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Published: October 22nd 2012
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Having used our wedding in 2006 as the perfect excuse to honeymoon in NZ we didn't quite know back then the big dream we would unleash and that five years' later we would set off on our Odyssey with our possessions in a few bags last December! Not that there was much of a hardship with bonus trips to the USA , OZ and finally at least six months in NZ to get jobs and hopefully settle down for a bit.
So thousands of miles, hundreds of memorable experience and a million smiles later we finally found ourselves in the position of applying for a work visa and a chance to live a 'kiwi' life. Elaine's birthday week proved to be a catalyst for great life experiences but also finally not one but two job interviews which took place within 24 hours of each other and in both islands just to give us real choice! After the Christchurch interview and then a dash to the airport we spent 24 hours in Paeroa to check it out and the interview at Hauraki District Council went really well for Elaine so it was a no brainer to take it once it was
offered one Friday in mid-July!!
This then unleashed a whole other level of excitement and anxiety as it was finally time to fill out a proper work visa application and prove why we should have one and give evidence of our ten year relationship! Having covered all the bases we then found out Elaine had to get a police certificate from Ireland but some speedy phone calls to Mum & Dad and the Garda back home resolved that one. With no choice but to wait for the decision we resolved to have some more fun in Christchurch (yes more rugby!) and make the most of seeing Kate, Pete and the kids as we knew we would have to pick up and run once the visas were granted.
It was sad not to be able to settle near them but at least we could stay in the same country for a bit longer. So after a few frantic phone calls and letters from Elaine's new work to Immigration NZ we were packing up our little cabin home, having a farewell dinner and cramming Scrappy Doo with all our worldly goods for the trek across the Cook Strait and up
to our new home in the North Island.
It was a two day trip by ferry (Anna wasn't sick!!) and road with a stop off overnight in Levin before we got to Hamilton so we could pick up our passports containing the all too precious visas that give us 12 months in New Zealand, our intention being to apply for residency class visas soon enough. But first we needed to find a new abode and concentrate on adapting to work after nearly nine months off! Good fortune and helpful people were on our side as we only had to stay at a camp-site in Paeroa for two nights as we found our lovely 3 bedroom home in quick time thanks to the estate agents and for not a bad rent at all....it is a big change from living in Scrappy and a cabin but it's become home v quickly and feels v cosy....we're now all set for visitors which is very exciting for us.
It was soon time for Elaine to pack her lunch box for the first time in ages and head to work! There was a welcome morning tea and lots of friendly people which has
made the transition very pleasant, though the ole brain cells have taken some time to wake up properly! Anna has been equally blessed and after a few days relief teaching at a local special school, she has now started a three day a week post which may become full time from February. That along with being able to furnish our place comfortably off TradeMe has given us a great start to life here...
There have been lots of enjoyable community days including the Antiques Weekend and Vintage Car Rally and our neighbours having us around for Friday drinkies which has helped us to settle in well. But most of all we've loved having the opportunity to explore our surroundings and relive memories of our trip four years ago and also see places we couldn't get to then.
So we've been to Mount Maunganui near Tauranga and just this weekend we celebrated Labour Day back in the Coromandel. We revisited Cooks Beach which was one of our favourite haunts but also got to see Cathedral Cove in all its glory and beautiful sunshine...this was after going up to Port Jackson near the very tip of the Coromandel along many
kms of unsealed roads which Anna and Scrappy navigated brilliantly even in the squally rain we had yesterday as we headed towards Hahei and Anna had her first swim of the season at Hot Water Beach. It wasn't low tide enough to dig into the hot springs but great to seem them all the same!! We feel v lucky indeed to be so close to so much beauty which just gets better and better.
We've had a picnic at Waihi Beach just 30km from us and Anna has been busily making the vegetable garden grow so we're looking forward to our crops of potatoes, courgettes, capsicums, tomatoes, beetroot etc.! Elaine has been looking after the lemon tree and once we get a decent lawn mower (long story!) will be tending the lawns too!
We are looking forward to a sunny countdown to Christmas and we're playing golf every Wednesday in a form of the game called Ambrose which is perfect for beginners like us. Elaine's boss is a keen golfer and was keen to involve us in this social affair! We are planning to be back in the UK and Ireland from the 29
th December and we shall
have lots of adventures before seeing you all and catching up on all your happenings of the past year. We're looking forward it and we'll speak to you all soon..........
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