So what will I be up to?

Here's my itinerary. It's still in draft and there will be other things to see and do while I'm there. So I can share my experiences I'm going to try and update everyone through the blog after each event.

ITINERARY

Saturday/Sunday 22/23 Nov - Auckland
Arrive Auckland ex Glasgow Saturday 7.25am. Rest and recreation/recovery


Monday 24 Nov- 11am- 2pm
Attend Australia NZ Third Sector Research Conference powhiri/welcome/opening address.


Tuesday 25 Nov
Attend/address ANZTSR Conference – plenary and presentation - full day

Wednesday 26 Nov
PSA/SFWU NGO Organisers/senior delegates seminar
Other meetings with union colleagues

Thursday 27 Nov - Hamilton (No, not in South Lanarkshire!)
Hamilton Sector Employment Seminar

Friday 28 Nov - Rotorua
Rest day.

Saturday/Sunday 29/30Nov -Wellington
Fly Hamilton/Wellington. Meet John Ryall for lunch in Petone on Saturday en route to the Wairarapa. Weekend in Wairarapa. Interview with Chris Laidlaw Sunday morning.

Monday 1 Dec
Social gathering (Think and Drink) Monday evening

Tuesday 2 Dec
Tuesday free for engagements in Wellington
Other meetings with union colleagues/dinner

Wednesday 3 Dec
Wellington Sector Employment Seminar

Thursday 4 Dec - Christchurch
Christchurch Sector Employment Seminar
Other meetings with union colleagues


Busy, busy but i will be great to do and see so much while I'm there.

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Getting there.....

The journey begins on 19 November when I leave Glasgow and head for Heathrow to catch an Air New Zealand flight to Auckland. I'm stopping off in Los Angeles and touch down in the evening of the 19th. I'll have most of the next day for a look see around LAX.

The following day I set off for the last leg and leave on the evening of the 20th for New Zealand. Remarkably I don't actually arrive until the morning of 22 November. That's what they mean by long haul!

Apparently this is my pilot helping out with the ad campaign before he starts the engines for my flight....

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bh44yOZdPZo

Why am I going to New Zealand?

Well, why not..... this is an opportunity of a lifetime.

I've been invited and accepted an invitation to ANZTSR Ninth Biennial Conference from 24 – 26 November 2008 in Auckland University of Technology - that's Australian and New Zealand Third Sector Research.


I'm UNISON Scotland’s Organiser for Bargaining and Equal Pay, and a community development worker by trade. I've been invited to discuss research and work being done in each country on sector workforce issues – such as the impact of contracting on sector workforces in the UK; collaborative work being done in the Scottish community and voluntary sector to progress employment issues.

I'll also be able to discuss with colleagues from the other side of the world some new findings from New Zealand on what motivates their own tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector staff to stay in the sector.

This will be a dynamic discussion that explores what we can learn from each others’ experiences.

And I can't wait!

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Never had a blog before........ Hope this one is of interest to more than just me!