My husband catches the ferry to work in the city, and today phoned to warn me of a pod of dolphins travelling up the harbour. I watched as they swam, and thought what a great place we live in... blue sky, blue seas and dolphins.

I went to the shore an hour or two later to collect any sea rubbish, and as usual there was plenty of it. I collected two bags full in front of about 6 houses. Sad, isn't it.

The weather could have been better; still a long weekend is great. My husband and I caught the Coromandel Ferry from the city and 2 hours later had arrived. We had a hire car, so the next morning in cloudy but fine weather we set out from our motel. We visited Driving Creek Railway & Pottery... well worth a visit. The bush is so close to the track. We continued to Colville, along narrow, winding gravel roads, that were scary yet fantastic at the same time. Dinner at the pub in a posh restaurant on their upper floor. Sunday was heavy rain, We visited friends at Tairua in their gorgeous new bach, lunched in Thames, and back to Coromandel township to catch the 4o'clock ferry back to Auckland. Even though we were on the bigger ferry it was a wild ride. I loved it!!!! We sat outside in the seats with our backs to the cabin, and enjoyed the wonderful view. We have an amazing harbour. Cheers, Maureen

Last Friday, the 9th of April, Mayor Bob Harvey and the Waitemata Harbour Clean Up Trust had a get together at the Waitakere City Council rooms.It was to celebrate the work of the trust and thank all the volunteers who either go out on the boat 'The Phil Warren', or collect rubbish from creeks, streams and beaches on the Waitemata Harbour.

It was a great night... meeting people from Rangitoetoe, Te Atatu and Onehunga... they were a friendly bunch. We swapped tales about the amounts and variety of the rubbish we collect. The slide show was scary, when you saw the incredible amounts of rubbish that Hayden and Ben collect. There was a three piece band, very nice nibbles that kept comming and I came away with renewed energy to help keep our harbour clean.

Today I went with the Waitemata Harbour Clean Up Trust to Rangitoto.Yeah, I know, sailing around the harbour picking up the odd bit of rubbish here and there seems a cushy job. Well let me assure you that it\'s not as easy as it sounds.
The trip to Rangitoto was smooth.We docked at the wharf (am I using the correct terms here?)and followed the track around the island for a while. Then the fun started. Imagine if you can Ben confidently working his way to the shoreline over the uneven, volcanic rocks, and me trailing behind,watching my every footstep,trying not to twist an ankle or worse, break something.There is not one flat rock on the island! I don\'t know if the bags of rubbish we hauled about helped with balance or not; I do know that they got darn heavy.Even with this section being cleaned a month earlier there was still plenty of rubbish there for us.What a fantastic job these guys do, and how little some people appreciate the beauty of our sea and shore.
Thank you Ben for a great morning!

Last night my husband and I decided to eat out as the rest of the family were going to be out for dinner. Nothing too fancy or expensive, and because it was sunny after a week of rain, we thought we would grab a burger and sit in the car looking out to sea. And that's what we did. We stopped at Burger Fuel in Takapuna; their eight pounder, veg burger is divine... and drove to Milford Beach. Rangitoto was sunlit and the sea a million little ripples. Boats came into the marina and we sat, and ate, and relaxed.

Then we saw a pod of dolphins making their way across the bay. WOW and WOW!We were mesmerised as they leapt and frolicked and were wonderful to watch. They must have been chasing fish as seagulls came and joined in the spectacle. The dolphin were the stars of the show, and continued to entrance us, being near enough to clearly see their power and grace.It's hard to describe how beautiful they were, and how high they soared.

This aquarium is amazing, the video may take a while to load (in high definition) but be patient, it is worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7deClndzQw

Yipee,
I've just checked my books in the Waitakere libraries and saw that readers have given The Forbidden Vaults of Aquiliton five stars out of five!!!!
That's wonderful, and I'm so glad that my book is being read and enjoyed.
That's made my day!
Cheers,
Maureen M

This is the third and final book in the Aquiliton series, and is just coming into the public libraries and schools now.

I would love to hear from readers if they have a favourite book, and which one it is. Me, I can't decide...possibly my first, but only because it was my first book. I love the school play in Aquiliton and The Lost Princess.

