Remember Remember...

...the 5th of November?

But does anyone actually really remember it for what it was though? I mean do you really now think of November 5th as the night Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in the Gunpowder Plot?

Nah, of course not. Even less so here in NZ as the reminiscent memories of being able to have a bonfire in your back garden, spending weeks and weeks preparing it are long gone. Here in NZ you cannot have a fire of any type without a permit. There are strict rules on buying fireworks too and you only have 4 days in which to do so.

Our third experience here in Wellington and this year was definitely just as amazing. The first year we watched the fireworks from the actual harbour, standing and staring up at the lights, feeling the 'booms' inside our chests and being part of the magical atmosphere. I will never forget hearing the 30,000 people that lined the harbour clapping at the end of the show whilst standing there in the dark.

The year after we were invited to spend the night with our dear friends Tony, Denyse and their two gorgeous girls Beth and Maddie at their house. They have a stunning home in Brooklyn which looks directly down to the harbour. We had such a wonderful time, so much so that this year we booked ourselves in for another go!!

This year though was extra special, we also got to share this amazing experience with our new expat buddies Stef, Rich and Daisy. So we all trooped off up to Tony and Denyse's house where we ate pizza like never before and got ready for a fireworks spectacular like never before.

Despite the fact the ship containing the fireworks never arrived for the event and the weather was playing havoc, the event went ahead as planned. The morning started of horrendously with dark skies and gale force winds, however it seemed that Mother Nature knew we had something we wanted to do, and you can see from these photos just how amazing it was to watch the stunning clouds disappear as it reached darkness.

9pm couldn't come round soon enough, we kept saying to the girls 'not long now' but of course it seemed like a lifetime to them (and us when they keep going on and on about it!).

For some reason the show opted out of having the helicopter fly in and release some flares as it has done in previous years (possibly due to the cargo not arriving), but still without that the show began...and so did the magic. Over 100,00 people lined the shores of Wellington this year ready for sky to be lit up in pure firework delight...

Finishing the night with some sparklers, we all had an amazing time. The girls loved every minute, despite their tiredness they just wanted to keep going and going.

Tony and Denyse are so very kind letting us share the magic from their home, they have been so supportive to us and its wonderful to have made such a friendship. We hope Stef and Rich had a good time too, we hope their first ever fireworks experience here in Wellington was as magical as they have all been for us.

So no longer should we 'remember remember the 5th of November' for all that Guy Fawkes nearly did, and let it be a time of 'remember remember the 5th of November, a time best shared with your friends, in the company of fireworks'.