Finally after weeks and months in Christchurch I felt my Dad
was sufficiently settled in his new rest home environment and
well cared for and I could leave and do a road trip again.
It was rather sad leaving and he was upset to see me go...
But I'll be back.
Meanwhile my first stop was back to Amberley Beach to catch
up with Sandy and Maurice in ... What's The Story.
I love daylight saving and the longer evenings so although it
was cold I wandered down to the beach... Just for a look...
And much to my surprise found several fisher people...
Real hardy types. It's a stony beach the water was (or looked)
freezing. They were wrapped up in jackets and woolly hats and
gumboots but one tough lady was bare feet!
No fish were being caught...
But I was told the Rig were beginning to run... Bit early in
the season... But ever hopeful and worth a try.
The next morning I went on... To Parnassus, the NZMCA Park
there. I wanted to have a look as had heard the club had bought
the old Parnassus school which was closed recently... And sure
enough. The class rooms have gone, how many there were
I don't know as in 2006 the year 1-6 school had a role of 15 -
teaching staff of 1.3 and a decile of 10... But what had been the
staff room has been left and is now the club rooms for gatherings.
It's a good flat area, all the grass areas roped off... The grass
is too wet. There are some old established trees...
And... The old school swimming pool. I was particularly
curious to have a look at this. I have these childhood
memories, that can get distorted over the years, of this
swimming pool. As a child I travelled with my family from
Christchurch to Kaikoura to camp in Army huts that had been
put all round the coast after the war, they're not there now.
On the way... On this long drive! we used to stop
at Parnassus school, which used to be on the main road north
before a new road was built. We would climb over the tin
fence, have a swim, climb back again and drive on our way.
Were these memories real... Well they were because here
is the pool exactly as I remember it... But empty.
Nobody in the NZMCA wants to take responsibility for
cleaning, filling and maintaining it.
The school playground...
If you look closely you can see the numbers in the
Hop-Scotch squares. I wonder how many feet over the
years jumped and played here.
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