.'I belong to Glasgow'

Not really ' yet Scotland to date we find a most enjoyable place.

Friendly faces and haggis for breakfast! Yum,yum, quite delicious along with all the other food available.

 History of a salmon fishing town,a tobacco market, once 53 mighty shipyards declined to three at present .  A  city which has shaken off the bad press of being depressed and violent.  Made over to become a tourist and convention centre , presently sprucing itself up ,polishing many statues . For Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth  games next year. 

There thats my commercial for the city which has been looking after us the last couple of days.

I write this from the West of Scotland Oban tomorrow we catch a couple of ferries and head out to Iona.

The landscape we travelled through   was very much like  NZ hills and trees sheep.  Though the sheep here have long fat tails ,the cattle are highland cattle big horns and shaggy coats ready for the snow.

The stone fences and castles you come across it very different and you expect to see the odd dragon.

Here are some Glasgow and  Lochh Lomond

God Bless  

 Arohanui

Ian and karen

teabagcreek@gmail.com

teatotennant.blogspot.com

Arabian Magic Carpet

The magic of people sights and sounds.

The carpet was a wooden water taxi ,which once we had got on board andpaid two   dirhams along with 20 others it took off landing us at the spice and gold market.

At the wharf it was fascinating to see workers unloading a wooden  dhow no cranes or fork lift machinery the strong backs and arms of men unloading textile.  Some being opened right there and some being cut off . I wondered if that was their payment.  Karen thought perhaps they were samples for buyers.

This city of Dubai which is all so new and modern (it didn't exist forty years ago ) here is ancient transportation and trading taking place.

The spice market was great  colours, sights smells everyone seemed dead keen on selling us saffron, which is apparently very cheap here. We have never cooked  with it, so settled instead  buying some frankincense   and myrrh following some wise men long ago example.

Thought we were going to be vanished one part of the morning a very persistent man said to come and look at his shop , he lead us around the back down a couple of ally ways then up a narrow staircase about four flights unlocked a door another guy appeared we went into a small room filled with knock off label watches and bags then they locked the door.

We remained strong and wouldn't buy things we didn't want. I wondered do I have to king hit on one of them to get out. Karen smiled and said no many times as did I they unlocked the door and we scuttled down the stairs wary of being led away from the busy crowds.

Today we head for Scotland . Haggis and porridge a change from the curry on the breakfast menu here.

Will let you see our next adventure from the land of my ancestors.

God bless

Arohanui Ian and Karen

email :

teabagcreek@gmail.com

Heading on OE Walkaabout

I think OE is overseas  experience, I say adventure so So Dubai,Scotland, Italy Greece, Irelland Britain and France here we com!.

Five weeks we are away , the first steps are Alice Springs Sydney.

The past couple of months have been busy especially for Karen she deserves a wonderful break.

I gladly carry the bags.

I'll post some pictures of what we have e been up to My walking frame sculpture won a prize.

 Our tomatoes !  We have started a community garden by the Op 

Banjo playing and Magic at Desert Harmonyp

 

karen out and about at Eppenara

on the road now catch you later

Arohanui

Ian and Karen

Northern Territory Day Celebration

Last night was like living in a war zone with the bangs,whistles,and explosions of high powered fireworks.

We went  to  the AFL Ground where there a good crowd of people enjoying the evening out.

It is nice to have Tuiana with us for a couple of weeks in her term break from studies. She couldn't get over how  the children have grown in the year she has been away.

We are into winter now it was 10 last night so an opportunity to get wrapped up.

Karen and Margaret wrapped up for the cool evening along with Tuiana and Prahbu

UBX Band  Unbroken Expanse played and entertained along with the fireworks.

 

 Last week  I was up in Darwin , with Tiba, Tsuasi and Peter from the church here attending the Uniting Church of Australia Northern Synod and the  Pilgrim Presbytery of Northern Australia meetings. 

A most enjoyable time at Kormilda College.

They enjoyed our singing accompanied by the ukelele

There was great music every day.

Arohanui

Ian and Karen Davidson

email:

teabagcreek@gmail.com

blog:

teatotennant.blogspot.com

On the road

Another occasional blog from Ian and Karen in Tennant Creek

Over the past four  weeks We have spent a lot of time on the road between Tennant Creek and Alice Springs a five hour trip.

Our reason for the travel Karen has been attending conferences and workshops related to her work.

Of late,Karen has been attending meetings and often giving presentations at  the CQI Collaborative , and the Community Public Health Advisory Group Alyawarra.  She attended a Continuing Quality Facilitators Collaborative  recently 

Later this week we head to Alice Springs again for a working group on Childhood Anaemia in Central Australia.PDSA  PLAN DO STUDY ACT exercise.

. 

The picture above is Karen heading off to work at Anyginnyi Aboriginal Health today. 3rd June 2013

Below we are getting to know landmarks along the road like the Devil's Marbles

Sunset coming back from Elliot North of Tennant Creek.

 Karen had  been reporting back from an Audit at the Government Health Clinic there. 

Below another couple of pictures on  the road to Alice, Bonnie Well.There was some rain hence the green grass.

