Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

Our"Little Grand Girl" Holly

With apologies to the Famous French singer Maurice Chevalier who made this phrase popular!

I have been reminded many times this week how fortunate we are to live in a country free from many of the world's  more  unpleasant day to day happenings. We have had a couple of new additions to our Family in the past year, namely a lovely little girl name Holly and a strapping baby twice her size named Aidan. I must say that the arrival of these two babies has been a wonderful boost to our families morale and hopefully will give us older folk many years of pleasure to come. The main thing that has impressed me personally has been the loving care and attention given to these two by their Mothers and Fathers and the wonderful feeling of happiness I feel in my heart when I meet up with them. Holly lives closer than Aiden and therefore I see more of her in the flesh, but we get regular progress updates from Auckland, where Aidan and his bigger brother Ronan aged 3 keep everyone on their toes! Grandad's "Skite Book" has been well and truly thumbed and of course with Facebook pictures updated regularly I am finally starting to reach my download allowance.

Heather & Holly @ Waipu Cove

As for my own "Little Girls", (some have grown into lovely Big Girls and I don't mean by waist measurement) I am proud to be their Father, Father in Law, Grandfather and most of all FRIEND. I have recently been working on transferring old VHS tapes to DVD and when I view some of the old videos, I just can't believe how time has passed since "My Girls" were also little babies and it takes a moment to visualise the "blondie on the beach" as now being the doting mother of her own little girl. One of the most beautiful sounds in the world came my way last evening when I was on the phone to Heather. We were suddenly engulfed with peals of happy laughter coming down the phone line from Holly who was being entertained by her Dad. ( I gather he was swooping her in his arms towards Heather) Lyn and I were on individual phones and we were both filled with such joyful emotion to hear this childish laughter that it quite took our breath away! Oh what a moment!

'The Boys" Ronan & Aidan"

Kelly & Aidan

Earlier I had been clearing out a drawer of old family clippings and nostalgic bits and pieces and I came across another "Little Girl" memento from the past. My Daughter Kelly was notorious for having a "different bedroom" to the rest of us and one day during a discussion on how even little children could help their parents, by trying to keep their bedrooms tidy, she came out with the following gem. With a serious face that only "Little Girls" know, she said "My Bedroom is a bit tidy, but it isn't tidy because my bed is a bit upset!" Yep, I am smiling as I type this!

As a teenager Kelly took charge of the situation and pinned a large poster on her door.

LOVE IT - OR LEAVE IT, we got the message!

Unfortunately I was brought back to earth with a thud soon after, while watching a TV discussion on the disgraceful rates of child abuse in this country. This week we read of a little baby girl, one of triplets, being admitted to Hospital with unaccountable head injuries. She died later that day and was buried soon after. This depressing incident has become a frequent occurrence in NZ, particularly with young solo parents, whose boyfriends are either in prison or under the influence of alcohol or drugs and statistically represented by too many Maori families. I cannot understand how this can happen in a country that in my lifetime, used to be NO 1 in the World for childcare. Even today we spend billions of welfare dollars on trying to reduce this appalling situation, but obviously to no avail. In my own personal opinion, young pregnant solo Maori females (I won't call them Mothers, because many don't qualify to this revered Title) must be carefully supervised until the baby reaches 5 years old and should not be encouraged to have any more babies until she has learnt how to cope with what can be the most difficult job in the world. I am amazed that we can have a Minister of Racing, and a Minister for Ethnic Affairs and Pacific Island Affairs and Youth Affairs and Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations but NOT A MINISTER OF CHILDRENS AFFAIRS! I THINK IT'S TIME WE MAYBE HAD A CHAT TO OUR POLITICIANS.

Fortunately for our family, we are blessed with hope, caring, warmth, tenderness and above all love. I wish there was a magic wand to wave over the land, so that other little children don't have to suffer at any stage of their lives, but even with the 'Luck of the Irish" I know that this won't happen. SAD REALLY!

An interesting article on Mothers & Babies arrived in my mailbox today

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2092177/Why-mothers-love-really-priceless-It-prevents-illness-middle-age--youre-poor.html

Farming would be great if it wasn't for the Animals

Henry Moje and young Lion friend

A page in our book of Memories quietly turns today as it is the 1st Anniversary of the passing of  Henry Moje, our Dearly beloved Father, Father In Law, Grandfather, GreatGrandfather and Husband of Margaret.We visited his grave today and paid homage to a wonderful Man who is sorely missed.

Henry was a lovely, quiet unassuming Gentleman who loved his Family and all of God's creatures. He also had a wicked sense of humour and it was one of his quotes "Farming would be great if it wasn't for the animals" that is one of my favourites. Henry spent most of his life on a sheep farm, mainly at the Waipu Cove farm and I know from experience that this lifestyle certainly wasn't an easy, nor quiet adventure. We are blessed to have many happy memories and these will sustain us through the years ahead.

