Christmas in the sun

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy Christmas in the sun but I did! The run up to christmas was a little bit strange I put my Christmas tree up on a hot sunny day listening to my Christmas CD while people were playing in the sea across the road. Usually its a cold dark night with the fire on and a glass of Baileys at hand!

The following weekend Jodie and Richard arrived from the UK to celebrate Christmas and New Year with us. I was so excited about their visit I was up before 6 o'clock the morning of their arrival. It was an emotional reunion at the airport seeing them for the first time in six months. It's made our first Christmas as New Zealand residents even more special having them here.

Christmas day was perfect brilliant blue skies without a cloud in the sky! We opted for traditional Christmas dinner - turkey, ham, christmas pudding and even managed to find some frozen sprouts. The rest of the afternoon was spent basking in the sun watching people playing on the beach and out on their boats. A great day and I definitely loved Christmas in the sun. But I did miss some of the traditions of my usual Christmas including having a Christmas lunchtime drink in the Wils, I missed spending Christmas day with my mum and dad and I missed the snow. For the first time in ages its snowed around Christmas day and I missed it!

Boxing day was spent at friends house, swimming in their pool and soaking in the spa with a few drinks and nibbles - perfect!

The next day we set off on our summer holidays to the South Island of New Zealand.

Kayaking

We've decided to take advantage of living on the seafront and bought a sea kayak.

We bought it from Fergs Kayaks who let us test a couple of different ones out on the ocean before we bought. Got a great service there lots of advice with a friendly smile too! The owner has actually represented New Zealand five times in the olympics at Kayaking.

So far its only been around the coastline of Bucklands Beach, we're building up to a trip to Rangitoto Island. When I say we actually I haven't been on it at all yet - just Harry and Darren. I'm waiting for the weather to warm up before I give it a go!

The Start of the Cricket Season!

Yesterday saw the start of the junior cricket season in Auckland. So we headed off to the match at 12.30 armed with chairs, drinks and a picnic ready to watch Harry play his first cricket match in New Zealand. The weather was close to perfect, blue skies, the sun was shining and there was just a slight breeze.

Back in the UK Harry was playing 20 over games, this one was 45 overs, I think he was a bit worried about the length of the game and I was certainly worried my attention span for cricket wouldn't last for 90 overs!

Harry's team batted first and scored 199 runs, although at 11th man Harry didn't get to bat. Over here junior cricket seems to be a little more serious than I remember it being at home. Players are either designated as batters or bowlers. Harry's now a bowler hence being so far down the batting order. They also train twice a week and are advised to go for a run in between!

After a short break the second innings began with Harry's team fielding. The opposition was all out for 73 runs. So first game over with a win, Harry bowled pretty well, taking his first kiwi wicket and making his mum proud.

The game was played on the local colleges sports field and bacon sandwiches, cups of tea or a bar were sadly missing. However to make up for that was the location of the cricket field. I thought some of the cricket pitches at home were set in the most beautiful locations but this was something else (see the photos.)

I just about managed to stick it out for my first 45 over match!

For any regular blog readers sorry I've been a bit quiet recently, I can give no other excuse than I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself. I love this place but it's so hard being so far away from friends, family and familiar things. Back on track for now though!

Walking in the Hunua Ranges

Last weekend we decided to go out and enjoy some of the great countryside here. We headed off to the Hunua Ranges with a picnic and the intentions of a short walk and kicking a ball around. The countryside on the drive up there was so pretty. When we arrived we picked up a map showing the walking routes and decided to go for a short route for our first visit and picked the one and a half hour loop.

The start of the walk was through sub tropical forests and was really steep, after about a half hour walk up 'a mountain' my heart was racing faster than after a gym session. Although that's not saying too much I guess often my gym session would consist of quite a bit of time in the Sauna and spa pool! After another half hour steep walk we came across a sign post that didn't quite match where we thought we should be. After consulting our map again we realised the car park we'd set off from wasn't the one on the map and we were in an entirely different area of the forest! I must add here that I hadn't been in charge of the map reading, I left that to Darren - who should know better as a former scout!

The result of that meant we were on a three and a half hour walking loop! There was talk of turning back by the youngest member of the walking party but we decided to carry on. And I have to say it was well worth it the forest was beautiful, and about half way round it opened out to a picturesque dam - it reminded me a bit of Marsden (Huddersfield). We stopped there and ate our picnic, which included the most yummy bacon and egg pies.

At the end of the walk was a rock hop over a stream. It was a lovely place to go and reinforces some of the reasons why we came to New Zealand.

Every weekend feels like being on a holiday here, but just the same as being back at home Mondays come round so quickly!

photos taken on the walk - Rock hopping across the stream - Hunua Falls - A peek
of cossey Dam

More fun on Mount Ruapehu

Day 2 in the snow...

