Category Archives: New Zealand

Yarn February-March 2021

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The Southern Yarn – February March 2021

The February-March issue of The Southern Yarn is available for download now. Also check out the back issues at our dedicated Yarns page.

To get your started, here is the Editorial:

A common theme to much of our content for this issue is “nostalgia” – not by design, it just turned out that way. You will especially find some of that if you follow the links provided in the OZ and NZ News to the respective Film and Sound Archives – thank you to Ed in Adelaide for those. Maybe during the pandemic lockdown(s), you watched a Bond movie, or two. A run of them was offered by a TV channel here in the ‘Peg. “Getting to Know ..” on p. 7, explains the inspiration for the 007 super spy. Do you remember Chips Rafferty? Did you know he was born in Broken Hill? When we lived in Laidley, Queensland, a special treat was to cool off with a Weis Bar – a uniquely molded ice cream made with real fruit. Sadly, they’re no longer being made up the range in Toowoomba (p. 5). And I’m showing my age, but I used to enjoy listening to “Dad and Dave” on the ABC. Dave and his girlfriend, Mabel, are featured in this month’s Bush Yarn (p. 6). There is much more to reminisce over if you keep reading.

Thank to Ed, Jenny, Judy, Peter, Brian, Lucia’s sister in NZ, and our sponsors.

Need Vegemite?

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This from Toby Elson …

“I ran out of Vegemite in November. As you know, Stonewall FF hasn’t been able to get any for a while and I needed my Vegemite fix.

“So, I ordered custom jars from Australia for the same price (with shipping) compared to what I’d been paying locally for the small jars.

“All in, it was $70 for 5 large jars and took 4 weeks to arrive. It was packed really well and fun to have my named jars.

“Sign up at the Vegemite store and get 10% off your first order.”

Thanks, Toby!

Watch this!

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We love getting recommendations for events, movies, TV shows and books from our members. Two of these are in the Dec 2020/Jan 2021 issue of the Yarn – repeated below as reminders – and the first one was sent to us by Chris Brasher.

The new live-action movie “Mulan” is directed by New Zealander Niki Caro, who also directed “Whale Rider”. “Mulan” is on Disney+ and it’s very good. Thanks for letting us know, Chris.

Netflix is showing “The Dressmaker”, an excellent Aussie flick based on the book of the same name by Rosalie Ham, directed by Jocelyn Moorehouse, and starring an extraordinary cast including Kate Winslet and Judy Davis. Highly recommended by Jenny Gates.

And CBC Gem is currently screening a program on the show The Nature of Things titled “Wild Australia: After the Fires”. Signs of life and hope emerge from the scorched landscapes of the worst wildlife disaster in modern history. This recommendation comes to us from Brian Hydesmith.

Any suggestions for things to watch or do? Email us at info@downunderclub.mb.ca and we’ll share them with members.

Yarn Dec 2020 /Jan 2021

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The Southern Yarn for December 2020 and January 2021

The final 2020 issue of The Southern Yarn is also the FIRST issue for 2021. Read it now, or if you prefer, some of you can wait for the B&W one on yellow paper version to wend its way through the post to you. 

Here is the Editorial to get you started.

Just as “Google” came into our vocabulary several years ago, now, thanks to the pandemic, the new understanding of “Zoom” has become commonplace. What a gift! (Every cloud has a silver lining!). Meetings and birthday parties have been enhanced, under the circumstances, by this sharing technology, which facilitates virtual togetherness. Zoom will no doubt play a useful role for many Canadian families this Christmas as COVID restrictions continue to be necessary. Kudos to the Kiwis and Aussies for managing to come through their lock-downs much more successfully than most!

The other understanding of “zoom” played a big part of this past year for me. My trusty Canon SX720 HS with 40x optical zoom brought me up close to many new birds – some of which I share in this month’s Birds I View (back page).

In Getting to Know, p.7, you will learn about a very resourceful lady named Gladys Sandford. And, in 100 years ago, on page 6, how Qantas was started. All this and so much more!

With little in the way of Club event reports, I am again grateful to Jenny Gates for her contributions to this issue, including the “Lady in Red” piece; also to Peter, Brian, Terry D., Jodie S. and our advertisers.

YOU, too, are encouraged to become a Yarn contributor! Don’t be shy – share. Make the most of your Christmas, as we say goodbye to this year,

Stay safe!