Thinking of you today Henry!

I Was A Seagull Once Apon A Time!

No, Muriel, not a Seagull with wings, just a temporary worker registered with the N.Z.Port Employers Association (Inc) on the Auckland Waterfront in 1963. I was aged 21 years old at the time and had put a £30 deposit on a nice plot of land in Henderson and was keen to pay off the balance of £270, which had graciously been lent to me by my employer, Hutchinson Bros Ltd the Premium Auckland Grocers of that era.

My Official Seagull ID Card

"Seagull" was a term that the Watersiders (or Wharfies as they are known) gave to any casual workers who were deemed to be "picking up the little bits of work" that became available. I remember it was close to Christmas and although we were very busy in the shop, a couple of mates and I thought nothing of finishing a days work, grabbing a quick bite and heading off down to the Auckland Wharves for more excitement. The work was a lot more physical than our day job, but the extra pay was worth the effort and it certainly wasn't boring! I seem to remember we were employed by the NZ Shipping Company and didn't actually join any Union.

I am writing this blog during a period of a prolonged dispute with the Auckland Maritime Union and the Ports of Auckland Company, which is owned by the City Council. As reported, the strike is largely over conditions, especially what the union says are issues over casualisation and flexibility, but from my perspective the Waterfront Union appears to be stuck in the past and is unwilling to face current work practices and the Port Management are not exactly helping the situation with their pedantic stand, however it is very difficult to come to any meaningful conclusion, when the workers are on strike. Nobody wins!

 Excellent 1960s photo by Denis Wilford

 During my time as a "Seagull" I experienced 1st hand, the "unusual" work habits that had become the standard practice at that time. They don't seem to have changed much (in my opinion) and it is still "The Bosses vs. the Workers". It was amazing to me that as soon as a spot of rain fell, the foreman would call for the hatches to be covered and work would stop immediately and we would sit idly by, sometimes until the end of the shift. We still got paid! Our wages were taxed as it was secondary income, but we were earning such a good pay, it didn't seem to matter and we enjoyed extras for walking to another wharf, danger money, height money and all sorts of other perks seemed to be standard. Another positive aspect, other than the excellent pay rates was the knowledge I gained in using unusual work equipment. I was given a metal hook with a wooden handle and I was supposed to be able to hook into wool bales and steer them to another worker who would stack the hold as neatly as possible. This was a struggle for a callow youth initially, but I got the hang of it eventually. Being able to stack goods on a hand truck was another skill I learned and this accomplishment has been helpful throughout my working life.

There is an interesting "wharfie story here"

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/498236/Wharfie-from-fifties-rated-job-highly

Once we got to the Summer holidays, I couldn't continue working on the wharves and as I had also started working on Saturdays at NZs biggest liquor outlet, the physical effort of working so many hours started to catch up on me. Needless to say, I enjoyed the experience and the wages certainly helped to pay off the Henderson real estate. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland was also impressed, as the Church had owned the land and was happy to see regular payments into their account. 

Building the house on that section is another story!

Gardening Resolutions or Business Revolutions?

Fuschias Galore

Our Waipu welcome to 2012 was very cloudy, wet and extremely humid and we now know that December 2011 was the wettest December in Northland since records began. While it was great for our veggie garden, it put a damper on outdoor activities. The garden is flourishing and vegetables and flower plants are all looking healthy and strong. Our garlic, squash and pumpkins will have to wait until the sun appears more often before we dig them up and our second crop of potatoes will need more time. The early crop of Jersey Bennes is now under cover and the flavour is delicious. We noticed a news item on TV where the Jersey Bennes in nice little boxes in the supermarket were selling at an astronomical price and I took much pleasure in lifting the lid on the potato box, just to stare at our golden treasure therein. My Scottish genes were also treasuring the moment!

No Martha, we aren't growing gumboots!

We had some fun with Liffy the Owner of Glencairn our local garden centre in Waipu. Some months ago we were buying a few plants for my pots on our deck and I noticed a punnet of onions that had almost died off in the heat. She jokingly gave them to me and I said I would do what I could with them (well they were FREE!) I have just dug up three of the biggest onions I have ever grown in my life! They are huge and the best thing of all, is that when they are gently fried in a pan and served with fresh beans and potatoes from the garden, they tasted just fantastic. I have just bought another punnet from Liffy and we will see what we can do even though we have another 9 giants to go! Although the weather experts tell us this wet weather is here to stay until March, I hope there will be enough sun to ripen our tomato crop. The tomatoes grown in a greenhouse, just haven't got the flavour and even the dearest selection in the supermarket at the moment have no taste and don't have any keeping qualities whatsoever. (Yes, that's my rant this time)

We won't be haymaking at all this Summer, as we have some hay stored in the shed and the paddocks are lush with growth. Following three years of drought, this is a wonderful situation to be in and takes some of the stress off the heifers as they continue to flourish. Not so nice for all our Camping grounds in Bream Bay and we have noticed more traffic on the highway heading South, rather than North, which usually means folk are going home earlier. It is a shame really as many small businesses in Northland rely on the Summer holiday trade to help them though the quieter months. 

