Christmas 2013

A great start with an awesome afternoon of climbing at Clip'N Climb, on Byron St, in CHCH for the kids. Danielle did the leap of faith, Alana the vertical slide, while Sam worked up a real sweat. Paige had her first go and did well getting up to a couple of metres off the floor. We then caught up with our good friends the Millers in the afternoon.

Today we spent most of our time at Orana Wildlife Park. While kids have been there before many times Paige hasn't. She's never seen a Giraffe let alone fed one. We got great views of the Cheetahs, Lions being fed, Tigers too. Meerkats were performing as we're the Ottars. Zebra, Water Buffalo, Rhinoceros. Paige bravely fed the bobby calves, lambs & Kunekune pigs. These were my favourite!

Ann says:

"We'll have to wait another 10+ yrs before holidays are relaxing but it has been fun. Went to Orana Park, Monday, for 4 hrs and today, Tuesday, spent 5hrs at Adrenaline Forrest. Dani did the 2 ropes courses she was allowed to do, Sam and I did 4/6 courses and Alana completed all 6/6.  Very challenging. The 4 th course pushed me to my limit - got wobbly legs."

A quieter day today, 1/1/14. Ann visited a friend, Sam and Alana had a look around St Martins area where they used to go to school. Then afternoon with Cliff, Lisa and a trip to Corsair Bay. Then a BBQ tea and Sean & Jordan joined us as we'll.

Cycled McLeans Island

tracks in the Waimakariri today. Sam racing ahead, Danielle making a very good effort, Paige chatting the whole way on the trail gator! Alana enjoyed it too. Ann recovering from Adrenaline Forrest at home.

Today, Jan 2, was a full on day. First ChCh to Geraldine. This small South Canterbury town was just buzzing and had an amazing atmosphere. Then it was off to Tekapo for lunch and a dip in the hot pools before setting off again for the fantastic drive past Lake Pukaki, past Ohau (17k from main road so can't see it) but we crossed the canals that carry the water from one lake to the next for the hydro power stations. Then up and over the Lindis Pass and down into Central Otago and on to Hawea. We set off at 10:15 and arrived about 7:15 pm. Kids travelled really well. It was an epic day in the car!

Very strong NW winds made for challenging driving and mucked up any hope of fuel efficiency. Mind you towing a trailer put paid to that too and being a high trailer it certainly caught the wind!

Saturday in Hawea a quiet day with a trip to the lake to try out or slingshots. The Campbell family arrived later that day.

Sunday explored Timaru River on Easter side of lake. Kids swam, freezing and the sand flies were ferocious.

Monday we farewelled Campbells, went for a ride round Hawea.

Tuesday Alana and I rode to Wanaka from Hawea along Hawea River and then at Albert Town turned to continue along Wanaka Outlet Track, uppermost part of Clutha. 90 min to Wanaka, hot drink to revive and check weather forecast then on to Glendhu Bay along the cliffs on the western edge of Lake Wanaka. A real grunt of a ride, this took one hour 40 to complete. Awesome ride. After visiting Jamiesons back to Hawea and Sal arrived to visit us.

Following the Tuesday's big ride we all visited Glendhu Bay but the weather this year has been rubbish.

Thursday we all biked to Albert Town, 10.5 km, and then A, S & I biked back again. When we weren't biking we were reading, doing puzzles or playing Mexican Train.

On our last day we headed off to Dublin Bay, a spot we haven't explored before. It was a great location for kayaking and just generally sitting around and soaking in the amazing scenery and lake.

I'm so glad we headed away as we had a great time and certainly got the better deal on weather.

What are the chances?

Today we decided to go to Sutton Salt Lake out on the Strath Taieri about 7km before Middlemarch. Being Labour Weekend Sunday the roads were extremely quiet. When we got to the car park, a paddock, we were the only ones around.

After a picnic lunch, sheltered from a blustery south westerly, we headed off with Oscar in tow. Sorry to Doc (Dept of Conservation) but he was on a leash and we weren't leaving him in the car!

We has a great time clambering over schist rock, thinking what it would be like to be in the Jackson films and being chased by Orcs! It was that sort of setting.

The lake is more impressive than we expected. While there we knocked off three more geocaches which was fun.

Then on our way back along the loop track there in the distance, and coming towards us, was a family we knew! None other than the Campbell family, very good friends of ours.

They went on to finish the track while we went on to Middlemarch. Afterwards we joined up for a coffee and then on our way home called in to another friends for an impromptu F&C tea.

A great day out!!

First "professional" performance.

Alana has been invited to play with her Oboe teacher when he accompanies Jonathan Lemalu later this year. She gets a travel allowance, food, accommodation and an appearance fee; all this at the ripe old age of 14. We're all really looking forward to it and the whole family will travel to enjoy the occasion.

Few and Far between!

