Classroom mourns its adventurer

By CATHY ARONSON

Every day for the past three months, nine-year-old Daley Anderson has navigated Sir Peter Blake's website to follow the latest adventures of his favourite voyager.

Yesterday, when Daley and his classmates from Hillcrest Normal School in Hamilton logged on to the website, they were greeted not with stories of endangered turtles, pink dolphins and the Amazon forest, but with tragedy.

The blakexpeditions website read: "Seamaster Log 187: Thursday 6th December 2001 special bulletin: Peter Blake tragically killed in the Amazon."

Daley was devastated. "I felt really sad, I really liked him. He was our hero, he deserved to live."

The school was one of a number throughout New Zealand that studied the travels of Sir Peter Blake on his mission to help protect life on the waters of the world.

Daley's teacher, Gail Blackwell, said the children had become attached to him and were visibly affected by the news.

"He was their very own voyager. They looked up to him because of his knighthood and his yachting, but after reading his logs they grew close to him because he cared for the environment."

The children had been shocked to learn he was killed by pirates, because they thought pirates were only myths.

Ms Blackwell had encouraged the class to write him a farewell card.

In letters addressed to Sir Peter Blake and "the one who deserved to be king of all explorers", the children thanked him for teaching them about the environment and questioned why he had to die.

Ten-year-old Catherine Clegg-Friend called him a special friend and wrote him this poem: "He who died is lost and gone, will be remembered forever long, he sacrificed a thing so great, but such a tragedy sealed his fate."

Catherine recalled the tale of a rare turtle Sir Peter Blake wanted to buy at a market so he could set it free. He was advised not to buy it because it would only support the trade.

Another classmate, 10-year-old Timothy Jones, said he now wanted to be a scientist.

Timothy's frown turned into a smile as he recalled Sir Peter swimming with the pink dolphins and how one dived over him.

"He was so happy in the sea," Daley added.

"His spirit is swimming in the sea. He is happy, but I will miss him."

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