Last Diary Posting for 2023
2023 has been a whirlwind year for Peter and me. Apart from a full calendar of my board meetings, conferences, and events, we also went on two expeditions. These took us to Nepal for three weeks, and to South Georgia Island via southern Chile for close to three weeks. We love walking in the Sagarmatha National Park in the Himalayas in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary. 29 May 2023 marked the seventieth anniversary of the first ascent of Mt Everest by Ed and Tenzing Norgay. It was wonderful to be in the mountains and Kathmandu for the celebrations in my capacity as Patron of the New Zealand Himalayan Trust. The South Georgia expedition was originally timed for 2022 to mark the centenary of the death of Sir Ernest Shackleton there. The year’s delay made the visit no less special for our group organised by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, of which I am also Patron. We look forward to 2024 and to more opportunities to support good causes and the values to which we adhere of inclusion, fairness, sustainability, and peace. There are many global setbacks to these values - and also sadly in New Zealand itself. I will continue to comment on these issues on my social media platforms - in particular on Twitter (X). The Helen Clark Foundation will also continue to contribute to work on better public policy, and stimulating public interest in and debate about it. Season’s greetings to all, and please check out some of the highlights of my year below.