‘Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse………unless you can class the sound of our tummies creaking with maximum capacity being pushed to new levels.

Christmas this year will be another adventure. Despite a few lovely invitations to join new friends for Christmas revelry, we had previously elected to have a picnic, a decadent picnic may I add. It is planned for the Hamilton Gardens which we have become so fond of. We are hoping that not too many other people choose to do the same so we will be able to pick our spot – possibly in the walled Italian Renaissance Garden? Or the fragrant herb garden with its lavenders and mints? Perhaps even the 16th century Indian Garden with is stunning colours and unpretentious water fountains? Or maybe all of them even, who knows. With an esky in hand, have food – will travel! As we eat, we will be sure to reminisce about our family and friends and trust that they are doing the same of us.

Everyone here has been so welcoming and outgoing. For the few months prior to arrival, we were made to feel very wanted with offers of accommodation, advice and encouragement. Upon arrival, this has continued and I am confident will stay the case. Our earliest few days were overwhelming with welcomes and smiles all round. Everyone seemed genuinely pleased to have us come in to their small and familiar work environment. I sense that I am at a point now where I am relaxing and joining in on jokes and conversations, not as a stranger trying to fit in, but a recent addition to the team.

I wish everyone a sensational time over the next few days and that the laughter and food continues in abundance. Contemplating the memories of you all will be the best Christmas gift I receive this year. Thankyou, for all of them.

Live as you will have wished to have lived when you are dying.

I still feel like we are on a holiday. Not a bad thing really, but I hope it isn’t a sign that there will be some sort of collapse later on when reality sets in? What do you think? Here's the situation. We are lodging in a small, but modern and clean self contained unit. From our windows we are looking out across countryside of grasses and flowers quietly dancing about in the breeze. In the distance there are some low ranges and ancient volcanic peaks, often with their summits concealed in the clouds. During the day I adorn a nice green uniform (my favourite colour) and spend the day working (playing) with chimps, red panda or the likes. Can you see where this is going? Sure, its not all honeysuckle and kiwi fruit though. There are the quandaries of what walks to attempt on our days off, where shall we go out for dinner tonight and what novel should I read in the evening as I drift off to the resonance of rain on the roof.

It has been over 4 weeks since arriving on New Zealand soil, and it has gone exceedingly quickly yet very slowly at the same time. That makes as much sense as it does to say we are 'working' over here! We visited Auckland for a few days last week, which was enjoyable. While it is a lovely orderly city, it is still a city and almost an exact smaller adaptation of Sydney with its sky tower, bridge, and quay and so on. These places were even laid out in the identical locations as the bigger versions in Sydney. Very strange indeed and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone who was involved in the planning of Sydney, then moved over here and planned Auckland!

A few quick observations about New Zealand – please forgive me if I offend. First impressions are vast still all very, very good indeed. Due to high taxes, there is an mind-bogglingly first-rate road system. No good-ol Aussie potholes around here. The towns and cities have enough overpasses and underpasses and every other sort of pass to get traffic through, even the tiniest of towns. Combined with this, the NZ government has a agreement with the Japanese Government to import huge quantities of their used vehicles. The results are car yards brimming with late model cars such as Mercedes and BMW not to mention every Japanese manufacturer that exists. There are no deafening, smelly, ozone-depleting gas guzzlers here. There are full roadworthy checks every 6 months which each vehicle must undertake; otherwise it’s off the road for them. Everything looks new and clean and very respectable. A bit too respectable actually because it is really conspicuous how uniform all the traffic l appears. Mildly strange. It is amusing to see a young ‘P’ plater pull up at the stop lights with ‘thud-thump-thud’ music blaring, baseball cap on sideways and all the body art and facial attitude of a tough guy. Due to the strict car condition rules though, he is sitting high in a Camry or a bluebird with none of the trimmings of the ‘tough’ car image, not even dice hanging of the revision mirror or fancy hub caps.

