Podcasts about sir peter blake

Today marks thirty years since Team New Zealand won the America's Cup for the first time. Sir Peter Blake and Black Magic beat Young America 5-0 in 1995. Joey Allen was the Black Magic bowman, and he shared his memories with D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Embark on an inspiring journey with Alastair Callendar as he shares his story from learning to sail as a young boy in England to becoming a trusted advisor to billionaires in the world of superyachts. Learn about the mentors who shaped his path, including the legendary sailor Sir Peter Blake, and how their guidance led him to combine his passions for yachting and philanthropy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The grandfather of British Pop Art, Sir Peter Blake is one of most influential and popular artists of his generation. A Royal Academician with work in the national collection, including Tate and the National Portrait Gallery, he is renowned for paintings and collages that borrow imagery from advertising, cinema and music. Having created The Beatles' Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band sleeve in 1967 he became the go-to album designer for other musical artists including The Who, Paul Weller, Madness and Oasis. He was knighted for services to art in 2002.Sir Peter tells John Wilson how, after a working class upbringing in Dartford, Kent, he won a place at the Royal College of Art alongside fellow students Bridget Riley and Frank Auerbach. He recalls being influenced by early American pop artists including Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, and how he began making art inspired by everyday popular imagery. He chooses Dylan Thomas's 1954 radio play Under Milk Wood as a work which captivated his imagination and later inspired a series of his artworks based on the characters, and also cites Max Miller, the music hall artist known as 'the Cheeky Chappie'; as a creative influence. Sir Peter remembers how he made the iconic Sgt Pepper sleeve using waxwork dummies and life size cut-out figures depicting well-known people chosen by Peter and The Beatles themselves. Producer: Edwina PitmanArchive used: Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, performed by Richard Burton, BBC Third Programme, 25 Jan 1954 Max Miller, introduced by Wilfred Pickles at the Festival of Variety, BBC Light Programme, 6 May 1951 Max Miller archive from Celebration, The Cheeky Chappie, BBC Radio 4, 3 July 1974 Monitor: 89: Pop Goes The Easel, BBC1, 25 March 1962 Peter Blake: Work in Progress, BBC2, 21 February 1983 Newsnight, BBC2, 7 February 1983 Ian Dury, Peter the Painter

Tales from The America's Cup with Six Time Winner Murray JonesThis month's podcast sees Shirley Robertson talking to New Zealand's Murray Jones about a remarkable career spanning over two decades chasing the oldest trophy in international sport.  Talking during a break in racing at the St Barth's Bucket earlier this year, Robertson starts the conversation with a chat about Jones' early life growing up in New Zealand, and how he soon starting making a name for himself in the 470 Class.  A reserve in the Olympic team as a teenager, Jones' early career saw him part of a spectacularly  talented generation of New Zealand sailors.  For the national Olympic Team, medals soon followed, but two Olympic appearances in the Flying Dutchman class saw Jones disappointed with two top five finishes, but no medal. Pretty soon though, the Cup came calling, and Jones became a pivotal member of the 1995 Team New Zealand challenger under Sir Peter Blake.  Sailing as strategist in the 1995 San Diego America's Cup, Jones talks of hours spent up the mast of Black Magic, as the team went on to the defeat Dennis Connor's team 0-5, his recollections at times almost understated as he looks back on what was New Zealand's fist ever Cup victory...:"We'd just test the whole time, we didn't do any racing, we took the attitiude that the Louis Vuitton Cup would be our practice racing and we were just fast and we basically sailed away from all the boats in the Louis Vuitton Cup and Dennis in the Cup.  The fastest boat always wins the America's Cup! '"With the win in San Diego and New Zealand's successful defence of the Cup in Auckland in 2000, by the age of just thirty three, Murray Jones had twice won the most coveted trophy in sailing.  But for the world of New Zealand sailing, unexpected events were on the horizzon...:"Out of the blue, Russel (Coutts) rang me and said 'I want to talk to you about something, I've got an offer to sail for this Swiss guy for the America's Cup and...I'll do it with a couple of you guys, would you be in..?' It blew me away, I had no idea, I said 'Wow!' I hadn't even thought about sailing for any other country other than New Zealand. Anyway, I rang him up the next day and said 'Yeah, I'm in, let's see what happens!' "Jones and Robertson then discuss how the New Zealander moved over to the newly formed Swiss Alinghi sailing team, the team that then went on to successfully Challenge for the 2003 Cup, winning the Cup from their old team mates at Team New Zealand.It's a revealing insight into what was a fascinating time in international sailing, as Alinghi Murray discusses the implications implications of the then controversial decision, joining a team that would ultimately see him go on to win  two more Cups, in 2003 and 2007. Part Two of the Podcast gets underway as Robertson and Jones pick things up as Alinghi prepare to defend the Cup in Valencia, without key team member Russell Coutts.This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley's own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com.Support the Show.

Rock N Roll Hall of Famer Guy Fletcher joins UAWIL in a very special episode where we talk the charity single he produced, his days in Dire Straits, on the road and in the studio with Mark Knopfler and more. Going Home has for decades been the theme song to the movie Local Hero, which Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame not only composed but was the tune with which he always closed his shows. When the idea of rerecording the song for the benefit of Teenage Cancer Trust (UK) and Teenage Cancer America came about, he jumped on board. And that spurred other legends to take part as well like Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Duane Eddy, Steve Cropper, Peter Frampton, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, Ringo Starr, Sting and many, many more. Over 60 artists and legends participated and it was Guy's job to put it all together. We talk with him about putting this amazing charity single together and the cover which evokes Sgt. Peppers as it was done by the same artist, Sir Peter Blake. Guy also relayed some stories of his decades long career in Roxy Music, Dire Straits, working with Mark Knopfler on his many solo albums and tours and on working in a true gem of a recording studio, British Grove. Though Mark Knopfler was ready to walk away from the Straits in the 90s so he could have more freedom, he kept Guy around as Mr. Fletcher is in-sync with Mark's musical wavelengths and can assimilate the great amount of information that Mark creates. He served as Musical Director of Mark's solo band and shared some stories of life on the road with Mark. Guy is a brilliant producer who told us a bit about his high hopes for the future of Atmos mixing and what makes British Grove such a special place to record music. He even relates a story about Mark's desire to make an album with Jeff Beck which sadly never had the chance to materialize. It was a true honor and a lot of fun to welcome Guy Fletcher to The Wolf!! Watch and download Going Home - Guitar Heroes Version Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rock N Roll Hall of Famer Guy Fletcher joins UAWIL in a very special episode where we talk the charity single he produced, his days in Dire Straits, on the road and in the studio with Mark Knopfler and more. Going Home has for decades been the theme song to the movie Local Hero, which Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame not only composed but was the tune with which he always closed his shows. When the idea of rerecording the song for the benefit of Teenage Cancer Trust (UK) and Teenage Cancer America came about, he jumped on board. And that spurred other legends to take part as well like Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Duane Eddy, Steve Cropper, Peter Frampton, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, Ringo Starr, Sting and many, many more. Over 60 artists and legends participated and it was Guy's job to put it all together. We talk with him about putting this amazing charity single together and the cover which evokes Sgt. Peppers as it was done by the same artist, Sir Peter Blake. Guy also relayed some stories of his decades long career in Roxy Music, Dire Straits, working with Mark Knopfler on his many solo albums and tours and on working in a true gem of a recording studio, British Grove. Though Mark Knopfler was ready to walk away from the Straits in the 90s so he could have more freedom, he kept Guy around as Mr. Fletcher is in-sync with Mark's musical wavelengths and can assimilate the great amount of information that Mark creates. He served as Musical Director of Mark's solo band and shared some stories of life on the road with Mark. Guy is a brilliant producer who told us a bit about his high hopes for the future of Atmos mixing and what makes British Grove such a special place to record music. He even relates a story about Mark's desire to make an album with Jeff Beck which sadly never had the chance to materialize. It was a true honor and a lot of fun to welcome Guy Fletcher to The Wolf!! Watch and download Going Home - Guitar Heroes Version Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Peter Blake is famous for his Pop Art paintings, collages and album covers – and not just Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. But the artist, now 91, has throughout his career made three dimensional works. For the first time in two decades there is an exhibition devoted to these. Samira Ahmed meets the artist in the gallery on the eve of the opening of Peter Blake: Sculpture and Other Matters.Actor David Harewood is appointed the new President of RADA – the Royal Academy for the Dramatic Arts. He shares with Front Row his vision for one of the world's leading theatre schools.John Logan's new play Double Feature explores the director-actor relationship through two of the most tempestuous relationships in cinema history. Samira talks with the Oscar-nominated Gladiator writer about how Alfred Hitchcock made Tippi Hedren's life on the set of 1964 thriller Marnie a living hell, while Vincent Price and Michael Reeves could barely hide their hatred for each other during the making of the 1968 horror film Witchfinder General. The play opens tonight at the London's Hampstead Theatre.Presenter Samira Ahmed Producer: Julian May

Matthew Bannister onHenry Kissinger, a towering figure in international diplomacy, who won the Nobel Peace Prize but was condemned by some as a war criminal. Also, Terry Venables, the colourful manager who took the England Football team to the semi-finals of Euro 96.Paul Watson, the pioneer of reality TV whose “fly on the wall” techniques caused controversy. Sir Peter Bazalgette pays tribute.And Rachel Heller the artist who was born with Down's Syndrome and whose work was collected by fellow artists including David Hockney, Sir Peter Blake and Maggi Hambling.Producer: Ed Prendeville

Sir Peter Blake suggested a single focus for New Zealand's Americas Cup challenge - only do those things that make the boat go faster - leading to two trophies. Shawn and Mark discuss how a business might use this story to galvanise a team. The post 192 – Americas Cup speed focus – Peter Blake appeared first on Anecdote.

