Christmas Lunch

We were invited round to Brett and Cathy's to have lunch so we were able to deliver our parcels to Mitchell Ebony and Holly.

Brett and Cathy had cooked an amazing spread for us all.  Grandma came, Geoff was there and Tanya and Glynn and family made for a great family lunch.

There was an fabulous array of salads, turkey, and ham followed by pavlova and an ice cream pudding. With such a spread, we were pleased to be able to spend the evening in quiet (sedentary) contemplation of the day that had passed.

Christmas Morning

We had a wonderful Christmas morning this year.  It was not our turn to have lunch so we were able to have breakfast with Adam and Kate and family.

and pass on our presents at a more considered pace.

We then visited Lisa and Justin.  Justin's family were all down for Christmas so it realluy was a Full House!  The boys took time out to open their presents and seemed to like them.

If the boys do not play with the Bazooka, perhaps Mum will.

Lisa & Justin's Birthday Dinner

The Clan Gathering for Lisa and Justin's birthdays kicked off with the Christmas Kris Kringle as the grandchildren would be at separate functions on Christmas day.  No one was complaining.

Claire cooked a fantastic (traditional) Lamb Roast and Apple Rolly Polly and all the accompanying dishes.  No one went away hungry.  We found a 20 year old Hermitage under the house, purchased before they were forced to change the name to Shiraz and it had survived brilliantly.  It was thinner than today's shiraz but smooth as silk.

The flame ceremony was also completed without serious incident.

Patrick has been working on his magic skills and treated us all to a show.  He is now able to do a great show!

Civilization

The day dawned full of promise but I am afraid that was the last bright spot.  In the game of Civilization (that went for most of the day) I finished at the back of the pack.  I can only blame Epidemics, Civil Disorder and a general lack of strategic competence.  Other than that, I could have won!

Cape Reinga

On our final day we thought we should go to the northernmost tip of the country - Cape Reinga.
We had a look at the Rainbow falls on the way.  NZ seems to have plenty of water.

We also looked in to see some recovered Kauri being used for various sculptures and furnishings etc.  This wood has been underground for between 45000 and 50000 years and looks like it was harvested yesterday. In a showroom, a massive tree trunk had been used as a central pillar and a staircase carved inside.

Cape Reinga itself is a fairly desolate windswept location as expected but we did see it.

Russell - The Old Capital.

A short ferry ride from Paihia is Russell - the original capital of New Zealand.  Russell has had some lean times but they are developing their tourist and fishing industries and the town is an attractive place to visit.  The buildings have been restored to their original condition and there are a number of good shops, museums and eateries.  You arrive by ferry at the pier which is at the centre of the town.

Shops and accommodation are set up along the shore.

The original church still stands and was an important link in the history of white settlement of NZ

Although renovated, this original Catholic mission printery that published bibles in the Maori language is still on site.  The place is well worth a visit.

Wedding Anniversary

Saturday was our 45th Wedding Anniversary so we had a night out in Paihia.  It was belting down so we were pleased we had booked in at one of the seafood restaurants overlooking the beach.

We went for the fresh local produce and had a great dinner.

Kerikeri Area

To see a little local colour and movement we visited the Kerikeri market.  They were selling local produce, food and plants and arts and crafts.  We got some sensational strawberries.

The place has a rich history and an important place in the development of New Zealand.  We went on to visit the Kemp House, the oldest surviving european style house in the country and the Stone Store that was the first trading store in the country.

 Although there is little left of the original vegetation, the remaining stands of the giant Kauri trees make an imposing sight.

The local railway enthusiasts are reviving the old train lines so we had to take a ride.

Paihia Area

The solution to miserable weather is to visit wineries.

And the local cheesemakers.

The cheese could not be taken back to Australia so had to be consumed back at the Motel but we did get packs to bring some of the wine home.

First Morning in Paihia

There is no way of disguising the fact that the weather was miserable.  We walked the township between the rain showers.

The weather forced us into the coffee shops where we found our spirits could be significantly improved.

Our New Zealand Interlude

We had a VERY early start and after arriving in Auckland we picked up our car and drove to Paihia and set up in a comfortable motel with views over the Bay of Islands. After a bit of hunting and gathering and a cup of tea, bed beckons!

Mum K Hits 94

Life is not easy when you are in pain and your hands refuse to do as instructed.  Mum retains her sense of humour and interest in all things related to the family but she does not see her birthday as anything to celebrate.  We did.

Christmas Approaches

Lisa is working up her Christmas Menu so we volunteered to test run the trifle.  It looked good early on and there was little remaining after the trial.  The boys selflessly volunteered for seconds so I think this could be assessed as a success.

Cooper and Lachlan Visit

As Cooper has been recovering from a bug and unable to attend school, he joined Lachlan today.  He showed us his skills as an artist and he clearly likes to get up close and personal with his work.  Lachlan preferred to take on the role of supervisor.

Mitchell has a Great Year

Mitchell received a number of awards at yesterday's Year 6 Awards Ceremony.
He received an Honourable Mention Citizenship Award for his "exemplary personal qualities and outstanding commitment to school".
Plus the big one - the top Academic Award for "recognition of his outstanding academic achievements across all areas of the curriculum".
He was also recognised for being an excellent ICT Captain this year.
A fantastic effort!  Cathy was very proud Mum watching him get up on stage and he even delivered a very good (unprepared) thank you speech.  The rest of the family are also proud of his fantastic work during the year.

These are the citations they read out at the ceremony.

End of Year Concert

Sophie took part in her Dance Academy's End of Year Concert.  Ebony and Holly are members of the same Academy so they were all on stage yesterday. Their proud Granny thought they all performed really well.  They were presented with medals to mark the end of another successful year.

Basketball - James

James' team met up with Eltham yesterday.  It was going to be an interesting contest as they had lost a couple of their best players.  During the week they recruited Harry and he turned up with a mate who was also a handy player.  Eltham thought they had this one in the bag but when the Vikings jumped out of the blocks the game got a little physical.  Of course James was not involved.

They ran away to a handy lead but Eltham came back hard and the boys only squeaked home by two points.  A win is a win.  Great determination was shown, well done James.