07May06 - Sunday in Dunedin

07May06

This morning we awakened to beautiful blue skies after some rain during the night.  All but one couple and Nancy had decided to go to the church where David Brown is minister.  David is a director with the local Habitat affiliate, chaplain for the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Dunedin fire brigade, and minister of the Dunedin Church of Christ among other things.  We have found him to be a very sincere and dedicated individual.  David’s message today was “Being Christ”.  The associated Bible readings told how Jesus went out into and amongst the people and sinners.  David discussed how we must also be out amongst the people of our communities representing Christ (“Being Christ”) and not stay within our church walls just talking about what needs to be done.  It was a moving message.

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Nancy had looked up the local Quaker church and went there for morning worship after dropping part of the group at the Christ of Christ.  She had an enjoyable time there.

 

Sylvia is Jewish and had looked up the local synagogue and I believe had went there Friday or Saturday.

 

We do have a diverse group.  It is one of the things that makes Habitat such a special organization.

 

After church all of us piled into the two vans and headed up the Otago peninsula to the Albatross Center.  Joan and I had gone there in 2005 on our way out of Dunedin and really enjoyed the drive and also the Center where the life of the Albatross is explained.  The headlands area of the Otago peninsula is the only place on earth where the Albatross nest that is accessible by land.  They are amazing birds with over 10 foot wingspans when fully grown.  We would encourage everyone to research and read about the birds.  There was only one chick still on the nest today but we did see three or four adults in flight.  They are very graceful fliers and never flap their wings but just glide on the wind currents.

 

The drive up the peninsula is just indescribable.  The road follows the shoreline with the passengers on the left side only about a foot or two from the water at most places and the two lane highway continually changing direction with sharp curves.  Across the bay there was a wonderful view of Dunedin lying along the side of the hills.  At the headlands looking out to the Pacific Ocean with the high cliffs along the shore there were more Kodak moments than you can imagine.  I think that I did get some video of the albatross in flight but haven’t checked it out yet.

 

David said that the local crew was able to work Saturday after the scaffold had been raised and were able to put up the trusses and install most of the purling strips in preparation for the metal roofing.  The New Zealanders apparently accomplished a lot so now the pressure is on the Americans to see what we can accomplish by Thursday.

 

An interesting fact about Dunedin is that it is the fifth largest city in the world by area.  The population is about 120,000.  We wondered because a long ways before we reached the city proper we saw a sign saying that we were entering Dunedin but then drove a long ways before we got to the outskirts of town.  We will have to ask David about how this came about.