KIA HARI TE TAU HOU!

...which is Maori for Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.

Though it has been Newydd Dda for a few hours longer here. Not that I did anything about it! Tis inconceivable (that word does mean what I think it means)! I have a cold at New Year's. Again. Millionth year in a row. Twas pissing it down harder than I've ever seen it in Franz last night so I probably wouldn't have gone out if I didn't have a cold! Watched Runaway Bride and went to Bedfordshire. Hard core!

Today was much shinier though. No rain, so far. Went walkabouts up Canavan's knob (don't laugh) again but took the camera this time. Cue the obligatry show-off pictures of the very warm and shiny new year's day:

I think this is a New Zealand Robin. Took lots of pictures of this dude. Maybe he thought I was a papparazzo. Work it.

The shiny, shiny Tasman sea. Source of the excessive amount of rain.

Bridge Over the River Waiho.

The source of everyone's dosh.

I still feel really manky so I'll bugger off and watch Pretty Woman and have awesome ice cream. It's not Ben and Jerry's but it'll do.
E noho ra chuck (toodle oo).

So this is Christmas...

...and what have you done? Scrubbed loos mostly.

And got sunburn YES sunburn! on Christmas eve! Mostly from yesterday though. I went walkabouts somewhere incredibly shiny and forgot my camera. I didn't think I'd go wanders that far but I did. Numpty. I walked up Canavan's Knob. Don't laugh. Ooooo shiny it were. I could see the sea from the top! And actual proper seagulls! And keas! Have I mentioned how awesome the birds are here? Probably but I'll say it again. They're awesome. In the UK if you come a-moseying through the wood and happen upon a small passerine, it flies off shrieking and yelling and generally having an avian freak-out. Here, they come and have a closer look. I'd just stopped to admire the view and get my breath back when I saw a tomtit, don't laugh, on a branch a few metres away. It then proceeded to get closer and closer to me by flying from branch to branch, just in case I was a really big insect it could eat.




I don't care that there's Christmas movies on TV every day, or music in all the shops or tinsel on everything that sits still long enough, even tuis. It is not Christmas! One does not go round whinging about the excessive heat on Christmas eve. Or wear flip flops, unless one wants to lose one's toes to frost bite.




And just to rub it in further, this is what this afternoon by the river looked like:

Hopefully the bus that rides the information superhighway will be open tomorrow so I can post more show-off pictures of the heat and flip flops.

If not:

A Merry 25th of December to all!