Our club's gift to the Host club - or is this Jarrasic park?
Nap time before our dinner where the Ambassadors take their hosts out to dinner. We had it at the Mosgiel train station - roast beef, ham, veggies, roasted potatoes, and three kinds of yummy desserts. OK, I am tired - time for bed, tomorrow's another big day. We're up the gold mining area that made Dunedin so great in the 1800s.
On this wonderful day in the Commonwealth, we, from the Friendship Force of Austin, Texas, United States of America, present this tree in warmth and friendship to the Friendship Force of Dunedin/Otago. We really appreciate all of the efforts, planning, and hospitality your group has done for our visit.
With the Friendship Force goal of spreading Friendship and understanding throughout the world for all to appreciate and respect people of different cultures, we hope this small sapling will grow into a mighty tree symbolizing our appreciation of your city, culture, and country.
We Ambassadors hope that we leave a lasting positive impression of our people and culture with you all. And hope you come to the United States soon, and hopefully the great state of Texas, and our fine city of Austin. Many of hope we can return in the future to see the progress of this small tree.
Today is the day we would celebrate our gift to the hosting club. We had pooled money to buy a tree to plant at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary. New Zealand, before the arrival of Westerners, had no mammals. The islands were dominated by birds, both flightless and flying. The newcomers brought all sorts of animals that really wiped out much of the native animal life and plants. This preserve was to isolate 1200 acres from the animals that were introduced. They has a 6 mile fence two meters high dug into the ground so they cannot burrow under. It looks like a version of Jurassic Park and serves the same purpose. These type of ecosystems are starting to pop up around the world. We are also going to one in Wellington next week called Zealandia. It will take hundreds of years to achieve the original biodiversity that was here before man, but they plan on achieving it little by little. Our contribution was a New Zealand cedar tree sapling. The hole was already dug when we got there and I got the opportunity to plant it by bare hand in front of everyone after I read my high-brow proclamation (see below). We had a great time and Zosia and I chalked up five more life birds.
Later we went to Port Chalmers to do some thrift store shopping (our hobby). After that we had high tea at Carey's Bay Historical Hotel. careysbayhotel.co.nz. It is a very charming historic restaurant/bar hotel. We felt as if we had been thrown back a couple of centuries or at least on a PBS serial. By the way, beer is sold in individual liter jugs with tiny glasses for $10NZ.
On the way home we went to the Dunedin Botanical Gardens where the Rhodendums are in full bloom and are totally outrageous.
Proclaimation for the planting of the tree
On this wonderful day in the Commonwealth, we, from the Friendship Force of Austin, Texas, United States of America, present this tree in warmth and friendship to the Friendship Force of Dunedin/Otago. We really appreciate all of the efforts, planning, and hospitality your group has done for our visit.
With the Friendship Force goal of spreading Friendship and understanding throughout the world for all to appreciate and respect people of different cultures, we hope this small sapling will grow into a mighty tree symbolizing our appreciation of your city, culture, and country.
We Ambassadors hope that we leave a lasting positive impression of our people and culture with you all. And hope you come to the United States soon, and hopefully the great state of Texas, and our fine city of Austin. Many of hope we can return in the future to see the progress of this small tree.
How much fun are you having! I wish I was there!!!! NZ is the one place that I REALLY want to visit - you are inspiring me to make a plan and GET THERE!
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