Our third tour of duty started, then, in Fort Portal and as our house wasn't ready for occupation we were offered accommodation in the 'Mountains of the Moon' Hotel pro temp.

With all the fuss of the past few months, the journey back to Uganda, the separation that had our family in three different places over a 1,000 mile distance, I completely forgot that Christmas was once again upon us. It wasn't much of a Christmas particularly as Peter went down with Malaria on Christmas night!

My first night in the Hotel was a wakeful one and around early morning I thought I saw the large wooden beams above my head, move.

I thought maybe I was imagining things and didn't mention my hallucinations but next morning, at breakfast, I overheard other people talking about 'The tremors'.

So I wasn't mad after all and earth tremors became part of our lives Ruwenzori Mountains,or Mountains-of-the-Moon, were only a few miies away and earth tremors in the region were a regular occurrence.

After two or three weeks, the Inspector Peter was to replace, moved on to his next, posting and we were able to move into our house at Yerya-17 miles west of Fort Portal township, on the Fort Portal/Mbarara road.

This road led down to the Queen Elizabeth National Game Park and for the next three years Peters' weekly safari took him through the Park and right to the Belgian Congo border.

Our house was an extremely handsome place. It had previously been a Quinine Estate home but with the synthetic medicine that had replaced Quinine the estate was was no longer productive and the house had reverted to P.W.D. care.

The house was a large brick and tile building standing in a five acre section. The lush blackcotton soil was a gardeners delight.

Peter had arranged for Mpishi, Bruce, and Kasuku to join us and Dail soon had another love-of-her-life a siamese cat called Bimji. Somehow, we collected several chickens and one Muscovy drake called Daddy Doutret. Dail was kept busy with other 'pets' We had large blue lizards that frequented the garden and the odd Chameleon could be found- with it's bulging eyes revolving around and around in various directions quite independently of each other, They gave me the creeps with this bizarre ability and their slow moving gait. Dail found them all very intriguing but the natives thought them 'very bad medicine'.

Another monkey arrived on my doorstep-again a baby monkey. This one we called Rasoki after the headman who brought him to me.

At first Rasoki was bottle fed but I noticed he wasn't able to suck and breathe at the same time. On investigation I found five ticks in one nostril and seven ticks in the other. Some had swollen to such an extent they completely blocked the airway. I carefully extracted the ticks with the aid of my eyebrow tweezers and poor little Rasoki simply closed his eyes and took a very deep breath through his nose. The look of contentment on his face was a big "Thank you", No more trouble with feeding.

Rasoki played happily with Bimji and he was fine with Dail and I, but somehow Peter wasn't to his liking. Every time he saw Peter he flattened his ears, stuck out his bottom lip and grunted his displeasure.

Finally we decided to let Rasoki go to live at Mweya safari Lodge in Q.E. National Game Park where there were other orphans.

We saw him regularly and he grew into a large fluffy monkey and became a T.V. star when a British T.V. team visited the park later.

We now had a different Houseboy, Radido and a Shamba or Garden Boy. Together with Shamba I set about making a vegetable and flower garden. I wish all gardeners had blackcotton soil. It is truly marvellous to work. The plants grew very quickly and the result was a garden worth talking about.

The house was very near the mountains. I could lie in my bed and look at the snow covered peaks of the Ruwenzori Range through the windows. Storm clouds gathering over the peaks was a very dramatic sight and full moon setting behind these Mountains-of-the-Moon was certainly something to write home about.

* * *

Dail was now six years old and with no schools for Europeans near us we had to take the Correspondence lessons that were available to 'up-country' children.

We started off with great enthusiasms but somehow things didn't work out too well. I'm certainly not a very patient teacher and Dail would much rather spend time with the animals, or be on safari with Daddy, than to think about those boring lessons.

We had several 'breakdowns in communications' before we gave the whole thing away and at the tender age of seven years Dail, like all the other children in similar circumstances, went to boarding school in Eldoret, Kenya. Aprox 500 mites away.

On one of Dails school holidays we decided to visit the Belgian Congo so a week-end trip was planned. We drove down to the border and across into the Congo without much idea of where we would stay. We simply wanted to see the area. We continued to travel until we came to the first Hotel we saw. This was a very attractive place built in a very lush part of the region-The foothills of the Ruwenzori Mountains. Very pretty grounds surrounded the Hotel. Little mountain streams tumbling down the range had been diverted and coursed their way passed some of the Hotel windows. These streams had been landscaped with rocks and alpine plants The area was quite damp and being so high above sea level it was also quite cool in the evenings This made for plenty of vegetation. Tropical plants, trees and shrubs grew venturously and the carefully laid out, well attended, gardens were a delight.

