Friendship and Freedom

Shared experiences are the way friendships are built. Doing things together is how we get to know someone. If there is trust, there may also be the deep personal sharing that makes a lasting bond.

I’m lucky to have some friends whom I see and/or talk to every few weeks, and while lockdown has meant catchups in person have to wait, a longer gap is not a difficulty.

What I do grudge is the fact that being on Level 4 means the cancellation of my weekly beach walk with a special friend.

Sunday morning beach walk

The combination of being out in nature and hearing about each other’s lives has been a highlight of our week for about 15 years. A phone conversation is good, but not the same. I yearn for the day when we are again free to meet with whomever we wish, and suspect lockdown will not be lifted for some time yet.

This week two old friends have died, one in Auckland, and one in Invercargill. These are friendships that have grown fainter with distance, but news of death brings back memories. This is especially true of the Auckland friend who visited us just a couple of months ago. In ordinary times we would not have travelled to either of these funerals, but I feel acutely for family unable to make plans for ceremonies in these uncertain days.

So many things will have to wait
while Delta’s knocking at the gate

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Abandoned Armchairs

Two empty chairs sit above the dunes at Waimairi Beach.  They’ve been there for several weeks, but we never see anyone sitting in them.

Since the wonderful earthquake memorial by Peter Majendie, empty white chairs always make me think of people who have died.  Perhaps these could be a memorial to the two people who perished in the Whakaari/White Island eruption and whose bodies have not been recovered?  Nearby is a pathway up the cliff – a kind of Stairway to Heaven?

I wonder what these chairs could mean
surf facing with the beach between

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Solstice Shipwreck

We were surprised to find a shipwreck on Waimairi Beach this morning.  The boat had grounded and capsized late last night, and three people needed to be airlifted to hospital.

The boat, the Debbie Jane 9134,  was travelling from Akaroa to Kaikoura when it started to spin in circles and take in water.  The area where it was grounded has been taped off to keep people away.  We noticed a lot of debris on the beach, and later heard there had been a diesel spill so the beach is closed to swimmers.  By the time we returned the tide had come further in.

There were lots of people and dogs walking as usual and we did see some people in the water.  I imagine the boat might need to be towed to Lyttelton to be repaired.

There was a person on the deck
p’raps wondering how to fix this wreck

 

 

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Beach Buggies

Horses on the beach

Actually they were trotting sulkies we saw on our beach walk this morning.  The rain threatened but kept away for the duration.  The sun shone and even felt warm at times, although the southerly also made its presence felt.  Hats and gloves were needed for walkers, but the horses were warmed by their exercise.  It’s months since we’ve seen horses on the beach.  I guess it depends on the tides.  Today the high tide was well past and there was plenty of firm sand to walk or trot on.

They trotted past us at a pace
enjoying their shoreline race

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Pet in Pink Hat

This little girl playing on the beach was well protected with sunglasses, a pink hat, and a pink deck chair with canopy.  I couldn’t resist taking a photo.  It seemed a little intrusive to do so, but she was in a public place, and is unlikely to be identified.  There were many people and dogs on the beach this morning and we rejoiced in wading along in the shallows with a light cooling breeze.

Warm summer day, the place to be
is definitely beside the sea.

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Santa and Sculptures

Santa on the Beach

We were surprised to find Santa Claus sitting on the beach this morning.  It seems awfully early!  We saw him there last year too, but three weeks later.

Heaps of debris had been washed up, and many people had made sculptures:

This one had a dog inside

 

This creature was entirely sculpted by nature

 

We paddled and breathed deep of the ozone.

‘Surprising sights out on the sand
some natural, some made by hand.’

 

 

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Corrugated Clouds

These unusual clouds appeared above Waimairi Beach yesterday morning.  I believe they may be altocumulus.  Google tells me that if you see such clouds on a warm morning there will be thunderstorms by late afternoon.  The morning was not particularly warm, with a chilly wind on the beach, and we had no thunderstorms.

‘If I’ve correctly named this sight
the Google forecast was not right.’

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Nor-west Arch

A distinctive nor-west arch was clearly visible on the beach this morning.  I hope this portends a warm day tomorrow.

At 11am we heard the tsunami siren.  Just as well we’d seen notices saying a practice was planned on the first day of daylight saving.  Presumably everyone else on the beach had seen them too as no-one started to run for the hills.  Last year we knew there was to be a practice but never heard the siren.  Perhaps they’ve made some changes since then.

‘If you should hear the siren sound
it’s wise to run to higher ground.’

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Wild Winds

A lone kitesurfer braved the strong nor’easterly to ride the waves at Waimairi Beach.  Their kite sail looked spectacular as they skimmed along at great speed, tacking back and forth.

“There has to be a lot of skill
to stay upright and not to spill.”

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Floral Friday?

On the beach I glimpsed what looked like a branch with blossom lying on the sand.

Beach Blossom

Closer observation revealed that the white ‘petals’ were actually small shells clinging to the branch.  Fake floral?

“Sometimes what you may think you see
is something else en-tir-e-ly.”

 

 

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