Baptism

One does not have to be a baby to be Baptised.

Respite

The Immune Deficiencies Foundation of New Zealand is a charitable organisation which helps those, who for any reason at all, have a reduced ability to ward off bugs and illnesses. Many of these are children who have had transplants, or other major surgery. One of the objects the Foundation has is to provide Respite Care for those families affected. And, after many years trying, the Foundation opened the first South Island house for this purpose. Ideally positioned in the Cairnmuir Holiday Park, Bannockburn, it has everything a family on holiday could want, right down to the view from the balcony.
This project was finished off by three Lions Clubs in the area, each having a different project around the house.
In the above photo, Laura Hannah, the only Board Member of the Foundation in the South Island, officially opens the house. Also in the photo are two representatives of the Lions Clubs.
In a typical Kiwi fashion, the smart looking plaque was covered with a tea towel until the opening. The speeches were short and to the point, and the BBQ that followed was excellent.
And there was no mucking about, the first guests were there within days of the opening.

Afternoon off ...

At this time of year, things tend to slow down a bit, so I took the chance to go fishing on our local lake one afternoon during the week. We did not catch anything, but some of the other boats did.
As a photographer, John McDermott rates very close to genius. Some years ago he toured New Zealand with Gary McCormick, doing a series of television programs known as 'Heartland New Zealand'. In the subsequent book about the series, John McDermott had a photo like this one above. Only his was really good, dark and brooding, but with the sense of speed. You can see more of his photos here http://mcdfoto.com but I do not know if the one about which I speak is here.
The problems I had in the above photo was trying to keep the grins off the faces of the subjects, and the rough ride I was getting on the small chop on the lake.
Lewis McGregor, Trevor Mills and Brian Dark were very good company for the afternoon, and a good time was had by all. It is true, a bad day's fishing is better than a good day at work.

Otago Skinks

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be at the release back into the wild of 12 Otago Skinks.
The Central Otago Ecological Trust has built a predator proof fence around a large outcrop of schist rock south of where I live, named the Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary. Though it is not a big area, it is ideal for a population of this large colourful lizard.
There were speeches, a bit of a background on the Trust, and a bit of history of the skink, large numbers of which used to populate this land. Cats, rats and other nasties have meant that there has not been one found in the wild here since the mid 1970's. A shame really, as they are a very good animal for photographs, if you are quick enough. Anyway, the event was organised by very enthusiastic Landcare scientist Grant Norbury, and there were many other experts there as well. The skinks were named by the children from the Alexandra Primary School, and the one in the photo is 'Stumpy', though I could not see why he deserved such a name.
The hands in the photo belong to Steph Hicks, who has been working with lizards for some time, and school children Hannah Dudfield and Tess Diver. While it would have been nice if Stumpy had stopped for a few seconds after being released so we could get photos, he thought the shady bit just in front of him looked like the place to be and he took off. I hope he and his mates enjoy their new home.

12 years

Last weekend the local branch of the Air Training Corps celebrated 25 years in existence. Started by RSA stalwart Bill McDougal and WW2 Hurricane pilot Howard Hinton, this erstwhile organisation has provided opportunities for young people to get out and about, and get experience of Airforce life.
However, the organisation would be nothing without motivated people to run it. During the celebrations, a presentation was made to Squadron Leader Jill Checketts, for 12 years of leading this group. Described by senior members as 'a brilliant Squadron Leader' she was honoured by the organisation, her family, the Airforce, and the local community. All well deserved.
In the above photo, Warrant Officer "Buzz" Harvey pins the long service badge on the lapel of Jill Checketts.

Well done.....

Well done Teresa.
Brother B. J. Lauren Cup for Christian Leadership.
Trophy for Most Consistent Netballer, 1st Seven.
Meritorious Award for Contribution to the College Community.
And several other things. It was all going too fast for me.
Just imagine what else you could get next year.

Free Lunch

Last week, Chef was invited to be a judge at our local school. The 'Great School Bakeoff' was taking place, and it being lunch time I thought I would tag along to see what was on offer. The class was divided into teams of 4, and they had to source the food, make a menu, cook the meal, set the table, and set an extra place for the judges. I do not know who did the dishes. I must say that the range of food on offer was considerable, and I did not wish to be a judge at all.
During all this, the Member of Parliament for Dunedin North, Pete Hodgson, turned up. I think he was on his way to somewhere else, and just called in. His presence did not worry the children who at that stage were tucking in.
The table the judges chose to win was not the table pictured above. This table's menu was all caught by the boys at the table, and consisted of wild pork sausages, smoked trout, cold roast rabbit slices and potato chips, and some sort of home made bread. All washed down with ginger beer. Desert was chocolate ice cream with lashings of chocolate sauce. The smoked trout was one of the best I have tasted. I could not get an answer when I asked where he had caught it, but the boy assured me he had done everything himself, and smoked it with a light coating of brown sugar. Chef told me later the only reason this table did not win was because they had no vegetables. "But they were all boys!" I protested.
In the above photo, Hon. Pete Hodgson admires the handy work of the 'Kiwi' Table team. I don't think he got anything to eat.

