What a wonderful experience it was to visit Samoa. It wasn’t a holiday, nor a visit, not even an adventure, but a wonderful experience that I will always look back on as precious gift. Why is this so? I will explain later. For now, the run down of our Samoan experience. Coming straight off the back of working 7 days in a row, it was hard to get psyched up for the trip. Driving to the airport after work on day 7 it started to kick in that we were going somewhere. Landing several hours later in a humid and tropical atmosphere a day ‘before’ we actually left Auckland threw the senses in to a state of utter confusion. A short sleep later, followed by a peek out the room windows confirmed that yes indeed, we were no longer in Kansas, Toto. Palm trees swayed over the blue waters of Samoa’s coast, with local people scurrying about their daily business. Waves were gently crashing below, strange and beautiful birds fluttered between the trees and small fluffy clouds dotted the horizon as only they do on tropical seas. We spent 6 days in this tranquil place and here are some of the highlights: coral reefs with colourful fish, churches on every corner with everyone dressed in their best fine white clothes singing with powerful and harmonic voices, friendly and gentle people everywhere with a smile, markets full of fruit and vegetables of every colour, shape and size with people talking singing and laughing with those big smiles again, old ford buses that look like they have been jacked up with music pumping out of the open chassis and people crammed in to every corner, tropical rainforests complete with down pours of tropical rain, coconut served with everything, boiled bananas as a potato substitute, roadside BBQ’s, everyone sleeps outside in open walled ‘fales’ which are colourful and tidy as much as the gardens, more whipper snipper’s per head than cars makes them very garden proud……………and there is more, a lot more, but it is really to be experienced to fully understand just how grand the island of Samoa and its people is.

So why was it more of an experience than just a holiday? It was the people, the culture which they maintain and the results this all produces. Everyone was so pleasant and friendly, it was a little awkward at first. They were reserved and polite, which was easy to think at first was disinterest and rudeness. As soon as they saw you smile though, it became an open, gregarious and happy atmosphere and nothing was too much to ask of. Once I realised this, I swung in to fine form with my questions, asking questions of everyone I got a chance to. Coupled with this welcoming and hospitable treatment of visitors, was the evidence of their strong sense of tradition and commitment to family. Everyone lived in their large family groups in small communities within the village, and time was spent with each other. No one did chores alone, no one sat around relaxing alone, and it was all about community and family. Even the families are allowed to go to the schools where the children in their brightly coloured uniforms can see their families and join them during breaks. While the morning was for gardening, cleaning, fishing and so on, the afternoons are often spent relaxing in the tropical heat. Sitting around talking and laughing, they must have so many stories to tell as conversations were constant. Like my stories of Samoa………….

It is never too late to be what you might have been. (George Eliot)

Mum's visit

There's nothing like the family to make things real. A recent visit by mother was what made this adventure in New Zealand become confirmed to my senses that this is now where I live and work. Showing her around as a proud local helped me feel that I do live here and I do relate to new environment in a familiar and comfortable way. My mum and cousin ,Shirley, spent almost two weeks with us and we tried to get out and look around as much as we could despite both Phil and I working for much of the time. We saw the local area as well as making the pilgrimage down to Waitomo Caves to see the glow worms. Overall, it was nice but brief time. I am hoping to be making regular future visits to Auckland airport to meet my mum and enjoy the warmth of my family.
We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break. (Marquise de Sévigné)

At last our dogs have arrived and what an immeasurable sensation it was to see them again. After scampering between various offices within Auckland International Airport to acquire the right stamps and signatures of approval, we were finally allowed to see them. We hadn’t quite completed the processes when a door opened and there was Renner, pulling at the leash attempting to go somewhere, anywhere, just get me outa here! Then she saw me and got really excited…..for a second……then headed to the grass areas for the first of many comfort stops. Poor girl. I felt even worse for Phil who was denied this first opportunity to be with Renner because he got called in to the office to pay the final ‘fee’. While one of the quarantine folks walked Renner, I went and got Flinders, who was equally as oblivious to everything, just wanted the grass area. Phil eventually came out of the office and we were all reunited and free to leave. After one fit of running up the road and back to the car, we headed off for home, the dogs hanging out of the window with all of the new smells to inhale. Tiredness took its toll, and eventually they fell asleep. At home they were so tired, there was little else to do except let them recover from their travelling ordeal, and sleep. The next morning they were different dogs completely, all rested and revved up they were crazy and full of energy bouncing from Phil to me and back again, not knowing which way to run or turn, so just running everywhere and barking with glee. It was so comforting and reassuring to see after the previous nights lack lustre reunion.So, they are now settling in very well. Renner loves the creek and all the puddles that are around. We take them for little walks each night to try and get them used to the fact that the creek is only to be visited with Phil and I around as it can flood with rain, going from several centimetres to about one and a half metres deep of raging water. They run through the tall green grass as if it brings them great pleasure and cool relief. I know it does for me.

