Impressive bunch of friends. I guessed you must be from South Island; I'd love to get out there but can't afford the fare, I think.

I've got quite a few cousins in South Island - one in Christchurch, but the others are in Otago and Southland: they have a sheep farm near Wyndham, but some of them teach at Invercargill and one is at Otago University.

They sent me a photograph recently of my great-great-grandmother's grave at Wyndham (she emigrated with all her sons and daughters some time before WWI, except for my great-grandfather (farming at Kilarrow, Islay) and his twin sister (who was married to one of the MacEachern brothers (who used to win the piping every year at the West Highland Show) and farming at Conabus, Islay)).

Well, maybe we'll be able to save up enough to go visiting.