On Guard

The Southern Katipo military exercise is about to take off in Murchison, with the Defence Force arriving today.  We had 6 tanks come down our road this afternoon, on their way to various places around our township and up our valley's. 

I didn't have a photo tonight, so decided to go for a drive on the hunt for a bit of action.  I didn't have to go far.  Two kilometres down the road were these two armed soldiers, guarding the entrance to our Recreation Centre.  My second photo shows a tank or two, and various other army equipment.

I really wanted a photo, but decided the best way to go about it was to go up to the men and ask if I could take their photo.  These two soldiers, from Papa New Guinea, said yes, and politely posed for me while I took a few photo's.  Shortly another soldier arrived, talking in a loud foreign language to one of these men.  I thought he was coming to tell them to not allow the photo's. But no. 

I stayed for a moment talking to the soldier's, and asked them what they were doing with all the military equipment in the background.  They told me they couldn't tell me - it was top secret.  Then they asked me what I was going to do with the photo's.  I told them about Blip, and how it went all around the world where everyone could see them.  That's when things started to turn a bit scary.  The soldier on the left in my photo said that I shouldn't be doing that, not until at least this exercise had finished in three to four weeks time.  With courage I argued that what they were doing was public knowledge, so why shouldn't I do it?  The soldier on the
right, who had a lovely big smile, then said no it should be fine.  Thank god - it was going through my head that perhaps I would have my camera confiscated!

After briefly welcoming them to our wee town, I took off with my photo's - and felt that I had achieved what I had set out to do.  Yay!

I have to say that it's a bit nerve raking seeing soldiers with guns and big tanks all around our usually peaceful town.  No doubt it is something we will get use to over the next few weeks.

See the attached link about the exercise that was in today's Nelson Mail.

I can see lots of photo's on blip over the next few weeks.  Hope you don't get sick of seeing them all!