Backpacker’s Guide writer finds kindred spirits here

Travelling author Gaylyn Morgan breezed into town last week to promote her backpacker’s guide and knew instantly why people up north – where she’s based at the moment – advised her to come to Raglan.

“Everyone’s real positive here,” she enthused, a copy of her colourful Backpacker’s Practical and Spiritual Guide to the Universe in hand. “It’s what an indie (self-published) author needs.”

The 52 year old reckons she literally couldn’t give her book away in Auckland after approaching the “too mainstream” Paper Plus en route from Whangarei to Raglan.

But within minutes of her arrival downtown the local bookshop had agreed to put the 206-page guide on their shelves.

A night staying at Solscape – where she did some tarot card readings – and a quick drop-off of her “little backpacker’s bible” at the local library the next morning completed Gaylyn’s brief visit before driving south to promote the guide there.

“I’ve had a lovely time,” she told the Chronicle on leaving Raglan. “I could live here … I think I’ll be back.”

Gaylyn says she was a late starter to backpacking and entrusting her life to the universe. Just six years ago, after decades as a mother and English teacher, she went travelling “to see how the world unfolds … and attracted beautiful people into my life”.

That included the German captain – now her husband – she met while crewing on a yacht between Spain and Malta.

The couple’s yacht ‘Qi’ is now moored up in Russell, halfway through a circumnavigation of the globe. Next it’s across to Australia where the Whangarei-born author has lived most of her life.

Gaylyn decided a year or two ago to write the how-to book, which wraps up her experiences with practical tips, tricks, advice and anecdotes for young travellers.

These are offset by the spiritual side of things, she adds, like taking responsibility for your own life and doing the things you love.

“I just want to motivate people, help them realise their dreams,” she says.

Edith Symes

Peter Hohenberger – The Glass Artist:

What fascinated me most in high school was art, particularly Art Noveau with all those intricate flowing, flowery, complicated designs.

When I migrated to New Zealand in 1996, after a professional career in software and high-tech IT in Europe, I set up “La Fleur bleue”, a glass studio dedicated to the art of L.C Tiffany. For many years I created beautiful lamps, mirrors and windows, reflecting the work of Mr Tiffany and introducing my own designs.

Ten years ago I watched a glass artist in Venice working at the torch, melting glass, creating three-dimensional objects, and I was hooked. Since then, I started HeartBeads, making handmade glass objects and jewellery completed with sterling silver. Everything is created in Raglan, New Zealand.

HeartBeads  – The Studio:

What I do

I concentrate on glass objects, beads and jewellery, created from my own work. My inspirations come from simply looking out of the window at Moonlight Bay – the colours of Aotearoa, the light and the ever- changing wonders of nature.

How I do it

My raw glass comes from Murano, an island near Venice, Italy. Working on a glass artist’s torch (running on LPG and oxygen) I melt this glass into different shapes and structures, giving colours with different transparent and opaque glass. Techniques like raking, swirling, dots help me to shape every single glass object into something totally unique. There will never be two the same.

Open studio – what you will see

You can watch me working “at the flame” – using the torch, melting glass, making beads. You can even try your luck and make your own bead! It might be easier than you think … (Conditions apply.) For more information go to:

www.HeartBeads.nz.

The HeartBeads Studio is located at 78D Greenslade Rd (ph 07 8250992)

Peter Hohenberger – The Glass Artist:

What fascinated me most in high school was art, particularly Art Noveau with all those intricate flowing, flowery, complicated designs.

When I migrated to New Zealand in 1996, after a professional career in software and high-tech IT in Europe, I set up “La Fleur bleue”, a glass studio dedicated to the art of L.C Tiffany. For many years I created beautiful lamps, mirrors and windows, reflecting the work of Mr Tiffany and introducing my own designs.

Ten years ago I watched a glass artist in Venice working at the torch, melting glass, creating three-dimensional objects, and I was hooked. Since then, I started HeartBeads, making handmade glass objects and jewellery completed with sterling silver. Everything is created in Raglan, New Zealand.

HeartBeads  – The Studio:

What I do

I concentrate on glass objects, beads and jewellery, created from my own work. My inspirations come from simply looking out of the window at Moonlight Bay – the colours of Aotearoa, the light and the ever- changing wonders of nature.

How I do it

My raw glass comes from Murano, an island near Venice, Italy. Working on a glass artist’s torch (running on LPG and oxygen) I melt this glass into different shapes and structures, giving colours with different transparent and opaque glass. Techniques like raking, swirling, dots help me to shape every single glass object into something totally unique. There will never be two the same.

Open studio – what you will see

You can watch me working “at the flame” – using the torch, melting glass, making beads. You can even try your luck and make your own bead! It might be easier than you think … (Conditions apply.) For more information go to:

www.HeartBeads.nz.