So, having all this mighty infrastructure and modern cars, you’d think they would be fine drivers, yeah? Well, I can now understand why NZ pumped out all of those ‘Highway patrol’ reality TV series, and ‘Crash Scene Investigation’ etc. There are masses of people who appear to be willing participants in such shows, willingly or otherwise. No one seems to be familiar with the speed limit, or indeed any other cars on the road! It’s sink or swim when you come to an intersection. Unless there are traffic lights involved, don’t try to follow the road rules or expect much courtesy – you’ll be tooted at from all directions otherwise. The only other country that I can comfortably say has worse drivers is…….Jamaica! At least here they drive on their own side of the road, don’t use the footpath as an overtaking lane or grassed verges as express lanes.

So, as I pull in to the driveway in my mind I will sign off for this week. There is nothing else to report except to once again say that I am living the dream and can’t wait for the next intersection. I toot just for the hell of it – makes me feel like a local.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. (Helen Keller)

Freedom...

Upon reading back over earlier posts for this blog, it easy to see how much this adventure has been consuming my mind and spirit for the past few months. In some ways, the moment we stepped on to the plane everything began to happen swiftly and a little bit out of control. Only now have I begun to feel the process slow down as it is now I am feeling comfortable with the unrestrained speed of this experience. I am living what I have been preparing for and enjoying the freedom - freedom from work problems, freedom from jobs around the house, freedom from bills, Indian call centres, dust, flies and freedom from being slowed down by who I am, what I do and where I go. It's just me, the bare elements on which all these other things have accumulated and weighed me down. The single thing I do not want to be without is Phil. He has inspired this adventure in me, renewed that old desire for travel which dragged me around the globe in times past and he is the catalyst for many positive changes, past, present and future. There would be none of this freedom at all, if it weren't for him. My Phil.

Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. (Anonymous)

I’m not quite sure what I was really expecting with my arrival in New Zealand. I was a little too idealistic in my attitude of leaving many old thoughts and concerns behind as I left Australian soil for the green grass on the other side of the fence, known formally as New Zealand. Without realising it, I think I was hoping for an easy transition where everything would go perfectly and my life would be full of adventure and fun. Now that I have landed here, physically and psychologically, I have realised that no matter where you are, life consists of the same elements for everyone. The daily struggle of relationships- both old and new, of work – the eternal time consumer for life itself, and finally of leisure – the things that make it all worthwhile. I am learning now though, that while these elements and their issues will always remain, it is how I respond to them that will be important from now on. Relationships. Leaving everyone we know in one country and moving to another means that everyone we meet will be a new face, and maybe even a new relationship to develop. This takes time and effort and there will be no other way around, just time passing by and letting bonds by showing respect and interest in those around me. Then there is Phil, my comrade in arms on this adventure. Facing all of these challenges and changes alone could be daunting, but even more so with someone else. Once again, extra effort will be needed to increase my levels of consideration and patience with the one person I know can make this adventure even better than it already is. Work has so far been great, and I am looking forward to learning and growing through my new role and responsibilities here. Previous inconveniences have occurred when I inadvertently become involved in the politics of the work environment and this will be avoided by not being judgemental and remaining conservative in expressing my opinions. Leisure. This is what will secure it all together and there will be no stopping me. While the first two elements of relationships and work will be fraught with limitations, boundaries and the associated challenges, leisure will be the wild horse running free to balance the whole equation out. Bush walks, cycling, gym workouts, flying, driving, swimming, skiing and then some more bush walks from the tip of the North Island to the tip of the South Island, not forgetting the offshore islands as far away as Fiji, Samoa and maybe even Tahiti! Yep, no matter what, leisure is going to be the element which drives this vessel.

