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Published: August 5th 2007
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Kia Ora everyone, we hope again that you are all well. It's been a while since our last blog which was so flippin' long (sorry about that) that we needed a break from blogging. We've settled into quite a normal life down here are don't feel like 'travellers' anymore, and blogging just fell by the wayside. Anyway, we've had some emails from some of you asking if we're still alive down here, so thought it was time for a recap since the last entry.
We were very lucky to have an unusually long summer here, which lasted into early June (December in the Northern hemisphere) so we were able to enjoy our weekends outside enjoying the beaches and walking tracks around this area....always something new to discover. Rob was a bit sad when the penguins that had been on the beaches in March and April had now gone back to sea :-(
We also went to see some rugby matches - rubgy being the equivalent in popularity as football in the UK or baseball in the US. Our first game was Australia Vs All Blacks (the auld alliance). Luckily the All Blacks destroyed the Aussies. I won't pretend to
be able to follow the rules, but I enjoyed trying to sing the national anthem in Maori and....ahem....admiring the players.
New Zealand's sporting achievements were also followed closely during their America's Cup campaign. That was also a pretty exciting time to be here as everyone really gets behind it. Rob's family being one of sailors too, he even stayed up in the middle of the night to watch it (pesky time difference!)
In early June was the Jack Frost Ball at Larnach Castle just near Dunedin (NZ's only castle). It was a charity ball held by Dunedin Public Hospital, who I work for, to raise funds for the local hospice. One of my friends from home, Lucy, was one of the organisers so we were right up for it. Plus it was a chance yet again for Rob to show off his legs in a skirt. He picked the 'Pride of New Zealand' tartan which was really nice and appropriately, All Black. Everyone got dressed up in kilts, tuxedos and ball gowns which was cool. It was a very fun night which made me feel a bit like I was at a wedding back home - a kilted
Nichols creek falls
A short drive and then walk from town, we hiked up to these on one of our weekend excursions. piper piped us all in, we sipped champagne and threw some very strange shapes on the dancefloor!
One of the most exciting things to happen since our last blog didn't happen here, but in the McNulty household in Glasgow. My sister gave birth to a gorgeous wee boy called Andrew and I am now Auntie to two cheeky monkies. He has even appeared on the webcam! His big brother Callum also turned two recently which blows my mind!
There seemed no let up to the mild weather, and I was convinced that the harsh winters we had been warned about were the tales of wusses. Besides, the houses here have no insulation or central heating - how cold could it really get?? We were soon to find out. Jack Frost showed his face again around the middle of June and temperatures plummeted. Remember the lack of insulation and central heating I just mentioned?!! We quickly invested in an electric blanket and began to drink a whole lot more tea while huddling round our oil heater. (Linda, remember when our boiler broke?) We got used to it though and I think I'll be spoiled by central heating now. We
soon awoke to our first white-out! Even though Dunedin is on the Pacific ocean, it is very hilly, and snow can fall in some parts of the city and not others. The area we live in is quite high so we got the worst of it. I mean of course we have both seen snow before, but here they seems to deal with it differently. By that I mean that they don't grit the roads or plough after the snow has fallen. It was either snow chains on your car or risk your neck walking. We played it safe and frolicked in the snow in the garden.
The wintry weather made us feel all Christmassy and a bunch of us (mostly from the UK) started planning a Christmas dinner. We went all out and each brought a dish. I was proud of my home made cranberry sauce and trifle and Rob made cornbread. There was even mulled wine, charades and secret santa. Top Christmas fun in July!!
With the reality of the chilly winter upon us, we decided to book a holiday to the sun. It was both of our birthdays in July so we decided a trip
away would be our birthday present to each other. We decided on Vanuatu, a melanesian country consisting of several islands in the Pacific west of Fiji. Check out the next installment to find out about Vanuatu.
Bye for now,
Kirsty and Rob
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Dan
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Hello from the Outer Banks
Hey Kirsty and Rob, Nice to hear from you. Paul (who's back for summer # 5) and I were just speculating on whether you guys were still alive. We're having a great summer but you guys are sorely missed. Happy Birthdays and best of luck, Dan