Is it a Competition?!
Is there a prize?!
No there’s no prize. The photo opposite is not a competition, it is Fiona and Paula in the snow on Mt Ruapehu with Mt Ngaurahoe behind ... please read on.
Cuppa with a Kiwi by Paula Day
A few weeks ago I decided to head east to "the land of the great white cloud" and share a pot of tea with our favourite Kiwi, Fiona Murdoch.
Fiona have-tent-will-travel Murdoch currently resides in a very comfortable little house in Hamilton. Although there was more moisture inside the window than outside, due to NZ’s humidity levels, I can recommend the accommodation I even had my own en-suite bathroom!
While I was there Ms F, who loves any excuse to get out of Hamilton, very kindly took me to visit various attractions. For instance, we walked along a vast beach which was black because of the iron content in the sand, and then had lunch in the very appealing nearby town which has a name but which I’m afraid escapes me. Beyond the big cities, New Zealand always seems to me as though the clock stopped in the 1950’s. A sensation I happen to enjoy very much! In that part of the country the landscape is so dippy and curvy I am always flabbergasted that the sheep and cows never tumble off their hillsides.
Another day we drove to Oraki Korako thermal area, near Taupo, where the toilets were called ‘guysers’ and ‘galses’. Being thermal, this was a good spot to visit in winter as it was lovely and warm. That evening we stopped at a hot pool and spent an hour floating under the moon and stars, surrounded by local flora and feeling the warm water bubbling out of the natural earth. Getting out and dressed again wasn’t much fun!!
Another day I borrowed Ms F’s car and visited one of the Waitomo Caves. The most impressive part of the tour was sitting in a flat-bottomed boat which the tour guide moved along by following an overhead wire with his hands. Everyone had to remain absolutely silent in the darkness as we glided beneath a galaxy of glow-worms. Magical!!
Each Thursday night Ms F instructs her dance troupe called Dance Folkus. On my particular Thursday they were rehearsing for a get-together of dance clubs. For a while I took on the identity of a late arrival and then I took on the very important role of ‘audience’ to encourage everyone to look up and not at their feet! Although I believe I could count the female membership on two hands and the male membership on one finger they were a very welcoming, friendly and dedicated little club.
On most other evenings Ms F and I acted our age and had quiet nights at home.
Towards the end of my week we and another friend, Gaynor, drove south to Mt Ruapehu, the North Island’s highest mountain and largest volcano which had its most recent eruption in 1996. Normally, the slopes provide popular ski fields but this year (in June at least) there was only enough snow to have the beginner’s slope open, and this was helped by the snow-making machine! Did this deter the Japanese tourists from hiring skis? Not on your nellie! They were just as keen to squeeze onto the slope as the hundreds of other skiers and snow-boarders and ski about 20 feet at about 3 mph. Ms F and G and I opted for the chairlift ride to the top. This was very cold but great fun. In the distance was the spectacular, classic shaped volcano Mt Ngaurahoe.
The following morning we went walking through a secion of the Tongariro National Park, some of which was marked by boardwalks (my type of walking!) while other parts were frozen puddles and frosted earth. Ms F is significantly more experienced and intrepid than her international guest and thinks nothing of wading across very cold, wet streams. In spite of her chivalrous act of dragging a nearby log into the water so that I could daintily step/jump across I still managed to botch it up and get a very wet right foot. From then on I’m afraid my mood dropped to the same temperature as the water. Fortunately, the path eventually became a quagmire and we democratically decided to turn back.
After a few more pots of tea it was time for me to say farewell to our favourite Kiwi and to the "Land of the great white cloud". Fiona, if you should read this may I take the opportunity to once again say’ THANK YOU’! Take care! And I hope to see you again soon!
No Time for Stage Fright!? Australia Day 1999
It seems so long ago now, and a bit like a dream, although generally it was a good one! The last Grapevine described it nicely; the Bulgarian village, the local community in which we all had a part to play. John knew what he wanted and I think he got it. The arrival on stage with youngsters, Ben and Monique, then the group of teenagers, the grandmums, the ladies and lastly the men. It really did work; we got the PIFDG community on stage at the Entertainment Centre!!
Getting in was a bit of a trauma, walking around the outside of the building in 40 degree heat and waiting to make an entrance down the stairs with lighted candles. If only our costumes and hats had been air-conditioned! We were told that the candle-lit arrival in the dimly-lit auditorium looked spectacular!
Once inside we sat behind the stage throughout the performances so we had a great view, better than most of the 9,000 audience. But there was a price to pay, we had to leave our comfort zone and walk out on that stage and dance in front of that crowd! What a buzz! It is fair to say that we had had so many rehearsals that we could have done the dance in our sleep! I for one did exactly that for many nights before the event, and after it! Come to think of it perhaps it was all really a dream. Were we really there? After all we were only on stage for 3 minutes!
Reflections by Martin Williams
Performances by Palenque
This is a spur of the moment article on the subject of Folk Dance Performances in 1999. The performing group has had a considerably long break from performing this winter, with the last performance being at Fairbridge in April. I was cajoled into directing rehearsals and managed some new choreographies – most successfully of Azche Jerazanke – an Armenian dance taught to us by Fiona in 1998. With four performances over the weekend, I think most were sick of it by Sunday afternoon, but it was pulled off to reasonable crowds, although of course nothing compared to the Entertainment Centre in January! I think we will never see stage quality the same again. By comparison Fairbridge was slopy and rickety, but more fun dancing because we could see our audience. The performance group has recently been booked for two more performances – one for Multicultural week on 5th September, the following for the Turkish National Day being celebrated on 17th October. Rehearsals are Saturdays 4-6pm and all interested in performing are welcome to rehearsals. I’m taking rehearsals for both of these, willingly!!! Hope to see you there!
Next Performances
Just in case you are one of the PIFDG Groupies you might like to make a note of the following performance venues:
5 September Multicultural Celebration
Parade from the Esplanade
Performance at about 4pm in Forrest Place
17 October Turkish National Day Celebrations
Victoria Park
24 October Munjah Festival, Curtin (tbc)
Who’s teaching?
The tentative teacher programme for the rest of the year is:
- September Palenque (with support from Eve)
- October Eve
- November Sara
- December John
Birth Announcement
Congratulations to Dinah Harrison and John Whaite who have a new baby daughter, Alia, born 9 May at 2pm, weight 4.2 kg (9lb 5oz), length 57cm, black hair. Her first words were ‘Aaaagh Aaaagh’, and that was before she saw John!
All the best to Will Blyth
We understand that Will Blyth, one of our longstanding members, has been ill recently. So if you are reading this Will we hope you are feeling much better. If you can please come and see us for the Party night, Red Faces or the Xmas party.
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Last Updated August 1999 - Produced by Web in the Hills
Comments? E-mail jenny@webinthehills.com.au