Girls, girls! Vegamite is pretty much the same as Marmite and also made from waste brewers yeasts. Surely they have that in NZ Cath?

Do you seriously want me to queue for the sake of marmite? I'm a Londoner, I don't queue!!! x

Warm - ha! Its rained for the last 3 days. Saw hundreds of dolphins today. Yeah - in a little place called Akaroa - so cute. The sun even made an appearance today. Liz - will sort hostel when we pop back into christchurch tommo night. Re the food your bringing you need to declare it at customs - they'll let you keep it but if you don't declare it they'll search your bags and fine you! Mean as. anyways better go, off to get some mean fish n chips. Dad - thanks for that fixture list. altho i cant say im missing the footy. glad the pics came out well. Catch ya laters x

Hmm - Liz I would like you, as an Oxon-ian graduate in English, to keep an eye on Cath's language whilst down under. Please don't fall asleep between your flights in LA - set an alarm or sit near re-check in (I very nearly slept through the transfer). Cath - FA CUP DRAW for you - I know this is important to you: Arsenal v Bolton West Ham v Watford Bristol City or Coventry City v Hull City or Middlesbrough Chelsea v Nottingham Forest Chester City or Ipswich Town v Swansea Cardiff City or Tottenham v Southend Utd or Barnsley Barnet or Colchester v Peterborough or Plymouth Argyle Birmingham City or Newcastle United v Reading or Burnley Derby County v Bristol Rovers Sheffield Wednesday or Manchester City v Southampton Crystal Palace v Preston North End Manchester United v Portsmouth Blackpool v Norwich City Queens Park Rangers or Luton Town v Blackburn Rovers Wolverhampton Wanderers or Oldham v WBA Leicester City or Fulham v Stoke City As you can see Boro and that team from Tyneside are still in the ring but sadly lowly League 1 Notts Forest knocked Charlton out. We play you at Charlton this Sat - I am really worried ...... ! Hope smell is better and weather too. We get our underwater camera pics back tomorrow - hope they made it through the Airport x-ray scanners. Scuba diving was amazing, so much that Dave and I forgot to take too many photos underwater - I bet you don't know what SCUBA it stands for? Will e-mail you some other Maldivian digital pics later as soon as I've done the soft focus jobs needed.

Yay, I fly to NZ in a few days. Am already armed with marmite and more celeb mags than you can shake a kiwi fruit at. Gerrit? Mel said they didn't have anything nearly as good as heat out there. She has also asked me to bring doritos and minstrels as she has withdrawal symptoms. I'm going to look like such a fatty! I forwarded you her south island recommendations over e-mail. Plan to dig out a suitcase tonight, how exciting! Please can we not stay in the hostel that smells like bottom? (Dad, I replace bottom with a much ruder word that your 2nd child used...) Is it hot? Is it hot? I just realised I won't be able to wear any of my trendy clothes out there. I fear it might be a little too warm for shoe boots, leggings and jumper dresses. Oh well, flip flops here I come! Lizx

Bonjourno Dad - Maldives sounds fantastic. I think we should all go on a Scuba holiday! Currently sat in internet cafe waiting to fly to NZ. Flying in to Christchurch, dont have any plans as we've barely read out guidebook. Sad to leave Oz but seen lots of sydney (and spent lots) so its time to move on. NYE was amaazing - the fireworks were incredible - definately gonna be hard to beat that one! Anyways off to get my krispy kreme donut - yum yum. Will let you all know what crazy antics we get up to in NZ.... C x

Whoa Cat - Maldives was awesome. Dave and I snorkelled the house reef for several days (bought the same naff flourescent green/yellow fins as in your pics). Abbs did a bit of snorkelling (complete with cute small fins) but did not really like swimming with fishies around her - she did snorkel the inner reef though. Then Dave and I took a PADI discover SCUBA course (1 lagoon and 1 open water dive). Due to buoyancy probs i.e. me weighing more than I thought, got down to 14.7m instead of 12m limit. I needed *8* weights! Must slim. Dave was pretty good but his air ran out first which must mean something. Good water bungalow with aircon and Sat TV for test match :( and premier league ;) - sad I know. Lovely food all inclusive, smashing beach. Canoed round the whole island in 20 minutes despite heavy swell. Pics on way via e-mail. Seaplane transfer was exciting, only problem was long air journey (11 hrs) but worth it. Passed over Iran - and Basra, Iraq - on way home which was slightly scarey in view of recent events in Iraq. Hope all well at your end and that you are both looking fwd to Kiwi.

Happy New Year from the Granmeister & my good self, Kitty!!!! Oooo we saw the celebrations where you were on our moving people box - we were a little scared by those bright exploding lights in the sky - what on earth were they??????? We are going to travel to the local village to consult the soothsayer to see if he has a clue. You do go on the strangest bus trips!!!! Lots of Love & Cuddleewudlies from us Kitty Kat xxxxxxxxxxxxx P.S Your Mother & Father have gone to a place called the Maldives, but don't worry, it can't be that far as they didn't take any sandwiches.

Just wnated to wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year. It sounds like your having an amazing time out there, im so jealous. Il see you when your back, hopefully iw ill have finished uni by then. Love Jane Rich says hi too.

Happy Christmas from our 'family place in Derbyshire' - unseasonably mild here. Abandoning Midnight Mass this year as need early night ready for the Maldives trip - off to 9.30am in the morning. Hope rain soon stops. BBC Weather says next 3 days v.sunny with highs of 26C, thunderstorms on Friday. We shall miss you at Christmas Lunch but hope you have a nice one down under! Dad x

Hey People Merry Christmas!!! Hope y'all have a really terribly cold christmas and enjoy all the festivities like i am missing out on (like presents, christmas pudding, santa, christmas dinner - Mum i need a good roast dinner when i get back- call christmas day your warm up!) Anyways hopefully i'll be on t'beach - having a big BBQ in our hostel tommorrow afternoon for Christmas Eve so should be fun! Love cat xxx

STOP PRESS - Thanks Cath!!! Showed Granny your surfing pictures and have had to drop her off at casualty on the way to Argos to buy a new ironing board. Luckily she broke her fall on the buffet she was preparing for your Mam and Dad's visit tomorrow. Stop giving her ideas!!!!!!!! xxxx