Blog 103 – Being A Ministerial Youth Advocate

My role involved being part of a seven-person panel over 15-months. The young people were all care experienced and all had their own stories. A youth panel was requested by the orders of Minister Tolley, Social Development Minister, and set up by The Office of The Children’s Commissioner. Our name was Te Whanau Aroha or […]

Blog 102 – Why Won’t Millennials Engage In Conversation?

Am I the only one who feels awkward sitting next to another young person not knowing how to strike up a conversation? Like, am I the only who feels devalued when a person sits next to me with their cell phone covering their face? In comparison to the last generation who would address adults as […]

Blog 101 – EMOTIONS

Somebody told me today that at least 600 young people in New Zealand last year took their own lives. That we have one of the highest rates of teen suicide per capita in the entire world yet we are a country known for its social diversity and positive lifestyles. I’m here to break it to […]

Blog 100 – REST

Something that sparked up a bit of conversation between me and my friend Sam this week was the importance of rest and the power of sleep. After walking nearly 50km over three sessions of walking we kind of resorted to talking about well-being and discussed how rest was something athletes do beyond the sport. Something […]

Blog 099 – Solo Cycle For Children 2017: POST RIDE RECAP

Beyond all the accolades and beyond the amazing support received, let’s quickly reflect on my overall journey and the adventure on this amazing bike ride I have been on this Winter. Just to recap, during this July I took on the challenge to ride the length of the North Island of New Zealand, roughly 1100km […]

Blog 098 Solo Cycle for Children 2017 – THE JOURNEY

The Journey So Far… VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai, is an independent advocacy service based in New Zealand and is the biggest in the world of its kind dedicated to young people in care. VOYCE is designed to facilitate the voices of care experienced young people and is aimed at inspiring change in the culture of […]

Blog 097 – Interlude

Kia ora & welcome to this end of June briefing. For those who aren’t aware, this July I will be completing a bike ride across the north island of New Zealand from Wellington to Kaitaia (1100km, 660mi) to raise funds for VOYCE Whakarongo Mai which is an independent advocacy service for children in care. What […]

Blog 096 – Ride On

So these words are from a late night of both travelling and studying. Studying for what should be my economics examination but wasn’t. This is a short story of the perceived failed lifestyle that so many of us inconsistent students often face. You see, there is nothing liberating about studying. Some people just don’t learn […]

Blog 095 Flatting

In any living environment, the thing that we value the most is our own space. Space to do whatever we want. To cook, to clean or to listen to loud depressing music eating a sandwich in bum pants. For sure, flat life has it’s up’s and downs but I guess it’s how you mould those […]

Blog 094 QUIT DRINKING

Today’s discussion is about giving up drinking alcohol. Not your regular alcoholic confession story but better worded as a design direction statement more than anything. The reason I say design direction is because I see myself as a product of a whole lot of successes and mistakes. Not all necessarily all my own fault but […]