The Amess Family

Christchurch and beyond!

2009-02-08T21:49:00.004Z

This is a slightly abbreviated version of the end of the South Island because I want to catch up to the present time!! ( I'm only a year behind!!) The journey from Queenstown to Christchurch was phenomenal with Mt Cook as a backdrop how could it not be?! We really enjoyed our last few days in the South Island. We stayed at this luxury B and B as it was Rosie's birthday and enjoyed the very English feeling Christchurch (even the B and B was owned by an English chap)
Rich and myself took the long route home to bring back the cars while Rosie and Kath enjoyed a flight back to Auckland with the children.

All I can say is...the South Island is completely AMAZING...I hope we come back some time!

Milford Sound

2009-02-08T21:35:00.003Z

A "must see" of the South Island but we were pleased to only go for a day trip from Queenstown. We went on an overcast day which probably did not do the place justice but we were mildly disappointed. I think we built up this trip and our expectations were perhaps too high. Nevertheless it was really impressive but there are so many amazing places in New Zealand that this did not necessarily out do any of the others. Still... we managed to see some more dolphins which was brilliant!

Throwing stones in Queenstown!

2009-02-08T21:34:00.001Z

Queenstown

2009-01-28T21:01:00.004Z

Moving on from the very cold to the "Remarkable" Queenstown (quite literally). The Journey via the Haast pass was amazing. The sights were incredibly stunning on the journey and even the pictures don't really do it justice. Queenstown is the adrenaline capital of New Zealand. It is famous for Jet Boating and other equally dangerous pursuits. We loved it!
One of the highlights of our time was going to a farm park on the opposite side of the lake to Queenstown and feeding deer. Unfortunately, Matilda was not overly impressed when she got kicked over by one of the larger deers!! Amazingly she did not get hurt but it certainly added a bit of drama to an otherwise brilliant afternoon!

The Glaciers (Franz Josef and Fox)

2009-01-28T14:11:00.001Z

We moved down the West Coast down to the Glaciers. Unfortunately it wasn't the best weather when we arrived...and it didn't really pick up either. We thought about the possibility of taking a helicopter to the Glaciers but because of the weather it wasn't worth it. They were still quite impressive as well as the reflections of Lake Matheson. It was definitely worth the stop over.

Rocky Pancakes!

2008-08-17T20:25:00.000+01:00

Our week at Pohara soon came to an end and it was off down the rugged west coast of the South Island..destination Punakaiki and the famous Pancake rocks. The weather was gorgeous but I don't think the tide was particularly high so we didn't see the rocks in their full glory. It was still impressive though. The limestone rocks have been sculpted by the sea and unusual erosion. There are also fun little blow holes and rocks that look like animals (can you spot the lion??!).
We stayed at this crazy hostel in Punakaiki (poo on a car key!). It was in the middle of the "bush" and had a record player with a sumptuous collection of classic records. I don't think Rich, Kath and Rosie appreciated this quite as much as me! The shack was just a small walk from the coast and we managed to get down to the sea just before the sunset..great pictures to be had!! The other bonus with this wood shack/hostel was the fresh muffin breakfast that Rich went to buy in the morning. Great fun!

Golden Bay

2008-08-10T20:59:00.000+01:00

This is going to be a whistle stop tour of the South Island. I promised to myself that I would at least complete the NZ experience. I think I would like to continue it beyond NZ (is there life after NZ I am wondering?!?) but let's wait and see.
From Nelson we headed North to Golden Bay and the Sand fly capital of New Zealand! We were glad to be joined by Rich, Kath and Amelie in Pohara. The Johnsons found this great 4 bed bach with enough room for all of us to enjoy. We had a great time together. The highlight of this part of the excursion had to be the taxi boat ride around the Abel Tasman National Park from Kaiteriteri to Tonga Bay. Not only was the scenery incredible but we were joined by about 200 dolphins for the trip. This is where Rosie managed to win the "photo of the Amess NZ year" competition!
The only down side to the time in Pohara was that it rained a fair amount. Totaranui was our favourite beach. Rosie and I made full use of staying with the Johnsons by going out to a great local restaurant called "The Penguin". It was a great time together as families in the same house.

Nelson and surrounding area

2008-03-19T19:37:00.000Z

It's been a while since I last entered into blogdom. I am writing this in my parents' sitting room now back in the UK. I am missing New Zealand and so writing this helps me to remember what a wonderful time we had in such a brilliant country. Nelson was one of our favourite places to stay. We loved Rabbit Island (unusually named because we didn't actually see any rabbits!) and spent time messing around on the beach aswell as surfing in the sea.
Other fun stuff in Nelson included the Saturday market where we bought some gifts to take home (we found Harry a toy plane made out of old Coke cans and Matilda a lovely princess mirror). We also loved going to Seifried vineyard and a fun dairy (Neudorf) where they sold delicious sheep cheese.

