New Year in Geelong

from w
Instead of a marathon of church worship, feast, kava drinking and talanoa with our Fiji friends in Melbourne, we decided to stay home with about twenty family and friends. After cool weather we were astonished by the 42 degree heat which meant no wood barbecue but we used a gas barbecue to cook meat - vinaka Epa. Luse from Sydney and Letila were busy in the kitchen. I conked out in the heat. Peceli drank kava and the kids had a great time on the half basketball court, skating, and generally enjoying themselves. I hope all our near neighbours liked loud reggae music. There were fireworks down at the bay at midnight that some of us saw. Luse caught her flight to Sydney as the last passenger on board at 5.40 a.m. and we all slept in. Today visitors came and we drank kava and shared stories and ate leftovers, prawns and kumala. The boys went swimming at Eastern Beach. A lovely New Year but different to the usual.