Golden Bay

Where ever I have been in the world during my travel whether it was in the USSR or the Antarctica, I could always bring myself to see the valley below me in my mind as I stood up on Rocky point on that hill that gave the greatest view and look out across and down the valley.

In the early day the first thing you would notice was the big red roof with the words Rat Trap painted on it. Of course, it was the Upper Takaka hotel, which no longer exists as it burnt down many years ago. Many a story would have been told there by the boys from the rugby club on their way home as they would stop and celebrate their glorious victory or to drown their sorrows from a crushing defeat at the hands of the teams from over the hill. Like Mot United, Rivals, Celtic, Stoke, Upper Motere, Rewaka, Golden Downs and Nelson to name just a few. Of course, there was always a good rivalry between the clubs in those days and the games were hard and sometimes dirty, but none the less great times.

The valley always looked gren and clean, and as your eyes either follow the river as I wandered its way down the valley or one would follow the road. Either way, the view was fantastic and I always used to say I was never ever home until I stood on that rock and say there was my alley and home.

Even upon returning to my place of residence where ever it was in New Zealand at the time after I had been overseas I still was not home until I had stood on the hill and that rock and looked down the valley.

Perhaps, it's because my father and I had stood there so many times during my childhood and looked out over and down the valley with my father and he had pointed out things to me that were of interest to him as my family had lived in the Bay since 1875. With time they had become to mean so much to me also, perhaps, that's why to me it will always be home and pray to god I get to see it one more time.

To say I still love the Bay would be an understatement: it is home and will forever be my home.

To be continued.