Friday, January 04, 2008

New Years '08

I emerged in 2008 with a liver not even the Chinese Organ Blackmarket would want, and a pretty bright outlook to the year that will hopefully see freckles back in fashion.

My holiday firstly involved camping in a giant tent in Taupo with Brenda, Callum and B's stuffed Ninja, and saw me briefly flirt with Geekism after leaving my blog address in a geochache (though I can't say that I found it myself). We went on quite a few fabulous walks around the Taupo/Turangi area - highlight for me was the quiet and tucked away Lake Rotopounamu and spotting a diving Pied Shag (Cormorant) on a bridge over Tongariro River - see vids below.




























Oh yeah, and check out some of these amusing shop signs in Taupo








Then I met up with Jennifer + Anna and headed down to Kuratau to Anna's whanau's bach on the 30th, an idylic little town on the southern shore of Lake Taupo. Apart from lounging around at the beach and on the deck and got incredibly chopped we hardly did anything. New Years Eve was particularly fantastic because it was the first one I've ever spent in New Zealand that hasn't rained. Its gonna be a promising year!














6 comments:

Anonymous said...

hah.. i'm blinking in that photo!

here's my fav me & the flying baroness
with me clinging all worried you'd fall off.

WaWa said...

I always tell myself: falling from grace won't hurt as long as you're not far from the bottom ;-)

Good times my dear, good pix too. Whakamaru - wow did they shoot Dr No. there or what. My one was the best pic i could come up with, my camera seem to always put ppl to sleep...

Anonymous said...

kia ora, happy new year! those pix making me all homesick!!

Nat

Bakin Rapscallion said...

That's it I'm moving to New Zealand. The open space!
In Florida...we have no polished stones...I need stones I can walk on.

The screw in the box of toys and other miscellaneous items reminded me of my childhood...except I was given bolts...and on Christmas...nuts and washers.

Are you making a statement to those of us in the Western Hemisphere by proudly displaying your "Summer Ale"? Of course, I can't complain it's warmer here than over there.

I don't see many beach cats in my corner of the world.
Was it the cat that spiked the volleyball into the water? Cats that can make humans fetch are very entertaining.

Happy New Year...of course, you were celebrating before I was...so this comes quite late.
*confetti*

WaWa said...

I think about how lucky I am to be a New Zealander every day. It becomes more and more apparent as I get older.

Hey Nat - guess who's coming to London in 5 weeks?

BR you are most welcome to join us any time & play with clever cats. though you may be in for a little culture shock. Bring us some of that rum & cigar though won'tchya.

Oh yeah and glad you appreciate cormorants - they are underrated like sparrows cos they are pretty much every where in the world. I think they rock cos they are so graceful, clever and unique.

Bakin Rapscallion said...

"culture shock" Ay...No worries...I'll wear my rubber suit.