News from Annette & Kim

Hi Folks

February saw us off to Melbourne where we arrived early Monday morning on the 22nd. Our good friend Rod Mc Carthy was patiently waiting for us. We had been up since 2:30am for our 6:00am flight out of Auckland. Once Rod had located the car we piled in and headed for Kyneton where Rod and Margaret live. The weather was hot as we had been warned it would be, 40 degrees plus. Margaret was waiting for us when we arrived and we decided to take a stroll into town to do some grocery shopping and have a look around before we had some lunch. In the afternoon we popped over to see Rod and Margaret’s son, Sean, who is a professional snake handler. Check out the photos of us handling the snake and crocodile. Sean also has on hand scorpions and turrantula spiders but we didn’t handle those, no way. We had an early dinner as Rod and Margaret were heading over to Daylesford to their Set dancing class. Check out the photos of Rod, Margaret and Annette in action. On the journey back to Kyneton we spotted the largest mob of Kangaroo we had seen in all the times we had been coming to Aussie for the festivals. We got a great shot of a large buck squatting on his haunches watching our every move.

On Tuesday morning after a good night’s sleep we hooked up the caravan and made our way up to Barham. We were booked in to the Colonial Motel which is run by Gary and Sally Harmon. What great hosts these two are. Only too glad to help us with anything we required. All we can say is fantastic job guys and the pool was wonderful. Totally recommend the Colonial Motel if you are ever in Barham.

We had two days in which to relax and prepare for the festival and try to get used to the heat, we didn’t though. Did I mention that it was hot? The festival kicked off on Wednesday night with the Dance Night. This was the festivals meet and greet with entertainment by Craig Giles and Anthony Tenace. A fantastic night was had by all and a great way to start the festival. We were joined at the festival by fellow kiwis Dennis March and Craig and Katrina Adams. We looked forward to a great week of fun and dancing. Thursday night we were treated to an awesome show by Wayne Horsburgh ably supported by guitar virtuoso Bob Howe and Musical Director Greg Hooper. These guys were amazing and very professional. Singing old classic country tunes which everyone was singing along to. Other acts taking part in the festival included; JR Williams, Don Costa, Rene Diaz, expat kiwi Marie Hodson, Sharon Benjamin and it was nice to catch up with our very good friend Cameron Mason again. The Southern Cross band did and awesome job of backing all the acts during the festival and what a great bunch of guys. Thank you Johnny ( drums), Bartolo (Bass) and Anthony (Lead) hope to see you all again soon. Once again sound was professionally run by Anthony Tenace. Anthony is a top guy and we would personally like to thank him for all the help he has given us over the years. We hope to see him at the Bay of Islands Festival in the near future. Before we knew it the Finale was upon us and we were all saying our goodbyes. I’m not sure if the video of our finale skit has gone live yet. Keep an eye out for it. We had a ball doing it with the help of Raggerty Peter and Raggerty Robyn. Thank you both for being such great sports.

We hope to see everyone again in 2017 as we have made some truly great friends over the years and we thank you for your continued support. It is very much appreciated.

We finished off the festival by performing for the Monday Madness. I didn’t win a prize in the raffles again this year. I had my eye on a very nice fishing rod.

Our Aussie dad, Dale, had driven across from Adelaide to spend the week with us and once we had finished the Monday Madness we were heading back to Adelaide for a few days R’n’R. This was to be done via Mildura. We headed up the river Monday arvo stopping along the way at Tooleybuc to check out the RSL, a quick stop at Boundary Bend to view the river and wild life and an overnight stop at an awesome camping ground on the banks of the Murray River in Robinsvale. What a fantastic little place it is also the site of arguably the largest windmill in the Southern hemisphere. Check out the photos. On the drive up we spotted all kinds of wildlife; Emu, Kookaburra, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Cockatoo, Willy Wag Tails and Pelicans, so many Pelicans.

