LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND WITH STROKE

LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND WITH STROKE

By David Ray

For the first meeting in July for the Lower Hutt Stroke Club we listened to a very interesting talk from Keith Quinn, a television rugby commentator, speaking about his recent trip to China to report on the Chinese leg of the World Rugby Sevens Tournament. He devoted most of his talk to his impressions of Shanghai and its surrounding district. Keith is a popular speaker with a keen sense of humor and he kept us entertained with his interesting experiences. As I type this he is at present in Manchester, England, commentating on the Commonwealth Games. As an aside the New Zealand won the Chinese tournament and eventually won the World Series. The United States team did very well and finished either fifth or sixth.

Last week we had our annual general meeting where I presented the annual financial report. After the meeting one of our members, who had just returned from a trip to North America, gave us an account of his travels. He has a son living in Tampa, Florida, and he also traveled to Denver, Chicago and Vancouver, Canada. It only goes to demonstrate that having a stroke should not deter people. I was re-elected to be treasurer for another 12 months.

A person from the USA recently asked me if skiing was a sport in New Zealand. I can assure readers that it is. There are a number if ski fields here in both islands. Some of the ski fields are on the side of Mt Ruapehu, an active volcano in the North Island. However most of the fields are situated in the South Island, the most famous and popular are in Queenstown.

Queenstown is a picturesque tourist destination located in the South Island of New Zealand. The attractive resort township is set amid beautiful mountains and overlooks the pristine waters of Lake Wakatipu. The jagged form of The Remarkables Mountain Range towers beyond the lake and in the visible distance the permanently snow capped Southern Alps can be seen raising their curious heads. I first went there while still at school in 1947 while the town was largely untourished by tourists. In the last 20 years the area has prospered to become what it is today.

Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world and many tourists flock to the area year round to indulge in activities such as white water rafting, kayaking, jet boating, tandem skydiving, and of course bungee jumping from a choice of three different platforms, all boasting staggering heights. A J Hacker first developed bungee jumping and the experience has spread throughout the world. It is not an experienced that I wish to do. You can even bungee jump from a helicopter in Queenstown.

In winter the township resembles a picture perfect image of clear blue skies and snow-capped mountain peaks. The season kicks off with the annual Queenstown Winter Festival, offering nine jam-packed days of excitement where locals, visitors and celebrities participate in activities both on and off the slopes. They do not seem to rest having ski rides even during the nights with the aid of powerful lamps along the slopes. Numerous ski fields operate daily to cater to the needs of ski and snowboard enthusiasts. Coronet Peak, Cardrona, Treble Cone and The Remarkables are popular fields, providing ski and equipment hire and boasting professional facilities and fully trained instructors. Enthusiasts come from all over the world to experience the New Zealand ski fields including many with stroke. The fields cater for everyone from disabled people, learners to experts. In fact I believe that some skiers have enjoyed a summer for years and years.

Spring is in the air in our town with the arrival of daffodils and similar spring blooms. We are now looking forward to warmer weather, which hopefully will ease the aches in our bodies. However the cold weather does not match the warmth my friends at the Lower Hutt Stroke Club receive from each other at our meetings.

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