‘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)