katie Todd reports, not everyone's on board.

The Queenstown District Council has voted to ban overnight parking after residents complained about noise and the mess left behind by campers. Queenstown councillor Gavin Bartlett spoke to Corin Dann.

Queenstown farmer and anti-wilding pines campaigner - but should we leave them there to sequester carbon? He’s also a leading dog trial commentator and judge who previews the NZ Champs coming up at Hanmer Springs later in the month.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello and welcome back! I was fortunate to sit down recently with YouTube golf personality Ron Chopper. Ron is fresh off a trip to Queenstown where he visited some of the regions best courses including Arrowtown Golf Club, Queenstown Golf Club, Millbrook Resort and Jack's Point. Ron gave some great insight into what it was like to film content and each of these courses, and discussed some future plans to get back to NZ soon. Enjoy!Ron's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ronchopper

A Queenstown brewery has put New Zealand on the global sake map for the first time. The country's first and only dedicated sake brewery has taken home a gold award for its handcrafted Drip Pressed Junmai Ginjo as part of the Tokyo Sake Challenge. Zenkuro Sake director Richard Ryall says this award comes as the brewery celebrates its 10-year anniversary. "It's been an amazing journey for us to reach this point - and 10 years has just flown past. But what a way to celebrate, with this fantastic award." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the radio show. 1 - Smoko chat. 5 - Wait. What? 8 - NFR Tease. 11 - Addicted to baby powder. 15 - Daily Dump. https://bit.ly/42VNoiM 17 - Insane jet plane. 20 - Brandon Smith’s Passport. 24 - No one else like me. 27 - Brand Acronyms. 30 - This week in science. 33 - Jimmy Carr. 36 - Late mail. Get in touch with us: https://linktr.ee/therockdrive

Today we're in for some adventure. We'll start off white water kayaking, sprinkle in a little bungee, and end by summiting a mountain. Along the way we'll hear stories about a truly unique landscape, rich cultural history, and incredible food to boot.  Joining me today to chat all things New Zealand is our adventure partner in the country, Phil Boorman. Phil spent his entire life leading far flung experiences around the globe until deciding to come home and show off his country to adventurous travelers.  We chat about how to have meaningful experiences as a tourist, life lessons learned from adventures, and how New Zealand gives you the time and space to slow down and enjoy.  If you're looking for a sense of meaning, luxury, and unique experiences all wrapped into one - this is the episode for you. I hope you enjoy this fun chat, on Luxury Travel Insider.  Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/  Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn  

This episode is brought to you by the McGrath Launceston Running Festival It's a Grobbo take over! With Joel battling a stomach bug, Brett and Ryan have stepped in for an hour of pure running chat! They take it back a week to get a recap of Ryan's Ballarat Half win before discussing a big week of running from around the world. Grand Slam Track, Shanghai Diamond league and National records in Tokyo. We then hear the announcement of the elite fields for the McGrath Launceston Running Festival and catch up with training weeks from Ryan in Queenstown and Brett in London. Finally Ryan announces his AOTW in one of the most competitive weeks Australian distance running has ever seen. SIGN UP TO OUR PATREON TODAY: www.patreon.com/forthekudos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forthekudos Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forthekudos TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forthekudos Brett: https://www.instagram.com/brett_robinson23/ Ryan: https://www.instagram.com/ryangregson25/

Son timbre est mystique, son style dense et lyrique, ses sujets conscients : alors que sort son troisième album, The Illusion of Being, rencontre à domicile avec une emcee qui, à la ville aussi, choisit ses mots avec soin. Et ça fait sacrément du bien ! En 2013, Return of the Astro-Goth, son premier album, lui a valu une reconnaissance nationale (avec trois nominations aux South African Hip Hop Awards), mais aussi d'être adoubée par la old-school internationale (de Public Enemy à Sage Francis). Tout ça, avant un featuring mémorable, en 2018, sur la B.O. de Black Panther aux côtés Vince Staples et Kendrick Lamar.En 2019, après la sortie de son deuxième album, Anima Mysterium, la native de Queenstown, une ville du Cap Oriental, s'installe dans le sud de la France. Depuis, avec son complice le producteur et emcee sud-africain Kanif The Jhatmaster, elle a voyagé dans toute la Méditerranée avec pour point d'ancrage, Marseille.Une ville qui abrite aussi I.O.T Records, le label indépendant « sans genres, ni frontières » sur lequel s'apprête à sortir son troisième album, The Illusion of Being.Et c'est justement dans la cité phocéenne que nous la rencontrons. Car, en ce début printemps, Yugen Blakrok est à l'affiche du Babel Music Xp, le carrefour marseillais des musiques planétaires !Quelques heures avant son concert au Dock des Suds, on revient sur certaines des personnalités qui l'ont façonnées : du rappeur sud-africain Robo the Technician, à l'écrivaine afro-américaine Octavia Butler.Il est question d'énergie, d'empathie, de douceur et de notre manière d'être au monde, le visible comme l'invisible…Pour suivre Yugen BlakrokYouTube / Instagram/ Facebook / BandcampTitres diffusésExtraits de l'album The Illusion of Being (Yugen Blakrok / I.O.T. Records – 2025) : "Osiris Awakens" feat. Mohama Saz ; "Tessellator" feat. Cambatta ; "The Grand Geode" feat. Sa-Roc ; "The Shining"Extraits de l'album Anima Mysterium(Yugen Blakrok / I.O.T. Records – 2019) : "Gorgon Madonna"Extraits de l'album Return of the Astro-Goth (Iapetus – 2013) : "Stereo-lith"; "Beast League" ; "House Of Ravens" ; "Secrets Of The Path" ; "Darkstar" ; "Medusa Complex" ; "Neo Vadar" ; T"etra Tarantula" ; "Left Right Hand" ; "Sista Slash" feat. Likwid Skillz ; "Some People Say" ; "Constellations" feat. Robo, Alka, WithCrAft ; "Vespertine" ; "Swirl Of The Dervish" ; "Mono-lith"Et aussi : "Opps" avec Vincent StapplesJournaliste : Hortense VolleRéalisation : Benjamin SarraliéMixage 3D en Dolby ATMOS pour une écoute immersive au casque : Jérémie BessetTraduction et voix française : Mélody LinhartResponsable d'unité de production FMM – RFI Labo : Xavier Gibert 

