Christmas and New Year greetings to one and all

 

image source

Buckets and spades
Strewth - there it is - the end of another work year. I am alone in the office. All the rest are either packing their bucket and spades or heading in the opposite direction. Walked down High Street earlier and it was, as a friend of mine would put it, a sea of calm. So different from my memories of Christmas Eve in London. Here in Auckland, half the city leaves town, and don't return for at least a couple of weeks - many for three.

The Hawke's Bay
As I happily admitted to Jim Mora on National Radio yesterday,  for some of the time, myself and my partner are off down to the Hawke's Bay - the proper name for that part of New Zealand which takes in Napier, Hastings, all the surrounding hinterland, north to Wairoa, south to Tararua. Naturally this description will offend at least a dozen peole.  For the record, Te Ara, the online Encyclopedia of NZ has some lovely pages on the Bay, here.

London/Scottish snow
But what we can agree on is that it, and  indeed all of New Zealand, at this time of year is a blessed land. And the people a joy to  live with. That said, I look at the snow pictures over in London and of course up in Scotland, and ache for the sound and touch of my loved ones up there. But in that all I do is repeat the eternal condition of the migrant.

Intermittent coverage for 3 weeks
Normal service will be resumed on the 18th January, 2010. However, I will be dropping on to the blog for the odd moment or two in the three weeks ahead. So I won't  be a complete stranger. I might even try some ideas out for the year ahead.  I had a little go at that with Jim Mora yesterday - if you have the interest -  or the time [which is not to presumed at this time  of year, I embed it below.


Audio of Jim Mora conversation -  2009/2010 trends


Download: Ogg Vorbis   MP3

Moko the dolphin from Mahia
Alternatively you might want to skip that and just watch Moko the dolphin from further up the coast at Mahia, and thanks to Andy Fenton for the link.




Recent news sources on Moko
TVNZ
Gisborne Herald