The end of rehab

21 May 2009

Rehab is always tough. Especially for Webstock who, let’s face it, enjoys many of those things that lead one to needing rehab occasionally. But we’re back – invigorated and rejuvenated and looking forward to the rest of the year.

Three years ago to the day, our first conference, Webstock 06 had just finished. Just under one year ago, Tash and I left our full-time jobs to work on Webstock. We’re not doing this with a multi-million dollar exit-strategy in mind; we’re not following a business plan and we’ve long given up hopes of world domination! But along with our partners, Deb and Ben, we’re having an absolute blast trying to do something good in this industry we so believe in. Good in the sense of making a difference (hopefully), and good in the sense of quality. We want to provide events and experiences that really matter to people and we want to show that this can be done in New Zealand as well as anywhere in the world.

This relaunched site, along with the ONYA web awards and the revitalised FullCodePress competition, is a lot of what we’ve been working on for the past couple of months. We hope you enjoy it.

There’s now a shop to buy the oh-so-collectible Webstock merchandise (dog not included). Recordings from our events are back online and over the course of the next few weeks we’ll be adding those from Webstock 09. And we’ve even embraced this new Web 20 thing, with embedded videos, user-generated tags and commenting. W00t!

We’ll also be launching the Webstock Master Class series of workshops very soon with the wonderful Garr Reynolds coming back in early July.

And don’t forget to mark February 15-19 in your diaries for Webstock 2010!

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Things to do while in NZ: your recommendations

10 February 2009

Some of our wonderful speakers have been wondering what to do while in New Zealand when not Webstocking. Here’s what some lovely folks recommended for both one’s stay in Wellington, and further afield…

Why not share your recommendations too.

Andrew’s list of awesome:

1. Visiting the Waipoua Kauri Forest (north of Dargaville) followed by Sandboarding at Opononi
2. Stay at the Treehouse Backpackers after catching the car ferry from Opononi
3. Short walks at Waiohine Gorge (near Carterton)
4. Surf Trip to Mahia, Hawkes Bay, followed by a trip around the East Cape
5. Mountain Biking in the Redwood Forest , Rotorua
6. Pancake Rocks , West Coast South Island
7. The Catlins – Southland
8. Steward Island (the whole thing!)
9. Tongariro Crossing
10. Tora – wicked part of NZ coastline only 40 mins from Martinborough vineyards


Tash’s list of awesome

1. Nelson and Abel Tasman National Park
2. A beer or three at the Mussel Inn
3. Margaritas at Capitol
4. Train to Martinborough, bike around the wineries, dinner at the French Bistro and a night at Parehua. All a bit romantic.
5. Degustation at Citron. (Wear a loose fitting trouser.)
6. Gisborne/East Coast. Good beaches and good wines.
7. The West Coast of the South Island.
8. Milford Sound and that neck of the woods. Charming.
9. Cuba St Carnival
10. Get a car and just drive and see where it takes you. Sometimes the best trips are the unplanned ones.

Waiheke’s rather nice too. Good wine.

Ben’s list of awesome

1. The Treaty at the Archive
2. The old fort on top of the Miramar Peninsula
3. The Beehive
4. Mighty Mighty
5. Aunt Daisy’s boatshed in Titahi Bay
6. Walk out past the Turbine through the hills toward the south west coast
7. Desolate Coast at Tora (East coast Wairarapa)
8. Try to find the wreck on the beach at Waiterere beach (near Levin)
9. Picnic in the botanic gardens
10. Martinborough wine tour

And further afield:

11. Bay of Islands
12. Tongoriro mountain walk (I’ve always wanted to do this in summer)
13. Mouraki Boulders (just north of Dunedin)
14. Farewell Spit
15. West Coast, South Island
16. Milford Sound

Mike’s list of awesome
Mike claims to not get out much hence the brevity of this list.

1. Maranui cafe
2. Monet exhibition at Te Papa

Sue’s list of awesome
This list was complied by sue who grew up visiting every single spot of NZ every summer holidays
so she knows what she’s talking about, although she’s never been stupid enough to bungy jump
there is a whole pile more things you can do but that’s just a taster
Sue is also available to take you on a tiki tour because nothing makes her more happy than gushing about how much she loves wellington

1. Rotorua & Lake Taupo

it might smell a bit but the geothermal activity around rotorua is pretty special
don’t miss out on Waimangu Volcanic Valley for a mix of geothermal and nature
and if you are wanting to experience a bit of Maori culture Whakarewarewa the Living Thermal Village
or for you trampers why not try Tongariro Crossing

2. Napier

NZ’s art deco capital is just half a days drive away
along with the building you can check out the most excellent vineyards
If you have a thing for penguins why not visit marineland for a penguin encounter

3. Kaikoura

go whale, bird and dolphin watching

4. Down South

it’s a little wrong to pack all these amazing national and world heritage parks into one number, but experiencing just one of these will make you smil
Mitre Peak & Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park
skip queenstown, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, however if extreme tourism is the name of your game
visit the worlds original bungy jumping site and ride the rapids in the shotover jet

5. Nelson and surrrounds

check out Able Tasman National Park
farewell spit and some lovely vineyards and boutique beers and pottery around nelson

6. Up North

it’s hot it’s sunny there is a total fire ban at the moment, but the bay of isalnds is so lovely
check out tours to go swimming with dolphins
the kauri coast home to the great Kauri tree Tane_Mahuta
Public toilets in Kawakawa – by artist Hunderwasser

7. The Cuba Street Carnival

being held on the weekend after webstock this is NZ’s vibrant street carnival
you get all the fun of cuba street and the nz music scene in one day
the night parade kicks off at 9pm but we recommend getting a good spot well before then

8. yummy Noms

Everyone has to eat so here’s a few place we love
- capitol, home to the best margarita in wellington and also some pretty great food
- hot and spicy, for south asian influence visit Monsoon Poon, for some indian food balti house (yes we know balti is an english thing)
- citron. there is something rather special about their Degustation menu
- Coffee & Cafes, we love our cafe culture in wellington so most places serve lovely coffee, we are also big on cake in NZ


Courtney’s list of awesome
With a Taranaki slant, in homage to her home province – go the Naki!

