Wednesday, 21 September 2011
NZ 70th Birthday Adventure
We made it to Auckland for the 8th of September my birthday Karen Tuiana and myself. Allan and Margaret looking after us wonderfully, Joel showing us the sights. It was all on with the imminent start of the Rugby World Cup.
We went to the Cloud and enjoyed the Pacific dancers after some shopping in Auckland went out for a meal Joel had to work that night. We got back late to Allan 's Karen said to pack up as we had a 4am start, so it was a setting of alarms , in the morning Joel was there to take us to the Airport he was going South with us. I thought we were going Reefton for my birthday.
At Auckland Airport bleary eyed after checking our bags in and the were calling out the Christchurch flight. Karen Joel and Tuiana stopped at the gate and Karen said ."We are not going with you!"
Here is your boarding pass and $50 and two envelopes one to be opened on the plane the other when you land in Christchurch.
They were calling out the plane in shock I made my way to my seat an notice three empty seats by mine What on earth was going on I felt bereft lonely and didn't like being on my own.As the plane took off I opened the first envelope. Inside two gold cards with the following on them.
Your adventure is just beginning
"Eternal Journey Man!"
Your resources are
1. A ticket
2.Cash
3. Clues
Prayer (when all else fails)
( On the second card it said)
You are about to go Solo
This is a time for Reflection for you!
You have some challenges to complete.
1. Write 3 pearls of wisdom you have gained over your three score years and ten
2. Write the Bible verse that has sustained you over the years.
You will be guided with LOVE
XXXXXXXX
The second enevlope marked to be opened on arrival said:
On your arrival at your destination
You have some more challenges
1. Buy a local paper
2. Get someone to take a photo of you a flower shop
3. Try to take a photo of someone famous (well known)
4 Buy tea or coffee and read the paper
You must have your phone on
Wait for a phone call for next instructions
Enjoy XXXXX
I felt as though I had to do all the requirement or I wouldn't get the next step. The flower shop must have been earthquaked. however I got my celebrity, a man in a n All Black jersey (Andy) to take a photo of me by a pot plant, the closest I could think of as flowers.
Joel txted and I was on the move to meet up with him outside, he had come on another airline and had our car! Tuiana rang and made sure I connected with Joel. I still didn't know what was going on till we were on the road to Marehau and I knew the destination prior to that I thought we were going to Reefton, Thelmas in Nelson, Gloria's at Mahana.
Going into the kitchen at Marehau there was Allan and Margaret who I thought were still in bed in Auckland when we left ( they had com e down the day earlier!!)
Greatest of all was Karen and Tuiana were there. They had flown to Nelson to do shopping for food.
Heather and Trevor from Christchurch were there, as were an number of people from Reefton. Many more were to arrive that night and the next day. What a journey. What wonderful a surprise for me. What nice place to celebrate a birthday among family and friends.
I was unaware of some of scheming which was had been going on for four months.
I hate to think what they do to me when I"m eighty. Its something to look forward to.
Arohanui
God Bless
Ian
Pearls of wisdom
Love never fails
Laughter is good medicine
Family is fun
Jesus said,I will never leave you or forsake you.
We went to the Cloud and enjoyed the Pacific dancers after some shopping in Auckland went out for a meal Joel had to work that night. We got back late to Allan 's Karen said to pack up as we had a 4am start, so it was a setting of alarms , in the morning Joel was there to take us to the Airport he was going South with us. I thought we were going Reefton for my birthday.
At Auckland Airport bleary eyed after checking our bags in and the were calling out the Christchurch flight. Karen Joel and Tuiana stopped at the gate and Karen said ."We are not going with you!"
Here is your boarding pass and $50 and two envelopes one to be opened on the plane the other when you land in Christchurch.
They were calling out the plane in shock I made my way to my seat an notice three empty seats by mine What on earth was going on I felt bereft lonely and didn't like being on my own.As the plane took off I opened the first envelope. Inside two gold cards with the following on them.
Your adventure is just beginning
"Eternal Journey Man!"
