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