Catching up...

Hi everyone. We're now in our third destination, i can't quite believe it. And so far over the past few days its been time for catching up...with neighbours, family, and lots of sleep! No longer required to wake up at 8am for breakfast, trips etc we've been snoozing in to the grand hours of 10am! Maybe the jet lags catching up on us, or maybe its because we've finally found some party spirit and have started staying up past midnight. eeeek! Infact its after 1am now, mad i know to be sitting at an internet point and not down the pub drinking red bull & vodka but a) i've just done that and this is me on the way in and b) i'm waiting up to call home because its Christmas Day in newcastle...oh and the rest of England of course.

So new Zealand so far...landing in the afternoon to a welcome party of the Cassidy's we've picked up our car hire (a lovely, battered Corolla Station Wagon) and spent a couple of nights in the home comforts of Sharon's aunt & uncle's house in West Auckland. BBQ's, a night at the pub and cups of tea on tap it was nice to relax before the Christmas festivities began. I also got a chance to go and catch up with The Smiths and see Michael & Kirsty's new house and 10-acres of land - very nice! The house is great and i can see why he chose it...surrounded by trees, land and ready for him to make it their own, with the help of Ruth, Mick, Kath and Howard while they're in town. Great to see them all, have a drink in the sun and a gossip about New Zealand.

Now we're in the city, in a funky hostel overlooking Sky Tower to one side and Queen Street (with its shops and huge Santa Claus) to the other. Handy for the bars, restaurants and Christmas sales. So handy, in fact, we've checked in for another night so we can grab some bargains with our christmas money and revamp the wardrobe, which after 6 weeks is looking slightly worn out.

Christmas day here has been mad. Its weird being away from home and not having an early wake up call to open presents from your Mum & Dad (yes folks, i slept past 5am this time!) but totally different too. After a long lie-in (we were in the pub till they closed up with another two irish guys - are there any left in Ireland?) we opened our cards and presents (thanks to Sharon's Aunt Liz & Uncle John who gave us each a beautiful present to open each - a sparkly shoe keyring). Then it was a cool box full of ham sandwiches, chicken crisps and drinks and a trip to the beach to see in Christmas Day. Not as scorching as we would have liked but warm and sunny enough to sit on our deckchairs (loaned by the Cassidy's) and watch all the New Zealanders celebrate. Treated ourselves to a nice Italian's for tea before heading back, freshing up, filling in our diaries and going to the pub for one.

And that brings me up to speed as i type away, waiting to catch the family as they sit down to a good old turkey dinner and crackers. Like i said, we're staying here in Auckland until the 27th now so that we can hop up the Sky Tower, do some sale shopping, go to the Ice Bar and celebrate Christmas more awake, before we jump in the car and head up North to the Bay of Islands for some crazy adventures in the air, on land and in water... Merry Christmas everyone, catch up in the New Year!