‘Land Ahoy!’ …An island in the South Seas could be a tantalising paradise of  exotica and allure. It could also be a magnet for emissaries of northern empires with ‘Discovery and Conquest’ on their agendas. Later arrivals would upturn its sands looking for gold – in real estate rather than sea-chests.

Islands can also be psychological. Are you at peace on your outcrop of perception – or are you stranded, hoping for a life-line?

As we emerge from our imposed islands of isolation ( having repelled another invader) Ashley hopes your day is warmed and brightened by these quirky reminders of our unique geography and landform.

Ashley Smith

 

Turquoise sea and land of Pounamu.
Friendly inhabitants here disarm you.

Unhinged, unhooked and set adrift,
for sure the winds of change will shift.

Life-lines tie us here together,
our skinny isles enhance the weather.

We see sun rise, and also set,
from oceans East, and then to West.

Other cultures have a history longer,
isolation creates a bond far stronger.

Far flung land forms, apart from most,
diverse and beautiful, coast to coast.

Some say the bottom of the world,
I say the bosom, safely furled.

No place in the world I’d rather be,
than adrift down here, in the Southern Sea.

Megan Gainsford