UNO Issue 49
It’s a new world out there.
Reading and listening are great joys. To be able to lose yourself in a story is a luxury. And this year, there has been great demand for mental mini-breaks.
But even though I read books or listen to podcasts to escape from my own mind, I’ve often ended up being encouraged by the things I’ve heard or read, like the line “Music is the opposite of despair,” by Clemency Burton-Hill, an English classical musician based in New York.
It made me think of Mitch Lowe’s charity Bring People Dancing (page 98). I knew Mitch Lowe’s kind and fun friend Callan, who sadly took his own life last year and who inspired the two Mitches to set up this excellent idea.
Our cover star Sam Clark told us some fantastic stories, like what happened when he asked his parents for a kayak for Christmas. That story came to mind as I watched Sam run repeatedly through the cold waves while we yelled instructions at him from the relative warmth of the beach: “Splash through the water! But run smoothly! And smile! But don’t grit your teeth! Look into the camera! Great, now go back and do it again.” Ours Café in the Mount had heard we were off to do the shoot, and packed us the most delicious tray of sandwiches and slices. What a kind thought. Thank you!
Whenever I describe UNO to someone who hasn’t read it, I say that it shouldn’t make you wish you were thinner/richer/ hotter, you just feel excited to live here, like the amazing people in these pages. You should feel all “Yeah! I’m one of these people!”
And what extraordinary people we have hiding in plain sight in our region. Like Andy Blair from Taupō, the president of the International Geothermal Association. She’s leading thousands of people in promoting geothermal energy across the world during her two year tenure. In a letter to Jacinda Ardern, Iceland’s Prime Minister described Andy as a “volcano of energy”. How proud are you, Taupō?!
Keith Kolver and his brother Eric had a vision for the Secret Spot Hot Tubs in Rotorua – it all starts in the car park at Te Puia. While our team steamed in hot water after a magical day at the Redwoods, Keith talked us through the absolutely beautiful place he’s created. You need to go and do something active, just so you can soak there afterwards. It’s a new world out there. We make our own rules now, so let’s make sure they’re the rules we want to live by. I’m going to keep reading and listening, so that my head’s full of the kind of stories I want to be part of.