Holiday tidings
Dec 28, 1999

Hola friends, New Zealand is wonderful. The people extremely friendly and the scenery beautiful. We enjoyed 10 days of sightseeing in the North Island, before returning to Auckland for Christmas and Boxing Day Celebrations.

We visited the Coromandel Peninsula (quaint Mendocino type towns, hot thermal water beaches, and amazing walking trails) and the thermal bath town of Rotorua. Lots to see and so easy to get around. New Zealand is a great vacation spot for any outdoorsy person.

We met our good San Franciscan friends, Shannon Davies and Jason Wolford, at the airport on the 24th. Then spent Xmas, Boxing Day, the 27th and 28th and Rhys's (Shannon's brother in law) parents house in the Northland, with 15 young children and 20 plus adults. Big family fun. Very different from our small family get togethers at home. Nice to spend the holidays in nice weather (though we heard San Francisco has been unusually warm). We got to water-ski and relax on the beach. Plus we had a Maori hangi (cooking food in the ground) for Boxing Day, though we haven't found out what the history of the holiday actually is.

We will be on an East Coast beach for the New Year, first to see the light of the new Millennium, should be fun, we hope to stay awake for the sunrise.

Wishing everyone happiness and adventure during the New Year. Enjoy yourselves, be safe and keep us updated on your happenings and Christmas stories.

Love you,
Linda and Mike
XOXOXOOXOXOXOOXOXOXO

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