Author and liver of life absolutely describes our guest this episode, Pat Backley. As Pat says, she was an English woman until the age of 59 when she decided to become a Kiwi and moved full time to New Zealand. Pat grew up in a poor household, but she will tell you that she never regrets not having as much money as many of the people around her. However it happened, Pat grew up with a various curious oriented mind and a desire to explore the world.   During her life which today spans 73 years, Pat has held a number of jobs. She also has been married twice, but clearly really is not bitter over being divorced from both husbands, although the 2nd one simply wasn't ready to be as adventurous as Pat and live in New Zealand.   Pat wrote her first book at the age of 70. Over the past three years she has written eight books and has a number of future books inside her. As with other authors I have met over the years, Pat's characters essentially write their stories. Pat has plans and ideas, but the characters take over and create the stories.   I find Pat to be extremely articulate and personable to converse with. I think you too will enjoy her and what she has to say. So, sit back, or walk or do whatever you are doing, but get ready to hear a most enjoyable and thought-provoking conversation.       About the Guest:   Pat Backley is an English woman who, at the age of 59 , decided to become a Kiwi and she now lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Passionate about people and travelling the world, she has spent the last 73 years living a colourful and interesting life and her books reflect these passions.   She published her first book DAISY in late 2020, just before her 70th birthday, and now says that she intends to write till she dies!   She has published eight books and contributed to several anthologies, as well as writing articles and short stories for various magazines and has several more books in the pipeline.   Ways to connect Pat:   www.patbackley.com I am on Facebook and Instagram @patbackleyauthor. Also on X (Twitter) @Pat Backley Books. And LinkedIn @Pat Backley   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   ichael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, hi everyone, and I want to welcome you to another edition of unstoppable mindset. And today we are going to chat with Pat Backley. Pat is a British woman, as she will tell you, but at the age of 59 which has now been some what, 1314, years ago, 13 years ago, she decided to become a kiwi and moved to New Zealand. We'll have to find out what brought that about. I've been to New Zealand. It's a fun place. I'd love to go back. But anyway, and of late, certainly much later in her life, Pat decided to become an author. She wrote her first book at the age of 70, and that is another fascinating story, I am sure. So we will delve into all of that, and we're going to grill Pat until she's tired of us. Pat, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Pat Backley ** 02:20 Thank you so much, Michael, I can assure you, I won't be tired of being grilled by you. I'm I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 02:29 we're really glad that you're here. What time is it in New Zealand right now? It's 10 o'clock   02:33 in the morning. Yeah, it's about what I thought.   Michael Hingson ** 02:38 So you're 21 hours ahead of us. Yeah, yes.   Pat Backley ** 02:42 And I have to say, I have to say that tomorrow is looking very good. You'll be glad to know, Oh, good.   Michael Hingson ** 02:49 Should be good. It Well, I'm glad to hear that it's going to look good, and it's actually going to warm up a little bit. Here. We're only getting up to about 65 Fahrenheit, so that's what about 17 Celsius or so. But tomorrow it's supposed to start getting a little bit warmer. We're approaching our winter as you approach your summer, which is kind of interesting.   Pat Backley ** 03:14 Yes, very interesting. When I first moved to New Zealand, that was one of the things I found very strange to have Christmas in the sunshine, because obviously I was, I was born with Christmas in the cook.   Michael Hingson ** 03:29 Yeah. Well, and you could have moved to Australia, where they use kangaroos to pull Santa slay.   Pat Backley ** 03:38 I could have done. I could have done. But Australia didn't have the same appeal for me as No, I   Michael Hingson ** 03:43 like New Zealand. I haven't been to Australia. I'd like to go, but I really enjoyed being in New Zealand. I've been to both the North and the South Island. I spent almost three weeks there, back in 2003 and gave something like 17 or 18 speaking opportunities in 15 days. And I only had one day that I had mostly off and that we spent. What is the the town on the South Island, the the tourist town, oh, Queenstown. Queenstown. Yeah, and so but that only lasted until about six that evening, and then I had to go off and speak again. But it was a lot of fun.   Pat Backley ** 04:28 You must have been exhausted because it's quite a lot of distance. I was I'm what I'm about to say is going to sound ridiculous now, because I've just been to America, and I know about your distances I was going to say, because you have a lot of driving distance between the towns you would have had to speak at. But then, as I was about to verbalize it, I thought, Pat, that's stupid. In America, the distances are far greater   Michael Hingson ** 04:51 well, and also a number of airplane flights between the North and the South Island to make it go faster as well.   Pat Backley ** 04:57 Yes, absolutely, yes. So. It was fun. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 05:01 why don't we start by you telling us a little bit kind of about the early Pat growing up and all that. We'll start with that. Okay,   Pat Backley ** 05:08 well, I, I was born in 1951 so it was just after the war, and England was still suffering from the effects of the war. You know, there was a lot of it was a bit of a gray place, so my parents couldn't afford to buy their own home, so I lived with my parent, my paternal grandparents, for the first three and a half years of my life. And of course, I had a lovely time because I had four adults doting on me. Then we moved out to the country. We were given a council house, which is like a state house. I'm not sure what they called in in the in America, you know, where the government provides them, right? Which, at that time was very acceptable, because there wasn't much housing, because it had all been bombed out, because we lived in London. So, so I grew up in the country. I didn't realize we were poor until I was 11, and went to secondary school, and suddenly I was the because I was quite bright, I was put in a grammar stream class, so I was suddenly with all these rich kids. One girl was driven to school in a chauffeur driven rolls, Royce and I lived in the little government house opposite the school, so everyone knew I was poor. So yeah, it was, it was tough. I would say it was tough my teenage years, but I   Michael Hingson ** 06:26 did, they teach you a lot about that. Oh, yeah,   Pat Backley ** 06:28 I got, I got, I mean, these days they would call it bullying, bullying. I just, I just, it was just, what my luck you know that I remember one time, and I actually did write about this in my memoirs, because it's still in my head after 60 odd years, one time I was the only kid in the class that went home for school lunches, and one because mum couldn't afford to pay for school lunches, so I used to go home because we lived just opposite. And I remember one day I came back to school and it was raining, so all the kids were back in the classroom early, and the teacher wasn't there yet. And there was this one girl whose name will live in my memory forever. She's etched on my soul, Angela Barrett. And she was standing at the front of the class, pretending to be the teacher, writing on the blackboard, and then wiping it off with this black cloth. And then she said, this is all this rag is fit for. And it was actually my school raincoat, which until then I'd been very proud of, but it was second hand, it'd be my cousins. And I can remember that afternoon thinking, I don't want to be here anymore. I hate it here. Everyone hates me. And I went home and I told mom, and I cried, and she said, Look, love, just because they've got more money than you doesn't make them any better people. And at 11, I could not see that at all like that. I just thought, why don't you just get more money? Why don't you buy me a nicer and go blah, blah, blah. But now in hindsight, I just think she that was the wisest thing she could say, because the time I rebelled, it made me realize that actually it's not an equal playing field in the world. You know, you're going to have people that are on this side and down at the bottom and up at the top, and you just have to grit your teeth and fight your way through it,   Michael Hingson ** 08:13 yeah, and, and the reality is, there are only so many things that you can truly control, and what you what you can control is how you dealt with that situation and situations like that. Yes, that's   Pat Backley ** 08:25 right. Um, and then I think I was a, I was definitely a product of the 60s. You know, we had all the lovely pop music and the short skirts and burning out bras and all that sort of stuff. But when I was just two weeks after my 20th birthday, I got married for the first time, which was ridiculous in hindsight, but at the time, you think you know everything when you're that age, don't you? My parents begged me not to marry him, but of course, I knew best, so that marriage lasted 14 years, and he wasn't always very kind. So then I left, then I was on my own for a beer. Then I had a living boyfriend, and I was desperate to have a child, Michael, but I'm not. I'm I'm old fashioned. I only would have a child if I had a husband. And so I didn't. I got married again when I was 41 and we had a child. I had a child when I was 43 my daughter, and that was that I thought life was going to be great. And then 26 years later, he decided he didn't love me anymore, didn't want to live in New Zealand anymore, and that was that so. So I kind of found myself living in New Zealand on my own, having we emigrated here together just before my 59th birthday. But anyway, I've picked up the pieces. It's been six years now, and because of COVID and because of him leaving me, that's how my life changed, really. And your daughter, my and my beloved daughter, my only child, yes, she's 30 now, and she is the love of my life. Yes, and I'm sorry. I've just realized I probably. Probably haven't answered your question very well. You must always pull me back, because I tend to get very excited and passionate and you know, don't necessarily toe the line with question answering. So forgive me, not   Michael Hingson ** 10:11 a problem. That's why this is a conversation and not a big deal. So is your daughter in New Zealand? She   Pat Backley ** 10:20 is now. When her dad she she was 16 when we came to New Zealand, so she did her last bit of school here, then she went to university in Auckland, and then she decided she wanted to do her master's degree back in London. So she went back to London, and then she got a job there, and she was away for five and a half years, which nearly broke my heart, but she's home now. She's been back four years, and she's got a lovely Kiwi boyfriend, and she's here to stay, so I'm   Michael Hingson ** 10:49 thrilled. What did she get? Her degree in art history. Ah, now, do you? Did you go to college? No, sadly,   Pat Backley ** 10:57 I because we were poor, I just had to leave school at 16, and so now I never went to college. I would have loved to, I would have liked to have been a teacher, but, you know, it wasn't to be and and I've had a great life, regardless of that.   Michael Hingson ** 11:13 So did you during all your married life and then the time in between and so on. What kind of work did you   Pat Backley ** 11:20 do? Well, I started work. I started work in the bank when I was 16. Barclays Bank was a really good place to work, so I spent 10 years working there. Then I lived for two years in the Fiji Islands and just did voluntary work back to the UK. My first husband and I started a furniture business, and then when I left him. Obviously I needed a job, because I didn't claim anything in the divorce. And so I got a job with bernardo's, the children's charity, as a general fundraiser. And that was great, because I just traveled all around the south of England supporting all the fundraising groups and things which I loved. And then I moved on to after a few years, I moved on to cancer research, um, again, as a fundraiser, but this time, setting up all their charity shops in the south, and that was a wonderful thing as well, because during the course of both those jobs, I met so many interesting people. You know, now that I'm an old gray haired lady, well, not actually Gray, because I color it, but now that I'm an old gray head lady. I feel very bad that the 35 year old me went to my new job with with Barnardos and sat there looking at these hundreds of gray head old ladies. And I thought, Oh, I'm too young to deal with all these old people. What on earth am I going to talk to them about? And of course, within a couple of days, I've realized that all these gray head old people were fabulous, that most of them had had really interesting, fascinating lives, and that I could learn an awful lot from them. So now the old gray head me looks back and feels very guilty at how I was at that age. But I guess that's what happens when you're young. You just think anyone over the age of 50 is is past it, don't you really well, but   Michael Hingson ** 13:03 you did learn a lot, I bet, from them, which is, oh, wow,   Pat Backley ** 13:07 oh, I learned so much, and I had so much fun, so much fun. Yeah, in fact, when I got married for the second time, a whole bunch of those ladies and a few of the men came to my, like, hen party the night before I got married, we went to the local, very smart hotel and had cocktails, and I just smiled to myself, thinking, oh, and I thought you were all so boring at the beginning, and actually, you're fabulous. So, yeah. So then, then my then I, then I stopped working, had my daughter, and I desperately didn't want to go back to my well paid job with cancer research. I wanted to be home with my baby because I was 43 I'd lost two children in the year before, with miscarriages, and so I stayed at home for four months, and then my husband said, oh, we need more money. You need to get a job. So I ended up doing having other people's children at my house, looking after them so doing like child minding. And that was when I look back. I don't know how I managed, because sometimes I had five under four year olds running around the house, which was quite a challenge. But we survived. I did that, I think, for seven years altogether, and oh, and in between that time, we came and lived in New Zealand for a year because my husband was a teacher, and he got a year's teaching exchange. So we basically swapped lives with a New Zealand teacher. He and his family moved into our house in England, and we moved into their house here in New Zealand. So for a whole year, we lived like a proper Kiwi family, which was wonderful. Lucy was only two, so it was the ideal time to do it. And I just, I just fell in love with New Zealand and desperately wanted to emigrate there. And then it took me 14 years to persuade him to get back here eventually. And in hindsight, I've probably pushed it too much, because. After he left, he said, I didn't like living in New Zealand. I didn't ever really settle there. So I have to hold up my hand and say, probably I persuaded him to do something that he really didn't want to do. But anyway, it's easy to be wise in hindsight, isn't it, as always, yeah. And then so we went back after our year here, we went back to the UK and we set up a business training and assessing construction workers, because the government realized, the UK government realized that, because they'd stopped formal apprenticeships some 20 odd years earlier, that there were now hundreds of 1000s of men working on construction sites who had all the necessary skills, but no paper qualifications. And so they wanted to redress that, but they realized that these men would not be willing to go back to college for three years to learn, learn their trade that they could already do. So they started this fast track program, and we used to go onto sites. We obviously, I had to get lots of qualifications and things to do it, trainers and assessors, qualifications. But then we used to go on two sites and watch the men working ask them loads of questions. We obviously had trade specific instructor assessors, and they could get that qualification that they would have taken three years to get going to college, they could then get in in a matter of six months or so, just by being observed doing their job. So it was a really, really good system, and it was very rewarding for me personally, because I used to go onto the sites and do the initial talks and whatever. And I've always liked men. I've always enjoyed their company, so I could cope with all the banter, you know, all the right, darling, what you're going to do after work, that kind of thing. I enjoyed all that. The bit I hated was wearing a hard hat, because they're very unflattering and they squash your hair do. But the most rewarding thing for me, we did that, that business for 20 years. The most rewarding thing was when a guy who I'd met on site who didn't even want to do it because he felt inadequate, which I later discovered was because he couldn't read or write, but he'd hidden it from all his colleagues. The most satisfying thing was once he'd passed, which obviously he sailed through. I sent him his certificate in the post, and the next day he phoned me, and he said, Pat. Thank you so much for that certificate. He said, it's the only thing I've ever had in my whole life that says I'm good at anything. He said, My wife is framing it and putting it on the living room wall. And that just made me cry, because I thought, this is, this is a man who's 45 who's gone through his whole life thinking he's stupid, and suddenly, just that one action can give him something to be proud of. So that was, I loved doing that, and we made that's how we made our money. For a few years, it was incredibly successful, and then it tailed off, and that's when we immigrated to New Zealand, and since I've been here, I've just basically been having a lovely time, doing a bit of voluntary work, lots of socializing and becoming an author. So   Michael Hingson ** 18:10 what, what attracted you to New Zealand? Why did you fall in love so much with New Zealand? Do you think   Pat Backley ** 18:19 it's a it's a hard question to answer. Michael, it was something deep inside me after I'd been here for a year, or when I'd been here probably only for a few weeks, I got this real feeling deep inside, inside me that I needed to be here. I just think sometimes places in the world draw you in for whatever reason. Who knows? You don't know if it's because perhaps you've got some association with it through an ancestor or I don't know, but I felt very, very drawn to New Zealand, and once we went back to the UK, we were back there for 14 years. Whenever I spoke to friends from New Zealand, whenever they'd phone me, I would end up in tears for hours. I want to go back to New Zealand. So it was a need rather than a desire, almost. And it's not something I've ever regretted. Even after he even after he abandoned me, we were back in England when he announced he didn't want to be married anymore, and he never came back to New Zealand. I just had to come back alone. Even then my friends in England were saying to me, oh, Pat, just stay in England. You know, we're all here. We'll, you know, we'll all be here for you. And I said, No, no, home is just New Zealand, even though I knew I was coming back all alone because Lucy was still living in London, I had, I've got no family here, so, but there was something that pulled me back.   Michael Hingson ** 19:45 I understand that I really enjoyed New Zealand a lot. And if there's when people ask me a place in the world that I regard as my favorite place to visit, New Zealand always comes out first, but I enjoy. Way wherever I go. I actually took my first trip to London in late October of this year. I was only there for a couple of days, but it was to do a speech. And, you know, it was pretty similar to being here. It just wasn't the same feeling as as being in New Zealand, which I had the opportunity to do, as I said before, for a little over three weeks. So it was really a lot of fun and and the the environment is just so different.   