Life is so busy hardly get a moment to post these days, unlike when we were in CHCH!

The last three weeks have been interesting with a 'whole lotta shakin' go in on' in WGTN. Family home affected and EQC will be inspecting tomorrow.

Today we head off to the Otago Science Fair prize giving. Both Alana and Sam have been awarded prizes for their efforts. Alana looking at whether the Sleep Cycle App for iPhone really works as claimed and Sam for his work on taste.

This week Ann heads to Akl for a few days after putting up with me being away, in Akl, last week and the week before.

We hope to launch a new website for www.place2stay.co.nz soon. We are also moving the hosting from Crystal Tech in the US after four years to Adobe in Australia. It's proving to be quite an exercise to make the Website fully mobile compliant and able to be scaled on any size screen as well as compliant with all new browser requirements. Thank goodness for Errol our resident IT guru!

Both Mum and Errol have visited at different times this year and that has been good. I'll head up there late Aug early Sept for the 1 yr anniversary of Dad's death. We'll have a meal together then unveil the headstone.

In October my Aunt from Scotland visits and that will be another gathering, in Timaru this time, for those of us in the South Island. 

Second Video Snow Day

Again copy and paste the link (silly app)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWvyp5eEPyY

More Snow Day pics

First Snow Dunedin May 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o-H-C14SQs

You'll need to copy & paste link as Blog App doesn't enable me to insert HTML link.

Camp Columba Father & Son weekend

Last weekend Sam and I were joined by Alan and Daniel Dickie and 70 others for the weekend at a camp near Gore.

We had a great time building rafts & bivouacs, riding motorbikes, shooting paintballs and generally doing blokes stuff.

Check out the 75m water slide!

Morning Tea Today

"Thanks Dialysis Lolly & Blair" Lolly is one of our RN's. We made short work of the cake over coffee!

New 'standard' set for the defence of criminal behaviour by NZ Police

I haven't read the Independent Police Complaints Authority report into the conduct of NZ Police concerning  their 2007 Urewera raids as a result of concern about the activities of certain Maori Activists.

Interestingly the Police accept that their conduct was illegal as stated in the report. Not surprisingly, those affected by the NZ Police conduct want accountability, "heads must role" said one woman.

What really concerned me was the response of the NZ Police Commissioner, when in reply to this demand, he was reported to have said, "no police will be held accountable for all our staff acted professionally and in good faith."

So, if I understand him correctly it doesn't matter if one breaks the law, is proven to have done so and even admits to one's guilt! All that matters is the manner in which one went about one's law breaking. So long as one is professional about it & goes about it in good faith it's ok! Sounds like ignorance of the law could even be a defence after all.

Eye Eye

Over the weekend Alana was in Twizel for rock climbing competitions and on Sunday she won a spot prize – a whole Mt Cook Salmon. By the time she got home it had started to defrost, so tonight we baked it and enjoyed every morsel – what a treat.

After tea, Sam started dissecting the salmon, looking at the spine and then freaking Danielle out by placing the salmons eye on her plate. Such comments as “we’re keeping an eye on you” were heard while Danielle squealed with disgust. Sam then dissected the eye, suggesting that he might glue the other eye to Danielle’s door. Blair then dared Sam to do a ‘Fear Factor’ challenge and eat the eye. As you can imagine, there were varied reactions and squawks. Blair upped the challenge by offering Sam $10 for a successful chew and swallow of the eye. Considering Sam is a food texturephobe we thought we were pretty safe in our dares. But to our complete surprise, Sam popped that little eye in, gave it a decent chew and down it went!!!!!!

So you never know what your kids will do!

Exhausted but thrilled

Alana has been away in Twizel this weekend at a rock climbing weekend. No photos yet as they were all taken by one person so still to come. Alana was worried about the expense (actually not too bad at all) of the weekend and initially wasn't going to go. She has had a wonderful time. When she presented us with the following we were stunned. The value of her prize almost approaches that of the weekend! Have a look at this beautiful Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon!!

Out of the mouths of babes

For a few months now Paige had had a wee imaginary friend called, "Bubby." Where ever Paige goes and whatever she does Bubby does as well.

When Ann took Danielle to Alexandra for camp Bubby went. Unfortunately Bubby fell out of the car and had to be scooped up in Ettrick on their way back through!

Tonight after tucking Paige in she exclaimed that Bubby wasn't in bed! "Yes she is" I replied I saw her hop in before you got in. We prayed and then I tickled Paige, managing to slip my hands out, wiggling my fingers and saying, "that must have been Bubby."

Paige looked me straight in the eyes and said with the most amused grin on her face, "Daddy, Bubby's not real!" I was totally flawed by this comment for I was convinced Paige believed she, Bubby, was real. 

Which is just as well because apparently Ann ran over her in the car earlier this week.

Power!

