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Otago Daily Times
30-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Flying solo around the world
Among a recent collection of inspiring stories of women travelling alone, published by Lonely Planet, is the story of Cromwell-based American psychologist Meri Murphy's single retirement journey. I travelled solo at age 29, and again at age 65. At age 29, I explored Europe for 10 months until my money ran out. I'd been terrified of so many unknowns back in 1974, but the experience confirmed my love of travel and my commitment to seeing the whole world. Life's realities intervened with 40 responsible years as a clinical psychologist, 21 dedicated years as a parent and 10 years as a wife. Knowing finances and time were the keys to my travel freedom, day one of retirement became my departure date. Seven extraordinary, self-indulgent years as a retired nomad ensued, culminating in a miracle. On my way With my departure date in mind, I organised my financial planning accordingly. Being single-minded was an asset, and everything I did to support my goal was a pleasure. This included changing jobs and moving so I could afford to buy a house. Needing to be fit for travel motivated me to be active. Planning was such pleasure, much aided by the internet. I vividly recall entertaining myself with months of luggage research. As departure date drew closer, I sold my house. My fantasy was that I'd travel forever, or at least as long as I wanted. I did it! Five days after my earliest possible retirement date, I was on a plane to Istanbul, initiating my wise choice of always travelling with one-way tickets. Back at age 29, there was one significant downside to solo travel: the sexual harassment. At age 65: this was not an issue! Being grandma-age, instead of sexual responses I evoked protectiveness and respect. I could only conclude that everywhere, people love their grandmas. I stayed in hostels for their many advantages. Besides economy and a place to cook, you meet other travellers. Initially I stayed in dorms, but later I opted to book private rooms in hostels when available. I organised my planning by continent: the Middle East first to satisfy my burning curiosity; Africa second, because I'd need to be fit; and third, Southeast Asia to make my personal amends for the Vietnam War. Let me allay concerns: nothing bad happened to me. Anywhere. Ever. I cut my retirement-travel teeth in the Middle East, the place I wanted to see the most but also the region that gave me the most trepidation about travelling as a single woman. Lessons learned from my earlier travels stood me in good stead (if it's a choice between my own sense of comfort and being rude, choose rude). I used public transport for several reasons, primarily because it's inexpensive. Having no time deadlines, I was happy to exchange time for money. Also, I could count on it to get me where I was going, given my terrible sense of direction. Eventually I arrived in a country in Asia where roads ran out, and the main artery was a river. For me with my city roots, river-as-artery was science fiction. Except, it wasn't. I had landed in Bangkok, the easiest and cheapest place to enter the region. Knowing I'd be back, after checking out the area for a few days, I pointed myself toward my real destination: Laos. By this time, in my third year of retirement travel, many lessons had been learned. I must have absorbed into my muscle memory the reality that as long as I used my common sense and good judgement, things always worked out. My level of chill was astounding, especially to myself, given the many unknowns. Exiting Thailand overland via Chiang Rai, I boarded a minibus to the Laos border where the road soon ran out! Ahead of me there was only the Mekong River, and travelling overland became travelling overwater. Not knowing what lay ahead, I hadn't brought food for my upcoming two-day journey. I was therefore relieved to discover a small food shop just across the border. Yes, things worked out. I recall blindly following a miscellaneous group of travellers to the river, where we walked down a steep ramp to the dock. We all managed to fit in the waiting flat-bottomed boat. These two days on the Mekong would deliver me to my initial Laotian destination, Luang Prabang. This city is known for being one of the most beautiful in Southeast Asia, and its famous Night Market beckoned. I spent my two days on the Mekong focused on attitude adjustment, restraining my impatience and absorbing myself in the scenery. I enviously watched speedboats whizzing by and briefly wished I had paid for this faster transport. However, when I was told that they were noisy and that their drivers had a reputation for accidents, slow became perfect. Our stopover was in Pak Beng, a village with one unpaved main street, quite different from the other, busier towns I'd seen so far in Thailand. It was so interesting to see people going about their daily lives and I vowed to visit more communities away from the tourist routes. I wanted to know what it was like to live somewhere like Pak Beng, so different from my home. Luang Prabang more than lived up to its reputation as beautiful, and the Night Market was extraordinary. So many things to see and do, so much good food! I got around the city on my favourite form of in-town transport: a bicycle. I always hired a bike if it were both possible and safe. Thus, it was on my hired bike that I finally set out on my primary mission: to make personal