We continued the journey the next day but we didn't get as far as the car engine mountings broke. We crawled into the nearest township and Peter tried to get help but the garage was shut until the Monday so we settled into the nearest Hotel.

We were sitting on the verandah waiting for lunch to be served when suddenly a Chimpanzee rushed through the Hotel. He made straight for the dining room and avoiding all the carefully placed glassware on the tables, he jumped onto one table and started to devour a banana from the fruit bowl. It transpired he was a pet of the proprietor and was usually kept at the back of the property but he had found an open door and knew where he could be sure to find his favourite food placed within his reach. We later visited him in his own area but it wasn't until I held him that I realized just how heavy and solid these animals are.

Peter was in charge of maintenance on the existing unsealed road-Fort Portal to Mbarara-as far as the Toro (District) border and the firm of Stirling and Astaldi were contracted to reconstruct and marshal the road.

We became very friendly with the families living in the Stirling and Astaldi road camp which was half a mile from our house. They were our nearest neighbours.

At first I doubted Peters' ability to befriend the Italians after his experience in the italian P.O.W. camps but it soon became obvious that old animosities were put aside and the road men and their wives were a great help to us.

During our correspondence school days Dail became ill. As usual, Peter was away on Safari so the Stirling and Astaldi foreman came to my aid and drove Dail and I to Fort Portal to see the Doctor.

We had no transport while Peter was away with the car each week from Monday morning to Friday evening, and no telephone.

Dails' fever was quite high and I was advised to stay in the station that night with friends so the Nurse could check on Dails condition the following morning.

After pills, potions and a good nights rest, Dail appeared somewhat better the next morning and with the help of our friendly Italian foreman we went home to Yerya.

We were just sitting down to afternoon tea and Peter arrived home unexpectedly.

"What's happened?" he asked, "I got message to say Dail was very ill so I came back immediately".

Dail, at this point, looked quite well so Peter was confused.

I hadn't sent a message but the natives thought Peter should know what had happened and it seemed their grape-vine worked very well indeed. Peter had been some 100 miles from us when the message was passed along the line. No need for telephones here!

The fever started again a fortnight later and Rhumatic Fever was diagnosed.

Again, friends in Fort Portal came to our rescue and Dail spent many miserable weeks in bed to obtain the complete rest needed. At the time there were no beds for Europeans in the Fort Portal Hospital-Beds were just for Africans. Later two rooms were added which catered for other races.

Dails progress was slow but sure and two months later we were back in Yerya.

One young Italian boy had arrived with his parents at the Road Workers camp and we invited him over to play with Dail. (They were the only young European children in the immediate area.) We thought, Lucio, who spoke no English and Dail, who spoke no Italian, might learn something of each others languages. What a hope! They both spoke Swahili so quickly slipped into that language and played happily. Later, Lucio joined Dail at Eldoret and very quickly learned English.

The British still had a military prescence in Kenya with young men doing their 'National Service' in the Colony. Many of the servicemen took their leaves in Western Uganda exploring the Q.E.National Park or climbing in the Ruwenzori Mountains and the pretext given, "To make a snowman on the Equator!"

We met several of these soldiers and some stayed with us during this time. All loved the beauty of the region with it's 'big game'and spectacular mountain range, which divided Uganda and the Belgian Congo-now Zaire

The Italians helped us construct a Tennis Court on our section and we had social games and many social evenings watching films in their canteen.

Our Kenya cousins visited us and the whole period was one of happy memories.

We were due for 'Local leave' -two peeks in East Africa- and we decided to go again to the coast and Diani Beach.

This was now a 1,000 mile journey each way.

Two weeks previously a Golfing friend of Peters' from Kampala had arrived on our doorstep-unexpectedly-and this was a nice surprise. He happened to be travelling in the district and decided to look us up.

Neither of us mentioned 'Local Leave' or our plans so you can imagine our surprise when we got to Sandy Bay Hotel, Diani Beach-1,000 miles from home and found the same man already there at the bar.

A year later, after Dail had started at the boarding school, we realized number two daughter was on her way and being extra careful with the pregnancy this time I was advised to stay again in Fort Portal to be near the Doctor and medical help for the first few weeks-that was, during the week while Peter was away on safari.

