Horizons of opportunity
Last Friday I watched some sailing. It wasn't in the Spanish port of Barcelona on the Mediterranean but rather French Bay, Titirangi on the Manukau Harbour.
It wasn't the elite but my grandson who, with his school class, was taking part in a Waterwise programme at
the yacht club.
Most of the kids, aged around 9, hadn't sailed before but after some precise instruction and under appropriate supervision, they each took their own Optimist out and around the bay. It was clear from the earnest and at times reverent look on their faces that this experience was much more than just learning to sail a dinghy. It was the realisation that they are the captain of their own ship.
They saw that the effect of the things around them – the wind, the tide, the waves – was entirely dependent on their response and how that power was in their own hands.
They sighted the horizon and were drawn to the opportunity and adventure of the unknown before being called back toward shore.
I understand that there are several million dollars tagged for sailing and looking for a project. This seems a good one.
Robert Alderson, Titirangi.
A closer view
Tim Beveridge (NZ Herald, April 4) hit the nail on the head over the move to Barcelona for the next defence in the America's Cup. The vilification of the Team New Zealand management, and Grant Dalton in particular, greatly saddens me. We can do better than sling mud at one of our truly great sailing icons.
I have never met Dalton but would like to pass on my own experience of coming across him during one of the Whitbread races when he was duelling with Chris Dickson to get to Auckland first. I lived in the Bay of Islands and all fans of the race knew that the yachts of Dalton and Dickson would be passing the entrance to the bay at about noon. I joined others to go and watch this tussle.
We did get to see the tip of Chris Dickson's mast way out to sea but the magic moment was when Grant Dalton sailed into the outer entrance to the bay with all his crew on the rail giving a grand salute to those of us who made the effort to cheer them on. Brilliant. Go Dalts.
Allen Jones, Cambridge.
Gratitude from afar
The way things are at the moment, the real heroes in New Zealand are the people who grow our potatoes, cauliflowers, peas, carrots, beans, etc. And those who get them to our supermarkets. The awful and completely unwarranted situation in Ukraine makes me thankful for our civilised (and remote) situation.
Let us all do what we can to support the unfortunate people of Ukraine, and remember that "all that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing".
Karl van de Water, Maungaturoto.
Democracy curbed
Even theoretically, Simon Wilson's take (NZ Herald, March 5) on Auckland Transport removing kerbside parking for some sort of greater good for buses and cyclists, is flawed.
One doesn't have to be disabled to need kerbside parking outside one's residence or place of business for the purposes of loading or unloading goods or visitors to continue with some normality of life after Covid.
Large families with children visiting grandparents with bags of goodies or vice versa, where travelling by bus (or bike) is completely impractical, will find themselves isolated and lonely and possibly stuck in a dwelling where the value has plummeted through a new lack of access.
But what makes me really angry, after years of engaging in farcical council consultation processes, is the sheer bloody-minded and stupid arrogance of AT planners saying upfront that the outcome of this round of public consultation on kerbside parking is predetermined.
Anyone trying to justify this attitude doesn't understand the true meaning of democracy.
Coralie van Camp, Remuera.
Slow lane
AT's proposals to cut back on city car traffic in favour of public transport should be applauded for several reasons.
We know about the environmental reason. But what about the tranquillity benefits? In Auckland, my wife and I only use public transport and occasionally a taxi or ride-share. This causes us to slow down and appreciate our blessings. It increases the diversity of our contacts and right-sizes us.
I'm reminded of a friend's advice when I first went to Africa. He said, "slow down or you'll miss Africa".
Robert Myers, Auckland Central.