Pat Backley ** 20:28 Yes, I think New Zealand, I think one of the, I mean, obviously it's an incredibly beautiful country, but I think one of the main differences is that we, we've got a land mass pretty similar to the UK, but we we've only got like 5 million people, and the UK has got more than 70 million. And I think that's the thing. You know, the more people you try to cram into a small space, the more the social problems are, are enlarged, don't they? You know, we have exactly the same social problems here that are anywhere else in the world, but because our population is relatively small, it's not such a such such a huge feature of life, I think, yeah. Mm,   Michael Hingson ** 21:10 well, I haven't explained to everyone listening that Pat and I met through the RV Book Festival, virtual book festival, which both of us being authors, we spoke at and participated in, gosh, a little over a month ago now. Mm,   Pat Backley ** 21:28 yes, time flies, doesn't it does. It does.   Michael Hingson ** 21:32 And one of the things that I said, as I usually do when I get a chance to meet with people, is we'd love to have you all come on the podcast. And Pat is the second of the three people who were there. And so I'm glad that that that we got to do this. But let's talk about you being an author. So you started being an author. What, just three years ago or four years ago? Yes, yes. What? Yeah. Go ahead. Oh,   22:01 no, sorry, you carry on. Well, so   Michael Hingson ** 22:03 what just caused you to decide that you're going to try to write a book?   Pat Backley ** 22:09 Okay? Well, when I was a little girl, I had a massive list of things I wanted to be when I was growing up, I wanted to be a nurse, a missionary, a writer, a teacher, a ballerina. They were all my that was my list. So when I was about eight, I edited my first magazine. Is I have one limited copy of it. It was a limited, very limited edition. It only lasted one, one time. But so I guess probably I've always had that desire deep inside me, but because of circumstances, and not coming from, you know, a very privileged background, it meant that I didn't have the opportunity. But in the days when we used to write letters, I always love to write long, long letters to all my friends, my family. And when I lived in Fiji for two years, I wrote, there was no other way of communicating with my parents. They had no telephone. So for two years, I wrote them letters and when my when, when they died, and I had to clear out their house, I found this enormous pile of blue Air Mail, letters that I'd written to my parents over a two year period. They'd kept every single one. So I think I'd always loved writing, but it never occurred to me that I would ever have the chance to write a book. And then we get to COVID, and we, here in New Zealand, went into lockdown on the day of my 69th birthday. It was a beautifully sunny day, and I was all alone because Lucy was in England, and I made myself chocolate brownies, stuck a candle in it, sat in the garden and cried because my marriage was over. My daughter was gone. We had COVID. There were, you know, there were lots of things to cry about. And I then spent the next three weeks lying on my sofa watching rubbish on Netflix, eating too much chocolate, drinking too much red wine. And then I thought to myself, Pat, this is ridiculous. This could go on for a few more weeks, because at the time, we thought COVID was going to be quite short lived, didn't we, and I thought, why don't you do something practical? Why don't you write a book? So I just got out some paper and pen and started writing, and stayed up, probably mostly day and night, for two weeks, and then within two weeks, my first book, Daisy was done, and that was that really the rest is history. Since then I have so I published it self. Published it just before my 70th birthday, and in the three years since then, I've written and published eight more. Contributed to five anthologies, written a little Yes, so yeah, written articles for magazines and been interviewed by lovely people like you, and the rest is history. Are you alright? Have I sent you to sleep? Talking?   Michael Hingson ** 24:58 No, I. Well, I'm just listening. I didn't know whether you were done. You know, it's, it's fascinating to to listen to the story and to hear you talk about what, what brought you to it, what made you decide what kind of books to write. I   Pat Backley ** 25:18 don't think I really did decide, um, my daughter for my birth, for the previous Christmas, had sent me a very dry little textbook, which she knew I love, called, I can't think exactly what it's called, something like the history of architecture, of council houses in the UK, something very boring like that. And it was, it was basically a textbook, because I love architecture as well. It was basically a textbook with just a few pictures in so I'd kind of put it on my coffee table, but not but ignored it. You know how you do when there's books? You know, you should, you kind of don't get around to it. So at the beginning of COVID, I picked it up one day, or a couple of days before I started writing, I picked it up, and within five minutes, I was enthralled. I got out post it notes. I'd stuck those all over little bits and written quotes, and I think that was kind of an inspiration. So I expected the book to be more about, have more of a theme of architecture. And in fact, the book doesn't. There is one guy who becomes an architect in it towards the end. But I think that kind of just just pushed something in my head into gear, because I firmly believe Michael. I mean, they always say that everyone has a book inside them, and I, when I do my talks now, I'm often photographed at a very funny stage where I'm going like this, because I'm just saying how somebody's it feels as though somebody's taken off the top of my head, and 70 years worth of words are just flying out. Because I find writing incredibly easy. The first book Daisy wrote itself pretty much, you know, I just kind of had an idea and and I wrote down a few things about possible people, and then they just wrote their own story, really, which I'm, you know, I know, as an author, you will understand that. And I would say, for all my other books, I've had an idea, but they've kind of, they've kind of written themselves, themselves   Michael Hingson ** 27:17 as well. Yeah. Well, you know, you talk about textbooks. I've been an advocate for some time about the concept that people should rewrite textbooks or make textbooks different than they are, and technical manuals, the same way, as you said, they're very boring and and they don't need to be in textbooks could draw people in a lot more than they than they do. For example, my master's degree is in physics, and when you're looking at a physics textbook, there are lots of mathematical equations and so on, and that's fine, but think of how much more interesting the book might be, and think of how much more you might draw the interest of people to the science by including in the book some stories about the the author. Their their, I don't want to necessarily say adventures, but their experience is why they became a physicist, why they do what they do, and bringing some humanity to the textbook, I think would make a significant difference to textbooks in general, but we don't see that, because people just want to get the facts out there.   Pat Backley ** 28:32 I couldn't agree more. I absolutely, totally agree. When I was at school, I hated doing research because it was boring. You had to learn the names of all the kings of England, and King, you know, Henry, the eighth wives, and when their heads got chopped off and all that stuff. And apart from the really scandalous bits, I wasn't really interested. But now I absolutely adore research. I discovered that my first book, Daisy is is a historical fiction, and so I had to do lots of research to make sure it was accurate, because you you know, if you write something in a book and it's not right, people are going to pick holes in it. I mean, they're going to pick holes in your work anyway, so you don't want to give them extra ammunition, right? But I discovered that I absolutely loved doing research. And of course, these days it's so easy because you just click a button on your computer and you can find out what cold scuttles were used in 1871 whereas in my youth, we had to trudge to the library get out all the encyclopedias. And so because of I've discovered that love of research, all my all my novels, are now historical because it's almost it gives me an excuse to go researching and finding out stuff. So it's opened up a whole new world to me, Michael and I just realized now that that expression education is wasted on the young is so true, because now in my seven. Is I am so open to learning new things, whereas in my teens, I was bored to death and just wanted to go home and play.   Michael Hingson ** 30:09 So what was Daisy about? Oh, well,   Pat Backley ** 30:11 Daisy, I'll just, I'll just read you a little bit on the back to give you an idea. Um, Daisy is a gentle family saga spanning almost 100 years, from 1887 to 1974 It is set in Alabama, Harlem and London, and incorporate some of the evils of society, poverty, racism and snobbery, as well as some of the greatest that life has to offer, family, friendship and love and a couple of quotes, being born poor was a scar that never faded, and she had never experienced racial hatred first hand, so had no real idea of how it could erode a person's whole life. So basically, it's just a story of a young woman born in the slums of London and a young man born into an affluent lifestyle on an Alabama plantation in 1871 and how their lives interwove, they never got together, but, you know, or all their extended people did, so it's right, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 31:14 right. Well, the thing about about that kind of a story is, again, it draws you in. I I would would say something slightly different. Being poor is a scar that that never fades. On the other hand, being poor also gave you, or would give Daisy the life that she had, which was, was so I would suspect so very invaluable to her overall life experiences.   Pat Backley ** 31:50 Yes, absolutely yes. And her life changes quite dramatically midway because of the people she meets. Yeah, it's I, it was in, it's interesting, because sometimes I reread it and I just think, Wow, this is quite a good story. And I then I feel bad for thinking that about my own writing, but I've written the second Daisy, which is obviously the follow up. And then I thought, actually I and then I wrote a little travel book and my life story and whatever. And then I thought, Oh, I really miss doing research. Perhaps I could write about my own family, my own ancestors. So I then wrote the ancestors series. I've done three in it, and wrote about my paternal grandparents, my maternal grandparents and my own parents. I've just published that book about them that was glorious, but very emotive, because obviously I knew certain bits about them. But delving back further and further into the family histories, you discover lots of things and very emotional to write, yeah, particularly one about my parents, because your parents are just your mom and dad, aren't they? You kind of don't think of them really, as people in their own right, but when you start writing their life story, you're living life through their shoes and and it, yeah, it made me very emotional. I cried every day writing my parents story, but now I'm really glad I did it, because it's kind of honored, honored their lives, and also it means they'll never die their even their photographs are on the cover. And my daughter said that she cried all the way reading it, and she said, Mom, it was wonderful, because I hardly knew them. You know, they died when she was quite young. Yeah, she's but now I understand, yeah, so because she's had, you know, she's had a reasonably nice upbringing. She hasn't had the upbringing that they had, or even I had. So, yeah, I think I try. I've become a bit I've become a bit of a pain now, because everyone I meet, I say, like last week, I did a talk at the local genealogy society, and I said to them, please write your story down or record it some way. Because once you die, your story dies with you, no one knows your life as well as you do. So, yeah, yeah. But I just love research. So now I'm thinking, oh, what else can I write about and do some research? I write about people. Michael, people are my passion. I love people and and ordinary people. I don't need to write about, you know, worthy things people, right?   Michael Hingson ** 34:24 But the other part about it is that you got, as you write about your parents, I'll bet you got to know them better, too, and it helps you understand the kind of life you had and they had. And I still bet overall, you could talk about wealth and all that, but you wouldn't trade your life for anything because it made you who you are today. Abs,   Pat Backley ** 34:49 you're absolutely right, and yes, you're right. Writing about their stories and all that they went through, it was Yeah. Just made me really, really realize that they were even. Special people than I knew they were. But no, I wouldn't trade anything. I mean, I had a wonderfully happy childhood, if you put aside that silly bit of bully in that, you know, I tend to know for the years. But, yeah, we I, I because I didn't know, really, that I got snippets of there being other kind of lives like, you know, I had rich friends who had lots of clothes, traveling all the time and stuff, but basically, my life was just my little nuclear family. In our little we had a little two bedroom house for six of us, and that was my life. We were very happy. There were very rarely raised voices, and that's why I didn't cope very well in my first marriage, when my husband, my first husband, suddenly showed me that he had a rather violent temper because I didn't know how to handle it, because I had never experienced that before in my whole life. So I in that way, I wasn't prepared. But yeah, I will always be grateful to my parents, because with very little, they gave us all a very happy childhood.   Michael Hingson ** 36:05 Well, so you started writing at the age of 70. Do you wish that you had started writing earlier? Or did you think about that? I   Pat Backley ** 36:17 think about it. I don't really, because I think I had to live through everything I've lived through get to the point now of being able to write in the way I do. And also, yeah, no, I don't really. I mean, the only thing I think is, oh, I hope I don't die before I before I get everything written, I want to write. That's my only thing. But no, I I've learned, Michael, not to regret anything in life, because if you do, the only person it hurts is yourself. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 36:47 because you are who you are, because of your life   Pat Backley ** 36:51 exactly, and you would understand that better than most. I mean, you cope so well with with being blind, which is absolutely remarkable, because most of us, if we suddenly can't see and need to wear a stronger pair of glasses, we just go down, you know, go down into a depressive state. So you're a wonderful beacon of hope. I think for an awful lot of people, of course,   Michael Hingson ** 37:15 the issue, and using that as an example, the issue is that you don't know anything about being blind or blindness, and people generally don't, and they make a lot of assumptions that are not necessarily true, but it is again, the lives that they live, and the reality is there's nothing wrong with being blind. We live in a world where most people are light dependent, that is, they can see. But the reality is, of course, in the perspective I try to oftentimes nowadays, to convey to people, is light dependence is just as much a disability as being light independent or blind, because as soon as the lights go out, you lose power, and if you don't have an immediate light source. You're in a world of hurt. And we really should think of disability as a characteristic that everyone has, except it manifests itself differently for different people. But unfortunately, people aren't ready to do that. And the reasons for bringing up the concept in that way is that I think that because disability is really a characteristic everyone has, it is also a way to help level the playing field. And that's something that is so hard to get people to do, because they really think, well, you're blind, you're not as good as I   Pat Backley ** 38:37 Oh, wow. Very profound. I love talking to you. Michael, this is fascinating stuff. Fascinating. I had, I had a little niece. Sadly, she died when she was 14. She had a dreadful genetic disease called battens, but she went blind for the last couple of years. It broke my heart. It broke my heart, but she seemed to just deal with it somehow. You know, it's, I guess we all get the strengths we need at the times we need them. Do you think   Michael Hingson ** 39:04 I think, I think that's true, or we can if, long as we accept it. But the reality is that, of course, she lost her her eyesight, but if she developed an attitude that I have other things that are available to me, so I'm going to be fine, then she would be fine. Yes,   Pat Backley ** 39:23 yeah, yeah. I mean, sadly, she lost all her faculties. She couldn't talk. She so everything went but, but it was when her eyes went and she was still able to understand, that was the hardest thing. So I remember years ago when I worked in Barclays Bank, when I was quite in my 20s, and we were, I worked in a big branch at the time, and we had a blind telephonist, because in those days, back in the 60s, I think it was kind of what they did. It was when there were all those great big telephonic boards, you know, press all the buttons. And we had a guy called Peter, and he had. His dog was called penny, and our branch was on the corner of this huge, wide road in a place called Kingston, just outside London. And to cross the road, there were like six lanes of traffic, and it was really, really dangerous. And we would come out of work in the afternoon, and we'd all be standing there hesitant to cross the road, and Peter would suddenly just march across the road with Penny, and we'd all be standing there in awe. And one day I crossed with I've got brave, and I crossed over with him, and we got to the other side, and I said, Peter, how can you do that? He said, Oh, well. He said, It's always useful being blind, because traffic feels sorry for you, so they all kind of slow down anyway. He said, But, but. He said, But Penny leads me. He said, she just, she just, she just knows it's fine, so she just the dog just, just takes me over. I was fascinated, but he had just recently married about two years earlier he'd been, he'd been fully sighted till he was 11, and then he and some friends were messing about on the railway lines, and he fell over and bashed his head, and he went blind. So he had been sighted and but now he he was married, he had a little baby, and I said, Oh, Peter, can you actually see your baby, or do you just kind of have to feel the outline? He said, Oh no. He said, I got a tiny, tiny bit of vision. He said, so I can see the shape of the baby. And I just always remember thinking you're so brave. That was, that was what I thought. I just felt he was so brave. Well, just remember   Michael Hingson ** 41:27 the dictionary, you know? Well, just remember the dictionary defines to see is to perceive. It doesn't necessarily need to be with the eyes and and there's so many other senses that give us this a lot of information as well. For me, I don't want my dog to decide when we cross the street in general, unless the dog refuses to go because there's a hybrid car or something coming that I don't hear. But it's my job to know when to go and and I know how to do that, and so I can listen for the traffic flow and and, and go accordingly. And at the same time, if I then tell the dog to go forward and the dog won't go my immediate assumption is there's a reason for that, and and, and usually there is because the dog and I have developed that kind of a relationship where the dog knows it's my job to tell the dog where to go, and it's the dog's job to make sure that we get there safely. It's a very close knit team. It's as close knit of a team as you can imagine, and it's what it's really all about. So the dog and I each do our jobs, and when we do them correctly together, what a wonderful world. It becomes   Pat Backley ** 42:47 fabulous. And it obviously works