26th December

Boxing Day morning and a fine and sunny day after the rain and greyness of Christmas Day. Nigel (the surfer) and Claire, Joanne's uncle and aunt, drove us down to Len and Val's on their way back home to Taranaki, which was nice of them. Following some freshly made becan and feta muffins we had a relaxing afternoon and evening sat around at Len and Val's not doing much at all. Which was nice.

Ooh, we did have time to open presents though. From Len and Val I got a book called 'A Cook's Tour of New Zealand' by Peta Mathias which intersperses recipes with descriptions of locally-grown produce and culinerary hidden gems, be they farmers' markets, wineries, restaurants, delis, chocolate shops etc etc. I think I read most of it on Boxing Day. I also got another book, 'Yates Garden Guide' which bills itself as "a book that moves beyond the world of garden enthusiasts to help every New Zealand homeowner." Joanne and I need all the help we can get with the garden and garden ideas and how to look after a garden and stuff and this will prove an invaluable gift, I'm sure.