I have had 3 emails in the last few days from Lyndall at Runanga. She is an absolute champion. Lyndall owns 3 whippets and a greyhound. She is going to walk with me from Runanga to Greymouth and also across Arthur's Pass. I'm not sure if all four dogs will accompany her. She has also taken up finding me accommodation in Hokitika and Greymouth.
To make it even better Lyndall has a friend Katie who organises community dog walks in Greymouth. People make a gold coin donation to join the walk. Up to now this money has been going to the guide dog association but will now be going to Cancer Society.
I was talking to a man and his son at Waihi Beach near Hawera on Saturday about my plans. As I was walking back to Hawera with Ella and Rapid he stopped as he drove past and gave me a $10 donation. I have also added into the donations a refund cheque from Central Hawkes Bay Dog Training Club that I tried to give back but they refused and some money Feilding club gave me for helping at their January show. This brings donations to date to a grand sum of $47.04 - 2 cents for every kilometre of the walk or 0.2% of my target. Kind of nice to have something in the bank now when I am not planning to ask for donations till June.
I've always thought that one day I would be a victim of a major earthquake in Wellington. I have to admit I am shockingly under prepared for when it does happen. I have enough dog food to last the dogs a month and me for about 2 days. But I have no water stored at all.
When the September 4th earthquake struck Christchurch I was surprised that an area of New Zealand I thought fairly low earthquake risk was shaken so badly. But everyone was saying how well the buildings, apart from older brick an stone ones had stood up.
Today's news has left me lost for words. I learned about it from my dentist when I arrived for an appointment this afternoon. Being a major earthquake in the middle of the day I sort of expected a small number of fatalities. I didn't think office buildings in New Zealand would collapse as the Pyne Gould Guinness building has done. Was this building built to the same code that everyone was praising after no one was killed in September?
Starting on 3 December I am walking in India. I will be accompanied by Pankaj Ambvane and Darryl Percy on a walk of about 570km finishing on December 30th,
Mike, we passed you today 13/09/11 near Tekapo, we'll see you on our way home to Oxford on Friday. I've sadly lost close family to Cancer more than once, THANK YOU for your effort, what your doing is a great thing. We truly wish you the best of luck, keep an eye out for Em & Andy in the Black van.
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