Xmas Day 2008

One of the strange things about Christmas in New Zealand is that all the symbols of the traditional Christmas from winter in the Northern hemisphere survive as strongly as they do in the old country. Santa Claus wrapped up with boots, hat and thick overcoat, the reindeer, sleigh, holly, mistletoe, everything. Being in the Southern hemisphere, as we are, there is no snow here, and it is mid summer, so we are wearing shorts, bikinis (Anita that is, not me) and the like.
The temperature is in the 20's; eating outside is the norm, and although the sea is still fairly cold we've been swimming at Tutukaka in the sea, as well as in our next door neighbour's pool, which they have lent to us whle they are away.


A cold lunch on Christmas day of delicious New Zealand smoked salmon was had on the deck, and the Drunken duck, a Chinese recipe was saved for the evening.

Trains

Duncan is a favourite of Joe's trains and is known to get a wee bit angry at times. One of his characteristics is too sway on the track, known as 'Rocking and Rolling'.

Weta

The Weta is one of the strange creatures that only lives in New Zealand.
It is an ancient species which hasn't evolved much in the last 100 million years and has seen the dinosaurs come and go.
It lives in dark places in the forest and sheds it's exoskeleten repeatedly as it grows too big for it, which can often be found. This one is however a complete but dead weta.
There are many species of weta, some small, some huge, but they are all nocturnal.