RICHE du Plessis ... his life :

Relationships were valued by Riche, and he "enriched" many of these he built with friends, his family, and so many people with whom he shared interests in creative writing, in photography, and in philosophy discussion groups around Nowra Friends and family mourn ... (article in 'South Coast Register' On Monday 14 March, his family & friends from the wide range of his interests & activities gathered at Worrigee Chapel to farewell him. The ceremony closed with this poem created and read by his friend Chris Mansell  Six months have passed : Geoff Bolton misses Riche, in this poem

In his travel, Riche loved to travel ... and his ability to do this in relation to his work - of exploring new destinations, forming relationships with airlines and partners in accommodation and local tourism packages - and trial use of each step before marketing these Real Travel packages via the internet to customers, earned trust and repeat business from many of them

{Melbourne poet Peter Bakowski, winner of the Shoalhaven Literary Award} I first met Riche and his partner Gaillyn when I had a two week residency at the Arthur Boyd estate "Bundanon". Riche and Gaillyn hosted a poetry reading and dinner at their beautiful home, where I was featured reader. As I had fallen in love with the map of the world at the age of six, I "grilled" Riche on his extensive travels and was envious of his wider and frequent travels to the Arab world. I enjoyed his travel stories and also his anecdotes regarding the tour groups he shepherded through different countries. I always admired Riche's calm and could well imagine him sitting for six hours with a carpet seller in Iran or Egypt reaching a gentleman's agreement as to the carpet's acceptable price over numerous cups of mint tea. Riche gave me a Turkish shirt that no longer fitted or suited him. Over the years I've worn it to many special events until the collar and cuffs eventually frayed. I will always remember Riche as unfailingly kind and generous, a thinker and humble about his own gifts. I believe Riche would wish for Gaillyn, his relatives and friends, to explore and appreciate their lives.

[Constitution Day blog, on the Australian constitution] Interesting reading but as a migrant to Australia, one who has lived in several other countries so I have a comparrison, I must say that the Australian Constitution is not a democratic document at all. In fact it is simplistic, racialist and a totally red-neck document. Previous writers are correct in stating that both women and the native people were excluded, not only from voting, but from any consultation during the process. The document has more to do with preserving the jealously guarded State’s rights’ than it has to do with democracy; i.e. it's a document based almost entirely on the selfishness of the population of each state. It is inevitable that, one day, Australia will become a republic. Hopefully this will happen only after Australians are capable of understanding more than only a five second political grab. When debate on a republic begins seriously, and with this I mean more than the simple statement ‘we should be a republic’, then the debate should be broadened into one that includes discussion on a new constitution. Such a constitution should allow for a more participatory form of democracy. The electorate at present is only permitted to vote once every few years, for some yobo to make all the decisions on their behalf. There is currently no obligation for the ‘yobo’ to refer again to the electorate. The right for a voter to make only one decision every three to four years is not democracy ! As a minimum the electorate should have the right of recall. This will keep the ‘yobos’ on their toes, result in more consultation, and give the electorate the ability to sack a representative who is not performing satisfactory. We also desperately need to include a Bill of Rights in any new constitution. At present Australian’s have no protection against laws that restrain, prohibit or infringe on basic human freedoms. Democratic ? .... I think not. ( RD Place : July 7, 2010 )