Chch

We’re here…

We love it…

We’ve not got an internet connection yet…

We’re workng on it…

last Dunedin day

I spent a good 45 minutes mentally writing this blog post this morning! My dear sweet husband quite literally led me up the garden path… and a few big hills, and random streets and all round the block! We were going to visit some friends for morning tea who live relatively close but J got a bit confused and we got lost and ended going in a  BIG circuit. In somewhere flat like Christchurch that would be okay. In Dunedin it means walking up quite a few hills. In the end though, I have to admit it was a lovely walk and there were some great views from the top of the hills and it’s undoubtedly helped in my rail trail training!!

I received my first 30th birthday gift today – I love it! A Breast Cancer T-Shirt from the Jowseys which has a map of NZ on it. I’m not allowed to wear it for another couple of weeks though!

J and I decided this morning to start a 1000 piece Wasgij. It seemed a good idea at the time but now quite a few hours later I’m determined that we should finish it before we go to bed (we leave for ChCh first thing tomorrow morning) and that doesn’t seem like such a good idea!

So we saw slightly fewer people today – just morning tea with friends, a quick visit to the Jowseys, squash for J with Greg and then the Rosies round for ice cream this evening. It’s been a great visit though and I reckon we’ve caught up with most people.

And so back to our new home tomorrow. I’m so ready to unpack properly!! Hopefully we’ll get the internet sorted fairly quickly and will upload our photos.

Now, back to the jigsaw…

 

PS Mum – my cardigan is very cool!! It’s not an old lady cardigan!

another lovely day

There just are so many people here that we really like (that’s not to say that the people we like are ONLY here!!! We like people in a lot of other places too!) Tonight we had dinner with Dougie and Marianne and played Cranium (we do love our board games!) – lots of fun! Dougie and I turn 30 within 9 days of each other so we may manage to have a wee joint celebration sometime soon.

I have to admit that I wore a cardigan tonight – shocking! It is just delightful to feel a wee bit colder!! Bring on the winter.

Lewis’ wedding

Wii

Today has been a rather lovely day. We had a chilled out morning – the first in a while! And then went into town and had a succesful trip sorting practical things out. Then there was the mandatory trip to Govs to meet Darrin and Tim and then to the Octagon for a drink with Rach after work. This evening we went round to visit Greg and Therese – delicious food, lots of laughs and two new games – A Ticket to Ride and Wii fit (and Wii sport). I’m not joking – so much fun!! Now I’m petitioning Jonathan that we get a Wii.

in training

We’ve got two weeks or so until we do the rail trail with Paul and Meg. I am very much looking forward to it and we cycled a lot in Perth which I loved but I have never cycled more than about 10kms in one day and for one of the rail trail days we’ll probably end up doing 60kms. So J has me in training. Yesterday was the first day and we borrowed bikes to cycle to Brighton which is where he used to live. It’s about 17kms from Dunedin and so there and back was a good start to the training regime.  The thing is that at the very start of the cycle is a M A S S I V E hill which completely demoralised me as we had to get off and push the bikes. Thankfully the rail trail is pretty flat so I shouldn’t have to worry about it. There were quite a few other hills on the cycle yesterday and so we ended up buying sweeties and everytime we got to the top of a hill I got a sweet! The good news is that I don’t feel at all stiff or sore today! I think today is a rest day before another big ol’ cycle tomorrow – hopefully with less hills!

PS Today the temperature is below 30C our first since we arrived in NZ (I think!) It’s currently raining and cloudy and I LOVE IT!!! I’ve so missed this weather!!

deligthful Sunday

We’ve had just a lovely day today! First, we went to our old church here in Dunedin and caught up with friends. There is something really special about going back and seeing people we knew well and being welcomed so warmly. Then we went to the Octagon for some Burns Day festivities – there was a rock band competition where bands had to write and perform a song based on one of Burns’ poems. One of the teenagers from church was taking part and in fact his band won! So we hung out in the octagon and chatted with more friends before picking Robin up and heading to Victory Beach. We had a delightful walk and the boys swam (with a sealion!!! I have video footage but I’m not on our computer. Will post it once we get our mac back on-line) It was a stunning day (the third around 30 C since we’ve been here!) and then we went back to Robin’s for dinner outisde in the glorious evening sunshine looking at his amazing view while chatting some more. ‘Twas lovely to catch up.