It was while I was thus occupied that Peter, again, received an urgent message. This time it was from the local Gombololo Police (Native).

Apparently, Mpishi, now a very old man with no one to advise or supervise him daily, had gone completely 'Doolaii' and had stolen and drunk the entire contents of our Liquer Locker. He then had rushed out and beheaded a few of our chickens. After this he had a fit of remorse and Mpishi had tried to commit suicide with my rifle. Although I had kept the rifle handy I always kept the safety catch on and the old man didn't know this or how to release it anyway.

It seemed the house Boy was able to take the gun away from Mpishi and he was taken to the local native jail.

Peter, again, rushed home to see whatcould be done but the native administrator advised Peter to let Mpishi return to his own home in Kampala and retirement. It was very sad saying "Goodbye" to the old man who had been part of our family for almost nine years.

* * *

Our next posting was to Fort Portal township or Boma, as was called.

Peters' work now included the maintenance township roads and the Bwamba Pass.

The latter was a narrow, winding road-some 30 miles long-which led down to the Semliki Valley. The road literally skirts the Northern end of the Ruwenzori Range. The Semliki River winds it's way through the valley and the dense Ituri Forest. In this forest-albeit, here only the edge of this vast jungle-we regularly saw many species of monkey and baboon. The forest is also home to many Pygmy like people. These small people quickly found tourists a sauce of funds when posing for photographs. Eventually cars were besieged by these people and many would cling to moving cars hoping they could force them to stop and lucrative photos could be taken.

Again, the Club in Fort Portal was the 'Hub' of the European community. Tennis and Golf were enjoyed and many Gala nights were arranged, the proceeds of which were donated to various charities. Fancy Dress dances were particularly well attended and everyone joined in the spirit of the evenings entertainment. It culminated in a close knit, almost family like, station.

Two Hotels in the area catered for the tourist trade and friends from the Ruwenzori Hotel, Adi and Edna Gegg are still firm friends we see regularly here in Australia.

* * *

Some months after our move from Yerya to Fort Portal proper, number two daughter decided it was time to give everything a 'hurry-up' and six weeks before she was due to make her entrance into this world she thought "Enough is enough", No one was taking much notice so she sprang a few surprises. Doctor didn't like what was happening and thought I should make tracks down to Kampala and the Hospital once again.

As usual, Peter was away from home again when this happened.

He had gone to Kampala to collect Dail from the school train which was due in from Kenya. They had planned to have a couple of days in Kampala visiting friends before returning to Fort Portal for Dails summer holidays but, once again, Peter got an urgent message asking him to return home.

He met Dail from the train, bundled her into the car and headed straight for home.

A six hour journey, over a rough road, was not an option for me in my present state so a small 'plane was asked for and the following morning-after a very hurried "He11o and Goodbye" to Dail, I was driven down to our nearest airfield at Kasese near Kilembe-approx 60 miles away. There we met the little Domonie 'plane which had been sent up from Entebbe to collect me.

The Pilot and the Nurse, who had accompanied him, together with Peter and a friend, Leslie Slater who had driven us to the airfield, firmly tied the stretcher I was on to whatever they could find in the little 'plane. Not wanting the stretcher to move when the 'plane took off, everything was checked and double checked.

No one, however, thought about me and as the little 'plane took off and rose into the wild blue yonder I went sliding off the stretcher and ended up a nasty little knot in the tail of that 'plane.

The Nurse saw what had happened and rushed to my aid. She tried, vainly, to push me and my large 'bump' back onto the stretcher but neither of us could do much for laughing and the poor Pilot, who could see none of this, wondered why the 'plane was so tail heavy.

After one hours flight we arrived at Entebbe and I was transferred by Ambulance to Kampala Hospital. I swear that Ambulance stretcher was only 18" wide and clinging on for dear life during the 20 mile bumpy ride was a herculean task.

Babe was turned four times over the next four weeks, After a week in Hospital I was able to leave with strict instructions to stay in Kampala near the Hospital. Once again friends came to my rescue and offered me a bed.

It seemed I would miss all Dails' holidays so Peter brought Dail down to Kampala for a short stay after which she rejoined him in Fort Portal as he had to continue to work.

Peter knew of Kims' arrival when he returned from safari and found the telegram waiting for him. He immediately brought Dail down to see her sister and we spent just one week together in Kampala before Dail had to return to Kenya and school. Then Peter, Kim and I returned home to Fort Portal.

We settled back into the Boma and the social life. We joined in the Scottish Country Dancing weekly class nights at the club which was tutoured by Andy Bain.

