My Life in Pictures

This was the title for a talk I recently gave to a Probus Club meeting. I joined the club nine months ago and all new members are asked to give a 10-minute talk about their lives to introduce themselves so members get to know you a bit. And this month it was my turn. I decided to do something a bit different to the talks I'd listened to; while the previous talks were interesting they all seemed to follow a similar pattern with an emphasis on their schooling, the jobs they had and their grandchildren. So I decided to illustrate my talk, thinking it would take the pressure off me, and at the same time be a bit light-hearted. I searched through all my photos and came up with about 30 that seemed to me to sum up different parts of my life.  Here are some of these photos. I've also added a few more I couldn't include in the talk because of time constraints. I decided to post the talk as a blog so I have a permanent record of it. 

I began by saying I was born in Perth, Western Australia around the middle of the twentieth century. Everyone laughed.  I was certainly not going to reveal my age as everyone else had!. 

The first photo (no baby photos thank goodness) was an official school photograph when I was five. It was in the days when few families had a camera so these photos were rather precious.  It still amazes me that it is still in perfect condition and so clear. Afterwards, people came to tell me that they had a similar photo - and they all loved the bow! 

I mentioned my sister and how we are still close and I love this photo of us. In Perth, a street photographer would take photos and give you a business card if you wanted to buy it from his studio. This one was taken outside the Commonwealth Bank near Forrest Place. I love it.

When I was 12, I won a TV in an Australia-wide competition to say 'why you liked Eta Peanuts 'in 25 words or less'. As I said in my talk, I was a bit miffed because the first prize was a swimming pool and that is what I would really have liked. However, it was a big deal as television had only just arrived in Perth and we didn't know anyone who had one. This was a publicity photo.  Don't you love the carpet. And the curtains.  Dad made the red vinyl bar studded with cream buttons.  

I fell in love with acting and appeared in many plays all my teenage years. My first role was Amy in Little Women. 

A more prestigious role was one I auditioned for when I was 14 - part of the chorus of four women in Murder in the Cathedral, a Festival of Perth production. The cast was full of well-known Perth actors and some had been brought over from England - though I was unaware of any of this. I was interviewed for the newspaper where it said ' A fourteen year old schoolgirl has won a plum role in this year's Festival of Perth'. I remember  thinking how much I enjoyed it - learning the lines, the rehearsals, being with real professional actors.  I still remember how I had to stand up at various times and deliver my lines as part of the 4-women chorus (Destiny, Woman, Mother, The Girl) . 

However, the most fun I had was as Titania in A Midsummer's Night Dream.  Why? Because I was 15 and the play was for a Scotch College production, so most of the cast were 15 to 17-year-old boys!!! 

But I also loved football and barracked for the Perth Demons. I made this devil for a Grand Final day and displayed it in our front yard. I'm 16 and went to the footy with my boyfriend. 

I included this photo in my talk because, for me, it encapsulates a Perth summer in which we watched the boys surf, sunbaked (with the emphasis on 'baked' as we smothered ourselves in Coconut Reef suntan lotion and olive oil), fished, and went prawning in the Swan River in the evening. I'm with my friend Jan at Safety Bay, south of Perth.

I trained as a teacher. This is the only photo I have of me teaching at Queens Park Primary School. We were on our way to the school hall to watch a touring group of actors who were putting on a play. A neighbour of mine was one of the actors and took this photo. He he. Aren't my students lovely - so well-behaved and I'm not taking any notice of them!!!

I announced that this next photo was my vanity photo, showing that I did indeed have a flat stomach and a waist at one time!!!! I then said that I often look at old photos and think 'Is that really me?' and wondered if those in the audience did the same, to which there were murmurs of agreement.

Of course, I was proud to announce I had two daughters. I loved dressmaking and made most of their clothes including these little tutus. Sharon is about 5 and Kate is 3. And I'm still in my twenties!

A few years later (and now a single mother) I was posted to Cannington High School as a Reading Resource teacher, helping those students who found reading difficult, to cope with high school texts. It was a fun place. Here I am when we had to dress 'Australian': Aren't these creative Year 12 girls adorable as lamingtons.

My Year 9 girls asked me to be Olivia Newton-John (of course) in their Greased Lightening number, along with a Phys Ed teacher.  Again, this is one of those photos that I look at and say 'Is that me?' I can hardly reach down to do my shoelaces up now!  

