Happy New Year!!

Tiki - Maori greenstone pendant carving, circa 1800's. 

Today, the 1st day of January 2008... is a beautiful, sunny clear day from our window! The bay is calm. After we have a pancake feed breakfast we're all heading down to Oriental Bay beach for some sun and a swim. We had a great time dancing and wandering about along the wharf, Courtney Place, where many bars are... was very busy! everyone was out late celebrating the new year! we finally called it a night at 3, it wasn't even slowing down yet. Happy New Year! Tonight we are going to BBQ on the back deck and take it easy. Tomorrow morning I am going on a hike up to the top of Mt Victoria for some needed exercise.

This is a Kiwi bird. They don't fly, are nocturnal and I photographed him in the dark. He was caught in a trap used to trap possoms and lost one of his legs but gets around fine.

Wellington Zoo today . . .

Copyright © 2008 Bruce Bollard Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Dec. 26th is "Boxing Day" here . . .

Boxing Day is a public holiday celebrated only in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and many other members of the Commonwealth of Nations on December 26, the day after Christmas Day.

Origins

Boxing Day is not about the sport of boxing, contrary to common belief. The celebration is traditional, dating back to the middle ages, and consisted of the practice of giving of gifts to employees, the poor, or to people in a lower social class. The name has numerous folk etymologies; the Oxford English Dictionary attributes it to the Christmas box; the verb box meaning: "To give a Christmas-box, hence boxing-day."

Folk etymologies

The more common stories include:

• It was the day when people would give a present or Christmas box to those who had worked for them throughout the year.

• Because the staff had to work on such an important day as Christmas by serving the master of the house and their family, they were given the following day off. As servants were kept away from their own families to work on a traditional religious holiday and were not able to celebrate Christmas Dinner, the customary benefit was to "box" up the leftover food from Christmas Day and send it away with the servants and their families. (Similarly, as the servants had the 26th off, the owners of the manor may have had to serve themselves pre-prepared, boxed food for that one day.) Hence the "boxing" of food became "Boxing Day".

• Leftovers and food were boxed up and shipped overseas in times of war to the soldiers of the Commonwealth Nations.

Christmas day at Paul & Jenny's

Linda & John

Paul

View from Paul & Jenny's Deck.

Merry Christmas!

Quake in Bay of Plenty

8:57AM Tuesday December 25, 2007

Bay of Plenty children may have thought a bump in the early hours this morning was Santa finishing his rounds.

However it was a 3.7 magnitude quake centred 10km north of Matata which hit at 4.49am, Geonet said. It was felt in Whakatane.

- NZPA

Christmas Eve at Karen's beach house

Wishing you all a joyous Merry Christmas!

Pohutakawa flower, the New Zealand Christmas tree.

Bottle brush flower, looks like it could be related.

Gisborne Earthquake

Quake felt in Wellington

Ally Dykes, manager of Liquor King Gisborne, amongst some of the thousands of dollars worth of destroyed stock he is left with after the earthquake in Gisborne. Photo / Alan Gibson

I felt an earth quake this evening at around 8:59. Shook for 2-3 seconds! Wow!  My first tremor felt since living here! Pretty cool. There have been 11 earthquakes over 5.0 on the Richter scale in New Zealand this year, 2007. Here's a map that shows Wellington from Gisborne.(natural response, MAKE A MAP- from news days working in tv! couldn't help myself) oh... AND GET IN ON THE AIR ASAP!

While watching "Californication", (our new favorite show starring David Duchovny), there was a lower 3rd banner roll (on the tv):

NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: A 6.8 quake, 50 meters in the ocean from Gisborne just before 9:00 tonight. 

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News reports at 10:30:

Minor damage, broken glass, some buildings awnings fell, a couple roofs collapsed. No one seriously hurt. Many drove to high ground in case of a tsunami. One or two after shocks were also felt.

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Gisborne is around 8 hours by car NE of here. Three hours north of Napier. I'll be flying to Gisborne for a few days in February then down to Napier for four days. 

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Friday morning: 

AP Associated Press

Strong Quake Rattles North New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A strong earthquake struck New Zealand on Thursday night, collapsing at least three older buildings in one coastal city on North Island, sparking small fires and forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency there.

more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hl87YKCC55-8JOLqfN1Kq6kHst7gD8TLBDMO0

Only 10 minor injuries were reported in the port city of Gisborne, which was hit hardest by the quake and suffered the most property damage, although it was felt all over the country, officials said.

The magnitude 6.8 quake, which struck at 8:55 p.m. (2:55 a.m. EST) was centered in the Hikurangi undersea trench off North Island, 25 miles below the surface, and about 30 miles southeast of Gisborne, the GNS Science geological agency reported.

Related News

• Tears and chaos in quake city
  New Zealand Herald - 3 hours ago
• Gisborne quake damage 'extensive'
  Stuff.co.nz - 3 hours ago
• Distance saves Gisborne
  Stuff.co.nz - 3 hours ago

____________________________________________________________

Massive quake causes Gisborne chaos

Stuff.co.nz | Friday, 21 December 2007

QUAKE AFTERMATH: A state of emergency has been declared in Gisborne after a massive 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the town shortly before 9pm last night.

Gisborne and the East Coast were waking to scenes of destruction today after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage and fear last night.

more:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/4332467a10.html

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Christmas Cheers . . .

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Charmaine Ford

We have been going to see her for the past five weeks every Wednesday night at Sandwiches which is just down the street and an easy walk. Six of us went last night. We love the place! They have great pizza and was voted "best nightclub in NZ"! Every Wednesday night is Jazz night, no cover and Charmaine Ford! She is amazing! With three albums released, at only 27 she is going places! Charmaine's 2nd album Busy Silence won the Tui Award for "Best Jazz Album 2007" - NZ Music Awards. Last night was her last performance at Sandwiches as she is moving on to bigger and better opportunities, a tour in Sydney, AU. We will miss her:( but will keep in touch and see her when we travel there in June! Cheers

AVIVA . . .

The AVIVA ocean sailing boat is docked here. (That's the Te Papa Museum in the background), The team just installed the mast and are getting it ready to race.

Dim Sum Sunday . . .

Enjoying great Dim Sum on Sunday at our favorite place with new friend Karen... looking over Oriental Parade, a very cool sunset from up the street and some flowers taken at the Botanical Gardens. Wellington city and bay from Mt Victoria.

Koru . . .

A fern frond unfurling... The koru is the name given to the new unfurling fern frond and symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace. It is an integral symbol in Māori carving and tattoos.

The koru is used in a stylized form as the logo of Air New Zealand and as an iconic symbol of New Zealand flora.

Koru can also refer to bone carvings. Those generally take the shape of the uncurling fern plant. When bone is worn on the skin, it changes color as oil is absorbed. The Māori took this to symbolize that the spirit of the person was inhabiting the pendant. When someone gives a pendant to someone else, it is the custom that they wear it for a time so that part of their spirit is given as well. This one is carved from green stone (jade) which is found here in New Zealand. 

This is a famous portrait of a tattooed Māori and a wood carving. Take a look at how similar they are.