One night, after dancing, we returned home to find Bruce and our new dog Rocky,-an old English Mastiff-standing outside the house. Both dogs had been locked inside before we left.

A quick inspection showed us we had been robbed. All my new clothes, bought in Kampala for my new found figure, had been stolen from the clothes line.

We could only assume that the dogs had become agitated and had jumped at the doors and shaken them until the bolts, top and bottom, had been shaken loose thus enabling the dogs to push their way out to the intruders.

Whoever took our clothes got away with the theft and we never saw them again.

After this episode we left one dog inside the house and the other outside the house whenever we were away for the evening.

Our Scottish Dancing Tutor was due for 'Home Leave' and I was persuaded to take over his work of teaching at the weekly classes. So began a 17 year long love affair with this type of dancing and teaching in various clubs.

We continued to enjoy life in Fort Portal with it's warm days and cool nights for the next eighteen months until our contract with the Crown Agents terminated.

At the time all jobs in Uganda were being Africanised as quickly as possible-regardless of standards-and everyone could see what was happening to the Protectorate.

Although, for some time, training in all aspects of modern day living had been taught in various schools, colleges and the University, we seriously doubted the ability of a few to handle the serious and enormous business of Government, and to run a country that was so divided by tribalism without the overriding law of British justice and Protection that had prevailed for over 70 years up to that time.

People began to weigh up their options and our own needs had to be carefully considered.

We were offered a futher three year contract but we mulled over the consequences, Peter would be over forty years of age at the end of that contract. Dail would be in High School and Kim would be starting primary school. Should we move now to a more stable position before this all happens? We had to consider uprooting the girls at a later, more vital, stage in their lives-not good! And Peters' chances of permanent work after forty years of age.....What of that?

It was with heavy hearts that we decided to leave East Africa and return home. It had been our home for almost eleven years and we thoroughly enjoyed it but we didn't like what was happening to it. We could only predict Gloom and Doom particularly for Uganda.

After more thought, however, Peter said, "Why go back to Britain? We originally wanted to see New Zealand. We're half way there so why not go on. How about it?"

Although I knew little of that country at the time apart from it's Geography and Sheep, Sheep, Sheep, my immediate thought was "Why not?"

Peter wrote to his ex P.O.W. pal, Jack Simonsen Napier and asked all the relevent questions re work etc. He received a very favourable reply so he immediately set the wheels in motion for our eventual immigration to that country.

We decided to take our Ford Zodiac car with us to New Zealand and this would enable us to motor down to Mombasa, calling in on the way to friends and relations at Kampala, Jinja, and Timboroa, Kenya to say our "Goodbyes".

It was hard saying "Goodbye" but we knew there was a real possibility of seeing friends again when they, too, left the Protectorate at some future date. However, this was not the case with the animals and it was harder leaving Bruce and Rocky.

Bruce stayed with our friends, Margaret and Leslie Slater and their two small sons. He couldn't have had a better home as Leslie was a Vet and Bruce still had a family.

Rocky had been much admired by one of our Stirling and Astaldi friends and went happily to live with him when the time came for us to part.

* * *

Our arrival in Kenya in October 1958 coincided with the wedding of Ethel and Emlyns daughter, Jenny.

It was wonderful to be able to be with them on this lovely day of days.

Jenny looked lovely as she walked down the aisle on her Fathers' arm to be united with Len and become Mrs Wibberley.

The reception was held at the Eldoret club which boasted a fine Golf course. After the wedding Peter was able to play his last round of Golf in East Africa here and the next day we continued travelling down to the coast and Mombasa.

We spent several days in Mombasa before boarding the S.S.Kampala which sailed to Bombay via the Seychelle Islands.

A short stop-over in the Seychelles endeared us to the islands with it's lovely beaches, and warm water. It was here we ate Turtle meet- not unlike Beef-and Millionaires Salad, which is the center of the Coconut Palm tree.

We were not, however, endeared to our next stop-over in Bombay with it's teeming humanity, it's overpowering buildings (Neither of us are city people), it's lack of sanitation and poor living conditions and extreme heat. A11 of which was a far cry from the lush green vegetation and the peace of Western Uganda.

We arrived in that hot, overcrowded customs shed on the docks at Bombay and waited for what was euphemistically called a 'Free Porter' so advertised on all the porters shirts.

We finally paid a porter to help with our luggage and found a taxi.

