June 1 2011

Our container is due tomorrow. We have been without our things since March and most importantly we have not slept in our own bed since then. We have been sleeping on inflatable beds, plane seats even the floor at one point when the inflatable bed went down. It has been difficult. At one point Ellen asked if “Daddy, when your bed arrives, can we all have breakfast in bed, tea and toast, just like the old days?” How can a six year old have “old days”??

So what has been happening since my last up date quite a few things actually? We have been up an extinct volcano, and it didn’t break. We have been to Bucklands Beach to find star fish by the bucket full. Hannah asked, “What would happen if you sunbathed on a star fish?” I must say I had no answer!

We have toured around and found that swimming is free all day in the local pools from 6am to 6:45pm. All five of us went and I did worry would the pool be too full? Would we be allowed to have two children aged between 4 and six in the same pool at the same time or would it be to dangerous on the grounds of health and safety as happened to me twice in the UK. You can’t bring your sons here because they one is under 4 and the other is under 8. The fact that the older one had been going to lessons at the place for years meant nothing!! No such pathetic bureaucracy here. If you drown here it is your own fault! What gets me is that all the ‘public’ services provided for in the UK can’t be used by the public – how well officious and wasteful is that? My other similar experience of this bureaucracy was at the Olympic pool in Swansea, where we couldn’t take our children in because there was only space for 3 and we were 5. Another stupid waste of money then.

The girls had a parcel from Aunty. It contained clothes and a DVD of Horton. The girls loved watching that.

Mt Wellington

What a sight that was. An extinct volcano; a view of the city of Auckland, and a beautiful southern hemisphere sunset.

Joanne was quite scared of the drive up as the sides were steep, but worth it at the end. The car park fees were refreshingly fair – they were free!

School

To date the Baptism of Fire continues but the pace is slowing. The classes are getting used to me and my expectations. The MP3 docking station idea has been a huge success but with ETEC the advisory service/company guy. He has secured sole importation rights to import 400 kits and he has assembled one. The idea being that this will engage the pupils in ‘cool’ projects which they will be able to take away and Technology will become technology. So far they seem to be enjoying the electronic projects they have been given thus far. We also had a celebration to commemorate Sir Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Evererst. The school had a birthday. I took some photos…

Birthday PICs a few from school…

Howick

What a place! A boutique town with lots of street shops which range from bars to cafés card shops clothes shops take aways, hardware store, you name it, you can get it in Howick. It is a bit like Aberkenfig! The centre of the world!! It even has a Woolworths, but rebranded as Food Town a small supermarket. The corner shops here are known as Dairies. A place to get your milk bread etc. Lots and lots of those about here. But the predominance of take aways is cool. They are everywhere. I have found a lovely Indian take away around the corner.

Howick PIC

The house

It is a three levelled house on the side of a steep hill. A garage and rumpus room on the ground floor which leads up a stairway to first floor. This level has the lounge, kitchen, utility room, hall way, stairs and office. The kitchen leads to a dining area and out on to a balcony that runs from the kitchen around the front of the house to a large terrace in front of the lounge. The terrace must be 20 ft square and faces north.

House PICs

Iolos birthday

Iolo was 16 last Sunday and I spoke to him on his birthday. He seemed really happy and off out with Cathy.

Internet

Argghhhhh – supposed to be connected June 3^rd – It is June the 6^th and still nothing. I have had numeous phone calls with them about the fact that this house has two lines and two addresses. Upstairs is us – the house. Downstairs is a flat. They seem to be rally confused about who to connect the line to. STILL WAITING VODAPHONE!

Saturday Update

First week in school

After the saga of the VISA, I started work on Tuesday. My timetable was wrong and I ended up teaching classes I was not expecting. It was a baptism of fire being put in front of classes studying a different curriculum with absolutely no time to prepare and extremely limited resources. However, it was a necessary process to go through.

The school is mostly Samoan but these pupils are immature and need to be invested in. The rapport I have needs to be further developed but is starting. I went to watch them play Pakauranga College in rugby on Thursday. They won 32 10 but were 10 nil down after ten minutes. There were 6 staff watching and 30 or so pupils and the game was away, about 10km from school. At the end of the game the teams shook hands in the middle of the field. The team was made up of 13 Samoans and 2 Tongans. Then Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate (SEHC) sang a Samoan song. Hairs on the back of your neck time, the boys then went and all took a knee in front of the coach and I think said a prayer. I liked this attitude a lot. The game was played in such a good spirit, fast, open, aggressive. It was good, really good to see. Rugby union is embedded so deeply in the culture here. Every lunch time pupils play touch rugby in the yard. Even the girls play. There is a ‘can do’ attitude here too,  probably underpinned by the idea that there is no benefit culture to encourage dis-application. If you don’t work you don’t eat. I have also been given a laptop as part of the “laptops for teachers” scheme. A scheme designed to get staff IT literate. $100 dollars deposit to cover insurance and this is refunded at the end of the scheme, a brand new Toshiba. I met the school’s commissioner who liked my accent! The commissioner is finishing in June and a new board of governors will take over.  Do you know the interesting thing considering my take on being forced to speak Welsh is that no one asks me if I can speak Welsh. They all ask “CAN YOU SING?” so watch out Wales for incidental singing – coming your way soon.