because you're still standing, you're still here,   Michael Hingson ** 42:54 and my and my dog is over here, breathing very deeply, asleep. Oh, so you you stick with historical fiction. Have you ever thought of writing other kinds of books, like adventures or novels or that are not historic in nature, fantasy or any of those? I   Pat Backley ** 43:17 don't think I've got the right brain set to do fantasy or horror or crime. I, I I'm writing historical because I've discovered a great love for it, but I've also, I also have a great love for travel. So I wrote a little travel book, and I've just done a big trip, so I'm going to write another travel book, because that's another great love I wrote. I wrote my memoirs, which was very satisfying, you know, to write my own story down so it's there forever, if you like. And I also wrote a little book called The abandoned wives handbook, which I didn't want to write. I just kept putting it off. And then one day, I woke up at three in the morning and this voice saying to me, Pat, you have to write this book to help other people. So I just wrote this. I cried all the time. Writing it, as you've probably deduced, I'm a great crier. I think crying is is the best way of getting stress out of your system, out of my system. So I wrote this book. It's just a tiny little book that you can pop into a handbag called the abandoned wives handbook. And I've just made it like a little dictionary. I call it a dictionary of distress, and it's just to I'll just just briefly read you the backseat and understand the pain of abandonment is huge. The partner you loved and cherished for so many years has decided you are no longer required past your sell by date of no use to them anymore, so tossed out like a piece of garbage, abandoned with barely a backward glance, in an attempt to keep this a gentle, light hearted read, each chapter is divided into letters of the alphabet, rather like a dictionary of distress, something you can dip into at any time. I am not an expert, merely someone who has survived one of life's great traumas and has come through. Is a stronger, more resilient person, so I didn't want to write it. I hated doing it. I've, I published it, and it's, ironically, one of my best selling books people buy   Michael Hingson ** 45:13 all the time. Do you publish your own books, or do you have a publisher? I   Pat Backley ** 45:17 have, I have done till this point, Michael, but simply because I'm feeling I'm too old to hang around waiting to get noticed. But I have just written, I have just finished another book, which I I just feel might be slightly more commercial, so I may try seeing if I can get an agent for that. But I will probably only try one or two, and then if they say no, I'll just give up and self publish. The only thing against self publishing for me now is that it because I want to do it properly. You know, I pay an editor, I pay a cover designer, I pay a formatter. It becomes quite expensive to pay people. So that's my that's my only downside. But I do like to be totally in control. You know, I can choose my own covers. I can choose when it's published. I can choose what the content is. And if you go with a traditional publisher, you often lose the ability to have the same control   Michael Hingson ** 46:11 well, or you you negotiate, but, but, yeah, I understand what you're saying. I also have to say I understand fully this whole concept of abandonment. When my seventh guide dog Africa retired, and she retired because she wasn't seeing well and she was slowing down, so I knew it was time to get a new guide dog. So it was February 9 of 2018, and we lived here, and her puppy raiser, the people who raised her, they call them, I think, in New Zealand, puppy walkers, but they live about 140 miles south, or about 120 miles in a town called Carlsbad. And they came and I, and I said that they could have Africa, and the only reason I gave her up was because we already had my wife's service dog and a cat, and I was going to get another dog, and Karen wasn't really going to be able to handle taking care of two dogs and a cat when I traveled to speak, so we agreed that Africa could go live with the bill And Peggy, and they came and picked her up, and she walked out the door without a backward glance. I was abandoned.   47:26 Oh, that's awful,   Michael Hingson ** 47:28 yeah. Well, we actually, we went. We went down and visited her several times. She was just excited. No, she's, she was a great dog. And, yes, yeah, you know. And they got to have her for two years before she passed. But she was, she was a good dog and and she had a good life. And I can't complain a bit, but it's fun to tease about how obviously we have abandoning issues here. Yes, yeah.   Pat Backley ** 47:53 And I think that's the secret in life, Michael, to always find something to be happy about and smile about, because life can be very tough, can't it? I mean, you know, it's, yeah, life is tough. And so I think if we don't find, try and seek a little joy, we might as well all give up, you know, yeah, yeah. And   Michael Hingson ** 48:14 there's no need to do that. I mean, God put us on this earth to live an adventure. And life is an adventure,   48:21 absolutely,   Michael Hingson ** 48:22 no matter what we do. Yes,   48:25 absolutely. Well, how do you   Michael Hingson ** 48:26 develop your characters? I mean, you're writing historical fiction, so you're you're using history and and periods of time as the the setting for your books, but you're creating your own characters primarily, I gather,   Pat Backley ** 48:39 yes, yes. To be honest, in my head, when I start writing, I almost have an exact picture of my characters. I know exactly what they look like. I mean, if I was to, if I was to suddenly get a film offer, I could easily say how these people should look, because I they're real for for example, a few months after I oh no, maybe a year or so after I published Daisy, I was talking to my daughter one day, and I just said, Oh, do you remember when Theo did whatever? And she looked me straight in the eye, and she said, Mum, I don't know your characters as well as you do. And I just, we both burst out laughing, because to me, they're real people. You know, I I can picture them. I know exactly what they look like. And I think even when I start a new book in my head, I already know what my characters look like. They may not as the plot goes on, behave in the way I want them to, but I know how I know who they are. I know how they how they look. Yeah, they're going   Michael Hingson ** 49:43 to write the book and they're going to tell you what you need to do. Yeah, totally. But you use, but you use, I assume, real places in your books. I always   Pat Backley ** 49:51 use real places, always Yeah, and always places I know, because I think you can write more authentically then, like in days. I wrote about Harlem and Alabama and New York and London, or not New York in that one, but London and because I know all those places, I've been there and you know, they're, they're familiar to me, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 50:13 yeah. So you, you, you let them do what they do, and out comes the book.   Pat Backley ** 50:21 Absolutely, that's right, yes, yeah, have you   Michael Hingson ** 50:25 written any yet in New Zealand?   Pat Backley ** 50:29 You mean, based in New Zealand? The funny thing is, Michael, being an immigrant is and I have spoken to lots of other immigrants about this. In fact, I co authored a book in lockdown called the warrior women project, a sisterhood of immigrant women, which is based in the States. And all the other women are are living in the States, except me, and I caught up with them when I came over to the states. Couple of months ago, we had a reunion, met for the first time, which was wonderful, but we all said, once you are an immigrant, you never truly belong anywhere. You know, when I go, I always feel a little bit of an outsider here. I've been here 14 years now, and that's nobody's that's nothing anybody does. That's just my feeling deep inside. I go back to England, and I feel like an outsider. I used to live in Fiji when I was in my 20s, and then I had a house there. Until my divorce, I go back there, and I've got a lot of extended friend family there, I go back there, and I always feel like an a bit of an outsider. So I think that's the price you pay for wanting a life less ordinary. You know, you somehow become like a little bit of a floating person. And I don't to answer your question, I don't really feel qualified to write about New Zealand. Obviously, I talk about it in my travel book and I talk about different places, but to base the whole story here, I don't feel qualified. There are enough fabulous New Zealand authors who are doing that already, who've been born here, who understand the country, who, you know, who, yeah, they're   Michael Hingson ** 52:07 just at the same time you wrote Daisy, which took place in part in Alabama. How much time did you spend, you know? So it may be, it may be something in the future where a character will pop out and say, I want to be in New Zealand, but that's something to look at.   Pat Backley ** 52:23 Yes, I love it when somebody like you calls me out on my own, my own things, because you're absolutely right. I That's That was a silly argument to say. I don't know it enough. So thank you for that. You've made me rethink. That's good.   Michael Hingson ** 52:37 Well, so I gather that when you're writing, you think you have the plot planned out, or you you try to have the plot planned out, but it doesn't necessarily go the way you plan it. Does it?   Pat Backley ** 52:49 No, not at all. I mean, I know roughly what I want to say. I think what I'm definitely, definitely know what I want to do is get certain little messages across. And that doesn't matter what my characters do, because I can weave that in, like in Daisy. I wanted to get across that slavery was dreadful, and racism is dreadful, and the way black people were treated when they went to England in the 1950s was dreadful. So I managed to we, and that's and that's snobbishness and stuff is dreadful. So I managed to always weave those kind of themes into my books. And apparently, it has been said by reviewers that I do it so well that people it just makes people think about what that how they think how Yeah, so, so those main themes, if you like, I managed to weave into my stories, regardless of how badly my characters behave.   Michael Hingson ** 53:45 So when you're writing, are you pretty disciplined? Do you have certain times that you write, or do you just sit down and write till you're ready to stop for the day? Or what I   Pat Backley ** 53:56 am very non disciplined, undisciplined, whatever the term is supposed to be. I have great intentions. I think, right, I'm going to spend tomorrow writing. I'll be at my desk by eight o'clock, and I'll sit little five. And then at nine o'clock, I get up to go make a cup of coffee. And at 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock, I'm out weeding the garden, and then I might come back in and do a little bit, and then I go off and do something else. So I am dreadfully undisciplined, but I work really well to deadlines. Just before I went away on my big trip in September, I was part way through a book, probably a third way through writing a new book, and I woke up one day and I thought, right, I'm going to get that book finished before I go. I had three weeks left. In that three weeks, I had masses of appointments. I had to sort out my wardrobe, which, as a woman, is a huge problem, one that you've probably never had, but you know, you have to decide what goes with what and how many dresses you should take, and it's a huge issue for a lot of women. So I had a lot of jobs to do in that three. Weeks instead of which, I decided to set myself as self imposed time to get the book finished. Crazy. Just, I mean, why? Why? Why crazy?   Michael Hingson ** 55:09 And did you the day   Pat Backley ** 55:11 before? There you are. I was so proud of myself because I just that was it. I decided I and what I did to make myself accountable, I actually put a post on Facebook and Instagram saying, why, and all these little yellow post it notes, and I'd written on their pack suitcase, Do this, do this, do this. And so I just said to everyone that I'd given myself this self pointed deadline so I had made myself publicly accountable. If I hadn't done that, I probably wouldn't have finished it, but I find, for me, that's the best way of disciplining myself is to have a deadline with everything in life, really, yeah. But the   Michael Hingson ** 55:49 other part about it is, even when you're as you would put it, being undisciplined, your brain is still working on the book, and the characters are are mulling things over, so it does pop out. Oh, totally,   Pat Backley ** 56:00 totally. And I end up with lots of little scrappy notes all over the house, you know, where I've just grabbed a piece of paper and written down something. And then, of course, I have to gather them all together. And when I was in the States recently, I spent two months, and I've got scrap I was doing a lot of research, and I've got scrappy notes everywhere. So I've now got to try and pull those all together while my brain still remembers what they were meant to be, you know, like lady in red dress in New Orleans. Well, what does that really mean? So, right? I'm, I'm my own worst enemy in many ways, but,   Michael Hingson ** 56:37 but she thought, and so you went through it exactly, exactly, yeah, that's okay. Where did you travel in September?   Pat Backley ** 56:45 I went to Atlanta first to meet up with these warrior women, which was truly fabulous. Then I went to New Orleans, and my friend who lives in Alabama, picked me up, and we went to New Orleans, and then we drove back to Alabama. She lives in Huntsville. So I was there for a week and was doing lots of research, because Daisy is partly based right and then we then she drove me back to Nashville, and I flew to New York, where I was meeting some friends from New Zealand who lived there six months of the year. So I spent six days there and went to Harlem for more research and stuff like that, and then flew to Canada, to Toronto, where two friends, a lady I'd met when we had our daughters together, and her daughter, they now live in France. They flew from France, met me in Toronto, we hired the biggest SUV I've ever seen in my life, and we drove across Canada for three weeks, which was such fun, such fun. And then I came home. So I've got millions of scrappy notes that I need to pull together to write a travel book and to use as inspiration for my novels.   Michael Hingson ** 58:01 So you so you're going to write another travel book? I   58:05 am going to write another travel book. Yeah, yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 58:09 And the the abandoned wives handbook, that's kind of a self help book. That's a self help book, yes, yeah. Just you think you'll write another one of   Pat Backley ** 58:17 those? No, no, I'm done with that one's enough of those, huh? Yeah, that's right. I'm not an expert, Michael and the I just, I just, but the funny thing is, when I do talks, I always talk about all my books. And a few weeks ago, I was talking at this very smart meeting of ex business people, both ladies and gentlemen, and they were all over 60. Um, so quite a conservative audience. And at the end, or towards the end, I just mentioned this abandoned Wise Book, I tend to skim over it. I don't really, I don't really talk about it too much unless the audience is particularly relevant. But I just said to them, oh, and this is my little book. And someone said, Oh, could you read us an excerpt from it? So I said, Okay, I'll just open the book at random. And I opened the book and the title, what you won't be able to see here, the title of that chapter was K for kill. And I thought, no, no, I don't want to read about kill front of this audience. So I just made a joke of it and and I'll just read it to you, because it will make you laugh, as I have said previously under Section indecisive. You may, in your darkest moments, think about hurting him. This is not really a great idea, as you would undoubtedly be caught and end up in prison. Yeah, you so, you know, I and then I went on a bit more, but, you know, it's some yeah and no, I'm done with that book. I've, I've done my bit for humanity with that. It seems to be helping a lot of people. So that's that's enough.   Michael Hingson ** 59:45 Yeah, I would never make a good criminal, because I know I'd be caught and and I don't know how to keep from getting caught, and frankly, don't care about trying to get worry about getting caught or not getting caught. It's easier just not to be a criminal. So it works out fine. So. Yes,   1:00:00 exactly. Yeah, me too. Me too. So much   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:02 easier. So much easier. Absolutely, absolutely yes. Well, if people want to reach out to you and maybe learn a little bit more about you or meet you, how do they do that? Okay,   Pat Backley ** 1:00:12 well, my website is just patch back league com, so it's very easy. Um, I'm Can you spell that please? Yes, yes, of course, P, A, T, B, A, C, K, L, E, y.com.com, yeah, and I'm on all the channels, as you know, Facebook and Instagram and x and LinkedIn and stuff as Pat Backley author or pat Backley books. And my books are all available from Amazon, all the online retailers, Barnes and Noble stuff like that, as ebooks or paperbacks, or if someone desperately wanted a signed copy, I'm very happy to send them a signed copy, and you can get them from you can request them from libraries.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:59 Have you? Have you thought about making any of them an audio format?   Pat Backley ** 1:01:05 I have someone's. A few people have suggested that this year, when I've been doing talks, they've come up to me afterwards, and yes, I think I'm going to, as long as it's not too costly, because at the moment, my budget is extremely limited, but I'm going to do them myself, because everyone feels that my books will be come come across better in my own voice so well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:25 and you read well. So I think that makes a lot of sense to consider.   Pat Backley ** 1:01:29 Thank you, Michael, that's very kind of you. Well, Pat,   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:33 this has been fun, and I've enjoyed it. I've learned a lot of things as well, and I'm and I'm glad that we've had this chance. We need to do it again. When are you going to start a podcast?   Pat Backley ** 1:01:47 Well, funny, you should say that I've decided I'm going to I'm going to just dip my toes in very gently. I'm going to start it in the new year, and I'm going to call it and this makes everyone who knows me laugh. I'm going to call it just 10 minutes with Pat Backley. And everyone has said, Oh, don't be ridiculous. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:05 I agree, 10   Pat Backley ** 1:02:06 minutes, but I thought it's a way of just gently edging in. And then if people enjoy listening to me, they might want to listen for longer after a while. But I thought initially, just 10 minutes, little snippets, if they like what they hear, they might come back.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:21 They'll come back. Oh, I don't think there would be a problem. Well, if you, if you ever need a guest to come and spend at least 10 minutes, just let me know. I   Pat Backley ** 1:02:30 certainly shall. I have absolutely loved talking to you. Michael, thank you so much for inviting me as well. This is a very joyful morning. I've really loved it. Thank you. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:39 this has been fun, and I want to thank all of you for listening. I hope you've enjoyed it and reach out to Pat. I'm sure she would love to communicate with you, and maybe in some way, you'll end up in a book, which is always a nice, good thing to think about as well. I'd love to hear what you think about our podcast today. So please feel free to email me. Michael, h, i, m, I, C H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I b, e.com, or go to our podcast page, which is at w, w, w, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and Michael hingson is spelled M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, S O n.com/podcast, wherever You're listening. We would really appreciate it if you would give us a five star rating. And we we value that. We value your thoughts and input. Pat for you and all of you listening. If you know an

