New Zealand will be staging a highland games in Hororata, a small town about 50 minutes' drive west of Christchurch, on November 10. I believe it is the second games, the previous event having taken place last year. About 10 thousand people turned out to that one. You can find out more at www.hororata.org.nz. This is the event for which a special tartan was designed. I hope to be there. Apologies if this has already been posted, but I couldn't find a specific reference to the games. The season here is mid to late spring, and settled, mild weather is to be expected. Christchurch is functioning well, though I gather tourist beds are scarce, many hotels having been damaged by the two-year spate of earthquakes. So if you can't get accommodation, visitors should stay with friends or relatives, or stay at other towns, such as Ashburton or Timaru. The quakes are largely over. (That's what we said last time!)