Donald Lamont

Humber Heavy Utility

2011-01-31T14:51:00.000+13:00

During my travels, I meet many interesting people. Many of them have very interesting hobbies.
The restoration of old vehicles in this country has almost become a national pastime. Many hours are spent in sheds, barns and backyards 'doing it up'.
In the above photo is a Humber Heavy Utility. Made for the British Army as staff cars for the Second World War, this 4 wheel drive go anywhere 6 tonne monster some how finished up in New Zealand. It now lives in the Waikato, in a shed with 4 other WW2 trucks.
Just down the road, are several sheds full of 1930's and 40's Chevs, all being restored.
For security reasons I can not say where they are. I can tell you that all these vehicles are very well looked after.

Lions 7

2011-01-04T18:07:00.001+13:00

This is Takashi Koyanagi. He is standing at the Clyde lookout, on a fairly cold late winter day.
Takashi was staying with us as part of the Lions Youth Exchange program. He comes from Fukuoka in Japan, and is sponsored by the Fukuokahana Lions Club.
I think Takashi enjoyed his stay. I know he was cold at times, but he did get to see and do quite a few things he would not be able to do at home.
This program of exchanging students between counties seems to me to be a very good one. While there were some language barriers, eventually every one learned something. Takashi is keen to return here 'in the summer' and I hope he does.

For Life....

2011-01-04T16:39:00.000+13:00

Some months ago I was lucky enough to be on the spot when a presentation was made. At the end of a list of prizes and awards made to various Volunteer Fire Fighters at our Local brigade, was the surprise award of a Life Membership to Fire Chief Russell Anderson.
Life Memberships are usually awarded at or close to the end of a long period of service. But this one was different. Russell has been in this Brigade for only 14 years, and intends to be the Chief for some time yet.
In the above photo, Deputy Chief Mark Hutton attaches the Life Membership medal.

Phillip McKenzie

2010-06-30T01:40:00.000+12:00

'The Aesthetics of Dispersal' was a phrase coined by Photography writer Peter Ireland, when describing some of Peter Peryer's work. Peryer himself says it is not the objects and their randomness that is of interest to him, rather the spaces in between them.
It is really the spaces that are important in this photo, but not for the reasons you may think.
These balloons were released at the end of the funeral service for Phillip McKenzie. The balloons are the same colour as his car, which he was rebuilding at the time of his death, 10 days ago.
The spaces left by this 20 year old are considerable. His family and his partner will be the first, then his workmates, then those in the Volunteer Fire Brigade, to which he was dedicated. And all the clubs he was in, gun club, bike club, and so on.
But also the community at large, as Phillip was a popular and affable young man.
The pattern of these balloons is random. Each tracks it's own way. One can not predict when or where they will end up.
Like us.

Original art

2010-06-25T01:45:00.000+12:00

I have written many times here that we live in a very talented community. Recently, I was invited to the opening of an exhibition by artist and dress maker Sharon Gilchrist. We have known Sharon and Ken for many years, in fact Sharon made our Teresa's formal dress. But what I did not know what just how good an artist she is. The exhibition contained lots of very original work, in many different mediums.
In the above photo, Ken and Sharon explain one of the works not for sale. It is their family history. And because I know them, I could see it.
I thought the most outstanding painting was one of a dandelion seed head, which had been half blown away. The attention to detail was outstanding. But it was for sale as part of a set, and we have nowhere left here to hang a set.
Brian Patrick, the Director of Central Stories, told me today the exhibition had been very well attended.
I am not surprised.

Off the field

2010-06-19T01:36:00.000+12:00

Over the last few weeks when I get time I have been following the Dunstan High School First Fifteen Rugby team. Mostly I use an old and fairly slow 70 - 200mm lens, which when on the D300 seems to be about a 100 - 280mm. I overcome the slowness by upping the ASA, one of the main advantages of the digital era.
Anyway, during a quite exciting match against Gore High School, I was forced to share the touch line with some quite vocal Gore High supporters. It is fair to say that I am not one to say or shout much from the sideline, but these guys seem to have no problem telling the Ref what to do in quite loud voices. I have several friends who regularly referee rugby games, and they tell me that for the most part they do not hear most of the 'stuff' from the sideline. But as can be seen in the above photo, referees sometimes do hear what is said. I am not sure what the rules are, but I am sure this ref did. He blew his whistle and walked off the field of play, and 'consulted' this supporter in no uncertain terms. I did not hear what was being said, but what ever was said, worked, and the stream of quite foul language stopped.
I know that in the Auckland area there has been a concerted effort to 'educate' the spectators on the side lines of school boy rugby games. I hope we do not have to do the same thing here.
By the way, Gore High School won the game, so it was hard to see the point of all the abuse.

Stoned

2010-06-17T01:34:00.000+12:00

The first blog I ever followed was written by one Dan Steinberg. He was at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and wrote several times a day on his adventures around various events. From memory, he worked for the Washington Post. Anyway, one of the teams he met and took an interest in was the New Zealand Curling team, ably lead by a Central Otago curler, Sean Becker.
I found this blog by Googling the team as I was a bit brassed off with the coverage we were getting on TV here, as they would leave the game halfway through and go and show other events, most of which had no New Zealanders competing at all.
Steinberg fancied himself as a bit of an expert on cheese, and when he heard that New Zealand was awash with cheese, took the interest.
When the curling team returned to New Zealand, a concerted effort was made to build a purpose built rink, so they could practice all the year round. The argument of where to put it was short, and it finished up being built at Naseby, Central Otago, as the climate there meant it could be run relatively cheaply. In a very short time the funds were raised and it is up and running, and a very good rink it is too.
I went there with a bus load from Alexandra, almost an hours drive. The above photo of Allan Fleury about to let his stone go is not that great, but it is much better than my curling.