Tracy Edwards was the first woman to skipper an all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1989.  The Brit was up against none-other than one of our very own in that race – Sir Peter Blake and the New Zealand crew.   But it wasn't all smooth sailing for Tracy to get there, she was expelled from school and found herself in the sailing world by sheer luck and determination.   Tracy happens to be coming to Auckland later this year as part of The Ocean Race – to mark the 50th anniversary of the original Whitbread event.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Sackur speaks to the artist Sir Peter Blake, whose work came to define the freshness and optimism of the 1960s. Now aged 90, he is still painting. What keeps his creativity alive?

New Zealand has a proud tradition in the round the world race and a lot of that started with Ceramco New Zealand in the early 1980s – the first New Zealand-flagged boat to compete in the gruelling event. It was a campaign headed up by Sir Peter Blake and something that captured the imagination of Kiwis everywhere. But disaster struck on the first leg of the race when the boat's mast came down in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean as the team were vying for the lead. It was a devastating blow for the crew, including Simon Gundry who is today's guest on Broad Reach Radio. Simon details what happened that day when the mast came down and how the crew rallied to sail 4000 miles under jury rig to complete the leg but also describes the inescapable feeling on board that they had let the nation down. He talks about their epic battles with the crew on Flyer in subsequent legs, including when they had their rivals in sight for 10 of the 24 days across the Southern Ocean to Cape Horn, and provides an insight into Peter Blake, from his unorthodox approach to crew selection to his recognition of the value of media to build support for Ceramco. Simon is one of the characters of New Zealand sailing, and talks about the imaginary animals he had on board, his love of reciting poetry, how he managed to pull a team of yachties together to play in a rugby sevens tournament while in port in Argentina and the after-effects of one of their annual Mast Falling Down parties. He's a terrific story-teller who was able to give a detailed insight into that 1981/82 Whitbread Round the World Race and a campaign that changed Kiwi yachting.

Scientists have found and videoed South Pole explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship The Endurance, which was lost in November 1915. 107 years later, the wooden ship has been located three kilometres down in the icy Antarctic Weddell Sea, in remarkable condition. The ship was crushed by sea-ice and sank, forcing Shackleton and his crew to abandoned ship and escape on foot and in small boats. The mission's leader veteran polar geographer Dr John Shears had described it as "the world's most difficult shipwreck search". The crew battled constantly-shifting sea-ice, blizzards, and temperatures dropping down to -18C. Kathryn speaks with photographer and drone operator on the expedition James Blake, son of New Zealand sailor and environmentalist Sir Peter Blake and Lady Pippa.

Shirley Robertson this month talks to a man that has sailed in a remarkable six America's Cup campaigns, as she sits down to chat with New Zealand grinder Jono Macbeth.  As the pair discuss, Macbeth's career in sailing was in no way scheduled, starting after a chance encounter with the legendary Sir Peter Blake.  Team New Zealand had just won the 1995 America's Cup in San Diego when Blake invited a young Macbeth to join an exciting new venture in Auckland.  The pair first met after a random encounter at an Auckland kayak shop....:"I was down in a squat position and I was about to try and pick up this fridge all by myself and I hear this big booming voice behind me..."Do you need a hand?"  And without turning around I said "Yeah, that'd be good mate", and glanced over my shoulder and low and behold there was (Sir Peter) Blake, standing over me, arms folded."What followed is one of the most exhaustive Cup careers in the sport. Blake invited Macbeth to join the team, and since that first Team New Zealand defence of the Cup in 2000, Macbeth has been a regular feature competing for the illusive trophy, and has lived through some of the modern era's most fascinating campaigns.Macbeth stayed on at Team New Zealand as Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth left the team to sail with ultimate 2003 Cup winners Alinghi, and then again sailed in the Cup match after New Zealand won through the exhausting 2007 Louis Vuiton Challenger Series in Valencia.As the future of the Cup went through the courts, and a Deed of Gift match looked likely, Macbeth joined Russell Coutts at BMW Oracle, and began sailing the monster 90ft trimaran that would ultimately win the two team Deed of Gift battle in Valencia.  It was a fascinating period, as designers, sailing teams and shore crew all came to grips with the introduction of the wing sail. Jono's story spans almost two decades of Cup campaigning - Part 1 wraps up after that Deed of Gift victory, before Part 2 gets underway in San Francisco 2013.This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley's own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast)

Part Two of Shirley Robertson's chat to a man that has sailed in a remarkable six America's Cup campaigns, as she sits down to chat with New Zealand grinder Jono Macbeth.  As the pair discuss, Macbeth's career in sailing was in no way scheduled, starting after a chance encounter with the legendary Sir Peter Blake.  Team New Zealand had just won the 1995 America's Cup in San Diego when Blake invited a young Macbeth to join an exciting new venture in Auckland...:This part of the podcast joins Macbeth  as the Cup yachts dropped to 72ft for the 2013 edition in San Francisco, by which time Macbeth was a regular fixture in the world of the Cup, and an integral part of the sailing team at Oracle, desperate to develop the foiling capabilities of the exciting new multi-hulls.  It was a development period that didn't always go to plan...:"I remember Jimmy clear as day over comms 'Watch out boys, look out for all your mates here', and I was thinking 'what is he talking about', and then "BANG", the bows go under and I was second cockpit back with Rome Kirby and Joey Newton and we just went underwater....the boat just kept on driving down!"The team ultimately of course went on to overturn a huge deficit against Team New Zealand, winning the 2013 Cup in dramatic fashion, a moment that Macbeth reveals to be the highlight of his multiple Cup winning career.From San Francisco Macbeth joined the newly formed Land Rover BAR, running the British sailing team for Sir Ben Ainslie, exiting the Cup at the Challenger Series phase in Bermuda in 2017.Now working in a sustainability role at North Sails, Jono Macbeth is one of the most experienced grinders in the game, and his behind the scenes revelations of life at the very heart of the fight for the oldest trophy in world sport is truly fascinating.This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley's own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast)

The Garden of Evil goes behind the scenes of the tragic murder of legendary New Zealand yachtsman Sir Peter Blake in 2001. Was it just a robbery gone wrong, or was it connected to Sir Peter's environmental work? 

Chris Bouzaid has been called the father of New Zealand international keelboat yachting who inspired the likes of Sir Peter Blake and Grant Dalton. He was the first non-Australian to win the Sydney-Hobart Race, first non-European to win the One Ton Cup which, in those days, sat only behind the America's Cup in terms of importance, and was part of the New Zealand team that finished 1, 2, 3 at the 1971 Sydney-Hobart Race, something that had never been done before, and which saw New Zealand claim the Southern Cross Cup. These achievements saw Chris named New Zealand sportsman of the year in 1969, and he was also inducted into the New Zealand sports hall of fame, awarded an MBE and listed as one of New Zealand's sportsmen of the 20th century. But Chris considers himself more of a businessman than a top yachtie and also ran one of the world's biggest sail making businesses. It was something he was thrust into early in life, taking over his dad's business with his brother when only a teenager, but he recognised the importance of marketing and did a lot of this through his yachting exploits. We traverse a lot of Chris Bouzaid's career on and off the water in this podcast and the part he played in awakening New Zealand's passion for international yachting. He tells the story of the day he shared the front page with the moon landing, how he won 121 races with his famous yacht Rainbow II, the impact hosting the 1971 One Ton Cup had on this country and the embarrassing, but scary, tale of his worst wipeout ever.

This month on her podcast Shirley Robertson talks to one of the world's leading offshore and Maxi yacht skippers, from New Zealand, Mike "Moose" Sanderson.  With tales to tell from the America's Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and a host of successful Maxi yacht campaigns, Sanderson is a man who very obviously loves to talk sailing.  Having left school early to pursue a career as a sail maker, he has spent his entire adult life immersed in the sport, and from his very first answer his enthusiasm and passion is there for all to hear.Having sat down to talk just days after Emirates Team New Zealand's win at the 36th America's Cup, the pair kick things off with a short chat about the successful defence of the Cup, before moving on to Sanderson's early love of sailing and desire to make a living from the sport.  HIs early inspiration was New Zealand's 1987 Freemantle America's Cup campaign, and of course Sir Peter Blake, and "Steinlager 2's" Whitbread win of 1990, both of which drove him to quit school and take to sailing.  Within a few years he had attracted the attention of some big names, in a country where big things were happening in the sport of sailing.  At twenty one he was on the crew of New Zealand Endeavour, off around the world on the Whitbread, and his career was well underway."What was unbelievable about that campaign was that it was only four or five years after Freemantle, and all my heroes from Freemantle were actually sailing on the boat, these guys had literally all been on posters on my wall, and now I'm getting to sail around the world with them!"That 1993/94 Whitbread Race was his first of many circumnavigations that made a big impression on the young twenty two year old."My first time around the world was like honestly, it was like reading a book about the round the world race...in the Southern Ocean we broke the mizzen mast, everything which I dreamt about, good and bad, it all happened.  It was a very surreal time."The 1993/94 Whitbread was the start of a career that would take in America's Cup campaigns, multiple Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race campaigns, and a World Sailor of the Year win in 2006, having become the youngest skipper ever to win the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race leading the famed "ABN Amro I" campaign.  His career spans the modern era of yacht racing, and has seen him sail with some of the biggest names in the sport.He talks candidly about the Cup period in 2003 in Auckland when Alinghi beat Team New Zealand, and of the implications that had for the sport...:"That 1989 to 2000 period was interesting times....post 2000 of course was probably the biggest turning point in professional sailing that we've seen....because it went from something that you could possibly live on to literally overnight salaries tripled, quadrupled, whatever you like, suddenly every man and his dog was putting up there hand.  It was a great time to be a professional sailor"As an insight into the modern professional era of competitive sailing, this honest and engaging interview opens the door on life as a professional in our sport, and takes the listener down a multitude of different avenues, as Sanderson opens up on a lifetime spent sailing at the highest level.  This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley's own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast)

