Day 4 - Melbourne - mushroom foraging and opening of ICN 25th Quadrennial Congress

I was reminded of the value of 'slow' as we went on a group mushroom foraging expedition from Bress winery in Bendigo. We walked mindfully through pine woods examining the ground to find mushrooms that were few due to the recent lack of rain in the area. A general principle seemed to be that the more exotic and colourful the mushroom, the more likely it was to be lethal or hallucinogenic. We than had the pleasure of enjoying a mushroom-based lunch and the opportunity to sample a range of Bress wines in the company of Australian friends.

We got back to Melbourne in time for the very impressive opening ceremony of ICN Congress. Approximately 4000 participants witnessed the parade of over 130 ICN member associations and officials and welcomes from our Australian hosts. Strange not to have the UK represented (See http://www.nursingtimes.net/jane-salvage-the-rcns-withdrawal-from-the-icn-could-have-devastating-consequences/5058168.article) .

The awards ceremony honoured those who have contributed significantly to the profession and to health and human rights more generally. One highlight for me was the presentation of an award to Mary Robinson, ex-President of Ireland and UN envoy for Africa's Great Lakes region for services to human rights and health

The wonderful entertainment was provided by Deborah Cheetham and the Short Black Opera company (see http://www.deborahcheetham.com/director).

The event was a very moving and engaging celebration of the culture of Australia and the contribution of the nursing profession globally. We have much to look forward to at the Congress in the days ahead.