Ahuriri Night Out...

Drunk...

Drunker.........

Still Drunk.........................

We went for a night out on Friday to Ahuriri...and it was surprisingly busy and we all ( including Jade!!!) got a little drunk! We went to the Thirsty Whale Bar and ended up staying there all night as the music and atmosphere was so good...

There were a few hang overs in the morning...

Trip to Te Mata Peak with Hannah and Steve...

Hannah and Steve arrived last weekend after travelling her, there and everywhere for 9 months! They stayed with us for a week and left this morning....I am very sad! BUT they are coming back in 2 weeks on their way back up to Auckland. Whilst here they caught up on washing, sleeping, eating...and generally just enjoyed being in a 'home' environment again!

On Thursday we visited Te Mata Peak in Havelock and then went for a pint in a local Irish bar! Graham had to work though which was a pain.

25th June 2008-Happy Anniversary Dad and Kate...

Hope you have a lovely day and are having a nice break together. Speak to you when you get back, lots of love Graham and Jade xxx

Sunday 22nd June 08- Sunrise and Hannah and Steve's arrival...

Hi all,

This am I was up early as Hannah is arriving yippee!!! Got lots of tidying and cleaning and shopping to do! I can't believe that she is actually in New Zealand as we speak!! he he

Anyhow....the point of the post was to say that I was up that early..I opened the curtains and saw the most beautiful sunrise over the beach, I grabbed my shoes and went over to sit on the beach for a bit...I took some pics to show you all and to show Graham as he was still in bed!

Matariki New Year Celebrations....

The crowd watching the 'crumping'!!!

'Crumping' in action!

This traditional dancing was amazing, looked effortless but all in complete time with each other, great to watch...

On Friday after work Graham and I met at Helen and Johns house in Otane as we were going to the Maori New Year Celebrations in Waipukurau. Matariki in maori means 'a group of stars'. This New Year Celebration has been important to Maori's for years...traditionally the visibility of the Matariki...determined the type of crop for the year. The brighter the stars, the warmer the season, thus creating a productive crop. Maori's gather from all iwi's ( individual groups) to plan the year ahead.

We arrived at about 8.00pm, the event was a lot smaller than we had anticipated. There was a large hall area where kids played basketball at one end and at the other end there was a stage where Maori's displayed tradional dance and 'crumping'....a new thing to us...it is a form of dance and lots of teeneagers got up to show us how it was done.

There was supposed to be fireworks aswell.....but they didn't happen. All in all a little disappointing....but I suppose it depends on your expectations, I am sure all of the other people who attended had a great time.

It's a hard life...

On the way back we stopped off at the hot pools again and had a dip!

Rotorua-Part 2

Me? Nervous?????

I think he is a bit exitied!!!!

I knew there would be trouble when I saw this sign!!!

In the capsule!!!!

On the way back we decided to visit the Skyline Luge activity place....it was still raining but Graham thought that would add to the fun on the luge's! We paid, and then entered these capsule things that take you all the way up this big mountain where all the action is. It was a shame it was raining and cloudy as the views from the capsule would have been amazing, but we will probably go again in the summer.

At the top there was a cafe with panoramic views of rotorua ( well...it would have been had it not been cloudy!), a gift shop, luges and a high wire type thing!

Obviously Graham was up for all of it!

Went to the luges first...Graham went down the scenic route intially...I went to take pics and waited. The luge went all the way to the bottom of the hill, so he came back up on a kind of snazzy ski lift. He got off laughing....full of soil and scuffs all over.....he flipped the luge going down!!! Only Graham could drive a luge like Porsche...two wheels and a door handle around the corners...he ended up in a rockery!!!!!

Then he went on the advanced track....he didn't flip it...but afterwards we went to check the photo's that the centre take and it had taken a great shot of him on one wheel going around a corner!!!! So we bought it as we couldn't stop laughing!

Next...he gets strapped up to go up this really tall tower/wire. He went up backwards and then had to pull a cord to release himself, at which point he flew through the air like a ping pong ball....his face on the video afterwards was a picture!!! There were about 30 Japenese tourists watching him and they all shrieked when he released the cage!!!!

Enjoy the pics!

Cambridge and seeing friends...

We arrived in Cambridge about 4.00 ish on Saturday...Nat is a friend I met on the internet, we have been chatting for about 2 years online and on the phone, but never met before so it was great to finally catch up! We also met her hubby Paul and her two lovely boys. When we arrived we had a quick catch up and then some other friends came around, who are also off the forum we visit. We watched the England and All Blacks Rugby game...well, the boys and the kids did....the girlies listened to the National Anthem and then left them to it!!!

On Sunday morning, we all popped into Cambridge for a coffee and a nosey at the town...here are the pics...

Weekend Away...

This weekend we went to visit some friends who live in Cambridge which is about 3 and a half hours away from here. We decided to stop off at Rotorua on the way as Graham hadn't been there before. When we arrived it was raining, so we just stopped had some lunch and decided we would visit again on our way home.

After the Saints, Bradford match.....we set off!! This picture is the motorway on a Saturday morning...

Crafty Jade!!!!

Had a form of flu this last few weeks and so bought some bits to entertain myself whilst I was stuck in...mum wanted a nosey so here it is...I put to good use the mirror than the removal people smashed on the way over here and made a mosiac bowl!

PS- I am better now so it still isn't finished!!

Happy Fathers Day Dads......

Happy belated birthday Jen....

Ooooppppsss....Sorry its late...hope you had a great day xxxxx