Busy July 2008

Its an old maxim that life speeds up as you get older - a bit like reading a good book - cos its good you read it harder and cos you read it so much, its over before you know it. Well that's how this year is feeling - or maybe its just years to age relativity.

Anyway milestone in July for our friend Chrissie turning 50. The whole Tawharanui Whanau and the Sygrove families headed to Rotorua - the famous spa town of NZ deep in the heart of Te Arawa country.

Rotorua has a wonderful old bathhouse built by the Victorians -sits in a great park opposite where we all stayed.

The Hotel is called the Princess Gate and is done out like an old Country Manor House. It has its own hot pool and spa which were soon filled by our young people. Being mid winter in the middle of the North Island the weather was cold with a bit of snow on the hills and a few flurries in the town.

Chrissie looking Regal. Lots of people on the scene having a great night that ended with a cabaret dinner - which I enjoyed drunkenly participating in with much bonhomie.


The weekend also co-incided with the Marist School Ball so young Lauren could not come down with us - but her mum did make a fabulous ball gown for her.
She looked great. She had a wonderful date and they danced the night away!


Finally - we have had a couple of French girls staying on their way to see the Pope in Sydney.
Like good billetts we took them around Auckland and showed them the sites through streaming rain and cold wind (don't you love this place in winter). We took them out to dinner on their last night up to a restaurant on the top of Auckland's Sky Tower. The restaurant slowly rotates giving 360 panoramic views of the city. Fortunately the weather cleared and we had lovely views.
Lauren and the girls have headed off for World Youth Day and the house is quiet - though the rain continues.