Has Spring arrived?

Yeay, I thought spring has arrived at last. But, no the daffodils sprouting up on people's jackets as I walked to work were because of Daffodil Day.

Daff' Day is always the last Friday of August and the main fundraising vehicle for the New Zealand Cancer Society. They expect to make around $4 million from this fundraising day. I wished I'd had my camera with me as almost everyone you passed in the street was wearing their daffodil with pride.

It was hard to avoid the Daffodil sellers in Wellington as there was one stood about every few metres along Lambton Quay. I was ambushed as I stepped of the bus so there was no escape for me.

Fundraising days/weeks are common here in NZ. Almost every week there is some cause that is fundraising and they are out in force with their buckets for public donations. A quick poll in the office found that Daffodil Day was seen as a positive cause to give to - with 25% of New Zealanders affected by some form of cancer it was not difficult to see why.

Despite the fact there are Daffodils springing up in the shops to buy, I wouldn't go as far to say that spring has arrived. It was a beautiful sunny clear day today that warranted a quick walk around at lunch time but in the knowledge that the rain storms are blowing in for the weekend.

I missed seeing the Daffodils I planted last September before I left the UK so hopefully it won't be long before the real Daffodils of NZ start to show their heads as a definite sign that spring is here!