Why am I in Kiribati?

Why am I here ?

A common question I am asked about my journey to Kiribati is 'why?'

So, if that is a question you’ve been asking, you’re not alone.

To be honest, it's a question I ask myself too on some days. Or on rather a lot of days in truth.

So why?

Let me start with the straightforward explanation of what am I doing here in Kiribati, which Aristotle would call the 'efficient' explanation.

I’m here as a volunteer working as an 'office manager mentor' for Te Toa Matoa, a local NGO (non-goverment organisation) that is run by and for people with disabilities in Kiribati.

Now you're asking by what basis do I claim to know anything about office management?

Pirates of the Pacific

The In-Country Manager for the volunteer program has proposed that I go to North Tarawa for a day as a part of my ICOP (In-Country Orientation Program).

Sounds great, an adventure.

Be ready for a pickup and departure at 4h30 the following morning he tells me.

Why so early?

We are going in a boat from South Tarawa (running east-west) across the lagoon to the middle of North Tarawa (running north-south). Arrivals and departures at low tides mean long walks from and to the shore.

Fair enough. So next morning, I’m awake at 4h00, pack a wide-bream hat, sunscreen and some water and toilet paper in a bag. Another volunteer let me know that it is wise to always travel with toilet paper in Kiribati. There may not be any in a toilet when you need it.

By 4h30, I’m standing in the darkness of the dirt-parking lot of my hotel awaiting the arrival of the In Country Manager.

I wait.

Kiribati - a drop in the Pacific

Going west on South Tarawa - ocean side to the left, lagoon side to the right

In November 2022, I dropped into South Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands group within the nation of Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) for a six to 12 months stay.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1350215

So where in the world is that? 

The Stephening Standard 2021

 

Yeah, yeah, it's been two years since I have posted an update

 

And lots has happened.

So, for the takeaway version, just read/look at the following. 

If you're interested in more detail, just click on the links in the following.

 

Zach graduates high school - sort of (Nov 2020)

Zach finished high school in late 2019, but the Headmaster stopped him from "walking" at graduation because he was skateboarding.

Zach however, was not too phased.

A couple of days after his non-graduation, he delighted those who were watching the limousines delivering everyone to the School Formal.

Zach showed up on his skateboard.

 

Homeless by Design (Dec 2020)

When Zach was eight, I told him that in 10 years time, we would leave our happy yellow home in Coolangatta. 

Eleven days after Zach's 18th birthday, he and I moved out of our home of the last 17.5 years.

I am now a homeless wanderer.

Zach is off setting up his own life with lots of adventures: he was working in a fast-food restaurant, then as a driver for a pizza restaurant, then an attendant on a ski-train down in the snow. Then a lock-down shut down the ski-fields and left him unemployed although he enjoyed receiving a welfare payment for some months. He's now working as a baggage-handler at the Gold Coast airport.

Hiking the Bibbulmun Track (April-June 2021)

With all my plans to sail to islands in the Pacific or the Indian Ocean crushed by The Pandemic, I decided to hike the 1000kms (600 miles) of the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia. 

Click on the following link to see my summary of the Bibbulmun Track in 50 images.

 

 

 

 

Adventures along the coast of Queensland (July-September 2021) 

I spent the winter months (July to September) back on the coast of Queensland. 

I hiked the Cooloola Great Walk from Noosa to Rainbow Beach and back.

I sailed as a volunteer on the South Passage, a sail-training ship based in Manly, Brisbane.

And I helped on a delivery of 49' racing yacht from Townsville to Brisbane.

No link yet as I'm still processing the photos. Check back at the end of January 2021!

Coast to coast road trip (October-November 2021)

In October, I set off to weave my way across Australia from the Gold Coast, Queensland to Albany, Western Australia.  

This trip would normally be about 4000kms, but due to various state and territory restrictions on travel due to COVID, I had to go through the west of Queensland into the Northern Territory, then south to Port Augusta in South Australia, and then west into Western Australia.

