Home again

After two weeks away on a caravan trip, we are finally home again.  And after playing “pass the parcel” with my collected quilt (well wrapped in a big towel to keep it clean) from one end of the caravan to the other I was pleased to finally carry it inside to my sewing cabinet.  And at last I’ve found the time to sit at my sewing machine.  My first priority is to stitch the binding on, and luckily I had planned ahead and prepared the binding ages ago.  With the walking foot attached I was all ready to start.

The binding – something I prepared earlier

Here we go, stitching away

With that part of the job done, the next step is to hand stitch it all down on the reverse side.  I’ve started, but it may well take me a while to finish.  Hopefully I’ll get it completed in the next few days, all going well.

Perhaps you would like to see a couple more holiday snaps from our recent caravan trip?  We stayed in Wanganui for four nights at a lovely motor camp with our Caravan Club friends.  While there I climbed not one, but two towers!  So I’m really pleased with myself.  To get to the towers on Durie Hill we had to walk through a very long tunnel (205m) indeed.

Jenny and Dot at the tunnel entrance

The vintage elevator is at the end of the tunnel, and entering was certainly like was stepping back in time.  Zena has been operating it since 1971 and stands in front of a newspaper article when she started her job – although she now only works 3 days a week, she told us.  She must really love her job to have stayed there so long.  We were charged $2 each for the 66m ride up to the top and saved us walking up 191 concrete steps.

Zena at the controls

Several of us climbed the elevator tower first, up the windy spiral staircase.  Not too strenuous and there were great views from the top.  The much taller War Memorial Tower at 33.5m high was certainly a more difficult climb for me and I doggedly climb round and round, stopping to get my breath when I needed a break.   The tower is the official Wanganui Memorial to the 513 people from the district who died in the First World War and was unveiled in 1925, and is is 33.5m high.

Only three of us climbed this tower, two male caravan club members who were much fitter than me and arrived at the top with no trouble at all.  I was much slower, but really pleased that I made it all the way to the top too, huffing and puffing all the way.   There is a heavy safety frame on top of the tower to stop any accidents.

Durie Hill Tower and War Memorial Tower

We saw quite an assortment of padlocks attached to the safety frame.  It seems that these “love locks” as they are known, fastening a lock marked with lovers’ names to a public place and the key thrown away symbolizes everlasting love.  Wonder if they come back and cut them off if the love match turns sour?

Locked in Love padlocks.

The view from the top – Wanganui River and City

Now we are home safe and sound, I hope to resume “rolling the dice” next week, and see what number comes up from my “List of Six”.  But first, I’ll keep working on that binding.