We know airfares are expensive, right? Everybody, and I mean everybody, I know who's booked flights recently has made the comment that an overseas flight is cheaper than flying just about anywhere around New Zealand – especially to the provincial centres. Easter was huge in terms of airfares, but even on your normal everyday Wednesday morning, flying to Timaru, flying to Tauranga, it's going to set you back a fortune. We've been complaining about Air New Zealand's pricing now ever since we could get back in the air again after Covid, but what can we do? Air New Zealand says its experienced more cost inflation in the past three years than was typically seen in a decade, with Covid, a weak New Zealand dollar, and geopolitics all to blame. Richard Thompson, Air New Zealand's Chief Financial Officer says their costs over the past 3.5 years have gone up by roughly 30%. Domestic airfares on average have gone up by around 24%, so they're trying to absorb the costs, they say. He argues that flying is still a relatively affordable way to get around the country, with every $400 or $500 fare, he says, there are thousands of examples of $129 fares or even $99 fares. He said I was speaking with someone before Christmas who wanted to get from Timaru to Napier. They were paying $600 or $700 one way. But what's the alternative? You drive to Picton. It'll cost you $100 in gas. If you take the ferry across, that's another $250 or $300. Then another $50 or $60 in gas to get to Napier. He said driving isn't cheap either. But now the government's getting in on the act. Associate Transport Minister James Meager is not ruling out underwriting the expansion of small regional airlines to help maintain routes and keep the price of flying competitive. But truly, the thing is we simply do not have the population base to support viable competition. How many airlines have tried and failed to establish themselves in the market? Just thinking back, in the last couple of decades, Freedom Air, Kiwi Air, and Ansett - they came, they tried, they failed. Don't get me wrong, competition is a good thing. We do have Jetstar, bless them and where they fly, you'll generally find the routes are the most competitive in terms of airfares, and the most reliable – because let's not forget about reliability. And I don't think that's a coincidence. I'm supposed to be flying to Tauranga in a couple of weeks for the day, for a job. And I'm supposed to be flying down on Saturday morning and flying back on Saturday evening. I have absolutely no confidence that that will happen. None. I mean, I hope it does, because there's a film crew down there and it will be a costly exercise if I fail to make it. I'm not planning anything for that particular Saturday night because the last time I flew to Tauranga, I got down there fine and then sat for just under 7 hours in the regional lounge waiting for a plane that never came, or it didn't come for a very, very long time. And yes, you can drive, but it's a horrible drive. But what do you do? It's a horrible drive or you accept that there's a very real chance that the plane won't take off when it says it's going to. Why, though, is the government interfering in the market? I found it really interesting that successive governments, Labour and National have wanted to tinker with privately owned businesses like supermarkets, and petrol companies, and banks, and now the airlines. They want to sort of tweak and fiddle around to try and bring prices down and make things more competitive, and it's all about the consumer and you know. Fabulous. Why don't they bring down the price of power? That's something they do control. The governments are in charge of that. Not everybody flies, we all use electricity. It is what it is. It's expensive to run an airline. Really expensive now in the wake of Covid and it's all been outlined as to why it's so expensive. Flying is expensive. We know that. We baulk at paying the prices if we can. They will allow some subsidies if you're going for a funeral, if there's humanitarian reasons for getting somewhere quickly. Air New Zealand can allow for cheaper airfares, but ultimately, do we want the government, that is the taxpayer, subsidising competition in the aviation industry? I wouldn't have thought that was a good use of taxpayer money. Why on Earth should other taxpayers who don't fly, subsidise those who want to flit off to Hawkes Bay or Queenstown for a jolly. I just don't see why the government should be interfering with the business of flying planes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Queenstown's OG grom crew Sam Deavoll drops by. Tune in while we talk about Outrunning one on NZ biggest avalanches, Sub 20, Amnesia after the Wanaka Big Air, Tony Woolston, Hana Sullivan, The Deros, Growing up in Queenstown and so much more...Enjoy!! P.s. that method is switch!!

