I saw the future, back in the mid 90's a new marina was proposed for Lyttelton, it was badly conceived and under subscribed, despite crewing on a number of Lyttleton keelers and a supporter of better facilities, I was aghast at what was being proposed, a $30 solution to a $50 problem.

When the local council took over ownership, as a local Lyttelton ratepayer I was even more horrified and opposed that. None the less, it went ahead, on Friday July 28 2000, The Akaroa Mail published a letter from me detailing what would happen,

On Friday the 13th Of October, my prediction came to pass, almost exactly as I predicted it would, under exactly the circumstances I predicted- fortunately the vision of the bodies of friends floating in the wreckage, a vision I had lived with for five years, didn't come to pass.,

I was a member of the Auckland University team in the 1988 series of University Challenge, hosted by the late great Pete Sinclair. We came third. — Peter Bateman

That's a pretty good starter for ten @Peter Bateman!

As for myself, I was awarded Proxime Accessit (runner-up to Dux) of my year at high school... which was a bit of a surprise to me as when the Principal was calling the prospective students out of class for "interviews" they couldn't find me as I was in fact wagging that particular calculus lesson, luckily for me one of my friends that was in the class was very quick-witted with a vague but plausible enough excuse for why I wasn't there!

For those who grew up in the UK, I was on Crackerjack aged 10 and won. My mum was fortunately spared the gunk tank, but my face was covered in treacle and Rice Crispies.

I represented New Zealand in American Football

I won the Betty Crocker Family Leader of Tomorrow Award for my high school, which led to winning the Home Economics Award and being voted Most Likely to Succeed by my graduating class.

I went on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry / general business while working full-time at international chemical giant Dow Corning Corporation - by the time I graduated, I had 4 years work experience behind my degree. But then fate intervened when I met a NZ-born expatriate of nearby Dow Chemical Company and ended up following him back to Melbourne, then accompanying him to NZ.

Another surprising and little known fact is that I decided to start taking ballet lessons in my mid-thirties after talking to a shop assistant while buying ballet shoes for my daughter, who was 3 years old at the time. As a child, I had always longed to learn to dance and be graceful, while my family teased me mercilessly about being such a klutz! I later realised I had been living in my head and dragging my body around, with very little connection to my feet. It was a long and very challenging process, but an amazing teacher persevered with me, and the physical experience allowed me to deeply integrate all the personal development work I had been doing up until that time. So when the teacher announced that we were going to have a performance for only invited guest (family and friends), I knew this would be my opportunity to test myself - could I actually dance while people were looking at me? I had grown up as the "gray, invisible middle child" who stayed out of sight and under the radar because it was safe.

When the moment came to perform, my focus was entirely on the audience and their experience, not on my own body or movements. I discovered something really magical - when I focused on them, my mind went entirely quiet! This experience has served me well in so many ways ever since!

I hold a qualification in Gunsmithing, including 20 years of full-time experience...now I do it as a hobby

I won the IHC ASENZ Award 2000, the first Time the award had been won in the South Island, I was then included in Jim Hopkins Book called "Mates", I was also a top breakdancer in the early eighties, I won the Canterbury Summertimes Breakdance Champs

I was tactician for the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club Wellington, MRX yacht mini series; held in Auckland in late 80's. I was highly commended for our 'protest' presentation (in absentia as the girls had to return to Wellington) against Leslie Egnot and her internationally successful team at the time. Although we lost our protest, hard to defend if not present; I was tickled pink with what we had achieved and second place was not so bad.

Meanwhile I specialize in Universal Design - accessible spaces - internal and external environments. If only our architect schools spent more time on this!!

I got a Law Degree whilst serving as an Aircraft Propulsion Technician in the Royal Air Force!

I trained as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Cytogenetics. When I met my husband and he was tranferred to Auckland, Mlebourne and then UK I was able to continue working in this field, before returning to NZ and turning to H&S roles.

I won a short story competition in 1983 in the Women's Weekly - afterwards I was invited to attend the Queens Garden Party at Buckingham Palace - as was living in London by then but decided not to go. Only 18 and didn't know any better - always regret not going - would have been much better story.

What great stories and achievements above.
I got my first job after University (Electrical Engineering) not because of my grades, but because I played an obscure sport (Underwater Hockey) and a musical instrument (Viola). The comment, I found out later, was: "Yay, someone who actually has a life outside electronics and computers!"

