After two-and-a-half months and 6,600 km, the Prochoice Highway made it to the end of the road. Or Highway! But never fear, you can still buy all the neat books and stuff, and a special shoutout for the amaze 2014 Body Politics Calendar. Click here, meanwhile, for the final email update, No. 8 in the series! Over’n’out.
Update No. 7: Top O’ the South
After a whirlwind of activity in Wellington, Helen Wilson of WONAAC and Alison set off for the South Island: Picton, Blenheim, Nelson (+Richmond), Westport, Reefton (sort of) and Christchurch. The Durex condoms from the stall at FP came in handy in Blenheim. Click here to read Update No. 7, and find out why.
Update No. 6: Wellington, the FP Conference
The Highway was in Wellington for about 10 days and there were lots and lots and lots of events. And, of course, the Family Planning conference ran from 31 Oct-2 Nov. It was a huge success: FP did a fantastic job, and ALRANZ/Prochoice Highway had a great stall that was pretty popular, if we do say so ourselves.
You can read more about the Highway’s time in Wellington by clicking here for the 6th email update, which will open in your browser.
One highlight was getting to chat and huddle with Cecile Richards, the head of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. So, of course, we couldn’t resist a photo.
(Now, it’s on to the South Island/Te Waipounamu. Check out the events!)
Update No. 5: Manawatu, Wairarapa, pix, storms
Some stormy weather along the road from Hawke’s Bay to the Manawatu: Lots of wind, then lots of rain. The van held out well, only springing a minor middle-of-the-night leak in Palmerston North. Anyway, all the info is in the latest e-mail update, and if you click here you can read it in your browser.
Lots of pix and not really enough room in the updates to include them, so here’s a wee gallery of some images from Hastings through the Manawatu to the Wairarapa. Click anywhere in the gallery for a closer view and a slide show.
- At Work in the Office Van
- The view out of the van from Clifton Campground, looking toward Napier.
- Two young anti-abortion advocates in Hastings donated a fetus doll. Here it is on the dashboard of the van with the yellow rabbit mascot.
- Doing a walkthrough at the Saturday morning market in Napier
- Leaving Hastings. Couldn’t resist the Waipawa, Waipukurau, Wellington sign?
- OK, slightly staged, but the wind was something fierce that day in Dannevirke and it won in the end.
- Dining and working in the van
- The notice for the Palmerston North Library book event.
- Margaret Sparrow and Alison McCulloch at the Palmerston North Library
- At dinner after the Palmy library event, from left, Deborah Russell (MC!), Alison McCulloch, Margaret Sparrow
- Deborah, Demelza and Alison outside the Saturday a.m. produce market in Palmerston North
- A photo op with the White Kiwi of Eketahuna and a young friend (if you look closely)
- Who knew Masterton’s Russian Jack was prochoice?
- Alison and Elspeth at the Masterton boot sale
- Molly really wanted to join the Highway. She came close to being dognapped.
- A Voice for Life sign on the road from Masterton to Castle Point.
- Being silly in Martinborough. (Those historic ‘Support Safe Legal Abortion’ badges stick to the magnetic clip-ons)
- Amy chatting with a local in Martinborough
- Alison and Amy in Martinborough
- Alison McCulloch, Elspeth Preddey and Margaret Sparrow at the Carterton public meeting
- Historic Posters and Badges
Update No. 4: BOP and Hawkes Bay Edition
The Prochoice Highway is on its way south, via a day trip to Rotorua for some campaigning with Nikki, and taking in Whakatane and Gisborne on the way to Hawkes Bay.
Here’s a link to the latest email update.
Oh, and the 2014 Body Politics Calendar would make a great gift. Just sayin’.
Update No. 3: Thanks Northland! Sept 28; What’s Next
We’ve sent Update No. 3 out to subscribers (you can subscribe here), which wraps up the first leg of the Highway — Northland! — covers the September 28 events across the country, and looks at what’s next.
Click here to read the update in your browser.
Meanwhile, here are a couple of pix from the Prochoice Picnic in Albert Park, Auckland, on 28 September. Thanks Rachel R for the photos!
September 28th. Be There!
There are some very cool events going down in Aotearoa NZ on Saturday 28 September, which is Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion.
A joint media release issued by ALRANZ, Auckland Pro-Choice People and Dunedin Reproductive Justice — click here to read that — lists three that we know of. But even if you’re not in Tāmakimakaurau/Auckland, Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington or Ōtepoti/Dunedin, the organisers of the global event would love you to take part in their Tweet-a-thon; to do a blog post; to take a pro-choice selfie; whatever! Check them out on Twitter @WGNRR and be sure to do some prochoice tweeting, blogging, posting, writing, FBing. After all, Sept. 28 reaches us before it reaches most everyone else on the planet.
In case you missed it, AUT journalism student, Beatrice Randell, wrote a fine piece on both the Sept. 28 event planned for Albert Park in Tāmakimakaurau/Auckland and the issue of abortion rights in general. It’s great to see this issue finally being talked about! And good to see Voice for Life stating clearly they want abortion banned. Chops to Beatrice for asking the questions that made that position clear.