Amy Blok (Mary) and Jonathan Godfrey (Joseph) with Winter the donkey on their way to find a manger at the Levin Christmas Parade in 2020. Photo / Paul Williams
Amy Blok (Mary) and Jonathan Godfrey (Joseph) with Winter the donkey on their way to find a manger at the Levin Christmas Parade in 2020. Photo / Paul Williams
Mary and Joseph have a new donkey.
Their old faithful steed Winter, 24, has a touch of arthritis and has earned retirement, so this festive season it was up to understudy Ollie, 8, to get them to a manger.
Winter and Ollie belong to Feilding couple Amy Blok and Jonathan Godfrey, who dress up as Mary and Joseph to re-enact the coming of Christ at Christmas parades in neighbouring towns, joining wise men on horseback and archangels with trumpets in Levin.
The donkeys are the stars of the show, and add an authenticity to any nativity scene. Ollie was to have debuted at the annual Levin Christmas Parade over the weekend, but it was cancelled due to a heavy rain forecast.
“It was going to be Ollie’s first time out,” she said.
Amy Blok, Jonathan Godfrey and their donkey Winter at the Levin Christmas Parade in 2020. Photo / Paul Williams
Godfrey, a statistics lecturer at Massey University and an advocate for the disabled, is completely blind. He makes a fine Joseph in parades, leading the donkey to Bethlehem with his cloak and staff. Blok gives the occasional steering instruction should he stray off course or need to speed up.
Blok puts cushions under her white gown to appear heavily pregnant, while Godfrey abstains from shaving leading into Christmas to give Joseph more authenticity.
“He grows his beard out every year and then cuts it off. I like it, and told him he should leave it, but I think it gets a bit itchy,” she said.
The couple have six donkeys, part of a host of rescued animals they tend to on their 17-acre farmlet, joining cows, sheep, goats, alpacas, chooks and ducks.
“We just find animals that need a home and look after them,” she said.
The donkeys all have names; Barney, Biskit, Prince and Jaspher make up the ranks, along with Winter and Ollie. All the donkeys had come from a backgrounds of neglect, and have since found their forever home with Godfrey and Blok. They don’t lack for attention.
“They’re here for life. It’s paradise,” she said.
Amy Blok and Jonatahan Godfrey have six donkeys on their Feilding farm.
At this time of year, there aren’t many weekends where the donkeys aren’t involved in a show, or an Anzac Memorial, or a birthday party. They’ve been involved in stage productions - they’ve even been to Parliament, too.
They had a new carriage that they were able to take to birthday parties which allows for having two donkeys harnessed side-by-side.
Blok said the donkeys were amazing animals. They were highly intelligent and quick learners, and weren’t overly prone to excitement, which helped if they were alongside a brass band or noisy truck, or heard a balloon pop.
“They just take everything in their stride,” she said.
There was no room at Zachary's Motel for Joseph (Jonathan Godfrey) and Mary (Amy Blok) at the Levin Christmas Parade in 2019. Photo / Paul Williams
“Once you have donkeys... once you get that bond, they’ll do anything for you, and they are very quick to learn,” she said.
The donkeys had won ribbons at various shows, with Barney in particular winning more than his fair share.
The couple have joined the Levin Christmas Parade in recent years at the invitation of Levin Combined Churches. One of the organisers, Pam Robinson, said it was great to show the true story of Christmas by having Mary and Joseph on a donkey alongside the angels and wise men.
An archangel at the last Christmas Parade held in Levin.
The annual Levin parade is organised each year by Horowhenua District Council, who made the tough decision this year to cancel at 10.30am the morning it was to go ahead.
HDC issued a press release that said weather had rained on the parade.
“We’ve made the very hard call to cancel this year’s Christmas Parade and Carnival, due to the bad weather forecast. We know the forecast isn’t always accurate, but due to the logistical operations to run this event we need to make the call early,” it said.
“There is unfortunately no postponement date.”
“We are incredibly disappointed we can’t celebrate the festive season with you in this way, but our sentiments remain the same – we wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas season.”
