Life in Eureka

In New Zealand, there is another year of COVID-19 – Omicron variant after Delta variant, and we staff work tirelessly throughout the year. Leaving for a weekend retreat by our work as the boss shouted us a second retreat this year. What was the reason for us to have a retreat weekend again!

We went to the same lodge accommodation for the second time because it was a perfect place to wind down, switch our minds off from work, and take a pleasant walk along the beach down the road from the lodge.

Saying goodbye to my partner as he was off to work in the early hours of the morning, then out to do a quick job for one deaf elderly in the morning, bank the cash deposit at the ATM but blast for not having a deposit bag with me and head home in time for packing, a quick lunch. Beep, beep sound the car horn at the gate, said goodbye to our dogs for they inspected something not right.

Off I go with the director of the work and one of the staff in the car and left for Flaxmill Bay Accommodation in Cooks Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula. It would take approximately one hour and fifty-eight minutes from our home and from Hamilton as it would take about two hours and sixteen minutes.

You would need to travel and admire the Coromandel Forests through many winding roads, incredibly tight bends, and plenty of one-lane bridges to reach Cooks Beach. Beware, there had been landslips five years ago where my partner was working for one of the Road Constructions, and he joined the force teams to clear out the landslips. The brunt scarring marks of the landslips remain there as we pass on. In 2017, the people around Coromandel were severely affected and cut off from other places where they could not access other towns for groceries, medical centres, etc. Yes, my partner and his team spent a couple nights there before heading homes.

We got there just after three pm on Friday 1st of April, 2022. We stayed in a different house than last year. The director booked two houses and one cabin, and there were six females and one male. Three females in one place of two homes and one male in the cabin. The weather was perfect for us, and it was warm, cloudy and sunshine apart from the chilly morning.

There are several restaurants, cafes, and accommodations around Coromandel. There are plenty of beaches surrounding Cooks Beach, Hot Water Beach and other local beaches around Coromandel.

I spent a quiet time relaxing, reading books on Kindle and a paperback book, blogging on a Friday night, and doing online jigsaw puzzles. A morning trip to Whitianga by catching the ferry – a short trip takes four minutes one way than driving around to Whitianga, which takes about thirty-five minutes on a Saturday. We did a lot of walking around and grabbed coffees while we rested. Headed back to the ferry by walking along the beach to the wharf, then a quick drive back to the Flaxmill Accommodation Lodge. Walked to the nearest cafe, which is right next door, this cafe called Eggsentric Cafe and Restaurant along Maramaratotara Bay, for lunch. What a delicious meal there!
Walked back to the accommodation for a short break before we headed out to Hahei Bay, where there is another restaurant called The Church Bistro in the evening. The Church Bistro has a fascinating history of the building, and here is the website if you wish to pursue or explore your plan. Not too bad for I have had two meals – fish in the day and evening and it is my favourite food – not the fish and chips meal.

Oh, and awe as we saw the stunning sunset display in the sky, and we stopped to pause and wonder at the sight of sunset over the Coromandel Forest and mountain.

The night we realised it was time for New Zealand Daylight saving, we rewound our hour before heading to bed. Sunday morning came as it was a bit chilly, while we had had a New Zealand continental style breakfast – mushrooms, bacon, scrambled eggs and toast. Still, quickly the temperature rose to seventeen degrees C, and the sun came out just before we left the accommodation lodge.

Heading home onward bound as we travel through long winding roads and see so many dead possums lying on the roads. It appeared that possums became the victim of hit and run by speeding drivers during the night.

I finally reached our home, and dogs greeted me at the gate, leaving Jazz suspicious of other people by barking as she protected me. My partner greeted us as he came along to ensure our dogs were not behaving silly at people. Joseph was delighted to have me home, and young Nova playing delightful as she missed me.

It is nice to be home with our dogs and my partner. The dogs climbed over me while Joseph slept next to my feet close enough.

I recommend the accommodation – Flaxmill Bay is suitable for anyone who wishes to take a break, time to spend with the families during the wedding, reunion, catch up while recovering from cancer surgery, or go through cancer remissions. First of all, there are two friendly houses accessible to people/children with disabilities. These two accessible houses were built-in 2017. Here is the link for you to explore and decide to take a weekend break.

