Going West Poetry at Piha free writers workshop
The Listening Sand with poet and workshop facilitator Anne Kennedy.
Free: Saturday 30 April, 2pm - 5pm. North Piha Glade and Beach.
Register at info@goingwestfest.co.nz
The Listening Sand, is a chance for you to use the craft of poetry to shape and share your deep thoughts - to ‘tell the sand’ a memory, a secret, a hope. In the workshop, we’ll explore the ways to make and shape a poem. When we’ve written our poems, we’ll carve them into the wet, receptive sand while sand-tagger, David Hilliam, illuminates and connects our writing. Of course, when the tide comes in, your poem will be washed away, but it will remain in your head, your voice, your notebook, the film.
Poetry can help us express ideas that otherwise remain unsaid. The sand will be our creative confidante. In this workshop you will be guided by the expertise and empathy of Anne Kennedy to write from the heart; to tell the sand your worries, memories, and hopes. Making an impression in the sand seems like a simple thing to do; it’s primal. But it’s also complex. We mark the earth by our very existence; and, because there are a lot of us, that’s a lot of marks.
We walk in nature and it makes us feel good. These last few years have been difficult, and the world is in crisis environmentally and politically. Poetry is a place where you can say what you think and feel. A poem is a way to work out complexity.
The planet, in a way, ‘listens’ to our behaviour.
Anne Kennedy is an experienced writing workshop facilitator who will guide you to find your tone, to select words, and to contemplate how a poem can crystalize elements of time, difficulties and musings.
Workshop schedule
2.00pm: Welcome and introductions, and outlining the afternoon.
2.15pm: Talking through the idea, including poem samples.
2.35pm: Writing time
3.10pm: Sharing our poems, and making any revisions.
3.40pm: To the beach!
Rock'in with Elvis by Mike Cole
The Memories of Elvis Fan Club invite you to our 1st Elvis Social for 2026. We are excited to have our own Mike Cole back at the Te Atatu RSA on Saturday 28th February at 7.30pm. Cost only $20pp. Tickets are on sale at the RSA or reserve through Jackie 0274901126. So lets see you with your dancing shoes on and that great smile as we start off 2026 with a bang.
Poll: As a customer, what do you think about automation?
The Press investigates the growing reliance on your unpaid labour.
Automation (or the “unpaid shift”) is often described as efficient ... but it tends to benefit employers more than consumers.
We want to know: What do you think about automation?
Are you for, or against?
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9.4% For. Self-service is less frustrating and convenient.
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43.3% I want to be able to choose.
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47.3% Against. I want to deal with people.
Even Australians get it - so why not Kiwis???
“Ten years ago, if a heatwave as intense as last week’s record-breaker had hit the east coast, Australia’s power supply may well have buckled. But this time, the system largely operated as we needed, despite some outages.
On Australia’s main grid last quarter, renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity for the first time, while wholesale power prices were more than 40% lower than a year earlier.
[…] shifting demand from gas and coal for power and petrol for cars is likely to deliver significantly lower energy bills for households.
Last quarter, wind generation was up almost 30%, grid solar 15% and grid-scale batteries almost tripled their output. Gas generation fell 27% to its lowest level for a quarter century, while coal fell 4.6% to its lowest quarterly level ever.
Gas has long been the most expensive way to produce power. Gas peaking plants tend to fire up only when supply struggles to meet demand and power prices soar. Less demand for gas has flowed through to lower wholesale prices.”
Full article: www.theguardian.com...
If even Australians see the benefit of solar - then why is NZ actively boycotting solar uptake? The increased line rental for electricity was done to make solar less competitive and prevent cost per kWh to rise even more than it did - and electricity costs are expected to rise even more. Especially as National favours gas - which is the most expensive form of generating electricity. Which in turn will accelerate Climate Change, as if New Zealand didn’t have enough problems with droughts, floods, slips, etc. already.
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