Old Waitaki Dam

Gone Fishing

Comment on the Charities Registration Board's decision to de-register Family First as a charity.

Open letter to the Board of the Charities Registration Board.

On what basis and what evidence has the judgement been made that Family First is of no public benefit?

Family First gives voice to the views of a significant number of New Zealanders whom otherwise would cease to have their views heard and would be increasingly silenced in today's changing society.

The fact that societies values may change does not therefore mean that a certain sector of society should cease to have a voice in the public debate on values in NZ. In fact representation becomes all the more important and of public benefit. Just because a particular group may not represent a majority group, or what is perceived as main stream, does not disqualify it from being of public benefit. 

Family First serves the public good because it seeks to represent those New Zealanders whose views are being disregarded and becoming marginalised; values and beliefs that for years have underpinned our society.  For this reason Family First's work is of greater significance when it comes to public benefit than, for example the NZ Vegan Society, but that doesn't mean the latter (a registered charity) is of absolutely no benefit and so should be de- registered and nor should Family First. The decision of the Charities Registration Board appears to be an anti-democratic one and how does that serve the public good?

Many churches would feel there is much common ground between the values of Family First and their members. Are churches next on the list for de-registration for not being of sufficient public benefit? After all their views, it could be argued, are seen as antiquated, of less relevance to today's society (in some people's minds) and their numbers are declining. (That in itself is not how public benefit ought to be defined). If churches are not next for de-registration, in the light of the Family First decision, why not?

Your decision is a grave misjudgement. 

To say that Family First only invites people to its events / conferences that represent its views is factually incorrect when one considers the broad spectrum of political speakers that have attended such events in the past. The invited attendees / speakers are a matter of public record: Sue Bradford, Phil Goff, John Key, the Children's Commissioner. Such people are from a diverse political spectrum and certainly would not participate with groups whose purpose is indoctrination, as the Board has put it.

Having said that it should be of no surprise that organisations generally do seek the views of those who are supportive. That said I believe Family First can easily evidence its willingness to engage both sides of the debate on a wide variety of issues that affect NZ families.

Charitable groups which seek to be of public benefit must engage with the political process and engage in challenging the debate surrounding the issues and political decisions affecting the lives of NZ families. This does not make them single issue political pressure groups and therefore irrelevant, of no public benefit, to what is arguably an increasingly pluralistic society of tolerance and inclusion. Not that the de-registration decision reflects this at all. This decision appears to be one of political intolerance  and political correctness.

The onus is on the Charities Registration Board, and its decision makers, to prove the objective basis for this decision and to hold it up in the light of other recent and comparable decisions. I put the challenge to the Board to be open, honest, consistent and transparent about the processes followed that lead to this outcome.

It is my view that the Board is there to serve society, and serve the public good, and not to drive any one political agenda. I believe there would be shock and surprise at the Board's decision to de-register Family First from a wide range of New Zealanders of various persuasions.

What recourse, or right of appeal, is there for Family First to pursue in order to challenge this decision of the Charities Board?

Respectfully

Blair Donkin
Dunedin

Neohrology Nurse Educators Conference Gold Coast Feb 2013

Awesome sand sculptures!!

DCBC Celebrates 150 years Easter 2013

Fairy Princess Castle Birthday Cake

Well done Alana!!

A dogs life

Holidays off to a good start!

Signs of a good summer holiday:
Backyard cricket - Dads & kids, playing until 1020 pm when game called off due to slack of light.
Backyard volleyball - dads with daughters
Swimming
BBQ's
Camping gear gathered and plans in place to visit Omarama where the salmon are running and 7 1/2 lb fish are there for the taking! Then it's on to Manapouri with friends for kayaking, boating, water skiing, knee boarding (I'll try not to drown this time!), reading, talking, walking, eating and watching kids do the dishes :-)!

After this it's on to Hawea for more of the same but on our own and with some biking thrown in for good measure.

Can't wait!!

South Hub - swimming at Fairfield school & BBQ

Ann and kids had a great day at Fairfield School with a BBQ and swim day. Started at 11 and they only just got home after 4! Apparently the facilities are excellent and very sheltered. Good turn out too, around 25 or so.

We've been involved in South Hub for the last three years. "An open gathering of people who follow Jesus. As his disciples we seek to model our lives on His life; to support each other as we discover all that the journey of discipleship and discovery of biblical community means for us and what it requires of us."

Over the last three years we've made real progress in this direction as a Church facing group,whose aim is to serve the Church's mission, to make the big Church smaller and yet make small group ministry bigger, more effective, fruitful and to be a place in which people can meet Christ, come into the church and be disciples. A group that brings people into the kingdom, builds them up, provides an opportunity for training ( growing in ministry / leadership) and as a result can be sent out for further ministry.

This year sees a big change in all of this as the Hub groups are re organised in the desire to see all Hubs sustainable groups growing in ministry.