The Final Post - Saying Goodbye in Style!

So on to the 10th and final day of my short time in New Zealand!

I hope the blog has given a little insight into the 2011 NZAOT Clinical Workshops, and OT issues in New Zealand itself!

So after the previous days visit to the University and meeting with old friends, my final day was mainly a day for preparing for my third 10 hour+ flight in 2 weeks, blogging, and fridge magnet shopping, (Julia & Lindsey be grateful!). I had returned to the hostel and packed my bag, as I had to leave the hostel at 0700, get a 40 minute bus to the airport and check in around 0800 for my 10:00 flight to Seoul, Korea.

Fortunately I had one last social event left. Cara, a NZ Occupational Therapist had been in touch and offered to take me out for a wee drink, and then on to another OT's place (Johnathan) for dinner! Cara took me to a nice bar/pub where we exchanged social and OT histories, before heading over to Johnathan & Jeremy's place. With Johnathan & Jeremy both being from the UK originally and now working in New Zealand, we quickly got into some story swapping and I was left to admire their view of the city from their balcony as they prepared dinner.

The beers were flowing, and a lovely chicken pie with vegetables was served up, followed by Cara's ice-cream with mixed berries as a desert! A win win for me on my last night. Now I know it's easy to say it, but that last night was so much fun, and so indicative of the warm and friendly

welcome I had received by so many people during the past ten days. I honestly felt like it was four long-time friends sat around a dinner table having a good laugh and catch up. Unfortunately the night had to come to an end, as it was a school night for the other three and I had my early wake up and flight! Cara dropped me off back at my hostel, and as I watched her drive away, I had a feeling that this would not be the last time I see the OT's of New Zealand. I hope this turns out to be the case, and it is not just wishful thinking.

So all that leaves me to do is to say a huge thanks to the many lovely,kind, and friendly folk who not only bought me cups of tea, dinner or kept me entertained, but who opened a bit of their personal and professional lives up to me during this lovely trip!

I also have to mention that I found the best value for money massages chair in Auckland Airport, (just $1 - that's just 50pence for 3 mins) and here it is! I wish I hadn't tipped that waitress $2 now!

I will not be blogging from Korea, as that is my holiday time, so thanks for all those people who took the time to read the blog and commented.

For the last time, regards from New Zealand!

Visiting 'AUT' OT School Auckland & an unlikely reunion!

Hello everybody! After enjoying yet more of my room mates snoring and unpleasant smell, I headed out (Tuesday), to visit one of the two OT Schools/Universities here in New Zealand. A short 15 minute bus ride from 'downtown' led to me to the North Shore district of Auckland. One of the things I enjoyed most about the bus ride was that there was a radio station playing songs on the bus... (apparently this is a relatively new thing), but I was singing along to the music, though I'm not sure my fellow passengers really appreciated my this. Nobody tipped me anyway!I got off the bus and headed to the AA block, where I was to find my host (Valerie), and some other staff members, who were keen to answer my questions about life Occupational Therapy education here in New Zealand.
I was really interested to find out about numbers of students, the different programmes on offer and cost implications for NZ OT students. I was informed that AUT generally graduates around 90 (approx numbers) each year with an approximate total number of 150 new graduates nationally across the country. The course is a 3 year Degree (same as UK), with an option of a non-funded 4th year Hons. Students are expected to part fund the cost of the course, by around $5000, though as is most countries, international students pay significantly more for their education. The University and the OT Board of NZ are able to monitor the success of the academic programmes by assessing new graduates against the seven areas of competency, upon completion of the course which allows registration to occur. AUT students spend up to a full semester (20 weeks) on placement in their final year, allowing the second year of study to focus on more theoretical aspects, linked in with outside lecturers / clinicians participating in the education process. There was a fantastic mix of staff experience and skill base and a friendly and welcoming feel around the campus, with plenty of green space around campus to relax in. The on-site 'Subway' sandwich shop was no bad thing either!I followed up this visit with a return to Auckland and the shock of finding yet more signs of Christmas! Why can't we be allowed to enjoy the present and not be encouraged to always be looking past tomorrow! Ok enough of a rant!My afternoon took a pleasant surprise twist as Sally called me and we headed to her gym, for a cuppa (cup of tea), and another chance to chat about life in NZ. two cups later, we said our goodbyes and Sally kindly dropped me off in town, where I was able to head to the Occidental Belgian Beer Cafe where I was to meet an old friend/work colleague.
Tony, a former colleague of mine from a Community Mental Health Team in Manchester, UK, was now here living in NZ, and right here in Auckland! We had last seen each other when I left that job back in 2007! Tony told me about his quite amazing journey that had brought him to NZ and how he'd been living in Christchurch, when the earthquake had struck earlier this year. his terrifying account, explained why he'd now moved up North, and whilst discussing the issues now surrounding the UK health service, I found myself feeling inspired by Tony's move and search for a better quality of life out here. Maybe this is a move I'll consider myself, because after a few beers and a fantastic meal, I could really begin to see the appeal of living in a country without a 'fear of menace' which I personally feel is evident in my life in the UK. The friendly and welcoming nature of people here is so evident here. Almost as important, is the non-existence of the company BT (British Telecom) to which both me and Tony (and many other people I know) would testify to being one of the most idiotic and incompetent companies I have had the dis-pleasure to deal with! Unfortunately no pictures were taken of this night, but I just want to wish Tony all the best in his adventures out here! It was a pleasure to catch up, funny how people's journey's cross in the most unlikely of places!