Wellington to Picton Ferry Crossing

2008-02-27T02:19:00.001Z

The Journey from Wellington to Nelson

2008-02-09T00:21:00.000Z

New Zealand never fails to amaze me. I think of the Dover- Calais ferry crossing, especially the white cliffs of Dover, and remember really enjoying the whole experience when I first went with my family as a child. You then get to New Zealand and "ferry crossing" moves into a whole new dimension!! We got on the "InterIslander" at 10:30am from Wellington and proceeded to be amazed as we entered the Marlborough Sounds for the final hour towards Picton. Stunning was the only word to describe it. I took some video and pictures but it does not really do it justice. At the end of the day you'll just have to come over and experience it for yourselves!
The amazing journey didn't end at Picton though. We took the "Queen Charlotte scenic drive" from Picton to Nelson. It was a little bit windy in parts but the coast line views were spectacular. This is one journey I will never forget and for all the right reasons!

Wet and Windy Wellington!

2008-02-05T09:07:00.000Z

We arrived in Wellington in the rain... obviously the the old welly boots gag was banded around a bit! We have enjoyed the capital of NZ although the weather certainly has not been at its best! The museum, botanical gardens and cable car have been the highlights for us. We have also been enjoying some great meals out (the "1 red dog" was especially good).
Not sure when I will be blogging again but thought a quickie on Wellington was better than nothing!!

The Journey down to Wellington

2008-02-05T08:22:00.000Z

This is the big one! You cannot spend a year in NZ and not visit the South Island! We have talked about this holiday ever since touching down in Auckland and now it has come. Obviously it has been fairly manic up until this point. I have worked my final clinical week at Papakura and will miss the staff, patients and community a tremendous amount. I feel that I have been stretched in many ways but also really thrived so thank you to all at Rosehill.
We packed and left Auckland Friday 1st Feb 8:45pm. Our first stop was at Turangi (about 4 hours south of Auckland) where we enjoyed a small family room at "extreme backpackers"! It was perfect and Harry and Matilda thought it was brilliant fun to all be sleeping in the same room!
The next morning we jetted down to Waikanae which is about 1 hour North of Wellington. We stayed with Andrew, Helen and their 2 daughters Philippa and Katy (?second cousins on Rosie's side of the family). The company, food and place were all lovely. We especially enjoyed a trip out to Otaki gorge(which was the setting for some of the scenes around hobbiton in the "Lord of the Rings"). We all enjoyed swimming in the river and the "wobbly bridge".

Harry's 3rd Birthday

2008-02-05T07:48:00.000Z

I don't think I have mentioned in the blog the fact that we are leaving NZ in March. It is with great sadness but with eager anticipation that we return to the UK for the next chapter of our lives! It was no mean feat, therefore, to celebrate Harry's birthday properly in the midst of packing up our lives, staying at friends (thank you Mike and Jennifer!) and then house sitting at Paul and Laura's house! We managed it...just!
The main requests from Harry for his birthday were: 1. Opening presents in Mummy and Daddy's bed, 2. Having "Froissants" (croissants) and 3. Mummy's Chocolate cake!
We succeeded on all 3 counts which equated to very happy Harry on his birthday. We also had a little party for him organised mainly by a friend called Nadine (it was a joint birthday party with her daughter Molly). A great time was had by all including a sporting game of "Duck, duck, goose" (unique to NZ I think) which involved running fast round a circle. Harry didn't quite get the rules but it didn't seem to matter! Harry's favourite presents were items of clothing (I wonder where he gets that trait from?!?!) including a pirate's costume and some brilliant tops from various family members. Thank you all who gave gifts.

Tractor time with Dizz and James!

2008-02-04T08:43:00.000Z

This will surely go down as one of Harry's highlights of our time in NZ. On Saturday 19th Jan we ventured over to the West of Auckland to our friends Dizz and James. They own a beautiful house with amazing grounds in Oratia and we last went to visit them during winter. It was at that moment Harry was introduced to James' mini tractor which he uses to mow the lawns, and ever since Harry has been wanting to have a go on it!
James and Dizz kindly invited us over for a BBQ and official tractor driving time! Harry was in awe and I thought it was rather fun aswell! A classic "father son" bonding moment and I even got to mow the next door neighbour's lawn. (Note to self..I must buy a house with a big garden so I can justify buying a mini tractor!)
Thanks Dizz and James!