amends for the Vietnam War. For my first stop I visited the UXO Laos Information Centre. At this small museum of UXO (unexploded ordnance, or bombs), my guide was American. With our shared language, I could read his grief. He described the damage, both past and present, inflicted by bombs dropped during the Vietnam War (known in Laos as the Secret War). Bombs remain, still causing harm especially to children. I donated money to the sponsoring organisation that is clearing away the bombs, treating the people still being injured, and providing education to ensure that the children know to stay away. I needed an antidote to my gloom. So the next morning I arose to see an ongoing 5.30am ritual: women lining the streets, offering bowls of sticky rice and other foods to a parade of monks. Perusal of my guidebook led me on to another river, the Nam Ou. This time it was for a 10-hour boat journey to the idyllic northern Laos town of Nong Khiaw. The scenery was stunning — I'd never seen anything like the peaked mountains jutting vertically out of the water. The town spanned both sides of the river. Tourism was concentrated on one side, and this became my base. There were tours on offer, and viewpoints to climb, and kayaking, and fabulous restaurants and ... the options were endless. For the first time, I also met lots of other senior travellers, mostly couples, and it was a blast swapping stories and recommendations. We'd all go off on our daily explorations, then meet at our favourite Indian restaurant for dinner and share stories from our day. Such camaraderie was a welcome novelty. Laos would not have been on my radar had it not been for the Secret War. Hence I was floored when it turned out to be so special. Not only was the scenery fabulous and varied, but it was also packed with surprises, including elephants! As an American traveller, I found it inexpensive and safe; and the people I met were friendly and helpful. I thought to myself, "how did I get so lucky?" The final destination and the final miracle There were three and a-half years between Laos and my final travel miracle. These years included foreign and domestic travel, as well as surgeries with successful outcomes. Throughout my retirement I also took on occasional psychology contracts that placed me in novel locations (for example, South Dakota) and helped replenish my coffers. Concluding a trip to explore my Jewish roots, I found myself in Riga, Latvia, in June 2017. Realising I was alive only because my Russian Jewish grandparents had emigrated to the United States back in 1910 contributed to the emotional impact of the trip. Knowing I'd want to take advantage of my location, I'd researched must-see Eastern European destinations and discovered Tallinn, Estonia. I was all in, and a reservation for the four-and-a-half-hour bus trip from Riga to Tallinn assigned me seat six. I was the last to board the bus. Someone was already in seat five. "Hello," I said, hoping he was a native English speaker, which would make for a more relaxing journey. It took only his "hello" to inform me that English was his mother tongue, but I incorrectly guessed his nationality as Australian. He was from New Zealand/Aotearoa. Given how much I love meeting strangers, I proceeded to have one of my six-minute relationships, so named because that's about how long you talk to someone on a skilift. Knowing you'll never see them again, you can say whatever outrageous or true thing you want. I learned a lot about this Kiwi: he was 72 (same as me), had flown his own plane for 40 years, took trips to Europe annually and had been a solo traveller since being widowed three years earlier. Like me, he was a cyclist. Unlike me, he preferred having a partner. And this is how my being a nomadic solo traveller ended, on this bus to Tallinn. Doug and I hooked up (as the youngsters say) in Tallinn, and the rest ... That this chance meeting evolved into a permanent relationship is the miracle. Why? Because I had been very happily single for 22 years. I had divorced at 40, and my last significant relationship ended at 50. I truly believed that all relationships eventually became burdens. So how did this one gain traction and stick? Seven years later, now happily living in New Zealand, I can only say the miracle continues. Preparation for retirement freedom 1. Plan your finances Knowing I'd need as much money as possible, the moment my daughter left home I sought the highest paying job I could find anywhere. I had a location list of must-haves (reasonable housing costs was number one) and negotiables (for example, a pretty city). I saved every possible penny while still having fun during my 10 years spent in Spokane, Washington. 2. Keep your body as fit as possible Getting to the gym and staying active was made easier knowing that this was my insurance policy for retirement. I was investing in feeding my passion to see and move around in the whole world. 3. Make the digital world your friend In 2010 at age 65 I was very intimidated by technology. My digitally savvy daughter set up my "Retired Nomad" blog. The many youngsters I met in dorms were happy to tutor me on Facebook and other platforms. I now thankfully have a record of my travels. 4. Practise being alone I started at 22, believing I wouldn't marry, yet knowing there were a lot of things I wanted to do. My first practice solo-travel session was alone in a restaurant booth in West Hartford, Conneticut, ordering a hot fudge sundae. The book Women Travel Solo by Lonely Planet, $39.99 RRP.