Cheers for now,
Maureen Myers

Recently some of our supermarkets and shops have decided to charge for their plastic bags. I am in two minds about this.
Any effort to reduce the plastics that we use must be good, and I do take my cloth bags to the supermarket... it helps that I leave them in the car or else I forget the darn things. However, I do need some plastic bags. I can't think what else to use when I collect wet, beach rubbish. Yes,I could use a cloth bag, but what do I put it in for the council to collect? There is too much to go in our personal rubbish bag, and I have an arrangement with our council to deposit it beside a certain bin for them to collect.

I know that plastic bags are only a part of the rubbish I collect...bottle tops, soft drink bottles bait bags,are just as often discarded...sometimes more.Polystyrene is frequently picked up.

I hope that making shoppers more aware of their plastic bag usage also extends to other plastics, and that more manufacturers rethink their part in this problem.

At Last!!!!
The third and final book in my Aquiliton series has arrived. The cover, which caused most of the delay, looks fantastic, with the same blue water feel that the other books have.

I have loved writing about the sea, and could easily write more; maybe at a later date.
Thank you so much to all those people that have told me how much they've enjoyed Aquiliton. I have a real fondness for Tom, Waverly and Will.

I have finished the first draft of a new book, though that's all I'm going to say about it for now... still a long way to go, to get it into shape.

Look out for The Forbidden Vaults of Aquiliton, and I hope you enjoy it too.

Cheers from Maureen.

What a fantastic summer this is. I went to the Lantern Festival in Auckland\'s Albert Park. It was a warm night, and with the large trees lit up by the brightly coloured lantern displays, the cheerful crowds and the tempting smells of the food stalls it was a very enjoyable evening.Everyone seemed in a good mood and it would be almost impossible not to be,when everything was in such harmony.

The park gardeners must worry that such large crowds would destroy their flowers and plants, but there was almost no litter, thanks in part to the many rubbish bins and also the festival people wandering around and collecting the odd piece. Even at night the flowers and planting were beautiful.

Christmas... I love it!
I was in the mall today and saw a pretty young girl deeply engrossed in her book while her mother scooted around the nearby shops, returning to check on her daughter at regular intervals. The girl was oblivious to the noise and bustle, and read on with obvious enjoyment. I hope that Santa brings lots of new books for her to enjoy.

I hope that Santa brings me lots of new books too. I have a cane flat basket full of books just waiting to be read, and the comming holiday are the ideal time to wallow within their pages without a twinge of guilt at the time spent. Heaven!

Merry Christmas and Happy Reading,
Maureen Myers

Northcote primary School had Book Week recently, and I went to one of the middle school classes to talk about my book. The questions flew thick and fast... so many, that it was hard to keep up with them. I think that the children were surprised at how much research and proof reading went into a new book. I hope that they enjoyed themselves as much as I did.

Last weekend I went to Wellington. It was glorious weather and I had a great time. I visited Te Papa hoping to see the Colossal Squid that is being preserved there. The display opens on December 13th, and I'll be back to take a look. This is the first complete adult Colossal Squid ever landed and the first to be put on display, all 495 kilos of it.
If you go to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa website they have a fantastic photos of the Squid and the people working on it. Brilliant!

The National Library of New Zealand have this great site where you can find reviews on all the latest books available for children. I found a review of Aquiliton there, which was a nice surprise.

This website, Create Readers, is well worth a look at. They have information about books of every level, and I've noted the details of several that I'm keen to read.There are so many categories that you are bound to find some books that will interest you as well. I keep going back to this site to read a little more. Check it out.

I didn't realise how long it has been since I last wrote something here. Where has the year gone?

I began the year helping to paint the entire inside of a house. I did the fiddly skirtings etc. It was hard work butfun.

Then I went away for about 5 weeks touring Italy: also went to Austria, Switzerland, France and London. My husband and I had a special train ticket and just hopped on and off trains. Favourite place...almost impossible to pick. We loved the Colosseum, and Versailles...spent 6 hour wandering around the beautiful palace and gardens. We saw so many great places but you know...nothing beats Home!Go kiwis!

