Dreamyoga.co.uk Blog

I had a fabulous birthday

Friend Elaine and her husband Richard came from Lancaster and the first thing I heard of the outside world was them singing a kind of Old English Happy birthday in two part harmony, it was very beautiful. I had literally loads of gifts and presents to open, thank you so much to all those people who wrote and sent.

We went for a swim and lunch, the water is beautiful and warm, though there is a bit of a chill in the morning as we come into winter.   Elaine left as Debs turned up with a bottle of fizzy, so I lay in a warm bath listening to her news. Then off to the glamourous party at the Thai Resturant, the food was excellent and I made a little speech and handed over to Elaine, who got everyone singing in 4 parts, then the German contingent struck up with their version and I gave them an Irish rendition, it all went very well indeed. After that off to my friends bar at Tipi and Bob’s then down to St Patricks night at the Currack, the Irish bar. Things had all got a bit out of hand by now, I’d probably had far more wine than usual and I remember several people, I didnt know that well kissing me on the lips (excuse me) and being whizzed around the room-  a bit too fast - by the ex. Got home at Iam, now fully 60!

A couple of days before my freind Jude invited me to release some robins, Jude lives in a huge community (landwise not people numbers) which she has cleared of rats and pests. Last week her and her team and three bird experts (including my landlady Karen) went to a small island on a lake in Rotorua and caught 50 North Island Robins. Some of you may know Robins are my favourite creatures. The birds were caught on a Tuesday and put one to a cat box. They were boated back to the mainland, taken in a truck to the airport, then a plane to Auckland, then a plane to Great Barrier Island, then several cars up to the community of Windy Hill. Then us helpers got 2 boxes each and off we went into the deep bush. What a pace! Through impenatrable paths, over large rocks, tree stumps and mini ravines underfoot, I was breathless and sweating in minutes, with no hands free to stop myself falling.

I was doing my best - honest- when Karen said “Grace those birds can hear every sound in the boxes so try not to let anything touch the side” This meant walking backwards when there was no seeable path or break in the bush, holding the boxes above waist hieght, all at 100km an hour and being unable to moan - everyone else was used to the bush and they all seemed so TOUGH, didnt want to appear the “whingeing pom”

After not very long my shoulders and upper arms were screaming, there was also a nice little shower going on that was making the rocks and paths very slippery indeed. I prayed to every being that I could think of not to fall over, kill the birds and spend the rest of my life in conservation prison. After 90 minutes (I told you it was a big piece of land) my bootlaces were undone, there were bits of verbiage in my hair, all my clothes were stuck to me, possible posionous spiders in my underwear and a bright red face - not a good look, we found the place of release. The birds were of course delighted and flew off every which way with all of us in awe, I took some wonderful pictures, mostly of us all open-mouthed!

Wouldnt have missed it for the world - it was fantastic! 

The one thing New Zealand isn’t good at its rain. Its soft and wispy and usually accompanied by a warm wind and we get days of very accurate warning days before hand. In the UK , I find the metrological office tells us it will be a beautiful summer day, so we go off to work in appropriate clothing, come lunchtime the sky is black, its lashing stair-rods with sharp cold winds with no let up for days - I miss it.

I was on my way to the Thai Restaurant (12km distant) to meet some friends the other night, a tropical cyclone had been predicted, the week before, for 6pm that night. As I stood trying to hitch a lift I noticed every bit of traffic was going in the wrong direction. A few tiny drops of rain appeared, next thing there’s someone reversing back towards me, tyres screaming “Do I need a lift, or taken to shelter?” I said I’d be fine. Then 2 people stopped and turned around and took me all the way back to Claris where they’d just come from. They turned out to be aggressively proselytizing off-island Christians. They would hardly let me out until I promised to read the New Testament, through which, they thought, the Lord would speak to me and I would be saved!

The rain and wind picked up during the night and it was also high tide, the sea was sloshing about all over the place.

The next morning I was watering my only plant and realised there were literally thousands of ants in the pot. I popped it all into a bucket of water and the ants all came rushing out with little white bags under their arms (they did this all day). Then the windows became totally full of flying ants. I checked my washing on the line later and wasps, bums in the air, were attacking my bra. I’d been reading Ruby Wax’s autobiography all day which was full of angst of a bad childhood and several nervous breakdowns, though wittily written. I’d felt I’d have quite a strange day, so went to the pub for the first time in months and months. Got bitten by mosquitoes and picked up all the local gossip.

I know some of my blog focuses a lot on the word stingray, I keep telling people there are a lot and they are very aggressive. Somebodies dog was killed yesterday by a stingray. The dog owner, Fred Simpson, has only one arm and the other consists of a big articulated hook leading from lots of metal rods. Fred it seems is out at the moment killing stingray, five big ones already. So its been a strange day of seething and biting and stinging.

I want you to help me make a decision. I’m a Piscean and two good arguments are too much for me, should I go to Tasmania or not?

Fors- 1) Darren the barman for Birmingham says it the most fabulous place he’s ever been to. The people are lovely, he says and its very beautiful

2) I’ve been reading a lot of Tasmania history and guide books and there is a lot of fantastic things to do and see.

3) I’ve contacted the Tasmanian WWOOFERS (willing workers on organic farms) and there is some work , so I could swop 4 hours work a day for accommodation.

4) I’m leaving to come back to the uk via Melbourne which is a 10 hour ferry ride from Tassie, so its not too far out of my way and my ticket is flexible so I can change it any time.

Againsts-

1) I have very little cash just now, it would be more economically viable to come home end of April and miss Tasmania altogether

2) I have an amazing tan just now, after a month in T it will be all gone, cos its colder , and I wont be able to show it off.

3) I’m anxious to come home and see my grandchildren and friends, because I do miss them very much.

So any thoughts on all this please contact me on graceyogi@hotmail.co.uk. Also any contacts in Tasmania could be very welcome.