Two Years Apart

About the Book

This story describes a short period of my life when I left behind my husband and family to take up an assignment with the New Zealand Volunteer Service Abroad. This organisation employed me to work in Zimbabwe from 2002 to 2004, a difficult time in that country’s history. For me, it was a life-changing experience that a decade later I feel compelled to share. I have used the diaries I kept during my time there and also drawings to convey the lasting memories of the people I met and my experiences working and living alongside them.

About the Author

Born in 1940 in the picturesque seaside town of Kaikoura, New Zealand, Audrey grew up with a love of the country that surrounded her, the mountains that met the sea, and the rural landscapes together with the people that worked in these environments. She showed early promise with drawing and painting, finally making a career of teaching art, where she was known for her ability to promote the creative capabilities of her students, encouraging them in developing their own personal style. She taught for thirty years at primary, secondary, and tertiary level in New Zealand, Canada, and finally with the New Zealand Volunteer Service Abroad in landlocked Zimbabwe. She and her husband, Bruce, were married in 1966, raising their five children in Wellington and later in Levin. Her colourful works in oils, acrylics, and stained glass are in many homes within NZ and overseas. AudreyÊs account of her Zimbabwean experience has been written during her recent recuperation from cancer. Some of the illustrations are live sketches drawn at the time, others are drawn from photographs or memory, mostly done in graphite pencil and ink pens, with an occasional ink wash.