So, I'm back at my keyboard and now that I've finished 'The forbidden vaults of Aquiliton' (still waiting for the front cover... groan) I am three quarters of the way through a new adventure book.
Enough news for now.
I'm off to work out what happens next in my new book.
Cheers, Maureen

Today is the 20th of December. Five more sleeps till Christmas... Yipee! I've done most of my shopping which is just as well as the schools will be breaking up for the holidays... some have already. Here's one last rhyme before I get too busy to write.

My School Bag

Hurrah, school holidays,
at last they've come!
Empty your school bag,
said Mum.
There's a lot in there.
I'm not sure what might appear.
It smells a bit queer.

There's a sticking plaster,
some wiggly pasta.
It's a bit of a disaster.
Some used chewing gum,
a letter for Mum,
pink biscuit crumbs,
my lucky rock,
a Leggo block,
one smelly sock,
an old sunhat,
a banana (flat)
and look at that!
My maths test score,
a carrot (raw)
... anything more?
Phew! Empty at last.

Well, my friends know that I can barely spell my name without the help of a dictionary. Yep, I can't spell!
Here's a rhyme about a great speller.

Spelling
I am in the Elite Spelling Group.
There's very few of us,
and though we outshine the rest of the school,
we try not to make a fuss.

I am accustomed to my knowledge
being laughably superior,
while the majority of my class
are ridiculously inferior.

I try to help the disadvantaged
to achieve with satisfaction,
but their brains are so ponderous
it's hard to get re-action.

First rate intelligence
is hard to disguise,
and the difference so apparent
it's not easy to down-size.

That's why I find the statement,
offensive and absurd,
that everyone at school
thinks I'm a stuck-up little nerd.

Whew! What a lot of words I had to check up in the dictionary for that rhyme!

I met a teacher of dancing today, and she asked when the third Aquiliton book would be ready. Her daughter has read the first two, and enjoyed them. I'm very sorry... it has taken ages. I'm still waiting on the cover.
Here's another rhyme for now.

I Think Our Relief Teacher Is An Alien.

Look at his eyes.
Look at his hair.
Look at the funny
clothes he wears.
And how come he always knows
who's talking, when he's writing on the board?
And how come he knows when you're not listening,
but are bored?
And when you've got help with your work
how does he know that?
Has he got alien antenna
around his back?
The man's just not human!
I bet he's an alien crewman,
out to see what he can see.
It happens...
I've watched it on TV.
He's observing how humans programme their young.
ALIEN INVASION may have begun!!!!!

My niece is in a school singing group and has recently been performing at end of the year concerts. I wrote this piece ages ago with my young son in mind.

The School Choir.

I'm singing this silly song tra-la.
The words come out all wrong tra-la.
I don't know why I'm in the choir.
It's not something that I desire,
but here I am and here I'll stay.
At least I get out of maths today,
tra-la-la.

I put up my hand at the wrong time.
Do you think they'll notice if I just mime?
I put up my hand, yes I'm a fool.
I thought it was for more sport at school,
tra-la-la.

I think they were desperate for people to sing,
though that's a kind word for this caterwauling,
and the music's so boring...all Bach and Strauss.
They wouldn't know Elvis from Mickey Mouse,
tra-la-la.

So I've tra-las revolving around in my brain.
You'd think that to hear me I was in great pain.
Oh, Oh, the choir leader is looking my way.
Please hurry and roll on the holidays,
tra-la-la.

This one's called Assembly

I've been sitting for hours in Assembly,
with still more things to come.
I'm hot, I'm tired, I'm fed up,
and my bum and legs have gone numb.
It's rehearsals for prize giving,
and it seems to have gone on for years.
I want to get out and start living.
I want to leap out of my chair.
I want to run.
I want to shout.
I want to jump, jump, jump about.
I want to yell up to the sky.
I want to hop and skip up high.
I don't care about fallout.
I want to move. I have no doubt.
I want Anything but this.
To have it end would be pure bliss.
It simply can't go on much more.
The whole thing's become a bore,
... but,
I will sit still in Assembly,
with still more things to come,
and I'll do nothing more disruptive,
than wiggle my two thumbs.

