Back home.

Back home.
Originally uploaded by spgibson.

Had a good trip home, all 30 odd hours of it. Here we are just waiting for Tom's train to Sheffield and for Patrick to pick the rest of us up from a wet Manchester Airport.

We've all had a marvellous time in NZ and are already planning the return trip! Everybody we met has been wonderful, thank you all for your friendly hospitality, I hope we can return the favor sometime.

Last rele...

Last rele...,
originally uploaded by thomas.g.

Me again!



Last night (last-last night!?!) we went to see Helen, another of Dad's first cousins (apparently that completes the set of Jim & Pat's kids). As promised she had lots of ace family photos, including quite a few UK ones we hadn't seen before (be afraid uncle Pat!).



Better turn off the phone before we get on the plane (... a Singapore airlines flight was lost today due to a mysterious electrical problem. The flight recorder seemed to be full of family photos...)



Ho hum,



Tom, on his own with the luggage, outside duty-free

Christchurch reles

Christchurch reles,
originally uploaded by thomas.g.

Hi all,



here we are in the hotel garden with Sheila & family (names to follow on Flickr, but blogging from my phone today). They popped round to meet us for a coffee, seeing as it's our last evening (might be faster if you imagine me putting "last" in front of everything from now on).



I'm fairly confident that Sheila is my second cousin, and dad's first cousin once removed. Hopefully Trish will confirm that!



;-)



Tom & the rest

Animal Crossing

PenguinSign,
originally uploaded by thomas.g.

Hi all,

here's a pic from our stop in Oamaru, home of the impossibly cute little blue penguins! Click here to find out more, including webcam!

After the viewing we went to the fantastic Woolstore Cafe (highly recommended for anyone visiting Oamaru). Not only are the food and service excellent, but they have blue penguins nesting under the floor, and a camera set up so that you can see them while you eat!

:-)

Next (and last) stop Christchurch...

ttfn

Tom & family

Family in Alex

Family in Alex
Originally uploaded by ange.j.

Another day... more rellies!

We've totally complicated it all now by meeting another 'set' of Dad's cousins! We were just getting the hang of Jim and Pat's family and now we have moved on to meeting Dad's Auntie Vera's children! Luckily they brought a very organised family history book with them that helped us all!

Leaving Bill & Trish's tomorrow (Thursday) to start the final leg of the journey (boohoo)up to Christchurch.

Check back soon!

Ange, Anne, Tom and Simon

Another Old Aeroplane...

MumDadCat,
originally uploaded by thomas.g.

Hi all,

here's Mum & Dad 1000 ft up in a Catalina shortly before a water landing on Lake Wanaka! And yes, it was me taking the picture! :-D It was a fantastic trip, and for those few of you who don't know all about Cat's I'll edumacate you once I'm back!

;-)

Tom & the Gibbys

Wanaka Reles

wanaka_group,
originally uploaded by thomas.g.

Here we are meeting the reles in Wanaka, trying hard to learn everyones names and place them in the family tree! We visited Zita and Lynden's house the next day (Monday). I think that's been the largest place we've seen yet, even though all of the houses here seem huge to us. They also had a very impressive "boy's room" where Dad gave the photo show on a projector! Dad and I are very green!

;-)

Tom & the rest