Sir Peter Blake 10th Anniversary Tribute

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E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga iwi katoa o Aotearoa e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou.  Kia ora tātou katoa.  Distinguished guests and friends from across New Zealand warm greetings to you all. 

The family and friends of the late Sir Peter Blake, Blake Medallists and Leaders I also extend my greetings to you, especially those of you who have travelled to be here tonight.

I want to specifically acknowledge: co-Patron Pippa, Lady Blake,– tēnā koe; Ross Blackman, Deputy Chair of the Sir Peter Blake Trust and your fellow trustees – tēnā koutou; Shelley Campbell, Chief Executive of the Trust and your staff -  tēnā koutou; Ngarimu Blair, from Ngati Whatua o Orakei - tēnā koe; and Rear Admiral Tony Parr, Chief of Navy – tēnā koe. 

It is an honour for me to be here today as we join in remembering Sir Peter Blake and the 10th anniversary of his tragic death.

Peter Blake was a traveller and from what I know he enjoyed his journeys and especially with his friends.  I have recently begun a journey of my own, a five year journey as Governor-General of New Zealand.  In setting the itinerary for the journey I consulted with my wife Janine, as you do, to ensure we both knew where we were headed.  Our heading was determined by agreeing on doing the things we supported with our heads and our hearts.  We agreed that we would give special attention to initiatives that involved young New Zealanders, excellence and leadership.  Accordingly, it was an easy choice to assist as co-Patron of the Sir Peter Blake Trust and to share in the mission of “helping New Zealanders to make a positive difference for the planet through activities that encourage environmental awareness and action, and leadership development.”

It seems to me that this is an organisation that protects those things that are important to New Zealanders – our environment and our rangatahi – our youth.  Both are taonga, treasures, for the future.  This is an organisation that encourages and supports our young people in community leadership. 

At the time of the 2006 Census there were around 757,000 young people aged 12 to 24 living in New Zealand.  They represent about one in five of all New Zealanders . They are the future leaders of our country and need to be supported and prepared to take up that mantle.

Today’s youth are different to those generations before them.  They grapple with rapid technological change and accelerating societal change.  Technological advancements and an era of communication and socialisation that is based increasingly online, rather than face-to-face.

They are confronted with a flood of information, where distinguishing fact from fiction is tricky and yet crucial to understanding the world around them.

This is where the work of the Trust has been crucial. Believing in a young person’s potential is central to their development.  Young people gain from being encouraged to give back to their communities.  For example, they learn about a sustainable future through activities like the Trust’s school-based environmental programmes.  Those activities also go a long way in helping our young New Zealanders build self-esteem, confidence and social connectedness. 

And all of those things are important in developing future leaders.  Finding, inspiring and mobilising the next generation of Kiwi leaders is an ambitious task.  It is also a collective task that reflects the oft quoted saying that it takes a whole village to raise a child, a whole community to bring forth a leader.

As Sir Peter Blake said in his 11 March 2001 Log Entry, during his Antarctica Expedition:
“This is about what we hand onto our children. Educating them to be responsible citizens is our collective responsibility.”

It is wonderful to have the Trust providing leadership in this area.  Empowering our young people to effect change in our communities, in this country and the world is both an effective and elegant way to instil a sense of civic purpose.

The Trust’s commitment and focus on environmental leadership, and protecting those things that are important to New Zealanders is a central theme which I want to promote throughout my journey as Governor-General.  I applaud the Trust for the emphasis that it places on the protection and care of our magnificent and pristine environment in New Zealand.

Again, reflecting on the words of Sir Peter and his passion for our environment.  When he said: - “We want to restart people caring for the environment as it must be cared for, and we want to do this through adventure, through participation, through education and through enjoyment.” I think he was appealing to our heads and our hearts for our future.

I believe that the Trust is bringing to life Sir Peter’s vision and if he were here today, I suspect he would be wanting ‘all hands on deck’ for the exciting initiative I am now going to announce.

Launch of the inaugural Young Blake Expedition
The Sir Peter Blake Trust, in association with the Ministry for the Environment, the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Department of Conservation, Pew Environment Group, Experiencing Marine Reserves and LEARNZ, is planning an expedition to the Kermadec Islands for young New Zealanders in 2012.

The Kermadec Islands have been identified as one of the very few pristine marine areas left on the planet, and as they are over 900km from New Zealand, very few Kiwis will ever have the chance to visit them.

The Young Blake Expedition to the Kermadec Islands will see 30 secondary school students from around New Zealand travel on board HMNZS Canterbury to the Kermadecs from 8 – 19 August, with a crew of subject experts, scientists, artists, educators, communicators and leaders.

It aims to inspire New Zealanders, both those on the trip and at home, to understand the global significance of the Kermadec Islands and to encourage stewardship of the Kermadec Marine Reserve and the planet’s oceans generally.

I am excited about this Expedition programme and look forward to an active role in that adventure.

Without further ado, as co-Patron of the Sir Peter Blake Trust, it gives me great pleasure to officially announce the launch of the inaugural 2012 Young Blake Expedition.

Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.