That combination creates such an amazing spectrum of skills and awareness - I'm sure your work really benefits from developing technical knowledge and skills and complementing that with physical activity, music and creativity. I wish I could play violin or viola, or even cello - such beautifully expressive instruments!

I'm a Jedi and a Trekkie, have four teenage kids and love doing yoga to My Chemical Romance.

Oh and

I later realised I had been living in my head and dragging my body around, with very little connection to my feet. — Sheri Greenwell

I spent two years on a walking stick because of that little mind game - funnily enough it was also a ballet teacher who got me walking again :)

After about 9 years of classical ballet and abut 6 of jazz ballet, with a few actual performances behind me, I went on to try Bollywood and Kathak (North Indian classical dancing). This was particularly challenging because the basic rules for ballet are exactly the opposite of the rules for Bollywood and kathak (i.e., for ballet, your weight is on the balls of your feet, you land softly "as if there is no floor", taking the impact through flexing your knees, and your hand/ arm movement is on the opposite side of the body than the foot. In Bollywood and kathak, your weight is on the heel, you stamp your feet quickly and with impact (I once got in trouble with my first ballet teacher for stamping my foot when I became impatient with my own progress!!), and the hand/arm movement is on the same side as the foot! But it was good exercise for my brain.

Someone once said that dancing is actually just falling and catching yourself / your balance again all the time, and making it happen so it looks graceful.

Here are a few photos from some of my experiences, including some of the performances. :-)

You all have great achievements to share, I can only share succeeding in life.
Being raised in a strict family environment I was invisible as a girl between 3 boys and not allowed to participate in anything or have friends over. Well, so the story goes, got married, got divorced, and then started studying at night enabling me to move from a typist (this gives away my age..) to Personal Assistant to the CEO of a well-known company.
Just as I reaced my 40 I started studying again and moved into HR for Sasol Chemicals who manufacture and distribute chemical and energy products around the world.
2008 came along and we moved to New Zealand with 2 bags of clothing still working in HR for a road construction company.
Studied again, extramural to obtain a NZ Qualification that took me 4 years but now been in H&S for 10 years at first in roading and now an analitycal laboratory.
I am living the dream being safe, owning my own home, working for a stable company and looking forward to how much I still can contribute before I need to hand over my reins.

Be safe out there, I must admit I hate working from home....

Good on YOU!!!

Spent 2000 - 2014 working overseas in projects clearing landmines & other "explosive remnants of war". Worked in Iraq (& lived there for 2 years), Bougainville, Senegal, Lebanon, Bosnia, Mozambique. Lived in France for four years & Mozambique for nearly five.

I was the drummer in the 70's blues/rock bands 'Underdogs, Jigsaw & Fresh Air'. Enjoying playing percussion again in two bands in Warkworth & Auckland.

Our little holiday in1995

Definitely a holiday for gun plumbers mate:lol: :lol: :lol:

@Don Ramsay Enough of the teasers. We need the tale told in a paragraph.

Enough of the teasers. We need the tale told in a paragraph. — Peter Bateman

If they spill the beans Peter, they may have to kill us all afterward, careful what you wish for :razz:

:smile:

Myself and the erstwhile Mr. Don Ramsay were both members of K3 or Kiwi Company 3, the last NZ Army combined force to support the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I was a Sergeant at the time, the 2IC of the RNZ Engineer detachment and Don was an armourer (also a Sgt? Damn memory!) with the RNZ Electrical & Mechanical Engineer Workshops. Some very fun times, unfortunately most of them were bloody cold!

Yes very cold, but a great team. The workshop environment was challegning

Thats because you were stuck in camp lol :cool: , but a key member of the team along with Jono and the rest of K3.

Hard to decide which would be the most interesting
so heres the top three in random order lol

• Was an extra in the original Ghostbusters movie
• Got to go for a ride in the 05 Commodore with the God that was Peter Brock, around the Wellington Waterfront racetrack back in the 80s.
• I have a Liverpool Football Club tattoo on my right shoulder

At the time (early 1980s) when I was National Secretary of NZ Institute of Safety Management, I was concurrently, National Secretary of the Affiliation of Railway St John Ambulance Divisions and Secretary of the National Committee for Mensa New Zealand.
Of the various industrial accidents I endured over the years, one of the most interesting (and painful) was being stung by a Scorpion while serving with the NZ Army in a Fijian jungle.

I (along with 20 or so others) represented NZ in Dragonboating in Japan (a very long time ago).
A very awesome experience, but am still avoiding eating sushi, drinking/eating green tea and selling raffle tickets (the fundraising was brutal).