Tuesday morning we left Robinsvale heading for Mildura arriving around lunch time. On the way in we spotted the paddle steamer “Melbourne” chugging up the river so we stopped at the jetty to get a closer look at this majestic old boat. What an awesome sight. Following lunch it was decided that we should see the Mildura area by air. So we headed to Mildura airport and caught up with our pilot Larry Pearson of “Pearson Aviation”. Larry took us on an amazing flight over the Mildura region. Over the Chaffey brothers original pumping station and the site of the first irrigation system constructed in Australia, weirs and locks along the Murray River and over Wentworth where the Darling and Murray Rivers converge. Check out the photos.

We then headed to Renmark where we stopped to take a look through the Olivewood property and Charles Chaffey Centre which is the site of the Chaffey Brothers Renmark home built in 1889, the museum and the site of the first olive trees planted in the area over 100 years ago. With time getting on we made our way into Adelaide arriving in the evening tired but happy and with a couple of days ahead to chill out.

Thursday night we ventured out to the Fringe Festival and the Garden of Unearthly Delights in the city centre and decided among other things to attend the Freak Show. Check out those photos. On Friday night Dale had booked tickets for us to see Adam Brand and The Outlaws, Drew McAlister, Travis Collins, Matt Cornell and Mike Carr, who were playing in Hahndorf a cool little German settlement not far out of Adelaide. They put on an awesome show playing some classic country and rock songs. The Hahndorf Old Mill Hotel also put on a very nice buffet meal beforehand. It was a fantastic night. We were up early Saturday morning to catch a couple of races at the Clipsal 500 motor racing. We were prepared this time with ear plugs, sun block and water as it was forecast to be around 39 – 40 degrees. We checked out a couple of the car displays which they had on course. One was the “Cars from the Screen” which included two Bat Mobiles, a General Lee Charger, Herbie VW Beetle, a Back to the Future Dalorian and the Monkees wagon plus many more. The other display was Ford and Holden’s through the years which included Capris, Torana’s, Falcons and Commodores. We also checked out some of the stalls on site and picked up a few souvenirs. By mid afternoon we were done and set off for home looking forward to a lovely dip in the pool to cool down.

We had had a wonderful 2 weeks in Aussie but unfortunately it had to come to an end and on Sunday 6th March we said our goodbyes with hugs and tears and flew out of Adelaide heading for home.

On into March and on the 18th we travelled down to Mt Maunganui to entertain at the RSA. This was our first gig at an RSA in this part of the country and we were both very impressed with the whole set up. We were warmly welcomed into the club and the atmosphere was so friendly. This is a very well run RSA. We had a great night on Friday evening with many familiar faces showing up to support us. It was also nice to catch up with Ray and Esther Solomon. Ray was performing at the club on the Saturday night so we managed to pop along to enjoy some wonderful entertainment and do some dancing. Great music Ray and Ollie. We also caught up with friends Elva, George and Jill and Di and Charley. On Sunday we entertained for the Mt Maunganui RSA’s Women’s Section’s 63rd birthday which was the main reason for our trip down. A great afternoon was had by all those attending the celebrations. Thank you Kieran for inviting us to perform for you all we had a fantastic afternoon. By 4 o’clock we were packed up and heading home arriving back in Whangarei at around 10 o’clock. And that folks was February and March. Not many gigs but a lot of travel. We will be traveling once again in April as we are off down to Te Puke on Saturday the 30th to be a part of Geoff Mutton’s Charity Variety Concert to be held at The Orchard Chapel on 3 Mile Rd Te Puke so keep an eye out for details about that.

Once again take care and keep it country. Catch you somewhere soon.

Best Wishes
Annette and Kim

Hi Folks
Welcome to 2016. We have had an awesome start to the new year. We kicked it off on the 9th of January with a special birthday celebration for our friend Val Flexman organised by her husband Stuart at their bach at Ohawini Bay at Oakura. We had an awesome evening with their family and friends celebrating with Val and Stuart. Thank you both for your wonderful hospitality. We had a great evening.

