Its an uphill battle

This week we went on a school trip. It was to Cook's Cove where Captain Cook took on water, first encountered Maori, and chopped down some trees for the spars of his ships. Its up at Tolaga Bay, just an hour away. The kids went by bus, which is pretty new for them. The walk is only about 3 km, but very uphill, down dale. There was much cheering as they saw that I had made it!! it was fine all day in Gisborne, but as soon as we arrived a misty rain came an lasted all day. the kids were not going to be denied a swim however and the boys stripped down to their bare tops while the girls were in more cumbersome get-ups and they swam in two separate groups.

I headed back quite early, which was just s well as the ground became very slippery as it was mainly clay, and by the time 40 kids had made their way back it was like a luge ride.

Here's me an Alice at the Hole in the Wall. Yes tramping in the skirt.

VC Teaching

Some of you wonder what I am talking about when I say that I am teaching on VC this year. So I've taken some pictures to hopefully enlighten you. My room is long and thin so 2 of my Gisborne girls sit behind me and one next to me. This is not ideal - some of the other VC rooms allow you all to sit in a row. On the other side is the document camera which I use for putting notes up.

Here is a split screen, with our campus on one side and Canterbury on the other. I also teach Taranaki and Southland. The mic is just in front of the door and the campuses can talk to me, but often mute it so I dont hear what they are saying.

The VC is in a cupboard. I understand that it stops the bad TV vibes leaking out. Ours are not connected to the TV, but you can play videos, DVDs and hook up a computer - but only those that are approved.

So really it is like reading the 6 o'clock news. I have to be careful what I wear or it can be mighty distracting when I wear my bright purple top.

Three Score Years

This year we have a round of 60th birthday's. Here we are at Dawn's down at the winery just down the road. Then we have Duncan, and then Robyn - in the picture also, and Sue follows in April as well. All these old friends!! Still, Dawn and Robyn had to wait for me while we went over Kaiti Hill in our training for our trampin April - just 35km around Bank's peninsula. After this lunch for the girls, Duncan and I headed off for Ohiwa where the weather wasn't quite so bad as it was here and missed the spectacle of 15 polo ponies breaking out of the back paddock, racing round our property and onto the road. They had been spooked by the lightening and thunder and broke down the back fence where we join the racecourse.

Back at school and in the settling in phase. Doing four classes this year - double what I did last year.