GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN!

 Our grandaughters Sarah and Emily were here for five wonderful weeks over the Christmas holidays. Their Mum, our daughter Miriam, came for two of those weeks. It is so good when Devon is full of happy chatter and activity!

 Mind you, they are out and about much of the time, just enjoying the freedom and beauty of Norfolk Island.

 Most mornings, they got some early morning exercise on the Flagstaff Hill walk(climb!). Ruby usually joined them, but as her legs are so small, she was carried for part of the way.

 But the view from the top was well worth it.

 Ruby had no trouble trotting along between the girls when they walked along the Slaughter Bay wall.

 Miriam's friend Lambie, and cousin Anna joined them on a picnic to Crystal Pool. Anna's Dad and Peter joined them too.

     That water looks so refreshing.

 I think it took them ages to get this great shot!

 Ruby enjoyed trips to Cemetery Beach with the girls.

 And Emily Bay....

 She loved to join in the fun...

 Especially the digging....

 Norfolk Island has plenty of lovely rockpools to enjoy.

 Now Sarah is 16, she is able to drive, and make the most of their days. It certainly frees us up from the job of being Granny and Grandad-on-wheels!

 Sarah and friend Ashley sometimes took the horses out. Here Ruby joins them for her very first horseride!

 There were many hours spent at the beach, enjoying our perfect summer weather.

 The Emily Bay Raft is a great gathering place for the young people.

 A trip to a local cafe.

 We got together with cousin Tina and family on this occasion.

 I think the girls tried out all the swimming spots, some of which needed a climb down the cliff.

They were usually glad to get to bed at nights. Once again, our upstairs area became a somewhat upmarket "camping site"

 And Ruby usually joioned them there!

 Back at Devon, hosing off the sand on the front lawn.

 Jumping off the Kingston Pier.

 I love this picture of Sarah.

 Footsteps in the sand at the bottom of Anson Bay.

 The girls were sad when the day came to go home to New Zealand.

Ashley, Anna, Gracie and Uncle John were all there to see them off.

 As Grandad says, the sooner you leave, the sooner you come back......

GRANDDAUGHTERS' VISIT

We so much look forward to this time of year, because our New Zealand granddaughters, Sarah and Emily, always come to visit for about three weeks. Now it is always a time for cousins, because they have cousins on both sides of the family right here on Norfoolk Island - some little ones, and some their own age. As an added bonus, one of the Sydney cousins Nic(13) was here with his Mum Jenni (my niece) and they had a great reunion after getting together here last Christmas!
I was going to go through my photos to show you, but I discovered that the girls had uploaded their own pictures of the holidays onto my computer, so I decided to show things from their point of view!!!

Anna and Sarah learn about some of Norfolk Island's history at Queen Victoria Gardens.

A day at Crystal Pool

Nic and Sarah

A picnic at Anson Bay

The kids had the energy to go right down to the beach and explore!

 The Lemonade Stall happened within an hour of their arrival!

William really enjoyed having his older cousins to entertain him.

And the girls enjoyed getting to know their newest cousin Nate.

There were"sleepovers" (more like "wakeovers") with scary movies, and chocolate.

They managed to pin down the elusive "Uncle Ed."

 These kids always make their own fun!

A visit to Gracie's, to see their spring lambs.

Kim and Charles put on a party and a sleepover for Emily's 14th birthday.

 More fun and games at Anson Bay.

 They all wrote their names large in the sand.

There was always time for horses, and both girls eventually had a ride in the Show, even though they had not planned to.

 At the Mini-Golf Shop.

Blogger is playing up today and will not let me load any more pictures. But I am sure you will agree that the cousins have a ball on Norfolk Island. Sarah is desparate for her Mum to come back and live, because, as she says, "Norfolk Island is so much fun!'

And she is right