I was now married to Steve and we decided to move to Tasmania. This was our lovely cottage in Bellerive, opposite Hobart on the Derwent's eastern shore. Here I developed an interest in gardening, as well as history and writing about local history. 

I did a lot of climbing ...

                                                ... hiking ... 

... and I saw lots of snow and became a cover girl!

I got a job as a Research and Evaluation officer in the head office of the Education Department, evaluating new school programs the government had introduced. One job I enjoyed was evaluating the Indonesian language program that schools in the north-west had introduced. The job was not only interesting and challenging but I got to travel all over Tasmania which was amazing.

When my boss was naturalised she held an Australiana party. No - I was not going to go as a lamington. 'What would you have gone as?' I asked.  All I had to do for Steve was put some waves on his shirt as a friend of Kate's designed and made the Sydney Harbour bridge. My vegemite jar was made up of bits and pieces from a reject shop that specialised in cardboard boxes, large pieces of rubber, pieces of cotton and other material and all sorts of fascinating 'junk'. 

And then, after almost 10 years in Tasmania, we flew over Bass Strait and landed in Melbourne where we bought an apartment in a former MacRobertson chocolate factory. Ours was the middle two windows on the top (third) storey.

I got a job almost immediately with a publishing company writing text books for certificate courses for TAFE and other private providers. I loved the work and stayed with them for 18 years! 

My interest in history led me to researching the life of Macpherson Robertson and his chocolate empire, resulting, five years later, in my book. I'm very proud of this, as it's not easy to get a book published. 

 

After 12 years, the apartment block was getting noisier and the area getting younger (skateboarders rattling down the street at 3:00am outside our window), so we bought 5 acres of land in Bolwarra, just outside Portland, not that far from the South Australian border. In fact, it was closer to visit Mount Gambier in SA than Warrnambool in Victoria.  Happily, I was able to continue my job working from home. I was also able to indulge my love of gardening.

We had a cat, chooks, two alpacas (Machu and Picchu) and agisted two lovely horses, while the acreage included a large orchard and a lavender grove of 400 lavender bushes. I made a lot of lavender bags over the years. 

And we were on a koala belt and had koalas regularly visiting our gum trees. I loved seeing the mothers with their babies on their backs. One even came onto our deck.

We had a wonderful eight years there, but then decided to retire and came here to Encounter Bay, South Australia, a state we had not lived in before. 

I'm finishing off with a few travel photos as, for the past 40 years, Steve and I have travelled to many places in the world. Travelling was so much easier in the early days with little restrictions, sometimes the aircraft would only be 3/4 full and we never booked anywhere - just turned up to see what was on offer.  We backpacked, but did not travel light! Here we are in Flam, Norway.

You may have travelled to these places too. The first is Bruges in Belgium. 

We enjoyed our time in Myanmar in 2016 when Augn San Suu Kyi was briefly in power before a military coup took over the country. I fear that travelling there today would not be the same.

Similarly, we loved our holiday in Syria in 2004, especially the ancient ruins, the vast desert landscapes, the food and the friendliness of the people. But the ruins you see behind me in Palmyra were all completely destroyed when bombed by ISIS in 2015. We also visited a Bedouin camp. I loved the experience. The children kept stroking my blonde hair.   

Perast in Montenegro was, I'm sure you'll agree, a picture postcard town.

In 2010 we visited Romania, a land of castles, mountains, rushing rivers, towns each with its distinct architectural style, and yummy barbecued food.  It sometimes felt like a step back in time with more horse and carts than cars on the road. In the Transylvanian countryside we came upon farmers building haystacks. This lady agreed to a photo following lots of hand gestures, body language and much merriment.

 

Closer to home, the next photo is of the Solomon Islands.  We loved whizzing between the many islands in an open motor boat.

This next photo is included because our travels have not all been plain sailing. We were in the Huang Shan Mountains in central China (a short flight from Shanghai). I was walking down some steep concrete steps when I turned around to look at something and my backpack kind of took me over and I fell and ended up in a ditch beside the steps. Ouch. I was carried to the nearby hotel where I stayed for a day before we could leave - my ankle bandaged up tightly. The next day I was carried down the mountain by these two lovely men  in a kind of a chair carried on their shoulders. How embarrassing. People actually waved at me as if I was the Queen of Sheba. Here, Kate is walking beside me trying to keep my spirits up.