On Sunday the 10th we had our first afternoon show with our good friend Alan Webster at the Whangarei RSA. Thank you to everyone that turned out so early in the year to enjoy an afternoon of country music. Thanks also to everyone that helped us out on the day and to the Whangarei RSA for looking after us all with food and refreshments. Alan is a fantastic Australian entertainer that everyone appreciated very much. We had also arranged for Alan to join us at the Kamo Club on the Wednesday evening for a special dance Section show and one of the biggest turn outs for a Wednesday evening they have ever had. I don’t think anyone was disappointed with either show especially with a special performance by Alan and Maureen’s granddaughter Melody, who is an outstanding young performer, at both the RSA and Kamo Club. Well done Melody. We look forward to working with Alan again sometime in the future. It was also nice to catch up with Alan’s wife, Maureen, again and to also meet his son and daughter-in-law. Hope you all had a great time seeing the sights of Whangarei and Northland.

The following Friday we had to head down to Marton for the three day country music festival run by Ann and Len George and their team of helpers. Once again it was one of their most successful festivals to date with over four hundred mobile homes arriving for the weekend. Friday night and Saturday nights shows were a huge success. Performing on Friday night were Lynn Putt, Carylann Martin, Kem Wairau, The Australian country gentleman Alan Webster and NZ country music icons Brendan Dugan and Dennis Marsh ably supported by the band Pheonix. Saturday night saw Annette and I sharing the stage with Reg McTaggart, Roberta Campbell, Keith Herbert, Peter Jackson ( fresh from filming another blockbuster) no not that one, Joy Adams, Craig Adams, Kylie Austin, Mae Valley ( Hannah and Abie ) newly signed with Sony ( congratulations ladies) and the headliner, all the way from Australia, the amazingly talented Justin Standley. Again supported by the fabulous band , Shotgun, lead as always by Derek Evans who sadly has called it a day as part of the backing band for the festival. Thank you Derek and lynn for your support for so many years. No doubt we will catch with you both somewhere in the country music arena.

Wow, what a great weekend had by all the artists and audience. Scorching weather, lots of watermelons and ice cream sold and bottles and bottles of water consumed by at least 3000 people during the 3 days. It was great to catch up with so many familiar faces again and wonderful to see Ken and Elaine Foster travel all the way down from my home town Dargaville. Also a nice touch by Ann to remember all those that could not be with us this year. Thank you Ann and Len (and the Team ) for another amazing weekend. We look forward in anticipation to next year.
By the time you all see this it will be February and we will most likely be in Barham NSW where we are looking forward to a great week of country music and dancing and catching up with all our Aussie friends. Until next time take care and keep it country.

Best wishes
Annette and Kim

Hi Folks

Before we venture into November / December news we must mention the Ruatangata hall fundraiser on October 31st. There was a good turnout of locals who enjoyed a very successful show put on by local talent. The acts included a dance performance by Grace, a saxophone solo by Matt, piano playing and sing along by Tim Hempleman, a solo performance by Monica Nance with musical interludes by Annette and myself. It was a great evening with everyone getting into the spirit and supporting the raffles which raised a good amount of money for the hall account.

The next day, November 1st, we were guest artists at the Northern Wairoa Country Music Club. This was also a great afternoon and we would like to thank Margaret, Ken, the band and committee for asking us to perform. The Northern Wairoa club was the first club that I was a member of and I can remember winning the “Most Improved Vocalist” trophy in 1976, which I still have. It was great to see a variety of artists performing and we look forward to returning in the future.

On the 14th of November we were back in Balclutha for our 2nd visit. We had a great night and it was awesome to catch up with so many people that are supporting our music in the South Island. Thanks to Ngarita, Kevin, James and all their helpers also South Otago Town and Country Club, the Balclutha Country Music Club and Graeme at Radio Dunedin for all your support as well. Your southern hospitality was fantastic and we look forward to a future visit.

We would also like to congratulate our very good friends, Queenie Ututoanga and Len Field, on their wedding on the 28th November. Sorry we could not celebrate with you but we wish you both all the very best for your future together and look forward to catching up with you both sometime soon.

Sadly, also in November we lost our dear friend and Aussie mum Barb Goldsmith. We will never forget her and feel blessed to have had Barb in our lives.

