THE FRIDAY BLOG PAGE.

THE WONDERFUL ROAD TRIP
FROM THE ARCHIVES
part two.
We turned into Bailey Road and made our way to the lighthouse. I had been to the lighthouse before when the children were young, a friend and I had been invited to afternoon tea with the lighthouse keeper and his wife. But I did not really recognise it at all. I had no idea the this was the replica until we moved further along passing that wonderful bend in the road where I first saw the magical Blue and White Agapanthus flowers on my first day in Taranaki New Zealand. On through Warea, where we spent our first few days in Taranaki. We turned into Cape road and drove to the end, wonderfully close to the sea and there it was, standing proud and tall, painted white with a wonderful bright red door and trim and even then I was not sure that I remembered it. But all those years ago, we did not drive to the sea. My friend and I and our four children had gone to the keepers home where we had a delightful time chatting, while hearing stories of the life as a family looking after the lighthouse. One thing that sticks out in my memory and both of my very grown up
children is the cats. They had rather a good few of them, sitting, curled up and lazing in every corner and place that they could get away with. I had meet Mr and Mrs Richards where I worked and we got talking about Wales, where my mother was born. Mr Richards either knew Maesteg or had live close to it. After that afternoon tea we walked to the lighthouse and were shown inside and we all bravely walked to the top and back. We decided to go and have a look at it. But after getting out of the car with jasper, a sign on the metal chain across the track said NO DOGS. So I went on my own while Jasper was taken for a stroll. There are a good few concrete steps but with an excellent wooden hand rail I had no problem walking up or down, The view out to sea was breathtaking with so many shades of blue. I did take a few photos but just breathing it all in seemed so much more important. There is such a feeling of romance about and around lighthouses and Cape Egmont lighthouse has such an interesting history, starting out as cast-iron segments made in
London, travelling twelve thousand miles to New Zealand and assembled on Mana Island, north of Wellington. The tower was dismantled and carried in sections to Cape Egmont in 1881. The huge, cast iron sections would have been ferried ashore by surf boats, then dragged up to the site by bullock teams.
Looking up, those white fluffy clouds that seemed so close, I felt so sure that if I could have reached up I would has been able to touch them. It gave me a feeling of lightness and such freedom. I could almost hear my heart singing with a lovely feeling of great happiness.
We drove back to the main highway, we could be heard singing “Riding along in my
automobile” Quiet often, stopping again to take photos of a very run down set of white painted brick gates. I got, out, crossed the road to take photos and popped inside to have a look. But there was just a large area of tarmac. I have found out since then; that it is a War Memorial for those Taranaki people who fell in the first and second world wars, also Japan, Korea and Borneo. I stood for a moment to give a small remembrance to those people and their families. For some reason it has been forgotten. I would like to get a water blaster to work on the bricks and maybe a chain saw on the over grown shrubs and bushes. I felt rather sadden by it’s neglect and wondered why it had been left rather lonely and quite sad. But I suppose a good few people have left the area since it was build and of cause the
upkeep would costs so much more money these days.
Our next stop was at Pungarehu. a really lovely rural township’s where we decided to stop to use the facilities. These were rather old school style, built in the nineteen thirties or forties and looked to be part of a group of buildings with a couple of different size church halls close by. To our surprise they were clean and rather tidy. I did like the row of very small sinks, white, set in wood with very modern taps running along one side of the toilets. I have never seen such cute sinks before. Just a short distance along the street was a beautiful stone and concrete War Memorial rather church looking with white painted gates. I loved the words at the top “Their Names shall live” written with small pebbles. To top it all was a British crown paint red and white.
As we got back into the car, some thing unusual caught my eye and brought a big smile to my face. But I think I will save that for the next Friday Blog Page.

