Happy New Year!

We're home!

Got in last night and started settling in again.

Cheers to all, wishes for a great new year, and, no worries.

(We'll start filling the blog with our 8GB or so of photos, videos, and stories.)

Shorter story:
Passports lost, then found.
Tyre lost outside Milton, rusted lug nuts stripped and sheared off, fixed with AA's help.
Milford Track walked.
Franz Josef glacier walked.
Ascot sold in Christchurch.
Tyre on rental car lost in Auckland.
The heaviest bags allowed.
Extra security on flight to U.S.

Sleeping on our own beds for the first time in six months is sweet as! (Lucy)

Drinking Shiner Bock again--good as. (Terry--but I'll miss Lion Red, Monteith's golden lager, Tui, Speight's, Mac's whole beer line, ...) (Lucy--and I'll miss the great NZ wines at local prices.)

Unpacking the X-box and shooting space aliens--excellent as. (Benjamin)

Having a working cell phone so I can text my friends is awesome as. (Emily)

Cheers, all! No worries.

(Winter in Texas is only slightly cooler than summer in Invercargill. Discuss.)

Flight Home

Today we fly to LA, then get a domestic flight to IAH.

We'll have a long 1 January--we arrive in Texas only a few hours after our departure according to the clock. But after a long day of travel for our bodies.

A giant van awaits to carry us and our luggage home.

Cheers, no worries.