As we head into the festive season it is with reflection on the year that has been and anticipation on the year ahead of us. We were once again at the Kamo Club Dance Section’s Xmas breakup. We always enjoy performing for these guys and this year was no exception. Quite a group of them will be joining us on Norfolk Is next year and we are definitely looking forward to that. Don’t forget we will be back at the Kamo Club on Wednesday the 13th of January with special guest Allan Webster direct from Australia via Aranga from 7:30pm till 10pm. This will be a great night.

Last Friday, 11th December, we finished our final gig for the year at the Whangarei RSA. There was a great turnout and everyone had a fantastic night and were still dancing the night away at the end of the night. Thank you to everyone that supported us on the night and to everyone that has supported us during the year. We really do appreciate it. Don’t forget also that we will be at the RSA on Sunday the 10th January to do a concert with Allan Webster from 1:00pm – 4pm. Don’t miss these two great shows.

That’s about it for the 2015 folks. Please take care of yourselves over the Christmas break and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Take care and keep it country

Best wishes

Annette and Kim

Hi Folks

Thank you to everyone that supported our Dargavllle concert on the 12th of September. It was a big day with a good sized audience turning out to enjoy an afternoon with ourselves and The Mountain Mist Band. Thanks to Dennis and Mort for providing the sound  and to everyone that helped set up and pack down the hall for us. Your help was very much appreciated. Greta to see familiar faces enjoying the music. We will be back in Dargaville on Sunday the 1st of November as guest artists for the Northern Wairoa Country Music Club. So come along and join us we are looking forward to a great afternoon.

October was a busy month for us. We were at the Kamo Club on the 3rd of October for a Saturday night gig. We have quite a few members from the dance section joining us on our Norfolk Island Tour in 2016 and we know they like to enjoy themselves. We have a great week organized for everyone and have nearly reached our target for numbers so if you would like to join us as well please contact us asap. We would hate you to miss out on an awesome week of fun and country music. We will be back at the Kamo Club in early December for the Dance Section Xmas break up.

On the 10th we entertained at the Dargaville Lions 50th birthday celebrations held at the Lighthouse restaurant at the Dargaville Museum. It was almost like a reunion as well with past members attending from out of town. Awards were presented with two for fifty years of service, one including 100% meeting attendance during those fifty years. Thank you to the Lions Club for asking us to perform. We had an awesome night.

The following Wednesday we were at the Whangarei RSA celebrating the Women’s Sections 70th birthday. Another awesome afternoon of speeches, presentations, fun and music. Congratulations to both the Lions Club and the Women’s section for their achievements. We will be back at the RSA on Friday the 11th of December. Wow, is the end of the year that close.

Before then we are looking forward to our second visit to Balclutha on the 14th of November. We had a great time in March this year at the Town and Country Club in Balclutha and look forward to catching up with Ngarita, Kevin and crew.

We have a short break over Christmas but then look out for us in the New Year as we will be doing two shows with our good friend Allan Webster from Australia. The first will be at Whangarei RSA on Sunday 10th January from 1pm – 4pm and the second on Wednesday 13th January for the Kamo Club dance Section 7:30pm – 10pm. From there we all head south to the Marton Country Music Festival. So check out our show page on our web site to see if we will be at a venue near you.

Until then take care and keep it country.

Best wishes

Annette and Kim

Thank you for purchasing a CD by Annette and Kim. This will sent out to you shortly.

If you would like to contact us further please email music@annetteandkim.co.nz

Hi Folks

We hope everyone is making it through the cold winter months as best as they can. It has been colder than usual here in the winterless north but nothing compared to what our friends in the deep south have been experiencing. We are thinking of you and hope you are all keeping safe and warm. Summer is not far away.

On the 4th of July we were back at the Kamo Club to entertain. We always enjoy this venue and everyone has a great time. We are looking forward to a number of the members joining us next year on Norfolk Island. That’s if the bloody Aussie haven’t taken it over by then. We also had a very good turnout for our gig at the Whangarei RSA on the 31st. It was awesome to see some of our Norfolk Island tour group from this year supporting us and enjoying the atmosphere.

