North Island

Haven't had access to the internet for the last few days: busy in Wellington, and with relatives until today.
We stayed in the centre of Wellington, and as soon as we were settled in, were whisked off to dinner by an ex-colleague of mine who now works at Weelington Hospital, Shelly Soo. She took us round the bay to a lovely place called Day's Bay, to a lovely restaurant with views over the beach where kids were swimming, and as it got darker, we could see the lights of Wellington over the water.
Next day we spent lots of money in shops and pottered round town, and then Shelly met us in the Botanic Garden and took us to her house in the tree-tops for a delicious meal (her house is high on a hill-side, so it really feels as if you are up in the trees, with the birds. It was lovely to see Shelly again: she's been there just over a year, and is beginning to feel more at home. She made us really welcome.

The next day we set off for Waipukurau, which is where Mum's sister Margaret lived since the war; her son, Jim, has built a house next door to the old place, and we stayed there a couple of nights. I had forgotten that cousin Peggy, who died about thirty years ago, had married a Maori, and that her daughter, had also married  Maori, so I met all my Maori relations the next day, along with their Maori wives.

And here's  5-year-old Maika doing the Haka!

this all took place at a barbecue put on for us at the eldest son's house; as well as the usual barbie stuff, we had some special Maori food prepared in a hangi, a pit dug in the ground, special heated stones put in, then the food, wrapped up, then the pit filled in and left for 4 or 5 hours. It was delicious! We were shown some feather cloaks made by his wife in the traditional style.

The next day, we went to my third cousin, Judy, in Gisborne. She too married a Maori, so there were more to meet. He had died some years back, but she took us to the village of his ancestors, where he is buried. This is the village meeting house, the whare tipuna

Today, we are in Rotorua, enveloped in a miasma of sulphurous fumes (I'm sure it's good for you)

in case I don't get another chance before we leave NZ, here is a picture of aNew Zealand Christmas tree.

Ti harinui to you all!