Trucks, Graders and more

While we were camping, some road works were done. JRK from Te Kuiti came with many different trucks, loaders, graders, transporters and more.
The large transporter can carry up to 40 ton, has  a GPS on it, and another in the cab. The dashboard  itself was amazing, and so sophisticated. The cab came from Canada, and I wondered if it had been used in the Yellowknife area for the “ Ice Road Truckies”.
Dick from Te Kuiti was working further up the road from the camp, doing metal screening. If all was quiet we could hear the machinery working
But as well as this, he asked me if I wanted anything from town, and then he delivered a  “ New Zealand Herald” most mornings on his way up the road. Many, many thanks Dick, this was  something I had not imagined would happen, as last time we stayed the logging trucks were working, and they started at 3.30 a.m. 6 mornings a week.And they were so busy  they didn’t stop at all.
The news,weather, and the crosswords. Dick, it was the best!!!
 
Some of the fleet, parking below our shelter, the loader, and the big transporter which was there overnight.
The green flashing light in the cab and on the trailer unit  tells if it has been moved so much as a few centimetres.
Hydraulic pipes,safety signs,the weight it is carrying, all displayed .






Here Courtesy of the Internet, is a dog GPS Collar, and the handheld GPS. Yes, it does show where each dog is, where they have been and also if they are moving or still.










This photo was taken at 7 a.m., not long before we left for home. The sun made lovely patterns through the trees.
Not far from our tent there was a bank with bunny burrows in it.This was wide and had been excavated so thoughtfully.


I have had a great time with the new camera, some disasters,  but am slowly starting to use more of the different modes.

When I was about 14, I had a holiday job in  Auckland, at Bond and Bond, and after 2 weeks, had saved up enough to buy my first camera, a Box Brownie. Mum and Dad came into Auckland, met me at lunchtime and we went to Kodak in Queen Street.
I still have that, maybe a real antique now.
There are 2 viewfinders, one for portrait, one for landscape, a slide for taking photos close-up, 5 to 10 feet, the other for over 10 feet.
2 small knobs to attach a strap, and it had flash contacts. I took so many photos with this, the most memorable was when Sir Willoughby Norrie officially opened the “ Karaka War Memorial Hall” in 1954



Sir Willoughby Norrie, on the front step, From  what I can remember, I asked him to wait on the step so I could get a better photo.
What audacity from  14 year old!!! He then went on to meet members of the Karaka Farm Improvement Club, which I think was headed by Ralph Du Faur, who is  standing on Sir Willoughby's right side. The other men will be from the TeHihi ,and Karaka area
My Dad’s writing alongside the photos. What memories these bring.


Here is Bond and Bond, which from memory was where the tea and appliance office was.
My job was to collect the  mail, from a  private mail box, open each letter with a silver letter opener, and lay it neatly on Mr Eli Bond’s desk. I think I also made the tea .I was staying with  a friend in Onehunga, we went in by train, and as Onehunga was the last stop, we stayed  on the train as it went onto the turntable, ready for the next morning’s trip to the city.
Sherbert dabs, 3 for one penny!!! Real liquorice strips to suck the powder, each one in a white paper bag. And different flavours.
This was all very new, exciting and wonderful for a country girl.




The night sky  had fast changing colours, and the elusive pink,red,mauve colours were not there for long.

Quotation of the day, from  Khalil Gibran

“ Yesterday is but today’s memory and tomorrow is today’s dream”

Cheers from Jean