With a tour guide around Orana park

Orana park is a zoo with 8o hectares of ground about 10 minutes drive from the airport in Christchurch. It is a open range sanctuary where endangered animals have lots of space to walk around. A young friend is a volunteer at Oranapark and works very hard every Saturday and also looks after the giraffes. First we had a lunch on a beautiful spot and then we got a VIP treatment and we learned a lot of facts from our young tourguide.

The lions doze of in the warm autumn sun. The right one is a male. It looks like a female but the male gets castrated, we were told to make them less dominant. The male then looses its manes but they grow into very big animals.

Girlfriend of Gregory Peck. Forgot the name of this Ostrich. Our friend knows the names of all the animals.

I thought that Gregory Peck followed us because he liked us but we learned that he checked us out if we didn't get too close to his girl friend

The cheetah is one of the fastest in the world and can run up to 120 km an hour. The word Cheetah comes from an Indian word meaning 'spotted one'.

 

 Our friend paints the sign and gets a haircut at the same time ;)

My friend took this picture from a lot of big trout in the lake. Look how clear the water is.

The rhino walks around with her young one. Orana Park is part of an international White Rhino breeding program. Our friend has touched the coarse skin of the Rhino. This isn't dangerous he said as the Rhino couldn't see him and because of the thick skin he doesn't feel it either.

My friend and Nathalie. He has fed Nathalie for months when she hurt her tong on the fence. She is all good now.

 

Nathalie or the old girl as our friend calls her She is the oldest giraffe in Orana park. Thanks for the wonderfull day we had.

Butterfly delight

More sunflowers today but the focus is this time on the butterfly who is posing patiently for me long enough to go inside grab my camera and make a picture.

 

When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.   Edward Teller

 

Just when the catterpillar thought the world was over it became a butterfly. Proverb

I love butterflies because they are beautiful but also because of their symbolic meaning.The most significant thing about butterflies is that they go through an enormous change. They transform inside the chrysalis where new genes are turned on which changes their form from an earthy caterpillar into a free flying colourful butterfly. 

 The Greek word Psyche means both butterfly and soul. I think inside our soul rest the secret of who we are. We are already perfect just like the butterfly. We don’t know that and look to the outside world of how to be and how to behave. It can take us a lifetime to find out what our passions and strength are.

 For years we can run after shallow ideals to become rich and powerful only to find out that we were chasing some ghosts. We really want to be loved and respected. When we discover our passion, enjoy life and send out ripples of love we will move towards becoming a butterfly. We need to believe that we already possess the genes to become a butterfly. We just have to turn them on by following our intuition.

We change all the time but significant changes are rare.  We too can experience a transformation from a sudden insight when somebody turns  our light on inside or when we discover one day what our passion is, when we learn that love is the most important thing in the world whatever we do. The hard work becomes a game. Sometimes we have to bump our head many times and sink deep before we learn the right lessons, before we are able to make that important change.

When we are lucky to go through a transformation and become a butterfly we must remember that we were once a caterpillar and respect that stage of life in others as well. Only then we can show our full colours

Christchurch in 1952

As I have to divert my attention to other matters at the moment, I leave you with a promotional video about Christchurch from 1952. I noticed that 60 years ago Christchurch had pretty much the same laid back atmosphere and people engage in the same activities as today. You don't see much bikes on the road anymore though and obviously the buildings are changing rapidly. Enjoy.

Lyttelton to Diamond harbour

In Christchurch new buildings, new websites new everything is popping up. One of the new Christchurch websites is called therefore Popup city Christchurch The website shows things to do, new places to visit etc. From this site we got the idea to take the ferry to Diamond Harbour. We have done this many times before but haven't done that since the earthquakes as our beloved Godley House cafe , which was the landmark of Diamond Harbour,has been equalised with the ground. But the weather was gorgeous today and we felt like going for a walk in a different place.

Where the buildings have gone in Lyttelton a container cafe appeared

Waiting at the boat stop

The tug "lyttelton" is preparing hours in advance for a trip.