The journey was 8000kms long!

No link yet as I'm still processing the photos. Check back end of January 2021!

 

 

The Bibbulmun Track - in 50 images

In the early part of 2021, I was living at my Dad's place in Albany, WA. I told him that I thought I'd like to go and see Mum who lives in Perth. He said he thought that was a great idea. However, when I asked if I could borrow the car, he said "No, you can walk." And so I did.

I walked the Bibbulmun Track, a 1000km (600 mile) bushwalk that winds its way from Albany to Perth. (The route is about 400km as the crow flies, but no crows were willing to give me a ride - they were about as helpful as my dad.)

The journey took me just over 50 days to complete. 

Here are 50 images (or videos or sound files) to give you a sense of the trek: that is, one per 20kms or one per day. 

Enjoy the spectacular beauty of the south-west of Western Australia - without the heat, the flies, the camping, or the walking!

Non-graduation day

November 12 2020 was a big day for Zach and for me. This was the day that Zach was due to graduate from High School.

Thirteen years of school completed and I was very proud of the impressive young man all that education had produced.

I was excited!

However, when I arrived at the school to mingle with the parents as they waited to see their children graduate, Zach called me on my phone to tell me that the Headmaster had dismissed him at the school gate.

The Stephening Standard - 2019

Happy new decade / year / day

Here's my under 400-word, no-obligation (to read), standard, irregular biennale ("buyer gnarly") providing highlights and happenings for Zach and me over the last two years.

There are links to more detailed posts provided (if you are interested):

December 2019 - Zach obtained his car driver's licence and both he and my car have disappeared from my life.

October 2019 - I sailed across the Tasman on a 45' sailboat with two other guys in preparation for my heading out with a backpack to sail as a crew for whoever at the end of 2020.

May 2019 - Zach soloed in a glider.

Listen 'ear mate !

May 2019 - I delivered a philosophy course in Hong Kong to a bunch of Macquarie University Masters students resident in Hong Kong.

February 2019 - I headed out to Western Australia for a month to see Mum (Perth), Dad (Albany), and to do lots of paragliding with my uni friend Peter.

January 2019 - Zach went to France by himself, transferred through Charles De Gaulle airport to join a flight to Toulouse, and stayed for a month with our beloved French family near to Toulouse. I figure he had a great time because I barely heard from him.

July 2018 - Zach passed me in height and so, was able to see my tonsure more clearly. He has ensured my humility henceforth by patting me on my bald patch whenever I get a little uppity.

June 2018 - Zach and I hiked the Jatbula trail (65km, five days and nights) in Northern Territory of Australia.

February 2018 - I hiked the Routeburn track in NZ (65km, five days and nights) with my mates Tom and Connie in February 2018 (sorry, but I have not posted any images or report yet - check back later).

And some random observations on stuff:

• telephones (short & sharp)
• philosophy (a.k.a mind massage - wordy!!!!)
• paragliding (mostly pics)

 

 

Paragliding

I could talk a lot about paragliding, so I won't. I'll just show some pictures.

(Go to this link if you want to hear about my early ventures into paragliding).

South Beach, Kingscliff (Jan 2019)

Mind Massage

"Mind massage" is the term that Zach used to describe a philosophical discussion we had one day.

Zach had attended a weekly "cafe philo" that I conduct (discussed in another section below).

The topic for this one was "do you know what you think you know?"

After the session, Zach remarked to me he had really enjoyed the discussion and that it had felt like a mind massage.

So what is this thinking thing that I like to do ?

I don't know.

But I know that "mind massage" is a good description for it.

Going solo

Zach continues to show increasing independence, and this year, established that independence by proving some mastery in the command of two very different types of vehicles.

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On May 26 of this year, Zach completed his first solo flight in a fixed-wing glider.

After a couple of practice runs along with a few simulated emergencies, Zach was ready to do his first solo flight.