Malcolm and Yvette 2

I have been so busy over the last few weeks that posting on this blog has become a bit behind.
I thought I would revisit Malcolm and Yvette's wedding, just so I can mention the Chef. She made the cake for this wedding and it was something a bit different. I may have seen something like this before, but do not remember it. Anyway, 100 cup cakes of three different flavours made an impressive sight. In the above photo I have just the top of it, so you can see the detail.

Malcolm and Yvette

Well, it has now been done.
We have a large bridge in this town, it crosses the biggest river in New Zealand, the Clutha. However, it has not always been here. Before 1956, I think it was, the river was crossed using a single lane swing bridge, with piers made from schist, the local rock. These piers still stand in the river.
For some years I have wanted to stand a bride and her new husband on one of these old piers to take a photo. Malcolm and Yvette jumped at the chance to do something a bit different, as she knew she would not be wearing a big white dress, and they thought with a bit of help from their friends, they would be able to do it. It all depended on how high the river would be. Up a bit would be an advantage, too low would be problem, but solvable. In the end, getting there was relatively easy.
So I took some photos like this one, then rushed around to the other side, put on a longer lens, and took more photos looking through both piers.
I was quite pleased with the results, though now I have done it, I can think of all the things I should have done. Never mind. I can save these for the future.
I also must have a look at it when the sun is fully on it, as I am not sure we would have got the same results in full sun.
Thank you Malcolm and Yvette for having a go. It was good fun. In fact the whole day was good fun.

Old Photos

One of the projects I have been working on over the last few weeks, is the re-photographing of the old photos at the Roxburgh Rugby Club. One of the members, John McKinnel, has been collecting old photos from around the district for some time. The above photo, taken originally in 1890, remains in very good condition. John has put together a team of 'middle aged' former players to name all the people in the photos, and to a large degree they have done well. In some of this countries smaller communities, there is always some relation left who knows who was in his father's or grandfather's team.
If you have any photos from the Coal Creek, Millers Flat, Roxburgh or Ettrick Rugby Clubs of the past, contact me and I will put you onto John.
As someone pointed out, many times the old team photo is the only image in existence of many of these young men.

Vineyard workers

Last Saturday I was out on a vineyard waiting for the cloud to shift off a mountain top I was trying to photograph. This group of people came over the hill and started working on the vines. I did not know who they were or what they were doing, as the vines have no leaves out yet, and whatever they were doing did not seem to involve the vines. They walked about in some sort of pattern, but it seemed to have no sense to it.
I went back again on Sunday when there was no cloud, and got the photo I wanted. Today I dropped the CD in to the vineyard, and had a talk to the manager. It seems that these people were members of the Dunstan Arm Rowing Club, and they were 'dropping the wires'. It was explained to me that before the vines start growing in spring, all the wires are hooked lower down the post, and as the grapes grow, the wires are raised to keep up. This saves the leaves and stems being broken, and means the grapes will grow within the confines of the wire, so they don't spread out everywhere, and it is easier for harvesting later.
This vineyard is one of the bigger ones around here, and a lot of this sort of work is done by groups who want to raise funds for trips etc.
None of this is relevant to the photo really. It's just that it reminded me of the patterns that Peter Peryer sees when he takes photos, there is sort of a pattern but then it is broken up in some way.
Maybe I should have cropped it down a bit, so that it just had the lines and the people, rather than any 'ends', but then it might have lost some of it's scale.
I should be careful, I might be starting to get a bit artistic.

'Food, Glorious Food'

This group of workhouse orphans set the very high standard for the Alexandra Musical Society's production of 'Oliver!'. They were very well behaved, and all seemed to enjoy doing the show. And to me some of them seemed quite young. Oliver was played by two children, who took turns night about. A good idea I suppose, as it is a big part. Both Sam Harris and Lauren Ross did it well.

