Author: Daniel Reader (Master of Engineering student)
When all of the fun of experiments, interviews, design, development, and research is over, the writing remains. And it is, I think, universally less fun that the adventure of exploration that first brings us into postgraduate study. But it is necessary; by this means our thoughts and ideas are structured and articulated for the advancement of human knowledge. And when it is done, our participation in that progression is recorded for posterity.
As a mature student with a family, I can say that nothing has drained me in recent memory like the work of my thesis. All my free time has been devoted to its development and the 
continual interruptions of normal life have registered with me somewhere in a spectrum between annoying and maddening. I have to admit that I was pretty excited to take part in the AUT writers’ retreat. The idea of an open schedule with no worries of sustenance and no demands on my time was very much looked forward to. And Vaughan Park did not disappoint; the food was amazing, the professional assistance was superlative, the location sublime, and the companionship wonderfully collegial.
I think it’s absolutely brilliant of AUT to offer this kind of opportunity to its postgrad students and I’m very grateful that I was one of the applicants selected to attend. Many thanks to the postgrad centre for setting it up, to David and Jennie for facilitating, and to all of my fellow attendees who were universally a pleasure to meet and chat with. Best wishes to you all!
