Skiing on Mt Doom and Birthdays in Hobbiton

Sorry that this is a week late we have been off for a wee holiday - more in the next blog.

The first full week of Rhian and Callum's holiday was great fun with a special birthday visit to see the Hobbits, unfortunately they were all out (the one with the Green door is Bilbo's hobbit hole) but it was brilliant to see Hobbiton and to enjoy a butter beer in the Green Dragon.

Then another special treat a days skiing/snowboarding on Mt Ruapehu which is a volcano in the area that the Mt Doom scenes of the lord of the rings was shot. The only problem was it was misty, pouring with rain at times and narrow pistes - just like skiing in Scotland! we got soaked & couldn't see a thing (see photo of Callum on chairlift!) but we had a fabulous time!

Then on the way home we stopped at a thermal river and just got out of the car and into the lovely hot river - never done that before!

Then back to Papamoa for one night before heading off to the far north for our holiday, this time with Malcolm, he is beginning to think that less time working might be more fun!