Boxing Day at Aramoana

On Sunday afternoon we headed off to the spit down at Aramoana for a walk. There was a strong easterly wind blowing when we arrived but at least it was not cold.

As we pulled up we saw that there was at least a half dozen land yachts (blow carts) zipping up and down the beach.

We had a great afternoon enjoying the beach, surf, sand dunes (kids sledding down the huge dunes) and watching 5-6 Blue Eyed penguins trying to get up to their nest, but put off by the fact that we were keen to get closer. As a result of our interest they stayed playing in the surf. Then when they could see that they were going to move off they then emerge from the surf and headed up the beach for the night.

As we were heading back to the car Ann noticed that one of the blow cart riders looked familiar. They were travelling at a fair clip so I suggested we stay until the rider returned and Ann could get a better look to see if it was the person she thought it was. As the rider approached where we were standing he looked up and recognised Ann as she realised it was who she had initially thought.

Samuel was with us and as we chatted Richard asked us, “is this your boy?” We introduced Samuel and it was then that he offered to take Samuel for a ride in his blow cart if he would like it. Well Samuel’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he said “yes!” In he climbed and off they went for the fastest trip down that beach he has ever had. He was so excited and animated when he got back.

Danielle the Daisy Fairy

Today we were delivered breakfast in bed by Danielle. Quite a treat after finally getting to sleep at 2 am. Paige has been really unwell with high fevers. Not long after breakfast arriving, Danielle returned to share what she had been doing.

"once upon a time there was a fairy and her name was Danielle the Daisy Fairy. She was very beautiful, her dress was gold. She was kind,she helped people. She respected peoples property. She liked stars and, of course, she liIked daisies. She likes strawberries and she has gold hair." Illustrations and writing by Danielle.

As a nation held its breath

Since the explosion at the Pike River Coal Mine Friday last week, Nov 19, the outside world has largely ceased to exist. We have been preoccupied with the events unfolding day by day, hour by hour on the West Coast. National news broadcasts have been totally taken up with the efforts to rescue the 29 miners who have been missing since the explosion in the mine.
Not since Sept 11 have the TV sets gone on at work and have staff stopped to get the latest update. When Samuel got home today, after his science club at the local museum, he asked me if I had heard about the second explosion at 14:37. I had not. Up until now we had all been hoping, and some of us praying, that these guys would make it out. So many comparisons have been made between what has happened on the West Coast and with the recent experience of the Chilean miners. The thought was that if they could survive for all that time then surely these guys at Pike River Mine would make it. As time went on, however, it became clear that this was a very, very different situation.
As a family we have been praying and tonight we prayed for the families and friends who had been effected by this tragedy and the loss of loved ones. What really got to Samuel and I as we watched the news tonight was to see a veteran of NZ News and Sports broadcasting (Peter Williams) really having to suck it up so as not to loose it totally as he interviewed one of the Government Ministers on the News, Gerry Brownlee, who himself was pretty chocked up as well.
 

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Aerial shot of mine damage

Ross Creek adventure or was it torture?

Alana's year group had a day at Ross Creek running, abseiling and lugging a kayak over a set course. Apparently if they did not perform an aspect well they had to drop and do ten of their best press ups!

Looked a lot of fun but judging by the teachers photos and how Alana looked when she got home absolutely exhausting.

Sam's concert with Suzanne Prentice

Several weeks ago the primary schools held a combined choir concert with Suzanne Prentice as a fund raiser for World Vision. There were hundreds of kids and they performed superbly. To our surprise Sam was really looking forward to it and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Sam was seated on the left side balcony, not that there's a hope of seeing him!

No cameras allowed but took this with the phone.

In the Navy

Some time ago now Samuel and I toured the HMNZS Otago. This has turned out to be a controversial vessel with cost, performance, mechanical and fuel problems. We enjoyed our look. Apologies for photo quality. The Cannon camera died and I had to use the phone.

Paige's first steps

Today I went to one of the Italian Film Festival movies with a new friend Roberto Ghidella, needless to say Roberto listened to the dialog while I read the subtitles! What I noticed was really irritating was when ever text was shown in the movie e.g. a text or a letter I would look at the image rather than the subtitles and miss what it was all about!!

That's not the point of this blog. We, the family and me, then joined Roberto and Asta for tea. Asta had made a gnocchi (pasta like dumplings) for us, followed by tuna and double cream cakes (we would call them a rissole) and caponata (rich eggplant based dish with all sorts of veges and some fruit in it), all served with a nice crisp Italian white wine (sorry did not get the name of it). At the end of the meal Alana announced that she had overeaten!! She wasn't the only Donkin feeling like that. How often do you get invited out for authentic Italian cuisine? The kids did really well especially with the caponata which was quite different from anything they have eaten before. Thanks Roberto and Asta for a wonderful meal!!

