Public Speaking - Wizard of New Zealand

izard of New Zealand - Public Speaker with a Difference

vailable as Lecturer and Public Speaker
The Wizard is a public speaker who not only talks engagingly about the future but even lives in the future! The only thing that troubles him sometimes is that it might be the wrong future. He has a fantastic line on the transition from decaying and destructive Industrial Age beliefs and social organisations to the Information Age which will soon replace them.

s the most avante-garde of the conceptual artists in the world today, (viz. Edward Lucie-Smith's "Artoday", Phaidon 1995), the Wizard has lived in a world of his own making since 1969. He is famous for his hilarious techniques of avoiding normalisation by government departments etc. He even managed to persuade a Prime Minister to appoint him official Wizard of New Zealand and obtained a special wizard's driving licence from the Traffic Department. An excellent conversationalist he is also the most famous ( notorious?) orator in the world, attracting international tourists to Christchurch even though he never claims to tell the truth.

he longest running show in New Zealand is the Wizard's weekday summer performances in Cathedral Square, Christchurch where for twenty-two years he has been bedazzling international audiences with his controversial theories.

ne day he demonstates that women have controlled the world since the agricultural revolution, the next day he demonstrates that the Universe is inside the Earth, not outside it. His defence of monarchy and established religion to slow down economic growth and the consequent pollution and mental stress may well be followed by an argument that we should abolish morality and reason and replace them with rules for living aimed at producing more fun and administered like sport and games. He may even demonstrate his conviction that given his own TV Show he could avoid both death and immortality by rising in the air and vanishing. His audiences readily admit that in all their travels they have never heard anything like it!

he Wizard is not just a corporate entertainer or stand-up comedian but an inspired visionary whose greatest failing is that he cannot take himself (or anyone else) seriously. After one of his oratorical speeches audiences are left not only highly amused but also highly confused and consequently less depressed. His amazing successes in rain dancing to break droughts in NZ and Australia have surprised him as much as anyone else.

f you want someone "completely different" to entertain a well-educated and sceptical audience you would be hard put to find anyone better than The Wizard of New Zealand. Recently he has been engaged to speak at the Universities of New South Wales and Western Australia, various conferences in New Zealand and has just completed a speaking tour of The South Island.

email: archwizard@wizard.gen.nz
Phone/Fax +64 3 355 5545.

August 4th 1997.

I think this page is certainly interesting, but it need to actually say something about who this 'Wizard' guy is.
Samyania Catalonia-Kushrenada - SLC, Utah - on Wed Apr 25 03:35:21 NZST 2001.

While in Christchurch last week, I took several Photo's of the Wizard. I would like permission to enter two of these photo's in a competition. Please can you tell me how can I do that?
Janet Bowden - KAIKOURA - on Wed Nov 1 13:43:25 NZDT 2000.

this site needs to be more interesting I like destinys child and Robbie Williams Ha now there is something intersting on this site
Hayley - The rocky Christchurch ( nz ) - on Mon Aug 14 16:56:46 NZST 2000.

I want to knw about how to deliver a good speech, and how to make the audiance laugh, not if or if not a wizard can come and give me a lecture, please imporve it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but if you want to find out that sort of stuff, then its okay.
angel - new zealand - on Fri Jul 28 11:17:55 NZST 2000.

this website sux!!!! need more information on the wizard
fred - australia - on Tue Jul 25 12:17:33 NZST 2000.

Hail Wizard! This is NOT a reaction to the articles from this site, but rather a request. In March of 1997 my husband and I found ourselves in Cathedral Square to see and hear you for the first time. I am a free lance travel writer working on a four-part Passport Journal article about that particular trip to the South Island of New Zealand for a quarterly online magazine, New Works Review. You are mentioned in Part 4 of that article which is centered in Christchurch. I'd be obliged if you would grant me permission to use a photo or two of you in my article. How do I obtain current photos of you? Please advise.
Pat Oplinger - Arkansas, USA - on Wed Jun 28 02:38:45 NZST 2000.

hey wiz well, i guess i met you in like, 90?? somewhere round there, and i was like 7? oh well, heard about the site, took a look, and i am now convinced that you are a living legend have to catch up sometime, i guess, layda ps why is wellington like it is if you haven't done a rain dance here?
chris - New Zealand (wellington, actually) - on Wed Apr 12 01:28:58 NZST 2000.

I'm half way between your book, its a bloody good read!
Jarman Smith - Sydney, Australia - on Thu Jan 13 14:14:42 NZDT 2000.

Gentle Wizard. To me, the most remarkable thing about your speaches is the emotional part. Silly or not, you admit that you try to temper anger and preach fun. Society is not to be accepted as it is and should be constantly changing and improving. Your theory about male/female relationships is very interesting. Begging your pardon sir, I think you are a true humanist.
Orri Eiríksson - Kópavogur, Iceland - on Thu Apr 8 03:21:24 NZST 1999.

A ray of light in these dark times art thou. Thou giveth hope in the midst of order. Hope of chaos yet again! We MUST return to our origin, or are we but pawns in this reflection of a world in which we live?? And what will happen when they turn out the light and the mirror no longer has anything to reflect? Will we be darkness too??? But thus I wonder, Could that be the meaning of our lives? To make the lightbulb of our existance darken and leave the original to handle itself so that we, the lightspecks of reflection may finally rest?
Eco - Sveg, Sweden - on Fri Mar 19 21:38:34 NZDT 1999.

