Sorry I didn't post last week - optometrists lead busy professional lives! Seeing patients is, of course, the most important part of the job, but there is all the practice administration as well. But I am lucky because, as an NZAO Councillor, I get to do "other stuff" as well. Last week, I was in Auckland at the NZAO student awards' evening, where we got to meet many of our colleagues-to-be, optometrists in training, and to congratulate the winners of academic prizes offered by the NZAO. The next day involved a meeting with the Department of Optometry and Visual Sciences' staff and the Optometrists' and Dispensing Opticians' Board - we meet annually in a round-table meeting so the profession, the training/research institution and the regulation authority all have an idea as to what the others' issues are. In a fortnight, I shall be lucky enough to see another Optometry school...in Puerto Rico. But more of that in about a month! Happy Easter.

CONVERTIBLES Eyewear

Convertibles' fashionable frames are stylish ,comfortable and most importantly they are designed for your convenient. The ingenious magnetic clip-on system lets you change your prescription glasses to sunglasses with polarized and UV protected lenses instantly.

New models in-store now.

With all the sorrow and drama from Christchurch after the earthquake on 22 February, things have been rather odd here lately. Earthquakes - Christchurch's (and our little ones)have replaced the weather as the topic of converstaion when patients come in. At least there was no tsunami warning, unlike that late February 2010 Chilean earthquake with everyone on East Coast beaches on alert - I remember as I was in the garden tidying up before my dad's birthday last year and felt a bit of deja vu this year...

Optometry has lost a great colleague in the Chistchurch quake. Paul Dunlop of Chistchurch was not at work that day - he was helping to dismantle a damaged organ in Durham St Methodist Church when the quake hit. Three of them died in the quake, with five getting out. Paul was a great clinician, a repected colleague and mentor and a really nice guy. He leaves a family, who are in our thoughts and prayers.

It will be a big funeral.