But, that's not the sole point of this blog either. When I arrived Ann announced that Paige was walking. Now given that when I left to watch the movie with Roberto she was only furniture surfing I was somewhat surprised. Then Alana appeared with the evidence, her camera with a short video. Unfortunately Alana has left her camera at Roberto and Asta's tonight so the videos I have here are of a very tired Paige doing her best to walk. Once I get the video from Alana's camera I will up load that as well. Sure enough she was taking a few steps and looking very pleased with herself, and so she should.

Fun times with Granddad

Paige 'reads' a story to Granddad!

The years they are a passin'

From this cute we thing above to a beautiful young woman on the right: where did that time go?!

Cromwell

In the school holidays we spent part of the first week in Cromwell and Wanaka. Sam went on to spend the second week in Wanaka with friends. Here are some shots: a really good shot of us all with Lake Wanaka in the background, a beautiful one of Paige, of the kids in Cromwell, the Clyde dam and a small video of the spill way in action. All taken on the new iPod!!

How we now do our dishes.

With the dishwasher playing up, it is getting old, we had this idea that we could get the kids more involved with the chores! As you can see Paige is an early adopter of the idea!! Older kids were a little more hesitant which is a good thing really as I don't think the door would have survived!!

Biking Trip Dad and Sons go to Naseby

Four Dad's and their sons go mad in Naseby! We had a great time away exploring the water races, dams and tracks.

Thanks Dave for these photos!

  

How we all used to sleep, if only we still did!

The beauty of the new iPod, thank you again to all of you who made it possible to have one, is that capturing images such as this is so much easier as the camera is always at hand. I took this shot last week of Paige sound asleep. What bliss.

Christchurch Earthquake

Up until the time of writing this there have been over 2600 aftershocks since the initial 7.1 Earthquake on Sept 4 of this year: 25 of those in the last 24 hours!! The following link is an excellent site that uses Google Maps and information from GNS Science to illustrate all the activity. Well worth a look. I was in CHCH on Monday Oct 18 and there were several aftershocks while we were there - on our (colleague and me) way back to Dunedin from Sydney after a conference we had been to - did not feel any! We were too busy walking round surveying the damage!! Photos to follow.

Gold Rush

Tonight we were out with Grandad to see Alana's school production that she has been working towards during the third term.  It was called 'Gold Rush' and Alana was one of the cattle rustlers.  Was a wonderful production - enjoyed by all. 


Check out this link: it's a little bit of video taken on Blair's ipod touch from the back of the auditorium. 

 

 

Blair's 45!

Despite the hairdresser and a patient recently telling Blair they thought he looked in his thirties - yesterday he turned 45!  (Personally, I think both were either blind or not wearing their glasses)


Anyway, Blair enjoyed his day.  It started with a requested sleep in, then lunch out with his beloved, Dr's visit to ensure he wasn't falling apart and then finished with a family tea.  His one BIG surprise was finding his present (which everyone contributed to) lodged in his birthday cake, which was made by Alana.  Was lots of fun watching him make this discovery.  Once he realised it was an ipod touch he was like a cat who got the cream - very excited.   

First snow for the year

Around about 11:50 today it started to snow and to my surprise it became quite heavy and persisted for quite some time. Our planned afternoon activity for the day was abandoned as the temp plummeted to 3.2 degrees Celsius. After lunch me and the kids headed up to Brockville Park which is about 300m above sea level and had a bit of a play in the snow.

High Winds

The Sunday after the 7.1 quake that hit Christchurch there was forecast high winds for the east coast of the South Island and in particular Christchurch and Otago. Well they sure were right. Some of the strongest winds, hurricane force in the hills around Dunedin (Swampy had gusts of over 170km/h). The big windows in our house were cracking and creaking and Alana and I had to go outside and lash down the cover on our outdoor table and then rescue the BBQ which has taken off down the deck with 9kg gas cylinder attached.

We were so glad that we had got down the TV aerial the day before. It had blown off in less severe but still very strong winds the week before. Because of the hight of it I had not been able to detach it from the cable from which it hung. Knowing that the winds were forecast I decided to call for backup!!

Earthquake Christchurch South Island NZ

I have done this post for our overseas family and friends mainly.

As you will be aware the international media have given quite a bit of coverage to the quake that hit Christchurch:

• BBC
• CNN
• Aljazeera
• ABC

Now Canterbury University have put together a graphical representation of the quakes using Google Maps. Have a look at the following Christchurch Quake!

We have family and many friends in Christchurch and have heard from all of them to let us know that apart form some minor damage and being very frightened they are all OK. We live 5 hours away (by car) from Christchurch and we woken by the quake at 04:35 in the morning. We knew it was a big quake and Ann was right to say that where ever it hit it would have caused lots of damage. I mistook it for yet another Fiordland quake. How wrong I was. We listened to the radio immediately after the quake to learn that it had hit one of the main cities of NZ. Something predicted and warned about for years, except no one expected it to be CHCH.

Penguins Penguins

Alana and I had the opportunity to escape to Moeraki Boulders camping ground for a night.  Cabin was a bit rough, coffee was great but penguin search was awesome.  Was lovely to be so close and to enjoy watching them.  This next fella was our favourite as he carried his stick with him.