Regards from NZ
Dan

On to Auckland & a day with a new friend!

Sleep! That's what my body was telling me I needed. I had a final hour or two to walk around Waitangi and Paihia, before getting my 4 hr bus back to Auckland and a return to 'Backpacker Life'! A few final shots of Waitangi....
Having slept through most of the bus journey the sight of Auckland approaching caught my attention...My Hostel see below, was called Surf n Snow and cost $30 (NZ) about 17 pounds a night (the keyboard doesn't have a pound sign!) for a 5 bed dorm. So after checking in and getting a quick bite to eat I fell asleep about 8pm, and didn't wake up until the following morning!
I had a good look around before being met by my host for the day - an internet OT friend. We had only had contact before this day through facebook, after she had read a previous blog of mine about Vietnam. We had a lovely 8 hours in and around Auckland! Starting off at the Museum, which had exhibitions on Volcanoes, the Maori culture and much much more gave me a good flavor of New Zealand in general. See below
After this and a quick shopping trip, we headed to an area called Mission Beach, and to a Belgium Cafe with some live jazz music, and some excellent wine & food. It was great getting another perspective on life and Therapy in new Zealand, and also having only ever spoken 'on-line' before, it was great to be able to meet face to face, and discuss the relative pros & cons regarding this kind of communication. My friend was interesting to listen too, as not being born here in New Zealand, she was able to give me an insight into further cultural issues in everyday life here.
After a further drive around, I was dropped me off at the hostel and oh did I sleep well that night... well I say I slept well, I did, but one of my 3 room mates, not only snores, but seems to be a Vampire.. he is out all night, and then sleeping most of the day. I'm pretty sure he's out drinking too, as the room smells pretty badly each morning! Ah the joy's of hostels!
Monday, proved to be a tourist day! I explored the city on foot, wandered through parks, shopping centres, had a massage, and started the blog. So I'll end by sharing some of the sights around Auckland! Enjoy the views!
And always end on a funny picture if possible... this is a genuine board outside a church, made in preparation for the Rugby world cup...
I finished the day with a trip to the cinema, (something I always like to do when I am so far away from home, as it gives me a sense of normality). I watched the movie 'In-time' which was comical in parts, even though it was not supposed to be, and one more thing I learned is that in New Zealand, you are supposed to sit in the seat you have been allocated, even if the cinema is not busy... ah well, you live and learn!
Regards from New Zealand.

