Tuesday of Week Three

Am finally recovered from cold.  Monday night last week, I had trouble getting to sleep.  After having finally drifted off, I was awakened by a rumbling noise and a shaking that lasted for about 20 seconds (you have NO idea how long 20 seconds can be).  It turned out to be a 5.3 earthquake, an apparently acceptable size to be able to talk about with real earthquake survivors.  Needless to say the trip to Wainui the following morning  where the Christchurch Clergy conference was held felt very long.  For the first time ever I experienced  a really serious car sickness feeling;  I think it was from the trip through the mountains--with my cold, my head would not clear properly--the way back was not bad at all.
This clergy conference was quite intense.  There was a speaker, a priest currently working in the field of social work who spoke about the difference required in pastoral care when dealing with survivors of natural disastors.  It made a lot of sense, I just hope I don't have to put it into practice.
This was nothing like a Huron experience.  For one thing, everbody brings a bottle or two of wine, and a couple volunteer clergy pour the wine.  The 'bar" is open just before dinner on the first night of the conference, but not during the evening.  Every one is gone to bed by about 10.  The next day it is open before dinner and after the last service.  Every one is gone to bed by about 10:30.
Like Huron, theere is a lot of time for worship as well as the speaker, but also a lot of small group discussions--this time focussing on how the church will be present during the rebuilding of the city, and how the churches will themselves will determine if they will re-build or if, indeed, they should.

The conference doesn't end until about 2:30 on the last of the three days.  The clergy, like every one else in the country all have morning  and  afternoon tea, consisting of something wet and something sweet.  Instead of including that in the price of the conference, the clergy all bring treats for the teas.  I brought date squares. 

The picture above is taken from the porch of the YMCA camp where the conference is generally held.  The photo to the right is again taken from the porch, but is a picture of the Port Hills taken from the other side of where we generally view them in Christ Church.  The Y camp is in a place called Wainui, just across the harbour from Akaroa. 

There was not enough room at the clergy conference for all of us.   Sue, Phil and I and another member of the Christchurch clergy stayed at a cottage on the harbour.  It was about a three minute drive from the main site.  This photo was taken from the verandah of what is called the 'Beach House" (the originality of the name is stunning.)  At the left of the bottom picture there is a small bit of the promontory of land forming the Wainui bay and just behind it, across the water is Akaroa harbor, and that town itself.  I think somewhere Mike and I have a picture taken from the dock there of this same promontory and the town of Wainui.

It was a great experience, but I really like the Carmelite's cooking better.  On our way home over the mountains, we stopped to take this picture (above).  The azure colour of the shallow of the bay really was that shade--unbelievably beautiful view and really, really steep.

The picture  above is of Lake Ellesmere with the Banks Peninsula on the right. Ellesmere is the fourth or fifth largest body of water in New Zealand, depending on your source; it is not actually a lake, but a brackish lagoon.  The 'road' in front is the remains of an old railroad track built across the causeway.. The track goes on for miles, and I am not sure of  the location of its actual beginning and end..  The water in the lake is not for human consumption but the birds  don't seem to mind.  Most of the birds in this picture are terns and beautiful black swans.

 This last shot of the day is facing towards the Southern Alps.  What a great place this was to stop to stretch our legs this trip.