Part 2 of this month's podcast which sees  Shirley Robertson talk to one of the world's leading offshore and Maxi yacht skippers, from New Zealand, Mike "Moose" Sanderson.  With tales to tell from the America's Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and a host of successful Maxi yacht campaigns, Sanderson is a man who very obviously loves to talk sailing.  Having left school early to pursue a career as a sail maker, he has spent his entire adult life immersed in the sport, and from his very first answer his enthusiasm and passion is there for all to hear.Having sat down to talk just days after Emirates Team New Zealand's win at the 36th America's Cup, the pair kick things off with a short chat about the successful defence of the Cup, before moving on to Sanderson's early love of sailing and desire to make a living from the sport.  HIs early inspiration was New Zealand's 1987 Freemantle America's Cup campaign, and of course Sir Peter Blake, and "Steinlager 2's" Whitbread win of 1990, both of which drove him to quit school and take to sailing.  Within a few years he had attracted the attention of some big names, in a country where big things were happening in the sport of sailing.  At twenty one he was on the crew of New Zealand Endeavour, off around the world on the Whitbread, and his career was well underway."What was unbelievable about that campaign was that it was only four or five years after Freemantle, and all my heroes from Freemantle were actually sailing on the boat, these guys had literally all been on posters on my wall, and now I'm getting to sail around the world with them!"That 1993/94 Whitbread Race was his first of many circumnavigations that made a big impression on the young twenty two year old."My first time around the world was like honestly, it was like reading a book about the round the world race...in the Southern Ocean we broke the mizzen mast, everything which I dreamt about, good and bad, it all happened.  It was a very surreal time."The 1993/94 Whitbread was the start of a career that would take in America's Cup campaigns, multiple Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race campaigns, and a World Sailor of the Year win in 2006, having become the youngest skipper ever to win the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race leading the famed "ABN Amro I" campaign.  His career spans the modern era of yacht racing, and has seen him sail with some of the biggest names in the sport.He talks candidly about the Cup period in 2003 in Auckland when Alinghi beat Team New Zealand, and of the implications that had for the sport...:"That 1989 to 2000 period was interesting times....post 2000 of course was probably the biggest turning point in professional sailing that we've seen....because it went from something that you could possibly live on to literally overnight salaries tripled, quadrupled, whatever you like, suddenly every man and his dog was putting up there hand.  It was a great time to be a professional sailor"As an insight into the modern professional era of competitive sailing, this honest and engaging interview opens the door on life as a professional in our sport, and takes the listener down a multitude of different avenues, as Sanderson opens up on a lifetime spent sailing at the highest level. This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley's own website, at www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast. The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact podcast@shirleyrobertson.com. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sailingpodcast)

So here I am, walking down the road in Wellington talking to this fella  (between events at an gig), and I say, “what's your thing Joe?” We Kiwis are often way too modest, but his response was out of bounds! What an amazing story this is - a journey into worlds that most of us will never see - unless we experience one of Joseph's incredible art installations.  This podcast brought to your ears with the support of Links and artworks mentioned in podcast: 2019 [3:05]: featuring Joseph's Antarctic iceberg art installation on the side of the UN building in New York. 2021 [19:05]: a video insight into the project Joseph's currently working on - an augmented reality art installation that places the viewer in the heart of the Amazonian rainforest. Some of the trees that Joseph has been filming and digitising for his current artwork are located in the Brazilian Amazon near where New Zealand environmentalist Sir Peter Blake was brutally murdered - a story revisited in the newly-released feature film (2021). 

Was there a link between the brutal attacks on Sir Peter Blake and Captain Pete Bethune in Brazil? In his new documentary, The Garden of Evil, Larry Keating investigates.

Was there a link between the brutal attacks on Sir Peter Blake and Captain Pete Bethune in Brazil? In his new documentary, The Garden of Evil, Larry Keating investigates

Shirley Robertson's guest this month is one of the most successful tacticians of the modern era.  From the America's Cup to the Whitbread, the Admirals Cup to the Sydney Hobart, New Zealand's Brad Butterworth has been at the sharp end of competitive sailing for his entire adult life, and has a grand prix sailing CV few could match.The duo sat down together at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland where Butterworth had been consulting for the official Challenger of record, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.  The pair kick things off by discussing various aspects of the thirty sixth America's Cup, including the adoption of the new Cup Class, the AC75, and Brad's role as mediator between the Challenger and the Defender.Sailing since his early school days, Butterworth has strong opinions on various aspects of the America's Cup, and as a winner of four consecutive Cups for two different nations, has more back to back race wins than any afterguard member in Cup history, a fact that in 2004 saw him honoured in the America's Cup Hall of Fame.  In Part 1 of this two part podcast, Robertson and Butterworth  talk about his days campaigning with Sir Peter Blake, in the Whitbread Race of 1995, a race that saw 'Steinlager II' dominate the fleet, a fact that had a great effect on the up and coming Butterworth, but in Part 2 the talk centres on Butterworth's successes in the America's Cup, winning  for New Zealand in 1995, successfully defending the Cup on home waters in 2000 and then, in a move hugely unpopular with the sailing mad New Zealand public, moving from Team New Zealand to Swiss rivals and eventual 2003 winners Alinghi...:"It was crazy, it was madness, they were trying to put bullet proof vests on us when we towed out, he (Coutts) had protection, I had protection, a lot of the guys, Kiwis, had protection....they started a movement called Blackheart, which was a great name, for a group that hated us guys.  It got out of control.  They tried to make it as hard as they possibly could to leave here and compete."As an insight into the behind the scenes goings on at the highest level of our sport, this two part podcast is a fascinating discussion with one of the most candid, high level names in sailing.  From nationality rules to classes of boat through to race formats and court cases, all told from the perspective of a man who openly admits few people would ever call him diplomatic.

Shirley Robertson's guest this month is one of the most successful tacticians of the modern era.  From the America's Cup to the Whitbread, the Admirals Cup to the Sydney Hobart, New Zealand's Brad Butterworth has been at the sharp end of competitive sailing for his entire adult life, and has a grand prix sailing CV few could match.The duo sat down together at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland where Butterworth had been consulting for the official Challenger of record, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.  The pair kick things off by discussing various aspects of the thirty sixth America's Cup, including the adoption of the new Cup Class, the AC75, and Brad's role as mediator between the Challenger and the Defender.Sailing since his early school days, Butterworth has strong opinions on various aspects of the America's Cup, and as a winner of four consecutive Cups for two different nations, has more back to back race wins than any afterguard member in Cup history, a fact that in 2004 saw him honoured in the America's Cup Hall of Fame.  Robertson and Butterworth spend much time discussing this rich Cup history but also talk about his days campaigning with Sir Peter Blake, in the Whitbread Race of 1995, a race that saw 'Steinlager II' dominate the fleet, a fact that had a great effect on the up and coming Butterworth...:"He's the best seaman I've ever seen, with seamanship skills by far the best, in the world, I would say, and he taught us guys all of what we know today....When he put his (sea)boots on, you paid attention, you'd think 'OK, things are a bit hairy up there', he was very good with the weather, he had the utmost respect from us guys, until the day he died."With Blake as skipper, and Butterworth as one of the watch leaders, "Steinlager II" won every one of the six  legs of that 1989-90 Whitbread Race, and remains the only boat to have ever sailed a clean sweep of what is now The Ocean Race.In 1989 Brad Butterworth joined the crew of Larry Ellison's Sayonara to sail in the Sydney to Hobart race, taking line honours in an addition that would become synonymous with tragedy and loss of life.  Six sailors were lost as the one hundred and fifteen strong fleet were battered by unprecedented storms on the 630 mile course."It's a hard thing for them to do but they should have cancelled it, or delayed it, by two days would have made a huge difference.  But it was a beautiful day sailing out of Sydney Heads, a full on Sydney farewell, and then that night that southerly buster came in and just got worse and worse.  And then the wind gear blew off the top of the tree at seventy two knots, it took us four hours to put the storm jib on, the sea state was so bad"In Part 2 of their chat Butterworth talks to Robertson about winning the Cup for New Zealand, successfully defending the Cup on home waters and then, in a move hugely unpopular with the sailing mad New Zealand public, moving from Team New Zealand to Swiss rivals and eventual 2003 winners Alinghi...:"It was crazy, it was madness, they were trying to put bullet proof vests on us when we towed out, he (Coutts) had protection, I had protection, a lot of the guys, Kiwis, had protection....they started a movement called Blackheart, which was a great name, for a group that hated us guys.  It got out of control.  They tried to make it as hard as they possibly could to leave here and compete."As an insight into the behind the scenes goings on at the highest level of our sport, this two part podcast is a fascinating discussion with one of the most candid, high level names in sailing.  From nationality rules to classes of boat through to race formats and court cases, all told from the perspective of a man who openly admits few people would ever call him diplomatic.

Peter Montgomery has the most recognisable voice in world sailing and is known colloquially as the Voice of the America’s Cup, having commentated the last 13 editions of the Auld Mug. But he’s much more than that having also been involved in the broadcast of all 13 round the world races and the last 10 Olympic Games, not to mention countless All Blacks tests and weekend sports shows. Peter delves into some of the highlights of his 51-year broadcasting career, how he stumbled into the industry, how he pioneered many of the approaches to modern broadcasting and his relationship with a mythical little old lady with blue rinse hair from Riverton. He also talks about the story behind one of the most recognisable pieces of New Zealand sporting commentary, the time Dennis Conner labelled Team New Zealand cheats, what made Sir Peter Blake tick and how Team Zealand wouldn’t have won the 1995 America’s Cup without him, and his take on his sometimes frosty relationship with Grant Dalton. On a more personal level, he opens up about one episode in his life he’s not altogether proud about, namely his reaction to being told he had cancer. Peter is full of stories, and has an incredible recall for details and dates. He's one of the special characters whose influence goes well beyond sailing because he's had an enduring impact on sport in general and New Zealand broadcasting.