We visited a hospital at a nearby town where they xrayed me and diagnosed a broken ankle (with a spiral fracture). Back home, I was on crutches for the next few months.

And this last travel photo, I said, was one of the best beaches we have ever seen.  I asked if anyone knew it. It is Waitpinga Beach, a few kms from our house in Encounter Bay. No-one recognised it. I think they were expecting me to say Hawaii or South Africa. 

I ended my talk by explaining that I now was a volunteer radio presenter on the local community radio station - FleurieuFM - having a two-hour timeslot on a Sunday afternoon playing music from the 1950s through the 1980s. I do love it, with Steve helping me run the board.

And I ended my talk by saying that it was last June that friends Helen and Sandy sponsored me as a Probus member. 

So a different Profile talk than most people give, but at least I think I kept everyone's attention.

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Two Go Adventuring in New Zealand: Part 3 Fiordland National Park

 The final leg of our journey took us to the western side of the island to the Fiordland National Park, a region of steep, rugged snow-clad mountains, deep lakes, fiords, waterfalls, rushing rivers and dense forests. As our guide book said, it's an enthralling and dramatic landscape.

We first drove through bucolic farmland, getting excited when we glimpsed snow on the faraway alpine ranges - mountains that we would eventually be right amongst.

First stop was Te Anau, a lovely town on the large glacial Lake Te Anau and a great spot to start exploring the park. We loved its laid-back atmosphere, helpful people, delicious food and the picturesque setting.  After settling in to our accommodation we headed for the Information Centre to acclimatise ourselves and figure out what to do. A stroll around the lake seemed a good idea. Weather perfect if a little brisk.

And then it was off to the Bird Sanctuary where we really wanted to see the famed New Zealand parrot, the takahe.

 


The bird was such a prima donna and kept hiding from us. Finally, Steve took a decent shot.

This one (whatever it was) was more obliging. Again, one of Steve's photos.

That night we went to the local cinema to see a documentary film called Shadowland, a wonderfully exhilarating story of the history of the vast area known as Fiordland. We're glad we went. It was full of sweeping views of the soaring mountains, lakes and forests - views you never get unless you're in a helicopter, and even then, this was a specially commissioned film, so was filmed in very inaccessible places.  I loved it when the camera focussed on a thundering waterfall and went closer and closer until we were actually underneath the falling water. It was so real you felt you were there. Great photography indeed.

The next day we packed a picnic lunch and set off on the Milford Road, the road that eventually ends up at Milford Sound. But we weren't going that far; instead we followed the brochure that showed the stopping off places to view the magnificent scenery. 

Our first stop was in the Eglinton Valley, a vast lowland area between the mountains. 

The next stop was at Mirror Lakes where reflections of the distant towering mountains are captured in Lake Te Anau. A boardwalk led down to, then alongside, the lake, giving us ample time to find the best spot for a photo.  Because the lake's waters were so still, the reflections were beautiful.

Another spot further on summed up this area - snow, lake, mountain and trees. Check out the blue sky.

The Hollyford Valley lookout gave us views down the valley between the mountains. Here, the Hollyford River carves its way through the dense forest ... 

... to arrive here...

... and here, a delightful spot called Falls Creek .

But the best scenery of all, for me, was that at Monkey Creek. 

The near-vertical walls of the mountains here are a mecca for rock climbers and mountaineers from all over the world. 

I liked the way the river curved around here. This was as far as we went travelling the Milford Road.

On our way back, we stopped at Lake Gunn for our lunch ...

...then on to Cascade Creek where we did a wonderful walk in an ancient beech forest. A lovely end to a fabulous day.

  

But the day was not over yet. Back at Te Anau I spotted a sign on the lake for a seaplane trip. It turned out that this was much cheaper than the helicopter offerings, so I decided that this would be my very early Christmas present for Steve (as I am not one for boats and planes). He managed to secure a seat and off he went. It was 6:30 but still very light with little wind - a perfect  combination. He loved it, and here are his photos.

And here's my photo of the seaplane returning home to land, and the photographer emerging from what he said was 'a fantastic flight, thoroughly enjoyable with a great commentary.'  

