Hooray, Hooray, It's A Holly, Holiday!

Hi all - at last the hols are here and how lovely , sunny and warm it is!

Below is a piccie of a van that we followed all around lake Taupo whilst making our way onto Mount Ruapehu - not deliberately, you understand, but just had to take a photo for you - as it was sooo funny!


I am now the proud owner of a Full Registration Teachers Certificate - no more Provisional for me now!

All teachers are given Provisional upon entering New Zealand, and can apply after 2 years for their full. I could have applied earlier - but it seemed much easier and had less paper work doing it after 2 years. Yayyyyyy!

We've had a few earthquakes going on around New Zealand - but poor old Gisborne got hit the other night with a 6.8!

This site shows you all the quakes going on round and about.

http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html

This is a bit of news about it:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4333005a10.html

All go here - eh?!

The weather is absolutely lovelicious at the mo and we're off to the beach in a bit with our mat, umbrella and books etc to enjoy it all.

Our local beaches have got lots of hammerhead sharks swimming around them right now. This is their 'having babies' season and apparently they are all giving birth in the warm waters close to the beaches - tis a yearly event. One lady had a bit of a panic (as reported in the local paper) due to the fact that her grandchild or niece or something, was paddling in the water, when a fin popped up! It was a 2 metre long hammerhead. But - they've been doing this every year forever and it's one of those natural events in this area. Just like the orca swim by our way every September/October.

Went to see Handel's Messiah at the Auckland Town Hall last Tuesday - really enjoyed it - was very well done. Had to stand up at the beginning to sing the National Anthem - and I know it now! In Maori first, then Englush.

The New Zealand Governor General (I think that's his title) was there too!

The Sky Tower was (and is for Christmas) lit up in red and green as we walked up Queen Street to the Town Hall. Here it is:


Well - NZ being NZ, everything is slowing down for the hols - and the TV is using the bare minimum of presenters. The other night - around 11.30pm to be precise - son and I were up watching a movie, when the weather came on. The weather here is often just accompanied by random music - as it was that night. However, we reckon someone was having fun whilst their boss was away at the beach en famille, because, to our immense delight - the weather was accompanied by the song 'Mr Hanky, The Christmas Poo' (of South Park fame)!....... Never would happen in the UK!

Well - that's me fer noo - gotta go and change for the beach. Taking goggles to spy out for those pesky hammerheads!

Tara and speak to youse all later.

x Sue