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” —Bruce Lee  Sir Peter Blake was a New Zealand yachtsman who won the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Jules Verne Trophy (setting the fastest time around the world in 74 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes, and 22 seconds), and led Team New Zealand to successive victories in the America’s Cup in 1995 and 2000. While the American teams had more money, New Zealand had a singularly effective strategy, the brain-child of Peter Blake.  When Blake was asked to take over as skipper for Team New Zealand, they weren’t considered much of a real contender, especially with the better-financed American “Stars and Stripes” boat. As you can imagine, there are a myriad of things that go into preparing a racing yacht for competition, such as types of sails, ropes, winches and cranks; electronics; rigging; crew composition; and training.  So with all these enablers and influencers for success, what should the team focus on? If you say all of them, then you have lost in time, money and prioritization. Some factors are obviously more important than others, and not all are critical for success. Like any complicated endeavor, finding and keeping focus on the right things is crucial.  Peter Blake was a practical New Zealander and a veteran of ocean sailing and racing. So instead of fancy spread sheets and performance metrics, he focused the team on one single strategic question: Will it make the boat go faster?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As one of the select few people to sail in The Ocean Race as an Onboard Reporter responsible for capturing the race around the world, James Blake has a unique perspective on this event. Added to that, his father Sir Peter Blake is a sailing legend in not only The Ocean Race but the America's Cup. James explains the challenges of building relationships with the sailors, maintaining objectivity and storytelling in extreme conditions.

Simon Halfon has been designing artwork since the 1980s,  starting out at Stiff Records and then assisting Neville Brody, before setting up London and LA design studios in the 90s.  Long standing clients included the late George Michael, Oasis and Paul Weller. He creates international campaigns for global acts and continues his work with iconic artists, most recently collaborating for the 3rd time with Sir Peter Blake, for The Who's latest record. In this episode I talk to Simon about all of these things and so much more, digging deep into the design process and concepts behind some of his classic works. Simon has just released a book, Cover to Cover which, is as of publishing this post, has sold 85% of its limited edition run of 1000 copies. In the book Simon treats us to many of his personal images and stories which elevates the tome in to something more than a mere catalogue of work. I highly recommend it. If you are interested in the book or finding out more about Simon's work, check out his website at: www.nemperor.com Full show notes are available at: https://softoctopus.co.uk/podcast

Dame Anne Salmond's life-long work to improve "intercultural understanding" between Māori and Pākehā has been recognised with the prestigious Blake medal.Salmond - a leading social scientist, communicator, author and conservationist - was presented the award during the annual Blake Awards ceremony in Auckland on Thursday night, in honour of sailing legend Sir Peter Blake."Dame Anne Salmond is one New Zealand's most outstanding leaders and trail-blazers," CEO James Gibson said."Her life-long study of Māori culture, and her efforts to improve intercultural understanding between Māori and Pākehā has improved New Zealanders' understanding of their own history."And her commitment to communicating the environmental challenges we face, including climate change, freshwater and ocean health, is a legacy we all benefit from."The ceremony also recognised six Blake Leaders in te reo Māori champion Scotty Morrison, young women advocate Fran McEwen, entrepreneur Michael Marr, indigenous rights advocate Dr Chris Tooley, student leader Benjamin Burrow and sailing and marine advocate Professor Mark Orams.Gisborne-born-and-raised Salmond has had a lifelong engagement with te ao Māori, working alongside kuia and kaumātua and writing papers, reports and prize-winning books.She's conducted research and taught at the University of Auckland, where she is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Māori Studies, and in recent years turned her mind to conservation, establishing the Waikereru Ecosanctuary near Gisborne with husband Jeremy."There's always unfinished business, and there's always another adventure around the corner," Salmond said.Rotorua-born Morrison has been committed to ensuring what was a fragile and endangered language was accessible, working to bring te reo into mainstream media, and common everyday use across Aotearoa.Morrison, a broadcaster and presenter on a range of shows including Marae and Te Karere, is well known for giving his time and energy not only to those who are keen to learn te reo but those who feel disconnected from the language and culture, Māori and non-Māori.He's written numerous bestselling language guides and recently presented the series Origins, which covers the stories of where Māori came from.On leadership Morrison says: "I think you lead by your actions and you just put your work out there, and that's how you lead."New Zealand had come a long way with te reo, but there was a long way to go, he said.He hoped to see te reo become the first language of choice for the majority of people."In three to four generations time, I'd love it to be part of the fabric in Aotearoa."That's the dream."Professor Mark Orams has been named a 2020 Blake leader. Photo / SuppliedOrams, a "sailing professor", had actually sailed with Sir Peter, and was so inspired by his leadership style, he wrote a book about it so others could learn from his example.His love of sailing and surfing inspired a passion to protect the sea and its wildlife, and he has turned his career of international success in sailing into one of science and study - achievements that have also attracted international recognition.In 2010, Orams co-founded and became chairman of the International Coastal and Marine Tourism, and he also serves on the Sustainability Commission for World Sailing.In a time of rapid environmental deterioration that could start feeling overwhelming, Orams said it was youth that gave him hope for the future."It fills me with hope when I meet young people who don't have that sort of cynicism that comes with age."They have this optimism of youth and looking forward, and a sense of 'we can make a difference'."text by Michael Neilson, NZ Herald

Alistair Moore is probably best described as a sailing adventurer. He's amassed over 300,000 nautical miles at sea and was a member of Blake Expeditions for two years before the ill-fated trip to the Amazon in 2001 when Sir Peter Blake was killed by pirates. Alistair talks about how he was invited to join Blake Expeditions and the joy of working with his childhood hero as well as what happened in the Amazon. He also talks about his determination to try to continue Peter Blake's work after his death and how it brought him to work with the NZ Sailing Trust onboard Blake’s old boats Lion New Zealand and Steinlager 2, and explores similarities he sees in Peter Burling and Blair Tuke.  Alistair likes, as he says, playing boats, having worked at anything from the America’s Cup to coaching in Oman. He was supposed to be setting off this year on a journey to sail around the world with his wife Sarah-Jane – who happens to be Peter Blake’s daughter – but that’s now on hold due to Covid-19.

This episode of Living the Dream brings together the… illustrious film and television director, writer and icon of British cinema, Ken Russell with Sir Peter Blake, the noted British pop artist, author and creator of iconic art images such as the album cover for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band.

Catch up on this conversation between Peter Blake and the Director of London Original Print Fair, Helen Rosslyn. They discuss Blake’s new project 'Ways of Making', which investigates the diversity and range of processes at the disposal of an artist. Recognised as one of the founders of British Pop Art, painter and printmaker Sir Peter Blake is renowned for his connection with the music industry, having created iconic album covers for the Beatles, Paul Weller, The Who, and Oasis.

Dave Cameron is the CEO and co-founder of LearnCoach. LearnCoach is an online learning platform designed to help New Zealand high school and university students to pass their exams. Dave Cameron is also the recipient of the 2018 Young New Zealander of the year award and the Sir Peter Blake leadership award. In this episode, we cover a lot of things including how the current schooling system sucks, how technology will revolutionize the way students will learn in the future, and much, much more. Hope you guys/gals enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed interviewing this legend.

