Normal Life/One Tree Hill/Waitakeri

It's been a lovely week - cloudless skies and gentle breezes while we've been getting to know our surroundings.

A lovely lady called Anna took me shopping for such essentials as pencil sharpeners and a potty. The driving takes some getting used to - as does the automatic car with a foot operated hand brake. I'm having trouble working out how to do hill starts as I can't treat it like a clutch!

Barbara and Graeme popped in this evening to see if we were settling in. They were able to give us the Kiwi view across divers topics including camper-van fly-drive, health care, toddler groups and the perils of Chinese bakeries. It was lovely to meet them.

We had only just got back from a 'tramp in the bush' aka a short stroll in the Waitakeri Ranges just outside Auckland. It's a huge area of regenerating Kauri forest - it was comprehensively logged in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Adam and I paid a visit to the Sheffield Botanic Gardens a few days before we flew, to look at the cluster of tree ferns in the glass house. It was marvellous to see the thousands upon thousands of these ferns across the hills. There were other plants that I had only seen as house plants growing all around.

This week we've been to (N)One Tree Hill, Western Springs Park and the Auckland Museum to look at the Maori war canoe and the volcano exhibition, Richard has started work, Felicity has bounced off the trampoline and Peter has fallen 7 ft/2.5 m out of a tree. I have been trying to find a reading group to join while I'm in Auckland but without success so far.

I'll post some photos when I've found somewhere to buy new batteries for the camera.

Best wishes,

Catherine

A day in the park

We had a lovely day exploring One Tree Hill Domain and Cornwall Park in Auckland. One Tree Hill is an extinct volcano which rises above the largely flat Auckland isthmus. According to my guide book there are about 50 volcanic cones in and around Auckland. From the top of the hill we could see many of them as wooded lumps rising above the surrounding suburbs.

It was a beautiful day, clear, hot with a cooling breeze. Sliding down the hill into Cornwall Park Felicity entertained us with snippets of the lyrics she had learnt from Mamma Mia on the aeroplane. We could not persuade, bribe, threaten or distract her from those Abba masterpieces. We finished off with fantastic icecreams and a walk in the park, admiring the huge trees.

We've arrived

After another long flight we arrived late last night in Auckland. We are all feeling a bit strange, but the children have coped with their sleep deprivation very well.


We are now the proud temporary owners of a red hire car, and our rented house has a lovely back garden (see pics).

We have also made the happy discovery that it is a bank holiday weekend, so no work for Richard on Monday. The weather is warm and sunny, and set to get warmer over the next few days, so we might be taking a trip out tomorrow.

...gone

I'm posting this on Wednesday afternoon from Singapore, where it is very hot! We arrived safely late last night after a somewhat trying 15 hour flight. The first three hours were spent on the tarmac at Heathrow while an electrical fault with the plan was fixed by men in fluorescent jackets with a stepladder -- at one point they decided to re-boot the plane by shutting the whole machine down, resulting in about 15 minutes of total darkness on board.

So today we got up very late (Singapore time), had some milkshakes for breakfast, and went for a short walk in the heat followed by some Chinese food. Everyone here is getting geared up for Chinese New Year next week, and there are lanterns everywhere. We are now lying down for a rest before going for a swim and an early night -- our taxi is booked for 5.40 am tomorrow for the next leg of our journey.

Going, going ...

Many thanks to all of you who have sent us cards, and wished us well on our journey. We've finally finished packing, and we *think* our bags are under the weight limit. Only a few hours until we find out! Everyone is very excited, and can't wait to get on the plane. I expect it won't be too long before one or two of our party can't wait to get *off* the plane. Hopefully we will be able to post something from Singapore when we arrive on Tuesday morning (UK time).

Packing

Summer clothes, winter clothes, sun cream, medicines, toys - we're taking it. But how many books can we fit in?