MV ORARI model

[John F Collier]

MV ORARI dockside colour photo.jpg

[John F Collier]

MV ORARI dockside colour photo.jpg

Hi Chashope this comes through ok, it's a great pic of the Orari, I have many photos of the ship but struggle to find them as my eyes are not good now.
At 95 you're doing great, makes me feel young at 82 , I completed my course at TS VINDICATRIX in July 55 and joined ORARI at the Gladstone Dock
Liverpool shortly afterwards, did HT around the UK, then signed FT, our last UK port of call was Milford Haven where we loaded munitions for NZ.
We bunkered at Curacao and then on through the Panama Canal, I was told by all and sundry that I should save cabbage leaves and carrots etc for
the Panama mules, we anchored off Rangitoto Island in the early of the morning, my first sight of NZ was of the sun rising behind the island, "Boy was I loving this new life". Just like yourself I fell in love with NZ, I often had thoughts of living there, but somehow I always felt I loved England more, at
teh end of the day England won, but I still wonder how it would have panned out if I had made the move. Today I could not be happier with where I am,
I found the Kiwi's to be just like you say, I never saw one sign of inequality, I went out with a lovely Maori girl in Auckland, she gave me a greenstoe Tiki,
NZ will always have a special place in my heart, but England is where I belong, all the best chas, John