Easter Bunny

2010-06-02T01:25:00.000+12:00

One of the events taking place in this town during Easter is a massive rabbit shoot. Organised by the Alexandra Lions Club, this event has been going for 10 years or so, and is very well supported. Teams of 12 come from all over the country to shoot as many rabbits as they can in a 24 hour period. Each team must stick to the block of land allocated to them, and some blocks have more rabbits than others.
Rabbits were introduced here in the late 1800's, and have cost this country millions of dollars since.
The winning team, pictured above, shot over 20,000 rabbits in the 24 hours. The hardest part, says one of them, was picking them up.

Bob's Party

2010-05-25T22:53:00.000+12:00

The much advertised birthday of Bob L deBerry has taken place. A good crowd of people gathered at his house at Cambrians to help him celebrate. I was probably the last one to turn up, as many appeared to have been there for tea, and had probably eaten Bob out of house and home. However I had the fireworks, so was made welcome. And there is nothing like Bob's home brew to replace any hunger I might have had.
The above photo is of one of his Woofer workers presenting a birthday cake. I was dismayed at the size of it, but it was evidently the second one presented, the other being a Danish cake, presented by a genuine Danish cake maker.
Other photos are on Bob's blog, the link to which is on the right of this page.
Thanks Bob, great party.

You talk funny 6.

2010-05-25T16:29:00.000+12:00

Last year I wrote several posts on this subject. This time I can describe the outcome of this story.
In the top photo is the Lions Hero Award. This award was started by Lions International President Al Brandel, and is awarded to the district world wide which has the best project.
The lower photo is much more significant. Holding the trophy is Genny Hanning, who is New Zealand's national director for the Hart Walker project.
At the Multi district Lions Convention in Ashburton recently, Genny explained that the honour of winning of this trophy belonged to all New Zealand Lions. However, I noted that there were quite a few who thought that Genny alone deserved the trophy, as the project she runs has been shown to be world class. Regardless, history will show that to be the first time winners will set a standard that will be difficult to attain in future.
Genny is indeed, an everyday hero.

On top ...

2010-05-17T17:53:00.000+12:00

Sometime in the 1920's, my Grandmother, Josephine Nolan, climbed Mt Taranaki, or Mt Egmont as it would have been known as then. I have no details regarding this climb, only that it happened.

Sometimes as a parent, one despairs at some of the things one's children do. I know my parents did, and I presume it is the same for all parents. But sometimes there are unforgettable moments of pride in what offspring can achieve. One of these moments happened for us in January this year, when our two youngest topped Mt Taranaki. Seven and a half hours, including half an hour on the top. I mean these guys were 16 and 15, so it was a really good effort.

They tell me that it was cold and windy on the top. This does not show in the very good photo Patrick took while there. A little of the terrain, some of the view, and mostly the climber, Michael. Well balanced, Patrick.

The lower photo I took on the track on the way down. The mountain in the background is impressive, as was the feat.

Alex Dunbar 3

2010-05-11T23:29:00.000+12:00

For four months now, I have been planning this post, and am dismayed to sit here looking at this photo, and not knowing how to start it.
Several days ago, the 8th of May I think, was the 65th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. And we have just passed Anzac Day again. So it is a good time to finish the story of Alex Dunbar. Readers should be aware that this is the third post on this subject, and maybe to get a bit of background, you should read the other posts on that subject on here. Just put 'Alex Dunbar' in the search space at the top left hand corner of this blog.
In early January, I was able to take the above photo. Denis Dunbar, my Dad, Donald J. Lamont, and David Dunbar standing outside Denis's house just out of Mercer. We had just spent two hours sitting out on the deck, looking out over the Waikato River, the railway line, the main road. A pleasant lunch. And talking about Alex Dunbar, his life, his death. I think Denis and David, both nephews of Alex, appreciated it.
Maybe, one day, someone will sit and write the whole story, but this forum is not the place. It would take more time than I have. There is a lot of research to do.
The internet is indeed a powerful tool. This meeting would not have happened without it.

Missing bits

2010-05-10T22:44:00.000+12:00

Two months ago I was photographing a group of people having a good time at Borland Lodge, on the edge of Fiordland. A lady came up to me and said that she was sorry that I had not posted anything on my blog since New Year, and gave me a gentle chiding. I explained that I had made a resolution that I would not do anything on my blog as long as I had work to do.
A month ago, the same lady came up to me when I was taking photos at Ashburton, and again expressed regret that nothing was appearing. She said that others had noticed as well.
When I got home I checked, and found that I had passed 500 readers, and wondered where they all came from, as I very rarely get comments. I was wondering if the effort was worth it as sometimes it takes days to prepare a post.
During a discussion with another blogger, I learned that starting a blog was easy, keeping it going was the hard bit. One runs out of things to write about, he said. I do not agree with that is my case, as I have lots of material.
So now we will get back into it.
Thank you for the 'gentle chiding'.