Farewell Auntie Buggy and Auntie Pee!

2008-02-04T07:23:00.000Z

It's been another busy month so yet again I have fallen a behind in my blogging! Sorry to all the regular subscribers (all 2 of you!) but I will endeavour to catch up with this sitting!
We have genuinely loved having Rosie's sisters to stay. It's been a fun time for all. The final week included Birthday celebrations for Amy, aswell as a Sky Tower trip for Harry and Matilda without the parents! It was a mildly tearful event when it came to the actual departure and parting of the siblings (although quite reserved by Kingsley-Smith standards!!)
Thanks Amy and Julia for coming and "mucking in"..great fun.

Dolphin encounter in the Bay of Islands

2008-01-04T07:40:00.001Z

We really did get to see dolphins "up close and personal". A great experience.

Matilda and Harry in the park

2008-01-04T07:38:00.001Z

The little park at Pacific Rendezvous provided great entertainment for the children!

Tutukaka

2008-01-04T07:05:00.000Z

The day after Boxing day we went up to a place called Tutukaka and a holiday resort called "Pacific Rendezvous". You may well think we spend all our time on holiday (which is partially true!) but I actually wasn't allowed to work in between Christmas and New Year because all the other staff from the surgery went on holiday. New Zealand practically shuts down from Christmas until February...Auckland is a ghost City and most Kiwis seem to be at the family bach for the Summer. (A lesson to be learnt?)
We tracked "Up North" with Paul, Laura, Gracie, Amy and Julia and spent a fantastic 5 days at this holiday resort with amazing views. Highlights of the holiday were body boarding at Sandy Bay, fun evenings playing Settlers and enjoying the facilities at the resort (including tennis court, great children's park, table tennis and private beach).
We also spent one day taking a boat trip to the Bay of Islands. The magical experience for us all was seeing dolphins on the trip (see video). Quite spectacular.

Christmas Day

2008-01-02T06:38:00.000Z

We decided to go for the stereotype NZ Christmas...Picnic on the beach after church, presents and then BBQ! It was a great day although the weather wasn't exactly brilliant sunshine... in fact it rained! We woke up to Matilda and Harry excitedly opening their stocking presents. Harry did wake at 5am but fortunately didn't notice the presents at the end of his cot and it was only when Matilda woke and said "Father Christmas had visited" that Harry realised it was a special day.
We spent the day as a family unit with Paul, Laura, Gracie, Amy and Julia. The extended family in the form of Rich, Kath and Amelie arrived for the evening and the big Christmas day BBQ. Harry and Matilda loved all the presents and the day went really well (apart from the poor weather!).

Rotorua Luge

2008-01-01T21:28:00.001Z

Watch Rose (and Auntie Pee) go!

Hot Mud Pools

2008-01-01T20:14:00.001Z

Check out the big mud porridge pond!

Rotorua and Lake Taupo

2008-01-01T20:12:00.000Z

Amy and Julia in NZ has been a perfect excuse to do some more touring of the country (as if we needed an excuse!). We managed to stay at yet another friend's bach in a place called Artiamuri. This was a perfect location to visit the tourist centre of NZ otherwise known as Rotorua. This place is truly incredible. It is noted for its geothermal activity and is also known as the Sulphur City because of the egg smell this produces. We had an amazing day visiting Waiotapu geothermal park in the morning, having lunch at the "fat dog" and bombing down the luge in the afternoon. Amazing!
The next day was also fun packed with a visit to Lake Taupo and it's Hot Springs (a swimming pool complex heated courtesy of the earth). Matilda and Harry really loved the big water slide but we were not quite brave enough to let them go down it by themselves! In the afternoon we went to the impressive Huka falls and then back to the bach for some pizza and a movie. Life doesn't get a lot better!

Auntie Buggy Arrives

2008-01-01T18:50:00.001Z

Julia's Arrival and Christmas Nativity play

2008-01-01T08:13:00.000Z

The full reunion of the Kingsley-Smith siblings has now arrived and I am not sure if Auckland is truly prepared for the onslaught! Julia walked through the automatic doors to the now well rehearsed welcome committee with the beautifully prepared banner and loud screaming (see video)!
Julia survived the flight/welcome incredibly well but had to wake up for the Christmas carol services at St Paul's church (largely because Matilda was an angel in the nativity play!). It was a great show but it is still all wrong to have Christmas in the Summer. The amusing part about Christmas in NZ is that many of the shops, and even the church, have fake snow in a feeble attempt to make it feel more festive (needless to say it fails miserably). I have never felt less "Christmasy" but it's great to have some family to visit which does compensate for the lack of cold dark nights in front of a cosy gas effect fire!

