Pinnacles, lighthouses, seals and Scooby.

I write this sitting in our living room doors to the balcony open, sun streaming in, view of the hills beyond and a gentle breeze blowing.  Last weekend we didn't have any of this.  For the first time since we arrived in New Zealand we had proper rain.  Sunday it was howling a gale and drizzling constantly.  Overnight for the next couple of days we had proper downpours.  Despite this, not enough rain has yet fallen to bring us out of drought and we still have water shortages and hosepipe bans.

Thankfully, before the rain set in last weekend we got up to Lower Hutt (just north of Wellington City) to a road lined, from one end to the other, with car dealerships.  We spent most of Saturday gazing at our reflections in shiny bonnets, test driving various makes and models, and generally trying to work out what cars we could afford.  In the end we didn't buy on Saturday but looked at some private sales through the start of the week.  This resulted in a new addition to the household  - "Scooby" (A Subaru Forester 2.5x - for those who are interested.)

With the weather so variable this week we had to wait until the weekend for a decent walk. On Saturday we headed out to the Putangirua Pinnacles near Cape Palliser for a walk with some of the better half's work mates.  It turned into a beautiful day.  We had to drive there over the Rimutaka Mountains (great windy mountain road through native bush) and then head through the Wairarapa (lovely rolling meadows and vineyards) to the coast.

    

 

For the geologists, the pinnacles are an example of sedimentary deposit over an alluvial fan which has then been eroded by streams and rivers to form "hoodoos" or badlands.  The erosion happens very quickly (in geological terms) and the oldest pinnacles are reckoned to be 125,000 years old and the youngest approximately 7,000 years old.  It was a great walk through a surreal landscape (which was also used during the filming of Lord of the Rings - prizes to those who know which scenes it was in!)

We finished off the day with a quick drive down to the Cape Palliser light house, a look at some of the seals basking on the rocks and an icecream.  There was supposed to be a rock pool with hundreds of pups but we couldn't find it so had to make do with some grumpy males and their long suffering harems.  The day gave us a sample of the ease with which we could get out into rural New Zealand and hopefully we will be able to do more at Easter weekend.

    

The Adventure Continues

So last time I started by saying I didn't have much to report then rambled on for five paragraphs. This time there is actually some proper news but I'll come to that after I have attempted to bore you with other scribblings.

On Monday this week I finally made it to a climbing centre. Two hours later I realised over six weeks without climbing had left me with weakened fingers as I repeatedly fell off climbs I felt sure I should be able to do. (They do say use it or lose it.) Looks like I will have to start re-training for when all my climbing friends come to visit. The good thing was the centre was reasonable and the staff very friendly. I then, on Thursday, got to try out the second climbing centre in Wellington (this time with other people to climb with). This too had reasonable facilities and friendly staff. It also had the added advantage of being half the distance from home. I was still falling off repeatedly though. Must try harder!

So to the big news of the week. After the job interview last Friday I received a follow up phone call asking if they could contact my referees. I was then invited back for a second interview on Wednesday. This "interview" turned out to be an informal chat with the manager in a cafe over a cup of coffee. They obviously weren't put off by my description of myself as "mental" and I have been offered the job. I am therefore due to start as an Environmental Protection Officer for Greater Wellington Regional Council on the 25th March. Scary!

Today I got out for a good walk - 15kms or so through the Te Kopahou Reserve (which is the area on the opposite side of the valley from our house). I walked up to a radar dome on the ridge through an area that was burnt in a scrub fire two weeks ago. Once up on the ridge I then headed through the reserve and down to the coast, then along the beach and back home. It turned out to be a very windy day (Wellington living up to its nickname) and despite the sun it was quite chilly. The forecast had said winds of 30-40kph but down on the sea front, with the funnelling (or maybe katabatic) effects of the steep coastline, there were gusts of 70kph+. It was actually difficult to walk and I was periodically covered in grit, sand and sea spray. All in all it was best described as invigorating and I did get some great views over the reserve and Wellington from the ridge tops.