Bill Sykes

It is hard to believe that a year ago I had some photos on this blog from the Alexandra Musical Society's production 'Bye Bye Birdie'. This year the Society is doing "Oliver!", and once again I was asked to do the photos for the program.
This year's show was produced by Bruce Martin. He comes here every second year to do a show, and is very much appreciated by the Society, as he is a very clever producer. And good to deal with, as far as the photographer goes.
The above photo is of local baritone Barry Gibbons, who played a particularly nasty Bill Sykes. Barry has done professional theatre in the past, and it showed in his performance.
"Oliver!" would not be the show it is without the children, all asking for more, so I will post a photo of some of them next.

Patrick's photo

I have so much material to put on here, but never seem to find the time.
I am no teacher. But our youngest, 14 year old Patrick, took this photo recently, and I must say he has got it right. I was trying to show him how to get the speeding car sharp, while having the back ground blurred, giving the impression of speed. One of the great things about digital is that you can do it over and over again, until you get it right. But this was only his 10th attempt, and was considerably better than any of mine.

Cambrian's Caretaker

About 45 minutes drive up the valley from where I live, is a small community known as Cambrians. It is named after somewhere in Wales. Many years ago it had a hotel with a Welsh name. These days it has a few residents, and even more holiday homes. Recently, the school building which used to be there was returned, and put back on it's original sight.
One of the assets the village has is Bob ldeBerry. He has been living there for some years, knows everyone, misses nothing, and has a refreshing outlook on life, one that can only be nurtured by staying out of the rush of life in the big smoke. He lives on his own, mostly, but never seems to be alone, as all sorts of people call and see him. He makes excellent home brew, but I am sure this is not the reason he has so many visitors. He sure can tell a story or two.
He is pictured above, leaning on the doorway of his mud brick house.
To find out more about Bob, simply click on 'Cambrian Common Forrest Blog' on the right hand side of my screen.

Natalie Anderson

This is the first photo I have posted on here that has been scanned from a film.
I took this photo, according to the film packet, on the 31st January, 1989.
I very much remember the day. It was hot, and very sunny, and very bright. We started at the Bride's parents house on Canal Road, on the Taieri Plain. The wedding itself was in the small Presbyterian Church at Outram. It was still hot when we came out, and was still hot later at the reception. It was a very happy wedding, with both families getting on well. I remember the Bride's younger sisters getting quite hysterical at the dancing antics of their new Brother in Law. I remember a group of males in one corner (self included) belting out the words to "Hey Jude". I do not remember one cross word for the whole day, though memory of the later stages of the night become hazy for some reason. But I think it was such a good wedding because of the qualities of the very young couple involved. Natalie and Murray were loved by everyone.
I could go on and give you the story between then and now, but I wont.
Natalie Anderson was killed about two weeks ago in a motor bike accident. About 1800 people turned out to her funeral, the biggest in the history of this town. During the tributes, it became obvious that this Bride had never stopped being the cheerful, caring and helpful person she was when this photo was taken. But we all knew that.
Our family, and many others, will miss her smile on the sideline, at work, on the way to the Post Office, and at her home.

More Books

Last week I had another job to do with books. One Ewing Stevens rang and asked if I would like to do the front cover of his 10th book. Tenth book? Some guys are indeed busy.
Anyway, I thought I would give it a try, and the photo above is one in a series I took. I do not know which one he will select, if any.
Ewing Stevens is indeed an interesting man. I must listen to the wrong radio station, as I had not heard of him, and it appears he is very well known. He runs the talk back show on Radio Live, from about midnight til 6.30am. And to me he seemed ideally suited to the job. Absolutely honest, I would say. A retired Presbyterian Minister no less, and a southern man to boot. And a fly fisherman. He had everything going for him. Those who say I live an interesting life should meet this guy.
His tenth book will be called 'Handy Hints and Quotable Quotes'. You can evidently get it through Radio Live. It is a collection of hints and quotes from all his listeners.
Ewing has two dogs, who were supposed to be in the photos with him, but they were very pleased to be busy doing other things like looking for rabbits, and did not seem to keen to be stars.
I must keep a look out for the book.