Accessible Houses

The Church Bistro – https://www.thechurchbistro.co.nz

Eggsentric Cafe via Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/EggsentricCafe/

Flaxmill Bay Accommodation – https://www.flaxmillbay.co.nz/about-us/

Ferry Landing – https://www.thecoromandel.com/assets/Whitianga-Ferry-Landing-Cooks-Beach.pdf

Coromandel and Ferry Landing – https://www.thecoromandel.com/towns/cooks-beach-and-ferry-landing/

Reflecting two months ago, there was a tragedy near our property that involved two cars and one ute with a jetski on the trailer. Our raw memories were a young ten-week-old child’s death and the mother’s death. Our neighbours and I never forget the incidents and are involved in assisting people, including emergency workers.

How I am faring so far? Actually, I am out of Waikato and staying at the lovely lodge in Coromandel. Why this? My workplace shouted – staff under social service a weekend retreat for the second time this year. There are seven staff here and relaxing, taking time out or refreshing our minds and cleansing our bodies. We are staying at the same lodge we stayed in late Winter last year.

I am doing well and slowly getting things back to regular routines apart from driving out and driving home on the same road where the accident site took place. Whenever I stopped at the stop sign intersection and waited patiently, looking out for any odd speeding cars passing me or not. Yes, there were speeding vehicles during the morning and late afternoon, which annoyed me or pissed me off. Daily reading the newspapers and watching the news on television always bought up cars, trucks, and even pedestrians accidents. It has been part of our lives throughout the years.

When I go out shopping at the shopping centre, banks, grocery supermarkets, or catching up on the news from the people I know and my partner’s son about his growing family. It brings recurring reminders of the youngest child and his mother back to my mind; they both died in the accident. I keep reminding myself – life is so unpredictable.

Ah, so relaxing while I pondered on the environment surrounding us. Back to the place we are staying, so peaceful and calming place where there are birds, plants, shrubs and trees surrounding. Our director of the workplace said to me, there is tui out there as she was listening, for she knows I am unable to hear the familiar sounds coming from the birds.

Cherie saw me doing the input on the laptop, and she asked me, “you are not supposed to be working!” No, I am doing the blog to separate from work. Cherie replied that it was fantastic to have a deaf writer/blogger here. It is like a writer’s retreat here where many authors and writers spend their lives doing books and blogs. I enjoy keeping English literacy through my blogs. Because it helps me to continue improving my literacy, enjoying writing/typing stories, blogs and Deaf history.

When I stand before thee at the day’s end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing. – Rabindranath Tagore

“The sun shall always rise upon a new day and there shall always be a rose garden within me. Yes, there is a part of me that is broken, but my broken soil gives way to my wild roses.”
― C. JoyBell C.

Reflecting on the afternoon of the result of the people involved and assistance at the accident site three weeks ago. I was talking to my pastor (colleagues at work) this morning. He asked me how I am faring through daily life, saying that my strength builds up very slowly. Because when I travel out to work and visit the persons, I am supporting by leaving the intersection where the accident took place from our home, which is next to this site.

”Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller.

Some days I am okay, and other days, I am quiet and reserve my time out in the garden with our three dogs. Our dogs are brilliant, keep me company and comfortable to stand beside me. My partner is great support for he went through the same experience as a motorbike accident and crashed into a large tree. When I found my time to do reading books, tidying up the work at home office, doing jigsaw puzzles online, I do the blog by writing down as a way of philosophy which I love.

”Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger; and that is very healing. We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness mediation is an excellent way to do this way…

“Right at the depth of the human condition, lies the longing for a presence, the silent desire for a communion. Let us never forget that this simple desire for God is already the beginning of faith.” 

Psalm 18:2

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

(Thank you, J. C. for this verse, and this is a good one. Because she went through the same experience – witnessed someone killed in front of her happened quickly in the past.)

