It's happening!

Less than two days before we leave ... no more reunions or birthday parties to organise. Emma is safely in Milan and very excited about being there. We've got our gear in the lounge and are packing away things in our bedrooms along with valuables and breakables, readying the house for the people who will be renting from us for the next 5 months.

It feels like serious focus time now. I've worked incredibly hard since making a clear decision with the family to embark on this journey. It's amazing what has been achieved over the last month and now we're on the edge of leaving. Lena is feeling it, not just packing for a 5 month journey but preparing to leave home.

We're looking at all our gear now, keeping ourselves to the basics with clothes, looking at the equipment etc. and gifts we've bought to share along the way. In the back of my mind I'm also thinking about the really serious side to all of this ... the focus I want to bring to things as soon as we reach Thailand. Am I prepared enough, not just in myself but also to guide Karen, Lena and Alice in supporting me? I believe so.

The interactions I've had with NZ farmers over the last 6 years have given me a lot of confidence that there is a collective voice from farmers everywhere that we all need to be hearing and some very positive stories that we need to be much more aware of. Remember to visit www.earthlimited.org for more background to my work, in case you're new to this site and are not sure what this is all about.

An early birthday present

It's less than two months since we made a firm decision to undertake this journey and commit to investing in a professional digital video camera to film grassroots perspectives on climate change and adaptation in different countries. And now only a week before we leave New Zealand. There has been a lot to do in a short space of time, organising our travel itinerary and learning to use the camera gear, along with a whole lot of other things. We have a few people to thank which I will be posting about soon.

Meanwhile I owe my wife Karen a very big thankyou for her early birthday present to me. I'll be celebrating my 48th birthday in Brisbane on 9 February. My present from Karen is a Pounamu (greenstone) pendant, made by a Master carver, Matanuku, from Wairoa. Karen had to write about me and I had to write about myself and send a photo. Matanuku has produced something that is both very stunning and very sacred to me. Such an awesome way to begin our journey.

Background - objectives

To document and share the wisdom of farmers regarding climate change, focusing particularly on adaptation and the contribution of sustainable farming systems.

Our primary focus is to:

• Document relevant issues regarding climate change in the countries we visit, from the perspective of local farmers.
• Document things that positive, proactive farmers are doing towards a sustainable future.
• Take the opportunity to interact and share with as many like-minded people as possible.

Background

We've heard about climate change from scientists, politicians, environmentalists, celebrities. What about the true grassroots people, the farmers of the world?

In my work with New Zealand farmers I targeted people who were forward thinking and making positive moves towards a sustainable future, farmers who are providing leadership for others. It has become even clearer to me than ever before that there is a collective wisdom among these people that we all need to be hearing and acting on, even those of us who live in mega cities.

We have invested in a professional digital video camera and with the support of an experienced cinematographer and others are learning to use this gear.

Our website will have a dedicated blog (online diary), which is being developed by my cousin Michael Jeans.

A link to this online diary will be provided at:
www.earthlimited.org/worldtrip.html. (pending)

The Plan

The last six years has instilled a belief that there is a collective voice from future thinking and acting farmers throughout the world that needs to be brought into very sharp focus with the climate change issue.

For over a year now I have been trying to get support to document the wisdom of farmers from different parts of the world regarding climate change. Despite my considerable experience this has not been an easy task. With the aid of an inheritance my family and I have decided to fund a trip ourselves. In early February 2007 we are beginning a journey as follows:

February and March 2007
Thailand and Viet Nam
Late March to early May 2007
India and Nepal
Early to mid May 2007
Egypt
Mid May to mid June 2007
Through Italy to eventually meet up with our middle daughter in Lugano, southern Switzerland.
Mid June to July 2007
Overland to Paris, across to London, back to NZ via the US.

In Thailand we will be hosted by Tuenjai Deetes, founder of the Hill Area Development and Community Foundation in Chiang Rai and now a Senator on the National Legislative Council.

In northern Viet Nam we will have some assistance from former students who came to study in New Zealand in the late 1990s.

We are presently working on contacts for India, Nepal and Egypt. We have some good connections in Italy who will hopefully help us along the way and a number of good contacts in the UK.

Any assistance with local accommodation, travel, contacts with farmers would be greatly appreciated.