Just This

In the above photo are: Fergus Barrowman, Publisher, Victoria University Press; Michael Harlow, Poet and Burns Fellow, Otago University; Brian Turner, Poet; Gilbert van Reenen, Photographer.
This may be a 'dry' way of opening this post, but frankly I do not have the wit to think of anything else.
The occasion was the launch of Brian Turner's book "Just This" at Central Stories in Alexandra. At the same time, Gilbert van Reenen started an exhibition of his most recent photos.
Michael Harlow, in launching Brian's book, said it was 'not without risk'. I am not quite sure what he meant. Maybe he thought some of the poems would not work. Or is it that there is a bit of language in some poems. I have had several days to think about it, and have read most of it, but I can still not see what he meant.
Gilbert's photos are the results of infinite patience. I have seen many of the places he takes the photos, but I have never seen them as he does. This is because he gets there and waits. When the light is what he wants, he takes the photo.
Maybe this is the link between the two. When I read some of Brian's poems, like "Joy" on page 45, I can see the patience used to get the words in the right place, or just the right words. It must have taken months, or even years. Even coming up with the concept must have taken ages. Our oldest son is 25, so for 25 years I have known this joy exists, but have never been able to describe it.
We live in a community full of talent.

Portrait of a Nation

Some months ago I got a phone call from one Graham Stewart. Now I know several Graham Stewarts, so I had to listen for a few minutes to find out what this one wanted. He is writing a book, he says, and wants me to do some photos for it. He seemed to be well spoken and seemed to know what he was talking about, so I agreed. He then emailed me some photos and wanted my photos taken from exactly the same places.
One of them, a photo of Cromwell long before the lake was formed, was a bit of a challenge. My son put the photo Graham had sent onto his laptop, and when we got to the correct position found that to do the same photo I would have to be in the lake. So the photo finished up about 3 metres higher than the original. Other photos of Clyde and the Alexandra bridge were not so challenging, and with a bit of care we could get to the correct positions. What I could not do was create the same image. In the days of black and white, the negatives were big, and the lens recorded everything 'flatter' than modern lens do. Anyway, I took a selection and sent them to Graham.
Last week I got a copy of his book "New Zealand - Portrait of a Nation", and was chuffed to see that the photo of Alexandra bridge was on the front cover. However, it is inside the cover the real treasure lives. Graham has collected old photos, then toured the country to get the modern view, and has made a brilliant job of it. I do not want to spend hours here praising it, I would just recommend you go and get a copy.
Well done Graham Stewart.

Book Launch season

Some one once said that 'there is a book in everyone'. This is undoubtedly true, as I am sure every person on earth has a story to tell. But doing it is another thing.
John Breen, pictured above, worked on his book "River of Blood" for eight years, he says. He says nothing about the years before that, living the life that would be the background for such an enterprise.
"River of Blood" is the story of the families, farmers, explorers, hunters and pilots of the Waitoato River, in South Westland, New Zealand.
I was privileged to be at the launch.
Get the book.

Happy Birthday Jan

I have been so busy over the last few weeks I have not had time to post any thing on here, so I have a bit of a backlog (or is that lackblog?) of items to put in.
In the above photo, Jan is about to cut into one of the Chef's cakes, made especially to celebrate Jan's 60th birthday. It was a good party, with a good mix of ages and people. The Chef and I are not really party people, but we enjoyed this one. Jan enjoyed it as well, and certainly does not look the required number of years. Must be the walking. Then again, maybe not. It seems that the walking club, whose members amble all over the hills in the district, always finish up in the pub!

Sharp Shooters

Of the many sports that take place in Central Otago over the winter, Smallbore shooting probably rates the least in media coverage. But on at least one night each week, shooters assemble in Wanaka, Cromwell, Clyde, Gimmerburn and Hyde. Each has their own range, and each believe their range is the best. At least 4 nights during the winter, all assemble in the same place, and shoot for various trophies between the clubs. It is very competitive, and only a few points separate the top five at the end of the season. From these competitions, a team is selected to shoot at the Andrew and Faulkner shoot somewhere in the South Island. This year it was in Oamaru.
The above photo is of the Central Otago team.
While they did not win, they did not do too bad, and some very good cards were presented.
The Andrew and Faulkner is reputed to be the biggest small bore shoot in the southern hemisphere. Shooters from all over the South Island turn up, and this years' winners were a very slick team from Nelson, who shot 2946 out of a possible 3000.
For a small association Central Otago does very well.

Happy Birthday Teresa

Dear Teresa,
I know you have complained in the past about not appearing on my blog, but that can't be helped. You have made it now.
I hope you have a great 18th Birthday today. I am sure your 200 odd friends with you where you are will help you celebrate, and I worry that maybe there will be no cake left for your brothers.
When you look back on what you have achieved in the last 18 years, you should be proud. You have always known how to smile, you never walked, you just got up and ran, and you were never short of something to say, though for the first 10 years you shouted rather than spoke. No one can ever doubt your enthusiasm for life, and I hope it lasts you forever. The most enthusiastic will always be the leaders.
Have a great day.