If any of you like me got involved with assistance to many shock and injuries people from the serious car accidents, life would not be the same as before. Everyone’s lives go on as usual daily commutes in the rural from the city of Hamilton or other places. We witnessed two people who have died there – a 10 weeks old baby and a young mother, and our memories are raw and never goes away. At the moment, the sound of the car/truck/motorbikes traffics passing beside our property remain the same noise, and there are many different vibrations of the speed by the drivers who are driving the vehicles continuously over a period of time; always remind me and our neighbours through daily reunite Our families recently have newborn babies – one was born in late December 2021, just under 10 weeks old, and the second was born last month. My partner became a grandfather eight times, and I became a great-grandaunt for the seven-time. 

“In a time of trial, we can sometimes latch onto a verse from a psalm or from the gospel as to a life preserver. And perhaps the more the words we are using are simple and direct, the more helpful they are. One person may say: “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear ?” Another will remember the words Jesus spoke during the storm on the lake: “It is I. – Do not be afraid.” Each one of us perhaps can think of a text that provided support in a time of need.” from Brother Emile to Brother Roger – Taizé.”

My favourite times are spending solitary hours in the garden, reading books and the Bible, spending time with my partner and three dogs, and talking to the people/the pastor I trust at the workplace, my neighbour who is a Christian and my family. Our three dogs are the best comforters, keep company and stay by stay to ensure I am okay. I spend time writing notes, blogs and stories in my own time. I came across my note mark from the book I was reading many years ago for someone who lost a grandfather. Here is the quote from Mother Theresa. 

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… the more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. We need silence to be able to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. All our words will be useless unless they come from within—words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.” – Mother Theresa, Something Beautiful for God, p. 48

This morning, a little girl of my neighbour who was with me to witness the accident came over and suggested, “Why not grow sunflowers in our field?” She wrote it down in her own handwriting so I could read. there are three different ones –

“If Sunflowers Grow in Heaven Lord, please pick a bunch for me. Place them in ……’s arms and tell … they are from me. Tell… that I love and miss … and when she turns to smile, Place a kiss upon her cheek, and hold her for a while. Because remembering her… is easy, I do it everyday. But there is an ache within my heart that will never go away….. Names of the person/people passed away can be add and the date/year underneath this quote” This quote is familiar to me, but I have not seen this one for such a long time.

“And that will be heaven, 

At last, the first unclouded seeing,

To stand like the sunflower 

Turned full face to the sun

Drenched with light

In the centre held

While the circling planets

hum with joy.

Seeing and knowing

At last, in every particle

Seen and known

And not turning away

Never turning away again.” 

The last quote, I know this one as well. 

“Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see the shadow,

it’s what sunflowers do. Helen Keller”

Mm, I spoke to my partner about this little girl’s request, and he said, “Why not, because I (partner) know and believe you (Jean) loves sunflowers along with flowers in the garden.” That is a brilliant idea, and I will start planning this after our Deaf Christian Fellowship this afternoon. 

Since a week ago, Tuesday has been the first day of the second month, and it is more complicated to move forward by looking out through the windows. But to see the temporary road speed signages standing on the edge of the roadside is a constant reminder of two people who died as a result of a severe cars accident. The Police and the Investigation team are still working on the accident site. Two people’s names were released through Police’s email and in the Waikato Times newspapers last Thursday. 

“Time has stopped. How can it possibly carry on when the sudden loss of my loved one has overcome me? Darkness fell. Where is the light they brought each day and the warmth of their embrace? Joy buried. My heavy heart feels empty, lonely, frozen by the fragility of life taken. And yet I still come to you Lord in this timeless, dark and frozen place where my heart resides. Time stopped when you took your final cry, your last breath of great suffering. Darkness fell, as your Father had to turn, to wait, to suffer a separation from you his beloved son. Joy buried with you in the tomb, hopeless, finished cold. And yet I know that you arose from that heartless, lonely and frozen place. You rose to life and extinguished the power of death. Thank you that my loved one has arisen with you into heavens glorious light. Thank you that right now they are alive in this place of incomparable beauty and eternal love. Lord Jesus, in you I trust. Amen.”

Read more at: https://www.lords-prayer-words.com/family/prayer_for_loss_of_father.

