what we are doing.

I had a funny turn last week. It finally dawned on me that we now live in New Zealand, that we are not on holiday and that we are not going 'home' to the U.K. in the near future.

I play golf with my uncles once a week, was wednesdays now tuesdays. Surprisingly i still have a lot of my ability, I seem to be able to hit the ball a vast distance but lack the control but it will come with a little more practice.

Ellis is loving school, Harvey has started 'kindy', and Claire is eager to start some sort of job, maybe after christmas.

We just had halloween, a little surreal going trick or treating in the middle of spring, normal you expect to freeze your tits off!!!

Harvey usually doesn't sleep during the day but the other day was different, he got a pillow a blanket and crawled under the dining room table!!

How bloody cute!!

This weekend I am working at the local home and garden show, I will post pictures of our stand later.

Our shipping has arrived in Auckland, now I need to travel to the airport and visit customs and MAF (ministry of agriculture and food, blah blah blah whatever). I need to get clearance from both for our stuff and all being well I then go to the shipping company and collect our stuff. OR travel back to Rotorua, wait for MAF to arrange an inspection, travel back to Auckland to witness the inspection and then hopefully collect our stuff. What a ball ache. The excitment is reaching fever pitch from Ellis, his bike, playstation, roller blades, bedding etc. are in there and he can't wait.

Thanks to everyone who has been in touch since we arrived, keep up the emails and watch out for us on skype.

Anyone interested in buying our house yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rotorua Ekiden

Somehow, I managed to get roped into participating in the Rotorua Ekiden. Esentially it is a marathon relay around the beautiful Lake Rotorua. Our office entered three teams of six, two running and one walking. Thankfully I was on the walking team.

So, togged out in a pair of my fathers size ten trainers with two pairs of socks on to ensure a snug fit, of i went at 7.30am to meet up with my team mates. Only to find I had the 8.1km leg with a continous 2km gradient to overcome. Bloody lovely.

But overcome I did, in a suitably impressive time of 1hr and 9 mins. Not bad for an ageing 35 year old!

Photos of the day are still being digitally enhanced, but will be posted at a later date. Official photos of the day will be available on the Ekiden website, link above, soon also.

Best thing was the BBQ after at my bosses amazing house, that is for sale, and we could afford if our house in the UK would fu**ing sell. Oh, and the cool reebok t-shirt and medal. Yes, a medal. Whoever said that i wouldn't amount to anything!!!!!!!

life in NZ so far.

It has been a long time since my last post, so this will be the mother of posts

We have been here for about 3 weeks now. The first was taken up with silly things, like getting IRD numbers (NI numbers), bank accounts etc. Once that was all done, we paid a visit to my new office, APR Architects. we washed our 'new' car, for those interested it is a Mitsubishi RVR, 2.4litre, permanent 4WD, automatic thing. Actually it is really good.

We also have my dad's camper van. This is 'my' car for the time being, or until i can afford my mitsubishi Evo 5.

We are living in my Mum and Dad's house for the next year. It is lovely, clean, relatively warm and cosy but best of all, BIG. The boys have their own bedrooms, which is fantastic. Our bedroom is the size the two large bedrooms in our old house, which is still for sale if you have a spare £150,000.

What have we been doing, I hear you ask, mainly shopping. There is stuff that everyone needs.

Harvey needed a new bike, we all needed things like shoes and stuff. We bought the kids tons of toys. The house needed bits and pieces, things that make it feel a little more homely.

And what else? Fun stuff, like visiting the local lakefront, where there was a gypsy market, quad bikes to ride, planes to see. But most important was a trip to the LUGE. This is the best ride in the world! Firstly you travel up the mountain in a gondola, then speed down it on a tea tray then travel back up on a chair lift.

And most importantly this week, Ellis started school. He is now fully enroled at Ngongotaha Primary School. And in two weeks Harvey starts at kindergarten.

And just for my Mum, a picture of some flowers in her garden that she never see's bloom because she is never in the country.

That is about it for now, I promise i will update more regularly now.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed in the last three weeks, we miss you all loads, keep in contact and start saving your money. You are all welcome to visit anytime.

oue epic journey part 2, OZ and NZ

So, after leaving Dubai on Tuesday morning we prepared ourselves for a 17 hour marathon journey to New Zealand. The four of us and my mother, who was travelling with us so she could teach us all we needed to know about our new home.

