ANZAC Day

"...They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we shall remember them."

ANZAC Day is commemorated by New Zealanders and Australians on 25 April each year. ANZAC refers to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who joined the Allied Forces in World War 1 and on 25 April 1915 made a dawn landing at Gallipoli in Turkey. Over the next 8 months, more than 10,000 ANZACs lost their lives in the battle that followed. Over 18,000 New Zealanders died in WW1 and over 42,000 were injured- these are staggering figures if one is reminded that the total population of NZ was just over 1 million at that time and 103,000 of them joined the Allies and supported Britain.

We decided to drive to the Mount for the dawn service, a drive of about 15km, and left home at 05.15am. We were surprised by the volume of traffic at this time of day given that it was a public holiday and we realised that they were all going to the service. At the Mount a parking space was difficult to find and people of all ages, from babies in their buggies to war veterans made their way to the dunes by the cenitaph. We estimated at least 2,000 people were there and despite the number of people all we could hear was the surf rolling in as we waited for the service to begin.

At exactly 06.00 the sound of bagpipes accompanied the veterans' march to the cenitaph. The service unfolded against a backdrop of yet another spectacular sunrise over the Pacific Ocean and as day broke and The Last Post was played, 2 war planes (Sixty-Two B17 bombers we think) emerged over the sea and flew overhead. It was a moving occasion, reminiscent of the many silences we have observed in the UK on Remembrance Day and similar occasions, and a reminder that freedom is precious. It is that freedom which has allowed us to travel the world and to come to NZ to live and work. We hope you enjoy the video.

More to follow soon......................................................................

Pukekos

Pukekos, also known as New Zealand Swamp Hens, filled the verges on our drive back from Whitianga early this morning. With their iridescent blue-back feathers, white undertails, red beaks and orange-red legs they are very distinctive and replicas can found in craft and gift shops.

Whitianga is in the north of the Coromandel Peninsula, about 2 hours from Tauranga, and the home of our Italian friends Margherita and Giorgio. Last night was Margherita's birthday party and it was lovely to see them and their family again. Their home, Villa Toscana, is a beautiful place high on the hillside overlooking Mercury Bay and brings all things Italian to NZ. We had a great evening and stayed the night at Villa Toscana Lodge, where we had originally stayed during our visit to NZ in January 07.

The scenery in Coromandel Peninsula is a stunning mix of native bush, forested hillsides and white beaches. Pampas grass, called Toi Toi by the Maoris grows everywhere and its' colours range from cream through to pink.

Tom now has his car, the weather remains good after torrential rain early last week, though it is cooler in the evenings, and life is Sweet As!

More to follow soon.................................................

Swimming without dolphins

The autumn weather remains lovely, with temperatures around 21 degrees and clear blue skies. Perfect weather for a trip to see dolphins and hopefully to swim with them. As we boarded the sailing boat this morning, the captain agreed that the conditions were perfect and off we sailed. Out on the Pacific Ocean the view of the Mount and Tauranga, with the backdrop of the Kaimai Hills, was stunning. The sea was calm, visibility excellent and we were able to see the smoke from White Island Volcano.
Excitement mounted as we approached hundreds of sea birds on the water- a sure sign of fish and therefore dolphins. Guess what? Not a dolphin in sight!! The day continued in the same way and the elusive dolphins were nowhere to be seen despite covering miles of ocean in the Bay of Plenty (or not so plenty where dolphins are concerned!) One theory is that when Orca whales are around the dolphins hide but sadly we didn't spot an Orca either. Oh well. We had a lovely day and despite the absent dolphins we can go on another trip whenever we like to make up for it and we won't have to pay.
As we sailed back into Tauranga Harbour, 3 paragliders were flying around the peak of the Mount. We saw a couple of them when we were at the top of the Mount recently and were very impressed by their skill as they swooped around finding the thermals. They are quite daring too as they often come very close to the rocks during their turns.

Our belongings arrived last week and Tom's car is ready for collection tomorrow. The evenings are dark at about 19.00 as our clocks went back last week- the sunrises are as beautiful and colourful as ever. We are hoping to meet our architect in the next week or so to see his initial design plans for our house. Tom's business plans are developing well and his hard work is coming to fruition.

More to follow soon.................................................