Thanks to Bob for setting this up, and for the yummy pasta lunch that accompanied the act. Flaked cooked salmon in a cream, lemon, Dijon mustard, caper and dill sauce.

Well, it's taken a bit of time to get this back, via Jessops, the library and now Mr Tuck has done it. Question - how do l manage to pack either Bob or Colin and take them with me to sort this all out? Might be more than the 10 & 1/2 kilos I usually take.

Arriving at Auckland airport in early December, Doreen met me with the comment that it was a disappointing day - it was a heck of a lot warmer than UK! We stopped off on the way to buy kilos of strawberries. After seeing no3 child at day nursery, life seemlessly slipped back into the 2 years ago mould. Within an hour back home, having been introduced to all the changes (3 chickens, 1 goat, 3 children established in the bedrooms which had just been completed as I last left), the factor 35 suncream was on, & foxglove clearance resumed. Looking at the map, the house is about where the last e is of Papatoetoe on the west side of the green splodge which is the Hunua Ranges, a huge Regional Park.

School/Day Nursery occupied the 3 eldest till mid december to varying extents, so it was soothing pre-nap pushchair walks for No 4 and getting into the flow at first. So much had changed in 2 years.

Saturday morning we went to a house for a house sale/social event - here discovered packs of plastic glasses with wine in, sealed with both foil tops & plastic lids - absolutly sold on this as v. convenient for taking to BBQ's, theatre etc. Subsequently discover that M&S were doing something similar, but trying to imitate converntion rather than redesign & therefore not as user friendy for al fresco use. The house was interesting, built on a concrete raft, it was all mud walls with concrete around door & wall openings and strips for the roof to sit on. Big overhangs for rain protection. The mud had been poured between steel sheet mounds and was smooth. Brilliant - all material was on site, and no waste was carted away as it was converted into the structure, which was cool after the outside heat. Very friendly low key event.

It turned very, very hot, factor 35 from UK was a lost cause as the first few days were a medley of not needing to wash between geting red, peeling, and waking up next day white. Enter special baby-friendly factor 50+, this was a huge improvement,. After 2 months there was the faintest paleness where my watch had been, with a few freckles around.

Sunday we went to barbeque. Major highlight was 50+ meters of plastic down the slope, with constantly running water. Terrific fun for kids of all ages, particularly the dads. Of course it works best with non-stop hot sunshine, and some washing up liquid for extra slipperness.

Total change with all 4 young people at home for the summer holidays as we were not able to do too much. But on the 20th December we went over to the holiday place in Mangakino, about 2 hours drive south, for Christmas. This needed a full trailer which included Christmas presents of disguised bikes for the 2 eldest. Holiday mood for the next 6 days. but still strange for me to have hot sunshine on Christmas Day itself. A welcome novelty. It was so easy to get used to! People called in as we got the meal ready - lovely as it involved non-stop champagne.... After a day of trying out all the new toys, having a knock out lunch with perfect roast chicken & all trimmings, finishing with a knock out trifle (of port soaked sponge, topped with orange juice simmered rhubarb, big black Doris plums with a mulled wine jelly over, finished with a white chocolate custard - we stopped before the cream & decorations went on!).

That night after a final bike ride, we discovered next door were letting off fireworks, were invited round to a brilliant display, very good finish to the day. The two eldest small people (6&1/2 and 5) camped out in the garden, a third (3) slept in the inflatable boat in the living room, No 4 was in his cot. Boxing day was more bike rides in the morning, packing up & we drove home in drizzle. We got home to a welcoming rush of chickens which had been free range whilst we were away - very gratifying! As someone had been feeding them, this seemed to be a real royal welcome. Chickens are more intelligent that is generally thought.

Plan to go camping on a nearby beach shelved for 24 hours, so lots of washing done, afternoon was hot so when the last bit pegged out, the first bit was bone dry - I love this climate. Boys v. excited at camping trip. However, as son of the site's owner got german measels, we've shelved plan for a few days as our youngest person hasn't had g.m. jab yet. Lots of prep work for new year celebration done instead, also gardening - no end to that one!

Down to Sunday Market in Clevedon (nearest 'town' with school & nurseryand two village shops which don't stock post cards) a 15+ minute drive away, we returned home to find Billy the Kid had escaped from the sheep meadow. We did lots of cooking for New Year celebration and Doreen turned up for tea with champagne - this lady has real class! Next day Mr A put up a 30m flying fox. A doxen or so neighbours turned up and we celebrated, but as most people had children, we had gone to bed by midnight.

