Happy Birthday to us, Happy Birthday to us, Happy Birthday to uuuussss, Happy Birthday to us.

Not much to say really, just that we are OLD now and as these pictures show we like food and silly games.

The Result you've all been waiting for.

Well the Wellington GAA 7's tournament has come to an end. And what an end...

Clonbony Abu had been written off before going in the the quarter finals, but they scrapped through to face the bookies favourites - the mighty Rebel Ogs. The two teams came out fighting, with Rebel Ogs bombarding Clonbony's goal keeper - some excellent saves combined with plenty of points at the opposite side of the field meant it was anyones game at half time.

The Rebels scored three goals in quick succession when they returned. Special mention of course has to go to a beautiful goal for Clonbony from Mike Burke - one to watch in the next season. Clonbony Abu have never been a team to give up though, and with one minute to go there was just a goal in it. From the side line it was obvious that Clonbony were the crowds favourite when a goal just seconds before the full time whistle was greeted with an uproar of cheering.

At the end Clonbony Abu wanted it more - and they emerged decisive winners.

Unfortunately, as is often the case with these big matches, there were crys of foul play while some of the loosing team stormed off. But frankly, the suggestion that the referee may have accidentally assigned one goal to the wrong team sounds like sour grapes to me.




Other recent results of great interest to GAA fans include the birth of future all star Aodhagán. The resemblance to uncle Mike is uncanny, especially in this "after dinner snooze" picture. Lets hope he's inherited Burkeys legendary footballing skills too.

Rough guide to (some of) the North Island.

Eventually - a few pictures of our holiday!

Art appreciation near Goat Island Marine reserve.


Big geyser (Pohutu ) at Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley (I hope you are all practising your Maori pronunciations for when you visit). Sinister looking hole in the ground.

General weirdness!

Pregnant woman running away from sulphur smell.

The Stephens family contemplating life, the universe and everything.

Ignoring signs of Maori aggression, typical Pākehā invaders.

Maybe I am biased, but Mike is far more authentic as a Maori than the others. Incidentally, Wellington GAA are now starting all matches with a haka.

Another geyser, with a crowd for a sense of scale. They start this one off with washing powder though, which seems like cheating?
The only picture to come out from the glow worm caves. Which, perhaps unsurprisingly, should be avoided by claustrophobic people (no names mentioned).

Fesitivities

My verdict of a southern hemisphere Christmas:

• Christmas trees smell funny in the summer, and bright decorations work better than the silvery ones;
• BBQ's seem like the right way to go, but they're not. Christmas isn't Christmas without leftover turkey;
• However, nice weather Christmas does work well. Everyone is happier when the weather is nice;
• Christmas day seem to go on for two days through skpye.

Unfortunately I can't find my Christmas day photographs. If you do want to picture the scene, just imagine pictures of Mike and Brian eating.

As a place holder here is a picture of a real life Kiwi barbecuing (notice the substandard sausages).


For new years we headed up to Lake Taupo with Coral, Arne and their friends. Coral is the girl the furthest to the right below, Arne is barbecuing above.


The highlight of the night would have to be the ancient game, thought to have originated during the first meetings between the Europeans and Maori ......

Tippy Cup.

It will come as no surprise that Mike's team won all but one game. Kiwi's take their sport very seriously, on a par with Kerry people .... look at the concentration.


This is a weta - I'll let the picture do the talking.

And a bit of scenery - Huka Falls



We have now been married for over two years!! It felt like longer though when Mike asked me in the supermarket if he liked plums.

Christmas Weather

Wow - Look at all the suns!!!

G'on Burke

Breaking Sports News.....


Mike's come back year has ended well with a "Best Player" award from his GAA 7's team mates. Here he is proudly wearing his medal.



Well, I managed to put it on him and take a photo. I didn't try pushing my luck by asking him to pose, but at least I got a picture for posterity.





The other weekend we went to the beach, had a bbq and put up the Christmas tree all on the one day - how weird is that! Some people may think that the 6th of December is slightly early to put up a Christmas tree, but they're just Scrooges.


Well I hope everything is going ok in Ireland - as it seems that even the politicians are descending into anarchy! Paul Gogarty's "unparlimentary language" even made the 6 o'clock New Zealand news. That's what happens when you let the hippy green party into government.

The Quest is over!

I have been meaning to put up these fireworks pictures since Guy Fawkes night, but now we have even more reason to celebrate.......

Our 10 month search for an acceptable sausage has finally ended in triumph. It's been a tough journey, munching through the many substandard offerings which are only to be expected in a country which seems to prefer beef sausages (what is that about???).

But then, just when we were close to giving up and accepting vension as our sausage meat of choice we found :

Black Rock Sausages

Supreme award winner of the Great New Zealand Sausage Competition

and now life is complete.

Here are a few new pictures of Wellington to try and entice more visitors.

That lovely blue thing towards the top of the pictures is sky minus rain, just in case people at home are confused.



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And finally......

Thanks Colleen for the ENORMOUS Christmas box of Irish crisps and chocolate that arrived today. I am trying to find somewhere to hide it as Mike has allegedly heard a health board press release today which recommends that chocolate and crisps make up 75% of a balanced diet.