All done with Canada, we leapt on another plane (the All Blacks safety video on the AirNZ flight was classic) to get home for Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at the Harte’s.

We had a lovely 3 course meal which Helen ( Liz’s mum ) made – a salmon salad, roast turkey and trifle dessert. NOM NOM.

Christmas day we headed up to Snells beach for the Bilkey Family Christmas.

Firstly, we went straight out to get some scallops for the big feast.

Once we got back the party had started. It gets more extravagant/eccentric each year, but the neighbors haven’t complained… yet.

Mum had got everyone a costume, which ranged from Santa suits to red sacks! And the alcohol flowed.

The next day we work up early and went out for a fish.

We caught a few, but that wouldn’t have mattered as it was a lovely day anyway.

And I’ll leave you with the memory of John being slapped in the face by a fish.

( He didn’t really)