Mel & Toc took the show on the road to Queenstown in New Zealand for the 8th palm, and the first outside Australia. We spoke to our two international attendees - Johan Duvenhage from Sud Afrique and Ali Sheppard from the UK. Lyndell and Tracey ran the quizz, and we enjoyed our usual Q & A with the live audience ... some of which you will get to hear.

Jared discusses the Shotover wastewater treatment plant, NASA is back in Wanaka, an update on the Roxburgh Cinema and Town Hall, and there's been snow... in April! Jared McCulloch is a 1 News Reporter in Queenstown

Episode SummaryAnton Jackson Smith is a synthetic biologist, Stanford PhD, and founder of b.next—a startup building synthetic cells from scratch to make biology truly programmable. Think of it as rewriting life's codebase, with applications ranging from cancer treatments and diagnostics to lab-grown foods and smart crops.In today's episode, Anton breaks down what synthetic cells actually are (and why they matter), how his open-source platform Nucleus is changing the way biology is engineered, and why the future of medicine, agriculture, and climate tech might be written in DNA.We also dig into his journey, from coding in Queenstown and law school in Otago, to cutting-edge research in Silicon Valley, and how a random article on programmable E. coli changed everything.In this conversation, we cover:• How synthetic cells could power the next generation of therapeutics and diagnostics• Why biology needs its own “AWS moment” and how open source can unlock it• The real business model behind synthetic biology (and why it's not just science)• How Kiwi strengths in agriculture and biotech could shape a global future• What New Zealand needs to do to retain and return its brightest mindsAnton also shares his vision for a safer, more ethical bio-economy, and how we can build powerful new tools without repeating the mistakes of the past.Time Stamps01:21 What is a synthetic cell—and why should you care?06:44 How Anton fell into biology (thanks to an E. coli article in Vietnam)11:12 Why modifying real cells isn't enough—and what BNext is doing differently16:30 The near-term use cases: cancer, diagnostics, and food22:47 How Nucleus is creating the open-source toolkit for biology30:14 Three phases of BNext's business model: Boot → Build → Bazaar37:10 The big vision: programmable biology that saves lives44:18 What New Zealand's biotech future could look like47:30 Returning talent, building bridges, and bringing brains back homeResources