New Years Day was a huge drive to the campsite - about 14 K! Turning off the road onto a farm track, it wandered along, flanked by trees & twisting between hilly bits for about a mile to a lovely glade by the sea. A private site, it seemed very full at first, but some were packing up. After 4 cars left there was just us, another family, with the occasional person wandering around. The owners were not there as the Mum had caught the german measels too and was in hospital. We inspected the top field, but decided to pitch camp in the glade - cooler - as v.v. hot again, plus there were cooking facilities, shade, and a proper toilet there. There was a roofed social area with two walls, a pot bellied wood stove, sofa and table & chairs, fridges(!) the lot. Amazingly comfortable, informal and well equiped. It seemed that all sorts of people had turned up for New Year celebrations apart from the hospitalised owners. A reminder again of how different and friendly NZ is. In the afternoon we went round the beach in the Land Rover to almost the next bay, having to walk the last rocky bit, as a school friend of the 6&1/2 year old lived in a flash new house there. Alas Janey & parents were away, but her grandparents were house sitting, so we spent a happy hour with them. There is a refreshingly friendly state of mind here. Doreen came over late afternoon with a ton of chips (potato and kumera) and of course another bottle of fizz. Very elegant and with immaculte hair as usual. Kumera are the Maori version of sweet potatoes, they don't take kindly to the microwave but prefer to be peeled and boiled in my experience. NZ people do not put vinegar on chips, only salt - a grave ommission I think.

Next day I decided to excavate a moat to cut off a mini peninsula, so that we could have a bonfire - either Health & Safety was raising it's head or I was haunted that the press might be full of scorn at frivoulous UK person starting widespread fire risk. As the tide went out, this became much easier & allowed us to admire the amazing new coastal feature. The father of the other family came over & helped on the last stretch, just showing what feeble muscles I have. The small people gathered driftwood. The scene was set. At dusk after tea, we lit the fire - it would have been good enough to ward off the Spanish Armarda, and quite as splendid & the moat was great fun for small people to 'nearly' fall in. We finally put it out about midnight - so handy to have the sea there. Next morning was drizzly. When we got back it seemed as though we'd been away for much longer, and yet it was so close to home.

We discovered 6 eggs from the 3 hens for the 2 nights we'd been away. This time they had been too busy to have energy left for a state welcome. Hens are Snowey (all white), Spidey (gender confused black) and Elmo (brown & white speckles), The last two owed much to Spiderman & Elmo PJs. Occasionally Spidey either went broody & laid eggs in the garage, or laid 2 eggs a day. They quickly learnt that if I was clearing around trees, it was worth turning up for a rare worm or snail. I, as quickly, learnt that they could contibute invaluable scratching to help. They were excited by the booty, but strangely shy of wriggling things and flumoxed by the snails' packaging - so shells had to be squashed. They most loved settling into and scattering the mulch I spread around the young trees. It certainly made going off to weed an entertaining occupation. If only one had a snail, then the others mobbed her for it - so the next lesson was to make sure there was one each.

At this point I ommitted to save as I went along, & no autosave. So will continue later

After all the excitetment of Christmas & New Year, the boys were brimming with energy & suffering post seasonal blues, so Doreen nobly carted off the two eldest to extend it all for the night. We took advantage to have a movie night at home after the two youngest sort-of went to bed! Next day we picked them up and as it was a weekend we packed up food, spare clothes & bathers, and the inflatable boat. The coast has lovely family friendly bits with playgrounds just over the road from the beach, coastal paths and safe swimming areas. Ice cream van man also sounded that tinkly tune that means small people tend to rush towards. A win-win afternoon. BBQ & hot dogs back home. As the sun slid down, a brazier was lit - ah! could life get more relaxed?

Work started up again for Mr A, but everyone else was really into the holiday stuff. One day we went to Howick Historical Village. There were hand carts so there was much scrambling to either get into the cart or to push it. It portrayed a life which seemed like pretty hard graft, even an irish sod house - probably only about 2.5 x 5 Metres. It looked as though life could be pretty grim in poor weather, but even so there were treasured possessions reminding of home in the old country. Surprisingly the two eldest enjoyed pumping water up into a bucket and then tipping it back into the well, this went on for about 40 minutes!!

In between such times, there was always endless weeding around trees and mulching them. Boy no1 did a decidedly good spag bol. A large water tank was installed by the sheep, so they could be watered by that store rather than taking it down each day. It took a couple of days before we had all fully got where the off tap position was. Finally, I kidnapped the kitchen sissors for the delicate task of cutting the long grass which protected the self-sown tea tree seedlings, which were doing a pretty good job of establishing themselves. These do not care to be transplanted, but form really good protection for the next stage of native planting. This work was slow, as although some were a respectable 300mm, there were a lot at 5-10mm - which is really small, when the surounding undergrowth can be up to 500mm high. Still each meter cleared along the back boundary was another meter cleared. We saw Ice Age 4 - it had been v hot day.

