Our church buildings

It has come to my notice that I have not put into my blog pictures of our Corps buildings or Family Store. So I have decided to make that addition today....

This a picture of our Corps building from the road

A closer look at the main entrance

Our Family Store exterior

Our Worship Hall before we made a few changes. Like putting the platform back.

Our office before we shifted the furniture around.

The activity centre that is used for all activities apart from the Sunday service. Including all activities that include food. We also hire this space out a fair amount. The pictures on the back wall that you can see are painted onto polystyrene. This room is now used for children's church and Friday night Kids Club.

Congress

So the Salvation Army Congress in Dunedin was a mission. How often would you fly from the South Island (Westport) to Wellington in the North Island to get to Dunedin (South Island). I spend 3 hours or so sitting in Wellington airport waiting for the connecting flight to Dunedin. And on the way home my flight schedule was full. Dunedin to Christchurch, Christchurch to Wellington and finally Wellington to Westport. Talk about a round about way of getting to your destination.. But on the other hand it sure was better than a 7 - 8 hour drive....

On my way home as we flew from Wellington into Westport it was raining a bit and as I looked out my window at the coast line moving on past, I was lucky enough to see a rainbow and because we were up in the plane when I looked out at it properly it was a full circle rainbow. I have never seen anything like it before. It was so cool. I tried to get photo of it but that did not really work out a tiny plane window....

Here are a couple of photos of the rainbow after we landed.

It had turned into a normal half rainbow but a double one so still a little bit different.

And that is all I have to say about that.... Congress that is.

Denniston

During March we took another trip doing some tourist stuff and we went up to Denniston which is a historic site where there was once a very busy town. The whole town was based around the coal mines that surrounded it. There is only a few houses left up there but some local people are slowly trying to restore the historic sight so that visitors can see what the mining town once looked like.

You can still clearly see the incline which was used for the coal buckets to make their perilous and fast way down the hill to the rail head to be carted away to Christchurch or to the port. There is also some of the works around that you can look at and see where different places like the school, shop and of course the pubs were. Most of it is in barely recognisable ruins but it was interesting. There are stories of children who were born up there who never came down "The Hill".

The top of the incline. The coal wagons started their journey here and basically just went over the top at speed.

The children sitting on one of the restored coal wagons that would have gone up and down the hill carrying the coal around. Small wagons were used to bring the coal from the different mine areas.

This was a brick viaducts that is still in place that was used to bring the coal from one of the mines to the top of the incline for dispatch down the hill for transport away.

The floor of the old engineering workshop. Not very much left

A piece of the old machinery that helped to make the coal wagon move up and down the hill.

The view from up there once the cloud cleared was amazing all over the valley all the way back to Westport and our to sea. Good a clear day. The day we were up there it was clear for very brief period of time the rest of the time it was covered in low cloud.

Additions to the Bray Family

I have just realised that I have not introduced the new members of our family.

We have two cats now. The first one came in the conventional way via a Vet/Pet shop here in Westport the day after we arrived. The second one was found one morning on our Family Store doorstep and after following us home that first day he has never left and we have adpoted him.

The first cat is a black and white fluffy girl names Cindas. This name was decided on after we realised that Cinderella was just too long. We figured that if she had not fallen into cinders/ash of a fireplace she would have been a white cat.

The other cat is a short haired tabby cat and his name is Dova. This name came about because when he first arrived Emily would wander around the house and yard asking where is 'the other' (it actually came out de ova) cat and so Dova has stuck... Like glue really.

Cindas was not so keen on sharing her family to start with but the two cat negotiated terms and are now the best of friends. As evidenced by the photos below.

This is Cindas 0n the back of the couch. She also likes playing in the clothes rack when it is up trying to dry our clothes inside

This is Dova. The other cat. This photo was taken when we were making the effort to find his real home... However he now has his real home

This is the pair of them after they had negotiated terms.... They got even closer than this but the photo is not as good.

No Petrol Signs

I have been promising more pictures of Westport. Have you ever wondered how far away Westport was from anywhere. Well this might just let you know a bit clearer how far to go to the next big town..... but then again.....

This sign is on the road on your way further up the West Coast heading to Karamea and the Heaphy Track. Once you get to Karamea it is basically the end of the road.... literally.

This sign is on the road after we turn off the main road up the Buller Gorge to head to Greymouth.

And finally this sign is on the only other road that heads out of Westport and the Buller region and this is the road that heads in the long run to either Christchurch via Reefton or to Blenhiem or Nelson via Murchison.

So as you can see it is a mighty good idea to full up with petrol before you leave Westport because it could be a wee while before you see a petrol station again. Considering there is only two petrol stations in Westport and they cost a good 5 - 8 cents more per litre of petrol than Christchurch or Nelson they have their futures pretty well taken care of don't you think.