I have just had Professor Mark Orams' in the station for a very uplifting exchange on the state of NZ’s inshore waters that connect out and around to embrace our whole planet. His own interests focussed on marine recreation and sport - high performance sport, leadership, coaching and outdoor education. A professional sailor who as a youngster was a keen ‘yachtie’ winning both NZ and World titles as well as a crewman on Sir Peter Blake’s round the world winning team - plus been involved in two America’s Cups as well. He calls for collaborative work and for ordinary people at grassroots level to lead from the front. For having a healthy understanding of the vastness of our ocean systems - and having spent a lot of time racing and visiting other countries, recognises that from a planetary perspective - the global marine systems are in increasing trouble and that these challenges must be urgently addressed. Acknowledging that NZ has still got an opportunity to initiate the much needed corrective measures if we are to arrest the decline of fish stocks, ocean pollution, drifting plastics and runoff from the land - among numerous tipping points. Indigenous Connection Mark says it is our engagement with nature that has to be addressed as we pakeha and white races have put distance between us and the natural world - whereas indigenous peoples are affiliated far more closely as they have lived more embedded in the natural process. Pacific Islander and Maori have a natural affinity to the cycles of nature. Especially harvesting food, and survival  etc  and of their understanding of the seasons and the food planting and gathering. He further reiterates, that for indigenous peoples - that connection goes beyond the basics of knowledge and integrates through into cultural connection as well as spiritual wisdom . Having been around as the human species for about 200,000 years and a great majority of this time - all of us has been deeply connected with nature - we all have been indigenous peoples. That for we in the developed world, especially Australia and NZ it has been a relatively short time - that we have actually lived apart from nature - quite possibly only about 3 or 4 human generations - or from the industrial revolution onwards. What this means is that in our DNA - in our ’substance’ for the greater course of our history we have had that deep connection with nature as part of who we are. Mark then goes on to talk about our immersion into nature and the psychological shift of our perspective as we embed ourselves into the greater awareness of the immensity of its power. Covering also our spiritual well being - and that through recreation, getting away from city and urban life and going bush, to the mountains, on a river or a lake - to sea, that recreation is actually ‘re-creation’ - and the time to restore our energies and well being. Covering working with nature as against it - reading the signs, wind direction, water currents, moon phase and aware of the weather and being able to astutely adapt to harness the natural forces of nature - by bringing about a greater attunement and wellbeing. Where we can not control wind, waves or rain, but we learn how to adapt. Some days - all goes well and the elements are warm and soft whereas some days or nights nature throws the full force of its fury and we have to be very focused and alert - thinking ‘gee - am I going to make it through this?’ He says that the contrasting situations are healthy as they are awe inspiring and re-connecting and they give us a different perspective that we cannot control Mother nature or control everything that happens to us or everything that surrounds us. What this does it forces us to slow down to the pace of nature and he says that this is a very healthy thing. Because most of us today are rushing to everything - to work, home from work, events and other commitments and our days are very, very full - and we control largely what we do - where we go, when we choose to do it - or others control it for us. However, when we are out in the middle of the ocean in a very small boat we cannot determine what happens - and in these situations be it calm or stormy - it can be very primordial - a very basic thing and Mark sees it as a very good thing as it lets us get a true feel of nature - inside. Listen New Zealand Environmental Challenges compared with Overseas. Speaking on the waters surround NZ - they are largely pretty clean especially the further out we go, however closer into the shore we have numerous challenges because 3 or 4 generations ago (40-60 years) the conditions were far better, but NZ’s population has increased with much development around the Auckland coastline. As well as globally the population has now jumped up by an extra 5 billion people/consumers since 1950. This huge spike in population has had a large affect on this country, on the shoreline and coastal waters. However he says we can still engage with the sea today where our health is not put at risk - whereas with so many countries overseas the coastal waters are so polluted that you would never swim - let alone, put your head under the water - worse swallowing a mouthful or having it enter your body by a cut or an abrasion  - especially where there are large populations living on the water’s edge, or that their catchment drains into that coastal ecosystem.  So there are compromised ecosystems as a result of human activity and our disposal of waste products either deliberately or accidentally that he says is very sobering … so much so that it is always a joy for him to come back to NZ waters and a cleaner marine environment, which he says we cannot take for granted and that we need to be very vigilant about it and that we have to work very hard to maintain. Everything is Connected Everything is connected - what ever we do on the land has an affect on the inshore coastal environment - the same pattern has occurred - for example - car tires and the chemicalised particulates wearing off on to the road - off the tires, as well as the dripping of fluid out of car exhaust pipes onto the road - then it rains and runoff and stormwater enters into the coastal waters - curtailing and  degrading the area and forcing away fish and shellfish from rocks and surrounding bays - etc - for example Auckland’s East Coast Bays are virtually devoid of the super abundance of fish life of 80 years ago.  Talk to any person of 60-70 years plus of age and they will say that things are know where as good as they once were. There is a lot of wisdom in the Elders and they  can tell us how it’s used to be like - so that we have this information that is telling us about this long term slow, chronic degradation - and this is very difficult situation to solve!   What We Can Do For answers, there are some worthy innovative NZ’s schemes at present - marine protected areas which are stark contrasts to the degradation that is happening. These  are Goat Island at Leigh http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/auckland/places/cape-rodney-okakari-point-marine-reserve-goat-island/ on the East coast - North of Auckland and Tiri Tiri Matangi Island http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/auckland/places/tiritiri-matangi-scientific-reserve-open-sanctuary/ that have been locked away for a sufficient amount of time and are now thriving - especially as Goat Island was left to its own renewal other than to stop fishing and extractive industries and now it is alive with fish and a huge drawcard for people wanting to see how NZ once was. As for Tiri Tiri Matangi - tree planting has occurred plus the introduction of native bird species and now it is a paradise of greenery and bird song - where once it was barren grassland denuded of trees. So with ‘commitment, will and effort’ - we can bring back nature with some conscious decisions being made to turn things around. NZ has many ‘off shore Arks’ where islands have been set aside to become sanctuaries for endangered native flora and fauna and these are very successful that they are Islands of Hope - John Craig and Neil Mitchell on bringing Tiri Tiri Matangi into being  - that bold decision making is needed - like Prof John Moreton and Bill Ballentine did with Goat Island as advocates getting people to think about protecting the marine environment and bringing people with them. Grassroots Action These examples Marc says are really important - because when we act together many superb results can come about. These are empowering stories and that our future can be far better as a result. He says grassroots are the answer  - he is a massive fan of the people who work in the ‘not for profit sector’ - people whom have made huge sacrifices of time, energy and money and made enormous sacrifices for causes that they believe in. From large  organisations like the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/ to the small ones like the Motutapu Restoration Society http://www.motutapu.org.nz/  or the education group ‘Experiencing Marine Reserves’ http://www.emr.org.nz/ - a small not for profit charitable trust that takes children into marine reserves to show them deeper qualities of nature and what marine protection can do. Volunteers by the Thousands Right across NZ here are hundreds of thousands of NZers who volunteer to make a difference because they believe in it. He says that these dedicated people are just not acknowledged enough which is a great pity - they are the real NZers - the real kiwis doing great things out there - we need to be proud of what they do - they are unsung heroes - never getting national awards or headlines in the media. To Mark they are the real heroes of NZ. He encourages us to take leadership and see what we can do around your particular area and take some people with you and do weeding and clean up beaches, streams etc. Local Communities Working Together Local communities - in nature, with and for nature - establishing win wins - as meeting good people and achieving a satisfactory result,  because he says there is a primeval connection that after a full day or a week of working together - we will go home and have the best nights sleep in a long time because we have met and worked alongside people from vasty different walks of life, all with good intentions and especially being team spirited. Good People Committing To Co-operate Mark states that the portrayal of human behaviour and existence that comes through the MSM media is not an accurate portrayal of the great majority of people - the great majority of the humanity whom live in this world and in NZ are good people - they are well intentioned - they care about their families, they care about their neighbours and they care about nature and they care about their country - These people don’t get the headlines!      Listen ... There are people everywhere who have decent values and morals and will help you out - who will be friendly, who will greet you - who are people you can trust - this is the essence of being a decent person - it’s important to remember this.  Plus, that we hold these values for ourselves as well and take the high road.   Values and Principles. He mentions that some of the above principles may have been more prevalent 30 to 60 years ago - but the principles of honesty and integrity and decency and looking after one another are what he feels are at the heart of what is is to be a human - and certainly what it means to be a New Zealander. We talked about Sir Peter Blake and team spirit and what this means.  Though a cliche, a champion team - will always beat a team of champions - what is needed is a tight synergistic team. He said Peter intuitively understood a number of things.   He could take on a competitive team that could have more resources, perhaps be more talented, be more experienced and beat them because of the power of the team. Where as a member of his team you always felt that you were important - that you mattered - that your opinion could add value. So even if you were sweeping the floors or cleaning the toilet or the person with a brain the size of the planet making computations of fluid dynamics and design of the boat - you were important. That we are all part of a greater whole and that we all depend on this planet that we share. When we pool and pull together collectively - we make a massive difference. Conscious Choices Decision that we take - the products that we buy - the packaging that we use - the cars that we drive - the decisions we make of the companies that we support - or the candidates we vote for. We need to be Aware. In the end Mark says that we have to do the best we can with what God gave us and that this is the mantra that Mark lives by. Listen ... Covering the ‘Overwhelmers’ - Fukushima - radiation in the Pacific ocean - etc - how do we address situations like this? Plus Climate Change. What can I do as one individual to be able to make a difference? Mark says - collectively this is where we make major changes. Saying that we need to take heart with Sweden’s Volvo’s decision to make all electric or hybrid cars in 10 years time. That they don’t make these decisions lightly - that they are ‘reading the tea leaves' - they see that there is a greening of the market place and they are positioning themselves to take advantage as well as lead … Voting Voting with your dollars - not buying from certain corporations who are at variance with your philosophy - thus more people supporting this notion will impel the company to change its outlook - its products range - its way it connects with consumers. But first - before you lead others - lead yourself - walk your talk Mark talked about mental health and that we in NZ have some major challenges around disempowered people - especially male youth in this country of getting to a point of a dark space - that when we do good things for others or nature and give of ourselves - we also reap the rewards of that good act as well - that by giving we have a better sense of our purpose - we have more satisfaction as to who we are as a person that if we like, we really can achieve a greater level of contentment and happiness. He says that ironically that one of the answers to mental health is to dedicate at least some of your time to helping those who are less fortunate and are in such a difficult situation than you are. Being Respectful Without being disrespectful Mark says that a lot of the mental health challenges - are actually quite inward looking and are quite self serving - it’s about me - it’s about awww  - I’m in such a difficult situation and my life is terrible and I can’t find a way out - and he is not disrespecting that - but one of the ways forward is to actually start thinking about how we can help others, because there are always people who are in a more difficult life circumstance than us! If we are able to do something that can help them or if we can find a way to reconnect with nature and that we can plant a tree or a series of trees or do something that can allow us - that at the end of  the day - we realise that our existence has mattered - that it has made a positive difference. That through us being here - the place is better than it was - these things have an enormous personal benefit for us - listen to the interview for more on this serious subject. Separation from nature - from our society and the community - it leads to material things outside of ourselves that can cause many problems … listen  … these are distractions Giving is Important - from Ourselves to the Collective Greater Good. This interview covers communities coming together. Technology as a separator and not necessarily a bringer of people face to face and eyeball to eyeball and closer into hugging distance. Mark talks about Natural Empathy That we have wicked problems - climate change - plastic pollution - declining fisheries - coastal sedimentation  and near shore pollutants All these are our collective fault - we are all part of the problem. How can we come together and to do something different - as opposed to making them worse? That we start this philosophical conversation and have the ability to make compromises “I will give you this - if you will give up that.” Mark asks us to find ways to end polarising viewpoints. That as we all share the same planet - let's come together to resolve these issues for the sake of future generations. Dr Mark Orams - most definitely worth listening and taking in.