This battered apology for a vehicle arrived and the driver agreed to convey us to our Hotel. We were due to spend 10 days here in Bombay whilst waiting for the P.& 0. Liner 'Ardacia' and our onward journey to New Zealand but first, get to your Hotel.

This was done by 'Bumper Bumping' out of the dockhand. Our taxi literally banged in to, and kept up a constant banging with, the car immediately ahead, so forcing that vehicle to move inch by inch until we were finally out onto the main road, where every now and then, when the taxi slowed down, a new passenger-native-would open the door and push his way into the car until we felt more like sardines in a can than passengers in a taxi.

We went through various traffic points, with Policemen on point duty, and our driver handed what I assumed was various sums of money to these gentlemen as we passed by. Everything seemed corrupt. Prohibition was in force but for the right sum of money Beer could be obtained. We finally pulled up outside what I can only describe as a third rate Hotel.

Our first night there was anything but comfortable and to be cooped up for 10 days, in the conditions that, prevailed at the time, with Dail now 9 years old and Kim l8 months and no transport, was not my idea of fun and seemed to be the last straw in travelling.

We asked the shipping agents to change our bookings, as soon as possible, to the next ship out of Bombay. Unfortunately the only berths available at the time was on 'G' deck of a P.& 0. Liner 'S.S.Strathaird' which was carrying immigrants, on cheap fares, from Britain to Australia.

Peter had to arrange for our car to be off-loaded from the 'Kampala' and onto the next ship. Frustration came when the A.A. would offer no help at all. We were registered with the Association and the help we had previously received in getting the car from Britain to East Africa and then from there to India was tremendous but it now seemed more "Backsheesh" was required-everywhere 'palms' had to be greased.

Peter, now very annoyed, employed native labour and got the job done himself. This took almost all day to arrange before we finally boarded the 'Strathaird' and found our way to 'G' deck.

Comfort here, on this leg of our journey, was again lacking. Not a lot was done for the poor unfortunates on these 'Cheap fares' to Australia.

Our cabin had no port-hole and very little ventilation. Noisy water pipes spanned the ceiling very close to our heads as we slept-or tried to sleep-in that hot, stuffy atmosphere.

By day things were not much better. Passengers were sea-sick in various parts of the ship, on stairways,in corridors and this was not cleaned. Cockroaches ran across the floor of our cabin.

Both Peter and Dail spent time in the Ships Hospital with fevers.

Kim was unable to sleep in the heat and humidity of our cabin so I walked the decks at night with this crying babe trying to pacify her and not disturb other passengers.

Some people took campbeds, thoughtfully provided by P.& 0., up onto the deck to get more comfort and sleep but a night spent on deck meant very sore throats the next day because of salt spray that had been ingested throughout the night.

The ship called at Ceylon - now renamed Sri lanka-and everyone enjoyed the respite of a day ashore. We saw snake charmers and we happily hunted through the lovely gemstones. Peter bought me a Zircon ring which is still a prized possession.

We continued on the 'Strathaird' to Fremantle, Western Australia, where most passengers took a quick trip into Perth-lovely clean Perth!

Back on board we continued the journey to Adelaide but by this time we were heartily sick of the 'Strathaird' and decided to disembark, take our car off the ship and motor across country to Sydney.

The next 5 days were spent in Adelaide recuperating from our shipboard journey. The pleasant surroundings: the friendliness of the Australian people and the comfortable Hotel soon had us feeling better.

We started off for Sydney travelling via Bendigo where we met a brother of a Fort Portal friend, Don Warboys. Dons' brother was interested in Glider Flying and both Dail and I were treated to exciting trips. Soaring around the heavens with no noisy engine was wonderful and I would liked to have stayed longer but we had to make tracks to Sydney to catch up with more people and our next ship to New Zealand.

We contacted friends of friends as soon as we got to Sydney - Wyn and Ashley - who made us very welcome and insisted we stay with them until our ship sailed.

Most people we met in Australia asked,

"Why are you going to N.Z.? Why not stay here?"

To which we replied,

"If we don't go on we'll never know what's there. We can always come back". It took us thirty two years but we did come back.

* * *

It was on Melbourne Cup day (Race day) 1958 that we boarded the 'Wanganella' and sailed for the country that would be our home for the next thirty two years.

Four pleasant days passed at sea and we were introduced to some of New Zealands' liquor laws which prevailed at the time. Beer was bought and drunk from tiny 8oz glasses. Not the usual pint or half pint mugs which were used in the U.K. and East Africa. I wouldn't describe either of us as 'Drinkers' but the odd Beer or Shandy drunk on a hot day was certainly thirst quenching. Now, it seemed, we sipped genteelly from these minuscule glasses-Not the same thing at all!

