Happy new year everyone. Or as emjaydee says ‘nga mihi o te tau hou’. May 2020 bring joy and love to each and every one, peace and healing to our ravaged earth, and wonderful friendships.

I am listening to the fireworks in the city. I was a bit tired so we came home early from the concert in the Octagon. That is the very centre of Dunedin city. The music was very good. Lots of people were dancing. The phone camera ran out of battery so I just have to tell you about it. I am missing mother tonight, so far away. I can’t wait to tell her more about my adventures. Emjaydee popped the phone in my bed so I can call later.

When I woke up this morning the light seemed orange. Emjaydee explained that the smoke from the big fires in Australia has drifted across to New Zealand. I hope that equine is alright. It sounds very frightening.

Something strange happened on the front lawn here this morning. A big house appeared and then got packed down into a little bag. It’s a bit like the tent I made with Heinie but is big enough for adult humans. It’s good they got it back in the bag before it started to rain …

Emjaydee just found the wonderful card that Heinie sent me. Please give him a big hug and say thank you. I was remembering how we slept out together on our last night. It was such fun! He will always be one of my very special friends.

From Marcella: I’m so glad you got to see the card. I will let Heinie know. It was so nice of Emjaydee to find it fo

HI GULLI IT’S ME HEINIE. I MISS YOU! I’M WATCHING ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU DO! IT IS ALWAYS SO EXCITING!

Well there you go Gulli. Heinie just pushed me aside to tell you personally. He was so happy you got to see his card that he chose specially. Wishing you a Happy New Year from both Heinie and me and another year of worldwide adventures!

We went to Velvet Burger. It was fun. I liked the bottle for the tomato sauce. They don’t call it ketchup here. Sometimes it feels like I’m learning a whole new language. The fries were made from a vegetable called kumara. It is a kind of sweet potato which has been grown in Aotearoa for over 1000 years when the first Maori arrived from the Pacific. And people think Pacific peoples went all the way to South America in the 14th century and brought it back to their Islands.

It’s another rainy day today but elephant and I are ready for all it may bring.