Mozzeenet

Look what I found drying on our clothesline!

Looks like one of Santa’s elves borrowed our laundry to wash his suit after helping Santa deliver presents to all the little girls and boys this Christmas.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a fun time seeing in the New Year. Happy 2012! Due to zero chance of getting a babysitter on NYE, we stayed home, had a glass of high quality bollinger and watched Pirates of the Carribean 4. Leo woke at 11.30pm and would not resettle. Of course he knew it was almost midnight so we kept him up to watch the Sydney fireworks and then he happily went back to sleep for the rest of the night!

I was a bit sentimental saying goodbye to 2011 – as our first year with our little boy and the year he was born in.

You know a nation loves their rugby when even their nappies have an All Black motif printed on them! We were lucky enough to arrive in Auckland on the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup a few weeks ago. We were very excited when NZ was victorious, not only because we wanted them to win but also because we didn’t want to experience a nation in mourning for the rest of our holiday!

NZ never fails to deliver on gorgeous scenery and friendly people. There are so many beautiful and varied regions across the country that you really need to do several trips or make an extended visit to really appreciate it. Lots of tourists think they can see the whole country in a short time but that just doesn’t do it justice.

In the first week, we explored the top of the country above Auckland. First stop was the Bay of Islands where we took a boat trip, seeing frolicking dolphins in the sparkling blue water. The boat navigated through a hole in a rocky outcrop carved out by the pounding waves and visited an island where we relaxed on the grass by the peaceful beach.

We also visited the site where the Waitangi treaty was signed between Maori chiefs and European settlers in 1840, a significant event in NZ’s history. We watched a cultural performance there and Andrew’s attempt at the haka was very impressive (see the photos)!
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I’m planning to do some more exploring around Melbourne for the remainder of my maternity leave. It will be enjoyable to make the most of the time off and Leo likes seeing new things and meeting new people.

I find it’s actually easier to get out and about than stay at home all day. Leo tends to get grizzly and grumpy when we do that as he’s not overly fond of sleeping during the day in his cot. When we’re out he will sleep in the pram and he likes to look around and smile at anyone we meet.

Last Friday, we caught the train in to visit Cook’s Cottage in the Fitzroy Gardens in the city. It is the cottage of Captain Cook’s parents which was donated to Melbourne and shipped over here in pieces! It is a small brick cottage with the rooms set up as they would have been at the time, a large vegetable garden and a display about Captain Cook’s voyages. It is quite amazing how much of the world he explored.
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