Here’s my promise of several moons ago to Sumathi that I would send photos of the Pohutukawas when they are in bloom.The
delicate blossoms open close to Christmas, coloring the New Zealand
coastline a brilliant red- hence also referred to as the New Zealand
Christmas trees.
CheersI would like to take this opportunity to wish all our batchmates a Very happy festive season, together with good health and happiness in the new year.
Rohini
Sent by Rohini Anandaraja
Thanks, Rohini, for letting us see this lovely tree in bloom with beautiful flowers which you have expertly photographed. Sumathi asked for it but we can all enjoy seeing this lovely tree and being introduced to something most of us have not seen before. And it's nice to see you on our Blog, Rohini! Let me wish you too a wonderful festive season! Zita
ReplyDeleteThank you Zita- Have a great time with your family - specially your little grandson.
DeleteCheers
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteRohini,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the photos. The flowers look lovely and must be gorgeous when they are seen en masse. I'm sorry that I have been an infrequent visitor to the Blog :( I will try to be better in 2020! Rohini, while you are enjoying your summer there is snow and ice outside my house. I think it is going to be a 'White Christmas' in Connecticut.
Season's Greetings to you and all my friends who visit the Blog, and good health and many blessings in the New Year!
Srianee
Good to see you again Srianee- you do disappear from time to time !
DeleteHave a wonderful White Christmas while I just dream of it with Bing Crosby -
Sure you’ll also hear sleigh bells in the snow ! Have fun !
I don't know about sleigh bells, but now that I don't have to take my 'all wheel drive sleigh' out when it is snowing, I enjoy the snow a little bit more. I can stay indoors and sip a cup of Dimbulla tea/cocoa or whatever! We had a very pretty snowfall a few days ago:)
DeleteSorry about my intermittent disappearing act!
Gorgeous flowers Rohini! I am so glad that I am not colour blind (although I am in a different sense!). Nice to see you and Srianee back. Enjoy your White Xmas as predicted Srianee. Rohini, Sad to hear about the volcanoes tragedy in NZ. Best wishes to all our Blogger and non-Blogger friends for Xmas and the New year.
ReplyDeleteHi Mahen, judging from the photos it looks as if you had a good time in SL. I'm happy to be back in touch 😊Yes, that tragedy at the volcanic island in NZ was really sad. I wonder if the people took unnecessary risks. But I admit, I don't know all the details.
DeleteYes it was a great tragedy probably one that was waiting to happen, showing the unpredictable and awesome power of nature .
DeleteHere are some excerpts of an account of the dedication and heroism of those entrusted with the rescue operations.
image1.jpeg
At 2.11pm last Monday the volcanic island off the coast of Whakatane erupted as tourists were exploring its crater and crevices.
Some were hauled off the island as she blew, thrown onto boats and into helicopters and rushed to safety.
But others could not be saved and their remains lay in situ while authorities scrambled to work out how to get them off the furious and ash-covered island 50km from the mainland.
Conditions were volatile, high risk, fraught with extreme danger.
After days of uncertainty, anger and desperation the four words the world wanted and needed to hear about Whakaari/White Island were finally uttered.
"We have a plan!"
Seven members of the Defence Force's SAS E Squadron and their commander boarded the HMNZS Wellington and made their way to Whakaari.
They were kitted out in extreme gear - 15kg each of special closed-circuit breathing apparatus strapped to their backs and layers of specialist clothing designed to wick sweat, filter out gases, protect from fire, liquid.
Masks and hoods and boots and gloves they were covered from top to toe, their sweat building as they climbed into their gear and being encased inside as they went so they could hear it "sloshing around" their bodies.
The eight then transferred from the Navy ship to the ash-covered jetty by rigid inflatable boat.
Six of them set off, leaving the commander and one other at the jetty.
That was all part of the plan.
The six made their way across the crater, scaling rock faces and scrambling down crevices as they forged path to where the bodies lay.
It was hotter than they ever imagined, their gear made the slog harder than ever.
No one stopped or faltered.
But because conditions were rougher than expected the commander made the call for himself and the last soldier to move forward.
The Whakaari eight then found the fallen - one body after another, securing them, readying them, carrying them back to the jetty for removal.
All the while choppers circled with people monitoring the volcano activity, the gas, the weather.
It was a nervous time.
Everything was done to eliminate and mitigate the risks, but what couldn't be mitigated was the behaviour of the island itself.
That in itself was concerning … but there was no sense that the soldiers had concern for themselves and that risk."
The updates came in from police - faster than most journalists expected.
The team had landed, they had found the bodies, the bodies were being prepped, the bodies were on their way back to shore.
As soon as they could the soldiers tore off their gear, their bodies drenched in hours and litres of sweat, their lungs gasping for fresh air.
Their special suits provided them with clean air as they worked but it was warm, arguably cloying and moist.
The feeling of that fresh sea air expanding their chests as they sailed back to Whakatāne must have been bliss.
"One solider told me that he was down on his hands and knees taking in air,"
"He looked up and everyone else was doing exactly the same thing “
"They were exhausted, the physical toll was just severe dehydration.
There was also a strong sense of relief … they were relieved that they had got the job done."
image1.jpeg
Mahen ,
DeleteI get the subtlety re your colour- blindness !
Iam sure you’ve had plenty of opportunity to enjoy the Pohutukawas in NZ .
Have a great time in SL.
Rohini. Thanks for that gripping account. Unfortunately, the images were n9t shown in the post. (there is no way to show an image in a blog comment apart from giving a reference to click on). I can just about imagine what the rescuers went through. I hope this won't happen again but I am aware of the risks faced by New Zealand. Wish you and yours a great New Year and enjoy the festive season
ReplyDeleteRohini, thank you for giving us a detailed, graphic account of the events and the rescue efforts, which ultimately turned out to be retrieval of dead bodies. Here in the US we were given a rather sketchy description of the tragedy, mostly because there is a major political story "sucking up all the oxygen" in the news. (I think you all know what is going on!) When things like this happen, I am troubled by many questions. Should the tourists have been taken to that active volcanic island in the first place? I guess no one thought it would erupt so suddenly and so ferociously. When people undertake risky endeavors and get into grave danger, the rescue workers have to put their lives on the line to save them. Some things , like a tsunami, are unavoidable, although warnings can be installed. But, in this situation, people were actually hiking up to the volcanic crater. I just checked out a video taken from a tour boat that day, which luckily made it back safely. There were almost a hundred people on board that boat!
ReplyDeleteIt just makes you wonder...
I met Rohini Abey with Pram during my visit. Pram treated us for a lovely Thai meal. Rohini was her cheerful self although she had some health issues like all of us plus 70s!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rohini, for that mind blowing account of the tragedy of the eruption of the volcanic island off the coast of Whakhatane. So glad that you are speaking about this unspeakable tragedy, the kinds of which we hope we don't have to live through or even hear about in our lives. It shows the heroism of the rescuers and further, one can't help feeling that for all the credit we give 'man' for his ability we cannot argue with the earth, when it decides to act this way. It just puts man in his place and it also makes us feel that we must help anyone anywhere if needed and why cannot it be 'us' next time? It makes me thoughtful, and it puts in perspective, what is important and what is not.
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