Hey MERRY CHRISTMAS, hope you all had a good one and enjoyed the festivities. We thought of you all and look forward to hearing what you got up to.Our day was spent with friends in Wanganui, and after carving the roast beef and putting finishing touches to the mince pies we opened up some presents with Jimmy, Iva, Josie and Chendi with some classic cheesy christmas songs playing in the background, Lee searched out a woolly jumper, scarf and hat to bring an essence of home, and we started to finally feel the christmas spirit.The rest of the day was spent at Ben and Sarah’s, where everybody enjoyed the warm sunshine with a feast of salads, meats and sweets, watered down with cheers and bubbles. It was a fantastic day with Perudo being played continuously and even though we missed our family we felt surrounded by friends.Leading upto christmas, before heading over to Wanganui, we spent a few more days on the surf highway, where we last left you. We really got into the swing of things in New Plymouth, enjoying our days on the beaches catching rays and waves but something was inevitable, we were to buy a surfboard. With christmas around the corner we assured ourselves it would be worth it, why lie on water, when you can walk on it like Jesus. I still need to build up confidence but Lee as always is getting the hang of it with ease.When the desire to get in the water has been forfilled, the pleasure from catching fish has taken hold. In New Plymouth on the docks a four hour wait was made worth it when a snapper finally took a bite. With decisions made of calling it a night, we saw the pull of the rod, full credit to Lee in dealing with the kill, preparation and cooking, it was awesome. Then recently in Wangi he managed it again and on a trip out with some friends he was the only one to catch a kawai and also an eel. It was all grilled and served up to share, never thought I’d ever eat eel but cut it into little steaks with a dap of curry powder it tastes great, really meaty.Being back in Wanganui has been really good for us, as it has allowed us to live here and feel more connected with New Zealand, Jimmy and Iva have been amazing letting us stay for so long, but also so many other people who have invited us in to stay or have diner, we have loved it, and will always be grateful.With Iva keen to get out on her new bike, we were more than happy to have a personal tour guide, cycling to Paloma Gardens, Kai iwi (Food People) beach and more, clocking up over 100km in two days at one point. Us girls also hit some yoga classes, and to cool down we visited Mosquito Point on the Wanganui River which is a great spot for a swim, chill or (dog) cliff jump.The reason for getting a part time job was simply because I thought why not, not because the surfboard had caused a pinch, honest. The day I went looking I got asked back to start that night and so my three weeks at Angora, the mediterranean, turkish restaurant began. In the hectic, busy, hot environment I was once again reminded about the joys of hospitality, the great thing is New Zealand customers never complain, the bad thing is, they never tip. Lee helped in the kitchen for two nights but I couldn’t blame him for calling quits, I was delighted too when christmas eve arrived and my final shift was finished, pheww back to living a holiday. Lee also got stuck in with some manual labour, pruning Jimmy’s Eucalyptus and helping to build a fence at Ben’s, he has more offers on the way.We also tried our luck at having a stall on the local market, the week before christmas. Iva and I spent the week creating lavender stuffed soft toys, using locally grown lavender from Ben. The freshly cut bunches sold a treat and Iva also gained interest in her art work. Even though Lee and Jimmy had enjoyed the week relaxing at Ben’s bach fly fishing, they encouraged us on throughout market day as the rain poured down. We made a good $60 each and enjoyed the experience immensely, and even though the toys didn’t all sell they were accepted in a shop on the high street, where two more have already been sold.We knew coming to Wanganui would mean having good times with awesome people and thats just what we have had. A place so far from home, yet somewhere we can always come back too and feel welcomed. Plans are to be here for a couple more weeks, house sit for the Mokha family and look after all the animals, I cant wait to get out on Nippy again. Then our journey to the south shall begin, I will feel sad to leave here but excited for the lands ahead.Happy New Year to you, with lots of love Lee and Em xxx