Baptism

2009-12-22T00:06:00.000+13:00

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

Respite

2009-12-20T23:14:00.000+13:00

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 ...

2009-12-13T14:47:00.000+13:00

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

2009-11-30T22:42:00.000+13:00

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 Conroy's Dam, 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

2009-11-25T22:22:00.000+13:00

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.....

2009-11-20T23:39:00.000+13:00

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

2009-11-17T23:57:00.001+13:00

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

2009-11-16T23:19:00.000+13:00

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

2009-10-27T22:44:00.000+13:00

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

2009-10-25T23:47:00.000+13:00

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

2009-10-13T01:23:00.000+13:00

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'

2009-10-07T23:15:00.000+13:00

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

2009-10-07T22:45:00.000+13:00

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

2009-10-07T00:39:00.000+13:00

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

2009-09-22T00:23:00.000+12:00

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

2009-09-20T20:28:00.000+12:00

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

2009-08-31T23:13:00.000+12:00

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

2009-08-24T22:13:00.000+12:00

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

2009-08-21T00:30:00.000+12:00

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

2009-08-14T23:02:00.000+12:00

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

2009-08-13T23:42:00.000+12:00

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

2009-08-02T23:53:00.000+12:00

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

2009-07-26T23:47:00.000+12:00

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

2009-07-16T01:59:00.001+12:00

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

2009-07-15T09:47:00.001+12:00

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

2009-07-15T01:29:00.000+12:00

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

2009-07-14T01:38:00.000+12:00

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

2009-07-14T00:34:00.000+12:00

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

2009-07-03T00:16:00.000+12:00

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

2009-07-02T22:33:00.000+12:00

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.

2009-07-02T00:23:00.000+12:00

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!

2009-06-30T23:14:00.000+12:00

'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

2009-06-26T13:20:00.000+12:00

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

2009-05-19T00:34:00.000+12:00

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....

2009-05-18T23:53:00.000+12:00

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

2009-04-17T01:43:00.000+12:00

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

2009-04-17T00:32:00.000+12:00

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

2009-04-13T23:42:00.000+12:00

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

2009-04-09T11:47:00.000+12:00

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

2009-04-09T01:05:00.001+12:00

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

2009-04-05T22:29:00.000+12:00

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

2009-03-26T00:07:00.000+13:00

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

2009-03-25T15:46:00.000+13:00

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

2009-03-25T01:00:00.000+13:00

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

2009-03-23T00:44:00.000+13:00

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

2009-03-22T23:19:00.000+13:00

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.

Water on ..... 2

2009-03-17T23:40:00.000+13:00

It's not that I stand poised waiting for someone to make a mistake when photographing Fire men and women when at competitions. It's just that sometimes things don't go to the plan. The idea in the above photo is to connect both hoses to the hydraulic lifter between the feet of the fireman on the right. The man on the pump, out of sight, has put too much water in the smaller hose, before it could be connected. Though both guys pictured got soaked, the mistake cost very little time. Once both hoses are connected, the lifter is dropped into the tank, behind the right hand fireman's feet, and the pump then extracts water from the tank. I have been told that it is possible to cycle the water in the pump continuously, using only the water from the tank to put on the fire. These guys can lay and connect three hoses, extract the water and knock down a target in about 35 seconds. They are quick.

Hello Cousin ..... 2

2009-03-17T22:32:00.000+13:00

The Oamaru Volunteer Fire Brigade mascot, and wags, arrived safely at Queenstown for the United Fire Brigades National competitions recently. In the above photo, the mascot was handcuffed to Donkey, so neither could get lost. That's the theory. In this photo one of the wags has retrieved both from a young woman who had the audacity to run off with the pair. She was unceremoniously tackled and mascots retrieved. But if you look closely, another threat looms in the shape of a very fit looking member of the Queenstown Fire Brigade. Despite a good tackle, the mascots stayed in the possession of the wag. However the mascots were injured in some way, and were taken to a nearby ambulance, which did a circuit with lights flashing and siren wailing. I have not had an update of the condition of the pair.
This incident, and a few others like it, were light relief in what was quite an intense contest over two days at Queenstown. Parts of seconds separated the teams as they put into practice months of training to get faster, more accurate, and more efficient. The fastest time does not always win, as penalties are dished out for not doing the 'run' exactly as the instructions say. Favourites Kaitangata incured time penalties on the first four of their events, and this put them in a position of being too far back to get close at the end. They had some amazing times though.
Though many of the trophies were taken by many different teams, the overall winner was the team from Carterton. This team was good to watch as they did everything in an unhurried fashion, and I believe they incured only one time penalty during the two days. Close second was a very slick team from Silverdale.
After two days photographing this contest, I feel very confident that our Volunteers are among the best, and I have every confidence they would do the right thing if asked. Don't try to put it out yourself, ring 111.

Locals win....

2009-03-01T23:23:00.000+13:00

The Dunstan Golf Club at Clyde has a long history of golf and good parties. We used to live over the road from the club rooms, so we know about the parties. Anyway, over the last weekend, the Club hosted the 14th Dunstan Ladies Classic. Though the course is not a full size, the players seem to flow though it well, and everyone has a great time.
In the above photo, the two winners are each side of the Club's President. And this was a bit different, in that in all the years I have been taking photos at this tournament, I can not remember two ladies on the organising committee winning. Many have been in the places, but I am sure no organiser has won it. These two were not only on the organising team, but also played the best golf.
I did not stay long at the party, but I bet it went on.......

