Sheep yardwork at the New House pens.

South Island holiday, December 1-19, 2006.

I had a GRAND time at the ACE South Pacific Student Convention. I got bitten by the Convention bug again after 5 years away, committed to memorizing the book of Proverbs (chapter by chapter), thoroughly enjoyed a couple of very late nights (early mornings), and suffered really bad withdrawal the day after Convention finished because I hadn't thought to gradually reduce the companionship after such a full-on week! =/
Apart from the ferry crossings and the TranzAlpine train, my journey was by bus. I was heartily sick of bus travel by the time I got home! I was very glad of cellphone texting contact with various people to while away the time as I journeyed.
I visited lots of folks on the way home, stopping for a couple of nights here and there. It was great to catch up with friends and to visit with family.
Then it was back into the busy life on the farm, with a week spent by myself while Colin and Dorothy had a break to spend time with their family in Northland and Hawke's Bay. I wasn't alone much, though, and I did hardly any cooking because several church families invited me to meals. The worst feature was the rain that never seemed to end. I enjoyed having the house to myself for a change.

Things I saw...


(CENZA choir)

(Christchurch Botanic Gardens, as seen from a canoe on the Avon)

(penguins being fed)

...places I went...

Antarctica!

(In the Storm Room at the Antarctic Centre, Christchurch)

...and some strange people I met. :c)

On the way home...

Colin and Dorothy Gilbert, my employers.

Ewe shearing, November 27, 2006.

The shearing gang: Andrew (shearer), me (rousie), and Carsten (senior presser and sheep-o). Kristina (junior presser and sheep-o) was taking the photo. Colin and Dorothy brought lunch and afternoon tea, but otherwise left us to it. Andrew was our source of advice and instruction.

Rousie and shearer.

Have I got that right?

Advising the presser while keeping up with sweeping proved challenging.

Rousie and presser.

Junior presser and sheep-o.

Kristina was the German wwoofer staying at the time.

Fleece on the move.

Missed.

Oh no! Help!

The presser didn't put the pins in properly before removing the lid...the pressed bale didn't stay pressed!

Simeon, the friend who got me this job at Castle Craig. We met in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, at the International A.C.E. Student Convention in May 1999. Everybody was seated according to country or state for the evening rallies, and since he was the only one from the UK and I was one of only three from NZ, we sat next to each other for five nights running. After leaving, we only knew each other's name and country of origin. Three and a half years later my younger sister was in touch with an acquaintance in the UK, the acquaintance knew Simeon... to cut the story short, he sent Katrina an email asking if she was related to the girl he sat next to at Interational... I discovered then that he had been in NZ for 2 years already. Well, three years later when I was starting to look for a farm job, he told his parents, and they offered me this job. I didn't even remember what he looked like, so meeting again after seven years was rather fun (this picture was not that occasion). The intermittant emails continue, though, because he lives way up north with his brother.

Roundabout way to get a job, but the sort of thing God seems to like setting up!