THE FRIDAY BLOG PAGE

THE FRIDAY BLOG PAGE

EARLY LIGHT

Recently we dropped of a couple of books at the after hours slot at the library. Then walked across the lawns at Puki Ariki and onto the wide pathway,along and under the road bridge, turning at the slope up towards the wooden landing itself, then on to the very wide Coastal walkway. We walk this way so often that I’m sure I could do it blind folded with Jasper at the end of his lead. This rather early morning, the day seemed very slow to lighten and move on with what needs to be done with the morning light. So extra special, not being able to see the sea, made the sound more magical. The sound filled every corner of my mind and I just “loved” it so. Oh, the romance of the sound of the beloved Tasman sea as it crashes powerfully onto the very large black boulders that line the sea wall edge of the walkway. Just seeing the white foam and tall spray as the full tide hits the shore and quickly moves back to repeat the same thing over and over again, is so exciting and makes one feel awake and more strengthened. We stop and listen, there is no need to hurry. I have to make the most of this wonderful moment in time. It is so easy to miss magical moments in our every day lives. We walked along; I enjoying the sound of the sea with it’s hypnotising rhythm inducing a feeling of calmness. Slowly the sky was getting lighter; soon the moment of pure enchainment would begin to fade as the sky on the horizon; where the Tasman sea and the sky meet become the colour of magic with it golden brilliants. We stop to watch; drinking in such a wonderful site, then gently, slowly we walk on and carry on with our morning walk.

THE FRIDAY BLOG PAGE

THE FRIDAY BLOG PAGE

STORIES FROM THE WISTERIA BOOK CASE

CHURCH HILL HEIGHTS.

This story startled last winter as I can remember seeing Loraine writing up the notes for it; she put them safely away; then could not find them. I really do think she is starting to forget a few things hear and there. So it was not until she started that end of year thing she always does.”The big tidy up” before the new year; and they the notes were hiding with some other pages of writing.

Loraine’s son always pops in on Sunday afternoons for a catch up and a cuppa. If the weather is looking like rain or it is rather cold; he will often drop her and Jasper off; some where for a walk; then they only have to walk home. All of a sudden I was grabbed from the the wisteria book shelves and put into the little lace bag; I wondered what was going on. She had already put the

camera; her cell phone and Jasper’s drink bottle in the bag; so there was only; just enough room for me. Then she was rushing to get her coat on and Jasper’s coat, lead and collar; and in a blink; we were sitting in her son;s car. I was so excited and worried at the same time. Where were we going? He kindly dropped us at the Paul Gates at Churchill Heights. Oh, what kind of adventure could we going to have. We walked along the side with the tall hedge under the ever so “tall” Pohutukawa trees; they seem to grow every where here in New Plymouth. Loraine had not been here for a long while, so she was enjoying the walk very much and of course Jasper was having a great time. I had been pulled to the top of the bag; so I had view of every where we were walking. It was all so new to me and such a delight. Then we got to the clearing; by the side of the croquet club with the lush green lawns. That is when I saw it all. Oh my goodness I was on the top of the world with Loraine and Mr J. They were not at all concerned; but I was of course was a bit worried; what if we fell or rolled down the big slope; my mind was racing; then she gentle took me out of the bag; so I could see where we were. I could see a huge expanse of the Tasman sea; it was so blue and bigger that I ever thought it was when I had seen it from the walkway. Jasper was still having a wonderful time with so many new smells to find. How delightful it was. I could hear it in her voice that she love’s this place. Then Loraine said she had a surprise for me; she turned me around. There it was Mount Taranaki; standing in all it’s glory with a super white covering of snow. The sun was shining but there was a lovely coolness in the air. The three of us had a marvellous time. I was put back in the little lace bag and we started to walk down the Hill towards the Morley street gates. I was for just a moment a little nervous; thinking oh; do be careful; don’t slip or fall. But she is so agile and careful; there was really not need to worry. Loraine gave Jasper a big drink from his water bottle and the she let me sit on the thick tree trunk to have a photo taken. Further down the hill she let me have a little swing on an old car tire on a rope slug over a tall branch of the tree. Oh what fun that was. She did not push me very high at all. The lead was put oh Mr J and we walk on down the hill to those wrought iron gates that she loves on Morley street. We walked along some streets that I did not know with tall fences. It did not take to long for us to be home in the Orange apartment. I was given a little hug and put on the Wisteria shelves. I settled down while Loraine started getting tea ready for Jasper and herself. What a great adventure we all had.