Conference - Day 3 'Making connections'

Hi Everybody, hope we are all well, and enjoying the story so far! This might be a long entry, so go get a cup of tea and make yourselves comfortable! (oh, and enjoy!)
As I have learned from past experiences, the morning of the final day of this kind of event is usually filled with a touch of anxiety for me, as I am always thinking have I networked enough to really take something away from the experience?, have I given a good account of myself and UK OT's?, and perhaps most challenging, who should I have dinner with? Fortunately the question of dinner was not one that caused too much worry, and most people were leaving that day! I'll get onto the dinner issue later.
I was keen to make the most of the amazing scenery, and after a slightly earlier cup of tea on my balcony than usual, I went for a little stroll outside my room, here's the view!


The first task of the day was to get into 'photo mode' and take some pictures of some the people that had been so generous with their time, and who had made me feel so welcome during my stay. So here a few pictures of some of the NZ OT community!









After a little photo shoot, I headed off to take part in a discussion about the development of a New Zealand specific model of Occupational Therapy. This prompted lots of interesting discussion regarding current cultural practice, which was just the kind of thing I was hoping to get involved in. This really started to make me question just how culturally competent was my own practice, in what is a diverse collection of culture in the UK!




The second part of my morning was nothing short of brilliant! A UK born OT called Claire, picked my up from the conference and whisked me off to the little local hospital where she worked, near Kawakawa. She gave me a tour of the hospital, and explained the role of the OT within such a rural community. It was fascinating to learn that equipment had to be ordered and then delivered from Auckland (4 hours away), before OT's could go and deliver the equipment to the person who needs it. The large geographical area she had to cover as a sole OT was staggering! I met some of her colleagues, who were all friendly and appeared enthusiastic about their work. The hospital had just a few beds, and a separate family room had been built, as it was explained to me that in some cases with the Maori population, when one member of the family was in hospital, many other family members would come and stay with them in the hospital. The hospital had a Heli-pad, which made sense as the distance people lived away from the hospital would require helicopter assistance in emergencies. Here's a picture or two!





On the way back to the conference, Claire took to me to some famous toilets! I should probably explain this a little, as I'm guessing that last sentence may have implied something untoward! In the town of Kawakawa, an architect by the name of Frederick Hundertwasser, designed some toilets which were unusual to say the least. I was informed that at the time there were built, there were several cannabis plants growing on top of the building. I made the mistake of bounding in to the toilets, camera in hand, before realising that this action could be interpreted as something else, and could quite possibly get me arrested, fortunately the toilets were empty! Phew! Enjoy the views!On returning to the conference the afternoon sessions were equally enlightening, as I learned all about the methods for registration for OT's here, and how the board monitors competence, a very different process to the UK. Seven ( I think it was seven), different competences exist and each year a Therapist must be actively working on one aspect from each of the seven different competences. Where applicable, your work supervisor, a third party, and the board must all agree that you have met the goals for that year! Random sampling of these goals (similar to random portfolio sampling in the UK), is used to monitor the process. A final session on poster presentations, a very interactive session, which also involved a quick 'speed date' challenge was a fitting end to the day. A closing farewell, with the presentation of awards finished off the day, and the conference nicely!

After some running around on my part to try and say good bye to people, I then set about making plans for dinner, and two of the nice ladies that had taken me for fish & chips two days before, allowed me to join them again, but not before we had a drink on my balcony, and a much needed relaxation session in the outside spa!In the spa, one of those funny moments occurred, one of the girls got chatting to a guy who just happened to come along and get in the spa. On realising that this guy had lived in a certain area, the conversation went something like... "oh, so do you know Tim" (no surnames used), - 'yeah I know Tim, Tim & Vicky right?" - " yeah that's right, he's my cousin", - conversation continues... " oh so you know (insert name here)" - I mean I know NZ is a small place, but really, not needing to use surnames to identify people to strangers just tickled me!
After feeling very relaxed we headed out for dinner, to Paihia, and had the following lovely pizzas with an even nicer back drop - a Paihia sunset! Have a look for yourself!




















A perfect ending to the day!
Regards from New Zealand
Dan

Conference - Day 2

This was a day of more networking, interesting workshops, a big dinner and my Poster Presentation!