Hello Cousin...

2009-02-17T11:38:00.000+13:00

Humour is alive and well in this part of the country. These two wags, reputedly from the Oamaru Volunteer Fire Brigade, have walked into the prize giving party with their team mascot, and walked right up to the official who most looks like their mascot. A whole conversation then took place about various relations etc.
The 'theft' of mascots and signs between the teams is rife, so if you look carefully, you can see that the mascot is handcuffed to one of the wags, so neither can get lost.

And the winners were.......

2009-02-16T23:18:00.000+13:00

The above photo is of the victorious Kaitangata team showing all the trophies they won over the weekend at the Otago Southland Fire Brigade competitions. I am unsure how many events were run altogether, but the team with the highest total points wins the contest. This team has competed in Australia and in many other similar contests around the South Island. They are practising now for the New Zealand National event, which this year will be in Queenstown.
We wish them all the best.

Water on

2009-02-16T10:20:00.000+13:00

Over the weekend, I took many action photos at the Otago Southland Fire Brigades competitions. Very well hosted by the Mosgiel Volunteer Fire Brigade, this annual event attracts teams of Fire men and women from all over the two provinces, and sometimes from further afield. All of them are volunteers, in other words they get paid not a cent for turning up to many emergencies. And they train, practice and work at doing set tasks for the competitions. All of these tasks are related to what happens at a real fire. Over this weekend there is real competition, with only seconds between the teams. Time penalties are applied if it is not done exactly right, and one small error can shift a team down several places.
In the above photo, too much water pressure has been let out before the coupling has been attached. Some water must be coming out, as the hydrant has to be proved to be working, but if there is to much, it becomes very hard to put the coupling on. In this case, the man with the hose was powerful enough to force the coupling on, thus having the advantage of a fair bit of water already in the hose before the next step.
I can tell you that the other teams studied this and other photos very carefully, to see if they could see how it was done.
I think this is the 14th time I have covered this event. However, each one I learn a bit more , and when I have it right, they change the events so I have to learn them all over again. Being in the right place at the right time does not happen by accident, at least not in this job.
The event was won by the enthusiastic team from Kaitangata, with Mossburn a close second. Both teams have father and son members, so it is real family sport.

Lost treasures

2009-02-12T23:25:00.000+13:00

I am no judge of art. I just know what I like.
My neighbour, Alan, showed me this painting some time ago. It is of Central Otago, probably in the Luggate area, or maybe over the other side of the river. I suspect the higher of the two peaks is Mt. Maude.
It has been painted by one "E.Griffin", or at least that is what is written on the bottom corner. There is no date or any other clues.
I was sure that it would be easy to find said E. Griffin. Just google it, and something would come up. I was sure that if someone had the talent to paint such a bright and cheerful picture, google would mention them.
Not a chance. There seem to be lots of artists in New Zealand with that surname, but none with the "E" bit.
What to do?
I know, I will email some of these Griffin artists, and see if they know.
I did that. None of them knew any thing about an E. Griffin, but all promised to keep working on it. I think they may even be interested.
If you recognise this painting, or know of someone with the "E.Griffin" bit, let me know.

Co-operation

2009-02-12T00:46:00.000+13:00

I had reason to call on my neighbour Alan today. Another neighbour Neill was there already. This would be the best crop of potatoes I have seen in Central Otago. When they were flowering several weeks ago they stood a meter high. Neill provided the seed, together they planted, Alan watered, and they will both eat. I have never been able to get spuds to grow like this, mine always seem to wilt in the heat. They are so thick I had trouble finding somewhere for them to stand. And the potatoes are big.
There is nothing like a team.

Ducks

2009-02-10T00:09:00.000+13:00

"They won't bite your fingers if you throw the bread further away"

Shirley and Goldy

2009-02-09T23:39:00.000+13:00

Well done Shirley and Goldy, fifty years married. In the photo taken 50 years ago, you have the same expression as this one I took today. It was good to meet all the family again, some have really got bigger. And they retain that wit and cheerfulness you have passed on to them.
Good effort.

Smoke

2009-02-09T00:28:00.000+13:00

First thing this morning I took some photos of Otago Country's best cricketers, (the Hawke Cup Team). They were in good spirits as they were in a good position in their two day game against competition leaders North Otago. However when I took the proofs back at 3.00pm, play had been stopped for 'bad light'. This was not in the best interests of the Country boys, as they had North Otago 'on the ropes'. Today would have been a usual summers day with our nor'wester, hot, dry, sometimes overcast. But because of the smoke from the fires in Australia, the light was 'different'. It was not really darker, it was unusual. We were caught under a band of quite thick smoke. After an hour or so it moved off to the south east, and the light went back to more usual hues. I was trying to figure a way of taking a photo of the effects of this light, but could produce nothing that could not be done with a filter or in photoshop, until tonight when I saw the moon. This sort of thing happens here every time there is a decent fire in Australia, but this time the smoke is very high in the atmosphere, and will probably go around the planet several times before it washes out.
I know the fires in Australia are no joke, as I have seen one or two closeup myself, and this time there has been considerable loss of life, but I have no sympathy at all for Australian cricketers. And when they interrupt the games over here....