I'll leave you with some pictures from the walk (there is a full album on Facetube)

 

Mental!

There is not a huge amount to report from this week.  Following on from the previous week the majority of my efforts have gone into trying to secure gainful employment.  Before I come to the job interview saga I'll round up on the rest of the weeks events.

The house is slowly filling up with furniture.  Wednesday our lounge suite arrived and on Saturday we received a washing machine and an unexpected television (given to us free by a colleague of the better half who had upgraded).  This, of course, means we can now waste our evenings, slumped on the sofa, watching re-runs of naff English and American TV shows. (This is marginally better than watching the TV made in NZ which makes Hollyoaks and Channel 5 feel sophisticated.)  It also means we will have a choice of clean clothes again.  The, admittedly limited, number of items we packed had dwindled to very few clothing choices and partial nudity was looking a real possibility by the middle of next week.

In amongst all this I was offered an interview for a job as an Environmental Protection Officer for Greater Wellington Regional Council.  They called me to tell me this on Wednesday and the interview was on Friday.  Cue a hectic Thursday of a) tidying up my appearance, b) getting my head in gear for an interview, c) checking, re-checking and triple checking the bus timetable, d) frantically wracking my poor brain for good examples to back up the skills and experience I claimed to possess on my CV.

It all worked out, I made the interview on time (actually I made it early and went to a cafe for a soothing green tea to calm my nerves),  the panel were very friendly and I remembered most of what I had revised to say.  I actually quite enjoyed the experience (I'm really not a masochist).  My only moment of slight panic was when I opened my mouth without first thinking and answered the question, "How would your former colleagues describe you in one word?", with "Mental!".  Thankfully, the interviewers laughed and I did get a chance to explain that this was due to my predilection for hanging off the side of mountains.  They seemed generally impressed (not just with the fact I was mental) and promised me a call next week.  Fingers firmly crossed.

         

After the excitement for me on Friday, and a busy week at work for the better half, we have had a very relaxing weekend.  Saturday was spent chilling out, enjoying our balcony and  a good book (there may have been a few bottles of beer as well).  Today we went for a short walk through the Tawa Tawa Reserve and up to the Powhenua (Maori boundary marker).  We had planned something slightly longer but the onset of a sore throat and sniffles for the other half meant we chose a shorter route.  We enjoyed the sun, fresh air and some good bird watching.  Now we are relaxing with yet more time on the balcony and maybe another beer in the sun.

One month on

So it has now been over a month since we touched down in the Land of the Long White Cloud.  It seems like a long time ago I wrote about that moment.  We have achieved a huge amount in that time.  The blur in which a month has gone by is in stark contrast to the leisurely pace at which the last week has passed.   We are slowly adding furniture, kitchenware, bathroomware and other essentials.  Whilst the better half dutifully goes to work each morning I have followed a daily routine of job searching and applications, walks and runs, and trips to go shopping for much needed essentials.

Those of you who are following me on Facetube or Twaddle will have noticed the fairly constant stream of photographs and status updates over the last week.  For the rest of you here is a summary of roughly what we have been up to.

Saturday 23rd Feb -  The day was spent in various homeware and furniture stores across Wellington.  Money was spent, arguments over the colour of a toilet brush were had,  but in the end the bulk of essentials for our house were purchased.  We spent the evening on our balcony relaxing on our new wicker chairs enjoying a well deserved, and much welcome, beer.

 

Sunday 24th Feb - More of the same trawling of shops for essential items that didn't make it onto Saturday's list. Followed by a walk along the coastline close to the house to try and grab some relaxation time before the better half had to return to work on Monday.

 

 

    

   

Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th Feb - Job hunting, filling in applications, unpacking (there are still items in suitcases), shopping for odds and ends.