It’s been a fantastic trip so far!!

apologies!

It’s been a good few days since we blogged last. Sorry (mum!) we’ve been well busy and haven’t had easy internet access. It’s been a very successful three days though!

First: we bought a car! We saw the advert in trade me at 9:10pm on Thursday evening, texted and arranged an immediate viewing, took the car for a wee test drive, decided to buy it, raced to an internet cafe with the owner so we could transfer funds and then drove off with it by 10pm!! Very easy. It’s a 1996 Toyota Corona (with tow bar!)

Second: we have a flat/house!! Again very quick and easy. We’d seen a couple which were fine but not right and then happened to arrange this one at the last minute. Saw the property at 4pmon Friday and decided even before we’d seen inside that we wanted it! So by 4:30pm we’d signed all the papers. It’s a lovely wee house and garden set back from the road a bit. I say road but it’s more a meandering path (although cars can drive along it). Has a wee stream near by and yet is right in the centre of Christchurch (in Merivale). Perfect for Hagley Park and the hospital. And it has a spare bedroom so we’re welcoming visitors!

Third: went to see about my visa status and it looks like it’ll be pretty straight forward to get it sorted for me to stay forthe nine months which is great!

Fourth: immediately after seeing the house on Friday we left for Dunedin and drove our new car the four hours or so down the island. It was so sweet to get back to J’s New Zealand home and after surprising the Jowseys with a quick hello we headed over to Randal and Karene’s where we’re staying for the week.

So all in all it was a mental few days but exceedingly productive!

And then today we hung out with the Scotts and played with their kids until they left to go on holiday and then we hot footed it round to the Rosies to surprise them. Then together went to St Kilda beach to swim and body surf. The water was colder than Perth but it wasn’t too bad – the weather here is delightful at the moment! It was lovely at the beach too because we bumped into three of the Pickles and Olly and so had a right ol’ good time all swimming and such with body surfing competitions being arranged between the boys.

And now Rach and Emily have just popped in to say hello.

It’s just lovely being back in NZ and Dunedin particularly! I’ll post some photos soon.

we’ve arrived!

After a very uneventful and smooth trip we touched down in NZ around 8:30am. I slept the whole way but J just managed an hour. I have to say we both feel very glad to be back in NZ. It’s not at all that we didn’t like Oz, it’s just that somehow this just feels so much more familiar (even if it is chch!!) I did have a wee bit of trouble at immigration but thankfully they let me through (we don’t have a ticket out of the country and they weren’t keen on letting me in at all but they kindly allowed me a one month visa and I have to go and sort out a longer one at the main office here). So it’s all good! We’ve rented a car and have spent the rest of the day tootling about trying to get a feel for the place. There aren’t a whole lot of places to rent but surely we’ll find somewhere in the next few days.

Of course we spent some of our first day wandering on the beach – dipping our toes in the ocean at Sumner.

The weather has actually been lovely! Much more what we’re used to (in Dunedin and Scotland). Granted the high today was probably equivalent to the low in Perth!

One of the unexpected highlights of our flight over was that we arrived in Auckland at the beginning of Obama’s inauguration and then boarded just after he finished his speech which means we got to watch and hear it all.

Right, off to wake up my snoozing husband so we can go and get some dinner…

PS A BIG happy birthday to my dad – love you!

PPS A BIG happy birthday also to Phey – 30 today – I remember your 17th birthday!! Goodness, we’re getting old!

up up and away!

Well, we made it to the airport – it was a crazy day and there were times when we weren’t sure we’d get everything done but here we are. All our luggage is checked on, we’re through security and customs and all goodbyes have been said. And now… I’ve got those butterflies in my tummy which I get when we’re about to go on an a.d.v.e.n.t.u.r.e.

This is our plane (not sure if you’re allowed to take photos of your plane but it’s just right behind us!!)

Just a wee shout out to my most excellent husband who endured all my craziness today with good humour and not a hint of a cross word or ‘I told you we’d have too much stuff”

New Zealand here we come…