So, enough of the deep thoughts and contemplative comments and what is really going on? While I am being a little more realistic about the unfolding of his adventure it is still a great one to be on. We are living in a little unit on a farm about 15 minutes from the centre of Hamilton which is surrounded by green fields and cows, with fantastic views of the surrounding ranges. The zoo is about 10 minutes drive from our house and a lovely drive at that, through the countryside on roads lined with hedges and flowers and more green fields. Have I mentioned how green it is over here? I am working with the Chimps to begin with, primarily because two chimps from Adelaide Zoo that I worked with arrived here at Hamilton Zoo the same week. It was all a coincidence really, but it is working out well for them to have a familiar face in this new environment, and vice versa! The round also has Red Panda and Agouti (big rodent like critters from South America), so a nice variety. The zoo itself is quite big because the animal exhibits are enormous compared to most other zoos. Everyone is friendly and helpful and seem genuinely very welcoming. As you may have guessed from the opening paragraph, while I have no hesitation in meeting new people and making friends, it is almost surreal to be having to do this with so many people at once with no respite in familiarity. Hamilton is a small city (170000 people) in the centre of a productive rural floodplain. The fast flowing Waikato River flows through the centre and the area is fringed by low ranges with the west coast being about half an hour from town. The high volcanic peaks of Ruahepu and Taranaki are only a few hours drive away, Auckland is about an hour north of here and there is an airport that has flights to anywhere else we may with to spontaneously visit. With this picture in your head, I will sign off to contemplate once more life’s elements and the joys that they bring.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. (Theodore Roosevelt)

The eagle has landed.

Or is it the fat lady sings? Either way we have arrived in beautiful New Zealand with its green, lush grass, thick forests, mad drivers and unfriendly real estate agents. The enormity of what we are doing hit home on Saturday as we left the farm heading to Adelaide Airport. We looked behind us at the empty shell of our property, no signs of the so familiar activities of peacocks, turkeys, goats etc, not even the dogs were there to watch us drive away, wondering what time we will be back this time. It was very sad. The positive side of me kept repeating that we weren't losing the farm, not even leaving it forever, just going off on this unchartered adventure we had been planning for so many months. I still felt incredibly sad.

But here we are, in a land full of opportunities of work, travel and adventure and I am not about to let any negative feelings last long enough to inflict casualty upon this experience. Our temporary accommodation is nice, out of town on a property with lovely 'landlords', our hire car is a tiny red toy box on wheels, but it serves its purpose and our spirits are high. Our quest for more permanent accommodation and an a more manly car will begin once I get off this website and start searching. We stopped in to Hamilton Zoo yesterday to let them know their new staff had arrived safe, and were impressed by the minute glimpse we got of staff and grounds alike. We will return there tomorrow for a longer period of exploration and probably again on Thursday (night) with the arrival of two Chimpanzees from Adelaide Zoo.

Until I get more convenient access to the internet, my updates may be staggered and strange, full of spelling mistakes and lacking photos. It will happen.........

Torn between two lovers

Not quite, but a good opening line. In a way though, it does describe the outlook I have at the moment. I had my last day at work a few days ago which came as a bit of positive relief and signified the close of a chapter. A sad ending, none the less. In a few days we will be in New Zealand beginning the next stimulating chapter of this adventure. So here I sit, in limbo between these two chapters, the two lovers between which I am torn. The old one full of memories and madness, comfortable and secure and the new one full of potential and adventure, unchartered and distant. With this state of limbo set to continue for a few more days yet, I find myself waiting once again, with a sense of imminent sadness when we say our last goodbyes to the farm, our families and our friends. So here is that last posting from me on Australian soil as I prepare to flick the page of this endless novel and embark on the next chapter.

Don't wait for extraordinary circumstance to do good; try to use ordinary situations. (Charles Richter)

It’s all coming together nicely. Not perfect, but certainly comfortable. A few days ago we got an email from one of the keepers at Hamilton Zoo. She was offering some furnished accommodation on her sisters’ farm, which we accepted instantaneously. Not only does this mean we won’t have to stay at a caravan park upon arrival, but we will living out of the city area. Even better, it means there will be no need to rush around intensely, looking for rental accommodation and buying furniture all within the first few weeks. We will be able to settle in to our new environment gracefully.

One more wave of the magic wand has seen one of the keepers Phil works with at Monarto Zoo become our new tenant. He will move in to our house a few days after we depart which is just ideal. We are still going through a real estate manager who will deal with any issues and problems on our behalf, but it is fantastic to have someone we know living here. He will also be looking after our two dogs until we decide if we are brining them to NZ once we get settled.

Not a particularly reflective or philosophical week for me. This was due to working 7 days straight and having a torture of a week with an orang-utan who broke his arm amongst one of the more manageable problems I had to face. But the end is near. I have another day off now, then back at work with my last day being Sunday. My mind isn’t quite anywhere at the moment, but maybe that’s a good thing……it needs a rest……..

