Going batty ... Sharon Sculpher & Gordon Thompson (at right), with their bat detectors, listen & look for pekapeka-tou-roa (long-tailed bats) with a group of other keen "batters" at a Forest & Bird event in The Catlins, December 28. PHOTO: JANINE THOMPSON : Magic moments . . . January 4th

Tucker time ... Harlow Tamati-Stirling, 3, feeds Bubbles the guinea pig at Ruataniwha Holiday Park with her mother Sarah on New Year’s Eve. PHOTO: JASON FARMER : Magic moments . . . January 4th

Ravenous ... A nestling blackbird begs for food in Arrowtown on New Year’s Eve. PHOTO: ROS MACGILL : Magic moments . . . January 4th

Peek-a-boo ... Beauden Stanley, 4, explores an Outram walking track on Boxing Day. PHOTO: JENNY KREFT : Magic moments . . . January 4th

Team work ... "Helping" Granddad Rob Bradshaw put the boat back on the trailer at McNulty Inlet in Cromwell on Thursday are Mia Dawson, 8, and Cora Whalley, 5. PHOTO: LOU LAMB : Magic moments . . . January 4th

Extended family fun ... Cousins (from left) Liam Foley, 12, Payton McElrea, 10, Florence Harris, 7, Quinn Harris, 4, and Annabelle Foley, 14, enjoy time on a paddle board on Lake Manapouri on New Year’s Eve. PHOTO: JAIME MCELREA : Magic moments . . . January 4th

A little rest before the final trek ... Siblings Lottie, 10, Harry, 11, and Travis Winterbourne, 13, of Moa Flat, about to climb the final pinch to Rees Saddle (1471m) on the Rees-Dart Track near Glenorchy on December 29. PHOTO: RUTH WINTERBOURNE : Magic moments . . . January 4th

Life’s ups and downs ... Jeremy Bray supervises his son Bennett, 5, his nephew Lachlan, 7, and nieces Hope 4, and Laura 19 months, on the see-saws at Chingford Park on December 28. PHOTO: KEVIN BRAY : Magic moments . . . January 4th

Pretty ... Hollie the cat admires the lights on the family’s Christmas tree in Mosgiel. PHOTO: JULIE COOK : Magic moments . . . January 4th

Dipping her toes ... Mum Kiriana Flannery helps her daughter Millie Johnson, 4 months, of Hawea, as she takes her first dip in Lake Wanaka on December 29. PHOTO: CAROL FLANNERY : Magic moments . . . January 4th

Maui’s ropes ... Maddox Thompson, 2, stops to watch the final rays of the sunset pierce through the clouds over Lake Wakatipu, on December 30. PHOTO: JESS THOMPSON : Magic moments . . . January 4th