The French vessel Tara is returning to New Zealand for the first time since the death of Kiwi yachtsman, environmentalist and hero, Sir Peter Blake. Tara was formerly Seamaster, Sir Peter’s yacht and has a special place in the heart of New Zealanders. Join this Auckland Conversation about the vision for ocean leadership and learn about local and global initiatives to look after our ocean. This is a great opportunity to connect with Sir Peter Blake’s legacy and the work that is happening daily to increase environmental awareness among young people and the public. Since 2003, Tara has travelled 300,0000 kms across the world’s oceans, undertaking research to understand the impacts of climate and ecological changes and to anticipate the future. This current voyage, Tara Pacific, has been sailing for nearly 40,000 km through the Pacific Ocean to explore coral reefs.

There comes a time when you say, "Right. Out!" And that's what happened. I think we all have too much stuff these days." Those were wise words from my Mum, who I decided to bring on for Season 1 Episode 8 of Quest for Freedom. This topic and this podcast today is all about ... The art of minimalism and freeing yourself from stuff. If there's one person who knows how to do that, it's this girl. I think it's a really important topic because whenever I am offloading stuff out of my suitcase, in my life I feel so much freer. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Which brings me to Christmas time last year, when I gave my sister and my brother-in-law the Christmas present of my time. And what I said I'd do for them is help them clear out their garage. Now I have to say the garage was a complete and utter mess. There was so little room in there, there certainly were no cars, there was just all their stuff. Now my brother-in-law Zanda, has 3 kids from a previous marriage and now they have my lovely nephew, Morgan and so as a family you do absolutely need more stuff. I can't take that away from them. I know I see friends with babies and they are like, "Every time I go out I just have to bring all this extra stuff." So I feel for those people. I haven't yet experienced that and I get it. But this garage was a piece of art. There was every single thing in there that you could possibly imagine. So they were thrilled needless to say that this was my Christmas gift to them. So in January we set about decluttering the garage. Debbie, my sister, has been attempting to get Zanda to do this, as ultimately a lot of this was his stuff. I think it's one of those jobs that you can't take on by yourself. You've got to do it as a team. You've got to do it as a family. When we started, I knew that Debs would be okay with being a little bit ruthless with stuff but I wasn't sure about Zanda. And it happened pretty early on. I'm sure he is fine with me telling this story but I was starting to take stuff out of the garage to the car that we were going to put stuff in to get rid of. I checked with Debbie and Zanda if things are okay to move. And then I started moving bits of planks of wood and jib board and Zanda was like, "Hey! Where are you going with that?". And I was like, "I was going to put it in the back of the car to take to the tip." "Yeah but I am going to make something out of that" and I was like, "Oh okay. What were you going to make?" "I might be doing one of the cupboards for downstairs, like using it to make a perfect cupboard door piece." And I was like, "Okay. Well, let me just ask you a question. How long have you had this piece of wood? "Uh, about 4 years" says Zanda. "Okay and so when were you planning on doing this?" "Well, yeah.." And just in that moment there was this beautiful moment of realization or recognition in his eyes that he was in fact being a hoarder, and I wouldn't say the top definition of a hoarder, because even though I do not watch TV, I've seen the ads for the TV series on hoarders. You can't even get in the door of the house. They live on piles of junk and rubbish ...but that's definitely not where Debs and Zanda are at. Many of us have a hoarding mentality. It really comes from just not wanting to let go of things that could be precious, that could be valuable, that you might do something with in the future. But let me just push back at you, if you are one of those people going, "Yeah Natalie. Some things you just want to hold onto." Unless you are going to use that thing within the next 3-6 months, why on earth would you store it, keep it and have it cluttering up your personal space? Why on earth would you keep something that you are not going to use and serves no purpose other than creating clutter in your living space? So...back to that moment - a pretty great thing that happened, in that amazingly Zanda kind of turned completely around and started being really ruthless with stuff. So there was an initial push back and hesitation and a real desire not to let go, but once he realized what he'd been holding onto he actually got into it and as the day progressed, we spent a good couple of hours in this garage. He was throwing stuff in the back of the car and I was putting stuff off the side and he says, "Nope, that can go." And it was so liberating. We then went down to the tip and what was even more liberating. As you drive your car up and the trailer as well, then you get to chuck stuff off the side into this sort of pit thing, and then they either sort it, recycle it or take it away to go into the mound of dirt and create a big rubbish heap on some poor hill. But, still it was really liberating. We also took stuff down to be recycled and you get some money for that and it was crazy actually how good that felt. And we went back and we did another load and slowly but surely this garage started to emerge, corners of space started to emerge. Now here is the funny thing, that was one Sunday afternoon and then I believe I came back a couple of weekends later because, it's a bit hard to tie in with the family and things going on and it already had started accumulating stuff. But all of the stuff was things that they had now sorted out in the house that they were going to take to the Salvation Army or they were going to put on TradeMe, which is the New Zealand equivalent of Ebay or GumTree. And so the cool thing is that they kept at it. They didn't just stop there with the momentum and motivation I provided them with. They kept on going and they made several hundred dollars if not thousands of dollars selling on Trademe some of their stuff. A lot of that stuff was children's stuff that wasn't needed anymore or baby stuff that could go to another deserving family. And all it took was to start taking the photos, documenting and putting up the price and description on TradeMe. Turned out Zanda had a bit of a knack for selling things. So it was excellent. Now the cool thing was not only were they decluttering and getting a greater sense of freedom and space in the house, they were also making money. And let's face it, everybody likes to make money. So this was brilliant for them. Now right about the same time, and this is why I find the start of 2017 kind of fantastic and it's been one of the best years yet. But in terms of a time of change, it was for the entire Sisson family and the Rock-Evans family, which is now my sister's side - it was one of those times of just everybody kind of decluttering. So as my sister and Zanda were attempting to get things out of the garage and out of their house, Mum was attempting to downside the four bedroom family home that her and Dad had been in for fifteen years, because she was getting ready to sell. Dad passed away in December of 2015 and Mum just did not need to be living in a big house anymore. And Mum is not a hoarder, in fact, she's amazingly minimalist. She buys quality things and she's done an incredible job over the years for our family of doing up houses beautifully, but always with quality in mind. However, Dad was a bit of a hoarder. So the two rooms or the two spaces in our house that were the most cluttered were Dad's office and the garage. You know a man cave full of stuff! And Dad would, bless his soul, keep even rusty nails in jars. He had a place for everything but it wasn't super organized but he kept everything. And I used to remember as a kid growing up no matter where we lived, Mum would go down to our garage and say, "Oh Peter, could you try and clean up the garage a little bit." It was just incredible he just had so much stuff. I knew that would be hard for Mum to do, so I came over and helped out as much as I could to really go through a lot of stuff - letters, cards, boxes, files from years if not decades, photos, projector slides. All the stuff that you hang onto and you keep because you think one day you are going to pull out the projector and you are going to go through slides from like the 1970s and 80s. For those of you listening you do it, you know it! So I challenge you to get the projector out and have a projector movie night and then either get rid of them all, or get them put onto digital formats so you can have them on your laptop and eventually print them or do whatever you like. But basically out with the old, put it into a format that is accessible at anytime but doesn't take up space and move on. So back to Mum's house, so we have Mum downsizing and generously gifting to my sister and I, things that we would absolutely need such as linen, towels, kitchenware etc. And at this point as you probably know from my Changing Plans episode, Josh and I hadn't actually bought the house yet but we were looking really seriously. Mum was making decisions based on the fact that we might end up with the house rather than both be living in a suitcases. So to her credit she held onto things we may need and she sort of split up a lot of stuff between my sister and I. And what happened is all those stuff that Debbie and Zanda had been clearing out, was now getting filled up with trips from Mum and her house with stuff that she was giving them. Every time they got rid of something, more stuff was coming in. And I felt like it was the same for me. I don't own much stuff but even in my two bedroom apartment in Downtown Wellington, I'd accumulated a little bit of the stuff to have it fully furnished for myself when I rent it out. I also had about four boxes up at my parents. And all those boxes are my everything, my life packed up into four boxes. Or so I thought.... As it happens as Mum is going through more and more of the house and I was there with her, she was like, "Nat I found this box of your clothes or your school gear" and I was like, "Oh damn." "I found your bag of motocross gear" from when I used to race motocross. And I really never want to get rid of my helmet and my motocross pants and shin protectors. And I was like, "Oh damn!" So every time I go to help Mum declutter, I ended up coming home with more stuff, which I would then have to sort through, get rid off, give to the Salvation Army or downsize. I just felt like as a family we were doing this give stuff, receive stuff, get rid of the stuff, sort stuff, sell stuff. It was crazy. I was selling my stuff on TradeMe. I was listing some of Mum's stuff on TradeMe. Zanda was helping out and then there was a big garage sale where Mom made like $850 in half a day and huge. Also she had to downsize her house in three weeks or less once she actually got an offer on it. The power of downsizing and decluttering And here in her own words is kind of this whole process for Mum on really downsizing a lifetime: Natalie: Let's talk about how it felt to downsize and move out of a very large house - four bedrooms and all your and Dad's stuff for the past 13 years. Mom: For the past 47 years. Natalie: That's true because you've been in the house for thirteen years. Mom: Fifteen years actually. Natalie: Oh. I should get my facts right. Mom: Actually, I just felt sick. It's too much. I think the thing nowadays is less... definitely less. But you don't want to throw things away that your children have given you or presents, Christmas, birthday or whatever. But there comes a time when you think, "What am I going to do with this? Where can I put it all?" And I certainly have to downsize to a two bedroom apartment. And I feel I still have a lot but I am keeping the best, the very best... but even then I feel like I don't want it. Natalie: Do you feel lighter now that it's all done because it was quite a process, wasn't it? Mum: Yes. But I could still lose a bit. Natalie: Yes, you've held onto the lovely stuff as you said and a part of that is your identity and what you've had in houses for years. Mum: It's what you worked for. It's what you wanted but even that has changed these days. What we've enjoyed was antiques, crystal, lovely prints of the olden days - that's all gone. People don't even want it. Antique dealers don't even want it anymore. But I think it could all go around in circles again and one day it will. But who wants to keep it for that long? Natalie: Yes exactly. Do you want to talk about how you even started on the process? So obviously you put the house up for sale and then what? Mum: Oh I started way before. I went through wardrobes and drawers. I did a little bit everyday or every second day at least. A lot of it went to Salvation Army and Mary Potter Hospice. There comes a time where you just get rid of it. Natalie: And then when you got the offer on the house, we made it a pretty short turnaround time didn't we because you wanted to be in your new apartment. Mom: Because I was coming over to Bali for your birthday. Natalie: So it was three weeks and so you've done some of that sorting beforehand and then you started downsizing and taking things out of drawers. Mom: And going through linen covers and just knowing I won't need these, you might need it. The other part is that in our days we use to entertain at home. That has changed. We go out into a restaurant nowadays so you have all these lovely dishes that costs some money because you wanted to look good but you don't use either anymore. It just all changed. Natalie: Did you have a process that you were going through? Mom: The thing is we were brought up and we look after our things - clothes, anything. Every time we moved we would take it with us but you didn't wear it or you didn't use it. There comes a time when you say, "Right. Out." And that's what happened. I think we all have too much these days. Natalie: I agree. Mom: I use one dish, one plate, one cereal bowl, one mug at the moment because there's just one. But even if there's two you don't need much. Wise words from my Mum, Gina Sisson. I credit her so much in my life and that I really love being a minimalist. And you know my sister and I differ a little on that. My sister is super creative and so she loves a lot of artwork up on the wall. I think she's got tendencies to be a little bit of a hoarder and she's cool with that. But the point here I guess for every single one of us is every 3 months do a reconnaissance of everything that you own and ask yourself: Do I really need this? Is this better off in somebody else's home or hands? Could I sell this and give it to a more