 

Wednesday 27th Feb - Having spent two days writing, refining, rewriting, proof reading, checking, rechecking and actually submitting job applications, I gave myself a day off and went for a long walk.  Now for the history lesson.  In 1840 the New Zealand Company (who were running Wellington) thoughtfully set aside an area of land surrounding the settlement for "public use".  This became known as the town belt.  Approximately 70% of it still remains and although the modern city limits are well outside this belt, it provides vast green areas in the midst of the the modern city.  The walk I did follows the town belt from Island Bay (home) right into the heart of the city through various parks and reserves.   Thirteen kilometres of marked paths mostly keeping off the roads.  They thoughtfully provide you with a topographical profile of the route which shows that despite the high point being less than 200 metres above sea level the total ascent and descent is over 1000 metres.  All good fun, lots of interesting birds, plants and views - a fantastic walk.

 

    

    

  

Thursday 28th Feb - The hottest day we have had since we arrived.  No wind either (very unusual).  I returned to the routine of job applications whilst the better half was at work. In the evening we took a wander along the beach front and had dinner, al fresco, at a fantastic little cafe overlooking the sea.  Note to self - on days without wind in the summer don't forget the mosquito repellent.

 

Friday 1st March - More of the same job hunting/application refinement.  The bonus of the day was we finally got our phone line and broadband installed.  We finished the day with a tasty meal and a bottle of bubbly to celebrate one month in New Zealand and one week in our new home.

Saturday 2nd March - Off to a seminar organised by Settlement Services Wellington called Welly 101.  Lots of useful information for migrants and we got to meet loads of people in the same boat as us.  We also manged to find time to spend a couple of hours in Te Papa Museum (the National Museum) and to drop in on a furniture store and order a sofa.

Sunday 3rd March - What else would we do on a Sunday but go to watch some cricket.  Specifically, Wellington Firebirds v Auckland Aces in the Ford Trophy One Day Series.  The Basin Reserve will host the second England v Blackcaps test later in March.  It definitely does not feel like an international venue as one whole side of the ground is just a grassy bank (very comfortable though).  It was a fantastically relaxing day despite a nail-bitingly close match. Wellington lost though - Auckland needed 4 off the final ball of the innings and Kyle Mills, in style, hit a six back over the bowlers head.

So that brings us up to date.  The better half is at work, I am trawling more job websites and this week's routine is underway.  Apologies if I have waffled on, but there was a lot to catch up on.  Writing this is as much a form of therapy for the chaos in my mind as it is to entertain and inform the reader. I know it is a fine line between interesting and mundane.  I'm just not sure where the line is.    I shall, in future, endeavour to hover somewhere in the region of quite interesting.
 



The surreality of being...

So today was (and still is) the big day.  I have mentioned, on many occasions, the nagging feeling that this must all be a dream but early this morning, having packed the better half off to work, I picked up my hire car and drove out to our new house.  I put the key in the door, open it, and stepped inside.  Every day being here seems more real and each little step we take forward brings the reality of life in New Zealand closer.  Walking into the house was a big step to waking me up from the dream.  I suppose this week has gone by in a daily grind of job applications and searches, followed by mentally disconnected walks along the harbour, and just entering the a house we could now call our own was a concrete indicator that we are actually living here.

I could bore you all with how wonderful the house is (very tempted to).   To tell you the truth, at the moment, it's a little cold and empty as it is completely unfurnished.  However, I'm sure you will agree the views from the balcony compensate for any other short comings. (Check out the panorama at the end of the blog.)  We have started furnishing it anyway.  I got to do my man-lego building with a flat pack dining table and chairs which was delivered this morning.  There should be a bed arriving later.  We will, very quickly, turn it into a home and not just a house.



       

Having justified my manhood and assembled one table and four chairs I took a short wander down to the parade (shops, cinema, cafes, bars, takeaways etc...) at the bottom of the hill.   I then enjoyed a stroll along the sea front and watched some Variable Oystercatchers feeding on the water line whilst eating lunch.  The walk back up to the house is steep but not too long (should keep me fit).  I arrived back day-dreaming.  I think I have almost mentally adjusted to being a Wellington resident, especially as I am now day dreaming about the future and not just marvelling at being here.  On that philosophical note I shall leave you with my favourite quote - you can decide for yourself how dangerous you think I am.