Time heals what reason cannot. (Seneca)

It’s getting a little bit messy in my head at the moment. Quite a few things going on and I don’t seem to be able to control them. Sound a bit screwed up? Not really, just an extraordinary combination of disquiet, nerves, sadness and anticipation. In less than 3 weeks from today we will be leaving Australia and up to this point I feel that I have been in relative control of the processes we need to go through leading up to departure day. I have been free to pack at my own pace, rehouse animals at leisure and potter around feeling it’s all coming together. Suddenly and without warning, I now sense I am on a conveyor belt that will deliver me to the airport on the due date, at the due time. Along the way there are a series of events which are set in stone - necessary farewells, the last of the packing and finer details of departure. I want to be in control again.

But then, isn’t what this is all about? Adventure? ‘Adventure’ isn’t an orchestrated production of events set to thrill, it is an activity that comprises of risky and uncertain experiences. ‘Control’ is all about exercising restraint, showing discipline in personal and social activities or dominance over an activity. How can I expect these two concepts to meld? Now that I think about it, why would I want them to anyway? Exerting control over adventure will diminish not only the enjoyment of the experience but will also limit the potential outcomes and achievements. So, I will now take a step back and loosen the reins of insecurity and let this adventure continue to run free. After all, I have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can't just accept the ones you like. (Mike Gafka)

Waiting, waiting, waiting…..

That what it will be like for the next few weeks, just waiting for the looming departure date to hit. I have had a few weeks of holidays lately and in that time I have managed to pack up much of the house, do some serious cleaning ready for new tenants, relocated almost all of our pets and generally got myself ready for the jump. The latter includes looking into accommodation in NZ, car prices, internet access, services in the Hamilton area, looked at maps, photos, newspapers and more. I almost feel like I am ready to leave tomorrow with all this new found information I have in my head. But, I am back at work tomorrow and will be right up to the week before blast off. So until then I will enjoy my last days at Adelaide Zoo, catch up with friends and continue waiting, waiting, waiting……..

Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. (Ronald E. Osborn)

Some years ago I left Australia with an international air ticket in hand and just $38 dollars to my name. Somehow I managed to work and travel my way around the globe for the most part of a year. As my oldest friends will tell you, for much of my adult life it was a case of now you see him, now you don’t. Moving across the country on the spur of the moment, calling to let people know what I am doing after I have done it. So why is this move to New Zealand, a small hop across the ocean, providing so much more emotion for me? I lay awake most mornings before I get up thinking about this, not worrying but thinking deeply about what lays before me. I believe there is no answer to my question. Just let it be and enjoy the experience.

I am on holidays again and have continued to slowly pack up the house. Slowly I say, because I am finding it difficult to pick up an item and not remember where it came from, who gave it to me/us and what memories are associated with it. Then I have to decide whether to pack it into storage, give it away, throw it out or keep it to take to New Zealand. At the moment, that is what my life feels like – I am choosing the memories I want to keep and the ones I want to dispose of. It’s a bit surreal but at the same time liberating. This move is a great opportunity to clear out the clutter and material possessions which somehow have become so integral in my existence. Never have I spent so much of my adult life in one place – almost 8 years.

On the planning front, this is the latest. My dear mother and nieces came to stay for a few days and helped do some serious cleaning. Mum will be back in a few weeks again, when most of the furniture has been moved and we will get cleaning again. The emus went to their new home on the weekend and the last of my peafowl, pigeons and turkeys will be going this morning. This will leave us with a few chooks and the two dogs. It is so quiet around here now. We have been catching up with as many people as possible along the way and there are still more to see. I can only hope that we see everyone we want to before we depart.

Overall, while there are negatives, everything is outweighed by a renewed spirit of adventure. This journey is turning out to be much better than the original exchange we had planned. I will never thank the two NZ keepers, but I am glad they pulled out of the deal now. They were the worst part of this whole plan to go to NZ. We now have so much more flexibility with our adventure – where to live, car to drive, pets to have etc. We will be going over on our own terms and not bound by the association of others.

