21/08/2022
Firstly I would like to say thank you to all of our loyal followers who have stuck with me through the years while I fight on in the background to try to re-establish our incredible wee facility. Following seven attempts to rebuild within Kaikoura, I am feeling utterly exhausted. Business plan after business plan, proposal after proposal has been met with nothing but brick walls and indifference. I am exhausted - I have been remiss in posting updates since the earthquake, simply because I have been working so hard behind the scenes to get something moving. I am sorry to say that I still have not had any luck. In an effort to try to raise some awareness about what we are trying to do for Kaikoura, our community, and our incredible environment I have attached the latest proposal I have put forward. I submitted this on behalf of the Kaikoura Marine Centre & Aquarium Trust in October last year - with the aim of rebuilding at the original site of the old Aquarium (exactly where we were when the earthquake hit in 2016). I appreciate anyone who can take the time to read it and share with family and friends.
The Kaikoura Marine Centre & Aquarium Trust is a not-for-profit trust that will be registered as an official charity as soon as I have the means to do so. We believe that when it comes to education, conservation, and the environment - no individual should be profiting. That is why we established the trust back in 2017 - to ensure that any profit derived from our work goes exactly where it should; to our community, our environment, and our future.
I am tired. I have been fighting for our future for 6 years. I am yet to see a single cent from my insurance company, despite being fully covered at the time of the quake. I am tired of fighting for what I believe in while our wetlands disappear, our animals and their habitats decline, and we exploit the very world we rely on to sustain us.
That is not to say I am giving up. I will keep fighting. But for now I just need you awesome people to show me some of your best fishy memes/jokes to cheer me up.
Also a big THANK YOU to everyone for being so awesome and sticking it out through these tough times. I really, really appreciate having you guys behind me - it keeps me going at times like these.
