Waimate….

…..a rural town, where I was born.

Doug had an early physio appointment down in Waimate this morning, we were on the road before 9am.  A stunning autumn morning as my photos show.  
Once done, we enjoyed a coffee and catch-up with an old mate, the husband of our physio….(long story, good story).
Then, because Doug was feeling pretty good , we did a bit of a tiki around the town, stopping at Seddon Park (blip and first extra.  The second extra is over the road from the park). 

My blip are the Coronation Memorial gates built in honour of King George VI coronation, I thought appropriate given we’ve just had King Charles III coronation.  The impressive structure is Mughal style and rewards viewers with a breath of the British Raj. Through its gates are tennis courts and an elegant pavilion. 

Extra shows a collage of the band rotunda built 1920 in Seddon Square.

The silo art I’ve blipped before …. The info of these two follows -

Eric Batchelor: The Waimate Warrior
Eric Batchelor of Waimate, who was one of the allies’ greatest soldiers in WWII. Nicknamed 'the ferret' and the 'Waimate warrior’, Eric was twice awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery, and was the only New Zealand soldier of just nine British Commonwealth soldiers to receive the DCM and bar. Eric was loved by the locals for his humility, and his community spirit. 

Dr Margaret Cruickshank: The Beloved Physician
This honours Dr Margaret Cruickshank (January 1 1873 - November 28, 1918) who was the first woman GP in New Zealand. She was adored by the Waimate community for her dedication. Dr Cruickshank died during the flu epidemic of 1918, after bravely continuing to home visit her patients. Dr Cruickshank’s statue - unveiled at Seddon Square in 1923 -  was at the time the only statue to a woman in the entire country, apart from memorials to Queen Victoria.

This afternoon I toiled away in the garden, Doug went for a slowish walk along the road….progress on both fronts.

Rainie