To sum up my situation at the moment, there is a piece by Michael Leunig which I have long cherished.

Overlooking my life so far
"In my life I had accumulated many things in my head - too many things. Memories, tunes, facts, fears, visions, loves, etc., etc. As many as possible. In a fertile mind, such things will interbreed. Mongrel visions are born; hybrid memories; inbred memories, idiot love. It gets very confusing.
I decided it was time for a good clean-up, so I emptied all this out of my head and pushed it into a big heap to sort it out. There is was - everything that was me, all in a big jumbled heap. I walked around it. What a mess!
Then suddenly I saw it in silhouette and realised what it was. It was a heap. A simple heap. You don't sort it out, you climb it. You climb it because it is there. Excitedly I clambered to the summit and raised a flag. I was now looking beyond everything that I knew. The view was simply…….magnificent!."

It's good news week.....

It has been two weeks since the other two keepers pulled out of the exchange deal that started this whole journey. For friends who have been following us during this period, you are aware of the struggle it has been at times. The two weeks feels like two months to me as so much has happened and so may plans have changed, but almost daily our road seems to be getting smoother and clearer. The latest good news was via a phone call to Phil from Hamilton Zoo yesterday morning. They have offered him a contract until the end of February, the same as what I will be doing. At that point, there will be three permanent positions on offer so it is looking really positive that more work will eventuate. This news had us both bouncing around the house last night in a 'happy dance'! Further more, another option for the care of our dogs has arisen. One of the vet nurses I work with has a property not far from our farm and has offered to look after the dogs for how ever long we need. All this good news is surely a sign of things to come?

Thanks to those who have sent messages of encouragement. Everyone had faith that things were going to get alot better and as hard as it was for me to see this eventuating, that's exactly what is happening now. Bit by bit, the wall that suddenly arose two weeks ago is crumbling. This morning I can peek over the top, and see the grassy meadows and snow capped mountains of our destination, and my dreams, once more.

I'm gunna miss them!!!

The ups and downs continue, much to my dismay. One of the redeeming facts for me of having the other two NZ keepers pull out of the exchange deal was that we were no longer obliged to stay at their house, which was unsuitable for dogs. It was a shared arrangement in a suburban house with a cat. Therefore, we could now find a house where we could take the dogs with us! Smiles, happy times, how great is this?!? For me, this possibility really cancelled out the many other problems we were going to need to overcome in order to get to NZ. Do you know where this is heading yet? That's right........ taking the dogs..... is no longer an option. We knew it was going to cost a bit of money, but in fact it turned out it would cost us $4000! I was heartbroken, devastated, frustrated and despondent. Why was everything becoming so difficult now? What are we doing? How can all of this confusion and hurt end in anything worthwhile and enjoyable? Without the dogs joining us, things seemed less exciting and comfortable. With a heavy heart I knew an alternative had to be sorted and very soon. We still don't know what the final solution will be, but we do have a last back-up plan if nothing else arises. That last plan is to pay for a few fence modifications to my mothers house, as well as a bit of gardening around her yard. She already has a dog called Tibby which is just as energetic as our two and the three of them get along really well. We would also organise and pay for someone to come an walk the dogs a few times a week, if not more. That way she doesn't have to worry about trying to fit them into her busy schedule or being dragged around while walking the three dogs, all pulling in different directions. Settling on this plan made me feel much better, but nothing was going to be as perfect as taking them with us. If something amazing comes up for us in NZ while we are over there, and we do decide to stay longer, then we will fork out the money and bring them over to us.

Having sorted out an alternative, I can now see some of the positives of leaving the dogs here, at least initially anyway. We have nowhere to stay as yet in NZ, so they possibly would have been in a boarding kennel initially while we stayed in a cabin in a park or something similar. Not having to work around pets will give us a much greater flexibility in when and what we do as we try to get our feet firmly planted on NZ soil - finding a car, getting into a routine, finding a house etc. And of course, the dogs love being at mum's place with all of the visitors she gets, running around with her dog Tibby, they know her and the family, its in a country town close to the river and so on. It has to be a better arrangement for them, too.

