This morning I was in the garden hoeing the new potatoes and listening to the birds singing their nesting songs. Sometimes it is difficult to spend sunshine days in front of the computer, but this letter is long overdue, so a nagging conscience has brought me into the office.

There is much to tell. On the home front, all is well here in this gentle little town of Featherston. It is like our place in the Marlborough Sounds in that the local people have become like family. Here, folk stand in the middle of the street, talking to each other, while traffic drives slowly around them, and in the shops they exchange news at leisure before purchasing something. Terry and I enjoy the slow pace.

Elsewhere the days have not been slow, but very interesting. There has been a lot of travel this year, thanks to my sister-in-law Mary Ann who comes up from Dunedin to be with Terry while I’m away. In July I was back at the Highlights Writing Workshops in Chautauqua, NY, after an absence of four years. I’ll be on the faculty again in June 2012 but this time the Highlights workshops will be at "The Barn" the brand new centre near Honesdale, PA. I’m already eagerly leaning towards that.

Last week I was in Seoul, Korea, with Compass who publish my Sunshine books. What a lovely experience! There was a talk each day to teachers and parents, book signing, and time to explore some of the restaurants. I’m fond of Korean food and being vegetarian particularly enjoyed the "temple food" of wild herbs, mushrooms and pickled vegetables.

This week, home-based, has also been packed with new experience. I had agreed to present some competition prizes to a school about half an hour from home. After the presentation, I was to tell a couple of stories and then allow time for questions from the students. The five year old girl in front of me had her hand up and was waving it like a tree in a storm: "Do you remember my mum?" she said. I leaned towards her. "What is your mum’s name?" She looked at me as though I was incredibly stupid and said loudly, "MUM!" That was so touching. What name could be more important to a five year old? All I could say was, "Please give your mum my love," and then go on to the next questions.

The following day we drove in the opposite direction to the Mr Bruce bird sanctuary, a beautiful park set in native forest. It is home to New Zealand native birds, and it is here that kiwi are raised and resettled in safe natural environments. I was there because of one young kiwi Manukura, a rare bird snowy white. I’ve been given the delightful task of writing a book about her.

Manukura is not albino. Her parents come from Little Barrier Island in the north, where white feathers on kiwi have been noted, and those recessive genes have come together in a bird as pale a moonlight. I’m not sure yet, how I will write the book. I think it will be in the first person, as I let Manukura tell her own story.

What of other writing? Recently, Gecko Press, Wellington has published a collection of the Wild West stories. They made a handsome big book with sparkly lettering: "Stories of the Wild West Gang", and illustrations by Trevor Pye.

There is also a new picture book "Robby & Hoot" a rhyming story about a robot whose best friend is a car. This book had an interesting beginning. Terry and I have a good friend Phillip Fickling who is a paper engineer. He designs paper sculpture, models of ships and cars, pop-up books, special cards – in fact it seems that there is nothing he can’t make with paper. A few years ago, Phillip had a motor-cycle accident that damaged his arm and hand. While undergoing reconstructive surgery, he could not work, but could move a computer mouse. He wondered if he could illustrate a book for me. I knew that Phillip liked robots, so the story of Robby & Hoot was written. Phillip’s illustrations are wonderfully inventive and very funny. The book was published by Penguin.

Much of the year, though, has been concerned with writing early reading material for Clean Slate ( New Zealand) and Hameray (San Diego). There has been particular emphasis on books for the new emergent reader and these include 15 very simple books of 8 pages each, about Mrs Wishy-Washy and her animals. Most of these books will be out early next year.

All of this means that we have not been back to our beloved bay in the Marlborough Sounds during the year but we will be there for the usual "tribal time in December and January, when all the family gathers with friends to celebrate summer in slow time. We are so looking forward to that.

Terry and I send our warm regards and, whether you are heading for winter or summer, we hope that your holidays will be full of celebration.