Arnie said it, I’ve said it… and now I am, I’m back.
I have been away from the UK for almost a year cycling around New Zealand and across southern Africa. I’ve cycled nearly 6,000km in that time and I’ve spoken to nearly 8,000 school children and 1,000 adults about majestic marine animals, ocean conservation, ocean plastics and solutions.
The Africa trip was a fundraising mission for Friends of Mulanje Orphans, to help them build a new boarding hostel at their secondary school. Cycling across Africa gave me just as many wonderful experiences as I had hoped and a few hair-raising ones too. The people we met, the animals we saw and the scenery… it was all stunning, but I missed the ocean conservation mission enormously.
I managed to sneak in a few school talks about ocean conservation whilst in Africa and now that I’m back in the UK I’m delighted to be lining up ocean conservation talks at schools and to the public. It’s what I’m meant to be doing and I love it.
I’ll keep this short and sweet. Sunny, my beautiful bamboo bike, has been cooped up in a garden shed for far too long and this afternoon has got her name written all over it… Have a great weekend, wherever you are.
Great to here you’re back ! From Oamaru and Fenwick School, NZ
Alison, how lovely to hear from you, how are your amazing world-saving superheroes?! I have submitted an article and some photos to a magazine over here and used a photo of some of your pupils. I will let you know if it gets printed. Sending you guys so much love. Your very special school holds a huge place in my heart and sticks out in my memories of my Aotearoa trip.