So now I am beginning to hate roller coasters, but this one will come to an end soon. Now it is time to focus on packing and organising ourselves at this end. My remaining peacocks, turkey and pigeons will be going in the next few weeks, as will the two Emu's. The last few chooks will stay to the end before being taken to a friends place a few days before, likewise with the dogs to my mum's place. We have a few catch-ups with friends to work in to all this, as well as getting the house ready to rent out to some lucky person/people! Through all this though, I can still see this adventure as turning in to an opportunity to enjoy life.......beyond my imagination............

Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.

Ronald E. Osborn

Back on track!!!

Talk about an emotional roller coaster! I am getting more emotions out of this entire adventure and we haven't even left the country yet! Good news for us yesterday, no, FANTASTIC news for us. Yesterday morning I got a call from Hamilton Zoo offering one of us full time work until at least February, and the other casual work. Then, in February, after all the Xmas and New Year chaos and the summer rush, they will look at putting on 2 or 3 more staff and so something is bound to come up. Furthermore, they are going to try an help us get work at Auckland Zoo if we want to live somewhere between Auckland and Hamilton (1 and a 1/2 hours drive between the two zoos). Its all looking really good again and everything is how it should be. I had been carrying around this dull feeling inside ever since the other two pulled out of the deal. It's only today that I realise what an impact it had made on my psyche. I had already applied for a few other jobs around the country because we were determined to do something come November. Our minds had already made the big move from life as we know it, to something different and challenging beyond our comfort zones and familiar horizons. And, now we will be.......

You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.

(Margaret Thatcher)

A change in mood and direction.

What a horrible week it has been. On Tuesday one of the keepers who were supposed to be exchanging jobs with us called Phil to say they have accepted full time jobs elsewhere and so the whole thing is off. This is despite them knowing about all the planning we have done, rehousing/selling our variety of pets, packing, tidying and not to mention, purchasing two one way tickets to New Zealand! We are too disappointed to be angry, but it is hard to think nice thoughts about these people anymore.

So what do we do from here? Things are still up in the air and we really haven't been able to get our heads around it all as yet. One possibility so far is going to Auckland Zoo instead. Hamilton Zoo was going to get in contact with them to fill them in on the events and maybe fast track a similar exchange with a couple of keepers there. This sounds ideal, but we are not too hopeful about this one as yet. Another option is to go as planned anyway, and get work when we are over there. We have the air tickets and the time off from our jobs here, it would be a waste not to use this opportunity. There regularly seems to be jobs going at the zoos over there so there is a good chance we will find work at some stage and just travel around in the meantime. Even if one of us got zoo work somewhere, the other will be able to get some other job in tourism or conservation.

It makes me feel better to remember that this recent challenge is keeping in line with the whole purpose of the journey, which was to go on an adventure and a learning experience. It had been a very smooth road up to this point, but we weren't expecting anything this challenging at this late stage of preparations. As opportunities arise, decisions made and plans unfold, you will be duly kept informed.

It is no disgrace to start all over. It is usually an opportunity.(George Matthew Adams)

.

scattering the seeds.....

One of the hardest parts of this whole adventure, is dissecting the life that Phil and I have built together. When we first hooked up, there was nothing tying us together. Slowly, and without realising it, we started to build a bridge between our lives. This eventually became an existence where everything that effected one of us, had an impact on the other. EVERYTHING! We had friends in common, got pets together, bank accounts, a mortgage and so it went on. Then came the decision to change countries and what we needed to do to make this happen. Suddenly, there is this whole deconstructing of what we had built together.......finding new homes for our pets, clearing out the sheds of stuff, minimising the gardens, weeding out the book shelf and the list goes on. Everything is becoming 'smaller'. It's a little surreal. At the same time though, what an exciting time! We came together through adventure and travel. We stopped the travel part to see if we should be more serious about our relationship and our lives. We have done that, and now it is time to get that travel and adventurous element back in to our lives. This time though, it won't be as individuals but as a couple of mad guys on the look out for the next mountain to climb!

So whats this all about then?

