I lived in Whitianga/Purangi from when I was born till I left school, 1997-2014. I’ve done various stints back in the area, working on the Glass Bottom Boat during my uni holidays, and at Coromandel’s CFM in 2019 and 2020.
Podcasts are super popular these days and have a big impact on society. They’re becoming just as important as mainstream media in many countries, and listeners use them for both information and entertainment.
On my last local spearfish, at Whale Island, a large Bronze Whaler shark came cruising below me. It swam slowly and yet with great power, gracefully but with intent. Encouraged by the shark’s calm demeanour, I slipped beneath the surface to meet it several metres underwater. Unfazed, the shark swam on, each powerful swing of its tail effortlessly pushing the creature through the water. I admired it as I attempted to keep up. Impressive muscles flexed as rays of sunlight danced upon the shark’s shiny copper skin. This kind of encounter is not uncommon for New Zealand spearfishers and is seemingly becoming a more common occurrence
It never ceases to amaze me how young minds soak up knowledge naturally through play and interaction. A child can learn several languages at the same time and not confuse them when speaking. But suddenly, at age five or six, they are required to slot into an education system and change the way they learn, often being forced into learning styles that don’t suit their abilities. Of course, with classes of 25 or more, teachers are restricted in how they teach.
Becs Cox shares the story of the Topp man who drove up therange A son, brother, husband, father, trooper, farmer and carriage driver – Mr William (Bill) Betheridge Topp Junior
I lived in Whitianga/Purangi from when I was born till I left school, 1997-2014. I’ve done various stints back in the area, working on the Glass Bottom Boat during my uni holidays, and at Coromandel’s CFM in 2019 and 2020.
Podcasts are super popular these days and have a big impact on society. They’re becoming just as important as mainstream media in many countries, and listeners use them for both information and entertainment.
On my last local spearfish, at Whale Island, a large Bronze Whaler shark came cruising below me. It swam slowly and yet with great power, gracefully but with intent. Encouraged by the shark’s calm demeanour, I slipped beneath the surface to meet it several metres underwater. Unfazed, the shark swam on, each powerful swing of its tail effortlessly pushing the creature through the water. I admired it as I attempted to keep up. Impressive muscles flexed as rays of sunlight danced upon the shark’s shiny copper skin. This kind of encounter is not uncommon for New Zealand spearfishers and is seemingly becoming a more common occurrence
It never ceases to amaze me how young minds soak up knowledge naturally through play and interaction. A child can learn several languages at the same time and not confuse them when speaking. But suddenly, at age five or six, they are required to slot into an education system and change the way they learn, often being forced into learning styles that don’t suit their abilities. Of course, with classes of 25 or more, teachers are restricted in how they teach.
Becs Cox shares the story of the Topp man who drove up therange A son,
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