Christmas was a whirlwind of awesome amazingness. We arrived back at Dave's house to such a warm welcome. Everyone was so happy to see us again and we were happy to be there. The house is just full of such amazing people. James and I went to see The Hobbit on the first night which was so cool as we had the build up for it in Wellington. We read the book whilst we were travelling round the south island and as most of it was filmed there it was amazing to see the finished thing.

The next day was beautiful and sunny and we spent most of the day chilling outside the house and cooling ourselves down with some awesome water fights!!! That night was Kimmy's leaving party as she had been living in the house for a while and was travelling home after Christmas. She had chosen a 60's theme so everyone dressed up all flower power and we spent the night drinking some schmasty vodka cocktails and chatting and dancing the night away.

Christmas Eve morning I made it my mission to clean out the houses' paddling/swimming pool as it was pretty slimy and murky. James and I bought a bottle of bleach and scrubbed it clean . . . the result was well worth it! We then spent the day basking in the sun and playing in the pool with more water fights! It was such a weird way to build up to Christmas! But friends and family of the house were arriving and the atmosphere was building! We went to the supermarket and all chipped in on buying the food/feasts for Christmas day. I helped the girls in the kitchen prepare the food for the next day, it was lots of fun! There was more Christmas merriment in the evening. It did not stop the whole house from waking up nice and bright and early though!

The house had organized a secret Santa and were amazingly awesome enough to involve us too so we all stood round the tree (painted on the kitchen wall!) and Paula (awesome housemate who was the Queen of organizing the Christmas festivities) dressed up as 'Santa' and handed out all the presents.

We had made loads of breakfast treats and I had woken up early to make loads of pancakes and we took it all down to the beach in convoy. The weather forecast for Christmas day was due to be really rubbish but in true New Zealand Christmas style (apparently!) The sun was out and it was one of the hottest days that nelson has had so far! We all sat on the beach, ate the AMAZING breakfast, swam in the sea, played on the blow up ding's (Dave's Christmas pressie from us . . . and we didn't want him to feel left out so we got one too!), basked in the sun and generally had an awesome time. We had to leave mid afternoon as we were baking hot and needed some shade! So back to the house, chill in the pool, shower then on to the backpackers round the corner to the party that they were having. I must say it was one of the most surrealist moments, drinking cider in the sun, people with Christmas hats singing along to Jingle Bells . . . Let's just say it was not the usual mulled wine, sitting round the fire scenario!

For dinner we were all back at the house. As there were over 20 of us all together we put all of the tables and chairs outside and had the most amazing banquet of meat, vegetables, salads, cakes, Pavlova and much much more! We all stayed at the house for the rest of the night drinking and eating and dancing the night away. A Christmas that we will certainly remember for the rest of our lives!

Boxing Day was fishing day!! Dave bought is a rod and a hand caster for Christmas!!! So a group of us went to the Warf for the afternoon to fish and soak up the sunshine! It was great fun, we didn't catch anything worth of keeping and eating but we (especially Dave) caught lots of little fish.