Harry Surfing

2007-12-12T07:36:00.001Z

Bethels Beach

2007-12-11T09:27:00.000Z

It was a gloriously sunny day on Saturday which meant a trip to Bethels beach (as previously mentioned). It is about 40 minutes drive from us and great for surfing. Paul and I had a little go at body boarding but it was flipping hard work to get out to the big waves and so came in after a while..still amazing fun though. Best of all was watching Harry being pulled along by Paul along one of the rivers going into the sea. See above!

Amy's arrival and Auckland Harbour

2007-12-11T09:11:00.000Z

Well we have made it to December and the much awaited arrival of the lovely Amy/ Auntie Pee (Rosie's sister). It has been great to show her the sights of Auckland and have her stay at chez Amess in New Zealand. The down side has been that the weather has not exactly been the kindest for Amy's arrival! Rain has been the order of the day although it is still quite warm.
There have been 2 main highlights (linked closely to good weather!). One is a private boat trip around Auckland Harbour and the other a visit to Bethels beach (out West) with Paul, Laura and Gracie.

Running Man!

2007-12-11T08:49:00.000Z

I thought I should mention briefly that I have taken up running over the past few months! It is all Paul's fault. He challenged me to running a half marathon in Auckland and of course I was silly enough to take it on. So 2 weeks ago (25th November) on a beautiful sunny morning at Mission Bay I set off on my first ever half marathon having only trained for 4 weeks! The run was in aid of a charity ADRA (disaster relief). The main aim was to survive and I did...just! I managed it in just over 2 hours (it would have been nice to be just under but in reality it wasn't likely considering I have never run seriously in my life!).
I have realised during this time in NZ that really we should all take more risks...I have spent far too much time doing life "safely"...at the end of the day it's there to be lived to the full. Please remind me of this when I'm back in England!

Up North!

2007-12-11T07:24:00.000Z

It feels quite a while back now but we decided to go on holiday for a week in the middle of November after a great weekend with Kurt and Sacha. We went "Up North" and contrary to popular belief it's not as grim as you might think! It may appear that we are constantly on holiday but in reality we actually haven't been away as a family for more than a long weekend since we arrived in NZ. It was brilliant to have fun as a family. We stayed at a "Top 10" holiday park in a little fully contained apartment. It was perfect. There were many highlights but perhaps the best part of the adventure was a coach trip to Cape Reinga (almost the northern most point in NZ and where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea meet). We had this great Maori guide who gave us a great insight into the local history. The other great bits were driving along the "ninety mile beach" and I had a go at sand dune body boarding...wicked man!
Best beach of the holiday was Matai Bay. Best fish and chips of the holiday came from the world famous Mangonui fish and chip shop. Best moment of the holiday was seeing Matilda fly the kite that I made with her during a lunchtime and it actually staying in the air!!

Mangawhai Heads

2007-11-22T08:15:00.000Z

Another weekend, another Bach and more amazing beaches. I sometimes have to pinch myself that it is all real because we have enjoyed such a privileged existence in NZ (mostly because of extremely generous Kiwi friends)! 2 weekends ago we were invited by friends Kurt and Sacha (with their 2 great children Cassidy and Brooke) to a place called Mangawhai Heads (about hour and half north of Auckland). We stayed at Sacha's parents Bach which was brilliant. It has its own vineyard which produces some delicious wine (sampled during the weekend). The other real attraction was access to a massive sand dune that only the residents of the private road can explore because there are no other roads to it! This, understandably, was a real hit with the children who loved running down the sides of the dune (surprisingly Harry and Matilda were slightly fearful to begin with but soon got the hang of sliding down!). It was a great weekend with fantastic hosts!

Tawharanui

2007-11-22T07:44:00.000Z

The next weekend after Papamoa was a trip slightly closer to home to Tawharanui Regional Park (an hour north of Auckland). We spent our time at this incredible bach in a place called Christian Bay (aptly named with lots of sheep on the hillside and next to the ocean...Jesus would have approved I am sure!). We spent the weekend with Rich, Kath and Amelie and enjoyed catching up/discussing life/enjoying good food and wine! They knew the owners of the bach and we managed to tag along...result!
The highlight was going to.. yes you've guessed it...Tawharanui beach which was almost empty when we went to it. The other great fun event was enjoying Matakana farmers market (pretty famous in NZ) and buying some lovely bread and salad dressings. (I must be getting old to enjoy things like salad dressing!)

