Beautiful Autumn

I know it seems strange, but it is fall here. Fall back for day-light savings and flu shots. We have had beautiful weather, unlike the summer. It has been cooler, but a lot more sunny days.  Over Easter break we (Overtons) decided to travel to Masterton and Napier.  We are digitizing the probates from those two courts, some we wanted to have our picture taken by the courthouse. I only have Masterton, it was raining in Napier so dad has those pictures on the mission blog.

On the way to Napier, we stopped at Castlepoint, a little resort town with a beautiful lighthouse. We walked across the little inlet and up to the lighthouse.

Dad likes to get out, away from the beaten track to take great pictures. We stayed up on the trail and watched and hope he could find away back up. He did.

Not sure you can see, but the little spots out on the cliff, our fisherman. No idea how they got out there, or how they will get back, but it didn't seem to worry them.

We stopped at this old LDS Chapel in Dannevirke.  A lot of Church and Maori history inside. So fun to look at and see old pictures and records that are just sitting inside with no protection from the elements.  A local church member comes by every now and then to clean things up, mow the lawn, and to check on the building.

In Napier, the Farnes, another senior couple, showed us around.  We had dinner in Napier, but also drove around Hastings, which is one of the most beautiful cities we have seen.  It is very neat and clean. I think they said that the streets are cleaned twice a week and the sidewalks once a week. There was no trash on the ground, no graffiti, and all the houses we saw, enough though older and small, they had neat and tidy yards.  It rained on Friday, so we had breakfast with the Farnes and pictures at the old Courthouse, then home. Dad has a lot more pictures on the mission blog. 

We made it back to Wellington for Easter Sunday.  We had a broadcast of General Conference, so we were at church for about 5 hours, which was actually wonderful to celebrate Easter listening to wonderful talks about Christ.

On April 25, Anzac Day is celebrated.  Anzac Day, Australian New Zealand Army Corp, is a day to celebrate and remember the soldiers who past away during WWI, WWII , Vietnam, and Afghanistan.  We got up at 5 in the morning to make it to the sunrise service, which was actually over before the sun came up, but worth it.  There were thousands of people waiting for the service to start, and everyone was very quiet and respectful while waiting.  The band started and veterans, their families and supporters walked down the street and stopped in front of memorial. Then to start the service a cannon was fired, and then a lone bag pipe played. It was all very touching and moving. 

Later that day we went through the tunnels for gun placement that were built in the hills above Wellington during WWII in case the Japanese attacked. Unfortunately, they weren't completed until after the war.

The view of Wellington above the tunnels

That night we went to a concert. The price was right, $5.  The Air Force Jazz Band played and the Beat Girls sang.  All of the music was from the Forties and it was great.

The final song was "We'll Meet Again" which they said was the most popular song of that time and we were to all sing along because we knew the words. We didn't, but many people did and it was great to hear the Town Hall filled with voices.  Dad and I realized that we did more for Anzac Day then we have ever done for Veterans Day or Memorial Day, we might have to change that.

We were busy all through the month doing our normal things, working at the Archives, feeding the Missionaries, Family Home Evening with the Singles and talking with the missionaires about education.  We realized to, that after Anzac Day, we will not have another break or holiday until the Queen's Birthday in June. We are all sad about no break, so yea, for the Queen having a birthday.