Hubble Bubble & Fireworks

It's been a busy couple of weeks. In the week after we got back from Tekapo, we all felt a bit down. Was it homesickness for the UK or just one of those lulls in the vibrancy of life. Something we've learnt is to take stock and find the real reason if things seem bad. It's so easy to jump to the conclusion that it's because we're in NZ and it's easy to forget that we all had bad days in the UK. But I'd be lying if I said that there weren't days when we miss people, places and things.

One thing that we certainly haven't missed has been Halloween. I always found it a dark period and hated the piles of tacky evil merchandise in the stores. Fortunately, Halloween was very low key here in Christchurch. There was hardly anything in the shops, a bit of a debate on its growing influence in the paper and (Hallelujah!) no 'trick or treaters'.

On Thursday, I was up in Rotorua on the North Island. Fortunately, the timing of my flight home gave me chance to have a quick look at the thermal pools in the city centre park. While the video clips will give you and idea of the sights, you are fortunate that 'smellyvision' isn't yet available. The eggy sulpherous smell around the park and at various other places in the city certainly leaves an impression. The only other time I've smelt anything similar was near a chemical works in Rotherham!



Bonfire night is celebrated here and we missed no opportunity to share the news that old Guido Fawkes was a son of York and had been baptised at St Mike's. Oh, why do we celebrate proximity to notoriety? Ali and the boys picked me up from the airport and we whizzed round to the beach suburb of New Brighton along with half of Christchurch to watch the City Council's firework display on the pier. It seemed strange to be walking along the beach to watch fireworks. The other difference is that we had to wait until 9pm for it to be dark enough for the fireworks as we are now in southern hemisphere summer.


Having settled me and the boys into work and school respectively, Ali got the chance to return to the classroom for paid employment this week. Having volunteered two days per week at the boy's school for the last few weeks, she applied to go on the supply teacher list and almost immediately was asked to cover Wednesday afternoon. A phonecall at 7.30 on Wednesday morning saw her teaching all of Wednesday and then again on Friday. Class and teacher survived!

Anyway, it's Saturday morning and there's a lawn that needs cutting, so I'll bid you farewell and look forward to hearing from you with your news.