Fields of Gold

2009-02-06T00:08:00.000+13:00

In this photo I tried to slow the exposure time so that the wind, which was quite strong at the time, would 'move' the tops so they would be blurred. It sort of worked. It was so bright that I think the least I could get it was 50th of a second. I do not think I have done Sting justice, all the same.

Rush Hour in Central Otago

2009-02-05T22:31:00.000+13:00

Some years ago, I was talking on the phone to a man in Auckland. He said his daily program meant he had to be up at 6am and on the road by 6.20am to avoid the traffic. When he got to his office, he had a shower, got breakfast, and was ready to start work at 8am. I took a photo from the same place as the above photo, though later in the day, and sent him a big print of it. It was named 'Rush Hour in Central Otago'. It hung on his office wall until he retired two years ago. In some ways it was more dramatic than the above, as it was taken when the sun was lower, and the oncoming car had it's lights on. Last Sunday, when I did this photo, there was a strong southerly wind, which tends to have the effect of filling the air with dust, so the Hawkden Range in the background is not showing as well as it usually would. And, the field to the right of this photo is now irrigated so is green instead of gold. Never mind, this is still rush hour, I think it was 6.15pm. And I still had to wait 5 minutes for a car to come.
Some Aucklanders, and others who live in big citys, would laugh, and call me a peasant or maybe other things, but in the depths of their souls they know that this is infinitely better than sitting in queues of traffic.

Happy Birthday Donald J.

2009-01-31T10:30:00.000+13:00

Congratulations. Not everyone gets to eighty seven years, good effort. And three parties in three days at three different locations......

Lions 2

2009-01-29T23:35:00.000+13:00

Some time ago I mentioned the Lions, and recommended that you buy a steak at a Lions BBQ. In the above photo, the members of the Ohai - Nightcaps Lions club have almost completed buttering the bread, shifting the furniture, connecting the gas, and are now ready to put the meat on the grill. All in about 20 minutes. They fed about 140 including me with no fuss at all. A good selection of salads, fresh bread, really good meat patties.
Teamwork and practice.

Nightcaps Schools 125th Jubilee 2

2009-01-28T23:40:00.000+13:00

John Curry is well into his 90's. Someone did tell me his exact age, but it is probably not relevant here. He was the oldest ex pupil from the Nightcaps district, and went to school in this area sometime between 1914 and 1923. He is bright, agile, has great conversation skills and was keen to get around everyone. His memory is second to none, and it was interesting listening to him talk to others about his time at school. Being the oldest at the jubilee, he was given the task of cutting the cake. In the above photo he is assisted by the youngest student currently at the school, whose name escapes me at the moment. I bet John Curry remembers it.

Nightcaps Schools 125th Jubilee

2009-01-27T00:11:00.000+13:00

I have just spent a very enjoyable weekend in Nightcaps. I was very privileged to be in attendance at the Jubilee celebrating 125 years of education in the district. Several schools have been involved in this, but only one remains open.
In the above photo, 250 odd (I have not counted them) past pupils lined up on a very hot afternoon to be in the picture. The locals assured me it was not especially hot, they were used to it in that area, but I was getting the hurry up while taking this photo as they were complaining that they were melting. However one has to get thirsty before one can appreciate having a drink, and the ability of this group to enjoy themselves seemed limitless.
I wish to thank Graeme Sinclair for inviting me, Scotty and Biggles for putting the grandstand in place, Biggles' twin brother for shifting all the furniture, Pam for doing the sign, and Sandra King for organising my meal. There were heaps of others who helped the weekend go well, in fact everyone one in the photo, but maybe a mention should be made of the Polaschek Brothers for the entertainment. While I am at it I should mention John and Sandra Carmichael who let me stay at their place during a very busy weekend for them. Thanks guys.
It was a great weekend, and I reserve the right to put up more photos in future.

Colgate Games 2

2009-01-25T22:40:00.000+13:00

During the lead up to the Colgate Games, I was dealing with one Barbara Jenkins. This dedicated lady is the Secretary Treasurer of the organisation, and is very good to deal with. But then when we picked up the program, we found her name beside no less than 4 functions in the organisation.
Without such dedication, events like this would not take place.
I would like to acknowledge here the value of the effort she has put in to this, and previous events, over a long time.

A good start

2009-01-23T00:26:00.000+13:00

Last weekend, myself and 4 of our children were involved in the Colgate Games, in Invercargill. This is probably the biggest athletics meet in the South Island. For 30 years now Colgate have sponsored these games, and a good job they make of it. I think there were about 750 athletes there, and the usual number of supporters, some of whom were very dedicated. Between my son Andrew and I we did over 2000 photos of these guys going faster, higher, and whatever else athletes do. There were both girls and boys up to the age of 14, and a very full program to keep everyone busy.
I have called this post 'a good start' because before I took this photo, before the gun had gone off, these girls practiced the start over and over again. And then it was explained to me with a certain amount of surety by a 10 year old who seemed to know these things, that whoever got the best start had the best chance of winning, because of the tail wind. Then I thought I could extend it into a general lecture about giving ones' children a good start, but then when I look at all those who did not get a good start but who still do well, went right off the idea. The longer the race, the less important the start is, I suppose. I can tell you that some of these children are very fast indeed.
These games were very well organised, well run. Sport was the winner.