During June we have been organising our Dargaville Concert which will be held on Saturday the 12th of September from 1:30pm – 4pm in the Town Hall, Hokianga Rd. It has been a couple of years since we performed in Dargaville with “ The Mountain Mist Band” and we are really looking forward to being back. Tickets are available from Foster’s Home Decorating, Victoria St, Dargaville. The cost is $20-00 Adults 15years and under free. We would like to thank Ken and his team for their support and if you are in the shop take a look at some of the great stuff they have for sale.

We have also been confirmed to perform at the Barham Stampede again in February 2016 and also Toulybuc in March 2016. We are looking forward to being back in Barham and catching up with all our friends and to appearing for the first time in Toolybuc.

Our Exclusive and Personalised 2016 Norfolk Island Country Music Tour package is out now and we are taking bookings. This will be another fantastic week on a beautiful pacific island, so don’t miss out, contact us or download the package from our web page. As mentioned this is a tour with a difference so come and join us for a week of music, magic and mayhem. We would love to see you there.

That’s about all for now. Take care and remember to keep it real country.

Best wishes

Annette and Kim

Hi Folks
The month of May brings two major events on our gig calendar. The first was the Bay of Islands Country Rock festival. This year held from the 8th- 10th of May. The weather was a bit dodgy on
Friday but by Saturday morning it had cleared and the 26th festival was bathed in sunshine. A wide range of acts had been assembled by convenor Shirley May and there was something to please every ones musical tastes. The headliners were New Zealand’s country legends Suzanne Prentice, Eddie Low and Brendon Dugan with support from Aussie acts Rodney Vincent, Tom Gordon, Callum Gleeson and Stephen R Cheney and a host of kiwi acts to fill the bill.

Once again we were supported by Andrew, Tiny, Ian and Richard aka The Mountain Mist Band. We are so lucky to have these great muso’s playing with us. We had 4 gigs during the weekend
kicking off at the Paihia Pacific on Friday night where Alexander Gramse was the soundman. It is always a pleasure to work with Alexander. It was also Annette’s debut playing the mandolin and she did a great job. We also had a great gig at the Paihia Ex-servicemans Club on Saturday night with a fantastic crowd turning out. We managed to catch up with a few of the other acts including our very good friend Graeme McCardle ably back by our Pedal steel player Andrew Paterson. I also had a bit of a family reunion with my cousins Craig Robertson and John and Jackie Herkt. Craig was one of the acts for the weekend and John and Jackie had travelled up from Whangarei to take in the festival.

Before we knew it the weekend was over and another successful festival had come to an end. Congratulations to Shirley and her team we look forward to festival number 27 next year.

The following Sunday we headed out to Norfolk Island with a group of 28 country music lovers to take in the sights and sounds of the 22nd Norfolk Island Country Music Festival held on the beautiful South Pacific Island. It was nice to see a mixture of old and new faces on our tour again this year. Des and Sharon Fatt haven’t missed one since we started in 2008. We had a full week of activities planned for the group starting on Sunday evening with a welcome dinner at the Leagues club with awesome entertainment by local singer Lully. That kicked the week off nicely. Our good friend Leo Nola joined us for dinner as well. We usually stay with Leo on island but due to Alex being with us this year as part of our tour we required a disability shower so opted for a unit at Hibiscus Aloha. Everyone was thankful for a lie in on Monday morning and time to sort out cars and groceries. The afternoon saw us on our half day tour to familiarise everyone with the island and its amazing history.

Monday evening was the New Zealand Showcase with Headliner Suzanne Lynch supported by Glenn Moffat, James Ray Still and 2014 TTEOY winner Cheryl Anderson. The show was mced by Kylie Austin with backing from the Huckleberries and Echo’n’ Harmony providing bv’s. Tuesday morning was our regular mini golf competition including dress up and special team names,
Golden Orbs, Ferral Chickens, Old Brown Cows, Raucous Roosters, Turn Back Terns and Dopie Island Dogs. The individual winner was Des Fatt. The team names were used for a little photo competition that we had for everyone to participate in and the winners of that were Carol and Dave Digby with runners-up Bev and Lloyd Gravatt well done both couples for entering into the spirit of things.