Papamoa

2007-11-01T09:40:00.000Z

It's been a while...the life of "male scrap booking" definitely goes in fits and starts! My main excuse is that we have been so busy enjoying New Zealand that time composing a blog is fairly low on the list of things to do! We have done loads of things since Martins Bay. The first exciting trip was to Papamoa to stay at a friend's bach. Papamoa is a beautiful little town/village close to Mount Maunganui and Tauranga about 2.5 hours drive from Auckland. We decided to make the most of the bank holiday weekend and managed to have a 4 day break.
Mount Maunganui was the first place in New Zealand that felt busy! It was stunning but had far too many people for our liking (I am slightly concerned this will always feel the case when we return to UK!). Anyway, despite this we had a great time.I actually read a book which must have meant I relaxed! The highlight for me was walking up Mt Maungnui itself...I'm not so sure the children felt the same..it was a bit of a trek for little legs! The other highlight was watching Matilda ride without stabilisers for the first time. She's a real star!

Martins Bay

2007-10-03T09:53:00.000+01:00

We dared to travel north of Auckland the other day! We found yet more spectacular beaches and stunning scenery. We travelled about an hour to a small town called Warkworth and then drove on to Martins Bay on the advice given by tourist information ("Snell's beach is good but not as pretty as Martins Bay").
The beach was beautiful and weather particularly good for early Spring. I was almost tempted to get into the sea but fortunately had not packed any swim gear! Martins Bay had the added excitement of trees invading the beach area which doubled up as great climbing frames for Matilda and Harry (and me!)
After a brilliant morning we went back to Warkworth for some fish and chips and a play in the park...what a great way to spend a day!

Fun with Friends

2007-09-23T03:09:00.000+01:00

Having Paul and Laura over has been a perfect excuse to do some fun things (not that we really need an excuse). I have really enjoyed having some blokey company and managed to go out to see The Bourne Ultimatum with the boys. Paul and I also found this great place to play golf in the centre of town. It had amazing simulated golf courses so we can now claim to have played Pebble Beach (a famous US golf course) in Auckland..crazy!
The 2 other highlights were a day trip to Piha Beach and a great 8th wedding anniversary/farewell to P and L meal at the top of the Sky Tower. The fun thing about dining in the Sky Tower is that the restaurant is revolving.....well some may call it fun.. but others might say it does provoke a sense of low grade nausea especially if you're really hungry! Despite this it was a great evening. Comedy of the night was watching the girls (Kath, Laura and Rosie) try to fit a whole glass into their mouth! We waved goodbye to Paul and Laura the next day..very sad ...particularly for Matilda who for some reason found Paul's magic tricks vaguely entertainly! The old money behind the ears gag is always a winner!

Gym

2007-09-23T02:42:00.000+01:00

There are many things that NZ does very well. Coffee is one of them but another great Kiwi attribute is it's devotion to an active life. So many sporting pursuits are much more affordable (and better equipped!)in New Zealand and that is why we have signed Harry and Matilda up to go to Gym lessons.
Unfortunately, I have never actually been to see the children at their lessons because I am at work, but by all accounts it is something pretty special! Rose has drafted in the help of a new friend called Rachel to supervise the children during the sessions. She also took the opportunity to take Paul and Laura (O not KS) while they were here and managed to get some fun action shots. Matilda, in particular, loves it and has shown some real talent. This is definitely from the KS side of the gene pool since I could only just do a rolly poley (not sure of the spelling!)!

Paul and Laura Visit NZ!

2007-09-14T09:27:00.000+01:00

Paul and Laura Oxley (not Kingsley-Smith!) have been staying with us for the past 3 weeks which has been an absolute blast (quite literally for Paul having ate something dodgy in Bangkok!). We enjoyed showing them the sites in Auckland for their first week before they set off for the Coromandel Peninsula and Rotorua.
We really did have a lot of fun but the highlight of the trip had to be a 4 day break in Turangi (next to Lake Taupo). We went down with Rich and Kath to meet up wih the Oxley's and enjoy a bit more of the North Island. The main reason for heading down to Turangi was its proximity to Mount Ruapehu and the snow!
On the first day we trekked down to Ohakune. The weather wasn't exactly ideal but we still managed to do a bit of sledging despite the freezing winds. The next day, however, we went to Whakapapa (the Maori "Wh" is essentially a "F".. and ..as you can imagine there was great hilarity with this word especially when Matilda and Harry decided to have a go at pronoucing it!). Anyway, we had an absolutely stunning day up Whakapapa (excuse the pun)...the weather was great and the company not too bad either. Harry and Matilda spent time sledging with Paul and Laura which gave Rosie and me the opportunity to ski together. We always vowed to go skiing together before children but failed so this was a bit of a dream. We were a bit rusty to start with but soon remembered the basics. We both thought to ourselves..this is why we came to New Zealand!
Another bonus at Whakapapa was that the children were allowed to go on the chair lifts..great fun.

