A New Year and more adventures are on the way

It has been a busy December and the New Year is starting off with so much excitement and adventure promises.  Let me catch you up on a few things.  I did get a job, and a 2 year work visa.  I am looking into residency but am not rushing things at this point.  My job is with PaymentsNZ and I started in early Dec and am right now on the standard 2 week Xmas break...back on Jan 6.  At which time I expect to be extremely busy!!

I hired an immigration agency -Malcolmpacific - to help with the visawork and they were ATROCIOUS.  Completely incompetent and resulted in a weeks delay on my job start date. NEVER USE MALCOLMPACIFIC IMMIGRATION AGENCY.  But regardless of their inability to do their job, I was able to push hard and get my visa to start my new job a week later.

So, with my new job secured and 2 weeks in the office during which time I had 4 Xmas functions and a business trip - I set off for the annual Xmas break.  I took off to head back to Wellington for Xmas with my sister and family.  Awesome time, including a waterfight in the garden.

After Christmas my sister and I headed back to Auckland via Taranaki, the north side of the island. Very different from the otherside with Napier and Hawkes Bay wineries.  But still beautiful and rustic countryside with great surfing beaches.  We hit a different beach everyday.

New Years was in New Plymouth.  We went to an amazing light display in the park and then into town to join the festivities.  We went back to the park during the day to get a better idea as to the size of the place.

We then headed out to see Mount Terinaki and climb one of the smaller volcano cones called The Sugar Loaf to get an awesome view.

Doing the climb in my flip flops.

Mount Ternaki in the background is on of Aucklands big volcanoes.  There is a hike to the top which takes a full day, but that will have to wait for another time.

During the trip back to Auckland we stopped by a small town to catch some dog races.  Lots of fun betting on the greyhounds and I won a voucher for a ferry ride.  So, I will be back in Wellington the end of January to take off to the Souyh island for a tour of the Marlborough and Nelson area wineries.

But for now its back to work, which I am really excited about.