1. Rent a car. Gather road trip companions (if required)
2. Drive from Wellington towards Taranaki. Pause for a pie at the Hot
   Bread Shop in Otaki. Stop in Wanganui to visit the Sarjeant Gallery,
   McNamara Gallery, and Ross Mitchell-Anyon’s extraordinary studio on the
   banks of the Whanganui river.
3. On the way into Hawera, marvel at the giant dairy cow monument.
4. On the way out of Hawera, abandon the country driving in favour of
   Surf Highway 45.
5. Stop off at Oakura beach (10 minutes before New Plymouth). Surf,
   swim, or just check out the lifesavers.
6. In New Plymouth, visit the Len Lye show at the Govett-Brewster Art
   Gallery. See if you can surreptitiously film yourself dancing in front
   of ‘Tusalava’ and load it up to YouTube
7. Walk the whole 7km of the coastal walkway; take your togs and stop
   off at Fitzroy beach.
8. Climb Mt Taranaki – it’s a surprisingly easy day trip (she says
   confidently, having last done it as a teenager). I’ve heard the best
   experience is the very early morning climb, timed so that after reaching
   the summit you see the sun rise over the North Island.
9. Have a romantic (if somewhat blingy) evening stroll around Pukekura
   Park during the Festival of the Lights. Also good – although perhaps
   less romantic – with kids in tow.
10. Rent a bach in Mokau (about an hour north of New Plymouth) for a
    night or two of sumptuous downtime. If you time it just right, you’ll be
    able to stop in at the Urenui Rodeo (the national finals!) on your way
    north.

Joanna’s list of awesome

1. Go to the vineyards in the Wairarapa. Stay in Martinborough and you can walk to a whole lot, or find yourself a driver
2. Fur Patrol’s free gig after Webstock

Kris’ list of awesome
Wellington:

1. Breakfast Burritos at Sweet Mothers Kitchen
2. Red Wine, Buffalo Mozzarella and Vitello Tonnato from Maria Pia’s Trattoria
3. Cuba Street Carnival (The Saturday after webstock), street stalls, carnies, what more could you ask for?
4. Go to Mighty Mighty on a Fri/Sat night, dance, observe and enjoy a toasted sandwich in the wee hours of the morning.
5. Visit The New Dowse, similar to the Old Dowse, but with a mix of latte and the Arts and Crafts movement.
6. Laugh at the obsession with Cuba icons, Fidels, Havana, Ernestos, propose a new cultural narrative?
7. Talk to some kuwis, they have a habit of talking too fast, but you get used to the twang after a while.
8. Foxton Fizz, it may be like sugar water, but at least it ain’t made by a multinational. Raspberry Spiders from Deluxe are always good on a hot day.

Nue Zild (translation: New Zealand)

1. Fly to Nelson and explore Golden Bay – drive from Collingwood through Kahurangi National park, have kai (food) from the super isolated Nugget cafe and then emerge on the West Coast.
2. Road trip within the North Island – laugh at the parochial obsession with building large cultural icons from corrugated iron – Te Kuiti and its large Kiwifruit, Taupo and its Trout, rinse and repeat up and down State Highway One.
3. National Parks and day trips
4. Raglan – Sleepy Surf town turns it on, but the surf is a killer.
   finally,
5. As is always the case, the New Zealand dialect is an interesting one, much as the Canadians have aboot and aye, the New Zealanders have sweet, and “yeah nah” observe and ask questions, us Kiwis will always be happy to clarify for the non-locals.

The glorious people at the Wellingtonista have also provided an outstanding list of Wellington based activities.

Thanks to Andy, Ben, Mike, Sue, Courtney and Kris for sharing. Have you something or somewhere to recommend? Do tell!

Tags: General · Webstock09
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Webstock does politics

10 October 2008

Despite some of our members’ pinko commie Chomsky-loving hippy leanings, Webstock is not a politicial beast. But sometimes a political issue comes to you and you need to say something.

Changes to the much debated Copyright Act have recently been passed into law. (The wonderful Peter Gutmann spoke at a Webstock Mini last year on the (then) proposed changes.) Of particular note, and not in the good use of “particular note” way, has been a last-minute change to include Section 92a of the act, saying, in effect, “that ISPs have to have a policy to implement cutting off people’s Internet if they are accused of repeatedly infringing copyright.”

Others have written more eloquently and knowledgeably about this change and the process by which it occurred. Please go read these posts, we think it’s important.

Colin Jackson has a series of three posts:

• Cutting off your Internet if you are accused of infringement
• Ministers: why we changed the Copyright Act
• Weightless economy? Yeah, right.

and Mark Harris has started a blog focusing on copyright and intellectual property.

Webstock believes the internet and the web has fundamentally and irrevocably changed things.
There’s a real and exciting opportunity for New Zealand – as a nation – to benefit immensely from this change. We’re committed to helping in our own way and like to think that by learning from and connecting with some of the best in the biz’ (both the amazing speakers and the super smart attendees), bold and inspired ideas with the potential to immensely benefit our community and NZ, can come out of Webstock.

It’s sad and it’s wrong that our elected representatives in parliament fail us and remain wedded to outmoded models and beholden to opportunity-limiting dinosaur industries. It feels like fiddling while Rome burns. Boo Politicians boo.

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