A quick dash through Toitu

This week we're back in Toitu,

 otherwise known locally as The Early Settlers Museum.

We are doing a quick dash through today as there is so much

 to see and do I thought I'd just give you a taste.

Josephine

Josephine is the very first thing you come across

 as you enter the foyer.

She is loved by old and young alike, if you mention seeing Josephine at the museum we all know what you're talking about.

If you go to the link on her name you can read about her.

And I do apologize for cutting her nose off when photographing her. Once again there is a great photo in the link.

Turn to the right and you have a little gift shop 

with lots of cool stuff in it and on the sunny side of 

the foyer is the cafe/tearooms

 where you can get a nice meal or hot drink. 

Or a cold drink if that's what you prefer.

Maori kite made from flax

Through the door to the museum 

and you have a short history of Otago 

from pre-European times through to the current day.

A little further on and we enter the passenger section of a sailing ship, complete with creaking and groaning boards as

 the ship moves up and down across the waves. A weird sensation. 

Around about are the passengers bunks, goods and utensils. 

There is a section devoted to fashion, men's and women's, 

as well as a few children's pieces. Again a great range of clothes.

And a dress up section if you wanted to don a whale bone petticoat

 and see how you would look in a crinoline.

Another display houses the appliances, gas, coal and electric. 

It doesn't seem that long ago that these

 old coal ranges were in homes.

My grandparents had a gas stove top but the oven was coal fired, 

and it sent out a lot of heat in the winter,

 and probably too much in the summer.

It was a wetback and heated the hot water

 so had to be on most of the time.

(Now I'm definitely showing my age,

 that was nearly 70 years ago, haha).

Everything from these ranges to old irons and 

more modern milk bar equipment and everything in between. 

We laughed at the old typewriters, computers and dishwashers etc.

How life has changed :)

Now this fellow was atop a butcher shop in the city 

when I arrived here in the late '60s.

He was in charge of a herd of little pink pigs

 who ran around the veranda, also neon lights.

 They were quite a landmark.

In the Smith Gallery there are paintings of some of the settlers.

 Also an index so you can find your ancestors

 somewhere in the crowd.

Or maybe they are hidden away somewhere in the archives.

My GKB's ancestors arrived on one of the first boats 

and I've recently discovered that my father's were on one of the early ships as well.

At the opposite end of the museum to Josephine 

is this display of feet.

A modern sculpture on temporary display,

 commemorating the men who went to war and didn't come back. 

I find it quite strange even though I 'get' what 

the artist was trying to say. I think. 

I should have put this photo in the post I did 

about the transport on display here.

This is the arrival and departure platform at the bus depot.

Exactly as it was when we used to catch the buses 

after a night out on the town or day out shopping.

It is midway through the museum and a nice place 

if you want a bit of a sit down

and there is also a corner for the littlies to play in.

And that is it for another day. 

I hope you enjoyed having a quick poke around Toitu with me.

linking up with Stepanie at:

roses of inspiration

Have a good week.

See you next time,

Diana

This is the day...

We had another dump of snow over the weekend. 

Now don't laugh at me you people who live where snow

 is a feature every winter. 

We don't get a decent dump very often but this winter

 I've lost count of how many snowfalls we have had. 

Five or six I think. 

At the weekend it was below 200 metres, 

which meant that it settled here.

Little mother decided she wouldn't go to church, 

she didn't want to risk falling. Very wise.

 

Out town is in a rural area although it is now classed as a city suburb and we are on a plain surrounded by hills and mountains.

Which still have quite a bit of snow on them.

The higher hill suburbs are still covered as well and I'm pretty sure

 the kids have had a day or two off school this week.

Earlier in the week when we went outside, 

the snow had gone from around about but it was still cold.

We'd had minus 7 C. overnight and a good, hard frost on top of it.

The picture above is of frozen raindrops on a small tree next to the fence.

Today I noticed the aloe vera was turning black,

I rather suspect it had frozen solid with the frost

 and cold and died when it thawed.

I'll have to get in and cut that out, but not for a day or two,

 it's too cold for me to do any gardening yet.

I thought I'd go for a walk along the flood bank today.

Let me tell you it was very a short walk. 

The wind was very cutting.

I stayed there long enough to get a couple of pictures of the ducks,

 who didn't appreciate me coming along and disturbing them.

They went down the bank, into the water and up the other side.

Oh well.

Then it was back home for a hot cuppa,

which is one of the pleasures of the colder weather...

...along with not having to make excuses for reading,

 watching telly, doing jigsaws, taking up knitting again

 and just generally slothing about.

And it's a good time to eat all that comfort food

 you go without in the warmer weather!

I think I told you that our Claude has only recently 

discovered chairs, couches and beds.

 During this cooler weather our outside cat 

has been found occasionally on the end of our bed,

 particularly if I won't move and let him sit in my chair.

I know, I'm mean.

But despite the cold, most days I still manage to say

'This is the day the Lord has made, 

I will be glad and rejoice in it'.

Ps. 118:24

Joining in with:
roses of inspiration

Have a lovely week,
keep well until next time,
Diana

A visit to Toitu

Earlier in the week my GKB suggested we go into town for lunch.

Okay, I said, but I don't want to go to the Warehouse,

I'd like to go to Toitu and have a look around 

now that they have finished the renovations.

Toitu was, until quite recently, 

known as the Early Settlers Museum. 

So in we went, had lunch in the cafe there and went exploring.

The building above houses the transport 

 part of the museum - and where else would you put it 

but in the old New Zealand Railway Road Services bus depot?

Very appropriate. 

