Adilady's Christmasland

I hope you all had a smashin' Christmas, Kirstypops and I did. 

Christmas Eve was an early 8am start to go dolphin watching with Captain Paul aboard his Dolphin Blue boat.

Here we are waiting to go, there were 9 of us. Honeymooners from Holland; a couple from Croatia; Dee, Steve and little Steph from Aucks; and of course AL and KP.

It took over 2 hours to detect dolphins but when we did it was a pod of over 50! We couldn't swim with them though because they had babies.

 

The one on the left has a big wound on it's back:(

 

Lunch stop was in this bay. We did go snorkelling for 10 mins but it was cold, the sea rough and there wasn't a right lot to see unless you have a passion for seaweed.

We didn't see anymore dolphins on the way home:( 

And it rained :( :(

This is Mount Maunganui, we had walked around it the previous day.

And the docks from a distance.

When we got home KP and I cooked a chicken roast dinner to say a big THANK YOU to the family Clegg for their warm hospitality. To be honest though, Nick and his lovely wife Kirsty had done most of the preps before we got home:D

Front row; Kirsty and Nick.

Back row; AL, Charlie (13), KP and Amy (9).

Christmas day was a very sedate affair. Present opening and pancakes from around 8.30.

This is Charlie, if you look closely you can just see the top of his head...

And Amy with her wakeboard and cool surferchick T.

Kirsty and Amy are such diamonds, they had put together stockings for us! Thank you sweethearts, it was sooo appreciated by the both of us.

We watched a great NZ film called 'Boy' all about a Maori boy growing up in the 80s. It was sad, warm and funny and made me shed a little tear. Barbeque for lunch and then it was out of those pyjamas for a walk to Kaiate Falls; they were stunning, enjoy the photos.

Nick and KP.

An Australian gum tree, what's it doing here?

And many thanks to Google + for their festive contribution ho, ho, ho.

A massive HIP, HIP, HURRAH to the family Clegg for sharing their Christmas with us. Yet again it has been a privilege to spend time with such lovely people. I'll catch up with you all in the NY:D

Boxing day was spent on the road, we had to drop camperage off by 3pm. Then to a nice hotel for our last night before Kirstypops jets off to see Maureen aka Machatarn.

She left at 5am so now I'm feeling a bit bluesome. I'm picking my car up later today, for the remainder of trippingtons it will just be Adilady, tentage and the open road. Who knows what I'll do and who I'll meet? But it's the last leg of my journey before I come home in February almost a year after bookingtons took place in a snowy, March Manch. Lots of love and over and out; its not long now xxxx