Christmas and New Year in Kiwiland!

Happy 2014!!

Our 'proper' Christmas celebration was on the 28^th with CC's family and 30-odd relatives. A full, hectic day (we did Sheepworld in the morning, got home, and the first visitors came within ten minutes of getting back – we were held up due to a traffic accident – saw my first ever rescue helicompter btw) but so much fun!

CC and his tree house :)

It included present opening sessions #3 and #4 (#1 being with my parents in November, #2 being Christmas day with CC and W), loads of food (especially a million different desserts I HAD TO TRY, sponge cake, pavlova, mint tiramisu, CC's dad's speciality steam pudding... I even had to skip the amazing chocolate swiss roll since there was SO MUCH...), helped make a massive fruit salad, tried not too much to be in the way, had very interesting conversations with the very friendly/fun/nice/interesting relatives, took part in a traditional Christmas pyramid, made friends with babies etc etc etc. Really nice :) And I got to be a Christmas elf!

OM NOM NOM NOM

Poppy under the xmas tree <3

I love CC's parents' place

Awesome trees!

The next day CC called in sick and his boss wanted a Doctor's certificate. He went to the doctor and got 5 days sick leave. That's exactly the amount of time I'm still gonna be here... TA DOC. Anyways, haven't done much since he's been resting and I've been studying/scrapbooking (I have an awesome scrapbook!!!!) (and eating chocolate) (and muffins).

So, next interesting event, New Year's eve. It included my first ever Kiwi Party, CC and I went to his friend T's place for a few drinks and kittens! Yes, kittens!!! They were adorable.

Left at 11 to make it back home and walk to the amazing view point behind the motorway, where we sat by the river and watched the Sky Tower fireworks when the year changed. First in the world!! It was brilliant, incredible.

New Year's day was the happy day of EATING CHIPS. My new year's resolution for 2013 was no chips, so the plan had been for months to have fish n chips on the beach on the first day of 2014. We went to Mission Bay in Southern Auckland. The weather could've been warmer, but the fish n chips and especially bread for the chip sarnies was AMAZING.

In the chippy!!!:D:D:D

Milkshakes were too. :) Had a “Hobbit Crunch” icecream milkshake, a limited edition with toffee, chocolate and some sort of soggy biscuits that were the MOST SCRUMPTIOUS IN THE WORLD.

Highly recommended!!

Then we drove off to Auckland museum. My museum experiences of the last few years have always gone the same way: I am never TOO keen to go in, but I figure I may as well, especially when it's free or cheap. I go in, and realise suddenly how AMAZING museums are, so fascinating, so interesting! This lasts half an hour to an hour, when I start getting bored. I mean, it WOULD be superinteresting to go and see that exhibition too, but I am getting SO TIRED and SO STUFFY-HEADED... I still force myself, because I don't want to disappoint myself by giving up my mature interest of museums. I mean, I pride myself to be very interested in history/science/geography/whatever, and leaving the museum before studying every single tiny object would mean my interest in the particular subject is non-existent. However, maybe half an hour, max. an hour later, I give up, leave, and usually wish to take a nap.

This is what happened with Auckland museum. SUCH FASCINATING STUFF about how New Zealand was formed during the past 160million years, about VOLCANOES, how to prepare for volcanoes and what they do... (The best bit was a sort of volcano-simulator thing, you go into this room which is basically a living room, with sofas, tables, a TV and a big “window” (=screen) with a view of Auckland bay with Rangitoto-island (volcano) in the background. The TV goes on, the newslady telling about this massive volcanic threat, and then you can see the volcanic eruption from the water, and the ash coming towards you... Etc, very cool.)

New volcano!!

All the stuffed animals were cool, as were especially the tarantulas (SHUDDER), the massive birds, the historic area about NZ in the World Wars, the sealife (including a massive (live) eel), the books on NZ bugs, the stuffed polar bear...

Introducing American cockroaches...

WOMBAT

NZ's largest insect LIFESIZE!!

But at the end, I was SO TIRED and so ready to fall down on the floor and SLEEP.

Auckland museum

Well, after we finally got out, had a nice stroll around the gorgeous gardens. So pretty!

I still dunno of a new year's resolution for 2014. Any ideas are welcome.

In any case, I hope every one of you have an amazing 2014 full of brilliant, fun and epic times. :)

Lots of love,

Emmmmmzzzzzyyyyy

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Pretty gardens from before Mission Bay