Travel Overseas. My School Reunion

“My School Reunion”

On Tuesday 25th March 2003 my sister Nancy and I made the journey back to New Zealand for our Convent School Reunion at Te Aroha, our brother Maurice who also lives in Australia was four wheel driving and caravanning around the country with his wife Shirley and couldn’t make the trip
Sis. And I travelled by Freedom Air from Brisbane to Hamilton arriving at the horrible time of midnight. During the flight Nancy and I were discussing the reunion when the person sitting besides us heard us and would you believe he was going to the same reunion, he introduces himself as Jim Kilbride and was actually in Nancy’s class so the time soon past as the past schooling years were talked out.
Our other sister Noeline and husband Kevin were there to take us back to their place in Paeroa. We had a lot of things to talk about and finally got to bed about 3 am.
Next morning we needed to try out Kevin’s new barbeque area and enjoyed a suicide breakfast of bacon, eggs, tomatoes and Kumara ( oh how I miss this N.Z. sweet potato), this was topped off with lots of toasted buns.
As the reunion was not till Friday 28th this gave us an opportunity to visit our Uncle Max and my favourite Aunt Gloria at Red beach, near Orewa, a journey of nearly two hours. It was nice to see them again after 12 months since I left N.Z. to live in Australia, they both looked really good and of course our Aunt excelled herself as usual by her cooking, somehow the kitchen always runs so smoothly and produces some yummy food.
Next morning Max took Nancy, Noeline and Kevin on a tour of Whangaparoa Peninsular and Gulf harbour, I had seen this area often so Gloria and I sifted through boxes of photos, my favourite pastime, later we all took a trip to the home village of our ancestors called Puhoi, this Bohemian settlement has always meant so much to me, full of history and family ties. There is the lovely old wooden church, the school is now a museum and the old Puhoi Pub, the inside just oozes with relics of past generations, many of the photos linked my family and old implements used my our early pioneers. Time for a family photo among the history. A visit to the old Fitzthum homestead where my brother and I were born to is always a pleasure, the old villa is still standing in all its glory, a second story had been added and the inside has been tastefully renovated with wood panelling and period furniture.
I almost forgot to mention our uncle Max managed to attract a traffic cop while travelling through town at 71 klms. And hour in a 50 klm area, I think his years in Real Estate paid off, somehow he convinced the inspector he was busy showing his Australian relations the sights, he was let off with a warning.
On our return to Paeroa we called into Masonic Village to see our only other aunt, Ethel, who is now sadly a very sick lady and needs full care now, my memory of her was always as a lovely well spoken lady who always kept a neat and tidy home and now this is reduced to a small room in the hospital wing.
Arriving back to Paeroa late we all managed a little extra sleep in. Sending Kevin off to work Nancy, Noeline and I took a drive to the old Gold mining town of Thames, it was a showery day so we took shelter in the Goldfields shopping centre where I managed to buy some souvenirs to take home, during lunch down town I met some old friends from Hamilton, I guess this happens when you have been around for so long.
Friday night was the start of the reunion with a mix and mingles to meet with former pupils and old friends. It had been over fifty years since I left the school but over the years my ties with Te Aroha gave me the opportunity to keep in touch with many old school friends, the others who had moved away it was great to meet them again. No matter how old and wrinkled we look, after a few minutes talking we were still the same people as all those years ago.
The Saturday gathering brought lots more, school friends like Ernie Prime who I had seen occasionally in Hamilton, but his sister Violet, I hadn’t seen for over 25 years, other class friends included Kevin Fitzpatrick, Brian Fisher, some of the Fitzgerald and Mc McCarthy clan, Don Laurenson, Doug Finnegan, Mary Nobilo and Jack Cranch to name a few. My sister was busy going around meeting her class friends, being six years younger than I, a lot of them I just new by name except her close friends like Margaret Geraghty, (Mary Cronin wasn’t there but came to see Nancy next day). Some of brother Maurice’s school classes like the Magill brothers, some of the McCarthy’s, Margaret Schuler asked about him and to pass on a big hello.
The afternoon was taken up with group photos, mine took in pupils from 1940-1949 and there were so many of us it had to be done in two sittings. While waiting for my turn I was surprised to see a cousin of mine, Margaret Sutherland (Becker), her husband Colin had attended the convent school, also Tom Krippner’s cousin ( my second cousin) from Karapiro was there I just spoke to him briefly, his wife was a past pupil also.
After a very nice dinner served by the local restaurant Mokena it was dance time with some of the original band members who played in the Catholic hall from the early 60’s. Singer Ivor Fisher and piano player Geoff Case could still produce the great music of that very special era; in my younger days I never missed the Saturday night dances there. Sadly I couldn’t join in any of the dancing as I am waiting for a hip replacement operation, my penalty of being a health fanatic most of my life and always running marathons and less, plus high impact gym work. It was surprising to discover just how many of my fellow school friends have had the same operation and now could rock and roll and dance, this is very encouraging for me.
Two other ladies I met again after many decades were Renee McFarlane from Morrinsville( can’t remember her married name), she kindly pointed out another ex-Waitoa lady, Pat Steffert who used to come to school with us on the bus along with her brothers.