I realise that I haven't put anything here for quite a while. I get so busy with my writing that I forget about updating my website.
I came across some of my rhymes, written when I helped out for a little while in our local school office.
This one is about a 10 year old boy.

Dancing Lessons

Senior class are having dance lessons at school.
I wasn't sure at first, but now I think it's cool.
You can jump up and down and not look a fool,
and you don't have to dance with girls.

There's a bit of line dancing all in a row,
a bit of heel toe country, without the do si do.
It's not too fast and it's not too slow,
and you don't have to dance with girls.

I'm rocking so much my hearts thumping in my chest.
I get pretty tired, but I don't want to rest,
and the best part of all? Yeah, you guessed,
you don't have to dance with girls!

Before the school holidays I was invited by Verrans School to talk to some of their children for Book Week. My books are read aloud in class, and I get some terrific feedback. When I visited their school the children were great, asked interesting questions, and everyone made me so welcome, that I really enjoyed the whole experience. Verrans School is well known for its work in conservation, and it is the first in New Zealand to be a Zero Waste School. Fantastic!
I was presented with a huge basket of their school grown vegetables...they tasted as good as they looked. I was also given a little NZ hibiscus tree, some worm fertilizer and a bottle of worm wee (from their worm farms) which apparently will work magic on my plants. Thank you Verrans School.

Well...there's good news and bad news in this update.
Let's get the bad news over first, shall we?

I asked my son to guess how many bottle caps I had collected in one day off the inner harbour foreshore in front of our house.
'Twenty?'
'Try again.'
'Fifty?'
'More.'
'One hundred?'
'Keep going.'
'One hundred and fifty?' He saw my look.
'Two hundred?'
'Just about. I collected one hundred and seventy six.
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX BOTTLE CAPS!!!
'Suffering sea snakes!' as Tom would say. Yes, there have been heavy winds and high tides, and yes, the flotsam and jetsam in the ocean, along with a pile of driftwood, can collect in our inlet, but still...
Does this mean that 176 careless bumble-fingered people have dropped or thrown their bottle caps into the sea, as they sailed past on their yachts or the ferries? Maybe some of the bottle tops were tossed into the water from people strolling around our waterfronts? Who knows? I don't usually bother to count the debris that I gather, but I could see that there was a lot and I was curious. I didn't bother to count the large number of plastic straws that I also picked up... nor the odd shoes and plastic bags that are the norm after a storm. I found two syringes as well. Nasty.

The good news is that along with a lot of other happy parents and children, my son and I went to Kelly Tarltons Underwater World in the school holidays.
Now I'm probably the only parent there who was escorted by their offspring. I was the one who was super keen to see the giant squid, and my son came along to keep me company.
Even he will admit that it was COOL! The giant squid was as awesome as I expected. Totally amazing! Full marks to Dr O'Shea and Kelly T's for the great presentation. The penguins are gorgeous, and I loved the sea snake as well.
The place was crowded, but not so much that you couldn't view everything clearly.

Welcome to Waitakere libraries. My books have been in the West for a while, but have been delayed getting on the shelves because of the relocation to the new premises. And what a great library Waitakere is too! Light, modern, full of exciting books, and very friendly staff. I have been there several times and staff have been most helpful.
With my home libraries I alternate between, Northcote, Takapuna, and Birkenhead. Birkenhead library is in tempory premises in the Leisure Centre building, and although the staff are working in cramped cold conditions they still manage to have books displayed attractively and are cheerful to all. I always find something new and exciting to read when I go there.

It has been a long time coming, too long, but finally 'Aquiliton and The Lost Princess has arrived. The cover looks great, and I am pleased with the colours. The Lost Princess of the title is not a real lost Princess; rather it is the name of the school play that Aquiliton is performing this year. My son's school was in the midst of their school play when I wrote this story, and I wanted to capture the expectations and excitement of a large production. He played a Cyclops, which at the time struck me as funny, so of course, I had to include some Cyclops roles in my story.

I hope you enjoy it as much as the first 'Aquiliton' and I would be delighted to read your comments.

Happy reading,
Maureen Myers.