After these few comfortable days we reached our final destination of Auckland, New Zealand.

Many years later the Wanganella was stationed at Lake Manapouri, in the South Island and was used as a Hostel for men working on the building of a Hydro Electric Scheme. When the work was completed the Wanganella was required to move on but the ship wouldn't budge. On investigation divers found thousands upon thousands of beer bottles which held the ship fast. For years men had thrown these beer bottles over the side as they relaxed with a 'Cold one' after a days work!

Peters' cousin, George Baldwin and his wife Marion, met us at Auckland and after getting our car off the ship we drove to their home in the suburbs.

For the next 3 months we travelled the length and breadth of New Zealand visiting various people whose addresses we had been given by friends back in Uganda and Peter also looked for work. We met many people and were made very welcome in their homes. Peter and Jack Simonson met again in Jacks home in Napier. It was a wonderful reunion after fifteen years. They had last seen each other in a P.O.W. camp in Lucre, Italy and 'much water had passed under the bridge' since then.

Adrian (Adi) Gegg had emigrated from Uganda at the same time as we had and he, too, had travelled to New Zealand albeit by another route. He was now working on an Oi1 Rig on the Desert Road. We called in to see him and vowed to keep in touch. He was finding the cold weather very trying after the warmth of Fort Portal but, at least, he had a job. We were still looking.

Christmas came and went. Ours was spent in a tent. Camping seemed to be the thing to do at Christmastime in New Zealand. Everyone had their annual holidays at this time and Hotels and Motels were fully booked from one year to the next so tenting was the next best thing. We found we had to 'Get with it', invest in some camping gear, and travel this way like all good keen Kiwis.

Our Christmas was spent near the Hermitage Hotel at Mt.Cook,in the South Island and on Christmas day we drove up to the Hotel and asked,

"Where can we get a drink?"

"This is Christmas day!!" replied a very haughty female receptionist.

"So what," I thought, "It's also my birthday and like a drink"

But tea was the only thing on offer so afternoon tea and cakes had to suffice.

I began to feel this New Zealand was a weird place. Weirder things were to follow.

We made our way back to the North Island and drove up to Hamilton where we rented a farm cottage and went about setting up home.

I had never owned a washing machine as, up to this point, we had Houseboys or Dhobis to do the work in Uganda so I wasn't certain which make to purchase. This being so we went down town to look at various models and research the market, as it were.

We came across a dear little spin-dry washing machine, standing on the pavement outside a shop, which I fancied might suit me nicely.

I went inside the shop and enquired,

"How much is that washing machine out on the pavement?"

"You don't want that, you want this" said the male assistant.

'This' was a Whiteway washing machine with a wringer on top.

Now I knew didn't want a wringer so I again asked about the price of the pavement machine.

"You don't want that", insisted man, "Anyone with a family needs the one of these" he said, patting the wringer lovingly.

I wondered how this chap knew I had a family? The girls weren't with us but he seemed to know everything, particularly what I needed.

Here indeed was a very unique selling technique and one I was to come across one again and again in New Zealand. It seemed the customer is never right, the shop assistant is!

Needless to say he had to ring up 'No Sale' that day. We eventually settled on a second-hand spin-dry washing machine at another shop and took it back to the cottage.

The next day we again went to town and as we rounded a corner Peter almost collided with a man coming the other Way.

"Fort Portal!" shouted Peter. He couldn't remember John Mortimer-Jones name but knew instantly they had met on the Golf course and in the club at Fort Portal. Peter never forgets a face.

John couldn't believe eyes or ears. It seemed he had returned to New Zealand and was now married and living not far from our cottage.

* * *

Although there was, at the time, no unemployment in the country, we found job hunting frustrating as most people saw 'East Africa' as

'South Africa' and anywhere in 'Africa' it was thought that we went around constantly whipping natives and doing all manner of dire things so perhaps we shouldn't be put in charge of any Maori road worker-or so it seemed to us at the time. After a few abortive attempts to find a suitable road job Peter decided it was time to look for other types of employment and answered an advertisement for an Inspector with the Te Akau North Rabbit Board.

This Board was responsible for overseeing the eradication of noxious weeds and rabbits in the area and farmers were advised and helped to carry out this work.

A house, at Naike in the Waikato district, plus 10 acres of land went with the job so this seemed a good place to start.

