Christmas in Squidland

So, first and foremost! MERRY CHRISTMAS! Christmas in Auckland is VERY different to those in Canada!

When walking around downtown Auckland, you can't help but notice the holiday cheer. Images of Santa, department store window displays, decorations hanging in Malls... wait... are those guys wearing... SHORTS? What is with this weather! As I am used to the wet and chilly winters of Vancouver during Christmas, I'm finding the Summer weather of the Southern hemisphere is NOT putting me in the Christmas mood. Seriously, who wants to order a hot holiday beverage from Starbucks, when you're slathering on sunscreen?

Despite the inescapable weather, I have managed to partake in several holiday traditions, both old and New.

Heather and I put up a little Christmas tree in our apartment, and made some paper decorations for it, including a squid themed, angelic tree topper! We also made some delicious sugar cookies and decorated them. And finally, hung some stockings on the odd chance that Santa visited our house!

Heather and I went down to see the Santa Clause parade. It was a bit of an odd amalgamation of floats. There was the usual: Christmas trees, Frosty, and Rudolph... as well as several unexpected guests: such as Mickey Mouse, Pikachu, and a life size dinosaur! Luckily, the big guy made an appearence! (I was ready to see him in a hawaiian shirt and board shorts) But it was a good start to December, and really displayed the Kiwi holiday spirit!


The octopus and I walked down to the harbour one night to see the "Telecom christmas tree", which is made out of several hundred LED lights. It is constantly changing color and pattern, and below the tree they have been bag chairs so you can look up and watch the light show. There are also several phone booths with a direct line to Santa, so you can make your Christmas phone call!

This year was my first experience with "Glow", a Christmas concert/service put on by St. Lukes church. It is a huge event, selling 10,000 tickets. Each person gets a glowstick and the whole concert is done in the dark. It has a really cool effect as you shout your favorite Christmas carols at the top of your lungs!

Now, I'm ready to head off to the airport and take a plane ride home for the Holidays! Enough of this sunshine, bring on the snow! (fingers crossed) My bags are packed with the essentials... well, maybe a few more shirts...

"Sir, are you smuggling dophins in your luggage?"
"Noooo, whatever would give you that idea..."

Bon Voyage!

An Octopus for all seasons

Spring has sprung here in New Zealand. The Octopus and I decided to take a trip to the Auckland Botanical Gardens to see what was in bloom.


The gardens are quite expansive. It took me several hours to walk around them, and I'm fairly sure that I didn't see everything. They contain area's of edible plants, native plants to New Zealand, prehistoric palms, and a large strongly scented rose garden. There are currently 21 statues created by logal artists displayed in the gardens, which were inspired by nature. These ranged in size from small water lillies made from recycled plastic, to a giant pohutukawa (the new zealand Christmastree). Interesting journey through nature and art... although sometimes the garden stated the obvious.
So whether it's sitting on a swing, feeding the birds, or just having a think: enjoy these activites outdoors! See what amazing colors spring has to offer. (This offer only available in New Zealand during December... all other locations offer is void.)