It would seem that all play and no work makes Paul a bit twitchy! So it is that we have just returned from the APS conference in Auckland. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself though. I've just uploaded three photo albums so let's start with our daily life here in Nelson.

We spend most of our days out walking or cycling. Sometimes we're ambitious and take to the hills and often we just stroll around the parks and gardens of Nelson. Our favourite cafe, the Crusty Crab is only open at the weekend and is more of a treat for that.

I approached a local tennis club and we went along to their annual fundraising tournament. I just knew we'd fit in when it started with champagne even before a ball had been struck! Sadly, we couldn't get our racquets in our luggage and had arranged to borrow a couple for the evening but finding a permanent solution to the problem has proved too expensive so far. We don't give up hope though.

The chair at the tennis club invited us to join a weekly 5K walking/running club. It's speed walking which means you can't jog if you enter as a walker. The first week we walked and managed 43 mins. Last time I entered as a runner so I could jog a bit to give Paul more speed and we made 41.5 mins. As we came in with about 85 people ahead of us I feel there is room for improvement! After the run we all go to the pub where the favourite activity of 'spot prizes' takes place as it did at the tennis club. I've won both times although I didn't get the prize at the pub because I was too busy talking to hear and Paul wouldn't go for me. Dash-I think there were some nice t towels up for grabs.

We are in the middle of a magnificent Italian Film Festival which we go to in the afternoon or the evening. It can't replace the National, the Menier, the Old Vic but it has a charm of its own and we love it. We plan to go to a Zimbabwe musical event next week and have tickets to see Rhys Derby (Murray in Flight of the Conchords) at the beginning of December.

It's such a marvellous place to spend time. The light is so amazing (the sun is lethal though) and it makes people brighter. Yesterday we bought an ice cream made freshly as we watched with crushed boysenberries, then we sat in the shade of a dripping wisteria and savoured every lick. Such a small thing but it was just perfect.

Back to the 'work' bit. APS is the NZ company who provide the management software for Paul's practice. He usually goes to the UK conference. At that conference in 2002 he won a draw for an expense paid trip to their NZ/Aus conference on the Gold Coast near Brisbane. We went to that in 2003 and met a couple of people that we have kept in touch with and one of them, Jill, told us a couple of weeks ago that the conference was in Auckland last weekend. So we booked in and went. It was after the Brisbane event that we met Mike in Lamington National Park and so actually we owe this whole trip to APS!

We flew up to Auckland and went out for a brilliant Thai curry that evening with Juliet and Alan, friends of Mike and Patsy who we'd met in Crete at M & P 60/50th birthday celebrations. When Paul wasn't at sessions (Aussie tax not being too relevant) we hired powered bikes in Devonport, a short ferry ride across Auckland harbour and spent a very giggly couple of hours trying on fancy dress costumes for a theme of 'A Night At The Museum' and walking the hills (volcanoes) of the city. The gala evening at Auckland Museum will live long in our memories. Brilliant fun, fabulous food and great music. All this in a building which must surely have won design awards for mixing old and new. It was a spectacular venue high on a hill with views over the city. On the Sunday evening we stayed with Juliet and Alan and had a long walk on Monday before we flew back over Mt Taranaki, basking in the sunlight.

We're missing you all a lot. I miss long girly chats although the internet phone helps a bit. We miss Katie and Matt but it's only four weeks now til we meet up with them. I miss all the kids who brighten my days and am already planning things we can do when I get back. Despite that we are loving every single day and making the most of it all. Paul is actually quite content to while away the days and would eat cake and ice cream every day if I let him! He still gets up early (is it a man thing, Tim?) and deals with his emails so that by the time I emerge the coffee's on and we're planning the day. Anyway, it's a busy day tomorrow so that's it for tonight. Zzzzz