Happy New Year......eller Godt Nyt År!

For New Years this year, a bunch of us went to a friend's bach at Cooks Beach (up the Coromandel Peninsula). Kim's parents were very kind to lend us the bach as they actually have it up for sale, but held of any sales til after New Year!

Jo and I drove up on the 30th after she finished work. We left about 3.30pm and got there about 6pm. We decided to put our tent up straight away as we knew once we sat down and started chatting, we wouldn't be bothered later on! It's an old tent of Mum's and it has shrunk over the years, plus Mum thought she'd mixed the poles up so sent us with both sets. Once we sorted which poles went where and finally got the tent up, we lazed about on the porch with Kim, Quentin, Rach and Cam - who had been there since the 27th. Hayley, Nicky and their friend Dane arrived not long after us, but they'd booked one of the rooms inside, so didn't have to fuss with a tent!

We had a lazy evening, just chatting and enjoying the nice weather.

The next day, after we eventually dragged our sorry asses out of bed, we had brunch then went for a wander down the beach. It's so lovely up there cause it's not hugely populated, so there was heaps of room, plus the beach was clean and the water calm.

Hayley, Nicky, Dane and I started playing Rummi-O (aka Rummikub) while the others went for a drive. Great way to spend an afternoon. Lazing in the sun, playing board games with friends. Well, we lasted in the direct sun for about 5 mins before backing into the shade! Still as hot though!

Through the later part of the afternoon and early evening, everyone else started to turn up. Hayley and Nicky's flatmate Kat with 3 of her friends, Pam and 5 of her friends, plus Kim's brother! Talk about a full house!

The evening was spent making dinner (everyone having to take turns on the BBQ), socialising with all the newcomers and having a few drinks. It was a very social occasion.

Midnight crept up on us, so we had 5 mins to get our drinks poured and clump together for the big countdown. We decided to go with the official time of Telecom, which apparently is 1 minute faster than our neighbours, who were letting off fireworks as we started counting down.

Because there was a complete liqour ban in town, people finished off their drinks and decided to go on a mission down to the beach. Of course there was a queue for the bathroom, which I got in last. As I got out of the bathroom, I thought things were a bit quiet. Yes......I was left behind!! Oh they are all too kind. Are you feeling the love? Thank goodness the phonelines weren't too tied up, so I managed to get hold of Cam and Rach, who hiked back to get me. They weren't even with everyone. Some people turned left and others turned right, making several different groups and everyone wondering where everyone else was. Ahhhhh... drunken communication. Being the only sober one there, I wasn't overlly impressed. ANYWAY, we eventually got to the beach, which Cam and I walked the length of. It was lovely at 1am! Idiots had dropped bottles, etc over the main entrance to the beach, but once we got past that we had a clear run. It was a beautiful walk