The main road is a state highway between Hamilton to Tauranga, Te Aroha, or other villages. We notice many different drivers in cars, tankers, transport trucks, couriers, motorbikes travelling between 100 km and 120km. The road code states that anyone must reduce the speed when driving near the curve bend and not overtake any vehicles. There is a stop intersection from the rural road before the state highway road. A stop sign means to stop and check for clear of traffic coming and move onto the state highway road. The last accident was not severe approximately three years ago. It was further up the state highway road in the early morning hour. Nobody was injured, and the drivers were shocked, except one of the vehicles hit our previous dog and killed the dog. 

We have travelled back to Hamilton three times since a week ago, except my partner go out to work and travel home five days a week. There was nothing usual but seeing the temporary speed signs up on the roadsides bought the memory of my afternoon at the accident site. And to see a family with a two-month-old baby in the shopping centre. Yes, it is bare a raw scar memory that will remain in my heart and thought; my neighbours have this memory too. Of course, many drivers who travel past here were not aware of a severe accident by their driving speeds since the accident. 

My newfound cousin who lives near here decided to rally or meet at our local hall as a neighbour. The foursome of the neighbours (cousin, farmhand staff, neighbour and I) combine as one team and invite councillors, MPs, Land Transport New Zealand manager, Police and local community for the public meeting. Time will tell as long we are not giving up. My family and close friends know me as a deaf with disabilities advocator. They think I will do this action plan with the neighbours in our local community as a deaf with disabilities/local person advocator here. 

 “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” — Helen Keller

Regarding the families who have lost their loved ones, we, local neighbours, emergency staff, and Police, worked hard to do our best to assist on the road.

I was out working and had one physio appointment in the city of Hamilton yesterday morning (1/2/2022). After my physio, I popped to New World to get my partner’s basic grocery and lotto tickets. Heading home along the State Highway 26, from Newstead, the traffic of the cars pass too quickly and overtake for some reason. Every day, it had been like this I went to work or came home from work for a while. But yesterday it was different, and I got home at last. I made a late lunch after 1.30pm and let our dogs out for their run. I went into my home office and was just about to sit down while looking outside; Jazz, the dog, came back with a concerned look, and I heard a thunderous bang and crashed out there. I looked outside from the field while calling our young dog to come home. Oh shit, a serious cars accident at the intersection.

I called our dogs to come back inside, grabbed my mobile phone, which had emergency text direct to 111TEXT (Emergency Services) and put on my gumboots. Out of the door, and close the door to prevent our dogs escaped from the house.

Prior arrived at the accident site by foot walking, my neighbour was standing at the driver’s side where another local woman was talking calming to the injured mother who was the driver. I noticed the male person presumed a partner or a husband of the injured mother trying to hold the head, and I called out not to move the mother’s head. I spoke to the woman aware I have First Aid and Health and Safety Representative skills. There was unexpectedly to see the young baby, approximately 2-3 months old and unresponsive, in the baby car seat in the back seat. Not many words to say except whisper quietly to my neighbour. A black car that flipped side up and burned away into flame. The workers of the transport trucks from the other side of the road put out the ignited flame by the fire extinguisher.

I walked around the accident site to check everything in order while motorists made mobile calls to the emergency services and other businesses or friends. Mind you, I am a deaf owner who lives near this accident site. I returned to the car, a young family, until emergency service arrived. Polices arrived first, followed by ambulances and fire engines and reported to them. My neighbour and I waited at the spot where our rural mailboxes are next to the field owned by us. I am not keen to type more details here. We witnessed everything from the start to the end. We are still trying to work out how the three cars accident happened, and we did not see the accident happen. The local woman and her husband were travelling behind these cars. They witnessed the accident. The transporter truck from the other side noticed too. It happened quickly.

The road was blocked for several hours, and I texted my partner about this accident. I suggest he come home on the back road from Ruakura, where he works at the Waikato Expressway Motorway. I went back home and continued eating late lunch and drinking my cold coffee. I texted my sister, mother, two bosses and of course, my partner.

My partner came home early via the back road and cuddled me, knowing I was okay and in disbelief over the accident. Then I got an email from the Police centre saying two people died, leaving two other people moderately injured and one person injured.