House

We have secured a house too in a part of Auckland called Mellons Bay. It is quite expensive area of Auckland, but will do for now. Maybe not where we end up, but a four bed roomed house with a rumpus room and double garage facing north.

Cockle Bay

The girls went to visit their school on Friday. They are going to Cockle Bay school and I have put up a few a pictures of them in their uniform. Wowser they look smart. The school has two adventure playgrounds, friendship tables and a swimming pool. There are 600 pupils there. Amelia is going to attend camp next week, from Tuesday. So in summary, Amelia has been in the country for 2 weeks and is now going away with school for four days camping! Rules for camp – no mobile phones, no fizzy drinks or chocolate allowed, no money, no computers. Off today to get their learning packs of stationery. Imagine that! Both the girls are thrilled with their uniforms, Amelia with the sports kit and Ellen with the dress. Hannah is not in school yet. The whole school is kitted out with Apple Macs.

Weather

This week Auckland had a tornado. It ended about 20km away from us. It ran for about 20 miles and one person was killed. New Zealand hasn’t seen a tornado for 20 odd years and there have been 4 recorded in the last 100 years. I blame Hannah, she runs about so quickly mostly barefoot it is like the butterfly effect! The weather is like a Welsh summer. It rains heavily and then is really sunny 10 minutes later. I was out sunbathing this morning at 9am. It is really bright now too. 

Maretai
The girls went to Maretai again this week the weather was awesome, well just judge for yourself. Maretai is another beach community just down the road. Here are some of Jo's pictures. 

The saga of the VISA

OK we ... well I have a work VISA. Which is valid for a year. Our other application for residency has been approved but because we are in NZ and the documentation is in UK we need either to send our passports back to the UK or get the UK to send the files to NZ. I went to the INZ office in Auckland today and the lady there was fantastic. Martin Strang of Oasis education gave me a priority processing form which meant I could get my application for a work Visa done there and then. Auckland were quite surprised that I would need this for such a short period of time as PR (permanent residency) had been approved. Sigh ... I guess that is bureaucracy for you. However it has been passed!

Our belongings are due to dock in Sydney on the 10th of May which means that we need to beg borrow and steal for about a fortnight!!! We will have a house but no possessions. How will we wash our clothes? 

So tomorrow will be my first day in Sir Edmund Hillary.

Got post a pic of Jo's car it is very cute!!

Weekly update No. 2

It's Saturday, and we have been out most today firstly looking at cars for Joanne and then to Pakuranga Rugby Club to watch the seniors play. They won 87 - 16. Joanne has put a deposit down on a four wheel drive Terios. It does look very cute and cuddly. It will cost about £2000.

We have also secured a house in a part of Auckland called Howick. It is a four bed house with double garage and rumpus room for the girls! The cost will be $570 per week. Quite expensive. Hopefully we will have this for a year whilst we look around for somewhere else.

I have also compiled a video of some of the images of our first ten days in NZ.

New Zealand April 2011

Well we have made it to New Zealand. Things have not gone smoothly. Visa application is approved subject to some conditions and I am not sure what those are at the moment. The house has been rented which has brought its own complications. But we are here.

We have met Heinrich and Christina who have kindly loaned us a car and we have now bought a cheap old 7 seater to keep us going until we are more settled.

Here are some of our images

Click this link to see the night sky. You can see the Southern cross which is on the New Zealand flag

Washed up at snapper rock

Day one we arrived at 10:20 and cleared customs by 11:30. Christina, Heinrich and Glenda from the school came to collect us and dropped us off at the cottage. They had bought us some shopping and there were gifts for the girls of easter eggs. It was a lovely welcome.

In the afternoon we went down to the local beach called snapper rock here are some of the images.

Ellen and Hannah at snapper rock

Swimming in the gulf

Day 2 and we walked further around snapper rock to the next bay. April is Autumn in New Zealand yet it was hot enough to take a dip in the gulf and that is exactly what the girls did. The sea was a bit cold but not too cold. Hannah was absolutely in her element. She thoroughly enjoyed her time in the water, and quite frnakly couldn't be separated from it. It was quite funny really.

Later that day Heinrich came to take us to open a bank account and to do some Heinrich and Christina at the Jolly Roger pub in Pine harbour Beachlands here for Ellen's 6th birthday.


That night Christina and Heinrich loaned us their car

and we went to Maretai beach before driving over to their house for a meal. A traditional potjie meal (pronounced pokee) a traditional Afrikaans meal.

Ellen's 6th Birthday Party with Heinrich and Christina

Maretai Beach

 

This house in Maretai seems to have a Welsh name, Croesadyw. Maybe a mis-spelt Creoseo dwy?

Sarah and Sara playing cards with Amelia, Ellen and Hannah. This is at Christina and Heinrich's house

Henry Honda Odyssey - 1997 $4000, which is £2000

Whitford Church

Pine harbour boat store

Pine Harbour Marina

Pine harbour marina

Snapper Rock holiday cottage. This is where we are staying.