WEEKS 2 AND 3

Week 2 continued doing things we had spent the last few months undoing. We were given a  car sales contact by 'our' estate agent. We have several estate agents in the area but this one has kept in contact since our last trip and we have viewed so many houses with her that she will be on our christmas card list. The contact proved to be very good and he sourced us what we were looking for. On saturday we clinched the deal and will get delivery next week. It is a RAV, almost just like the one Susan now owns ! (diesel, manual, 3 years old, silver). Our hire car needs to go back but the car guy (Ben) is lending us something in the mean time.
The weather is now more 'typical' for this time of the year, we are told. It has been reported as warmer than usual. It has been sunny, about 18C by mid day, with cooler autumn mornings. The colours are fantastic.

Entrance to lane up to our house (sideways....... a low tech solution is to tilt your head to view photo properly !)



We have been house and business hunting. It is a good, but time consuming process but at least it is helping us to rule things out. We still get some exercise done in the good weather and then we have an afternoon tea - break.

On saturday night there was a big thunderstorm. By morning there were clearing skies. On sunday morning we went to a local market and bought locally produced cheese, very nice. In the afternoon we went to Rabbit Island (I dont think there is a single rabbit on it) You drive over a causeway onto it. there are lots of mountain bike trails (low skill needed here) and long beaches with parkland and forests over the island which is a nature reserve. No litter to be seen anywhere. No cars with loud music etc, just people enjoying the environment.  WEEK 3
Joined the local library in Richmond (free of course) It is a modern building with amazing facilities. There is a coffee shop in one corner and you can sit inside or outside with a coffee and a book, magazine etc or take your coffee to anywhere in the library (but not to the computers).
On tues eve we went to a small cinema in the other local town, Motueka. We bought hot chocolate when we went in and he said he would bring them to us. Off we went to the screen to find a room with about 3 tiers, with sofas coffee tables and easy chairs. He brought our drinks in and we sat and watched a film in  very comfortable surroundings (and about 6 people were there also) .
I have sent off a few applications for admin jobs (I also got a few no thanks letters also).
On wednesday we returned our hire car and picked up the borrowed car. The borrowed car should have come with stepladders as it was a Toyota Landcruiser Prado. We felt small!

 Lisa and the borrowed landcruiser.
On thursday we met, Sonny, our settlement officer. He was very helpful and his role is to help us settle in.  He gave me a contact to send my cv to to make it NZ friendly.
On friday we met up for the first time with our new cycle club, Tasman Wheelers. We cycled to Richmond and met them there, then did a route around Lee Valley, before going back to Richmond for coffee. It is a social ride in friday so the pace was pleasant and we got to chat with them. Most were female and most in there 50s and 60s. By the time we left coffee ther was a strong wind blowing so we battled home having done 50 miles. We then had to shoot out the door to meet 'our' estate agent, Paula, at a house up the road.  A beautiful house, so it made the rush/battle to get home in time worth it.
On saturday afternoon we went on a moutain bike skills course for women. It was great. We managed to get round a course without getting off. The same route Lisa and I had tried last week and ended up walking all the tight corners and 'steep' slopes.
I had entered a mountain bike duathlon  to be held on sunday. Lisa was so flushed with  the success of the mt bike course that she came home on sat and also entered!
The race was on Rabbit island, so we could be sure there were no steep montains to climb. We ran 2km, cycled 8km, then ran 2km. There was also a race twice that length and another short race for walkers(many of whom could 'walk' the same speed I was running!).
Lisa caught me up on the bike but didn't get enough of a gap, as I passed her again on the second run. We both have not done any proper training for the last few months so we were pleased with how we performed (we werent last) There were probably about 150 people at this 'low key'event. For a fee of £12 you gor a goody bag with chocolate and vouchers, hot dogs and drinks and lots of prizes and spot prizes, We both got a spot prize. Everyone sat in the sun on the grass and the prizes were handed out. All very organised yet relaxed. We are members of the local triathlon and multisport club who organised it. We got a reduced entry fee to the race, which was about half the cost of the years membership.