Tuesday evening brought on the Trans-Tasman competition, 5 Kiwis against 5 Aussies. Tanya Cornish from Australia took out the 2015 title. All the kiwis sang exceptionally well and were unlucky not to be recognised for their performances.

Wednesday was a free day for most with some of us taking advantage of the Culla & Co Clydesdale horse and carriage excursion which was fantastic again this year with a beautifully fine morning and amazing cliff top views. Those with platinum and gold passes were treated to an afternoon acoustic concert with some of the headliners. That evening Annette and I performed at the RSL from 5-7pm for the locals and those on tour who wished to attend the show.

Thursday was the Island Fish Fry at Puppies Point. It was a bit chilly but fine with some amazing colours at sunset. The group was entertained by Trent Christian, a descendant of the Pitcairn
Islanders, and there was fish for Africa. Following the Fish Fry we headed back to Rawson Hall for the Aussie showcase with Headliner James Blundell supported by Anne Kirkpatrick, the daughter of Slim Dusty, Roo Arcus and Tori Darke. The show was mced by Cameron Syrett with backing by Five Play. A great concert.

On Friday Annette and I had our second gig at the RSL this time from 12-2pm. Our group had a great lunch and an awesome sing- along with special appearances by Mary Mac, Ken Foster and Shaun Ryland to top the afternoon off and not forgetting our lovely local Vonny. Check out the photos. They must be somewhere on facebook or this website. Friday night most ventured to the Hoedown but Annette, Alex, Jo and Wayne made it to the Night as a Convict and had a great time by all accounts.

Saturday was a full free day for everyone. A time to do last minute shopping, catch the ship unloading, which is always an interesting sight or check out those hidden spots that the island has
and you hadn’t been able to get to during the busy week and just soak up the peace. To cap the week off we had our Traditional Norfolk Dinner hosted by Baunti Escapes. This was a final chance to
get together and thank everyone for joining us on Norfolk, hand out the prizes for the photo comp. and enjoy one another’s company before heading home on Sunday. We had a great week and hope that everyone on the tour did as well. We look forward to next year now and already have some people rebooked which is just awesome. If you would like to join us as well please contact us
through our web site, email or Facebook and we will send out the Registration of Interest forms so that you won’t miss out on this great week of country music on this beautiful South Pacific island. Come join us we would love to meet you.

Until next time take care and keep it country.
Best wishes
Annette and Kim

Hi Folks

On the 27th of March we flew to Dunedin to entertain at the South Otago Town and Country Club in Balclutha. This was our first trip to this part of the country. We had been invited down by Ngarita Carter and the Balclutha Country Music Club. We were met at the airport by Ngarita and her partner Kevin Carson and headed down to Balclutha which is about 45 minutes south of the city. We settled in at Ngarita and Kevin’s home and prepared for the weekend.

On Saturday morning Ngarita and Kevin took us to Kaka Point south of Balclutha to see the Lighthouse and to do some Seal spotting. This is an awesome part of the country, very rugged and wind swept with fantastic views. It is just a short walk to the Lighthouse and the Nuggets which are a cluster of rocky out crops located below the Lighthouse. There were plenty of Seals doing their thing on the rocks and in the ocean. We then headed home for lunch and to prepare for the show.

At about 4:30 James Durham, the sound man, arrived and we set off to help set up the gear and following a lovely buffet dinner we were on. We had an awesome night and it was great to finally meet the people that have been buying our cd’s for a number of years and to put faces to the names. It was especially nice to catch up with Colin Clarke and his wife. Colin has been writing to us and buying cd’s ever since he heard us on Radio Dunedin a few years ago. It was great to see Graeme Partridge again also. Graeme is Melissa’s dad and is also a member of Dunedin Country Music Club. Graeme and Melissa are also inductees of “America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame”. Great to meet Cowboy and his friends as well, also Chris Collins who’s dad Neil works for Radio Dunedin and to our good friend Graeme Fyffe who first started playing our music on Radio Dunedin. We would like to thank everyone that supported us on the night and for showing your appreciation for our music we hope to see you all again in the near future. Thank you Ngarita for inviting us down and to you and Kevin for your hospitality we had a wonderful time.