You talk funny 5

In the above photo, Genny Hanning explains something about the Hart Walker to Dr. Maureen Murphy and her husband, Al Brandel.
Today, Al sent me the following link, which I am going to try and put on here. I am quite chuffed because it has some of my photos on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcO3-aTe2Xg&NR=1

You talk funny 4

In the above photo, Dr. Maureen Murphy, wife of Lions International President Al Brandel, gets a hug from a young lady who is about to be measured for her first Hart Walker. She has Cerebral Palsy.
Yesterday I got the following email which I quote in part....
Hi All,
At last nights 'Heroes Awards' banquet at the International Convention in Minneapolis the Multiple District Hart Walker project took out first place from finalists from around the world. MD Hart Walker coordinator Genny Hanning was on hand to receive the award from IP Al Brandel.
What a wonderful recognition for this New Zealand project and the work that Genny is doing.
Wow - significant recognition to the Lions of New Zealand and a special leader.
Please pass this award information on to your district teams and particularly to your local Hart Walker coordinators.
Cheers,
David Darwick.
Well done Genny. Keep up the good work.

50 years of life

In the above photo, Rob is about to cut into one of the Chef's cakes. He is celebrating his 50th birthday, and two hours before this photo was taken had no idea he was going to have a party. A well organised surprise by his wife Gill meant he knew nothing and suspected less. It was a surprise to me as well, and I am pleased I did not email him birthday greetings earlier in the day.
Rob says the first 50 years have been 'interesting', and thinks that he will be happy if the next 50 were not quite so interesting.
I noticed that though the cake was not quite finished when we left, we were not allowed to take home what was left.
We have all been invited to assemble again in 10 years time for a replay. I am looking forward to it.

50 years service 2

These two gentlemen pictured with their wives have served the Ravensbourne Volunteer Fire Brigade for a total of fifty years. Ross Bryant (on the left) joined the Brigade a couple of months ahead of Neale Davys, twenty five years ago. Both received the Gold Star award on the same night in front of a big crowd of friends and relations at the Ravensbourne Hall. During both of their speeches, they acknowledged the help their wives had given them during this time, which is why I included them in the photo. And these guys left this room and went and cut two huge cakes. I am sure they would have to have another party to eat them.
They are the Chief and Deputy Chief of the Brigade, and are both highly respected in the community. This was pointed out by all those who spoke.
Some other awards are usually presented on Gold Star night, and this Brigade was well represented with talented members.
I had another job early the next morning, but when I left at midnight, the party was just getting started.

50 years of service

Fifty years? These two don't look old enough.
Over the last few weeks I have been privileged to do the photos for three Gold Star presentations. When a Fireman or woman serves for twenty five years, they receive a Gold Star. Only about 5% of people who signup ever receive this award. So why have I called this post 50 years of service? Because these two here both worked as volunteers for the Clyde Volunteer Fire Brigade for twenty five years. Carol Haig has worked as the treasurer and other rolls for many years, and her husband John Haig has put in 25 years of fire fighting. He is currently the Deputy Fire Chief of the Brigade. He is also the coach of their very good competition team, and has a turnout record up in the mid 90% area.
The brigade honoured them with the full dine and dance, and everyone, which seemed to be most of the town, had a great time.

Six Years 2

I am not sure, but I think the person with his hand on the ball here is Isaac Ross. He is a new All Black, and is playing against France, at Carisbrook, Dunedin. I have done no research on this, but I think he is 22, which is young for a lock. Though the All Blacks lost this game, (rather than the French winning it), this new lock had a good game, and went even better in the second test a week later. The point I am making is that the difference between him and those who play in the under 16 or under 17 grades is only 6 years. I wonder if Isaac's parents thought of him being an All Black when he was 16? Of course they did, his father was an All Black as well.
I will watch this guy with interest, as I have really enjoyed watching that other powerhouse of All Black forward play, Brad Thorn.

Six Years

At this time of the year, winter sports dominate my working life. I do hundreds of team photos, from all parts of the province, and into some other areas as well. I do get to see a game every now and then. I went to this game between St. Kevin's College Second's and South Otago High Second's because one of our sons, Michael Lamont, locks the scrum for St. Kevins. In the above photo, he is just about to get the ball in the line out. Though the boy on the right has his hand in front, Michael was able to take the ball with two hands, so win it. Both players are being lifted, and for me it seems a long way up.
Michael is sixteen, and most of this team are around that age. They enjoy this game, because there is a position in the team for anyone who wants to play. Big tall people, short, slow, fast, heavy, light, it makes no difference, there is a position in the team for you. In my next post, I will explain the title.

