KoroJ's Blog

In 1973 I left home and joined the Air Force as an Aircraft Electrician, moving to Blenheim for the year. Having had an interest in taking pix, I joined the photographic club and acquired my first SLR, which was an old dunger (even then) but took some great photos...and taught me how to take photos because it didn't have all the trimmings and automatic features of todays cameras...although I continue to function on the basis that if I take enough photos, I'm bound to get one or two good ones!

As far as my nostalgia trip goes, my scannings reminded me of my first flights in the aircraft of the day being: Devons, Bristol Freighters (which were a permanent fixture on the Woodbourne (Safe Air) Flight Line) and Hercules. We were transported about in old Bedfords, sport continued to play a big part in my life, particularly rugby and softball, I continued to do a bit of gliding. We went on camps, hiking through the Wairau valley sleeping out in Bivvies and Para-Tepees. Some mates and I climbed the Ring-Buster above Dip Flat Camp, crossing a razorback and descending a massive scree slope (which is now the Rainbow Skifield). We shot SLR Rifles, made bedpacks, marched, served on ceremonial quarter guards and a full guard of honour to welcome the Duke of Edinborough into NZ. We learnt to file, weld, file, operate lathes, file....and we did a bit of filing.

I earned about $3K for the year and saved $1100....Life was fun...life was good!