Thank you also Balclutha Country Music Club and especially James for helping out on sound. Thank you to Jen and the staff at the South Otago Town and Country Club for your support and for a great meal. We finally got to bed at around 1:30am after meeting every one, having a chat and taking a few photos. We were up at 6:30 and at the airport at 9:15 for our flight home at 10:00. We were back in Whangarei at around 4:30pm ready for the cricket final, but we won’t say too much about that. We have a bit of a break now to get ready for the B.O.I. Festival and our Norfolk trip. We still have a couple of places left on our tour group but you will have to be quick if you want to join us for this fun filled week of country music.

Until next time take care and keep it country.

Best wishes

Annette and Kim

 

Hi Folks

As I said in February’s newsletter after returning from our Australia trip we were straight back into it. We flew in to Auckland on the 2nd of March at approximately 6:30pm and once we had collected the car from Heartlands Hotel we headed for Whangarei. On Wednesday the 4th of March we were celebrating Kamo Clubs Dance Sections 15th Birthday. A good crowd had turned out to enjoy the evening and dance the night away. We look forward to entertaining these guys for another 15 years. The following Sunday we caught up with The Mountain Mist Band for the day to go over some new material and refresh our existing songs ready for the Bay of Islands festival in May. We had an awesome practice and are looking forward to bringing you all some new songs with this great band.

From the 12th until the 15th of April we were guests of Mike Butterworth and the Opotiki Charity Trust at the 20th Annual Charity Country Music Concert raising funds for local charity’s such as St John and the Volunteer Coastguard. Mike had assembled a great line up of singers which included some young up and coming entertainers along with some legends of New Zealand country music such as the ever popular John Grenell and the consummate showman Dennis August supported by Annette and Kim. All were backed by the Opotikicountry Show Band with B.V.’s by Sharon MacIntyre and Ali Blue. The three shows were ably M.Ced  by New Zealand country music’s very own Kylie Austin and local radio personality L J Dobbin. The audiences were treated to three exceptional concerts and it was nice to see some familiar faces from the country music scene also there. We had an awesome weekend and managed to find some great bargains in the local shops as well. It was great to catch up with old country music friends Bob and Rangi Katipa, Dennis August and Gaylene Brennan, Kevin and Kay Tappin, Graeme and Sharon MacIntyre, Merv and Ali Blue and Shaun and Donna to name just a few. Thanks to everyone involved for a fantastic weekend. We hope to catch up with you all somewhere sometime soon.

The other great thing about traveling to Opotiki are the antique shops along the way where we did find one or two gems that were either purchased on the journey or remembered for the future.

Take care and remember to keep it country.

Best wishes
Annette and Kim

Hi Folks

February has been a very busy and exciting month for us. We attended the inaugural Country Stampede Festival in Pukekohe and Tuakau with The Mountain Mist Band from the 6th – 8th of February. This was a big commitment from Dianne and her supporters and with a little fine tuning we are sure next year’s festival will be even better. It was great to catch up with people we have not seen in a while and listen to some great country music.

On Thursday the 12th we headed up to Paihia to entertain John Howie’s Australian tour group at the Sword Fish Club. This was also a great night with everyone getting into the spirit of things. Thanks John for inviting us to perform it was a real pleasure and we hope your group had as much fun as we did.

The following Saturday we made our way to Auckland where on Sunday morning we flew out to Australia for two weeks of gigging. We arrived in Melbourne and were met at Tullamarine Airport by our very good friends, Margaret and Robyn, the Toy Boys better halves, who took us to the Williamstown markets where Rod and Pete had their stall set up. It was a scorching hot day for us but apparently pretty normal for the locals. We met up with Sandie Dodd who was performing at the market with Col Perkins. They put on a great show and were kind enough to let us perform a couple of songs for the crowd after which we headed to Kyneton to Rod and Margarets place. The next morning we loaded up the caravan and made our way up to Barham to settle in and prepare for the festival.