Your resources are
1. A ticket
2.Cash
3. Clues
Prayer (when all else fails)
( On the second card it said)
You are about to go Solo
This is a time for Reflection for you!
You have some challenges to complete.
1. Write 3 pearls of wisdom you have gained over your three score years and ten
2. Write the Bible verse that has sustained you over the years.
You will be guided with LOVE
XXXXXXXX
The second enevlope marked to be opened on arrival said:
On your arrival at your destination
You have some more challenges
1. Buy a local paper
2. Get someone to take a photo of you a flower shop
3. Try to take a photo of someone famous (well known)
4 Buy tea or coffee and read the paper
You must have your phone on
Wait for a phone call for next instructions
Enjoy XXXXX
I felt as though I had to do all the requirement or I wouldn't get the next step. The flower shop must have been earthquaked. however I got my celebrity, a man in a n All Black jersey (Andy) to take a photo of me by a pot plant, the closest I could think of as flowers.
Joel txted and I was on the move to meet up with him outside, he had come on another airline and had our car! Tuiana rang and made sure I connected with Joel. I still didn't know what was going on till we were on the road to Marehau and I knew the destination prior to that I thought we were going to Reefton, Thelmas in Nelson, Gloria's at Mahana.
Going into the kitchen at Marehau there was Allan and Margaret who I thought were still in bed in Auckland when we left ( they had com e down the day earlier!!)
Greatest of all was Karen and Tuiana were there. They had flown to Nelson to do shopping for food.
Heather and Trevor from Christchurch were there, as were an number of people from Reefton. Many more were to arrive that night and the next day. What a journey. What wonderful a surprise for me. What nice place to celebrate a birthday among family and friends.
I was unaware of some of scheming which was had been going on for four months.
I hate to think what they do to me when I"m eighty. Its something to look forward to.
Arohanui
God Bless
Ian
Pearls of wisdom
Love never fails
Laughter is good medicine
Family is fun
Jesus said,I will never leave you or forsake you.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
First Installment on my 70th Celebration
Tennant Creek 17th Sept
Arrived back from NZ on the Greyhound bus from Alice Springs at 2am. from celebrating my 70th birthday in New Zealand.
What a journey
What fun
What love
As the scrap book says. We do not remember the days We remember the moments.
What precious memories I have which were lovingly put in a big book which shows some of colour of 70 years.
How much has been brought to life to shine in my memory bank.
Those who journeyed to Marehau for the party.
Those who contributed a page a picture or some words.
Those pictures which carry capsulated time in their images.
Thank you. You are part of my journey.
Part of the colourful tapestry, threads that give depth to the picture of my life. I am grateful you have connected with me somewhere along the journey. That you are still there giving colour and excitement.
On one of the cards Karen gave me at the Auckland airport (when I was sent solo, which I will share it when I'm more wide awake)
On the card it said your adventure is just beginning ETERNAL JOURNEYMAN .
Thank you for being part of my adventure. I was asked to write down as part of my reflection a favourite Bible verse. I wrote one then added another this is part of it. referring to God it says;
Who was
Who is
Who is to come
We journey on under the umbrella of eternal love.
Again a big shoutout to you all.
Arohanui
Ian
Arrived back from NZ on the Greyhound bus from Alice Springs at 2am. from celebrating my 70th birthday in New Zealand.
What a journey
What fun
What love
As the scrap book says. We do not remember the days We remember the moments.
What precious memories I have which were lovingly put in a big book which shows some of colour of 70 years.
How much has been brought to life to shine in my memory bank.
Those who journeyed to Marehau for the party.
Those who contributed a page a picture or some words.
Those pictures which carry capsulated time in their images.
Thank you. You are part of my journey.
Part of the colourful tapestry, threads that give depth to the picture of my life. I am grateful you have connected with me somewhere along the journey. That you are still there giving colour and excitement.
On one of the cards Karen gave me at the Auckland airport (when I was sent solo, which I will share it when I'm more wide awake)
On the card it said your adventure is just beginning ETERNAL JOURNEYMAN .