Whangamata 2!

2007-08-12T10:05:00.002+01:00

Took loads of photos and couldn't decide which ones to put on the blog...so here are a few more!

Whangamata

2007-08-12T09:26:00.000+01:00

"Uncle" Paul's birthday came at a perfect time this year. One week after a hectic moving weekend we celebrated Paul's 27th birthday (is he really that old?!?!) at a bach in Whangamata (in the Coromandel). The weather was brilliant and the company not too bad either! The New Zealand coastline constantly impresses me. It is always a joy to go to amazing beaches but even better is the fact that there is nobody to share/spoil it! Call me anti-social but who wants to holiday with other people (apart from the group you are with). It's also great not to have to walk a mile or 2 to get away from the crowds especially if you've got loads of kit for the children! If only I could transport this part of NZ back with me!
Anyway, the weekend was really great. We played far too much Settlers (a strategy board game and great fun but not so good for your marriage if you're competitive!) and enjoyed some good coffee and fantastic pizza. The other highlight was flying a kite on the beach. I don't know about you but I haven't ever been able to fly a kite for more than 10 seconds. I remember spending many a frustrating time with my Dad and then with my children unable to get the stupid kite in the air. I think I have now cracked it...thanks to a little tuition from my brother-in-law I would now consider myself almost competent!

On The Move Again!!

2007-08-06T16:00:00.000+01:00

It has been a while since the last blog note and this is probably due to moving house again and settling into a new area. The seaviews were fantastic but in reality the house we moved into in Hillsborough was a bit too big for us and slightly too isolated for a young family. I will miss the proximity to the sea and it was great fun for a time...but Mount Eden is the new hunting ground for the Amess family!!
So ...on the 20th July... the Amess family moved again! We hope this will be the last in New Zealand because I don't think my back will cope with another!! The day was actually really good fun. We hired a knackered old lorry (for about 35 GBP equivalent) and we shifted all our stuff in the space of about 5 hours. We couldn't have done it without the help of Paul, Rich and their better halves. I really think we could set up as a removal service...or perhaps not!! The highlight of the move had to be the "burgerfuel"(best burgers in NZ) at the end of the day. Class!!

The Funky Monkeys!

2007-07-23T11:01:00.000+01:00

The theme of top gigs continues with the introduction of the Funky Monkeys!! We have seen them twice in New Zealand...and really they are slightly difficult to categorise. I guess they could be best described as a Kiwi version of the "Wiggles" or "Hi Five" and for those of you who don't know who the "Wiggles" or "Hi Five" are....shame on you!!
The Funky Monkeys have been on Nickelodeon (children's TV) so are vaguely famous! We recently got to see their show at St Paul's (our church in NZ) and both Harry and Matilda had a blast. Fun and frolics was the order of the day and boy did Harry get into the dancing!

Regina Spektor

2007-07-23T10:32:00.000+01:00

Last week I went on a hot date with my wife! We went to see Regina Spektor (and no it is not some kind of medical instrument Paul!). She is or has been in the charts in both UK and NZ. Rose liked one of her songs on the radio...so when we heard she was going to be in Auckland we decided to jump at the chance....not really knowing whether she had any other decent songs!
We were a little apprehensive trekking out on a cold Wednesday night but were pleasantly surprised to find out that she was incredibly talented and definitely not just a one hit wonder! She is an interesting individual coming from New York yet originally from Russia and actually a classically trained pianist rather than a pop singer! It really was a great show...if you get a chance do go and see her...although I think her gig in London at the South Bank Centre has already sold out!

Auckland Fishmarket

2007-07-04T08:22:00.000+01:00

Auckland has a great fish market. This may come as no surprise to many considering it is surrounded by water! We spent a great morning with Rich, Kath and Amelie down at the fish market. Harry and Matilda both really loved the incredible variety of massive whole fish. Unfortunately, there was great distress when Matilda wasn't allowed to pick her own fish to take home. This was mostly due to the fact that we did not actually know how to cook the fish Matilda chose ...or indeed what it was called!
In the end we decided to get a large salmon and snapper. The bonus about this market is that you can choose a whole fish and take it to "the nice man" and watch him fillet it for you. Fantastic!

