http://www.christchurchearthquakeappeal.govt.nz/
To make a donation to help the people of Christchurch in the rebuilding of their beautiful city, just click on this link, it is the Official Appeal link.
Should you be able to assist those devastated by the major earthquake that destroyed the city and the lives of these unfortunate people who have lost everything, please do so.
Any country any currency. Thank you so very much.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Earthquake.
Christchurch Earthquake.
The major earthquake that hit Christchurch and devastated the city, many are dead more are still missing in the rubble of destroyed buildings, including the beautiful old Cathedral, there is no power or telephone or gas or water but help has come from around the world to assist, our military personal are all helping along with volunteers .
I personally and all my family are safe and unharmed. We live 300 km away from Christchurch and didn't even feel the vibrations, but we are feeling very depressed and upset at all the suffering.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers for our country. Christchurch will never be the same again.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Mikhail Lermontov
The Mikhail Lermontov a huge Russian cruise liner hit rocks and sank in Marlborough Sounds 25 years ago today. The Harbour Master piloted the ship between the rocks at Cape Jackson, it hit the rocks and gouged a deep 12 metre gash in the side. The ship sank very quickly in the deep waters of Port Gore. amazingly with only the loss of one life, that of a crew member, all the aged passengers got off the ship safely.
The ship still lies in 33 metres of water, on its side, it is a haven for divers, a popular tourist attraction.
Only this Lifeboat remains, as a memorial to the ship in Picton.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Pinedale Camp Wakamarina River Valley
My World for this week. Do check out some of the other wonderful posts from around the world, on this Meme.
We had a few days spare so we decided to hook the caravan on behind us and head away for those lovely 4 days. We first had to drop Porsche cat off at her Cattery, she is looked after well there but she would rather not be going anywhere in the car, so it is quite traumatic for her.
Then we stopped off at buy some supplies as we only decided to go last night, just spur of the moment, the best way to go for a short break we think.
Then we headed up to Canvastown where there had been devastating floods only a few weeks ago, we were hardly prepared for the mess there was left by the river flooding - right through the local Pub and many houses along the river, most is cleared and repaired now but we could see how bad it had been as we drove past up to the Pinedale Camp. he road had been washed out in some places, but was drivable now fortunately. There been a lot of hard work getting the road usable again.
We settled in under a nice shady tree in a good place that gets the morning sun and the afternoon shade, as it is the hottest part of the year for us afternoon shade is vital in temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius and higher.
There is a huge Totara tree in front of the amenities block that the birds all like, in the morning the dawn chorus was quite deafening, but lovely and melodic with the Bellbirds and Tuis singing to us.
We spent a lot of time down by the river, panning for gold now and again, not at all successfully I am afraid, but we tried. Many others did quite well and showed us all the gold they had managed to pan from the river bank, some had quite big chunks of gold worth quite a bit..Still it was fun messing around trying to find some.
Erle took my photo standing up on the bank of the peaceful stream that turned into a raging torrent not so long ago, where I was standing the flood waters were 6 feet deep over my head as shown by all the debris stuck up in trees! Amazing. The camp is on higher ground and was not flooded. We recon the water must of been about 50 feet deep as it roared down the river.
The whole area was alive with big Bumble bees, flying everywhere and buzzing around us as we did anything, I got bitten or stung under my arm in a very tender spot while I was doing a crossword in the shade of the Birch trees, then later I was got again my another Bumble bee on my forearm, same arm so I had 2 patches of itchiness! There were Sandflies too but we had repelent for them and were not bothered by them much.
We didn't swim as the river was very cold but we did paddle around in it. We took some nice bush strolls too, I saw this pretty native plant covered in bright blue berries, the berries are not attractive to the birds so are probably a bit poisonous.
We enjoyed a lovely relaxing few days and didn't want to return to civilization very much. The people in the camp were very freindly mostly foreign, like Danish, German, English, Dutch, but a few Kiwis too.
Porsche was pleased to see us back.
We had a few days spare so we decided to hook the caravan on behind us and head away for those lovely 4 days. We first had to drop Porsche cat off at her Cattery, she is looked after well there but she would rather not be going anywhere in the car, so it is quite traumatic for her.
Then we stopped off at buy some supplies as we only decided to go last night, just spur of the moment, the best way to go for a short break we think.
Then we headed up to Canvastown where there had been devastating floods only a few weeks ago, we were hardly prepared for the mess there was left by the river flooding - right through the local Pub and many houses along the river, most is cleared and repaired now but we could see how bad it had been as we drove past up to the Pinedale Camp. he road had been washed out in some places, but was drivable now fortunately. There been a lot of hard work getting the road usable again.
We settled in under a nice shady tree in a good place that gets the morning sun and the afternoon shade, as it is the hottest part of the year for us afternoon shade is vital in temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius and higher.
There is a huge Totara tree in front of the amenities block that the birds all like, in the morning the dawn chorus was quite deafening, but lovely and melodic with the Bellbirds and Tuis singing to us.