Hi Wizard, I've been to New Zealand in 1992 and 1998 and heard your funny and very important speeches. I'm afraid you know what's going on in this world. Keep up the good work and give people some moments of happyness and understanding. Roger
Roger - The Netherlands - on Tue May 26 06:36:20 NZST 1998.

O Wizard, It is most distressing that I visited Christchurch twice on my trip to New Zealand (from which I returned yesterday) and was not able to find you out in front of the cathedral. My pilgrimage led to naught. Fortunately, now that I have discovered your website -- the holy grail of internet magic -- I no longer have to be saddened about missing you in the flesh. Thank you. P.S. the big question is, when will you remove your curse from those poor wretches at Mercury Energy? When, O wizard, will those denizens of Auckland have received their full measure of your wrath of darkness?
Frank Andrew Lawler - Seattle, Washington, USA - on Wed Mar 4 13:07:02 NZDT 1998.

If the world ended this hour, what would you say to me and all the other people in the world?
alfons - Nederlands - on Fri Dec 19 16:37:02 NZDT 1997.

i am he as you are he and we are all together... i am the egg man, they are the egg men, I AM THE WALRUS!!! Goo Goo Ga Joob...
the Walrus was Paul...!! - Pepperland - on Mon Nov 3 13:24:37 NZDT 1997.

Dear Wizard, You are a looney.
A number of consenting voles - A small burrow in Christchurch - on Wed Oct 29 14:06:42 NZDT 1997.

hi there Wiz!, Just been lisening to you in the square ( the guy wearing Jeans, 'Lennon' T Shirt, and cap - sorry i have no fasion sence...apart from the lennon bit!!! ) You certainly have the right (or is it left?) idea about the universe and mans place in it! I feel that John Lennon was also on the same wave length as you, Love, Peace and have woman runing round after you and doing all the work, leaving the man to sit around and let his mind drift " Across the UNivrse..." Wouldn't you agree?? STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER because TOMMOROW NEVER KNOWS...
Mark 'Lennon' Edmondston - Centre of the Univese... - on Tue Oct 28 15:19:53 NZDT 1997.

see you round wiz
tom westlake - christchurch new zealand - on Sat Sep 27 17:45:32 NZST 1997.

Greetings to Ian Brackenbury Channell -- the one, the only, the original Wizard of Christchurch, New Zealand! After all this time, it does my heart good being finally able to contact you. Let me briefly introduce myself, and explain a bit about what I do here in the good old U.S. of A. I'm Richard Washington, Founder and Chairman of Electric Pirates Entertainment, Inc. self-proclaimed last standard-bearer for the Jolly Roger in the whole of New York City; author; chronicler; adventurer and would-be entertainment fantasist! I founded EPE some 12 years ago, in 1986, hoping to seek out some form of vengeance against those who'd unjustly vilified the modern-day swashbuckler/pirate adventure film genre. So far, I have gained few allies in my constant quest; even so, I enjoy running into one or two people who, like me, are glorified eccentrics. Along with the recently-deceased Australian Aboriginal performer/storyteller Burnum Burnum, The Wizard of Christchurch was, and is, one of my primary influences when it comes to defending the cause of the Imagination! I last saw you when ABC-TV's (USA) "Good Morning America" broadcast live from Christchurch, in May 1990 seven delightful years ago. I was hoping the day would come when you'd take over the web! Hooray! But anyway, as EPE's Boss, I have an entire plethora of works in progress, chiefly my first book, the nonfiction adventure 'Boswell of the Band;' my company's own website (which won't be operational for a while yet, but will be soon, I hope!); and my first motion picture, an adaptation of Norton Juster's classic children's novel, 'The Phantom Tollbooth,' with visuals to be done by a partnership between Industrial Light and Magic, Inc. and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Still, presumably you've a lot more questions about Electric Pirates, and why we do what we do, and all the rest of it. We invite comments, ideas, and suggestions (as well as a few good wishes) from EVERYONE! That said, here's our address: Electric Pirates Entertainment, Inc./EPE Holdings, Inc., Richard Washington, Founder and Chairman, c/o Suite # 14-E, 15948 Harlem River Drive, New York, NY 10039-1012 USA; (212) 368-6670. We look forward to hearing from all our new friends. Well, I'd talk more, but I've an Internet to explore. My best wishes to you, beloved Wizard; and don't disappoint your many fans throughout the Planet by suddenly retiring. I don't think I could imagine anymore if you did. Anyway, farewell and huzzah! May the forces of the Imagination be yours to wield always!
Richard Washington, Founder/Chairman, EPE Holdings, Inc. - New York City, USA, North America - on Sat Sep 6 05:34:18 NZST 1997.

Sir, It is high time you departed from those beautiful shores and come to New York USA where there are millions of souls eager to hear about Alf.
NYKIWI - New York City - USA - on Sat Aug 16 08:08:40 NZST 1997.

Sir, It is high time you departed from those beautiful shores and come to New York USA where there are millions of souls eager to hear about Alf.
Geoff Andrews - New York City - USA - on Sat Aug 16 08:07:30 NZST 1997.

Greetings & salutations It is a joy to know you are walking the path with us. Thank you. Trust we will meet in April 1998. Lucinda
- Canberra - on Thu Aug 14 15:40:55 NZST 1997.