Peters' application was successful and we moved into the house and our new situation in March 1959.

After travelling for several months and having virtually no schooling, Dail now had to settle and attend the small primary day school at Naike. This she found very different from either Correspondence or Boarding school. She was treated as a foreigner by the N.Z. children who she thought to be foreigners and couldn't quite understand the situation. However, as children will, she soon settled into school life.

The 10 acres gave us scope for a small holding and we eventually had sheep, a house-cow named Averil, several chickens, a cat and Copper our Golden Cocker Spaniel.

We quickly joined in the social life of Naike. This included the Women's Division of Federated Farmers-an all girls affair which, years before, had been very necessary for women living almost solitary lives on their husbands farms and perhaps rarely seeing another female as many of these farms were isolated. But somehow that wasn't the case in 1959. Never the less we met regularly and all manner of functions were attended.

We had a Drama group, which I particularly enjoyed. Women's Tennis matches were arranged and when we had an R.S.A. (Returned Servicemens Ass.) Cabaret-or Dance-I found the women again became segregated.

All the Ladies would sit at one end of the local hall and all the men congregated at the other end. This was something quite foreign to me and the first time I encountered this behaviour I asked the women.

"Have you had a row with the men?" A11 the Ladies giggled, looked sheepish and chorused, "No".

I soon found the sexes united at the first strains of music and danced happily together but as the music faded and ceased both sexes retired to their respective corners and "Babes and Knitting and Cooking" were discussed at one end of the hall, while macho things like "Lambing and Docking" were discussed at the other end. The whole thing was totally alien to me and after a few months I decided to start a Scottish Country Dancing Club in the area and get back to what I thought was normality.

And so the 'Die was east' and we gave birth to the Naike Scottish Country Dance Club.

Our little club soon had a core of staunch supporters and we contacted and visited other clubs from Auckland to Cambridge and they, in turn, visited us. We had many very successful evenings. 'Tartan evenings, Late Nights and Annual Balls' as well as our weekly class nights.

We joined in the Masterton Golden Games with some other fifty dancers and the girls grew up dancing their way around the country.

From our point of view the whole endeavour was a success and many friendships developed over these years. Much later in our enterprise, Peter and I were very pleased to be asked to join other dancers in Auckland and dance for H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth 11 when she visited New Zealand together with Prince Phillip Princess Anne and Capt. Mark Phillips.

* * *

We bought a small pig for our small farm but one day 'Pig' got out of his pen and with no dog to run and bale-up little piggy, Peter became pig-dog and ran the length and breadth of those 10 hilly acres until he was exhausted.Finally Peter collapsed in the bracken at the top of the paddock, breathing heavily and gasping for breath. He looked up and saw Pig in exactly the same state of exhaustion not a metre away. Peter stretched out his arm and closed his hand around Pigs' leg. He laid there until both had regained their composure, then he brought Pig safely home.

Neighbours, who miss seeing nothing, saw the whole episode and after this our name changed from Malins to Pig-Malins in Naike!

* * *

It seemed that the Turkeys that lived in the district belonged to whoevers property they happened to be on at any given time.

One day several Turkeys wandered onto our property so we fed them, they stayed and became ours.

We watched the Turkey chicks as they hatched and Kim watched the Mother Turkey as she sat on the brood. After a while a thought occurred to Kim and when Mother Turkey went in search of food Kim got into the box with the chicks and did a spot of 'Baby sitting' herself. Unfortunately the two year old was somewhat heavier than weight of a Mum Turkey and few, if any, of the chicks survived the squashing.

It seemed the rabbit problem wasn't being resolved and rabbit numbers were on the increase. The 'Non-Killer' policy adopted by the Board was changed to a 'Killer' policy and Peter, together with other inspectors, did night shooting to eradicate the rabbit nuisance.

We acquired more dogs, as working dogs, for day work and farmers who said,

"Haven't seen a rabbit on my place for ages", now found that were 'over run' with these animals and "Would the Rabbiter come immediately?"

Helicopter spraying destroyed noxious weeds on many farms and this meant a 3.00a.m. start on the days when this method was employed as the wind conditions were usually right at this early hour. One morning I was dragged, protesting loudly, from my nice warm bed to watch the spraying but all was worth it in the end as I was treated to a Helicopter ride to the next farm. Great Fun!

