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Published: October 26th 2010
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It was all very exciting waking up Oct 22 to meet Nicole and Chris. I found out later both Nicole and I couldn’t sleep the night before we were so excited. It had been 15 months since we had seen our daughter.
We woke up early and stuffed ourselves with our last meal on the ship. Eggs, bacon, toast with salmon and cream cheese, coffee, fresh orange juice. Yum. (We were not too sure how well stocked Nicole’s fridge was). We grabbed our bags at the first announcement of unloading the passengers, went by the drug sniffing dogs and there they were waiting for us. My eyes filled with tears of course and it was so wonderful to hug Nicole again. We missed her so much. But she is still alive and kicking and doing very well. What a relief.
Nicole has a slight New Zealand accent now. She wanted to put the bags in the “boot” (trunk) and uses all kinds of New Zealand expressions. She has been here for about 4 1/2 years now if you don’t count the 6 months she was home between high school and University.
Our first impression of Auckland is that
it is a very clean city. The sailboats in the pier are quite impressive. I did think Skye tower was a bit shorter than in the pictures. There is lots of cultural diversity in Auckland with a high percentage of asian people. It is a fairly expensive city. We went for lunch and had a bowl of their famous seafood chowder which was about $12.00 US each.
We drove straight to her house about 1/2 hour drive north from Auckland. Her house she and Chris are renting is very nice. There are two bedrooms, one bath, living room and porch. Simple, quiet, fields surrounding the house with sheep. Nicole has a garden started. (I think her camp Treetops years have rubbed off on her). The window and doors remain open most of the time. No screens needed, imagine that. Very few critters that come into the house.
These first few days we have been exploring the area. Went to the beach, food shopping (we needed food), fruit stand, class with Nicole at university etc etc. We also have been visiting with Nicole’s host family, Chris’s family and friends.
Going out anywhere with Nicole and Chris is quite
an adventure. Each time I have my fingers crossed that we are not going to break down somewhere next to a pasture of sheep. Their 3 cars each have their own set of issues. (Although Bruce claims I have my own set of issues as well. ) They have an old 1969 Morris they have fixed up by painting black, covering seats, new rugs, work on the engine etc. Its like a little go cart. They also have an old 1991 Corona and 1991 BMW. Bruce and I have been car shopping (we decided against the Winabago idea and decided to get a van and stay in B&Bs or cheap hotels, hostels or even couch surf when traveling). It will be nice to have one reliable car we can all travel around in.
Muriwai beach nearby is quite amazing. Rocky coast with steep. cliffs and hugh waves crashing. The was a colony of Gannet birds sunning themselves.
Nicole tells me the beaches on the east coast are calmer and better for swimming.
We went for a Barbecue to Mike, Annie and Sarah’s house. This was Nicole’s first host family back when she was 16. If it wasn’t for
them inviting Nicole to live with them I don’t think Nicole would have been here in New Zealand now. They cooked a delicious Barbecue for us with veal, sausages, steak, salad, couscous, peppers, wine, beer, and great coffee. Very nice people.
Last night we had the pleasure of meeting lots of Chris’s family. His mom Karen, sister Christine and her boyfriend Mark, grandparents Sheila and Neil. All great people. Chris’s grandparents are originally from England. I can tell the difference with the English vs New Zealand accent. Anyway, they all came here for dinner. It was a lot of fun meeting them all after hearing about them for so many years.
Anyway, our first days here in New Zealand have been very enjoyable. It is a beautiful country with very friendly people. Were excited to hang out for awhile, explore more of the country, attempt to make up for some lost time with our daughter, and get to know Chris and his family better. We do miss all of you.
Cheers
Dianne and Bruce
PS. We love your comments. It encourages us to keep our blog up. Thanks to all who have commented.
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vianney
non-member comment
Hi Bruce, It's nice to see you so happy ! Thanks for the pictures. Regards Vianney