Thank you for being part of my adventure. I was asked to write down as part of my reflection a favourite Bible verse. I wrote one then added another this is part of it. referring to God it says;
Who was
Who is
Who is to come
We journey on under the umbrella of eternal love.
Again a big shoutout to you all.
Arohanui
Ian
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Alice Springs
We are in here for three weeks . Karen is doing a training course. RN to RAN.
I think that stands for Registered Nurse to Remote area Nurse. It is very much full on training. I sometimes meet at the Flying Doctor coffee shop for lunch or walk down and get a ride home with Karen.
We travelled to Alice Springs in the Ali Kurung maternity 4 wheel drive Toyota. ( Robert and Tuinaa took us to pick it up.) Karen has now been given to use a v8 turbo Toyota ambulance with bull bars on the front she is handling the city traffic no trouble.
We went to the Henley on Todd Reggatta on the weekend which was most entertaining. A regatta in the sandy dry riverbed. It was the 50th anniversary of this event.
I think that stands for Registered Nurse to Remote area Nurse. It is very much full on training. I sometimes meet at the Flying Doctor coffee shop for lunch or walk down and get a ride home with Karen.
We travelled to Alice Springs in the Ali Kurung maternity 4 wheel drive Toyota. ( Robert and Tuinaa took us to pick it up.) Karen has now been given to use a v8 turbo Toyota ambulance with bull bars on the front she is handling the city traffic no trouble.
We went to the Henley on Todd Reggatta on the weekend which was most entertaining. A regatta in the sandy dry riverbed. It was the 50th anniversary of this event.
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Ali Curung Blog
Ali Curung Clinic Information Sheet
Ali Curung has a population of approx 980 peopl
Plus Outstation Murray Down 43ks east population 189
Ali Curung is no alcohol and no longer as permits for non Aboriginal workers.
Always ensure you carry a stick in hand when walking around Ali Curung as the dogs have been known to attack when you are carrying food....
There is a picture of a dog on the sign outside the town.This is a dog dreaming place a sacred and a totem of the people here.
While standing outside the clinic waiting to get in when we arrived. I saw a big hairy dog as big as a Scottish staghound the other thing that happened was a hearse pulled up 'Sorry Business. ' some one had died.
The clinc had been very busy that night.
They had 18 transfer flights out of here over the last week. As well as the local community the clinic covers for the the main highway. We are 300km out of Alice Springs here
The settlement here is about 20 km off the highhway.
I walked Karen to work this morning, the health house is not far from the clinic we carried our sticks and saw three packs of assorted dogs. I got home to find a big dog at the door of the house.
He was compliant, tail down, and moved away. ( I have learn't something from cheeky dogs when their tails are up those are the ones who bite.
There were a couple of bones left from last nights tea so I threw them out to it.
He ate them and came and looked in the screen door so I gave him a couple of eggs in some milk. He is now lying outside the door as I write this.
I have been adopted by a dog he looks at home here .
It is a dusty dry barren place here we have a brick house with triple locks on the doors . In the Shire here you lock you gates at night. They have four poicemen here and three vacancies for night patrol I noticed when we signed in to stay in the community at the Shire (council) office. It must be a wild place.
Karen said I'm to stay at home at night. I thought I might be eligible I have a NT drivers licence now.
Another Song.
D G D A
Ali, Ali, Ali Curung
D G D A D
Ali,Ali, Ali Curung
D G
Dingo, dingo
D A D x2
Dog dreaming here.
D G
Staghound, dauchound
D A
everything between
D G
big dog small dog
D A D
Cheeky dog rules
Dog barks dog howls
Chorus begins
Yip bark yip bark
Sort out whose the boss.
Ali Ali Ali Curung
Ali Ali Ali Curung
Dingo, dingo
Dog dreaming here.
Monday, 8 August 2011
Ali Curung
This dog adpoted me at Ali Curung to show me they are not all bad.
Ali Curung information sheet in the house we stayed in last week said...Always carry a stick with you as the dogs have been knownto attack people carrying food
Ali curung has a population of approx 980 people
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