Living with Stroke in New Zealand

Life in New Zealand with a Stroke

by David G. Ray

January is the main holiday period in New Zealand when families leave their homes for sun, beach and adventure. Nowhere here is far away from a camping area, safe swimming beach or lake. We must however be aware when swimming in the sea of particular dangers, which exist such as jellyfish. This month my wife went for a swim in the harbour and was accompanied by hundreds of jellyfish. Some species can administer a nasty and painful sting and my wife did not wait in the water to find out which type was sharing the sea with her.

Some lakes are very cold as they are snow fed. A a few years ago my wife decided to go for a swim in Lake Mavora in the South Island of New Zealand. The day was very hot but the water of the lake was so cold that it took her breath away and she was unable to call for help. Eventually she was able to get out of the water but she found the experience very scary. From this account you will gather that my stroke precludes me from swimming. I did try splashing about in a swimming pool but found it very difficult. Perhaps I should have persevered because I have been told that splashing about in swimming pools can be very beneficial for stroke victims.

Lake Mavora is in the southern lakes area, and is a very good trout fishing area. It is situated in the fiordland area, a very popular holiday spot with locals and overseas visitors alike. Personally I find the whole area very beautiful and we like to visit there whenever possible. Queenstown, the most famous town, is the centre of extreme experiences such as Bungee Jumping, jet boat rides and many other adventure type experiences. The mountain scenery is spectacular.

A couple of weeks ago I saw the movie, "The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers", the second of the trilogy. The speculator scenery depicted in this film was shot in the Fiordland area and also in Canterbury. A large section of this film was also shot in the Hutt Valley only about 20 kilometres from where we live. I remember seeing the film set from the road but there is no sign now of an area where a great battle was fought such being the magic of present day film makers.

Next month sees the beginning of the stroke club's year. We will soon meet to finally determine the programme for the first six months. Our programme will include the usual mixture of stroke related topics, general interest topics, entertainment and outings. We hope that the programme our committee has drawn up will be of interest to our members.

The Stroke Network, Inc.

P.O. Box 492 Abingdon, Maryland 21009