More LARGE Onions

The Annual  Caledonian Games were held on the 2nd on January (they don't hold them on the traditional 1st January owing to old Church beliefs) and as usual, this was the only rain free day in the week. When I was Sec/Admin for the Society, I used to joke that they had a direct line, but intelligent folk always agreed it was the "Luck of the Irish" Lyn and I offered our services in the office, just to get everything off to a good start as both the new Secretary and the relief Treasurer had not been to the Games before, but we felt like fish out of water and not really required as both ladies seemed to be under control and we came home early to start on the latest publication of the Trader.

Not sure what this year will bring and we have been sad to see many local Trades and Services either close or move out of the area, some even to Australia. The Australian experience may not be all that it is cracked up to be though and I am sure many will return. The situation in Christchurch has affected the business sector as well and we will all just have to tighten our belts even further. This will NOT stop any holiday plans to the South Island and perhaps a quick visit to visit our family in Queensland.

LAUDER is actually very Quiet!

Heading South

Another highlight of our South Island trip in May 2011 was a visit to Alexandra and the Eastern Southland region. The weather had become showery and overcast, but as it was early May, this was expected. They had already had a dumping of snow in parts, but as each warmer day arrived,the snow quickly melted. After leaving Te Anau we headed off to Lumsden and as I come from a long line of Railway men (excuse the pun) it was sad to see many local lines ripped up and transformed into cycling tracks. I know that rail has become unproductive in many rural areas, but New Zealand Government policy of selling it off to private concerns in the 1980s, where it was stripped of assets and then almost became extinct did not help railway to prosper. I guess if it encourages tourists to come and cycle or walk all over our landscape, while spendingmoney in the small rural towns, it is a positive benefit to NZ.

 

Rodgers Engine @ Croydon

Lumsden has a number of old railway buildings including the old station and the water tower and I loved the tiny local RSA building. I bet it was very crowded on Anzac Day! As we drove along the highway to Gore, we were startled to see an old Rodgers vintage steam engine sitting on a small length of rail close to another building that looked like a museum of some sort. Sure enough, we pulled into the car park of the Croydon Aircraft Museum next to the Mandeville airport and lo and behold a fascinating collection of vintage airplanes. Many of the planes are in excellent condition and are still taking passengers on flights. The floor was spic and span and the chap on the reception counter was very friendly indeed. The building was quite new and the whole conglomerate is owned by a trust. The steam engine is undergoing a refit and will have tracks laid so that it can regain it's ability to shunt around the yards. Gore has always been a favorite town of mine and my first visit would have been in the late 1940s on my visit to the South Island as a small child with my Dad. We received NZR passes because of him being an engine driver and I had a 1/4 fare pass and except for one flight in an old DC3 of NAC Airlines (a forerunner to Air New Zealand) we always travelled by NZR, which included the Cook Strait ferry and the Earnslaw ferry at Queenstown

Lyn checks out the 1932 Fox Moth

 I remembered the Creamoata porridge factory which was located by the main railway line and the building still carries the huge graphic of Sgt Dan, the Creamoata Man that was printed on every packet sold. They also produced Thistle rolled oats, but I gather the factory only processes stock feed now and the Creamoata products (a smoother version of rolled oats) have been discontinued by their new Aussie owners. Gore is also famous for the Annual Golden Guitar Country music festival and the town is very pretty with many trees in the town centre and features a huge Brown Trout statue as well as a huge Guitar statue. 

As we drove through Gore we noticed a building that sported a sign advertising "Errol Allison Art Studio and Gallery" This is the same name of my close relative Errol Allison who lives in New Plymouth and is one of my family" heroes" for his exploits during the war with our double VC Winner Capt. Charles Upham. It turns out that Young Errol (aged 68 years ) is named after Errol (aged 92) and this makes him a relative also. He made BOTH STATUES and is a local town hero for his work.
Here is a photo and article relating to the statues http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellywood-or-what/5559173/Why-is-town-branding-so-cringe-worthy.

We have yet to meet young Errol!

