Napier

Hi everyone!

Just a little update to let you know we're still alive! Last weekend we went to Napier and caught up with Patty and Warwick from Wellington.. great time had by all, a beautiful town full of art deco buildings (we concentrated on pubs and cafes). It's also home to the National Aquarium, which was really interesting - I saw my first live Kiwi there, bizarre curious creatures! Lots of sharks, rays and other things that make we want to go fishing again soon - watch this space Deri!!

We had Rob from England here for a few days last week so we showed him as much of Gisborne as we could cram in, and we enjoyed a couple of nights out on the town (one night in each pub!!). Then on the weekend we spent time with Toni's family at a b-b-q, and caught up with our friend Brad. On the Sunday we were invited out for breakfast at the Big Tree Hideaway in Gisborne by John and Heather, a lovely Canadian couple, joined by some of Toni's colleagues from work, and then we had dinner with Toni's family at the fishing club in the Wharf, very nice!

Back to work in the green-house with the tomatos, very humid hot and sweaty - looking forward to working in an air-conditioned office again soon! Only TWO MORE WEEKS and we both finish work and fly off to the South Island for a week, how exciting!

See you all soon,

Owen and Toni

Wahoooooooo!!

Hi Graham,

Thanks for the mad e-mail, stunning effort! Glad to hear you have rediscovered beer, and that the All Blacks jacket is proving itself useful! Thanks also for updating the site. Wahooo! Just been to Motu where the locals were having a wild boar hunting competition... very strange indeed! Lots of fun games like 'carry the dead turkey and possum around a paddock', and there were prizes for the biggest eel, possum and turkey for the littlun's. It was fun, but believe me, you really did have to be there!

I enjoyed my first hangi meal, it tasted very earthy and smoky, much like the time I was in the scouts on a survival weekend and John Cooper and I had to cook our own food on the fire that we had made. Needless to say, John and I were lucky to get home alive, nothing like your survivor rubbish on t.v. now, I'll tell you. Our bivouac constisted of two bin liners tied with flimsy string to a branch. Those were the days. Bet they wouldn't let you do that nowadays, the parents would probably sue. Anyway, I may have gone off the beaten track there just a wee bit.

I have spoken to one of Matt's friends, Rob Williams (I've told everyone Robbie Williams is coming to town - they're well impressed!) who is bravely travelling around the world, and he's in N.Z now. Hoping to catch up with him next week.
Ciao for now,

Owen and Toni

September update

Hi everyone, only a few weeks left in this beautiful country! Lately Toni and I watched yet another All Blacks whipping in Auckland against the Aussies. I've been out on the town with the locals in Gisborne - this town is definately not ready for my dance like a blender technique yet, apparently I still managed to 'shame' a bloke off the dancefloor - apparently this was hilarious! I have managed to refrain from any karaoke throughout my stay in Gisborne, Toni has taken care of that!

We went to Toni's niece Stacey's 1st birthday party up the East Coast in Ruatoria on the weekend and proceeded to consume too many BBQ steaks and steinlagers.

Next week we're going to Motu where they have an annual pig hunt followed by a hangi, which is the traditional Maori way of cooking, with hole dug into the ground filled with hot rocks and the food is steam cooked. I'm looking forward to this as everyone has asked me if I've tried one yet.

We only have one month's hard yakker left, and then we go to the South Island for a week, where we get to visit Toni's Grandad Bill before leaving for the 'Old Country'.

My adventure is close to reaching it's conclusion, and I'll be sad to leave this wonderful place. Owen and Toni