Otago Daily Times
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Paddon revved up for triple-header
Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard have a busy schedule ahead. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Life is flat-tack for New Zealand rally star Hayden Paddon. The Cromwell-based ace is about to contest three very different rallies over three consecutive weekends in three countries with three different co-drivers. Rally Queensland, running July 4-6 near Gympie, north of Brisbane, has been booked in all year. Paddon is set to continue his bid to win his first Australian Rally Championship title with longtime co-driver John Kennard alongside in the PRG-run Hyundai i20 Rally 2 car. Paddon and Kennard took the lead of their respective drivers' and co-drivers' championships at the previous ARC round in Western Australia and know they face a challenge in Queensland as most of the frontrunners have considerable experience on the rally's gravel, forestry plantation roads. Two more dates unexpectedly popped up on the calendar. Paddon received an invitation to compete in the Ypres Rally in Belgium, June 28-29, an event he contested in 2013 at the start of his international career. One of the longest-running rallies in Europe, Ypres is a high-speed, all-tarmac rally that regularly attracts top international drivers. Paddon will be joined by New Zealand co-driver Jared Hudson in a Hyundai i20N Rally2 car prepared by last year's Belgian champions, BMA. Finally, just this week, a late change in the entry list for Ireland's most competitive motorsport rally, the Donegal Rally, provided Paddon with the opportunity to drive another Hyundai i20N Rally2 with co-driver Dave Moynihan. The car will be run by C&M Motorsport and the event takes place on June 20-22. Described as the ultimate three-day tarmac rally, Donegal attracts over 70,000 spectators and close to 400,000 viewers on television and online. Being the only three-day tarmac rally in Ireland and the United Kingdom, it attracts the best Irish, British and international drivers from around the globe every year. Paddon is understandably excited. "It's fantastic to be heading back to Europe for some rally action again during what will be one of the busiest three-week windows of my life," he said. "There's certainly a challenge ahead with three different cars, three different co-drivers and teams across the three events that span halfway round the globe. "Donegal and Ypres are very famous events where the locals are extremely fast on demanding stages. "Then, on our return to Australia, we are going into a rally where most of the ARC competitors are familiar with the stages from last year. "We are going to have to prepare and push hard at all three events. It's a challenge I'm definitely up for. "The dream is to try and challenge for victories across all three events, but the challenge to do that is huge. "Together with my three co-drivers and teams, I know we'll give it everything we have and try our best to keep up with the locals. "It's a unique and exciting privilege, to get outside your comfort zone and try new challenges, and for me, that is motivation to push us to try even harder." — APL
Otago Daily Times
29-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
High hopes for early childhood centre
It is hoped a newly opened early childhood centre in Cromwell's fast-growing Wooing Tree Estate will offer much-needed relief to local families, easing pressure on waiting lists at other centres bursting at the seams. BestStart Wooing Tree opened at the end of April on the edge of the new neighbourhood, beside State Highway 8B and close to the entrance of the pedestrian tunnel under the highway, linking it to the town centre. "Interest from local families has been very strong, which reflects the growing need for early childhood education in the Cromwell area," centre manager Emma Stone told The News. "We've had a steady stream of inquiries and are now taking enrolments." For months — if not years — some parents were enrolling their children as soon as they learned they were pregnant, desperate to secure a spot in a town where demand for childcare for under-5s vastly outstripped supply. Cromwell-based mothers support group Mums4Mums co-ordinator Kylie Murdoch said the shortage had placed enormous stress on working households, particularly those dependent on two incomes to manage the region's higher-than-average housing costs. Ms Murdoch said it was still too early to know the impact of the opening of the new centre, but feedback from young families suggested demand was "levelling out". Parents had told other media in the area that the lack of childcare availability had made it difficult — if not impossible — for some to return to work after parental leave, with women disproportionately affected. Some had jobs lined up or contracts signed, only to be forced to delay or abandon their return to the workforce because they could not secure the hours they needed in care. Ms Murdoch said, with the changing job market, she just hoped enough work opportunities would be available for parents that needed them as childcare became more available. Ms Murdoch said there was one upside to the childcare squeeze, "it's created a sense of community with the mums". "They've worked together and found other ways [to support each other]." Meanwhile, Ms Stone advised families interested in enrolling children at the Wooing Tree preschool to "get in touch as soon as possible". BestStart Wooing Tree can cater for up to 80 children, aged three months to 6 years. Soon-to-be-4-year-old Tyson Browne told The News his favourite thing about the centre was its slide.
