What dust storm!

Hi Everyone

Been a wee while --again !

Hopefully this little note finds you all well … its been a bit quiet of late , full on at work and recharging the batteries at the weekend - playing some footy and spending time with the family. So a just a few snippets of news from down under :)

One bit of news news is that its 5 years and counting…yes five years in New Zealand is fast approaching … can’t really believe it to be honest its all gone so fast …we had only 1 little un in tow back then and now we have a 6 year old and a 3 year old. Lot’s of highs and the odd low and a feeling that we have still only seen a smattering of this country. I did manage to finally get down to the south island last year at least - Queenstown is just brilliant . Still not managed Wellington, Dunedin, Napier or Invercargill though … So 1 commitment I have made to myself is that it won’t get to 6 years without a visit back home (yes old blighty is still “home”).. It was going to be be about now but the planets didn’t line up ;(

This doesn’t happen very week … A little bit of Australia landed on New Zealand overnight and this morning .. I will explain … Oz had one of the biggest dust storms in recent memory and after hitting Sydney and Brisbane it carried all the dust across the Transman and dumped on litte old New Zealand !

Changing direction a bit , the Prime Minister of NZ (John Key) was on David Letterman this morning - although scripted by Letterman’s producers / script writers , John Key’s Top 10 reason for visiting New Zealand was as follows.. Quite true in most respects apart from number 10 which was just not true.

10 The Auckland Airport now has a cinnabon (this is apparently the leading cinnamon roll retailer in the world - so it’s a fib - we don’t have this chain in NZ -- yet …)

9 We have the loosest slot machines in the Pacific Rim

8 Only a convenient 20-hour flight away

7 It’s like England without the attitude (not so sure I agree with this one)

6 Down there Leno’s on at 9 o’clock

5 Get the whanau (family) together, stay in a bach (beach house) , crack open the chilly bin and slap on your jandals (flip flops)

4 Visit in the next 30 days, I’ll pick you up at the Airport

3 70% of our energy is generated through renewable hydropower – look they don’t all have to be jokes

2 We drive on the left side of the road, like the British and Lindsay Lohan

1 Unlike most of the world, we still like Americans

Okey dokes …going to shoot …need my sleep - we have a long weekend ahead - last game of my footy season , premier league games on at some ungodly hour , and the school holidays have started, so need to get our act together..

Speak soon

Phil …

Ps.will have an update on Reece and Sian next time round


Pss. If you fancy a good family trip to the flicks go an see UP (in 3D is even better) …. Great fun.