Leaving Lyttelton harbour

Arriving at Diamond harbour

We went for an hours walk along the coastal track

When arriving back at Lyttelton we had a muffin and a delicious organic drink at this make shift cafe. The cafe appeared thanks to the wire 8 attitude of the kiwies. In 1963 wire 8 was imported to New Zealand and used by the farmers for fencing. It was also used for heaps of other tasks and since then it is a symbol of kiwi ingenuity and self-sufficiency. They say the only thing kiwies need is a piece of wire 8.

The magic sunflower

Sun rays, enlighten
creating a glowing golden crown
of  a sun flower towering
above little plants far down



This shiny yellow shuttle
Sits proudly on the top
resting in peace on its stem
holding it's glorious head up

 

Sun flowers dancing
in harmony together
Rocking on a lullaby
waving in windy weather

 

Isn't the world a feast
doesn't beauty give you power
especially when your garden is covered
with that magical sunflower

The train station

I hardly write poems anymore. I started to write when I befriended a blogging poet  about 4 years ago. At that time I only worked 2 days a week. Now I nearly work full time and can't settle down to write but one day I will have the time again, and I look forward to that. Here an oldie

The Train Station

I watch them pass by
and catch a glimpse of the play

by the actors of live
who's props are newspapers
suitcases and cellphones
The lines in their face
and the light in their eyes
reveal a clue to an untold story

Directed by a voice
"The 10.30 to Amsterdam
is leaving on platform two"
they step in a carcass
of steel and glass
driving them to their next act
I watch them pass by
and catch a glimpse of their play

marja blom

The Dutch

I bumped into this picture on facebook. Although I have become partly kiwi I will always stay Dutch as well and inside I feel sometimes a little yearning to everything Dutch. Recognition flamed up when seeing this picture and I'll give you my perspective.

what younger tourists think we do
When I talk to young people in NZ, they do think Holland is all about drugs, and they get excited about it. Right.... not. Although there are many coffee shops in the Netherlands. I never went to one but people come there to buy soft drugs which are legally not allowed but the police tolerates it.
It is often popular with tourists and because of this tourist attraction they want to get rid of this popularity and want to introduce the "wietpas" which is a licence which allows Dutch people to become a member of coffee shops and makes it forbidden ground for tourists.
Many are afraid however that this doesn't solve any problem but moves the use to the street.

What older tourists think we do
Yep true They often ask me here about clogs. I tell them only some farmers still wear them but otherwise you never ever see them. Since I live here though I have a pair of little clogs in my house. Possibly to show that I am Dutch as I never had any relationship with clogs in the past.

What other Europeans think we do
Could be as many Dutch go camping and invade the camping grounds in France, Spain and Germany. Often they take half of the supermarket with them to eat their favourite foods. I think they love going to camping because it is an ideal place for kids and because they can stick together with other Dutch which is "gezellig"
We never went camping as my mum hated camping which is cramping (kramperen) according to her.

What soccer fans think we do?
Right!! I think Dutch people are pretty much individuals but with national soccer games (and on Queens birthday) they become one, are passionate and sing Dutch songs and dress in orange. I love it.

What we think we do?
I do think the Dutch are tolerant and liberal in many areas
There was always an attitude of "live and let live" and people with many backgrounds, religions etc lived peacefully together.
I have the impression however that in the past decades a fear started to burn
which has challenged the tolerance towards some groups.

What we really do?
Spot on That's what I remembered. I spend many many hours on my bike.
I biked for 8 years everyday from my town to the city to go to school. When my kids were small I biked everywhere with them. One sitting in a bike seat on the front and one on the back. Holland is a fantastic country for biking.

What I miss most is the Dutch "gezelligheid" which means fun, cosines, togetherness, comfort. It is hard to translate. We have this feeling here as well but I think the Dutch are top notch in creating this atmosphere.
I also miss the sense of humor which has a touch of irony, sarcasm. (Although since the earthquake I have enjoyed in Christchurch an amazing sense of humor) I always just loved "ouwehoeren" which means something like , talking nonsense, twaddle, talking pointlessly. We had a lot of fun doing that. I don't know if I lost that as you don't come across it here a lot even not among the Dutch in NZ. I guess we are adapting to the NZ way.

Anyway only 3 1/2 months to go before I will be immersed in it all again.

Underneath a nice song about the Dutch, which is old as there are now about 16 Million people in the Netherlands.