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.

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.

waiheke island

Waiheke Island was a beautiful surprise.  I had heard it was lovely to visit and it was more than that.  it is a 30 minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland.  The island is home to some of New Zealand's worldclass wineries and some very beautifulmega-homes.  Here are some views of the ferry ride.

So once I landed I was going to walk around but then . Spotted a bike rental shop so decided to rent a bike.  Brave since I havent ridden a bike in years.  But the rental guide rassured me there were few cars but to ride on the right side,  or was that left?? Oh well I survive.

Arriving at the harbour

Check out this link for a few more photos of my day on the island.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/f4844qpgakde3nc/pScJXUpU43

A Canuck's perspective

1. Kiwis are very creative people and entrepreneurial and passionate about Rugby. 
2. The Maori language, culture is well a part of everyday life with many streets and buildings having both English and Maori names. Words I know so far

• Kia ora - hello.                                             Kia kaha- be strong
• Mana- personal presence or strength.   Wahine- woman
• Tane- man.                                                   Kui- food
• Moco- facial tattoo.                                    Haka - call to battle
• Phare- house.                                              Phanau- family

    3.  Women wear a lot of black and or grey, it is like the national fashion colour

    4.  Food is very expensive which is strange since the growing season is so long

    5.  Some foods are called something else

• Green pepper - capscicum.                    Eggplant- aubergine
• Zuccinni- courgette.                                Yam- kumura

  6.  Some words are spelt quite different like tyre and programme
  7.  They drive on the right, jaywalking is common place and not an offence
  8.  There is no tipping
  9.  Tatoos are very popular for both men and women, as are facial tatoos
 10. Topknots are a common hairstyle for men
 12. There are a lot of tall women and being 6'1" is not so unusul
 13. Les Mills is the best work out club

back from Auckland

I had a great time in Auckland just exploring the city and learning more about New Zealand. It is still spring so no beaches yet, but it is getting closer.   I stayed downtown on Shortland Street in a beautiful historic building.  It was a short walk to High street which is full of little boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops that really come to life in the evenings.  Really lovely.

Shortland street is just by that big tower with the disc on top

And a short walk to the water to watch America's Cup race from wharf 10 with a few thousand other people every morning.  Sadly the NZ team didn't win, but it wasn't for lack of trying or support.  Amazing race, I may have to try my luck at sailing, looks like a very exciting sport.

What I really have noticed about both Wellington and Auckland is that they both have well developed neighbourhoods within the city itself.  The best example I can give you is Calgary's Kensington or Marda Loop, except way more developed.    I don't think Edmonton has anything quite like it.  Anyway, I really enjoyed hanging out in a city just over the size of Calgary at 1.3 million people.

So off to see one up close for myself. I picked up a harbour tour ferry that gave some great sites of the city and North Island.

Wellington is a city of earthquakes and Auckland is the city of volcanos . Luckily, no eruptions during my visit and to make me feel a bit more comfortable I heard that they aren't active anymore. But to be honest although it was reassuring to hear, I am not sure if I really believe it.

The volcanos are protected in that you can't develop them or own them. Although, I really don't see why you would want to do either but maybe its a kiwi thing). Anyway, they look like amazingly beautiful and lush mountains or hills that are parks, lookouts our just beautiful space.

Volcano



Volcano up close



Even closer



So after a great afternoon of touring around the North Island, the little town of Davenport and some volcanos time to relax and have lunch at Corelli's and a famous flat white (coffee).

A Week of Exploring

Happy to say no more earthquakes (I now have an earthquake app on my Bbry) but we did have an amazing wind storm.  Really strong winds coming from the south blow across the ocean with no land masses to slow them down which means although they aren't cold they are incredible strong when the hit to

Wellington.  I guess they don't call it Windy-Wellington for nothing.  It only lasted a couple of days and then the weather returned to sunny and warm.  Spring is arriving steadily.

So this week I spent some time to explore the city a bit more and ventured out to a few surrounding small villages including Pitone and Miramar where many of the Peter Jackson fantasy films- Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Hobbit to name only a few were created and filmed.

Looking out over Lambton harbour in Wellington

 So, I wandered into town and along the way passed the Old St. Paul Church, it is over 200 years old and built with all native wood.  It also saw off many an American stationed there as they headed of to WW2, hence the American flag with one less star (Hawaii hadn't joined confederation).

Then it was off to the botanical gardens to catch some of the spring blooms. We were a about a week early for the tulips but the magnolias were out.

Now off to Petone, a small town with an artisian well at its centre.  People come from all around to fill containers to take home.  Also home a a fabulous tiny movie theatre that is in a beautiful old building.  The theatre is full of character and hosts a small cafe so you could have a light meal, including a glass of wine or coffee and take it into the theatre to watch your big screen movie.  The seats are two-seater sofas, with attached coffee table on the arm.  Very cozy.

Next is Miramar and a tour of Wetacave where the production of all the characters for the movies I mentioned earlier.  We went inside the creative studio where we were told and shown how all the characters came to be.  What an amazing and time consuming process.  No wonder why these films have millions of dollar budgets.

 

From Wetacave we headed to have lunch at the Roxy theatre that Peter Jackson  built in Miramar.  The Roxy is a beautiful art deco style building made just to have the best movie experience you could imagine.  We will head back to make an evening of it - dinner in Coco restaurant, drinks at the lounge and deliciously rich coffee after as we watch our movie.  Truly a special night out.  I think we may have to dress up!

Next week I am off to Auckland so will have a new landscape to talk about as I move from eathquake area to volcanos.