The HeartBeads Studio is located at 78D Greenslade Rd (ph 07 8250992)

Peter Hohenberger – The Glass Artist:

What fascinated me most in high school was art, particularly Art Noveau with all those intricate flowing, flowery, complicated designs.

When I migrated to New Zealand in 1996, after a professional career in software and high-tech IT in Europe, I set up “La Fleur bleue”, a glass studio dedicated to the art of L.C Tiffany. For many years I created beautiful lamps, mirrors and windows, reflecting the work of Mr Tiffany and introducing my own designs.

Ten years ago I watched a glass artist in Venice working at the torch, melting glass, creating three-dimensional objects, and I was hooked. Since then, I started HeartBeads, making handmade glass objects and jewellery completed with sterling silver. Everything is created in Raglan, New Zealand.

HeartBeads  – The Studio:

What I do

I concentrate on glass objects, beads and jewellery, created from my own work. My inspirations come from simply looking out of the window at Moonlight Bay – the colours of Aotearoa, the light and the ever- changing wonders of nature.

How I do it

My raw glass comes from Murano, an island near Venice, Italy. Working on a glass artist’s torch (running on LPG and oxygen) I melt this glass into different shapes and structures, giving colours with different transparent and opaque glass. Techniques like raking, swirling, dots help me to shape every single glass object into something totally unique. There will never be two the same.

Open studio – what you will see

You can watch me working “at the flame” – using the torch, melting glass, making beads. You can even try your luck and make your own bead! It might be easier than you think … (Conditions apply.) For more information go to:

www.HeartBeads.nz.

The HeartBeads Studio is located at 78D Greenslade Rd (ph 07 8250992)

Peter Hohenberger – The Glass Artist:

What fascinated me most in high school was art, particularly Art Noveau with all those intricate flowing, flowery, complicated designs.

When I migrated to New Zealand in 1996, after a professional career in software and high-tech IT in Europe, I set up “La Fleur bleue”, a glass studio dedicated to the art of L.C Tiffany. For many years I created beautiful lamps, mirrors and windows, reflecting the work of Mr Tiffany and introducing my own designs.

Ten years ago I watched a glass artist in Venice working at the torch, melting glass, creating three-dimensional objects, and I was hooked. Since then, I started HeartBeads, making handmade glass objects and jewellery completed with sterling silver. Everything is created in Raglan, New Zealand.

HeartBeads  – The Studio:

What I do

I concentrate on glass objects, beads and jewellery, created from my own work. My inspirations come from simply looking out of the window at Moonlight Bay – the colours of Aotearoa, the light and the ever- changing wonders of nature.

How I do it

My raw glass comes from Murano, an island near Venice, Italy. Working on a glass artist’s torch (running on LPG and oxygen) I melt this glass into different shapes and structures, giving colours with different transparent and opaque glass. Techniques like raking, swirling, dots help me to shape every single glass object into something totally unique. There will never be two the same.

Open studio – what you will see

You can watch me working “at the flame” – using the torch, melting glass, making beads. You can even try your luck and make your own bead! It might be easier than you think … (Conditions apply.) For more information go to:

www.HeartBeads.nz.

The HeartBeads Studio is located at 78D Greenslade Rd (ph 07 8250992)

Peter Hohenberger – The Glass Artist:

What fascinated me most in high school was art, particularly Art Noveau with all those intricate flowing, flowery, complicated designs.

When I migrated to New Zealand in 1996, after a professional career in software and high-tech IT in Europe, I set up “La Fleur bleue”, a glass studio dedicated to the art of L.C Tiffany. For many years I created beautiful lamps, mirrors and windows, reflecting the work of Mr Tiffany and introducing my own designs.

Ten years ago I watched a glass artist in Venice working at the torch, melting glass, creating three-dimensional objects, and I was hooked. Since then, I started HeartBeads, making handmade glass objects and jewellery completed with sterling silver. Everything is created in Raglan, New Zealand.

HeartBeads  – The Studio:

What I do

I concentrate on glass objects, beads and jewellery, created from my own work. My inspirations come from simply looking out of the window at Moonlight Bay – the colours of Aotearoa, the light and the ever- changing wonders of nature.

How I do it

My raw glass comes from Murano, an island near Venice, Italy. Working on a glass artist’s torch (running on LPG and oxygen) I melt this glass into different shapes and structures, giving colours with different transparent and opaque glass. Techniques like raking, swirling, dots help me to shape every single glass object into something totally unique. There will never be two the same.

Open studio – what you will see

You can watch me working “at the flame” – using the torch, melting glass, making beads. You can even try your luck and make your own bead! It might be easier than you think … (Conditions apply.) For more information go to:

www.HeartBeads.nz.

The HeartBeads Studio is located at 78D Greenslade Rd (ph 07 8250992)