Otago Daily Times
08-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Rescue chopper has special place in one rider's heart
Southland's Bruce Winter, whose wife and son have both needed to use the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter following heart attacks, is pictured before today's Chopper Bike Ride, an annual fundraiser for Lakes District Air Rescue Trust (LDART). He is with (from left) Gemma and Richie McCaw, LDART chairman Jules Tapper, broadcaster Paddy Gower and Westpac NZ Otago Southland regional manager Phil Taylor. PHOTO: TRACEY ROXBURGH You can bet Southlander Bruce Winter's wife and eldest son will not be too far from his thoughts during a gruelling 230km bike ride today. Mr Winter, 69, is one of about 100 cyclists — including at least four former Olympians — taking part in this year's Chopper Bike Ride from Queenstown to Invercargill, a fundraiser for the annual Westpac Chopper Appeal. The riders are aiming to raise a record $150,000 for the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust to support the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Service, which last year flew 2097 missions. Mr Winter, who was a road cyclist for 10 years and a keen mountain biker, said this would be his sixth edition of the Chopper Bike Ride, an event to which he had previously donated but began participating in after his wife, Catherine, needed the rescue helicopter in 2016. Sheep farming at the time at Spar Bush, Mrs Winter, then aged 54, had spent a morning winding up electric fences. By 3pm that afternoon she complained of a sore arm, believing she had pulled a muscle. "She was actually starting to have a heart attack then," he said. Unaware, Mr Winter headed out again and returned home just before 6pm and immediately knew "something wasn't right". She was taken by ambulance to Southland Hospital — a rescue helicopter happened to be there, having been brought in for another patient. "But Catherine took precedence, so they flew her to Dunedin ... it's only a 48-minute flight from Invercargill to the top of Dunedin Hospital. She landed on the roof, they took her down and [put a stent in] straight away." Then last July, their son Andrew, then aged 36, also needed a life-saving flight to Dunedin after he confused a heart attack for pneumonia. The Cromwell-based diesel mechanic thought about driving to Clyde Hospital, but his boss encouraged him to go to the medical centre instead. "So he rang the medical centre and they sent an ambulance." After a couple of hours in Clyde, the call was made to the rescue helicopter, which had to land south of Alexandra due to an inversion layer. By the time his parents got to Dunedin, Andrew had a stent inserted and was "good as gold". Now living near Forest Hill, Mr Winter said one of the helicopter flight paths from Queenstown passed directly overhead. Noting the regularity with which that happened, he said he was acutely aware of the service's importance. Riders in today's event include former All Blacks captain and Westpac NZ ambassador Richie McCaw, 2012 Olympic gold medal-winning rower Nathan Cohen, Black Sticks great Gemma McCaw and her former team-mate, Diana Te Awa, Paralympic tandem sighted pilot Laura Thompson, former Olympic cyclist Glenn McLeay and broadcaster Paddy Gower. While they would spend 12 hours in the saddle, stopping at local schools along the route, a smaller group of riders including Westpac NZ institutional and business banking managing director Reuben Tucker, have taken the fundraising to a new level — riding 800km from Nelson to join the start of the Chopper Bike Ride in Queenstown. By last night, just over $75,000 had been donated through the Westpac Chopper Appeal Givealittle page.