My Father was born in Wyndham in Southland, but lived in this region as a teenager on a small family farm at McNab and my Grandfather worked on the railway as a "lasher". Dad left the farm around the age of 16 and went to Invercargill, where he joined the NZR Locomotive branch, retiring 40 years later in Auckland as a top roster Engine Driver, so I grew up with the stories of "Hokonui Whisky" (illicit distilleries) and fishing in the Mataura River etc. We had a bit of a scare around Tapanui, where there had been heavy rain over the previous couple of days. As we drove down a very steep hill I noticed a truck on the side of the road with it's cab light flashing. There was no sign of anyone outside the truck, so we sailed past at 100kms and whamo! We hit a deeply flooded dip that hadn't been obvious until then. I decided to press on through the flood, albeit a bit slower and the heart was in overdrive as the water started to come over the car bonnet! I wondered if I stopped then, the car might get stuck, so we just pressed on and came out the other side ok. The truck was there to tow stranded motorists out of the deep hollow, shame they didn't have signs further up the road! We reached the Roxburgh Dam early in the afternoon and the spillway looked mighty impressive with the recent rain filling the dam to the rim.


Arriving in Alexandra, the Blossom Capital of NZ, we decided to head for our Motel after a long day on the road and after settling in, we contacted my Sister Carna & Husband Doug who were travelling in their bus and arranged to meet for dinner. Boy! can those Southland Chefs put on a meal and after staggering through huge plates of excellent food, we retired to our Motel ready for the next day. Carna & Doug headed off in the opposite direction as they live near Kurow and before leaving, we decided to see a bit more of Alexandra, which is known as the hottest, driest and coldest town in New Zealand Stacking our gear in the car was fun, as a heavy fog had descended and we couldn't see very much at all, but we drove to the bridge over the Clutha River, which has a wonderful viewing area and where you can see the vineyards and orchards that have become the lifeblood of the area. Unfortunately, Lyn missed seeing the huge clock that is embedded into a rocky outcrop because of the fog, but we admired the hard rocky landscape of this Central Otago area. As we headed North, the weather picked up nicely and as there was hardly any traffic, the ride was very pleasant indeed. We drove through Ophir, which has the lowest temperature reading in NZ (-22c) from memory and with the St Bathans mountain range on our left, we reached a high plateau named Lauder, where we stopped to admire the fantastic view.

There was absolutely no sound except for passing cars and we had a delightful 360 degree view of this Central Otago landscape. Through my binoculars I could see a farm house and a distant sound of a small vehicle being driven along the homestead road. A barking dog and some sheep were all that I could hear and both Lyn and I enjoyed this spot immensely. Who needs to go overseas to see such splendor? This area is now famous for the Otago Central Rail Trail and I can recommend a visit to their site http://www.otagocentralrailtrail.co.nz/lauder.html I wish I could ride a bike!

After finishing morning tea, we headed off to Ida Creek, Hyde, McRaes Flat until we reached Middlemarch. Many of these names were familiar to me as they were railway stops from the past and in the old days, the farmers in the region were extremely reliant on the railway for transport as the roads had not been fully established. (There's a little history lesson for you!) We reached the turnoff to Naseby and decided to visit this small historic settlement, mainly to see the Autumn scenery and we weren't disappointed. It was extremely quiet, but I believe it is a popular destination in Winter for the annual Curling competitions and the Motto of the District reads " 2000ft above the worry level" . The houses and pubs in the township have mostly been restored, but have kept the style of a bygone pioneering era. My brother Roger and His Wife Donna were snowed in while visiting in Winter and it is apparently known for very cold temperatures most years. There is an interesting link to Naseby here http://www.naseby.co.nz/

Moeraki Boulders

 The Scottish association is very strong throughout Otago and there many places named after famous (and not so famous) Scottish identities, I felt quite at home! After leaving Naseby we headed through Palmerston toward the coast and arrived at the Moeraki Boulders at low tide, so we got to see these unusual stone objects at their best. My youngest Daughter Heather and Husband Steve had taken film of the boulders when they visited on their honeymoon, so we were curious to see them ourselves. We drove to Shag Point to see the seals and dolphins, but the seals and dolphins had decided to retire for the afternoon as the weather was deteriorating and so we decided to head off to Dunedin for our final night in the South Island. Mosgiel is not far from the Dunedin airport and we had booked in advance and on the recommendation of the Motel owner, we dined at the Mosgiel Tavern.

The Southern Man @ Dunedin Airport

On every journey South in recent year, we have been impressed with not only the quality of the food eaten, but the amount of food served. I am sure the "Southern Man" promotion has a physcological effect on all the Chefs and everywhere you go, size, stamina and stoicism, seem to go hand in hand. As always, we were sad to fly home the next morning, but we were both making "bucket list notes" for the next trip.


MAYBE THE TRANS ALPINE NEXT??