As many will know, Phabulous Phil and myself are trekking over to New Zealand for a 12 month keeper exchange. We will be working at Hamilton Zoo on the North Island, and two of their keepers will be moving over here, one to work at Adelaide Zoo, the other at Monarto Zoo. We are not only swapping jobs, but also houses, cars and other parts of our lives. Quite a big adventure which is not only going to present some big changes and challenges, but some outstanding opportunities and rewards.

I have always thought I'd like to give blogging a go but never really had any reason to sit down and write mindless drivel for anyone to read. Keeping a journal of the experience for my own benefit will also allow me to share thoughts and experiences with anyone else who wants to keep up with it. There will still be the constant use of facebook, and emails and maybe even an old fashioned post card or two, but this blog is intended to be the more detailed and graphic representation of the experience.

I am starting it now, because the adventure doesn't just begin when we step out of the door, or onto New Zealand soil, it actually began when we decided to do it. This was a few months ago when we decided we had been in one place for long enough and it was time we got out on a journey of some sort. After many years of travelling and tour guiding, staying put was quite a novelty and an enjoyable one at that. We decided to email the major Zoo's in NZ to see if there was any interest in a couple of keepers wanting to do a Zoo exchange. We chose NZ because we loved the country after visiting last year, and also because we originally wanted to take our dogs (no quarantine). Lucky for us, two charmers from Hamilton Zoo jumped at the chance as passionately as we did, and it went on from there. They will be taking on our jobs and our house, with us doing the same in Hamilton.

So that brings us up to today. We are slowly finding new homes for our pets, packing up a lot of the house that has become cluttered with our recently stable lives. I said the journey started a while ago, because all this organising and packing has brought on many thoughts and emotions which can only be caused by this sudden change in our life plan.

Between now and sometime late next year, and maybe even longer, I will regularly add updates, photos, videos and drivel for those who want get a glimpse of our adventure. I hope you can join me........

You must be getting excited by now?

The title of this post is the most common phrase spoken to me this week, in reference of course to the big move to New Zealand. Somehow, somehow the word excitement does not fill the adjective requirement in that particular phrase. There are so many more emotions and thoughts spinning around that one word does not qualify as the sum of all these thoughts. For example, everyone knows about the number of pets we had here on the farm - goats, emus, frogs, dogs, etc. Over the past few weeks we have whittled the whole collection down to a few remaining individuals which will be cared for by our 'replacements'. It has been a little more emotional than either of us though it would be, too. The excitement is a little clouded in sadness and doubts as our lives on the farm get chipped away with each animals departure to new homes. Its so quiet.

As for work, well things are very interesting there with all the developments and changes going on. I would love to be around to see everything unfold, but at the same time it is a little comforting to think that upon my return from NZ, I will be walking into a new Zoo with something like $30 million dollars of new development being planned before the end of 2009! So once again, some more emotions and thoughts to stir into that pot of excitement.

Following on from all of this are the universal experiences of many who have gone before me on these sorts of adventures. Leaving behind family and friends, missing out on big events back home, how will I cope with the weather and whats it all really going to be like?

Over the next year or so, these and other questions will be answered a dozen times over. There is so much unknown at this stage that I am just trying to keep my mind open to every possibility without having any expectations at all. These feelings of anxiety leading up to the departure day will ebb and flow like an wave lapping on the shore, doubts will surface and problems arise. Bobbing around amongst it all though will be that inevitable feeling of excitement.

So, yes, I am getting excited by now.

it's not so hard after all...

I am getting the hang of this and have added a few accessories to my page today already. The all important weather station and a slap-bang profile made up with out too much thought put in to it. You can probably tell that though.

The idea behind starting a blog was as a way of keeping a journal of the imminent move to New Zealand, not just for my own benefit, but for those back home and wherever else that may want to follow along my adventure. While postings may be erratic, they will be made as often as possible and I hope some people will check in from time to time, apart from myself! OK, that's all the introductions, excuses and apologies out of the way so on with the blog (why couldn't they have come up with a nicer word than that?)

testing, testing, 1,2,3......

As my foray into blogging begins, I have no idea what I am doing. This box popped up and asked me to write something....I promise to get more exciting in the future.....