 Wycliffe Well UFO capital of Australia A handy roadhouse break, only aliens there.

On the road the other day we saw a dingo running alongside us for a bit, I'm sorry no photo as I was too busy enjoying  looking at the fine looking animal in its natural setting. However I snapped a couple of camels in a cattle yard  they are ready for a camel race coming up.

T

Big news at the Uniting Church Rev Peter Wait inducted to minister at Tennant Creek and the Barkly  Patrol  Minister.

A couple of NZers working in Australia at present  were there for the occasion .Katini with the Anglican Church at Alice springs and Colin a Patrol minister based at Alice Springs who both drives and flys around his area.

Some of the things we have done of late is face painting and making balloon animals to help

fund raising for cancer research.

I still work at the op shop and have taken a couple of classes at the high school Teaching fun stuff balloons , and magic tricks.

Karen plays most Sundays for church and I take a service sometimes. We have a Ukulele group which plays in church most Sundays

Orewa  and Karen at after church lunch.

Kids with their flags ready for  anti nuclear waste march in Tennant  Creek.

Ranger catching a Mulga snake  also know as the formidable King Brown  in  our neighbours yard .He pinned and binned it, but wouldn't open the bin for a photo opportunity.  Instead he took it for a long journey out of town .

As you can see we are well, happy busy and well travelled in the Northern Territory.

Bye for now will catch up some other time. Always  room if anyone wants an adventure

Arohanui 

God bless you,

Ian and Karen Davidson

teabagcreek@gmail.com

Back in Oz after NZ break

It was really good to back in home for A month. We came to Australia on the 22nd of January.

We have just sneaked into February time keeps moving on.

A big thank you to family and friends for all the wonderful hospitality you are the greatest.
We celebrated Tuiana's 21st in Nelson with Nelson family on the 19th of January a lovely family gathering at Gloria's at Stage Coach Road looking out over magnificent seascape.

Another big piece of news from Tuiana she has started training as a Early Childhood teacher with......Te TariPuna Nelson
Again a big thanks to the family who joined with at her Powhiri and orientation.

We are settling quickly back into life here at Tennant Creek. It has been very hot up in the forties we look forward to It cooling down one of these days.
Karen came home hot today as she had Been working where there was no air conditioning.

The house here is pretty good with aircon and we have a couple of fans as well.


I have had three days at the Op shop sweeping it out knew I was back when a lizard took on the broom for a race out the door.
12 big boxes of clothing had arrived so I put them out the back and opened on up of children's clothes which we are short of.

Karen came down on Saturday and put her touch of putting things in order.

She is well back at work at work at Anyinginiyi Health Aboriginal Corporation as Continuous Quality Improvement Facilitator.

She is working with Corporate Services, Public Health,Piliyitinji-Ki (stronger families )
Health Centre, Regional Remote Health Services, Sports and Recreation/Active life

Karen also is doing Quality Improvement at five Government Clinics out from Tennant Creek way as far as Lake Nash near the Queensland border.

We stored up memories of forest , mountains and green pastures in our memory banks before coming back to the Northern Territory.
Next week we Celebrate Waitangi Day with a hangi again here at Tennant Creek. It is planned for the evening so hopefully not as hot as last. year at 3pm when it was up in the forties.(43)
Take care,keep it touch. there is always hospitality for anyone who wants to Traverse the Stuart highway.
God bless and Arohanui

Ian and Karen Davidson x x

A Christmas Note from the Davidsons

Christmas makes us think of other Christmas’s and celebrations, each one special.
We were remembering how Joel had a line in a Christmas play. ‘Out the back!’
The line of the Inn keeper which he delivered to tired travelers and excited shepherds,
‘Out the back!’

Out the back, was where it was all happening, God becoming Man, Jesus being born, the A& Z who writes celebration into our lives.

Out the back is where it has been happening for us.
Karen flying many, many miles to isolated cattle Stations to hold clinics.

In Tennant Creek I have enjoyed helping teaching circus skills at Youth Linx, being involved in the Desert Harmony Celebration and Ukulele group plus working in the Op Shop and taking occasional church services.

Karen is the pianist at church, and plays in the Ukulele group and manages the Op shop, in Tennant Creek weekends always seem busy.

Out the back a lot happens and God shows up in many disguises.
We shouldn’t be surprised, for one of his many names is Immanuel , God with us. .

We are going home to NZ for Christmas with very flexible plans. ‘Just get here! ‘ Was the word we received from the Reefton Roughie.

Joel and Tuiana will be with us. Tuiana is settling back to life in NZ living in Nelson.

Karen has settled in quickly to her new job at Aniginini Aboriginal Health Corporation . In the New Year she will be off to some of the out the back clinics, helping them improve their service. She has already been down to a couple of clinics out from Alice to learn the ropes.

We a have a, new Indian Son Prabhu living with us, and enjoying Robert and Michael living close by.

This note comes with our best wishes and prayers for you that Christmas will be great and you will enjoy God’s gift in the coming year.

For us a child is born,
for us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulders
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Arohanui

Ian, Karen Joel Tuiana & Prabhu