deserving person who needs this right now? One of my best tricks that I've learned is that if you've put something away in storage that you are just not prepared to give up, if you have not gone into that storage locker or that space or whoever you are storing it within 6 months time then you need to get rid of it. Because if you do not miss something and use it every single day it is very likely that you do not need it in your life and it is weighing you down as a sense of stuff. Now one of my good friends, Joshua Becker over at Becoming Minimalist talks a lot about this and here is a short excerpt from a Ted Talk that he did on this very topic as to the benefits of becoming minimalist. “Out of the corner of my eye I see my son swinging alone in the backyard. And suddenly I had this further realization that not only was everything I owned not making me happy, even worse everything I owned was actually taking me away from the very thing that did bring happiness into my life. But not just happiness but fulfillment and purpose and contentment. There's a very different realization and I think it is the very foundation of minimalism - the very foundational truth that would cause anyone to intentionally own less stuff. This reality is that not only are things not making us happy they've actually become such a burden on our lives that they are actually taking us away from the very things that we would prefer to be living our life for." If you'd like to learn more about minimalism, listen to this podcast interview with Joshua Becker about How to Own Less And Live More By Becoming A Minimalist. And the final thing that I am really really weary of is cluttering our new house. Josh and I both made a very conscious effort and packed with each other but we are not going to fill this house with unnecessary stuff. So first off Mum has kindly gifted us all these amazing things including a beautiful old vintage dining room table, a dining room cabinet, a cabinet for the lounge, a king size bed which will be now in our bedroom and some chest of drawers and lamps and some kitchen stuff. All of those things we actually need and that means we don't need to go and purchase them brand new. We can recycle, we can reuse and we can keep these beautiful pieces in the family that have been a part of my life for so long. The next part that we've been doing is I have become a bit of a TradeMe addict and we've set a budget and we've actually listed out on a spreadsheet, because we are geeky like that - all the stuff that we need versus what we'd like in the future. We've listed those out so it's by order of priority and then we've put next to it guesstimates on what we're sort of prepared to pay or budget. So we did a quick look online as to what things are going for and then we put in what we think we'd be prepared to pay. And now we are playing a little game, so I love bargains and I love getting a good deal and I love negotiating. I am setting out to become the TradeMe queen and I am finding incredible things because as you know the saying goes: One person's junk is another person's treasure. And just like we've been doing as a family for the last 2 or 3 months of this year, other people on TradeMe are getting rid of things that they've long held in their family or in their house and finally have just decided to release and let go of. And so I've picked up the best bargains. I got the piano! If you listened to Changing Plans and you heard me talk about the piano that I thought I'd missed out on, would you believe that lady had no luck with the person who bid and won on the auction and beat me in the auction? They flaked on her and so she actually texted me while I was in Bali saying, "I can't believe it's happened again. Is there any chance that you would still like to buy it?" and I said, "Yes!" Done. Put the money in her bank account and she sent me a text saying, "Thank you! You have restored my faith in humans." So I got the piano! And the piano stool and the sheet music for a $150. This beautiful, old, vintage piano which I am going to polish up. I bought an entire bedroom set of furniture granted a little bit retro, like a round mirror, a chest of drawers, another chest of drawers, two bedside table and a headboard for a $100 NZ. Even if it's not great, it's going to be a bargain and I can paint it and we can use it and then we can always resell it. And I'm just honestly having fun. I also bought two single beds including the mattresses, the frames and the bedside tables, pretty funky for like $400. And I just love this because why do we always buy new stuff? I mean granted sometimes you just want new things like you are not going to buy second hand underwear or laundry. I get that but why do we have this incessant need for new? I personally love reusing and recycling. You get some incredible, sturdy, quality crafted pieces of furniture, ornaments if you feel like ornaments, lamps, all sorts of things for so little. Because people don't see the value in them anymore and yet to me they are incredible. I bought a 5 lights with brass stands for $100. I am going to continue to find these amazing bargains and only put things in our house that Josh and I agree on and to add value to it and make it a really beautiful home that we love being in. As the Suitcase Entrepreneur and yes I am still Suitcase Entrepreneur even though I am moving into a house. The Art of Packing Light I just wanted to pass on some packing tips and once again I'd love to bring you back into a short conversation that I had with my lovely Mom who I have to say is an impeccable packer. And I definitely have witnessed her since being a kid packing for our entire family and we used to travel really light considering there were the four of us. She now packs even lighter just for herself. it's quite incredible. Between us, we often look like overachievers. If we ever go on our girls trip together to Melbourne at the start of each year to see the tennis, (it would have been 14 times together or something), we just pack so little. And it never ceases to amaze me at what people pack. Did they fit the kitchen sink inside the suitcase? And if so how do they fit their actual clothes and the things that they really need on the trip. It does really astound me. Here are some tips from the packing queen and her daughter. I credit her for everything that I do when it comes to being a Suitcase Entrepreneur. Natalie: Because I think since I was two years old, you and Dad took my sister and I on around the world tours and trips ,which is amazing, and we no doubt learned from you how to pack really well. And I think people still marvel now when they see how I live out of the suitcase. I know you used to pack for Dad as well. Mum: In one medium suitcase. Natalie: For the both of you? Mum: Yes. And half of that we wouldn't use. And yet even when we had bed and breakfast some people would come with these enormous cases. Each one would have a big case, plus overnight bags and God knows what. And I used to think, "My God. And they are only coming for 2 or 3 weeks, when we would be away for 8 weeks with less." Natalie: So what are your tips for the art of packing light? Mom: For underwear, one clean, one on, one used - that's only three of everything which is easy. Natalie: Really? I actually take 2 weeks worth of underwear because they are quite small and thin. And that means if I can't find a washing machine or do my washing for two weeks, I've always got underwear. Mom: Yes I take a few underpants but for Dad that worked for him. Shoes, a good pair of walking shoes. Something that is comfortable if you go out at night and maybe some sandals depending on the weather where you are going. And if you are travelling to lots of places it doesn't matter whether you wear the same thing every second or third day. People haven't seen it before. I always felt that you take with you your favorite things, that you feel comfortable in and just something good at night like trousers and a shirt but women always seem to have to have more. But even then, just a couple of tops and the rest is just casual. And things are very casual these days aren't day? Natalie: Well, that depends if you are going to a business event or something that's more fancy. Mom: Yes if you are just going on a holiday it is casual. Natalie: And what about toiletries? Mom: Sometimes I think that's all a bit too much but basically again I take what I wear everyday - sun tan lotion and shampoo. Natalie: Suntan lotion is expensive in a lot of countries. I do the same putting everything into small bottles because it can last for weeks. Mom: When I am in England, sometimes I buy the smaller bottles. You don't get it so much in New Zealand or wherever. Natalie: You do now. Anything else in terms of where you pack stuff, because we all have different ways, some people use packing squares. I have a two-sided suitcase so I put my better clothes on my left hand side and my sports care, flip flops and toiletries go on the other side. Mom: Yeah, you've got a good system but I sort of use my suitcase as a drawer. I fold things so neatly and pack it in a way that I remembered Aunty used to say, "Did you just iron that?", I said "No I got it out of my suitcase". Natalie: I definitely didn't pickup on that skill from you. Mom: Yes, actually they were always fascinated with that. It's just my way of packing. Natalie: You also iron your sheets at home. Mom: No I don't, only B&B. Gosh no. Natalie: Well, thank you. Those are the tips from the Suitcase Entrepreneur's mom. So I hope that those tips are helpful to you if you are really having trouble when you are travelling the world and you really just can't pack light. A couple of other tips I'd love to throw in there is put everything that you want to pack into your suitcase or your backpack on the bed before you go. Then once again do one more ruthless run through. So if you've ended up with four black t shirts and three pairs of brown shorts, can you just not take one of each? And if you put five beautiful dresses out and you are only going away for a week, could you not just take three and a shawl so that you can change your look? And then put them into your suitcase or bag and if you find it still too full, take it all out and do the same ruthless routine again. A couple of more tips: You can buy anything you need typically in the place that you are going to. So if you are going to go from a summer environment to a winter environment, I wouldn't necessarily pack all the things that you need for winter. I would buy them in the country that you are in before you go into the other country or have just enough warm layers and as you get there you can stock up on anything you need. The only caveat on that is sunscreen as I mentioned, when I was chatting to Mum, it can be really really expensive in other countries. And obviously alongside that are your pills or your tablets or your supplements, whatever you really truly can't do without that as specialists we need to get from your doctor or maybe a herbalist, I would definitely take those with you. But just take the quantity that you need. So for example, on this trip to Bali I took a couple of supplements and vitamins and I put them all in one supplement container so I don't need to take six or seven containers. And the final tip for me is layers. Layering of your clothes allows you to be warmer because you can just put more and more layers on but it doesn't add huge bulk to your suitcase. I particularly love Kathmandu and IceBreaker products. IceBreaker is Merino wool from New Zealand. It keeps you incredibly warm, wicks away any sweats, dries super quickly and you can wear it for an entire year without washing it and it still wont smell. If you don't believe me, Sir Peter Blake who is unfortunately no longer with us in this world who sailed around the world and set many world records and is q hero in New Zealand, wore his IceBreaker kit on the sailing yacht for a full year and it never smelt and he never had to wash it. If you are really going for a long time travelling or you want lightweight, yet warm and efficient and trendy, IceBreaker all the way. And finally, rolling. There are a lot of people who pack in squares and you can put clothes in them and you can seal them and you can press them down, and you can fit way more in your suitcase, which is great. I've never done it. I've never felt the need to take so many clothes that I have to compress them down. And then also I haven't really felt the desire to unpack and uncompress all these squares but it is handy if you want to maximize your space efficiently. But I love rolling clothes. One, it stops them from creasing and two, it actually does take up less space in your suitcase. So those are my final tips on packing light and the art of minimalism. I would love for you to share what tips you have below the comment section and tell me if you are you a hoarder or a minimalist? Stay tuned for Season 2 either in April or in May. It's not because I don't love you, it's because I am taking a business sabbatical for all of April. This episode is proudly brought to you by Freshbooks. So you’re racing against the clock to wrap up 3 projects, prepping for a meeting later in the afternoon all while trying to tackle a mountain of paperwork. Welcome to life as a freelancer. Challenging? Yes, but our friends at FreshBooks believe the rewards are so worth it. The working world has changed. With the growth of the internet there’s never been more opportunities for the self-employed. To meet this need, FreshBooks is excited to announce the launch of an all new version of their cloud accounting software! It’s been redesigned from the ground up and custom built for exactly the way you work. Get ready for the simplest way to be more productive, organized, and most importantly get paid quickly. The all new FreshBooks is not only ridiculously easy to use, it’s also packed full of powerful features: Create and send professional looking invoices in less than 30 seconds. Set up online payments with just a couple of clicks and get paid up to 4 days faster. See when your client has seen your invoice, and put an end to the guessing games. Go to freshbooks.com/quest and enter Quest For Freedom in the how did you hear about section when signing up.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode we catch up with Ian Thomson, organiser of the 6,350nm Around Australia Yacht Race. Its set to start in August 2017 with competitors sailing out of Sydney and this will be the first event held, since Sir Peter Blake won it sailing his catamaran around Australia in 1988. Ian is the current solo sailing mono-hull record holder, after circumnavigating Australia in 2012. From Ian’s live aboard yacht in the marina at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, we delve into what’s driven him to organise the 2017 race and find out more about the Ocean Crusaders; an organisation that Ian founded that has taken its ocean preservation education program into 18,000 schools so far. Visit Ocean Sailing Podcast for offshore sailing opportunities and podcast extras and follow us on Facebook.        