I have to admit if felt strange wearing flip flops (thongs for you Aussies!) and shorts whilst being at a conference. Whilst I accept the weather was a big factor in this, I loved the lack of formality, not often experienced in other professional settings, which I have found have discouraged others to engage in the past. This relaxed atmosphere really did encourage people to offer opinions in a non-challenging manner, and I was beginning to realise that the New Zealand OT scene was a small one. I went to a really interesting discussion about membership of the association and the issues they were facing nationally.

I was also beginning to learn about the big differences between the employing organisations of OT's in New Zealand. Employers included DHB (District Health Board), ACC ( An Insurance related organisation), the Ministry of Health, and more private practice than I am aware of in the UK. Having a wider range of employers affected the roles taken on by OT's here, leading to some differences in terms and conditions of employment across these organisations. I was enjoying trying to get my head around these issues. Also coming from the UK, where there is around 25 UK OT schools/Universities, learning that there were just 2 main schools here (One in the North Island, one in the South), with a relatively new third new site, raised lots of questions for me about newly graduating students? Where did they go after graduating? Did they have to move around the country for work? and how was the job market here? There also seemed to be lots and lots of OT's who were originally from the UK and had moved here, so did this affect the practice of OT here?

Having opted for a cup of tea on my beautiful balcony rather than the coastal walk or yoga class during the early morning, I was feeling more refreshed on day 2! I was now really interested about how OT's worked with the Maori and Pacific Island populations, and I was learning how similar elements in these cultures (the need for family/community involvement in treatment), was something I had experienced in Vietnam. Listening to Maori speakers about how they tackled individuals issues by engaging community members raised the issues of patient's/client's rights, and it made me think back to the number of cases in the UK hospital that I find frustrating because individuals and families often deliberately refuse to engage in discussions about problems. Is it possible to navigate around the issues of confidentiality and individual's wishes, if treatment goals are compromised by excluding outside parties?

A thought provoking day ended with the big dinner! A 20 minute boat journey took the 150 strong party to Russel Island, where the first liqour licenced was issued in NZ, (The duke of Marlborough -I think it was called) hosted our dinner. Here are a few shots of the food! Well, my dinner!

After dinner instead of traditional entertainment, there ensued a competition (a creative OT activity) , whereby each table had to literally fight for creative materials laid out on a table, and then create ' a visual representation of the themes relating to the conference... firm foundations, basket of knowledge, and standing tall.. tables either dressed somebody up, or created some pretty funky baskets of knowledge! Our tables attempt (which surprisingly, did not win) is below!

Regards from New Zealand!

Conference - Day 1

The New Zealand Association of OT had a really great process whereby each year they alternate between traditional conference style, and clinical workshops, and this year it was the form of the clinical workshops that had attracted me to attend the event!

Waking up to the following views of local wildlife, had made forget all about the 2 day journey to get here!

I was soon following the crowd for a traditional Maori greeting known a 'Powhiri', at the local Maori community 'house'. Women were asked to line up first and men at the back, before the Maori chief's wife began chanting/singing a greeting that allowed us to pass in to the house... see below...

After the ceremony were taken to several historic local Maori sights, including the area where the famous Waitangi Treaty was signed between the local Maori leaders and the European settlers at that time. This treaty was signed in peace time, with a view to allowing the different populations a better understanding of the future, here's some of the first morning tour....

After the tour, a lovely lunch was provided where the main trade displays were situated allowing people to get to know each other in a more informal setting.

My first workshop that afternoon was entitled 'Multiple Perspectives: finding your anchor - by a well respected Dr Manuka Henare, the theme of this workshop asking us are we 'of a place; or in a place', was a very thought provoking question, and an issue that remained relevant throughout the entire conference.

As the day drew to a close and I was trying desperately to remember any of the people's names I had met that day (because my memory is shocking, not because the people weren't memorable) I began to wonder what to do for food. I had a few nice offers for dinner, and opted for a fish & chip dinner on a nearby moored boat called 'Shippeys'! The food came wrapped in paper and I was joined by four lovely OT's.

After dinner some of us headed back to the hotel and decided to hit the outdoor hot tub/spa. A fitting end to a lovely first day!

Regards from New Zealand!