A Very Special Award

Real-time

I thought I'd better do this blog post before it becomes old news (if it isn't already).

Just before the world went crazy I received a phone call from one of NZMCA's head office team members (NZ Motor Caravan Association) to see if I might be going to the National Rally & AGM in Oamaru in early March.

Unfortunately I had to say we wouldn't be there as we were in Napier after an unscheduled quick trip to Tauranga from Twizel in mid January and we were not due back in the South Island until later in the month. 'There's no way you could make it?' the team member persisted.  I thought they might have wanted me to take some photos or do a write up on the rally for the magazine. 

I didn't think any more of it until a week later when I received another call (while I was in the local New World supermarket) from the NZMCA President Bruce Stanger to inform and congratulate me on receiving Life Membership of the Association. The award had been announced at the AGM. To say I was shocked is an understatement, my fellow shoppers must have wondered what on earth was happening when I let out an exclamation of surprise. But I am thrilled with the recognition and very pleased that it also includes David. After all, out of sight in many of my photos sits my ever patient husband waiting for me to shoot 'just one more' photo. 

Chris (the magazine's editor) also called to congratulate me just as I got home with the groceries. After another round of excitement and exclamations, Mum came out to see what all the noise was about. She them wanted to know if we were going to receive special purple wings! Now there's an idea........   (For my non member readers 'wings' are the red decals and membership number that we stick on the front of our RVs, they look like a set of wings.)

We were going to call into Christchurch to meet with Bruce and receive our award on our way back to Twizel but as we all know the world as we knew it changed in the meantime, so that'll be on the back burner for the time being.

Here's the article that is in the latest magazine which was released March 31st, 2020. Click on the photo to enlarge and if you still can't read it I've posted a larger version of it further down the page (although it's a little blurry).

The icing on the cake was that one of my photos was also the cover shot for the latest magazine; a very fitting photo during Alert Level 4 Lockdown, of a lone camper at Mavora Lakes.

Take care everyone, we're doing great!