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." - T. E. Lawrence

 

 

"It's not a holiday, honestly!"

This week has mostly been about putting the final plans in place for moving into a new house next Friday.  As explained in my last missal, we had two in mind but eventually decided to take the plunge and signed on the dotted line to rent a property in Island Bay.  The house is up on a hill and has a balcony with a view over Owhiro Bay.  It is well above the tsunami danger zone which is essentially a blue line painted across the road.  As the better half starts work on Monday we have been putting in the time this week searching for furniture to fill it with.

It's not all been trudging the streets and trawling the internet though.  We took a day off to explore the East Harbour Bay area.   The hills just behind the beach are criss-crossed with tracks through some thick bush with the occasional clearing and view across the harbour.  We spent a few hours slogging up onto the ridge, then trying navigate it south without getting lost in the forest, before returning to the beach for ice cream and the ferry ride back across to the city.

       

To contrast we have had an evening on the town with one the better half's workmates and then last Friday got tickets to the T20 Cricket - Blackcaps v England.  It was fantastic to get on board with the sports-mad Kiwi spirit and we cheered England to a huge win at "The Cake Tin" (Westpac Stadium).

This weekend has been more relaxed as the better half prepares to start work and I have started job hunting.  As I type, I am listening to more of the England cricket tour (the first ODI).   It's great to have a excuse to support either side - I am not hugely patriotic so really I just like to see a good game.  It does remind me that I am not in England though, and of all the people we have left behind.  Someone had better be the first to come and visit to stop us missing you.  After all, as of Friday we will have a spare room.  See you soon!

Beaches, birds, boats, and other B things (not necessarily in that order)

Five days worth of blog seems like an awful lot to catch up with: and to think I initially thought I would only post every week.  If I remember rightly (actually I've cheated and read my last post), we had just experienced "Windy Wellington" and were trying to arrange house viewings.  We were delayed in our first house viewings by "Waitangi Day" which is a public holiday.  We used the day to take a trip round the suburbs and get our bearings on where we wanted to look at houses.  It was a beautiful sunny day (you'll all get bored of that phrase eventually) and we even managed a walk up Mt Victoria to get a view over the city.
 

Having had a good look round the city we have decided, to start with at least, we would like to live in the Island Bay area, approximately 6kms south of the city centre.  It has a fantastic little bay with a sandy beach, fishing boats and good local facilities.  It is also good for buses to get the better half to work.  The best bit is that it has plenty of flats/apartments with views of the sea.  The down side is the slightly inflated rents in the area.  Looks like I will have to knuckle down and find work quickly.

From Thursday through to Saturday has mostly been taken up with viewing houses.  We have seen good, bad, ugly, cheap, expensive, damp, cold, hilltop, beachfront, and a whole load more.  We have put in two applications in the Island Bay area and are still waiting to hear back.  The whole rental process is more straight forward than the UK (at least it seems that way) and tenancy agreements are very standardised.  Fingers crossed we will have news early next week.

Today then, has been a day off from running all over the city and the better half found a Ship 'n Chip deal which included a morning in the Wellington City and Sea Museum, fish and chips lunch, then a boat trip to Matiu Somes Island in the middle of the harbour.  The island is a wildlife sanctuary.  They have managed to eliminate all the rats and other invasive species and now a number of endangered endemic species area flourishing.  We had beautiful sunshine (there's that phrase again) all day and enjoyed walking around the island looking at the birds, plants, insects and reptiles.  On the way back we took the ferry that stopped off at Day's Bay and then Seaton before returning to the city.  This gave us a good look round the harbour and a different view point on Wellington.

We are slowly settling in then.  It will feel more like home when we have a house.  There is still a long list to work through before we will be set up here.   We are trying to stop ourselves constantly performing mental currency conversions and adding up each days costs.  After all, you can't put a price on sitting down at the end of the day, beer in hand, looking over the harbour and listening to the sea.