Thank goodness, with all the washing for 7 of us, the only ironing was 1 work shirt a day. Another treat day out was Doreen coming to take the 3 boys & me over to the Coromandel Peninsula on the east coast, immediatly east of Waihi on the map. Another blistering day, sparkly blue sea, yummy lunch back at her sister' house with lots of family. Factor 50+babysafe is doing sterling work. Close by is a very,very, deep opencast mine, which in the in the boys' words - was awesome.

An email from my cousin's neighbour, visiting her son & family in Christchurch, prompted me to seek a flight there for a long w'end - time for a break for all of us. So one friday aftenoon, I took the 1 & 1/2 hour flight down there. This hour & 1/2 due south translates at this time of year to an extra 45 minutes daylight each end of the day, so arriving at the YMCA at 7pm, there was time to get bearings before dark. Alas, there wasn't a room for my 4 nights there at the prison - now converted to a posh-ish hotel, so I found myself nearer the centre, right by Hagley Park. This was really nice as I could cross the road & take my breakfast or supper over there. It's a huge park with wonderful stately mature trees, formal flower beds and a river running through. One evening there was someone playing a harp there, practising, absolutely delightful in the late evening sunshine, my private recital for an hour. It certainly beat an incomprehensible TV version of Persephone, set in modern day with teenagers as the main characters, quite bizzare.

Next day I took a 40 minute trip around the city center, which is off limits to the public as the buildings are made safe. We did quite an extensive tour, pretty sobering stuff. There was a long form to fill in with next-of-kin details etc. prior to getting a ticket - they are still a bit twitchy. After, in the museum, there were lots of photos, scripts of both technical and ordinary peoples' experiences & reactions. A pucker exhibition will open after I've left. The city center being devastated, Container City has grown up just nearby. 80+ brightly painted shipping containers provide a quirky shopping area - these Kiwis are very resourceful 'problem - what's a problem?

Shipping containers in all states were used, to prevent buildings falling over (in one case 2 deep, 5 high and 12 long), or to protect a coast road, cleared of rubble (1 deep,2 high and over 80 long). I loved the thought process. And of course some were pseudo bill boards for advertising.

Those people who might have expected a Christmas present from me, well I stuffed the money into the Rebuild Christchurch collection, should have let you know, but thank you from Christchurch.

Finding the bus station, a bus to the Casmere Hills was tracked down. Asking if it would be possible to get a bus pass out to the airport, we eventually agreed on one when the guy realised that I was serious about getting around that way for a few days (3). It was pretty good and did me some comprehensive trips, not only to the Cashmere Hills (to see people), but to around Sumner, to Littletown, to New Brighton. At the terminus of the last, there was 10 minutes before it returned, so I hopped out to see the green area, only to rush back to check the next few bus times. Had a splendid couple of hours walking around the headland - seeing the earthquake damage I'd travelled to earlier from across the water to the mainland, and enjoying the wind & sun as I came back.

More bus trips the next day. Saw the start of the paper cathedral - an end wall, & lots more scary damaged buildings. God must have been having a nap that lunch time, as it seemed that the churches came off worst; probably because they were some of the earliest building, plus the original plain was a mass of waterways. Human memory is very much tied into personal experience, as there had been other earthquakes here 80+ years ago, but then buildings were less complex & high then. On my last morning it was raining which was unexpected - however the trusty pass took me to the Edmond's factory grounds. Besides having pretty good recipie books reflecting changing tastes and available foods, the factory (now demolished) had extensive and beautifully laid out grounds which, even in the rain, were well worth the effort.

Arriving back, Mrs A had arranged that we go to the end of the road for an evening of learning how to make cards. It sounds a bit folksy put like that, but living in a very rural area, people do pursue activities that one doesn't in towns. There were 8 of us, and we each rolled card through scallop edged profillers, stamped & cut out butterflies which were mounted for 3D effect, with sparkly diamond bits, stuck on ribbon and pattened card, finally stamping on messages. A completely new world for me, a very sociable evening - but completely dependant on cars to go the distance. Later I learnt that 40 years ago there had been 4 families along the road - there are now about 35.

Back from my high times in Chch, I see a diary entry 'Sort flowerpots by colour, size & type' - made as change from rescuing tea tree seedlings! but reminds me I have to do this at home too!

Serious work commences to the childrens' bedrooms, complete re-fitting of bunk beds to create more space. The children sleep in the shed (garage) which is 9 x 12 meters by 2 stories high, heaven for them - with several Land Rovers, storage, workshop stuff and some green carpet with the two beds and countless toys.