Auckland Zoo

2007-07-01T02:21:00.000+01:00

We love Auckland Zoo! It was one of the first venues we visited in Auckland and decided to get an annual pass straight away. We have had so many fun times at the zoo. The animals seem to be really happy and it is very well laid out.
Matilda's favourite activity at the zoo is going into the maze of underground tunnels that go though the meer cat dens. You can pretend to be a meer cat by poking your head up, at various places, into viewing domes...very cool!
Harry's favourite are the "Mummy and Daddy" seals. You can view them swimming underwater which absolutely thrills Harry!
Other highlights include the elephants, tigers and lions.
Just as you leave the zoo there is the kiwi bird house. I am sure most of you know this fun little bird is the national emblem of New Zealand. I find this slightly intriguing considering the kiwi bird cannot fly because it has no wings, it cannot see with its eyes, only comes out at night and is becoming extinct...not sure what this says about New Zealand!

Visitors and Auckland best venues

2007-06-18T23:41:00.000+01:00

It has been great to welcome visitors to Auckland. Obviously the main visitors have been Granny and Grandpops (Rosie's parents) but we have also had James and Dawn Wilson to stay (James was Rosie's housemate in Sheffield).
I would say we have 4 favourite Auckland attractions that we like to visit.
1. The Sky Tower. This dominates the Auckland skyline and is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere!! We went up with Rosie's parents and had a great time looking through the glass floors.
2. Cornwall Park and One Tree Hill (Made famous by the U2 song). Always a great afternoon trip. The views from the top of One Tree hill are stunning (although it is now no tree hill because some joker cut it down in protest for Maori rights!!). This was the venue for Grandpops' Birthday breakfast.
3. Mission Bay, St Heliers, and the Kahve experience. A great cycle ride and big breakfast! We did this twice when James and Dawn visited because we love it so much!
4. Mt Eden. This is an extinct volcano with a big crater. It has great views but also a fun park at the bottom of it. Matilda and Harry love the zip wire.

Waiheke Island

2007-06-13T09:32:00.000+01:00

Rosie's parents came to visit in March and April which was a real blast. Amazingly, they had already booked the trip before we knew that we were going to NZ! The highlight of their stay was a trip with them (and Paul, Laura and Gracie) to Waiheke Island (One hour ferry ride from East Auckland).
We stayed at this fantastic Bach right next to Onetangi Beach. It was perfect for the children who could cycle up and down the beach. It also provided a great running circuit for Rosie and me(that is correct grammar before you email me!). Another big highlight were the incredible rock pools and sea life. Harry and Matilda loved it.
We did brave swimming in the sea although it was autumn. Matilda seemed to really get the hang of body boarding....and warming up in the hot tub afterwards was definitely a bonus!

Finding a House, Car and other essentials!

2007-06-11T09:23:00.000+01:00

Our New Car!!

The Front of our House

The view during the day

The Sunrise View...not bad hey!!

The main aim of the first month was to have some time to find a house to rent and set up. Unfortunately we arrived in the middle of a rental crisis in Auckland (ie there were no houses to rent!). This meant the prices were rather high and most of them were rather "student accomodation" in style! We did eventually find a place with lovely seaviews and great amounts of space. The only down side to the house is that it is perhaps a little isolated and Rosie has to jump in a car for most things. The children seem to love it and there have been some great games of hide and seek! The other big bonus is a fun little walking circuit through the "bush" which we have done many times with the children.

Setting up the house has been quite fun. Our shipping eventually arrived at the end of April and that has made a big difference to the house becoming a home. "The Warehouse" and "Briscos" (the NZ equivalent of Ikea/homebase/B and Q/ Asda) have been great sources of some real bargains!

The biggest excitement has been buying a car. I know this may sound a bit sad but we went to a car auction to buy a big MPV! It was such a laugh and a real adrenaline rush. We managed to pick up a bargain Toyota Estima (bit like a Praevia) for a great price. Rose did almost bite all her fingers off though!

Work

2007-06-04T23:57:00.000+01:00

It may seem like it is one big holiday in NZ but I have also been working. I started work at the end of February at Rosehill Christian Medical Centre in Papakura which is right on the outskirts of South Auckland. The medical centre cares for a very mixed population and was first set up by local churches about 20 years ago. It serves quite a poor community (largely Maori and Pacific Islanders) and it has been quite a change from looking after the upper/middle classes of Leckhampton in Cheltenham!
The New Zealand system has many similarities to United Kingdom. However, the main big difference is that you have to pay to see GPs in NZ. Access to hopsital care/clinics is only by GP referral but free. In the centre of Auckland a standard consultation can cost up to $75 but at my surgery we charge only $15 (but this is still a large amount of money for many). The NHS may have many faults but I have come to appreciate the fact that it is free at the point of access.
The population I serve is really quite chaotic which does make efficient healthcare provision a bit of a nightmare! Diabetes, obesity, alcoholism, drugs, depression and infection seem to be the biggest issues. Simple education and compliance with treatment are on going battles! It is a far cry from the target orientated General Practice in UK and really quite satisfying. The other bonus is that I have 15 minutes with each patient which allows me to indulge in some health promotion and also get to know my patients properly.

