A good day

It was an early start this morning as we had to be down in the Victorian Precinct by 7:30am to help set up for the Victorian Fete.  It didn’t take long and wasn’t arduous.  As soon as we’d finished we had breakfast in The Harbour Street Café, then went outside to see what was happening. The North Otago Highland Pipe Band was playing at one end of Harbour Street and at the other end was the Sumner Silver Band, with an excellent female conductor.  They were followed by Captain Festus McBoyle’s Travellin’ Variety Show - a weird and wonderful motley crew. We then walked uptown to check out summer weight duvet inners and food dehydrators, which was an interesting exercise.  By the time we’d finished we needed a coffee so went into the Victoria Lounge where we met a very nice couple who’ve lived in Oamaru for just a year.  We chatted to them while we had coffee and they had a cream tea.  On our way back to the fete we bumped into a couple we met at the Newcomers’ Group and were invited to a Christmas party, which was nice.  By then it was time for the “World Stone Sawing Championships”.  There were doubles for men and women, then singles for men and women.  It  was more difficult than it looked and great fun to watch but we got covered in fine white dust. When we got home all our clothes went into the washing basket and we showered to get rid of the dust on our skin and in our hair.  After the stone sawing championships MrMacD was in need of a beer, which is where we saw another couple we know and also bumped into the couple we’d met at the Victoria Lounge. 


After we’d finished our drinks we started to walk home but saw a billowing cloud of smoke and realised that it was a fire on the cliff by the road around to the penguin colony.  Fire engines galore turned up, as well as police cars.  We were some distance away but could see the firemen attempting to get the fire under control.  We stood and watched for some time then continued walking home. For about two hours after we arrived home we could see a helicopter with a bucket going to and fro, obviously getting water from the sea then tipping it onto the fire.


We’ve had an enjoyable and fun day and feel we’re starting to make connections.


I’m a bit behind checking in on blips, but I’ll catch up.