Some of the exhibits were behind glass for obvious reasons,

some roped off and others you could try out if you wanted.

my GKB on a tram he used to ride occasionally 

trying out a penny farthing for size

Have I just dated us? never mind, onward and upward!

Some gorgeous cars were on display,

 I think I've said before that have a bit of a thaang for classic cars. 

Along with some old trams, trolleys and buses.

As well as horseless carriages,

 trucks of different types and petrol pumps.

But, the best thing of all (for me anyway) was...

...this beautiful Buick Eight towing 

this...

tiny caravan.

looking in through the back window of the caravan

Isn't it fantastic?

Sorry about the last photo, it was so hard to get a good photo through the glass. I had my flash turned off but because it was so dim in the museum it came on automatically.

If you'd like to take a look at more of the museum you can go to a link here.

Of course the museum doesn't just house transport, it is a wonderful visual history of Otago from Maori times through the arrival of the sailing ships and early European settlement and on up to the present day. I think it is great and shall go back one day without my GKB as he doesn't enjoy these things quite as much as I do :) That way I will be able to dawdle where I wish!

joining in with:

roses of inspiration

Well that's it for another week.

Look after yourselves and I will

see you again in a few days.

Diana

Beating the blues...

This winter has been a tad cold for me,

 I'm not a native to the south.

Where I grew up it was wet in winter 

but a lot warmer than it is here.

After 40 plus years you'd think I'd be used to it, but no.

Taramakau river, West Coast, New Zealand

And I have to admit that occasionally 

I have a felt a little down in the dumps this winter.

We haven't had one this cold for several years.

And that is when I want to up sticks, 

cross the ditch, and join my sisters in Queensland...

...where I can sit in the carport 

and have a long leisurely breakfast.

my Good Kiwi Bloke

Or meet up with our nephew 

and have lunch in the gardens.

my GKB, moi, nephew and sis

Or go bush (a link to our bush visit post) 

with my niece 

and her family for a day or two.

the dining room :)

Or maybe meet up with my other sis 

and spend a day at the beach.

my GKB, sis, me

Or take a day trip to Eungella National Park 

with ex pat friends...

...and gaze in wonder at the strange creatures 

running around the bush.

Or watch glorious sunsets at the end of the day, 

which is very early in northern Queensland.

Or just plain play silly buggers with the toy dog.

Or even all of the above.

And now I have got that off my chest I feel much better.

And summer is coming, yeeha!

joining in with:
roses of inspiration

Thanks for listening to me 

(if you're still with me).

If you're not I understand :)

Have a nice day and we'll

meet up again next week.

Diana

Moeraki

When we head north for a break we occasionally

 take a coffee break at the tearooms at Moeraki.

There is a small township here,

very small, more of a village really.

Sitting out on the deck you look out over the Pacific Ocean.

Looking to your right is the beach around to Moeraki,

a small fishing village with a small commercial fleet.

And looking over to the left is Koekohe beach

 and the reason people come and visit.

The Moeraki boulders, which are scattered along the seafront

 are natural formations that come up from 

the ground or out of those cliffs on the left.

 

Although they don't look very large here some of them are very big.

Some are splitting and you can climb inside them,

 and try them for size if you are so inclined :)

The picture above will give you a bit of  perspective,  I'm 5ft 6in.

And below is one of the older boulders that is just beginning to split.

If you're interested in reading about the boulders

you can go here for a link which also tells 

the Maori legend connected with them.

Needless to say, if you visit the cafe you will be able to buy 

a very nice meal, snack and drinks, hot or cold,

that's after a visit to the gift shop of course :)

joining in with:

WATW  (Wednesday around the world)

Roses of Inspiration

Well I hope you enjoyed 

our visit to the beach.

Until next time keep well,

Diana.

Coming up roses

I have been really busy the past week

so tonight I am doing a lazy post.

Short but sweet :)

I want to join Martha's teacup party 

and here is a cup which used to belong to my little mother

but now belongs to my grandson.

He will treasure it.

It really is quite beautiful I think.

It is a Royal Albert, Old English Rose.

I have seen another  version of it 

but personally I like this one.

I think it was part of a wedding gift teaset

and this is all that is left. 

My little mother is doing well after her op 

and back to normal. Maybe just a little tired. 

Thanks for asking.

joining in with Martha at:
Martha's favoutites
roses of inspiration

A grey day or two...

This week my little mother had to be at in the hospital 

for a minor outpatients op at 7:30am.

I could pick her up at 9:30am and take her home again.

My GKB came in with us, we thought we could wander the shops while we waited.

But here's nothing much open that early,

so we went down to the hospital coffee shop 

and had a cuppa while we people watched.

There's a choice of two places and we picked this one.

Very nice it is too. At the other one we had to balance on high stools

 and it was just too early in the morning for that, haha.

Then it was away to wander the shops!

Little mother had to go back this morning by 8am for a checkup.

But it snowed over night. 

Not that a lot fell here but quite a bit fell on the hill suburbs

and we had to get over two of the hills to get to the hospital.

So we rang and and said we'd be late and went in when it was daylight.

8am is in the dark, well 7:30 is when we would have been leaving.

I had hoped to go into The Octagon in the centre of town while we were there 

and get a photo of the Tardis which has landed and

 cleverly disguised it self as a police phone box.

But it was not to be, it was straight there and straight back

 because we didn't want to get stuck in town.

More snow is forecast over the next couple of days, 

so we are just going to hunker down and stay warm,

when we don't have to be out and about ;)

And for those of you who wondered about the Tardis,

it was advertising for the Gang Show by local Scouts.

And that's it from me. 
Enjoy your week, 
see you next time, 
Diana