Faster.

We are right in the thick of the Rugby season now, and I have been trying to do some action shots from various games. Carrying the ball in this photo is Jared Cook. Jared plays for St. Kevin's College second fifteen, though I would be happy to have him in the Firsts. But the interesting thing about this photo is the body language of the boy from South Otago High School, who Jared has just gone passed. He is so annoyed he has dropped his head to try and get the extra speed required to catch up. Jared proved here that though he does not look that fast, he is in fact very quick, and none of the defenders could get to him. He ran from about the halfway and scored well inside the corner flag. St. Kevin's went on to win this game, as they have done with all their others, but did not have it all their own way. It was a good game to watch, and I had good reason to watch it.

TRY!

'Rippa Rugby' is a game played by small boys and girls to teach the basics of Rugby; passing, running, tackling. This photo was taken at Carisbrook, Dunedin. The team with the green and black tops are the Alexandra under 7 years Rippa team, who travelled down to play the curtain raiser before the All Blacks played France. The team in black here are the Pirates Rugby Club, Dunedin. The photo shows a try being scored beside the posts by one of the boys from Alexandra, in fact one of the many scored by this 'green team'. I was quite proud watching the little guys from my home town having a good win, and it reminded me of those times when our children played on this ground. From memory, we always had day matches, but I may be wrong. With one of my boys I got onto the ground as the water boy, and in with the water bottles I had a Nikon F4 and a couple of rolls of film. The coach was quick to point out to the boys that I would be taking photos of the tries being scored on Carisbrook, so there was a certain amount of desperation to score, resulting in a good win to our team.
Carisbrook has a limited life left, so I was pleased to get this and some other photos.

You talk funny 3

In the above photo, a young man with Cerebral Palsy shows off his walking skills to Bob and Cheryl Buckley. Bob is Council Chairman for Lions District 201, which is all of Australia and Papua. Several children with this disability walked right around the conference. And I came across the following....
Dear Council Chairman Lion Nick Herrold,
Congratulations! The New Zealand Hart Walker Project has been selected as one of three finalists for the International Hero Award in the category of District Service Project. The International Hero Awards were created to recognise the Everyday Heroes who have made a difference in the world by performing miracles through service.
You are invited to join us at the International Hero Awards Banquet on Thursday, July 9th, in the Minneapolis Convention Center Ballroom in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, during the 2009 Lions Club International Convention. At the banquet, all finalists will be recognised and the winner will be announced.
Once again, congratulations on this outstanding achievement!
Kristopher Kempski
Communications Coordinator,
Lions Clubs International.
Well, Nick, it is an awful job, but someone has to do it. I hope you take Alyssa McCarty and her family, and the organiser of the project in New Zealand, Genny Hanning. These are the real Heroes.

You talk funny 2

David Hart was a Medical Engineer from Yorkshire, England.
Some years ago he was approached by a couple with a handicapped child, who asked him to 'invent' a device to support the child in a more upright position.
The result was far beyond that. Eventually, David Hart was able to make a frame in which the child could walk.
The Hart Walker has over 1000 parts, and is infinitely adjustable. Each one costs about $NZ10,000.00.
In Australia and New Zealand, Lions Clubs pay for the Walkers wherever they are required. In many cases, they pay for the fitting as well, and they certainly organise all the six monthly re-measures.
This day at the Scout Hall in Johnsonville was organised by the Johnsonville Lions Club. They do everything from making the lunch, and the modest sign outside saying 'Another Lions Club Project' gives no hint of the drama happening inside.
In the above photo, standing behind Alyssa is Dr. Maureen Murphy, and her husband, Lions International President Al Brandel. Standing beside a STANDING Alyssa is her mother, Donna.

Before he left, Al presented the President of the Johnsonville Lions Club, Stephen Cook, with his banner. During this presentation, Al pointed out that his slogan for his year as International President was "Miracles through Service". He expanded on this, saying "Miracles through service, performed by every day Heroes". And after what we had all just seen, all knew that he was right.

I saw many highlights while in Wellington photographing the Lions Multi district Convention. However, in my view, Al and Alyssa and some of her mates, were the main event.

You talk funny....

