So Christmas eve took the day off work and headed up to the N.Island – to Palmerston North (Palmy) where my Aunt and family live. It’s just so great to be able to spend Christmas time with family. So ate lots, drank lots – the weather obliged by being quite overcast and dull, so I wasn’t super homesick at all :)

On St. Stephens’ day I headed across to the Coramandal to see my friend Yvonne..

Stopped in at Rotorua on the way – a thermally active town, steam comes out of everywhere and the ground is warm to touch.

That pic is of the bath house.. a lovely old building (as they go here). People used to come all the way from London to get rejuvenated, and also to see the Pink and White terraces It would take about 6 months to get there.. so it must have been incredible! However an eruption destroyed the terraces back in 1886, and Rotorua town was developed shortly after to keep attracting people to the area.

So yes, on to see Yvonne.. she used to work in the MED in ChCh.. her family live close to one of the good surf beaches in the area.

We also took in ‘Hot Water Beach’. This was kinda fun. There’s a thermal vein or something running right under the beach. So you dig down about 3 feet and up through the sand comes hot water.

It was also the day when we heard about the awful news of the tsunami in Asia. My first thought was of Maeve and Andy who I’d recently got an e-mail from, and it sounded like they might have been climbing at the place I’m (probably not) still going to. Fortunately they’d left 2 days before it struck.. Not really sure what my ‘holiday’ plans are any more. I think I’m going to get in touch with the Red Cross and see if any help can be done (if they want any). I have heard that people are already climbing there again – and while 1/2 of me thinks this is completely insensitive.. the other 1/2 thinks that they need to get their tourism back up again asap.. so not really sure what to do about the holiday – I can’t cancel it so will just have to see what’s happening on the ground when I get there I guess.

Finally the long drive back again – got some really excellent views of Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe (Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings)

I was a bit silly – we’ve had really bad weather lately, but I knew these days were supposed to be fine – I really should have left early and gone and done the Tongariro Crossing.. but I guess I’ll just have to do it next time, supposed to be one of the best (one day) walks in the Country.

Then it was back down to ChCh on the 29th.

Work party tonight – lots of fun. My good friend and pool nemesis David is on the right in this photo. Bananas in Pyjamas..

It was fancy dress, I went in my toga costume.. twas fun.

But the best bit was absolutely my Chriskindle (or however you spell that) present.. Secret Santa they call it here… It wasn’t super secret.. but my not-so-secret santa (Juanita) was absolutely far too generous – and got me this great t-shirt (now my new favourite). In my opinion it totally sums me up.

Finally, Happy Christmas to all, (esp those who’ve mailed, sent postcards, left messages.. it really makes a difference!)

Spur of the moment decision.. one of the people I know through climbing here is off to Krabi in southern Thailand. A place I’ve always wanted to visit – and climb.

I mean when it looks like this…

who wouldn’t want to go!… I think quite a few of the bond films have been made in the area. Anyway, so today I bought tickets and will be heading over from 16th Jan -> 1st Feb.. crazy I guess, but I need a holiday ;)

Also passed my NZ Driving test (well theory was all I had to do) If you’re here more than a year and haven’t got the license, then you can be fined $400. So that’s good.

But pretty excited about the climbing.. limestone sea cliffs.. excellent, prob get some diving in too if I can.. ahhhhh, ’tis the life.

Dear oh dear, free alcohol at work functions ought to be banned. I reckon. At least for me. Still, on the upside, seeing as today was a total write off (though did go and play squash!) went to see Team America – World Police made by the same guys wot make South Park. It’s quite definitely one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen.

Crazy weather lately.. it’s really been kinda miserable (for summer) for the last week. On Saturday headed up to Lewis pass with Marcel and Emily and did a small tramp along the tops – we only went for a couple of hours as we’d not (all) brought crampons and an ice-axe.. and also it was blowing a gale with really limited visibility, so there wasn’t much point.

Then it was off to Motueka..(after an hour long soak at Maruia Springs). We had a tiny epic along the way when we stopped in Murchison to get petrol.. and the car decided it didn’t quite want to start again (Marcels car).. but a push got it going again (after we’d tried replacing the battery). So met up with Mhairi and her parents, who are traveling for a couple of weeks.. got taken out for an Indian by them.. which was most kind! All in preparation for The Hike Of DOOM. Well, not really (at all infact), but I thought it sounded a little more exciting.

I’d actually been up before with Maeve and Kirsten in Febuary, but this tramp was a little more interesting as we tried to get up Mt. Arthur.. again, the weather didn’t oblige so we didn’t get to summit.

Mhairis’ parents were unsurprisingly fit (and fun)!

So the pace was fairly quick for the weekend. Which was great, as we got to the hut in fine time and got to chill out and play games (and drink mulled wine from a plastic bottle.. hmmmmm… ok, I’m a mulled wine snob I admit). Scrabble was fun believe it or not ef is a word (it’s the letter F).. as are more useful two letter ones like ZO (Himalayan cattle), XI and XU are also pretty good… We also had a rubber of bridge. Don’t care what slags I get! It’s a great game and I’m sticking to it (and legions of old-folks will back me up I’m sure)

Walking out the next morning along the valley was cruisey.. too so for Mhairi I fear!… she headed off to run a different track and meet her parents later.. I *think* she did about 35km or so in about 4 hours. Quite ridiculous really! :)

And all too soon back to ChCh.. it’s a great place.. but sometimes I think it’d be better if I just got money to enjoy myself and didn’t have to work at all. It really does get in the way of things sometimes!