Sunday picnic

2009-01-12T00:58:00.000+13:00

The Chef and I have, over the years, tried to have the summer's Sunday evening meal with the family on a river bank, or at lakes edge, or even just under some trees somewhere. This policy has meant that we know lots of good places to go in any conditions, and it has meant that our children are real explorers, if you know what I mean. Tonight we went to the Omeo Stream. It has Omeo Creek on the sign post, but some how stream sounds better. We were there only a few minutes when the boys produced six or seven fresh water crayfish. There seems just nothing like a small stream of clean water running over a few rocks to immediately captivate boys of any age. There is always something to find. Around here there are still plenty of these small streams, and we should work to keep it that way.
The above photo is of a New Zealand native fresh water crayfish. They live in any body of fresh water as long as it is clean. Though he was on my dinner plate, he was not keen on staying there for long. Even he seemed to know that he had to be cooked first. Fortunately for this guy, and his mates, we had other things to eat, so he went back in the stream.

Queenstown 1958

2009-01-11T14:58:00.000+13:00

The above photo should probably be in 'the value of photos' section, but I have given it it's name for good reason. It was taken in 1958 by writer and author Ric Oram, ("An Autumn Journey" with Louise Joyce and "Pinot Pioneers - A history Of the Central Otago Wine Industry"). Ric was 15 when he took this on his Kowa 35mm view camera. Subsequently he spent many years as a reporter and photographer for The New Zealand Herald.
This is a very small copy of the original slide. Ric showed me this after some discussion about old photos of this area. My next door neighbour has a 1925 hand painted colour photo (he says it a lithograph, but I still do not think this is the right word) of Queenstown. It shows more of the town than the above photo, but this one still shows the extent of the changes all the same. In 1958 a farm was still a farm, not a plot suitable for subdivision. Anyway, we are now 50 years on from the above, and it is probably time that someone went up the hill and reproduced the modern equivalent. It looks to be taken from the old road to Bobs Peak, but I will stand corrected.
Ric is considering marketing this photo, so get hold of him if you need one.

Clever Kids 2

2009-01-10T13:24:00.000+13:00

The Chef says she is very pleased with the magnetic knife rack. She says it holds even her largest knives quite securely. Michael points out that it took a long time to sand and polish the brass rods.
Clever kids.

Clever Kids

2009-01-10T12:17:00.000+13:00

Michael, our 16 year old, says that some time ago he was watching a TV program, and saw a knife rack made with strip of magnet.

Faced with having to design and make something for a project at school, he thought he would use the idea and make a gift for the Chef, his mother. The above photo is the result. Now when he is asked by his mother for 'a hand', he will be able to say he has given her one already. In the next post you will see it in use.

The Value of photos 2

2009-01-07T21:29:00.000+13:00

This photo, taken originally about 86 years ago, is of Vera Nolan. She is the niece of my Grandmother. She was one of the daughters of Michael Nolan and Olive Pull.
She married and had the married name of Vera Baldock.
Yesterday was her funeral. She was 89 years old.
RIP

Californian Poppy

2009-01-07T15:14:00.000+13:00

One of my readers lives in California.
During the Gold Rush, in the early days of Central Otago, real keen miners came from the gold fields of California to here. Somewhere in the boots or cuff of trousers were seeds of this plant. Now they grow all over Central Otago, but seem to do best in the driest places. And, I have it on good authority from a visiting Californian, that the poppies that grow here have much bigger flowers than those that grow in their native land. I do not know about that, but I do know that this flower "glows" when captured on film. I have a large photo of two flowers on my wall, and they glow unlike any other flower photos I have taken. It does not seem to work as well with digital, but than I have not done any biggies off the digital.
These flowers are growing in my neighbours driveway. The colours are just stunning.

Hollyhocks

2009-01-05T12:05:00.000+13:00

Sixteen years ago when we moved into this house, there were 4 or 5 hollyhock plants on our front courtyard. Now there are a lot more, and a great variety of colours. I consider these flowers to be among the best. The colours are just so strong, even when they are pastel. This year were have a variety of pinks, whites and yellows. Some of the reds are so dark they are almost black. And every year I go out and take photos of those I like the best. It would be nice if there was a market for the photos. I have to be quick, as Chef is often out there getting the best flowers for cake decoration.
I do not know where hollyhocks originated, but they sure do grow well here.

Carols in the Park

2008-12-29T11:41:00.000+13:00

In the above photo, a flute teacher leads three of her pupils. They are playing for about 600 people who sat in the park to listen to items with a Christmas theme here in Alexandra. Led by the local Baptish Church, it turned out to be a very full program, with plenty of variety. And when you consider that about 10% of the town's population turned out to watch and listen, you could regard it as a great success. We live in a very talented community.

Profiter Roll Tower

2008-12-27T23:34:00.000+13:00

Chef asked me to take a photo of this Profiter Roll Tower.
This is made with many Cheux pastry balls filled with cream and custard. They are stuck together with chocolate, with spun toffee over the top to hold it all together.
It looked very impressive.

