A day at Piha

I am so loving how things keep unfolding, even the little things are a lot.  Today I woke up feeling a little lonely and wondering what I should do.  So, I got online and found a shuttle bus to Piha, roughly a 45 minute drive from Auckland to the west coast.  An awesome place to make yourself feel really happy!!

 what was really fabulous, my shuttle bus driver had only just launched his business last week.   He was great, teaching me a little about rip tides and went out of his way to show me an awesome waterfall

I also told him I would tell everyone I know how great he was so his business grows.  So, the link to his site is...gohitch-shuttles.rezdy.com He will be expanding to include other beaches too.  Hopefully this promo will help this entrepreneur on his way.

So Piha beach is a big surfing beach with big waves and strong rip tides.  It is really well patrolled so it is safe to enjoy. They also film a TV program here called Piha Rescue where they give live footage of rescue stories, where someone is pulled out of a rip tide.

Luckily for me when we stopped at the lookout to the beach, Jono pointed out the rip - it was the calm water where there isn't a wave breaking. Although it looks really inviting to swim there as there are no waves, its the dangerous bit.  That is where the tide is rushing back to the ocean and where you can get sucked out to sea.

The safest is to swim only between the flags

 So after a wonderful time on the beach and exploring the rocks to both sides, I headed off to see the Kitekite waterfalls.  It was a short 20 minute walk through a lush forest to get up to the falls.

The walk into the falls.

KITEKITE FALLS 

So, a pretty awesome day!!   

a few new things

Hi folks.  Not sure if you have been wondering how long my extended holiday would last.   Well, not much longer really I do have some changes on the horizon. But first let me tell you about a fun visit to the country on Guy Fawkes.

Took off from Wellington via train for Carleton which was about an hour into the interior.  A lovely little town, reminded me a lot of rural Alberta except iswas lush green with rolling hills.  it was the scarecrow festival so lots of enthusiastic kids making and displaying scarecrows, along with awesome farmers market that sold local wine along side local cheese, bread, jams and jellies, plus all the knitted and wood carved things you could imagine. Really lots of fun.  The evening I was back in Wellington to view the fireworks over the harbour.

So, while I was back in Wellington I was very busy with immigration again and applying for a permanent residency visa as well as a work visa.  Althought the later is a bit more complicated as a job offer needs to happen to apply for the visa.  But, I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that PR jobs at the senior level are abundant!! And although a bit more challenging for a foreigner to get, not impossible to get.

Last week I received an offer that is AWESOME. So I have been doing my paper work like mad to try for a December start date.  I am over the moon excited and will tell more once it is all official.

So now, I am heading back to Auckland to find an apartment for myself. It is time to feel like I have my own home again.  I am scared, but excited too.  but, I have given myself permission to bail on it all at anytime if I so chose.  But not until after summer :-)  there are too many beaches to get to first.