Birthdays!!

2007-06-04T21:57:00.000+01:00

Matilda with her new care bear (the pink one!)

Classic marble run pressie!

The cake was made by Rosie!

We have had some significant birthdays since arriving in NZ. Rosie turned 30 and to celebrate we enjoyed a birthday brunch at Cornwall Park (like Hyde Park but slightly more hilly!). I had my 32nd Birthday and Matilda was 4 on 23rd April! We had a sweet little party and I attempted a treasure hunt to entertain the troops. It seemed to work quite well although only lasted for about 15 minutes and so we had to also resort to the trusty "pass the parcel" and "musical bumps"! Matilda had fun and especially enjoyed the princess party hats.

The Coromandel

2007-06-04T03:02:00.000+01:00

During our first month in NZ we visited the Coromandel (the sticky out bit to the east of Auckland!) with our great friends Rich, Kath and their little baby Amelie (our God daughter!). We stayed at a beautiful bach in a place called Whangapoua just 2 minutes walk from the beach. It was incredible and also fantastic to catch up with our friends (who have been living in Auckland for 2 years now). The highlight of the trip had to be walking from Whangapoua to New Chums Beach. You can only access this stunning beach by foot and it takes 30 minutes to trek through the jungle to get to it...worth every second! The children loved it and pretended to look for tigers to pass the time!
It was truly a fantastic break.

Beaches, Parks and all things kiwi!

2007-05-24T03:30:00.000+01:00

First impressions of NZ....amazing, beautiful, spacious and incredible for children. The jetlag wasn't too bad although Rosie and I both had bizarre floaty/vertiginous feelings for the first week. I'm not too sure about the children but they certainly seemed to cope better than we did!

It was amazing to be able to land and stay with Paul, Laura and Gracie without having to worry about food, water and a place to sleep for the first few weeks. They were also brilliant tour guides and showed us loads of the "must see" stuff in Auckland.

One of the first places that we visited was St Helier's, Kohi and Mission Bay. These are situated just next to downtown Auckland and are absolutely stunning. Perfect for children and adults alike. One of our favourite things to do is take the children's bikes and walk round from Kohi beach to St Helier's while the children cycle. We have been introduced to the Kahve experience at St Helier's and have often had fantastic "Full English or French toast" brunches. We obviously could justify this after a twenty minute walk!

During the first few weeks we were struck by how child centred New Zealand is. The parks are brilliant and not covered with cigarettes/graffiti/litter. The beaches and coastline are equally well looked after and respected. Here are just a few pictures of the fun!

The Arrival!

2007-05-21T05:25:00.000+01:00

It seems a long time ago now but I thought I would give a bit of background to the adventure! It was October 2006 when we decided to plunge into lifting our family to the other side of the world. It has been an interesting journey with the usual ups and downs but the heart behind it has always been to try and live life to the full! It was fortunate that I managed to get a job in Auckland as a GP...more about that a bit later..but this confirmed our ability to move to New Zealand.

I can only describe the months before leaving as frantic. Saying goodbye was painful, especially to close friends and family, but thank God for the telephone and internet! We eventually managed to get some visas (one day before leaving!) to allow us to leave the UK and on the 31st Jan we set off on the Air New Zealand flight to Auckland via Hong Kong. It was a tearful departure as we said goodbye to Rosie's parents, Amy, Julia and my parents.

We arrived in New Zealand 24 hours later on 2nd Feb and greeted by Paul(Rosie's brother), Laura, Gracie, Rich, Kath and Amelie. Mixed emotions followed...one of relief that we had survived the flight (including Harry!!)..but also that of disbelief we had actually done it! However, the great welcome from friends and family has made the transition to a different culture far, far easier!

Welcome to New Zealand!

2007-05-21T02:16:00.000+01:00

It has been a long time coming but we have eventually found our way on the web and a little space in blogspot history! This goes out to friends and family. It will hopefully journal the time we have in New Zealand (and maybe beyond!). We would like it to be funny, thoughtful, enjoyable and vaguely accurate! I apologise in advance for any typos etc. but life is too short to worry about things like that! So....here we are then...