After a very enjoyable reunion with our past school days it had really been worth the effort to come all this way from Australia to join in the celebrations and meet up with all our friends from our old school.
A standing joke among my fellow ex-pupils was to remember the sore knuckles and hands where certain nuns would enforce their discipline.
On the Sunday my friends Gary and Patrice came to Paeroa to take me back to Hamilton for three days, we had a short stop at Waitoa to once again take a look at our small home we spent most of our early days, This was the first time I had met Patrice, having already spoken to her many times by phone it was great to finally meet this charming lady, it is the best thing that has ever happened to my friend Gary. I stayed the night with them and had the use of his car while in Hamilton which was a real bonus to be able to get around to visit lots of my friends I had made in the 40 plus years of living here.
First on my list was my foster daughter Rosenne and her husband Gary, they had been to visit me in Mooloolaba and fallen in love with my little paradise. I bought them a framed picture of the beach which they had admired and were so excited to have it, also my cousins Thelma and Colin Niel, good to see them also. A look in at my old unit was a bit sad, the garden was empty bar the weeds and shrubs overgrown, I was able to see one of my ex-neighbours, Jean, caught up on all the local gossip, ( Margaret and Leslie were not home)
Sunday evening Gary and Patrice took me to a welcome home for me at the Workingmans Club, lots of friends, reminded me of my farewell 12 months ago in the same place. I don’t like fuss but it was so nice to enjoy the gathering of so many friends, I have always kept in touch with them but it is much better to speak to them in person. Another great moment was being able to meet again a childhood friend, Roy Oates who lived next door to me in Waitoa, it must be 50 plus years since we had seen each other, it was thanks to my friends Elaine and Alan Thomas, along with Annette, their daughter who arranged for Roy and his partner Audrey to come over from Rotorua to spend the evening with me. Other friends included Fay & Bob Sparrow, Don & Judy Lines, Gerald Enright and his friend Ann, Des and Deanne. Another surprise was my dear old friend of college days, Marie Brocklesby, I had kept in touch with her over the years and it was nice to see her again. Also Jim & Jean hill, Nancy’s brother-in –law were there, they were going to pick her up and bring her to Hamilton for two days.
Monday morning I called into Greens Garden Centre where I had worked, it still looked lovely but there were only two people I new there. Morning tea at Placemakers where I had also worked gave me a chance to meet many of my ex-work mates and sample a huge muffin. A lot of my friends were working, I did manage a look around central Hamilton which still looks great except the old Bus Depot, it is in a disgraceful state, graffiti, broken windows boarded up, it looks like Baghdad after a bombing raid, I have sent a letter to the Mayor expressing my disappointment and embarrassment for tourist coming into the city.
Later in the day I moved into Fay & Bob’s home and managed to catch up with quite a few people by phone, after sampling a few glasses of the brown liquid we all went to dinner at the Loaded Hog, again there were more friends there, Jim & Jean had brought Nancy, Jean & Alex, John & Elaine & an ex-neighbour Leslie. As in the past meals there it was a very tasty dinner shared with great friends. Later we walked to the new Casino in the main Street, built around the old art decor Post Office it was a thrill to see the results of lifting the huge glass tiled dome to make a very attractive entranceway. I lost my usual limit of $2 on the pokies
Tuesday I was lucky to find some of my friends home, Gary’s parents Doug & Val, sampled some of his prize tomatoes, lunch with Elaine & Alan’s home. I also managed to spend some time with Bruce & Dolsie, my sign writer friends who are in the process of crossing the ditch, hopefully to settle in Brisbane. Bruce is the artist who created lots of lovely small gifts for me, my face was displayed on glasses, frig magnets and coasters. It was nice to catch up with Dave & Lynne Taylor who have a florist in town, also Brigit who worked with me in the Garden centre. Walking the streets of Hamilton I was soon chatting with quite a few folk I new, some were surprised that I don’t live here anymore.
Time had moved on to my last night, say goodbye to friends and change my lodgings to stay with Gerald, had a nice quiet meal at home with him and a good chat. Our plane was leaving at 6.20 am. So it was an early start for the airport. My friend Gerald kindly set an alarm for me, great except he had the clock upside down, goodness knows what time the alarm would go off! I did wake with plenty of time.
I hate goodbyes and thank goodness there was only Jim & Jean who brought Nancy to the airport and Gerald who brought me. I felt I was ready to go home, I just never new how I would react, although I do miss my friends in N.Z. the urge to return to my lovely unit in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine coast was strong, I do think it is maybe where your personal things are is where home is. Nancy has been away from N.Z. for over 15 years so Australia has to be her home now.
The trip home was pleasant, I talked to three people I new on the plane. We arrived early and were able to get an earlier bus back home, Nancy’s husband John came down from Bundaberg to pick her up and now I have settled in again, my brother Maurice and s.i.l. Shirley have been staying with me and have now moved on again so I guess I will just wait patiently for my hip operation so I can get on with my touring around this vast country and hopefully a return trip to Germany and France.
Till next time
Cheers
JIMBO