Sutamam

2008-12-27T22:27:00.000+13:00

This photo was taken on Christmas Day. We went to my brother in laws place for Christmas dinner, and I took this photo not far from his house.
These little things are known as Sutamam. They are native of New Zealand and they are very rare. They are mostly found in the parts of this country where the Lord of the Rings was filmed. (So much of New Zealand was covered during these movies that Middle Earth is also known as New Zealand.) Anyway, I can not remember if these wee guys appeared in the movies or not, but maybe they should have.
These guys make no sound at all. They have a coat that is so thick and coarse that it is difficult to tell one end from the other, and very hard to see any features. When you look at them, they do not move, but rather freeze on the spot. I have in my life time seen very few, and this was by far the most I had ever seen in one place. A group of them is called a 'gully', and there is no plural of the name. In some areas of the country, further north from here, they are sometimes called 'Mealamu' and I am led to believe this is because they operate very close to the ground.
If you see any of these sutamam, you should get in touch with your local Dept. of Conservation office. They are always pleased to see them.

The Value of Photos

2008-12-09T22:44:00.000+13:00

With the advent of the Digital camera, many archivists and historians warn that there will be a gap in the recording of the human story. Less than 1% of photos taken are printed these days, many not lasting longer than a few seconds as the 'delete' button is pressed. There have always been gaps in the human story, and before photography came along there was a very big gap. Only the famous and wealthy were recorded. Mind you, an artist who could paint a fairly accurate (or at least flattering) portrait in an afternoon was in great demand and usually made a good living.
The above photo was taken about 1889. The original was made of tin, a daguerreotype. It was taken at Otter Ferry, on the shores of Loch Fyne, Argyle, Scotland.
At the time, some one thought it was a valuable thing to have. The children were cleaned up and dressed in their best, hair done etc. It was not a casual or every day event.
Sometime later, someone has thought that it was valuable, and carried it all the way from Scotland to New Zealand.
Many years later, I have found it so valuable that I have photographed it many times over, to distribute around my family.
Now, my children think it is priceless.
In the above photo, my great Grandfather Robert Lamont holds his son, Donald, and sitting beside him is his daughter Jessie, and then his wife Margaret McCallum, who is holding my Grandfather Archibald. On the right are daughters Maggie-Anne and Amy.
Get your family photos printed. Then your great great grandchildren will know what you looked like, and who they look like.

Small Schools

2008-12-08T21:29:00.000+13:00

Over the last week I have been busy photographing the last of the schools I do for the year. It means I do a bit of traveling, and see some parts of the country that I get to only once a year.
The above photo is the complete roll and staff of the smallest school I visited during the year. I have been coming here for some years and have seen the roll change up and down depending on who owns the farms in the district. I think the most I ever saw here was 27, and the least 5.
Because I am one of very few photographers who will do some of these very small schools, I tend to get them all, which is not really in the best interests of my bank account. On the other hand, why should small remote schools miss out on the services other schools take for granted.
For a few years in the late nineties, I had the feeling that the Ministry of Education was following me around, and closing schools I had just photographed. Over a two or three year period I think I lost 13 this way, and did not always get the 'new' bigger school that resulted from consolidations. On the other hand I did not try very hard, as I always seem to have plenty to do. The real question is though, have these consolidations been good for the children in the system. There is no objective way of answering this, but what I can tell you from my own experience is 'no, these consolidations are not in the best interests of the students, or their communities'. And I will stick to that. As time goes on, and transport becomes more expensive, I will be able to say that the 'savings' earned will be wiped out as well.
The parents of the above students just know that though they are very isolated, their children are getting the absolutely best education possible. They tell me that. Does such a thing have a price?

The Twenty First 3

2008-12-01T00:32:00.000+13:00

This cake, made by the Chef, is a Mississippi Mud Cake. But the reason I did this close up photo is to show the colour and design of the fruit used to decorate it. The trick is, according to the Chef, is to get the chocolate icing warm, but the fruit slices cold. When the fruit is pressed onto the icing, it goes hard and holds the fruit in place.
This seems to work just fine, but Chef does admit to sometimes using jam to glue the fruit on.
This cake was used as the 21st Birthday cake by the Central Otago Regional Orchestra, and was very popular. It is very rich, so you do not need a big piece, so there was even some left over.

The Twenty First 2

2008-12-01T00:01:00.000+13:00

Nan Brownlie, John Wilson, Sheila Kerr and Bette Wilson are Life Members of the Central Otago Regional Orchestra, and here they are pictured cutting the Orchestra's 21st Birthday cake. I think they are enjoying themselves.

The Twenty First

2008-11-30T23:34:00.000+13:00

The group of people in the above photo are having a 21st. They are the members of the Central Otago Orchestra, and the Central Otago Training Orchestra. Today, they invited quite a few to join the party, and for nearly two hours played a great variety of music they have covered over the last 21 years. The Training Team put on their own show, and made a very good job of it. Some of these performers are very young, but that does not seem to bother them.

Logo or Shield

2008-11-26T23:21:00.000+13:00

Today one of the local Primary schools was blessing it's new logo. Or that is what it was being called. I am not sure it is a logo, which I always thought of as a drawing in the corner of a letterhead, next to the print. This work of art deserves to be called something better.

Carved by local artist Tim Riwhi, from what appears to be one piece of timber. It represents all the things the pupils say is special about their school.

I went only because someone told me that it was an impressive work. Now there is something else really special about this school .... it's shield.

