Well that was Christmas!!!

Hi from a warm, but breezy Devonport. It's December 27th and as far as I can see for New Zealanders Christmas is over. We had a very low key Christmas as you can imagine, but nonthe less enjoyed ourselves enormously. We had received some cards from the UK which was wonderful and I had been anticipating the Day through the Advent calendar that my dear aunt and godmother had sent me.

We had decided, Fogg and I, that we did not need any gifts to each other and so we woke on a bright sunny Christmas morning to a much greater gift, a beach. We took a breakfast picnic to one of our local beaches, Cheltenham, which is a 10 minute walk away. It was quiet with only a few people out cycling or walking but there were one or two families already on the sand with their boogie boards and picnics.

The sea was warm and we had the most wonderful swim followed by croissants, cherries and strawberries!! What more could you wish for?

Back at the house we set about getting ready for our bbq lunch of prawns and salmon with a rather nice bottle of NZ fizz. We had timed it just right as soon after we finished eating the heavens opened (as forecast) and we had to move indoors. Doctor Who back to back through the afternoon kept us amused and we phoned home to the UK to speak to family and friends as the light was fading. By 10pm it had stopped raining and so Fogg had a quick swim in the pool before bed!

Boxing Day in NZ is no different to the UK. The sales start and in Auckland there was horse racing and one day cricket - the Black Caps against Bangladesh. The Black Caps are not doing very well at the moment but seemed to be coping with the opposition quite well. We have become afficiendos of NZ sport as it is often the lead story on the 6pm news. We took a short swim in the pool and then set off for a walk up one of our local volcanoes, Mt Victoria. It was an important Maori site and since the arrival of the Europeans a lookuot and communications point. There is a gun embedded in the top of the volcano which was placed there because of the Russian threat in 1899! This fortunately did not materialise but the gun is still there. As are stunning 360o views of Auckland, the Islands and Devonport. Back down to the village for a coffee and home for fizz and smoked salmon. The evening was warm and sunny so we walked back to Cheltenham beach where we watched the gannets diving and the rainbow growing as the rain moved in! Boy can it rain in NZ, but we found a pukutakawa tree and sheltered until it passed.

My 30 minutes at the library is nearly over so I will sign off. Fogg will be on later when another computer is available.

With very best wishes

Phileas