22nd April 

I went to meet up with my classmate Gladys. But this was not the only thing that was accomplished during this trip.

Benji and Lynda received me at the Adelaide airport. They showed me the original Salvador Dali original bronze sculpture,  called Dance of Time, outside the Airport entrance.

We drove to their holiday home in Aldinga. Gladys, was there along with her sister Susie and daughter Sneha. Meeting up with them was the main purpose of the trip. We all had lunch together. Lunch comprised Benji”s Ambur biriyani, Sneha’s ghee rice, Gladys’s egg curry, and Susie’s tuna cutlets. 

The rest of the day flew by with many old stories recollected and new ones told. Our friendship goes back to 1974; there was plenty to talk about.

We are grateful for this lovely house in Aldinga to use and enjoy.

23rd April

Our destination was Robe.

We had an early start at 6:40 a.m. I took the wheel for the morning, giving Susie a break; she had been the driver for the last 10 days. We stopped at a cafe in Strathalbyn for breakfast. 

We did a double-take when we passed the Big Lobster in Kingston, so we stopped and walked back some ways to get some pictures.

We then drove to Mount Gambier. The first  attraction here was the Tantanoola Caves.

The tour guide told us that it is one of only two dolomite caves in Australia, the other one being in Tasmania. The cave had stalagmites and stalactites made of dolomite.

Susie drove for the rest of the day. The other place we checked out in the Mount Gambier area was the Blue Lake, which had a distinctive blue colour and also the interesting sight of 100s of love locks attached to the viewing fences. 

We were ravenous and it was well past lunch time, so we settled for a KFC lunch.

At long last it was time to get to our accommodation in Robe. The Airbnb house was lovely. After a cup of tea, although it was dark, we walked to the sea, three minutes away. The light house was flashing it’s beacon over a sea that was rough. The noise of the breakers was deafening. 

The sound of the waves crashing was really loud. I tried to remember the hymn that mentioned the roaring of the breakers. The next evening Gladys and I remembered it together. It is the 19th-century hymn ‘Will Your Anchor Hold’ by Priscilla Owen’s.

Will your anchor hold in the straits of fear,
When the breakers roar and the reef is near?
While the surges rage, and the wild winds blow,
Shall the angry waves then your bark o’erflow?
We have an anchor that keeps soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!

Back in the house, we sang ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ followed by many old choruses from our Sunday School days: Fruit Salad, Remember Thy Creator, Keep me true, Great change since I was born, and many more.  

24th April

It was Goodbye to Robe after a visit to The Pastry Shop at Robe’ and the old 1861 gaol.

We used the ferry crossing at Wellington to get across the Murray river. The crossing was quick; it took only about five minutes. 

From there, we drove directly to Hahndorf, a quaint little German town. We had lunch and shopped for souvenirs and little gifts. An online description said: Hahndorf is a small town in South Australia. Settled by 19th-century Lutheran migrants, it’s known for its original German-style architecture and artisanal food.

We got back to Aldinga to another beautiful sunset. After the sun went down, we went out for a walk on the sidewalk looking down at the shoreline. 

25th April
We were on time for the ANZAC Day dawn service at the Aldinga War Memorial, but only just. In the darkness, we could not look for the ideal spot. Where I was standing, I could not see much. But as light dawned literally and figuratively, things began to make more sense. A reverend prayed and gave a short message that drew the important connection between the soldiers’ ultimate sacrifice at Gallipoli and the death of Jesus. I felt so thankful that the gospel was given its rightful place in this annual moment of contemplation. May Australia and New Zealand never forget the sacrifice of those brave soldiers.
Again, a hymn comes to mind, ‘Lest we forget,’ by Jennie Hussey.

Lest I forget Gethsemane;
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.

We were about to drive to Gorge Wildlife Park, when Benji suggested that we should see the Whispering Wall first. We heeded his advice and were blown away by the wonder of how sound was carried through the curved dam wall at the Barossa Reservoir to the other end. Gladys and I spoke to some girls who happened to be at the other end at the time. Similarly, Susie was able to talk to a young man wearing a blue TShirt. We met these people on the dam bridge, minutes later.

It was GorgeWildlife Park next, where we got to see some animals. I held a snake and we fed the camels, wallabies, and kangaroos. We saw wombats for the first time.

But holding the koalas had to be the best experience of all.

On the way home, we were able to get our car washed, as it was coated in front with the remains of insects that had connected with the car during the long drives over the last few days. I do not think I have ever seen this phenomenon before in New Zealand.

26th April
Morning service at New Community Church in Ingle Farm at 10:30 A.M.


We paid a visit to the Aldi Supermarket and to a fish-and-chips takeaway.

Gladys and I enjoyed going down to the beach—what a view! Having gone down those many steps to the beach, we had to climb up again; we had a fun little game of reciting a scripture verse to advance one step up. We managed to get to the top with Gladys’s final “Lord, have mercy.” How we laughed and told everyone who passed by what we were doing. Come to think of it, it must have seemed strange to see two old ladies doing this.

After our Fish-and-Chips lunch, we spent much of the afternoon restoring the Aldinga house to some semblance of order.

Finally, we got to the D’Souzas’ for dinner, which included biriyani and chapli kebabs made by Benji.

After dinner, we had an hour of singing led by Benji and Lynda before Benji took us through a time of devotion. I knew many of the songs. Of the few that I did not know, I found ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart’ a song that is sung in rounds and “Hallelujah Jamghat’ in Hindi very interesting. Best of all, I feel so blessed to have experienced the joy of fellowshipping with like-minded friends.

27 April
The last breakfast (of pongal and chutney) before heading home to Auckland.


I have spent very little time with the D’Souzas, who were very busy with an important church wedding this weekend, and yet their hospitality was beyond words.

They dropped me at the airport; Gladys and Susie also came. We got to see the Tesla up close and looking at the Christmas themed GPS was hilarious. We sang some of the oldies on our way to the airport, ‘Sunday Morning Up With The Lark’ by Daniel Boone and ‘I’m on the top of the world’ by the Carpenters, to name a few. And then it was time to say Goodbye.

I was startled to see my name on the screen in the plane. Other than that, the flight was uneventful.

Philip came to pick me up at the airport. I had such a good time, and it is also good to get home.