First Communion

2008-11-24T14:03:00.000+13:00

Yesterday the Church of St. John the Baptist in Alexandra was packed for the First Communion of 15 children from our area. Fr. Pat McGettigan officiated, and not shown in the above photo are several adults who helped these young people get to this point. Those pictured certainly did everything with a great deal of confidence, the young lady who started the offertory procession was almost running. All the readings were well read, and an air of 'I know what I am doing' was obvious.
Well done everyone involved. And thank you Carmen for asking me to be there again this year.

Long Lunch 3

2008-11-24T00:04:00.000+13:00

The Long Lunch mentioned in previous posts has now taken place. I will write out the menu....

The lower photo is of the entree, which is .....

- Shredded Rabbit in Cherry Port with creamy spinach in rice paper roll.

- Small tomato tarte with hummus and olives.

- Hare salami on sour dough (bread) with quince and fig relish.

The upper photo is the mains. They were...

- Poached lamb and thyme sausage on Puy lentil with walnut, beetroot and goats' cheese salad.

- Filo rabbit rotolo with fresh tomato and thyme sauce.

- Salad of green bean, asparagus, almond and roasted red pepper with red current and shallot dressing.

- Honey mustard coleslaw with a garlic and parsley aioli.

The desert, as mentioned previously, was gooseberry and mint pie.

The Chef seems pleased with the way it all went.

This event marked the end of Thyme Week, which is timed to happen when the thyme growing wild on the hills around Central Otago is in flower. All of the ingredients used are available locally, except maybe the lentils, as there is reputed to be something special about them. There is certainly plenty of rabbit available in the district.

I know Chef will tell me that I should have cleaned up the plates before taking the photos, but frankly there was just not time. While I was taking these the helpers were waiting to take the food to the tables, and I figured that those at the tables had a greater need than I.

And, just for a change, there were some leftovers.

Sunshine Golf Classic

2008-11-22T11:30:00.000+13:00

Each year at about this time, I am invited to be the photographer at the Alexandra Golf Club 'Sunshine Golf Classic'. This two day contest attracts lady players from all over the country, and always has a full field. My job description is 'photograph the winners, but do it on the first day', which means I have to photograph everyone who turns up to play. So I do them all in groups of four, during the first day's play. Some years ago a lady told me, after she had finished, that her golf got much better after her photo was taken. So I tell them all that "now you have had the photo done, your golf will improve". For some reason, it seems to be true, though some of them deny it. We do not always get Sunshine for this contest, but I think the word refers more to the state of mind, rather than the weather. Sometimes, if I am not booked for something else, I go back to the Club for the prize giving, and I must say the prizes are worth getting.
The above photo is of this years winners. These two ladies come from the Owaka Golf Club, and have been playing in this contest for some years. This was their first win.
Well done ladies, I will see you again next year, I hope.

Lions

2008-11-21T22:04:00.000+13:00

This photo was taken recently in Dunedin. It is a Lions Cabinet. Lions International is a service organisation started in America many years ago. It is administered in a layered fashion, with each District led by a District Governor and a Cabinet. This is the Cabinet for District 202J, which is one of 7 or so in New Zealand. 202J extends up the east coast of the South Island, from say Ashburton to Balclutha.
I am not a Lion myself, but I do sympathise with their cause, and they are well organised to provide all sorts of aid to the wider community. One of the best known is "Sight First" where lots of money is raised, helping those who for some reason are losing their sight. Some years ago they collected literally tons of unused or redundant reading glasses from around New Zealand, and sent them to somewhere in Africa to be distributed free of charge to any one who needed them.
We have friends who had a child who needed major surgery in Sydney. The local Lions Club in his area arrived at his door with a voucher for a free rental car in Sydney for as long as it was required. Though our friends told them the car would probably not be needed, the Lions insisted they take the voucher, saying it would be better to have it and not use it, than not having it if it was needed. Our friends say that within a few days in Sydney, they were so pleased to have the car they could not understand why they had tried to turn it down.
This sort of thing happens all over the country, usually not reported or noticed by any one.
Next time you see a Lions Club BBQ, go and buy a couple of steaks. You get something, and someone else will too.

Fifty Years

2008-11-19T23:03:00.001+13:00

This photo was taken at the end of July, but it is definitely worth a mention. These people are standing outside St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Alexandra. They are celebrating two events.
The first is that it is 50 years since the church building was completed. This was not the first Catholic Church built in this town, I think there were two before it, but it is by far the biggest in the town. While this photo shows nothing of the building, it does have the important stuff.
Here on this day were several people who helped build this building, the first children to be baptised in this building, the first couple to be married in this building, and the first Priest to say Mass in this building. And, it just so happens that it was his first Mass. So the other celebration was the 50th year since Father Merv McGettigan became a Priest.
After this photo was taken, everyone went up to the School Hall for afternoon tea, with no less than two big cakes. There were several speeches and a good time was had by all.
Father Merv has now retired from being a full time Priest, though we still see him from time to time. Without the likes of him, the building would be just a shell.

Moving House

2008-11-19T22:54:00.000+13:00

Literally. Moving house. This would be one of the bigger ones I have seen, even with the truck in the middle of the road, the house still hangs over the edges. The battens on the roof are so they can drive under power wires, they just slide over the house. Now I know why they do not concrete in the road signs.