This Anzac weekend has been a very special one for me. A friend of my parents has been in Christchurch and I have spent a lot of time with her. Her husband and my father left NZ in 1940 to train as pilots in Canada before going to war in the Middle East and Europe. They remained close friends for the rest of their lives, eventhough they lived at opposite end of the country. The men are no longer with us but their wives are – and this is one amazing 83 year old lady.

Last year she went to Stewart Island deep sea fishing, then drove around Southland for 4 weeks exploring out-of-the way places and staying in backpackers because she enjoyed the company. She loved it so much she has just been back to Stewart Island then spent another 3 weeks exploring new territory that she has always wanted to see but never had the chance – the Skippers Canyon, Jacksons Bay and Lake Paringa, Glenorchy and Kinloch, Mt Cook and a flight onto the Tasman Glacier are just a few. In the past few years she has been parachuting, been in the flight simulator flying a 747, has attended a Harness Racing drivers 3 day training course where she did everything from shovelling the stables to driving a race horse out of the mobile starting gates …… and she goes to Piha beach with an 81 year old friend who still goes body surfing!!

Today we remember our brave men and women who fought and gave their lives so that we could live a life of freedom ………. but we need to live that life to the full, and an adventurous lady like this is an inspiration to us on days when we think we are too old and too tired to try anything new!!