Race venue - Rabbit Island
On sunday eve we were invited next door  to out landlord's with Adele and Roger and ther kids, for dinner. A very nice way to end a very kiwi weekend.
This week we have increased our kiwi vocab.
Coro = corrie, as in coronation street (which is really popular and approx 2 years behind)
" dub dub dub." = www.
Trundler = shopping trolley
pig = peg which was confusing when viewing houses and being told the end of the land is marked with that "pig " down there.
Pippa = pepper, which I only found out was the real name of the cat next door when I read it. having called it "Pippa" for 2 weeks I guess I will have to continue !

The first week in the southern hemisphere......the real story begins

Day 1 Arrive Auckland at 12.45pm. We moved quickly through immigration. The guy didn't say much as he checked our passports and visas, but then with a warm smile he said "welcome home". We smiled back at him walked on and then almost shed a tear, it was so nice. We had a quiet afternoon at our hotel and a walk around the area before an early dinner (early for us but normal for kiwis). We stayed awake until 7pm and then crashed asleep until.......
Day 2 4am wide awake. had a nice breakfast and headed off to the airport for our last leg of the journey.
Fog caused all Nelson-bound flights to be cancelled....except ours, so off we set. A couple of things I have noticed while people watching...walking trousers outnumber jeans and fake tans and fake blondes dont seem to exist! Touchdown at Nelson at 2pm. We were'home'. It was not quite the sunny Nelson we hear so much about, but it was warm and overcast.

We collected the hire car and went up the road to our rented property - Corru Gate.

Day 3 A very exciting day.......Bonnie due to arrive at Nelson airport, having travelled from london via LA. Her flight from Aukland was a bit late so we waited and watched for her plane. We saw a crate being unloaded and went down to 'cargo'. Nelson is a small airport where baggage reclaim is the pavement outside the building. Cargo is an area with a sign.

 She was so excited and very happy when she got out of the box at 'home'. She was too curious to sleep but every so often she would lie down, mid stride and fall asleep for 30 seconds!

Day 4, sat 7th May heavy rain most of the day. went to Nelson market and got chep veg. we can pick the fruit at the house. Everyone has been really friendly. Our landlord(Roger) lives in the adjoing house. He and Adele are very helpful. They put us in contact with a friend of theirs who had propert for sale. We have spoken to her on the phone and got invited over to lunch next week. Viewed a couple of houses in the area. Bonnie very settled, enjoying watching the  all new birds.

Day 5 Waken to bright sunshine, so go biking at Kaiteriteri mt bike park. A lovely  sunday morning with lots of people out doing things and/or drinking coffee. This is NZ.

In the afternoon we looked at another open house, then went for an icecream at our local village, Mapua.
Day6 Monday
Things to do....cycle in the morning from the house. Then went to the bank to set up our accounts. In the afternoon went and had a look at cars to buy.

Day 7
Things to do........go for a run. Went over to Judith's for lunch. a lovely kiwi who lives in the area. We viewed her land/property she has for sale. We dont think we will buy it but I think we have found a good friend. Spent the afternoon at the house. went to the cinema in Motueka. It is a cinema wth sofas!

Day 8
Things to do.... went for a cycle. Spent rest of day looking at houses. Lisa went to her business course in the evening. Heavy, heavy rain in afternoon and eve.

The last few weeks in the northern hemisphere

The last few weeks were hectic. The leaving party signalled the beginning of the end !

 The last few at the party

Sarah, Charlie and Emma do their bit...cue the start of the tears.

A great weekend with most of the family being able to make it.

Then the real hard work started. The house had to be dejunked, in preparation for the removal men.

Then the day arrived, when our stuff left. the weather was fantastic, which made life easier.
The next time we would see that container would be on the other side of the world.

Then a few days later we(lisa, me and Bonnie) left Portrush. We spent the night just outside Dublin, then on the 28th April we got the ferry to Holyhead.Goodbye Ireland.

A much-needed coffe stop as we drove to Shropshire to leave Bonnie at the pet shippers. Th weather was still great and Bonnie was left at the palacial Golden Arrow. We drove up to Cheshire to stay with Lisa's parents for a few days(taking in the royal wedding 'celebrations'). We went over to the Welsh's to say our goodbyes to them and mum.

The 2nd May at 9.30pm we leave manchester on way to Nelson(via Dubai, Sydney and Auckland). All our posessions for the next couple of months fitted into 4 bags and 2 bike pods.

And so we set off on our one-way trip !