We woke up to another perfect day, brilliant blue sky no cloud and not a breath of wind. We decided to give snowboarding another go, to see if we could really master it. This time Kenny (our friend from Auckland) decided to give it a go as well, but without the lesson! I have to say he picked the going down the hill up really well, he was almost to the bottom of the slope before I'd even got going. The only thing was no-one had told him how to stop, so very painfully for him he had to fall to stop himself. He's been suffering ever since with sore ribs, its cruel to laugh at someone else's misfortune but it was one of the funniest sights ever - well so far that day!

After a couple of hours we decided our aching bodies could take no more of the snowboarding and headed much higher up the mountain on the ski lifts for some lunch and sight seeing. The views up there were amazing and the ski runs looked pretty scarey - not sure I'll ever be good enough to give them a go.

After lunch and a few photo opportunities we set off back down the ski lifts. I've never been too keen on travelling on the ski lifts, it makes me nervous having to jump off while the chairs are still moving. What happened next has made me even more scared of going on them. As we approached the bottom of the slope, a huge queue of people were waiting to go back up. I jumped off and tried to run to the side out of the way of the chair but got the toggle of my coat stuck in the chair. I shouted to the guy operating the chair that I was stuck but instead of stopping the chairs he asked if I could take my coat off, all this whilst I'm running alongside the chair in the snow. In a mad panic I managed to get my coat off doing a stunt man type roll in the snow at the same time. Much to the amusement of my family and friends and the huge queue of people waiting!

I did get a bit of an applause for my efforts and the guy helping people on to the chairs managed to get my coat for me. So apart from a bruised cheek all ended well!

After that we headed back up to Auckland. Its one week on now and I've only just stopped aching. Harry can't wait to try it again but the ski season is pretty much coming to an end so it will be next year before we go again. Unless we go to the indoor ski centre at Snow Planet - mmmm...i might just watch!

Fun in the snow!

My furniture and other posessions finally arrived I came home to a house full of boxes - 106 of them to be precise. We've just about finished unpacking them now and it feels much more like home having familiar things around us and pictures up on the wall.

One of the best things about having our things here is I can use the dishwasher now we have more than four plates, dishes, cups etc. I was really glad to get rid of the cardboard coffee table too! The spare bedroom is made up now ready for visitors from the UK. The first visit is from Jodie and Richard in thirteen weeks - I can't wait I'm hoping to talk them into staying!

Last weekend we decided to get away from the boxes for a while and head down to Mount Ruapehu. Its about a four hour drive down towards the middle of the North Island and is a ski resort in winter. We'd booked a fantastic house in Ohakune, when we arrived the log fire was burning it was really cosy.

Next day we got up to a perfect day brilliant blue sky with just a slight chill in the air. The views from the decking were fantastic. A beautiful running river and green trees to one side and the snow topped mountain to the other. We decided to head up to the mountain go and play in the snow for a while and see what the skiing and snowboarding was like.

It was pretty busy there but just so beautiful. You could see for miles and miles. Harry wanted to have a go at snowboarding so we hired a board and boots and booked him a lesson. Rather foolishly Darren and I decided to have a go too!

We (Darren and me) were by miles the oldest people having lessons. It was one of the hardest things I think I've ever done. My problem was I couldn't stay on my feet and when I fell I couldn't pull myself up from a sitting position without heading off down the hill! The only way I could get to my feet was from a kneeling position which meant I ended up facing up hill and started going down the hill backwards. After about my 20th fall I was ready to give up. But Chris, our instructor was so patient and between him and Darren they made me keep going.

I finally started to get the hang of it learnt to turn and managed to stop and steer myself down the hill. Harry picked it up pretty quickly and he was flying down the slopes and couldn't wait to have another go. The apres ski was my favourite bit of the day...to be continued.

Go the Giants

I've been counting down the weeks until our furniture and other possessions arrive in New Zealand. They arrived on the date due about three weeks ago. It took a while for it to clear customs and then it had to be checked by MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry). They cleared last week but then I was told there wasn't a van available to deliver until this Thursday! I'm not sure my cardboard coffee table will last, its sagging in the middle now. I'm so excited about seeing my shoes and handbags again and it will be really nice to have some kitchen equipment and furniture too - can't wait!

So this weekend will be unpacking and maybe watching the Giants game, if I can stay up that late or get up that early! Everything sports wise seems to be going well since we left, England won the ashes; the Giants have got to the final of the Challenge Cup and Huddersfield Town have had a great start to the season, scoring nearly as many goals as i saw all last season! Maybe we were jinxes.