We were first up in the Auditorium on Wednesday morning following the Tuesday Dance Night with Peter and Gale Bell of “GEDUPNDANS”. We did 14 gigs in 4 days and had a great time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. It was also great to spend some time with Craig and Katrina Adams who were staying in the same accommodation and were attending the festival for the first time. It was also nice to catch up again with Royden Donohue, George and Lilly Farnham, Kerran and Karen and the Denva Band. The Denva band put in a lot of work and we would like to thank them for doing such a great job. Annette also had a surprise visit from Les Dwyer all the way from Queensland. Annette and Les have been corresponding for about 8 years ever since we met Les in New Zealand on a John Howie tour. So it was awesome for them to catch up again. Les’ son Shaun was kind enough to bring Les up to the festival from his home in Bendigo. The Sunday finale was another awesome show no doubt you will be able to catch something on Facebook or Utube. Thank you, Joyce and Ruth, for allowing us to perform at the festival. We look forward to seeing you all again next August. Sadly it was Joyce’s last festival at Barham but we hope to catch up with her in
Corowa next year also.

On the Monday we finished off the week by doing the Monday Madness for the RSL. This is a great afternoon of raffles and music for members and the local community. We must thank Rosina for giving us the opportunity to perform and also to our very good friend Anthony Tenace for providing us with a P.A. system for the afternoon. Luckily during the week our roadies, Dale and Barb, had arrived from Adelaide to ferry us to our next gigs and to show us some of the sights of Victoria (but don’t let Barb into any Information Centres). During the week we took a tiki tour up to Swan Hill to the Pioneer Settlement. This is a step back in time and is a must see for anyone going to the area. From Barham we made our way down to Kyvalley where Anthony had arranged a Morning Melodies for us. This was a fund raiser for the Kyvalley community swimming pool. There was a good turn out and we had an awesome morning performing for the locals. Thanks to Bev and Beryl for organising the morning and once again to Anthony for the P.A. system. It was also a pleasure to meet Anthony’s dad Mick and his sons Jack and Mitchell during our stay in Moorupna. From Kyvalley we headed to Horsham for our Thursday night and Friday Morning Melodies shows. We made it to Bendigo on Wednesday evening and stayed the night before completing our journey on Thursday morning booking into Wimmera Lakes caravan resort. We had time for lunch in town and a swim back at the resort before the show at the Horsham RSL. We had a great night entertaining a full house. It was nice to see some familiar faces from the Barham festival as well. Tony Lawrence helped out with the P.A. system and he and his lovely wife Cynthia also did a set which was appreciated by the audience. Friday saw us back at the RSL for the Morning Melodies starting at 9:30. This was another good crowd some traveling more than an hour or so from Edenhope to attend the show. Both shows were a great success and we must thank Lyall Wheaton for organising them, Tony for the P.A., Noel the manager of the RSL for allowing us to play and Aunty Dot for the lovely gifts. Thank you to everyone that came along to support us at all the shows it is very much appreciated. We hope to see you all again in the near future. Check out the photos especially the ones of us with Tony’s ’68 Chevy Impala.

With the gigs all completed we headed for our final destination, Adelaide, arriving around 7:00 o’clock Friday evening at Barb and Dales house. However, the trip wasn’t over yet. On Saturday we were up early to prepare for a day at the Clipsal 500 V8 motor racing, a first for both Annette and myself. Adelaide certainly knows how to put on a show and we could not believe how loud those V8’s are, even with ear plugs in. It took a little while to settle in but once we had checked out the race track and surroundings we had an awesome day. Thank you to Dale, Barb and Lyndon for an outstanding new experience. Sunday we just chilled out, had a swim and went for a drive around Adelaide, oh did you see us in the corvette, cool eh. We have very cool friends and it was sad to say goodbye on Monday morning as we headed for home and a full month ahead in March. So we will catch you then.

Take care and remember to keep it country.

Best wishes
Annette and Kim