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE!Finn Caddie joins ACC Head G Lane to discuss an incident with an Australian mother in Queenstown (00:20)... Then the fellas preview the NZ Cricket Awards tonight and predictions on when and why G Lane will be kicked out (06:00), before chatting about Gary Stead stepping down as Black Caps white-ball coach and who could replace him (13:45). Then, France facing a 57 Million Dollar loss post RWC 2023 (18:00) and some shocking concussion cheating allegations have been directed towards the Indian cricket team (22:20)...Finally, they get to your feedback in 'Yours Please' (28:05)... Brought to you by Export Ultra!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queenstown has been suffering from growing pains for years but with visitor and resident numbers continuing to swell it's turning into a full-blown belly ache. The Queenstown Lakes population is about 52,000 people, but that grows to about 120,000 people in peak summer. As the government pushes for more tourist arrivals, reporter Tess Brunton has been speaking to locals about the pressures their community is facing and what's on the horizon.

A Queenstown fine dining restaurant is basking in the glow of global recognition. Amisfield executive chef Vaughan Mabee spoke to Corin Dann.

In this special Titanic-themed bedtime story, created in response to a listener's request, we journey to Queenstown, Ireland—the last port of call before the Titanic's voyage across the Atlantic. On the morning of its departure, Barry awakens from a vivid and haunting dream: a vision of the ship's fate that he feels deep in his bones. What follows is a quiet yet powerful tale of warning, disbelief, and the heavy burden of knowing. This story was inspired by the true history of the Titanic and is released in honour of the anniversary of its sinking on April 15th.   Looking for more immersive bedtime stories, meditations, calming soundscapes, and mindfulness support? Your Sleep Guru® was created as a natural, mindful alternative to sleep aids and traditional wellness apps. It offers gentle support for rest, relaxation, and emotional well-being. Inside the app, you'll find a growing library of exclusive sleep stories, sound journeys, guided visualisations, and mindfulness courses designed to help you unwind, reset, and reconnect. Download the app now:

Central Otago has once again caught the attention of world-renowned food critics. In Food & Wine's Global Tastemaker Awards, Queenstown's Amisfield has been named the third best restaurant in the world. It was recognised in the Top 15 International Restaurants category, with the judges saying it was a “beacon for wine enthusiasts worldwide who seek an unparalleled dining experience”. Executive Chef Vaughan Mabee told Mike Hosking they're always striving to improve and give their guests an amazing experience. He says they try to show them the beauty and bounty of New Zealand and its differences through our food and wine. Mabee was also voted in the world's top 45 chefs – the sole Kiwi in the top hundred. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Queenstown councillor has been demoted after revealing a confidential council plan to discharge treated sewage into the Shotover River. Last week, Niki Gladding leaked the council's plans to pump at least 12,000 cubic metres of treated sewage into the river per day using emergency powers. The mayor called an extraordinary meeting in Queenstown this afternoon, with staff recommending she is removed from her committee roles. Reporter Tess Brunton was there.

A Queenstown councillor was stripped of her roles after spilling the beans on confidential plans to invoke emergency powers to pump treated waste water into the Shotover river. Niki Gladding leaked the plan to dump 12,000 cubic metres of treated sewage into the river each day because of problems with the land area where it's previously been pumped. Gladding spoke to Lisa Owen.

A new report has found some Queenstown Lakes communities have to travel seven hours to see a specialist doctor and pay for healthcare that's free in other parts of the district. Tess Brunton has more.

Have you ever played ‘What Are The Odds?' It's a game both loved and feared by backpackers the world over. When taken seriously, it can result in some embarrassing but hilarious stories! Tune in to hear Alun's moment of genius whilst playing the game in an Italian restaurant in Brazil. Challenge accepted!Alun's broadcasting from the UK, having returned for a quick family visit, before setting off on yet another adventure. Adam's back in New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, after driving his beloved rental car all the way from Queenstown: 1600kms, 48 hours, one ferry, and nowhere near enough sleep!As always, if you have any questions, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message using the contact form on our website: ⁠⁠tripologypodcast.com⁠⁠Need travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/tripsafetywing⁠⁠⁠⁠Require an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

Queenstown Airport said pumping treated sewage into the Shotover river is not the only way to lower the risk of bird strikes from the animals congregating on waste water near the runway. It would be happy with net covers. The Queenstown Lakes District Council says it's being forced to use emergency powers to dump 12,000 cubic metres of effluent into the river each day, because the current disposal filed is failing, with water ponding on the surface. Queenstown Airport Chief Operating Officer Todd Grace spoke to Lisa Owen.

Treated wastewater could pour into a Queenstown river within days despite protesters pleading for councillors not to treat it like a sewer. The Queenstown Lakes District Council plans to use emergency powers to let 12,000 cubic metres of treated sewage into the Shotover River every day. Tess Brunton reports from Queenstown.

Kia Ora! Adam's in Queenstown after making the big move to New Zealand. He's currently road tripping around the country, visiting both the North and South Islands, in search of somewhere to base himself. Issues with a rental vehicle see Adam receive a double upgrade, resulting in him travelling in more luxury than he's used to.Tripping Point's back with a New Zealand special. Alun may have an impressive record but how much does he know about New Zealand? You'll find no kiwis but plenty of Fergburgers!As always, if you have any questions, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a message using the contact form on our website: ⁠tripologypodcast.com⁠Need travel insurance? We recommend SafetyWing! Click here to get started: ⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/tripsafetywing⁠⁠⁠Require an onward flight? Please use this fantastic flight rental service: ⁠⁠⁠https://onwardticket.com/tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠Looking for accommodation in Queenstown, New Zealand? Stay with Nomads: https://nomadsworld.com/new-zealand/nomads-queenstown/Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/tripologypodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@tripologypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Please rate the show and help us grow! Recommend the podcast to family & friends (all of them). It makes a HUGE difference. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world.