Sat in what would be home for the next three quarters of a day, we were blessed with a 600 channel entertainment system, The food was good the kids behaved fantastically, and Claire hardly spoke to me the whole time, almost like heaven.

We arrived at Melbourne Airport twelve and a half hours later, at about 6.00am. Our plane was then prepared to leave at 7.10am. So a quick security check and a trip to the toilet later and we reboarded for the final leg of our journey.

A little over two and a half hours flight and we arrived in Auckland to a very emotional welcome from my sister and her family. Her account of the day can be seen on her blog, Life today.

our epic journey part 1, Dubai..........

So, we left for Birmingham airport at 10am on friday 14th september. Bound for our intermediate stop over in Dubai. A 'short' 7 hour flight to the middle east and four days with my parents. Arriving at just past midnight, to be greeted by temperatures of 30c+, and an average daily temp of almost 40c.

Saturday morning saw us visit the beach near the 7* Burg Hotel, and then to the Mall of the Emirates, the largest mall in the history of the world, apparently or something, who cares. It is just full of designer shops that I will never afford to shop in, and the most amazing indoor ski slope. But, we did get some new sunglasses, from NEXT.

Saturday night was spent at a friend of my parents, Phil and Tikka, who were having a BBQ, so after swimming in the private pool on the housing complex we ate and drank.

Sunday 16th, saw a trip to the local water park, and the hottest day of the four, 44c! imagine that if you can. It was just a little bit too hot to really do anything. Then that evening Claire, my Dad and myself drove to a desert wasteland to enjoy the HASH HOUSE HARRIERS. A quick 3mile brisk walk followed by a bonfire, lots of beer and joviality. The Hash is something not to be missed, look it up in your area and turn up, you WILL enjoy it.

Monday 17th, was a day of rest, with a trip to another beach, again a little bit too warm to have much fun but just nice to relax. A grown up meal at the local hotel while the kids were looked after by Tikka, gave a nice end to the stopover.

Tuesday was then time to leave for New Zealand. and part 2 of our epic journey.

i am new to this

hello claire here, i have not used this yet but why should iain be the only one telling you things!! the shipping company phoned today the final price for shipping was less than we expected so thats good news and the boat that it is going on is leaving next week so ellis will get his playstation back sooner than expected hurrah!!

i have been out for lunch with my mum and dad today which was lovely we topped it off with a walk around colwick park, it is so nice there but very hot.

we are going to my cousins wedding in london tomorrow, it will be nice to see that side of the family before we go. we are borrowing my brothers car and i have to drive as iain is not insured so it will take us much longer than it should and i will need a bucket of red wine when we get there for my nerves!!!!!

nothing else to report at the mo speak again soon.

claire x

they will be dead soon

Just checked my mothers blog, and she shows you a lovely picture of her orchids back home in NZ. Only two weeks 'til they are dead when we arrive with our children and our ability to kill any plant.

You have been warned mother.

about bloody time.

Finally, with one week left 'til we move, we have a viewing on our house. Friday night at 8.10pm, so fingers crossed everybody this is the one.

Female looking for three bedroom semi, in a nice area, no upper chain and mortgage in place. Sounds perfect. If only there were a god, then I would be praying for the next 48 hours.

On a different subject, the transport company came today and collected the eleven boxes that are being shipped to NZ, just waiting for the final price.

Can take 14-16 weeks to ship depending on how quickly the container is filled. Now just need a freight forwarder in NZ. Hopefully shipping will arrive around christmas then we wont have to buy the kids many presents!!!!

Look forward to seeing you all soon.

and so the nightmare continues.....................

we have started packing up our life ready for shipping to new Zealand, surprisingly there is not as much as we first envisaged. But, it is one hell of a job sorting stuff into boxes, making sure they are not over the weight limit and making lists of what is in each box.

ouch.

Claire and I have both had some more tattoos done. Claire's stars are to represent our two 'delightful' children and mine is a little more self explanatory.

When we get to New Zealand we will want more so we will be looking for a decent tattoo studio.