I did not sleep much that night and the morning came, I decided to stay home. Three local neighbours texted me about having the blessing at the accident site in the morning. I texted my fourth neighbour about this. We talked about the accident, so we recapped the previous afternoon. Then the blessing took place and placed flowers at the accident site. Except for the fourth neighbour, we walked back to one neighbour’s house for a cuppa.

Currently, there are several speed signs set up at the main State Highway road 26 and the road where we are living. We are trying to get back to our regular routine, and the memory of this accident will remain permanently in my mind, the neighbours’ minds.

Too many young drivers/young generations choose to ignore the speed, overtake or pass the car at the bend intersection, failing to slow down. Yes, other young people behave the same when driving along the State Highway road. We, local people, will be calling for a local area meeting and discuss with the MPs, our local councillor, Waikato District Council staff, Police and the Land Transport New Zealand Authority staff about the plan to reduce the speed.

There are two articles printed in the Waikato Times. See the link as follow here. Note in the second article that a first man arrived at the site, mentioned, “He said maize obscured the view of people coming around the corner from Morrinsville and turning into Hinton Rd.” He did not live here long, as he said four years. My partner and I have lived for more than 6 years, along with our neighbours. It may not cause by the maize obscured the view. We assumed the speed factor made the severe impact of damage to all cars and failed to watch the oncoming vehicle by slowing down if anyone could not see. We do not have the answer for this accident, only the survivors, Police and Traffic Accident Investigation team will tell.

Our dogs are great comfort and company and they stay beside me by checking me in my home office and around the garden. Our dogs are loyals to us.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300508124/three-people-killed-in-two-serious-crashes-in-waikato?rm=a

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300508461/man-first-on-the-scene-of-a-doublefatal-crash-found-a-baby-but-no-pulse

One day, two young children walked down the private road, passing our home to the rural mailboxes. The children’s names are Victoria and Charley, and they live with their parents – a father as a farmhand worker and a mother as a housewife/part-time worker across the road from us. Charley said, ‘Cor blimey’ when they opened the mailbox door flap and found a mess of straw flattened down. Victoria said, ‘ what on earth is that?’

Let run back and tell mum and dad; off they ran home, passing me in the car arrived home in our driveway. I wonder what the children running back in such a hurry. That is not usual for them to run back quickly.

The next few days by, I was outside doing the pruning deadhead roses near the rural mailboxes. Victoria waved in front of me, for she knew I was deaf. Charley was saying something and pointing at their bright red rural mailbox. Mm, I began to chuckle by knowing it would happen every year. I realised they were not living here for a long time as they and their parents moved recently. I went over via the gate of our driveway and walked up to our mailboxes. Charley and Victoria were afraid to open the flap of the mailbox. I placidly to them by carefully opening the flap door to disturb any baby birds inside the mailbox. Ahh, yes, definitely three tiny baby birds are hugging together quietly.

Charley and Victoria peeped to look at the baby birds quietly. Ohh, cor blimey, awe came out from their voices. I assure them and remind them to check daily when their dad comes home from farming.

Day by day, Charley and Victoria love peeping to see the baby birds growing, BUT one day Charley came to see me when I came home from work. Where are the baby birds now? What happening? Did the wrong people take them away? I found it was amusing to see Charley worry about the baby birds, and it repurchased my childhood memory. Victoria came along in a hurry to see what the fuss was about and felt sad that there were no baby birds in the nest. Oh, Charley, they grow big – remember them when you and Victoria watched every day, and now they flew out from the nest as they were strong enough to fly out to explore over many farms.

Mind you, Charley and Victoria, there will be another birds nest next year sitting in the same bright red mailbox. Victoria told Charley, Better tell mum not to move and sweep the grass bits, straw bits and rubbish papers out of their mail box. Charley said, ‘well dad said it is nusiance and bird nests taking over everywhere.’ I chuckled at them quietly and assured them that we have plenty of bird nests in our many tall trees and make loud noises where our dogs hear them. If you look up high and spies carefully where the hidden nests shelter between branches where mother birds fly in. Thank you, Jean, and off Charley and Victoria went home peacefully by knowing the baby birds are adults now.