Gorges, gangs and grannies.

On one of our week-end drives around our part of New Zealand, we came across this typical scene which gives you a good idea of the landscape. It is often such a surprise when you have been travelling along seemingly level ground for ages and then suddenly, out of nowhere, there is a dramatic gorge with cliff-like sides, falling away to a fast moving river.
Jo is presently in South Africa attending to things wise and otherwise and in the course of his travels has managed to go up to the actual offices of the Department of Environmental Affairs, who we have been communicating with for months. The issue has been the Cites certificate which we need in order to have our piano's released from Auckland and the official there has been literally unable to operate either the e-mail function or the good old fashioned fax machine to get the said certificate to us here in NZ. He has apparently been unable to operate the snail mail function of life either and as a result, we have made zero progress in two months. Jo called this morning and tells me that he now has the said certificate in his hand and so that is a huge relief after all the frustration we have been dealing with. Evidently, the above mentioned official was nowhere to be seen or found in the offices of the Department - he probably turned a little white when he heard that Mr Botha from NZ was there to collect the certificate and promptly did a speedy disappearing act. Enough said!
Wanganui has been in the news recently for the council's stand on gangs - it is now officially, from today, illegal to be seen in public with a 'gang patch' displayed on your clothing. There are two big rival gangs in Wanganui and as they said on the news this morning, if you happen to live in one of the 'lower income areas of Wanganui', you are likely to come across either or both. Frankly, we have seen nothing of this sort of thing anywhere in Wanganui and although it could well be an issue which needs attention, we can't imagine that banning the patches is going to help too much. After all, perhaps it's better to be able to see the patches up front and then you know well in advance what you are dealing with! In any event, it really does appear to be prevalent in the Maori communities and like everywhere else in the world, the gang issue lurks around the unemployed younger guys. I just wonder what they plan to do about the 'gang patches' that are a permanent part of the wearer in the form of tatoos - many of which are on the faces of the gang members. Can you just imagine trying to enforce the 'eyes only showing, veil system' for these chappies??
Also in the news this morning, two big stories for the 'more mature ladies' - Dame Vera Lyn of Sweetheart of the War fame (We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when) has done some more recording in the UK - at 92 years old I tell you - and says she is amazed that people are buying 'her type of music' with all the new stuff out there being 'so very different'! She looks incredible for her age - she could easily pass for seventy something - amazing! And to think that her voice is still 'recordable' at 92 is just as spectacular.
The other 'old duck' in the news today is the Olympic swimmer from way back - Dawn Frazer, who at 71 lives with her daughter and family on the sunshine coast. They were apparently attacked in their home yesterday - victims of an attempted robbery. Dawn Frazer was not impressed with this group of youngsters and when one of them tried to strangle her, she promptly fought back and kneed him in the groin! When they all decided they had picked the wrong family to attack, she and her daughter chased after them and I understand that some of them have now been locked up! This evening's news had an interview with Dawn and she happened to mention that she has had a knee replacement operation, which means that the knee in question is now made of titanium! I would imagine that it hurt the would-be robber quite a bit! Good on ya Dawn!!
Dis al!