It will be an Englishman leading out Moana Pasifika for their Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Chiefs in Pukekohe tomorrow night. Tom Savage has been given the captain's arm-band in the absence of regular skipper Ardie Savea. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Streets are becoming toilets and rubbish pits.That was one resident's message to Queenstown Lake District Councillors in a call for the council to crackdown on freedom campers. Councillors voted to pursue a new freedom camping bylaw at a meeting this afternoon.The old 2021 bylaw was quashed by the High Court last year. Anna Sargent reports.

Outdoor Education in Neuseeland: Das Branches CampIn dieser Episode von Holy Sheep Neuseeland tauchen wir tief in ein zentrales Element des neuseeländischen Lehrplans ein: Outdoor Education – eine ganz besondere Form der Naturerlebnispädagogik.Ein herausragendes Beispiel dafür ist das Branches Camp der Wakatipu High School. Gegründet vor fast 60 Jahren, hat sich dieses Schulcamp von einer k leinen Gruppe mit 19 Schüler:innen zu einem beeindruckenden Abenteuer für 200 Zehntklässler entwickelt. 12 Tage geht es in die Wildnis – eine Erfahrung, die nicht nur körperlich herausfordert, sondern für viele auch den symbolischen Übergang ins Erwachsenenleben markiert.Wie sich das Camp vom klassischen deutschen Schullandheim unterscheidet und was die Schüler:innen dort erleben, erzählt uns eine deutsche Lehrerin aus Queenstown, die das Camp hautnah miterlebt hat.Viel Spaß mit dieser Folge!Unser InterviewgastJanina bei InstagramNoch mehr Episoden mit JaninaTOP 5 NordinselWebseite/ Spotify /Apple PodcastJobs in Neuseeland - Manuka, Schafe und Fish´n´Chips:Webseite / Spotify /Apple PodcastBuch: Long drops and Hard knocks - celebrating 50 years of Wakatipu High School´s Branches CampHier bestellenUnser Werbepartner dieser Folge:Study Nelson. Eine Bildungsberatungsagentur in Nelson auf der Südinsel Neuseelands.Webseite Study NelsonInstagram Study NelsonEinfach bei der Anfrage "Holy Sheep" eingeben und dann bekommt ihr 100 Euro Rabatt.Podcast-Episode mit der Unternehmensgründerin BirgitWebseite / Spotify / Apple PodcastVideos, Fotos und viele Hintergrundinformationen gibt es auf unserem Instagram-AccountUnsere Outdoor-Lieblinge für neuseeländische Natur: DILLING Merino-Damen ShirtDILLING Merino / Damen-LegginsIcebreaker Langarm MerinowolleHerren Langarm Merino Affiliate-Links. Wenn du darüber kaufst, erhalte ich eine kleine Provision (Centbeträge), ohne dass es dich mehr kostet.Ein Weg unseren Podcast zu unterstützen, ohne Mehrkosten.

Making that settling-in process a little easier, the small and welcoming Happiness House has been making an big impact on several lives in Queenstown. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

On todays episode of Fletch, Vaughan & Hayley's Big Pod Ex spray painted the wrong car Top 6 Aussie school lunches Queenstown airport Toto Interview SLP - Do you still use dating apps Great debate - Comfort food AI wingman for dating How long did you keep an office romance a secret Don't open group chats What did someone say that you've never forgotten Fact of the day Hayley's car drama Vaughan goes camping See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queenstown, Central Otago and Otago Regional councils sign off on a combined submission under the government's Regional Deal agreement, what's next for the the 128 year-old Roxburgh cinema after the devastating fire, and another A-list celebrity is in Queenstown. Jared McCulloch is a 1 News Reporter in Queenstown,

The Warriors struggle as rugby league has a Las Vegas sabbatical. The Blues beat the Hurricanes in another thriller in Super Rugby Pacific, so are the defending champs back? In cricket, the Black Caps are in the Champions Cup semi final and Dame Lydia Ko wins another LPGA championship as a tale of sporting redemption for Australian Ryan Peake at the NZ Open in Queenstown.

The New Zealand Open in Queenstown was won by a former West Australian bikie gang member, Ryan Peake, who finished one shot clear of his closest rivals. Meanwhile New Zealand's Lydia Ko was breaking new ground in Singapore by winning the HSBC Women's World Championship for the first time. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Leiataualesa Susana Lei'ataua

We catch up with a Queenstown legend who has been commentating on the Rural Games for the full ten years it has been going, ahead of this year’s event in Palmerston North.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

156 professionals and 156 amateurs are competing on the two courses at Millbrook Resort. The professional golfers will compete for the New Zealand Open title whilst simultaneously a pairing of one professional and one amateur will play a best-ball format for the New Zealand Open Pro-Am Championship. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Every once and a while we have to take a break from our par, birdie, eagle format but this one is worth it. Queenstown Harbor is located just outside of Annapolis about an hour from DC proper. If you are looking for a quick get away from DC with the boys the accomodations and golf make this place a must visit. Make sure you check out our newest episode and let us know what you think#golf #golfpod #golfmd #golfers #golfersofinsta #dadgolf #dadgolfers #golfingdads #golfpodcast #golfmaryland #golfqueenstown #queenstownharbor

On today’s radio show: We’re talking about the protocols around disabled toilets, how much cocaine someone tried to smuggle into NZ over the weekend, and Laura McGoldrick joins us to chat about the ICC Champions Trophy! The Black Caps kick things off against Pakistan at 10pm tonight! And don’t forget, we drop two new podcast episodes every day, right where you found this one!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns are being raised that a new tourism campaign will just result in a big influx of tourists to Queenstown. Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Alice Robinson has made history on the slopes in Austria winning New Zealand's first alpine ski world championships medal. Robinson claimed the silver medal in the giant slalom behind an athlete from Italy. Prior to this, New Zealand's best result at a world championships was Robinson's fourth place back in 2021 and slalom skier Claudia Riegler in 1996 in Spain. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Two-time Olympian, alpine skier Alice Robinson, heads into the world championships in Austria tonight on top of the world. Robinson won the giant slalom event in Italy last month in what was her first victory since 2021. The Queenstown skier has also been on the podium three other times this season making her one to keep an eye on. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The New Zealand Open has joined the qualification pathway for The Open Championship in Northern Ireland in July. This gives amateurs and professional golfers a chance to win at Millbrook Resort and then be on the tee competing for the famous Claret Jug. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Queenstown skier Alice Robinson admits she's probably been a bit braver this season and is hoping that will help her in the World Championships in Austria over the next week. Robinson spoke to sports reporter Barry Guy.

The mayor of a top tourist town is urging the government to push ahead with a bed tax but says the money should not go into Wellington's coffers. Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers is desperate for an accommodation levy and for the proceeds to stay local but believes the biggest hurdle to introducing a bed tax is probably one of the coalition partners. Lewers spoke to Lisa Owen.

Trapping is hard mahi, especially on rugged terrain thick with vegetation. If you need to check a trap frequently to clear it and refresh the lure, the kilometres of bush bashing quickly add up. Plus, in areas where kea are found, trap options are limited by concerns for these curious and intelligent parrots. A team in Queenstown are investigating if the latest ‘smart' traps – equipped with cameras, AI-powered to recognise specific targets, and networked so they can communicate and be operated remotely – might be the answer.Guests:Paul Kavanagh, project director, Southern Lakes SanctuaryPhillip Green, field and technical advisor, Southern Lakes SanctuaryLearn more:Country Life tagged along with the Halo project, part of Predator Free Dunedin, who are also trialling networked AI traps just north of the city.One of the Southern Lakes Sanctuary hubs at Makaroraisfocused on trapping to protect mohua, and they are trialling an AI method to identifyindividual birds by their song.In the Catlins, a team are battling predators and browsing pests to protect taonga there.Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Bevan and Tim catch up on all the triathlon news plus we meet Tim Richards, Event Director for one of Australia's most iconic triathlons, the Hell of the West. We have 2 free race entries to give away to the Whakatipu Legend in Queenstown. Hannah Berry is back on the show and she chats to us about the highlights from her 2024 racing season plus reflects on her journey to date in triathlon, the evolution of the sport and her recent T100 contract. Hannah shares insights on the increasing professionalism in triathlon, the challenges of balancing sponsorships and race schedules and her excitement for upcoming races. She is looking forward to learning from faster athletes and the opportunities that lie ahead as she prepares for the T100 series and aims for Kona qualification. (0:01:35) – Oceania Triathlon, Mount Maunganui (0:03:25) – Challenge Wanaka  (0:04:32) – Whakatipu Legend free race entry competition (0:06:32) – Hell of the West free race entry competition (0:07:46) – Tim Richards, Event Director, Hell of the West (0:23:51) – The PTO move to short distance racing (0:30:42) – Georgia Taylor-Brown to compete in cycling (0:32:39) – Lucy Charles Barclay accepts a T100 Contract (0:42:11) – Hannah Berry LINKS: Oceania Triathlon Mount Maunganui at https://triathlon.kiwi/2025/01/21/mount-maunganui-to-host-oceania-triathlon-sprint-mixed-relay-para-championships/ Whakatipu Legend at https://www.thewhakatipulegend.co.nz/ Hell of the West at https://hellofthewest.com/ Mount Festival of Sport at https://mountfestival.kiwi/ Challenge Wanaka at https://www.challenge-wanaka.com/ Levin Tri Indoor World Cup race at https://triathlon.org/news/pto-announces-partnership-with-world-triathlon-and-the-lievin-triathlon-cup-for-the-indoor-world-cup Follow Hannah Berry on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dr_hannah_wells/