Hello everyone!! Sorry about the totally random picture but i thought it was quite funny, but i think Anna thinks i've finally gone!! Well am fighting fit again after last weeks set back, for those of you that dont know i had an ear infection which blew my ear drum out so was broke down for few days,and back working away dont think NZ daytime tv is quite my thing! So New Zealand Tractors christmas do, well it was at a really smart resturant about 15 mins away at place called Lake Hood, which was a new place and the restruant was down by the lake side. We went down with Grant and Anthea and arrived for 7 and met up for the others had then sat down for what was a very civilized event, the food was really good, a bit like Beaston House in Cawthorne probably best description. Think it was quite good for Anna tput some names to the feces that she keeps hearing about from me and Grant!! Dinner was served three cources, and then coffee which was all really good, a world away from a Farmstar christmas do, no broken tables, drunken receptionists or lifetime bans!!!!! As fate always seems to be we spent most of the weekend at home last week and the topped it off sunday night by paying a visit to Ashburtons emergency doctors with my ears, and nothing else might i add he he, not a cheap trip out but worth evey penny.Anyway this weekend after a quick trip down to Geraldine to collect some tractor bits ready for monday we set of for Christchurch on another one of our days out, about an hours drive from where we are staying its is one of the largest cities in New Zealand formed in the 1800's by British settlers (see did read the signs in the museum Anna!!). Well i kind of knew where to go from the other week when we went to unload tractors, so we follow the signs for the city centre and ended up on one of the worst one ways systems i've ben on anyway we finally got off it and found the Manchester Street multistory, and it was free parking at weekends too, so off we headed around the city, we looked round the shops which was nothing special really loads of shops but there just isnt the choice of home, but then we started to head in to the older part of the city, first we visited the Cathedral then went accross into the market square, where there was the end of an eara!! My wallet bought in 2002 finally gave up and had to retire from duty, its replacement is real NZ leather well smart!(Toms wallet 2002-2008 RIP)So we stopped for lunch by the Memorial Arch and then headed of futher into the older parts of Christchurch we went into an arts centre which was an old public boys school and each room was home to various different airtist and crafts. In one of the rooms the lady artist said hello and asked if we where on holiday she then asked us where we from i started to explain then she stopped us in our tracks and said south yorkshire, apparently i had a broad accent and she was originally form Northallerton, from there we headed off down the tramway (Christchurch has an old fashioned electric tram running round the city) and down to the Christchurch museum this was really good it showed how Cc was developed from the first British settlers then right round to developments in today, there was also some of the wildlife, and also quite a large part about the trips to the South pole there where some of the vehicles that where used to cross to the pole including one of the grey fergies that Hilary used, there only 7 of these tractors in the world, dont think Anna was to impressed i knew that he he!!To be honest if you didnt know better you would think you where in England all the building and people are so alike. So we wandered along the reat of the tramway loop and back to the car and after about half an hour of trying to work out the one way system out we made back on to State highway one home!! After the excitment of Friday night Anna was alseep for 7pm and slept right through!!!! so that was a quiet one! Sunday morning was a bit steady too. After dinner we jumped in the car and headed of to Peel Forest and went for another walk, we walked for about 2 hours only to find the return path was shut so ended up walking right to the other side of the forest and then back on the road where we met some really friendly cows which followed us for as long as they could!!So after our extended walk we headed back to Spring Farm and went accross to have tea with Grant, Anthea and the children, which was really good again with crackling too!!

So where both doing well and having some good laughs and its quite nice that so far we have had our weekend free to explore! The car going well although we did have a scare the other week when anna couldnt get it to start, but lets just put it down to driver error he he! Anna went to see an NZ scout group last night think she enoyed that and where just starting to think about this weekends adventure! Cant believe its less than two weeks to christmas its just does not feel festive at all, but at least the weather goods, most of the time!!!