You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind.(Irish Proverb)

Prior to writing this entry, I went back and read several of my earliest entries leading up to our departure from Australia. I was brimming with enthusiasm and looking forward to the unknown challenges, both good and bad. I was optimistic about what potential adventures were in store for me and ready to embrace opportunities to go forward in my life, emotionally, physically and mentally. We have just passed the three month mark of our stay and I have got to say, all of those feelings and emotions I was experiencing prior to arriving in New Zealand are just as robust now if not more so. The transition period has been swift and full of activity yet nowhere near over. I can’t see this new environment ever becoming a staid and routine one, where everyday life takes over from the excitement of what each day is going to bring. Of course, not every day is full of vibrancy and awe with exuberance and happy smiles. Life is life after all. But there is no concern that things will grow old and comfortable because of the nature of what we are doing, who we are and where we are. Off the top of my head, here are a few of the big positives that keep me on this high:

We live in lovely cottage set in a beautiful location, summer is mild, the grass is green, crickets and cicadas chirp musically all day and night, the flowing stream near the house lulls me to sleep at night and wakes me gently in the morning, I work independently with the same goals at my colleagues, I can travel without having to reorganise my entire life, I have less reasons to be bound to the home on days off, I live less than 10 minutes to the Tasman Ocean with its beaches and rugged coastline, it rains, I get to go tramping regularly, we are saving lots of money so travel lots of travelling to do, our dogs are arriving next week from Australia, several family and friends are visiting us during the year beginning with my mum on Thursday!, I go to the gym every week and have lost almost 9kg since leaving Australia, I eat better and live healthier, we are off to the South Pacific island of Samoa next month, we have 5 chooks and to top it all off……….I feel great!

It's not how long you live, but how you live, that is the most important thing.

It is time to answer some frequent questions I have been getting so here are some specifics about our new work environment. For those not working in the zoo industry, some of these aspects may not mean anything at all. For fellow keepers, they may wet themselves with glee!
The Zoo – Hamilton Zoo is 14 hectares in size (approx 36 acres) compared to Adelaide Zoo's 8 hectares (approx 20 acres). It is situated amongst a low hilly area just outside of Hamilton, with room to grow and indeed already has a lot of land earmarked for future developments. It is a network of paths and boardwalks which criss cross through landscaped native forest and gardens, across lakes and through the biggest walk through bird aviary in the southern hemisphere - complete with waterfalls.

Browse – These are the trees and bushes that the animals eat and for keepers, good browse can be like gold to find. The zoo is so big that there are pockets of browse trees scattered around the zoo. This includes poplar, willow, paulownias, lucerne tree and mulberry. It is so easy to get enough browse, freshly picked, any time of the day. It’s such a luxury.

Again relating to the size of the zoo, we have gators and kobotas (two types of little buggies) with tray backs and trailers to zip around the zoo in. It’s great on a warm day to drive fast along the boundary roads to get a cool breeze blowing through your hair! It’s downright fun too!

The working roster is over a two week period. It is 3 days on, 2 off, 7 on, 2 off, then back to 3 on. If you don’t like the 7 days in a row, you can swap it with one of your other days off to break it up. Phil and I are both on the first roster I described, which is great for us as it allows us to go away for overnight trips on our time off. The hours are we start at 8am and finish at 5pm, with a morning and afternoon break and a lunch break. People tend to take a longer morning break or longer lunch and skip the afternoon break, which works really well. It is a very flexible working environment.

There is enough staff to cover all of the working areas each day, but we could always use more to allow for development and extra jobs that need doing. We have brief morning meetings each morning, just to get a feel for the big picture of the day ahead and sort out any extra jobs or issues that need to be dealt with. We have section meetings at least once a month, then all staff meetings every few months. Twice a year we have appraisals where we sit down with our supervisors and talk about our jobs, our roles, how we are doing and what do we want to achieve in the next 6/12/24 months. Our next one is in March and I am looking forward to that!

Please ask any questions you have about my New Zealand experience, as there is so much to tell I run the risk of boring you all to death. Better to be avoided, me thinks!

Never confuse motion with action. Benjamin Franklin