Community Contributed

Dara's Angels

An angelic combination!

Dara and Coco are our mascotts - click on the pictures to see more ...

NB This is a long page - scroll down to see our pictures

Clue 1 - These naughty angels were snapped early in the morning trying to leave the Loaded Hog unnoticed!

But the paparazzi are like rust - they never sleep ...

I intend to die in a tavern;
let the wine be placed near my dying mouth,
so that when the choirs of angels come,
they may say, "God be merciful to this drinker!" Walter Map (c.1140 - c.1209)

Clue 2 - Our Angels got off their cloud to pirouette at the road sign which is at the turning point in the War of the Roses - i.e. the corner of York and Lancaster Streets.

"We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another."

Clue 3 - It was so hot at the Clock and Temperature Tower that the angels had to get out of the intersection as quickly as possible and headed down Queen Street towards the lake

and ... on the way ... they make a quick curtsey stop at Clue 8 (right) where William Street meets Queen Street.

"When angels visit us, we do not hear the rustle of wings, nor feel the feathery touch of the breast of a dove; but we know their presence by the love they create in our hearts."

Clue 4 - Unfortunately the angels discovered that they could not cool down in Lake Horowhenua - in fact the sign warned them to avoid lake edge scum - so they made do with a spot of mutual admiration istead of a swim.

"Everyone is an Angel in training." Michael Bray

Clue 9 - Luckily there were no signs warning the angels away from Lake Papaitonga.

Leaving the canine-angel in the car (because once again there was discrimination against dogs) Dara-angel couldn't find a track down the water's edge and had to settle for a wide landscape portrait.

What a lovely eco-angel!

Clue 5 - So the angels thought the Levin Library in Bath Street, although being a busy, cramped and cluttered place, might offer a cool corner to rest in and where they could become Literary Angels.

Unfortunately they found that the doors closed on the canine-angel ... ouch!

"Perhaps the angels who fear to tread where fools rush in used to be fools who rushed in." Franklin P. Jones

Clue 6 - The angels then tried the Levin Adventure Park on the old school site.

Here they discovered yet more discrimination against a canine-angel - No Dogs indeed! - so Dara-angel had to go on the Flying Fox alone.

Fortunately the Dara-angel was brave and could ride on the flying fox -
click here to see a video of her bravery and courage.

"Friends are angels that come from above."

Clue 10 - Fortunately no such discrimination was shown at Thompson House where the angels had a great time meeting up with Teddy (in his basket).

Let's hope they didn't splatter the clay or paint everywhere!

"Angels capture love and sprinkle it upon our hearts."

Clue 3 - The angels checked out the temperature on the clock tower opposite By Design - as you can see from the blue sky it was another angelic day in paradise (but a little windy as the Dara-angel's halo had blown off!)

Clue 11 - Still looking for a way to cool down, the angels tried the Levin Aquatic Centre.

Unfortunately, once again, the canine-angel found discrimination - so had to wait outside while Dara-angel had a dip. Never mind, Teddy in his Basket kept her company.

Clue 12 - On their way back to town, we stopped at the corner of Oxford Street and Bath Street where learning (Oxford) meets cleanliness (Bath) and godliness (Salvation Army Store) is close by.

Since the Dara-angel had wet hair, Teddy in his Basket was called upon as her stunt double - as well as a lovely new girl-angel.

Clue 13 - The canine-angel had a bit of difficulty when they got to the Ohau River where the water had lapped so much at the crumbling land that it had completely collapsed leaving the bridge un-reachable and the Dara-angel missing ...!

Clue 7 - Fortunately the Dara-angel was safe so they headed back to town for a spot of rock-wall climbing at the Horowhenua Masonic Village - angels are so lucky that they can fly rather than climb!

Clue 14 - this ability to fly up on to high objects came in handy at Fairfield School - however the canine-angel seems to have lost her ability to fly - so had to make do with smiling down on the ground instead.

Life is a school of angels.
Love is the Teacher, so do your homework without fear.

Clue 25 - The angels the flew out of town to start the Northern clues - first touching down at Owlcatraz - once again dogs could not go in here.

Never mind they had owling good time under the road sign.

Clue 26 - all that flying can really build up an appetite - so the angels stopped at The Olde Plum Duff Tearooms to try for a cuppa.
Unfortunately the canine-angel could not go inside - so her and the Dara-angel shared a treat outside.

Clue 23 - So the flew over to the empty faces outside the Shannon Railway Station where some naughty angels stuck out their tongues.

Please note that the canine-angel thought this was rather rude and refrained from joining in!

Clue 24 - After such rudeness the Dara-angel flew off to the Mangahao Power Station

... where the Dara-angel managed to perch in a rather dangerous fashion on one of the railings.

Clues 27 and 22 - On the flight path over to Foxton, the angels touched down for a quick look at the Moutoa Sluice Gates and then down into the Moutoa Spillway.

Clue 16 - Then they wizzed off to Foxton Fizz

- but they were closed so the angels could only peer longingly in the window at all the lovely flavours inside.

Clue 21 - The Dara-angel was warmly embraced by the Flax Weaver (at right) - this mural by (Mike Jull & Michael Barclay) shows a kuia at work weaving the flax.

Clue 19 - Despite the wind, the angels posed together in front of the Foxton Windmill.

Clue 18 - and tried to fit in when they landed in front of the mural at the Foxton School - but I don't think they succeeded very well!

Clue 17 - Actually I think they stood out almost as much as the Foxton Watertower in Seaview Gardens(right).

Although the angels seem to be engrossed in their dancing and oblivious to everything else.

Clue 20 - Then they had a play on the Old Train outside the Old Foxton Courthouse - and the canine-angel was welcome here - thank you!

Clues 15 and 28 - Unbeleivably the Dara-angel was also spotted - if you look very very closely in this old old photo - in her role as a guardian angel saving lives when the Hydradab was wrecked at Waitarere Beach in 1878.

Which just goes to show that:

"The difference from a person and an angel is easy. Most of an angel is in the inside and most of a person is on the outside. "

Flynn in Anna in Mister God, This is Anna, Ballantine Books, 1974.

Goodbye, for now, from Dara's angels.

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