On our third and final day in Te Anau we decided to walk a bit of the Kepler Track, a 3-4 day trek along the lake through forests to the alpine ridgeline and spectacular panoramic views. We opted for a couple of hours through the beech forest. The track was extremely well-maintained. It wound itself around large trees, vast swathes of small ferns, moss-covered logs, tiny streams bubbling over rocks, and some very large tree ferns. It was magical. We were walking quite slowly, taking photos and taking in the peaceful surroundings, so lots of people strode past us, all with a cheery 'Hello'. Even a couple of people were running! 

Steve rests on a log.

He stirred sufficiently to take a photo (or two) of me enjoying this fabulous walk.

The next day we made our way to Wanaka, travelling past Queenstown then veering north-north east. 

Again, the scenery was so pretty.

We diverted off the main road and took the Crown Range Road - a fabulous route through huge mountains with the road winding higher and higher giving us fabulous panoramic views. There were no places to stop for photos except a couple of 'chain bays' where, in winter, people can stop to put chains on their wheels. This is the only photo I took through the car's window when I realised we couldn't stop - almost at the end of the road. 

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We finally arrived at Wanaka. We had stayed here around 15 years ago when it was a small lakeside community. Now, it is the fastest growing town in New Zealand. Goodness me - it was so crowded, no parking spots, people and motor homes everywhere, but the willow-lined lake setting was lovely.   

Some of the homes were super gorgeous and modern - all timber and glass walls, but I actually liked the look of this one nestled among the trees on this rather large block. 

The next day we drove to Mt Aspiring National Park, another great drive with both Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea on view, backed by snow-topped mountains.

Our destination was a site called the Blue Pools. Not much information about it but it sounded promising - an easy flat walk through a beech and podocarp forest, along some duckboarding, and over a swing bridge to see pools of water flowing into the Makaroora River. Off we went, the clouds now looking rather threatening.

The entrance to the forest.

 

Over the swing bridge.

Part of the blue pools

On the viewing platform.

Our afternoon trip was a visit to a lavender farm and gardens. So peaceful and pretty ...

...despite the lavender having been pruned of its purple glory.

The flowers were colourful. I did spot a lavender bush in bloom in the garden section.

We then spent some time at the sweet-smelling lavender shop and stimulated the economy!

Back at Wanaka, we again aided the community by purchasing a few books at a lovely bookshop. 

Our trip was drawing to a close. The next day we hit the road for the last time, our destination Christchurch. The highlight of this route was just past the town of Twizel, where we could see Mt Cook (60 kms away) reflected in the waters of Lake Pukaki. The viewing spot was full of motor vans so we left and drive a little further on.

Nearby is an area designated 'Dark Sky' because of the clear air and lack of light pollution. It's apparently one of the largest Dark Sky areas in the world. Just our luck to be passing through in daylight.

We finally arrived in Christchurch and bedded down for the night. Tomorrow we take the car back, but before that, we decided to visit the botanic gardens. What a delightful escape from the city. The Rose Garden was fabulous...

.. but it was the old-world Heritage Garden that took my breath away with its old species roses, peonies, foxgloves, iris, lavenders and arbors of climbing roses. You can see by the number of photos I have included that I was enchanted. I simply love cottage gardens. 

I guess you spotted the bee in that photo, so see if you can spot the bird in this next one!

Steve persuaded me to finally leave. We followed the trails set out in our brochure and came to the river where we spied tourists enjoying a row on the Avon. 

And then I left Steve sitting on the river bank and wandered some more, chancing upon the Curator's House and Garden. How Kate would have loved this. The house was built in 1920 for the curator of the gardens, hence the name. The garden was actually a potager - the beds filled with kitchen garden herbs and spices with a variety of companion plants to ward off pests, suppress weeds, and to attract pollinators - at the same time giving off a pop of colour.   

I spied a small potting shed and a petite hot house. 

We ended our visit with a picnic lunch (a half chicken left over from my hotel dinner the night before which consisted of an ENTIRE chicken). 

The car was duly returned to the hire company and they took back us to the airport. 

The trip home was uneventful until we called our limo service to pick us up. It was 11:00 pm and we were tired. Oh no - we were told that the driver had hit a kangaroo and destroyed the car's headlights and the car was out of action and no other driver was available. 'Get a taxi and we will reimburse you'. What an end to our holiday. But - the driver was lovely, the car comfortable, and our money promptly in our bank account the following day.

We didn't have many photos of the two of us together so this one, taken by a friendly local on our last day in the botanic gardens, will be a good one on which to end our adventure.   

And I've added two more photos showing what we both enjoyed doing the most on the trip! 

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