She is Alyssa McCarty. She is seven years old. She is bright, and unlike many with Cerebral Palsy, she speaks very well. She comes from Taranaki, in the North Island of New Zealand.

Alyssa is lying on a grey blanket, on the floor of the Johnsonville Scout Hall, on the outskirts of Wellington. She is being measured for adjustments to be made to her Hart Walker. She does this twice a year.

He is Albert Brandel. He is big, and tough. He is a retired Police detective from New York City. He is also the President of Lions International, responsible for 1.3 million volunteers who belong to Lions worldwide.
There is no grey blanket left for Al, he is on the floor.
Al has never done this before.

She says to him...... "You talk funny".
He says.... "You talk funny too" and then starts a long conversation about Kindy, School, home, family, walking.
So why would the World President of Lions International be doing such a thing?

No Exit

It is a short road, about 100 metres long. No one lives on it. In fact, at the end of it is a field with horses. Then I looked again. All the horses seemed to be old, and thin. Maybe the sign is right.

Kirk and Ann-Marie

Generally I ask before I put any one's photo on this blog, but sometimes the message does not get through. This photo was taken in early February.
Kirk is a Holden man. He has a Team Holden jacket, and drives a Holden himself. How did he feel then, when Ann-Marie arrived at the wedding in a 1930's Ford.
I don't think he cared.
When I do photos of the cars for a wedding, I always put the drivers in as well. After all, they got us there, and may as well be recorded along with their wheels.
In the above photo, the bridge just fits as a frame for three cars, (two Fords and one Holden), and the expanded group.
It was getting hotter when we took this photo, but it was the last before we headed to the reception. I must say the older car kept up with the rest.

Break Out

Over the last weekend, I was fortunate to be taking photos at the 125th jubilee of the Lawrence Rugby Club.
This small town has a long history, and it's Rugby Club has been well established and continues to be well run. Every one in the community seems to be involved in some way, and though they have struggled for numbers at times, still manage to field teams in most grades. From the under 7's through to the Golden Oldies, they certainly enjoy their Rugby, and over the last few years it has been showing, with some very good results.
When one gets into the rural heartland of this country, 'time' seems to become less of a problem. When it came to photographing 250 past and present members in one big group, no time for this happening was made until the day. This meant that those who wanted to be in the photo had to be there and be ready. As it was, at about 11.00am it was decided to do the big photo at 2.00pm. The whole town seemed to know this within minutes, and by 2.00pm all who should have been there, were there.
In the above photo, Max, who seems to be the quintessential prop, bursts from the maul with the ball, in what I think is the under 11 years game. Max has the advantage of racing strips in his haircut, which must add to his speed, and he played well throughout. On the Sunday, when all the photos were on display, he seemed quite chuffed that I had 'got him', as he thought that he did not get many runs with the ball. He already shows all the thinking that props demonstrate, as I heard one from the golden oldies game complain about the same thing.
This three day, (or maybe four... I was not there on Monday) party was very well organised by a solid committee lead by Roger Cotton and Willis Paterson. They had a good team, and 125 years of Rugby has taught them that it is the team that makes it work.
Thanks guys, what about 130 years?

Lions 4

This is Karen and Nick Herrold. They are an affable couple, and are dancing on their 33rd wedding anniversary. They are also at the Lions Convention organised by the Wakatipu Lions Club in the district of 202F. This happened in Queenstown last weekend.
Nick is the Council Chairman. He was elected in Hamilton last year, and was elected to head a group consisting of all the incoming District Governors. It was pointed out at the time that this was an election that maybe no one wanted to win, but to their credit, Nick and Karen have welded this group into a functioning council.
In a couple of weeks, a new Council Chairman will be elected at the MultiDistrict Convention in Wellington. Nick finishes his tenure in June.
Wags pointed out that Karen must have been very young when they married. Keep dancing Nick.

Lions 3

Over the last couple of weekends, I have been taking photos at Lions conventions. The first was at Methven, in the Lions district 202J. In the above photo is Neil Blake, who is the District Governor, and Denis Brown, the District's secretary. They are ready to start the meeting.
Lions conventions are not all meetings. Later this day all turned up to a big party, the theme to which was 'White Gold'. It was amazing the different ways such a theme was portrayed, but most went dressed as cows or milk maids, or some other character related to the production of milk. There were even a couple of bulls there. It is tempting to put photos of this sort of thing on this blog, but I am a firm believer in the old adage 'what happens at convention stays at convention'. I can tell you that I start laughing when the first lot turn up, and don't stop all night. Many of the teams from various clubs have acts as well, and these are always funny.
I wish to thank Denis Brown for having me, Neil Blake for the invitation, and the members of the Methven Lions Club for your help. It was a great weekend.

