March 1, 2013

  • Tuesday 26th February

     

     

     

     I was awake quite early on Tuesday morning.

    The bay was still and peaceful.

     

    My little man was sound asleep beside me and didn't stir for ages after I left.

     

    Anson said he would take me around to the crash site so we left home around 7am.

     

    If you don't want to see anything re that then please do not read any further on this page.

     

    He wanted to go early before it got hot as it was quite a scramble up and down the steep over grown hillside.

    Sunni & Shoshannah came with us.

    Bri, Nick, Murray and Cat followed.

    I got a bit anxious as we were driving cuz Anson was doing the normal farmers thing of checking on stock below the road as he drove

    Even though it has been 29 years since we had our landrover accident, the events of this past week have not done anything to help my fear of 'the edge'.

     

    Anson directed Shanni, me and Sunni to walk down the overgrown Power Board track until we got to the power pole.

    He walked straight down.

    We followed Shoshannah as she bush whacked through the undergrowth and made a path for us to follow.

    We came out to a clearing and could see Murray and Cat across the valley coming down the other side.

     

    Broken foliage just above the vehicle.

     

    The Safari had come to rest against some solid manuka.

    The kids tested it and found it was secured and not going any further in a hurry before they ventured in to have a closer look.

    There were personal items I really wanted to get back and they found everything.

    Tim's brand new English leather sandals that I had just bought him - never worn till he was leaving home that afternoon.

    Cat & Anson found his briefcase.

    I was very thankful for that - it contained all his stuff - wallet, phone, razor etc.

    I had a good look around and then just sat back and let the kids go for it.

    It was good to see despite it being hard.

    Cat couldn't believe it - she found the indicator inside the rear door!

    This is what still amazes me, confuses me, confounds me,

    The number plate was so specific and undamaged.

    It wouldn't have taken a rocket scientist to get this sorted!

    Surely they could've located us straight away and I could've been right on the spot to identify him.

    I am bewildered that the so called experts got it all so incredibly wrong on the day.

    My neighbours were called out to the accident when it happened.

    But once the emergency crew arrived they were not allowed down to the vehicle and were brushed aside and not spoken to.

    If they had've been, they would've identified the vehicle and Tim immediately and I would not have had to go through the hell I did that night.

    I am so angry and upset about how it all happened.

    It still would've been traumatic, but not as traumatic as finding out via the newspaper!

    Bri found the front plate bent in half but managed to straighten it and get them both off for me.

     

    This is enough photos for now.

    You get the idea - it was a mess!

    The only blessing I can cling to is that they said he would've been killed immediately so the rest of the ride down he wouldn't have suffered.

     

    Michael arrived at the site.

    He had been sent by the insurance company to assess how to get the vehicle out.

    It was really good to talk with him about it all.

    We decided we had been there long enough so began the scramble back up the hill.

    I only made it up through pulling on trees and Michael and Bri's hand supporting and pulling me over the unstable ground and through the foliage.

    We met up with Jeff who owns the land on the way up.

    I was so pleased to stop while they talked and tossed around ideas of how to retrieve the vehicle.

    I was exhausted.

    So from the top we could see the large manuka it was stuck against.

    It to the right of the valley in the shady part and has the sun touching the top of the bush, in the centre, just a couple of centimetres above the foliage at the bottom of photo.

    There is a pine tree just a tad beyond it with the sun hitting it's top branches too.

     

    While the others talked at the top I wandered along to the place where Tim had gone over.

    Murray carried his boots up and left them at the cairn Bri had built.

     

    Then I sat where his wheels left the road, just sat, and cried, and thought some more.

     

    We eventually piled back into our vehicles and headed home.

     

    Back at the house Azzan was baking chocolate cakes.

    He had been asking to make one for days so he finally got to do it and made it very luscious indeed!

     

    And there was a corn shucking happening.

    Everyone was making short work of the bins of corn Sebastian had brought home.

    Most of it went into the freezer.

    I sat and enjoyed it fresh for lunch while we watched the tribute video Christian had made.

    That was good.

    Bri, Nick and Abby left after lunch with promises to return at Easter.

    Bri got to be the tallest in this photo - the others bent their knees!!

     

     

    Nathan left for town soon after.

    Dave & Nicky came over.

    Dave gave me another wonderful massage.

    I went to sleep on the floor for ages.

    When I woke, they had left for home.

    Pat & Phillipa came to say goodbye then too.

    It was time for them to go back to their own families.

    I knew that but I was still very sad.

    Phillipa has been a rock to me this past week and I felt very vulnerable losing her physical support right then.

    It was all okay though.

    Even though I feel like I am living in a bubble of numbness I know that life has to carry on.

     

    Just after 5:30pm I received a call from Nathan.

    He was using Dave's phone.

    He carefully and gently broke it to me that he had put his bosses car over the bank just before Canoe Bay.

    He had gotten caught in loose gravel and lost control.

    Pat later assured me that he was doing nothing wrong - it was just an accident.

    He was alright, unhurt, but the car was somewhere around 10-15m down the bank.

    He had been saved from plunging to the beach by two large native trees!

    Oh Lord, how much more can I take?

     

    I actually took his phone call quite calmly.

    I guess I am in so much shock at the moment, nothing else is altering my emotional state because it is so flat.

    I was very concerned for him, but knowing Nicky & Dave were there and that he was okay made it alright.

    He had called 111 but had not gotten much response to his pleas for help.

    He had no money on his phone and poor reception in that area so had to sit on the side of the road for an hour and a half waiting for someone to come help him.

     

    Anson then got hold of him and firmly told him that he had to come home and not return straight to town.

    Eventually we got word that our neighbours, Sandra & Herb had come by and they were bringing him home.

    We felt it wise that he stayed with Seb & Phoebe where it was quieter.

    Michael came and stayed with the vehicle until the tow/salvage truck arrived.

    He called me and suggested that I take the keys off my boys for a couple of weeks whatevah

     

    I cannot remember what else happened that night.

    Leann has taken control of the kitchen and the wwoofers are doing chores so I don't have to think about anything.

    I can't think about anything.