In 1983 Gerry started a ginger group, Engineers for Social Responsibility. The president of the New Zealand Institution of Engineers, Sir John Ingram (also chair of NZ Steel) tagged them ‘the lunatic fringe’, but his successor Alec Stirrat was kinder. He called them ‘the conscience of the engineering profession’.In the early days of ESR, some uninformed IPENZ members expressed their concerns;“that ESR is an activist group associating with non-engineers known to incite treason".This was initially concerned with the the possibility of Global Nuclear War and the conservative element in NZ, wanted NZ to remain within the Western Alliances's Nuclear Umbrella. In association with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) and Scientists Against Nuclear Arms (SANA), ESR under the Chairmanship of Professor Jack Woodward prepared a series of 17 fact sheets. These sheets were designed to describe in a concise manner important facts from scientific and medical literature about the dangers of nuclear war in a way which could be easily understood by non-technical people.The fact sheets were distributed to secondary schools, and libraries in the Auckland area, members of Parliament and other decision makers throughout New Zealand, and to certain embassies and South Pacific heads of state. Users were encouraged to copy and redistribute the sheets. The sheets receive much commendation.So what of today, how are we as an individual and as a collective to be socially responsible? Especially as we learn daily of the escalating challenges that come to meet us via the local and global media plus earth changes and strange weather patterns.This interview with Gerry Coates in a more private capacity, looks at the current challenges facing us as both a nation and from a global perspective.Recent news of the huge melting of ice in the Arctic circle and that between January and July 2012, the United States has broken 40,000 heat temperature records, ramps up the challenge of global warming, even as we have suffered from the opposite swing of the pendulum and experience cold wet snaps here in NZ.The question of population too is an ever increasing dilemma that is verging on a crisis.However, due to the overwhelming nature of the predicaments that we are faced with, how do we 'snap' out of our indifference to what is 'lapping up' to the very foundations of our civilization?Covering diverse subject matter of:Dealing with business people who think that they can carry on with business as usual, as if there is no concern to exploiting our planet continuously.Where are our champions for our planet and future?Mentioning James Lovelock, Al Gore and their drawbacks and the forthright articulations by David Suzuki and previously Teddy Goldsmith and the sad loss of Sir Peter Blake. Plus Tim Flannery who recently stated 'if we want change we have to get people to get the politicians to change.'In particular we need a business champion with drive, mana and charisma.Lester Brown, of World Watch …… his new book called World on the Edge covers three ways of instigating the much needed change if we are to bring our civilization back from the very brink of collapse. This will entail huge limits to growth. Limits that we have in many ways already exceeded.Covering the costing of finite resources and the priorities of expenditure re armaments and that well over a trillion dollars is spent by the global military annually.Plus, what is the 'true' story regarding the amount of oil we have = peak oil?All this and more as we as a global family urgently have to come to grips with denial to avoidance to indifference ... to our common future.www.esr.org.nz As well as this excellent NZ site;http://hot-topic.co.nz

This week Libby Purves is joined by Ceri Levy, Rita Tushingham, Gillian Lynne and Gisli Örn Gardarsson. Ceri Levy is a film-maker, birdwatcher and co-curator of a new exhibition, 'Ghosts of Gone Birds' which features eighty artists, including Sir Peter Blake, Ralph Steadman and Margaret Atwood, each of whom has depicted an extinct or endangered species of bird. Ghosts of Gone Birds is at the Rochelle School, London E2. Rita Tushingham's breakthrough movie 'Taste of Honey' is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a screening in Liverpool, her hometown, as part of this year's 'Homotopia Festival'. Rita won a Bafta and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Jo, a young girl with a difficult mother, leaving home, living with a gay flatmate and getting pregnant. Gillian Lynne is the former ballerina, theatre director and renowned choreographer, best known for her iconic choreography of shows including 'Cats' and 'Phantom of the Opera'. Her memoir, 'A Dancer in Wartime - one girl's journey from the Blitz to Sadler's Wells' is published by Chatto & Windus. Gisli Örn Gardarsson is an Icelandic actor and director, who originally trained as a gymnast. His theatre company Vesturport is best known for its gymnastic productions, circus skills and leftfield set designs which he is about to bring to the RSC at Stratford-upon-Avon in David Farr's new version on the much loved myth of Robin Hood. 'The Heart of Robin Hood' is at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford over Christmas. Producer: Chris Paling.

IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network - a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organisations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries.Listen as to why with such a huge membership, we hear virtually nothing about the IUCN and how that is now changing?That the imperative for our global population is to realize that we are still putting huge amounts of pressure on our planet’s ecosystems, everywhere - yet we are not educating ourselves about the challenges that immediately need addressing. There is a reluctance of governments to lead, as they appear to only follow polls of where the citizen’s consciousness or lack of consciousness currently is.  That the media in clean green NZ are not at the forefront of ecology and environment and looking at our collective footprint, plus they are not championing innovative green technologies and know how. Why?That there are so many critical challenges facing us as a human species, there needs to be urgent action on multiple fronts, if we are to protect our children’s future. The sad realisation that in NZ there are no 'stand out leaders' in the environmental movement. That had Sir Peter Blake been alive today, he would have been 'head and shoulders' above everyone in this region and out in front of parliament, leading NZ to a world summit on ecological and environmental action yesterday! But Alas … there is only a vacuum.Diana mentions Prosperity Without Growth by Tim Jackson as a new book that sets out another way to work on sustainable solutions for a planet with a burgeoning population.Diana Shand IUCN Regional Councillor – Oceania Chair – N.Z Committee of IUCNhttp://www.iucn.org