Skip to content

lion sock

091227_450d_img_2269.jpg

i broke my ‘no socks’ rule as i’ve seen so few gloves since we moved to new zealand.  this is particularly upsetting given it’s prime glove season in the UK right now.  so here’s a sock with a lion on instead.

snorkelling sheep

091227_450d_img_2268.jpg

only in new zealand …

our local crazy golf course

091229_850_img_7467.jpg

it’s totally fab living within 5 minutes drive of at least two crazy golf courses.  they really cater to the british ex-pats !

when the bus is away …

091228_850_img_7450.jpg

new zealand is … swimming in post industrial rivers

091228_850_img_7459.jpg

bollesha

091224_850_img_7376.jpg

i just did a spell check on bollesha (which i suspect i spelt wrong) and was quite surprised by the spell checker’s first option.  or perhaps it was a comment on my spelling.  blush

anyway, they don’t have balls on sticks on their crossings over here.  it’s so bright they can get away with flourescent orange circles instead.  they work a treat

i like to boogie

091224_850_img_7373.jpg

091224_850_img_7372.jpg

shop lifters will be detained

091224_850_img_7366.jpg

a good collection of signage here.  well worth a click for bigness.  their moto is ‘say what you want to say and keep saying it until they understand’.

or perhaps they are making sure they have a sign for every height of customer.  although that doesn’t work right as the “xmas day” (inverted commas) signs are side by side, perhaps for couples walking through

and i very much like that “shop lifters will be detained”

boxing day at the beach

091226_850_img_7406.jpg

there’s esther and kezia in the sea on their new boogie boards.  i didn’t spot the ‘fin’ in the background at the time.  gulp

crumpet control

091225_850_img_7392.jpg

at last, we have a way to control crumpets in our house.  long overdue.

no dogs

091224_850_img_7375.jpg

a very merry kiwi christmas

091225_450d_img_2049.jpg

bit too tired and rather too hot to do a proper blog post today i’m afraid, but just to say we had a fab time with bignoseduglyguy (above) and family yesterday during our first highly enjoyable kiwi christmas which involved much eating, swimming, drinking and laughing.

091225_450d_img_2082.jpg

091225_450d_img_2111.jpg

there were various excellent quotes from the day but my favourite was the made up answer to our joke creation. 

it helps if you know there’s a road called the ‘desert road’ (one ‘s’) in New Zealand.

i though there must be a joke in there somewhere and got us all to think of good answers to the joke question of “what driving offence could you be arrested for on the dessert road”

there were various great answers, but my favourite was “i was jelly frightened”.  it made no sense at the time either but we laughed til the tears ran down our faces.

091225_450d_img_2119.jpg

091225_850_img_7400.jpg

091225_450d_img_2121.jpg

091225_450d_img_2156.jpg

we were even able to meet a local celebrity chef !

091225_450d_img_2263.jpg

i hope you all had fab christmases !

you are no one

091225_450d_img_1977.jpg

sometimes it’s best not to abbreviate the word ‘number’ with ‘no’.

091225_450d_img_1978.jpg

091225_450d_img_1979.jpg

091225_450d_img_1980.jpg

091225_450d_img_1981.jpg

esther saw the funny side of her lovely present to me so she kindly let me share it.

xmas eve in new zealand

091224_850_img_7385.jpg

we decided to have our traditional christmas roast outside on christmas eve as we’re out with friends doing the ‘kiwi christmas’ BBQ thing tomorrow.  so here are some photos of our day

091224_450d_img_1797.jpg

091224_450d_img_1826.jpg

091224_450d_img_1829.jpg

091224_450d_img_1830.jpg

091224_450d_img_1834.jpg

091224_450d_img_1835.jpg

091224_450d_img_1854.jpg

out with brussel sprouts, in with asparagus.  you always need something people will think is really yucky on the plate.

091224_450d_img_1856.jpg

a new set of cracker jokes.  not sure about websites being ‘trendy’.  who has a website these days ?  it’s all about facebook my friend.

091224_450d_img_1882.jpg

091224_450d_img_1892.jpg

here are jane’s avante-garde mince pies

091224_450d_img_1897.jpg

home made board games (by esther)

091224_450d_img_1915.jpg

091224_450d_img_1918.jpg

091224_450d_img_1921.jpg

091224_450d_img_1922.jpg

091224_450d_img_1931.jpg

the giant santa in downtown auckland, recently received a facelift so it looks less like a child catcher.  it wasn’t a good look previously apparently.

091224_850_img_7369.jpg

091224_850_img_7371.jpg

we also had lunch of bangers and mash in a hardware shop.  posh in a down to earth kind of way.  you’ve got to love this country

091224_850_img_7379.jpg

happy christmas everyone !

we wish you a merry christmas from new zealand

if you really want to mess with your brain get more than one version playing at the same time out of sync. i’ve given you some more below to play at the same time (thanks to my mum for this fantastic idea):

not quite as good as this though which is what we’re experiencing (the sun part, not rolf or his status quo chums)


xmas in a tetra pack

091206_850_img_6989.jpg

091206_850_img_6990.jpg

091206_850_img_6991.jpg

another sydney xmas tree

091207_850_img_7056.jpg

mannequins enter the festive spirit

000101_450d_img_1361.jpg

000101_450d_img_1362.jpg

syndey christmas tree

000101_450d_img_1282.jpg

kiwi christmas

091222_850_img_7352.jpg

091222_850_img_7357.jpg