Anzac Day 2008

I realise it is well after Anzac Day, but this year my Beloved Brother & I spent Anzac Day in the small town where our parents married, in a small Church in the town. Our father is buried in the Returned Services section of the Cemetary. Of course we went to visit his grave, & were pleased to see all the Returned Services personel gravestones had Poppies placed on them. My brother crouched down for this photograph. I was unable to crouch for mine, & so I look hideously ungainly, bent in the middle. My knees dont do 'crouch' or 'squat', or even 'kneel', any more, so I have spared myself the indignity of my pic.







We attempted to visit the little Church where our father had married our mother, & later where his funeral was conducted, but there was a very large parade crowd gathered for the Anzac Day ceremonies, so we left that.



We drove around, & I was very taken with the wonderful Murals painted on the walls at Opotiki Primary School. Isn't this wonderful?






This is another mural on a low wall, & is also very impressive. There are further murals, which were further distant. It being school holidays, I take it the grounds were locked, though we did see some children playing in one of the playground areas.

Another building which impressed me with it's wonderful carving feature is the Whakatohea Maori Trust Board building. It is a very humble old building, but is neatly kept, & the carvings looked to be recently repainted.

A closer view of the carving.

Details of the side carvings.

I couldn't get them side by side. Techno dummy.

This old house is quite typical of a many older houses in New Zealand. It looks very well cared for & I am sure it is nice inside.

My Aunt & Uncle's house is about this vintage, & the wonderful woodwork in the rooms is beautiful. There is a lovely fireplace with a beautiful mantelpiece in one of the rooms, & I wish I had taken photos.

After we had been to visit our father's grave, we went to our Uncle & Aunt's home, & as I watched our wonderful 80 year old Aunt bustle about getting us a wonderful lunch of homemade soup, scones, & pikelets, I wondered what I will be like at 80 should I live so long.

They insisted we stay the night, & so we agreed we would. They took us on a guided tour up to the old family homestead up in the Waioeka Gorge, & BB drove their car.

BB has a truck, which was our mode of transport, & I must say, by the end of our travels, I had grave fears my spine had compressed up into my skull. Those little snubnose trucks dont really offer much comfort. However the truck was handy, in the event, as another aging Aunt gifted a fruiting pineapple plant to BB & it travelled about on the back of the truck quite happily, & made it safely home after all our travels, about the Bay of Plenty & through the Waikato.

It must be 40 years since I have eaten red meat, not for any reason, other than the fact I do not like the flavour. However our Aunt had prepared Venison, that our cousin had shot in the Waioeka Gorge, for our tea, & it smelt so delicious I was tempted to try a piece. I was amazed, it was delicious! The last time I had tried venison, I had vowed never again. Perhaps I am getting adventurous in my old age.

It sounds ridiculous, but I always feel potatoes, & eggs taste better in New Zealand, & my Best Friend J's husband assures me the meat all tastes better too, because the animals are not stressed from lack of water. The more I thought about that the more sense it makes.

I wish I had taken more photos, & I wish I had copies of my Uncle with his trout catches, truly huge fish. As he said it was a hunter & fisherman's paradise, to live in that area.

He tells us if he dies tomorrow, he has lived a wonderful happy life, & every day is a bonus to him. He does the dishes for his wife every night, & he hangs the clothes on the line for her. He filleted fish he was given while we were there, & my brother said he has a sure eye & did a great job.

This photo was taken for his 90th Birthday, & he looks just the same today, at just on 91.

Nancy Wilson, How Glad I Am.