The relationship I will describe today is my relationship with my wife of 46 years.
It began back in 1977 when I was undertaking pilot training in the RNZAF at the Ohakea air base near Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Our 176-aircrew group was invited to a party where another squadron pilot and his fiancée were celebrating their engagement, plus it was also the 21st birthday of his fiancée and her identical twin sister Karin.
I had asked another girl out on a date that night, so we turned up at this small flat in Palmerston North to celebrate the engagement and the birthdays of the twin girls.
I was sitting on the floor directly opposite this gorgeous young woman who was the happiest person, in that she had just been halfway around Australia with some backpacking friends she had met in NZ and Australia. She had this radiance about her which was hard to ignore. She also had a date who was a local farmer (she was also a country girl) and he had to go home. I met her at the door and started to chat and chat and talk and talk! Eventually I asked one of my course mates to escort my date home and talked to Karin for a long time, agreeing that we would go on a date.
Karin and her twin were inseparable and, as the twin was getting married, they would soon be taking their own paths in life. Karin and I became very close, met each other’s families and, on the night I graduated from my wings course, I asked her to marry me and go on our life’s journey together.
However, Karin did say that if we were going to be married, she wasn’t going to stay in the air force (mainly because her parents were both WW2 veterans, Dad a pilot and Mum in the control centres in Britain). So, I negotiated to stay at least three years to enable me to achieve hours in the air and have some experience as a pilot to enable me to join an airline in the future.
Karin wanted to travel, specifically to Israel (given that she was Jewish by birth), so I agreed.
After some time in the Airforce, going away all the time, the opportunity came for me to resign and leave. We packed our belongings and set off for a 24 x 7 x 365 holiday of a lifetime to USA, UK and Europe. In the midst of our holiday, we flew to Israel and worked on a Moshav for 6 months, travelling all over Israel (not a good place now!!)
We returned to NZ and, after finishing a shearing season, decided to migrate to Australia and start all over again….
We have been here for 44 years and have raised two kids, enjoyed our working lives, made friends and travelled to NZ, back to the family farm where Karin was happy and comfortable.
Best relationship I have ever had!
James Davey
September 2024
It began back in 1977 when I was undertaking pilot training in the RNZAF at the Ohakea air base near Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Our 176-aircrew group was invited to a party where another squadron pilot and his fiancée were celebrating their engagement, plus it was also the 21st birthday of his fiancée and her identical twin sister Karin.
I had asked another girl out on a date that night, so we turned up at this small flat in Palmerston North to celebrate the engagement and the birthdays of the twin girls.
I was sitting on the floor directly opposite this gorgeous young woman who was the happiest person, in that she had just been halfway around Australia with some backpacking friends she had met in NZ and Australia. She had this radiance about her which was hard to ignore. She also had a date who was a local farmer (she was also a country girl) and he had to go home. I met her at the door and started to chat and chat and talk and talk! Eventually I asked one of my course mates to escort my date home and talked to Karin for a long time, agreeing that we would go on a date.
Karin and her twin were inseparable and, as the twin was getting married, they would soon be taking their own paths in life. Karin and I became very close, met each other’s families and, on the night I graduated from my wings course, I asked her to marry me and go on our life’s journey together.
However, Karin did say that if we were going to be married, she wasn’t going to stay in the air force (mainly because her parents were both WW2 veterans, Dad a pilot and Mum in the control centres in Britain). So, I negotiated to stay at least three years to enable me to achieve hours in the air and have some experience as a pilot to enable me to join an airline in the future.
Karin wanted to travel, specifically to Israel (given that she was Jewish by birth), so I agreed.
After some time in the Airforce, going away all the time, the opportunity came for me to resign and leave. We packed our belongings and set off for a 24 x 7 x 365 holiday of a lifetime to USA, UK and Europe. In the midst of our holiday, we flew to Israel and worked on a Moshav for 6 months, travelling all over Israel (not a good place now!!)
We returned to NZ and, after finishing a shearing season, decided to migrate to Australia and start all over again….
We have been here for 44 years and have raised two kids, enjoyed our working lives, made friends and travelled to NZ, back to the family farm where Karin was happy and comfortable.
Best relationship I have ever had!
James Davey
September 2024
RSS Feed