Jeremiah Nolan

This is Maree Cooper. She is standing beside the headstone of her Great Grandparents in the Macraes Flat cemetery.
She is telling me to hurry up because it is raining that light Easterly drizzle that is common in that area, though the locals would deny it.
The search and research for pioneers is becoming more popular. Neil Roy, who farms in the Moonlight Valley, and is acknowledged as the local historian, tells me there are more people calling on him for information all the time.
I wonder if Maree went back to the graveside the next day when the rain had stopped. It would have been the anniversary of Jeremiah Nolan's death.
I have a personal interest in this. Jeremiah Nolan and Mary Mahoney were also my Great Grandparents.

Gold Rush 3

The above photo was taken about half way around the Gold Rush Multisport event. This race totals about 375 klms, and this stage, which is the 17 klm run down the Central Otago Rail Trail, finishes at Lauder. These two have just come off the bridge over the Manuherikia River, and are a bit over two klms from Lauder.
If you look, you will see they have the same number. They are in fact a tandem team. They have to kayak, bike and run for 375 klms together. And these two look so cheerful about it.

Gold Rush 2

This year in Gold Rush there were 20 teams entered from various Secondary Schools in Otago and Southland. Some of them produced very good times, but the fastest was from Mt. Aspiring College from Wanaka. They were well organised, worked as a team, and were well ahead at the end.
In the above photo, a young lady from one of the school teams gets near the end of the paddle on Lake Roxburgh on day one. If she looks exhausted it is no surprise. She has been on the water paddling into a head wind for about 3 hours. While the lake looks quite calm here, we were relatively sheltered. Further down the lake it was quite rough, and more than one arrived very wet. This lady knows that in about another 50 metres she can get out and hand the bib onto her cyclist team mate.
It is interesting to note the different attitude schools have to this event. Some had large teams of supporters, even the Principal of one school was there, others leave it to the parents to do everything. One school issues 'Blues' to those who do well in this event.
This event is very practical PE.

Gold Rush

Gold Rush is a multi sport event held every year at about this time, based here in Alexandra. This year was the 13th held. Every year, I have been involved in either taking or printing photos for this 'marathon'. Gold Rush is the longest for distance event in New Zealand and is very popular. There is usually a waiting list to get in, and some come a long way to compete. Prizes are won by entering, but if you win you get a very nice trophy.
The above photo is of Graham Sinnamon helping his team mate into a kayak. Taken about 5 minutes after the start, the kayaker has already run about 1.5k down to the river, where he is helped to get launched. He then paddles down Lake Roxburgh, usually taking a bit over two hours. Some take considerably longer.
These two have done all 13 Gold Rushes, and this year their usual cyclist could not get here, so just hours before the start they were looking for anyone who could ride a bike. The one they found turned in very good times, so for the first time this team won their section, which I think was Mens Teams. I don't think they are old enough for the veterans, but I might be wrong.
The determination shown by these guys over the years is really typical of the whole event. People just keep going and going, and next year they will come back so they can do it again.
It is good to be involved in an event where everyone is determined to enjoy themselves. They will forget the pain.

Nick and Kate

This wedding took place at Mount Soho, a vineyard on the outskirts of Arrowtown, operated by namesakes Ed and Carol Lamont. It indeed has outstanding surroundings, but they became insignificant when these two appeared. A wedding full of surprises, and was a good example of intelligent planning. It really suited the couple, who are highly educated and motivated.
Every wedding I do, I see or hear something new. This wedding was full of new things.
I hope the photos did this couple justice.

Karen and Darren

The above photo was taken just before Karen and Darren's wedding at Toko Mouth. The original idea was to have the wedding on the beach, but the day just did not suit such a plan. There were many large drops of water falling from a very low sky, and the drops were very close together. Never mind, they are still married, and we turned the Toko Mouth hall into a studio after the wedding to do the formals.
Traditionally, I go to where the Bride is getting dressed to start. Usually all the girls are there, and her parents, so I can get those photos done while she is 'perfect', before braving the elements. And I am always impressed by the 'togetherness' of all at this time. It seems that the Bride can do nothing without input from all there. Karen is getting her necklace on here, at the same time she gets opinion on it's suitability from her sister and the Bridesmaid. There was probably advice being given on other subjects as well, though usually I am concentrating so do not take much notice.
And no one mentioned the weather again. It was not the main event.