Three years passed very quickly. Work and our small-holding kept us busy with sheep-rearing, lambing and the Daily milking of Averil-who produced a lovely wee calf we named Honey. Scottish Country Dancing, School activities, Gardening, Tennis and the odd thing such as Table Tennis, Flower Shows, Amateur Dramatics, Cinema in the local hall, etc, etc. Not to mention housework, cooking, outings and visits to and from friends, with the odd wedding or funeral in between times.

Naike was situated seventeen miles from the nearest town of Huntly and, at the time, these seventeen miles of dirt road were rough and corrugated for most of the year. A shopping trip was a day long expedition and a tiring one.

* * *

Our first dear little Black lamb had now grown into a large cantankerous old Black ram. One day, for no apparent reason, he charged into Peter knocking him off balance. Peter fell heavily and his damaged knee did not allow him to get up quickly. Baa-Baa thought this was great fun and kept up his relentless attack. Dail heard her Daddy shouting and went to see what was the matter. She found Peter lying on the ground trying to fend off this mad ram with his crook but was somewhat ineffectual. Baa- Baa had been Dails pet lamb and still came to her call. She managed to divert his attention and Peter made his escape.

Some days later Baa-Baa turned his attention to me as I was milking Averil. He decided to keep butting the side of the cow byre until he had smashed one of the rails. I thought, "one more butt and he'll be through", so I tried to dissuade him with the stiff broom but this only made him worse. He was very angry!

The only way out of that byre, and avoiding Baa-Baa, was to climb over the roof and drop down the other side into the vegetable garden. This was a tricky manoeuvre with a full pail of milk but, never the less, had to be accomplished as there was no one home at the time who could divert Baa-Baa's attention.

One night, when Peter was out at a meeting, I noticed Copper behaving very strangely. She kept turning, continually, around and around in very small circles. She seemed unable to keep still or walk in a straight line.

After a while she began foaming at the mouth and kept this up until she had a beard entirely of foam. I rang the Vet who came immediately and diagnosed Distemper.

By the time Peter got home Copper was very ill indeed and we didn't expect her to survive the night. However her condition improved and we nursed her very carefully for the next few weeks. Her progress was very gradual and I placed her in Kims' pushchair so we could wheel her outside in the fresh air. She began to take an interest in her surroundings again and very slowly regained much of her strength. She was even eager to resume work when she saw Peter with his gun. It wasn't to be however, as she suddenly lost her balance and kept bumping into things. She collided with chairs, walls and she couldn't negotiate steps.

"That's what was afraid of", said the Vet when we told him and added, "there's nothing more we can do, unfortunately". It was such a shame after all our hard work and Copper had given it her best shot too.

Reluctantly we had to agree to have her put to sleep. Another sad day.

Mandy, a Black Cocker Spaniel, replaced Copper.

* * *

Adi Gegg managed to visit us from time to time and after a year Edna and her daughter, Andree, arrived in New Zealand. Adi and Ednas' romance blossomed and we attended their wedding in Auckland after which they returned to Naike with us for a short Honeymoon.

Independence came to Uganda, Kenya and Tanganika and many Europeans left these countries. Some arrived in New Zealand to start a new life as we had done and a 'Jambo' club was organised in Auckland to help those who found settling in a new country somewhat strange-not to mention difficult. Readjustments had to be made.

At the club we renewed old acquaintances and heard stories of others and how they had fared. Norman and Mavis Hamilton, and their 5 children, had returned to England. Normans' brother, Gavin, his wife, Olive, and their 3 sons, one day arrived on our door-step. It was a lovely surprise-totally unexpected as we had not heard from them since leaving East Africa. Our friendship remains to this day.

Dail was now thirteen years old and needed High School education. As Naike had no such school we transferred from Naike to Onewhero- approximately 40 miles south of Auckland-still working for the same Rabbit Board but in a different area.

We now lived nearer a township and this, together with sealed roads, seemed like heaven to me. No more long tedious, dusty, corrugated roads to be negotiated for shopping trips etc.

Here, in Onewhero, Dail was able to attend the local High School and Kim began her education at the Primary school.

We settled into the new district and continued to teach Scottish Country Dancing now at the Pukekohe club. We met John and Sheila Watkins who had lived and worked in Uganda and were now living in Pukekohe, approximately 10 miles from Onewhero.

Sheila and John had three children, Adrian, Katrina and Lorna. Adrian, we discovered had boarded at the same school as Dail in Eldoret. They had even shared the same pony at the Eldoret Riding School, although at different, times, all those years previously.

The two families became firm friends and spent a lot of time in each other company over the next 11 years.