Diana Langdon / Life in New Zealand: Christmas kiwi style

Wellington from the Wind Turbine

I have had a fantastic week relaxing and enjoying my first Christmas in Wellington. On Christmas Eve we had our contemporary service at Church which was awesome, and then Sarah & I went and spent the Christmas weekend with Christian and Maggie in Johnsonville, and their kids Grace (3) and Asher (1week old!). It was so nice waking up on Christmas Day with friends who wanted me to have a great Christmas in New Zealand. I got some awesome presents including CDs (James Blunt, Soulsurvivor) and lots of chocolate money! Thank you to all those wonderful people who sent emails, cards/presents/sweets from Dulwich sweet shop!

We had to be at church early for me to get my giant cracker sorted, so I could do the kids talk. The cracker exploded in a rather magnificent manner, covering children with confetti and sweets, and everyone seemed to enjoy it! Sarah and I then spent the day popping in to lots of friends, joining in their Christmas celebrations. We had drinks with the Hill-Smith family, lunch with Sarah's dad, drove up to the windturbine overlooking Wellington, supper at Maggie's parents, then crashed back home! And then lots of international phonecalls...A long lush day....

I have spent most of the last week based out in Johnsonville, a suburb on the otherside of the city, housesitting with Sarah and friends. We have had adventures to the Christmas sales as I attempt to stock up on things I've had to leave in the UK - kitchen utensils, crockery, wooden spoons! We've had a brunch of pancakes and bacon on the bbq, been to a couple of beaches and just been enjoying the awesome weather Wellington's had. And I hear there's been snow back in England! How weird!

New Years has yet to be finalised, but we'll probably end up at someones house and maybe make a trip to the beach to welcome in 2006 depending on the weather.