Just because the “silly season” is officially over, it doesn’t mean that you should hang up your party shoes. You’ve had a month or so of fun and frolicking, why not let the good times roll? There are so many awesome events coming up in the first quarter of 08, you’d be mad to yawn and say, “I’ve done my dash!”

Twenty days ago I wrote my last confession to you all and if I was to re-cap on what’s been happening since I’d have you reading till Tuesday, so I’ll just pick out a few highlights.

Two weeks before NYE I flew to Christchurch to catch up with family and friends, help out where possible, see the new sights and relax a little. I actually did all of that and got in a bout of daily exercise to boot.

I tiki-toured around the stunning southern lakes amidst piercing blue skies and lupins with my Dad, for four days of easy-going adventures; before returning for a much anticipated dance party called Lost At Sea, held at Lyttelton’s famous Wunderbar. But all my R&R&R got the better of me and I drank my night’s quota of booze inside 3 hours and spent a good hour gurgling to the seagulls over the balcony railing.

Christmas Day was the whole idea of the trip and it didn’t disappoint. I received some interesting gifts, e.g. an apron with a lucid photo of me emblazoned on the front, a Queen DVD box set, a bad taste calendar, aluminium coasters and a dentist appointment. We all played petanque, tenniquoits and drinking games while Granny watched on from inside. And I was in bed, as docile as a 2 day old puppy, by 8.30pm.

Hitting The City of Sails again was a shock after the placid ways of The Garden City. But a bottle of Rose aided my acclimatisation and I was soon on the famous Fullers ferry to Waiheke Island to join 4500 others in welcoming in 2008 at Stonyridge Vineyard. The sun was blazing and spirits were at previously never before seen levels. Most sat in clumps chatting till dusk, daftly missing some great DJs spinning to crickets; then herded to the various dancefloors to commence their farewell to 2007 dance of celebration. The music was solid as a whole but nobody stood out as being out-of-this-world.

By 5am the vast majority had left, leaving the DJ’s to mix to a few straggling muppets. Most ventured on to take their pick from one of dozens of after parties. I caught an exorbitantly overpriced bus to one, then leap-frogged to another back on the mainland where we danced on the roof, built a dam, turbo-charged the slip’n’slide, formed a band and played human skittles with car tyres.

3 days after this was Summadayze, the first dance party to be held at the world class Vector Arena. I, like many others, was concerned that it wouldn’t fly due to it’s proximity to NYE. Somehow though, the Future Entertainment crew pulled it off and managed to attract 6000 people. The general consensus was that Sneaky Sound System’s performance took the cake for overall best act and David Guetta the best dance set. A special mention has to go out to Steve Angello who superhumanly managed to knock back a complete bottle of Grey Goose vodka during his 90 minute set, while the rest of the big names tucked into OJ then zipped off to bed. The Drum & Bass sounds of Concord Dawn on last was never going to work after the uplifting nature of the former artists, and 15 minutes into the set most had partied on out of there, me included.