We spent a lot of time down by the river, panning for gold now and again, not at all successfully I am afraid, but we tried. Many others did quite well and showed us all the gold they had managed to pan from the river bank, some had quite big chunks of gold worth quite a bit..Still it was fun messing around trying to find some.
Erle took my photo standing up on the bank of the peaceful stream that turned into a raging torrent not so long ago, where I was standing the flood waters were 6 feet deep over my head as shown by all the debris stuck up in trees! Amazing. The camp is on higher ground and was not flooded. We recon the water must of been about 50 feet deep as it roared down the river.
The whole area was alive with big Bumble bees, flying everywhere and buzzing around us as we did anything, I got bitten or stung under my arm in a very tender spot while I was doing a crossword in the shade of the Birch trees, then later I was got again my another Bumble bee on my forearm, same arm so I had 2 patches of itchiness! There were Sandflies too but we had repelent for them and were not bothered by them much.
We didn't swim as the river was very cold but we did paddle around in it. We took some nice bush strolls too, I saw this pretty native plant covered in bright blue berries, the berries are not attractive to the birds so are probably a bit poisonous.
We enjoyed a lovely relaxing few days and didn't want to return to civilization very much. The people in the camp were very freindly mostly foreign, like Danish, German, English, Dutch, but a few Kiwis too.
Porsche was pleased to see us back.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Picton Maritime Festival 2011
Picton Maritime Festival
Picton Maritime festival unfortunately struck a very cold windy drizzly day, the weather was not kind, people stayed away in droves, but we went and enjoyed a lovely lunch on the foreshore with lots of others. We chose the Thai food stall and the food was delicious, we also sampled the King Salmon stirfry with noodles, also yummy, there were plenty of other interesting food on offer as well..
Met up with a couple of friends from Church, Noeline and Karen, always nice to find friends at these events to chat and laugh with.
Bought a few odds and ends at the small stalls along the road, and watched a rather chilling display put on by the Fire Service and the Ambulance Service, with an old car accident mockup with 2 victims that required the Jaws-of-life to cut them free.
Saw Captain Cook sitting motionless on the Foreshore, a gentleman sits there and slowly moves a little looking exactly like a statue.
The marine boating events were mainly cancelled by the weather. As this festival is totally free, except for food it is very sad that the weather and the crowd did not come to the party.
There was a big area set aside specially for the children with face painting and clowns among other entertainments. We liked the stiltwalkers that roamed around the small crowd.
A most unusual form of entertainment was the walking -on-water game where children were zipped into a big bubble and then were able to walk on water within a large pool, it looked such fun and it was free.
Later the music and dancing went on into the night, before there was a lovely fireworks display put on by the inter-islander Ferry Company, my poor photos do not do justice to the colourful noisy display!
Thats my world for this week.
Picton Maritime festival unfortunately struck a very cold windy drizzly day, the weather was not kind, people stayed away in droves, but we went and enjoyed a lovely lunch on the foreshore with lots of others. We chose the Thai food stall and the food was delicious, we also sampled the King Salmon stirfry with noodles, also yummy, there were plenty of other interesting food on offer as well..
Met up with a couple of friends from Church, Noeline and Karen, always nice to find friends at these events to chat and laugh with.
Bought a few odds and ends at the small stalls along the road, and watched a rather chilling display put on by the Fire Service and the Ambulance Service, with an old car accident mockup with 2 victims that required the Jaws-of-life to cut them free.
Saw Captain Cook sitting motionless on the Foreshore, a gentleman sits there and slowly moves a little looking exactly like a statue.
The marine boating events were mainly cancelled by the weather. As this festival is totally free, except for food it is very sad that the weather and the crowd did not come to the party.
There was a big area set aside specially for the children with face painting and clowns among other entertainments. We liked the stiltwalkers that roamed around the small crowd.
A most unusual form of entertainment was the walking -on-water game where children were zipped into a big bubble and then were able to walk on water within a large pool, it looked such fun and it was free.
Later the music and dancing went on into the night, before there was a lovely fireworks display put on by the inter-islander Ferry Company, my poor photos do not do justice to the colourful noisy display!
Thats my world for this week.Friday, January 21, 2011
Unfortunate incident in Marina
This big launch has met with a mishap in the marina. During the night a mooring rope broke and allowed this big launch to slip in under the walkway within the Picton Marina, slowly the tide came back in trapping the bow beneath the walkway which is not a floating walkway, it is in the older part of the Marina.
The stern of the boat is now sticking up out of the water and bow is under water, soon the sea will flood into the launch if it is not rescued. Hopefully the tide will turn and go back out again before that happens. The walkway has also been lifted about half a metre too.
It is an overcast drizzly day and quite cold for a summers day, not a nice day for the owner to find his flooded launch sinking at his safe mooring within the Marina.
Eventually the tide did turn and the boat was ok, it didn't actually sink.
All of this unfolded right in front of our house, so we had a grandstand view.
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