Merry Christmas Greetings Everyone

We are off down to the South Island next Sunday for a 3 week camping holiday where we will be hopefully seeing some of the Queen Charlotte/ Marlborough sound as well as the Abel Tasman 4 day hike.

We are both really looking forward to seeing the south Island and we will post some photos when we can.

In the mean time here is our wee Christmas note and Good wishes to you all

Kia Ora and Merry Christmas from summer in New Zealand,

Well we have had a few changes and adventures since last Christmas, when on Christmas eve 2013 Malcolm accepted a new job in New Zealand and here we are, already 1/3 through our 2 years! We will be back April 2016.

Life out here has been one long adventure, we have met so many new friends and have had a go at lots of new skills and challenges we would never have experienced at home. Last week I was climbing Mt Ruapehu to the volcanic crater in deep snow and 3 days later we were learning to surf on the beach down from the flat!

We had the most wonderful holiday with Rhian and Callum and it was very upsetting to say farewell. They will be back out again in July/August so not too long to wait. Rhian is working VERY hard during her NQT first year of teaching, she is teaching a Year 4 Class in Caerleon, but still living in Cardiff. Callum is also near Cardiff, studying Natural History at University of South Wales in Pontypridd – he is having whale of a time, enjoying both the course and meeting lots of new friends.

Skype, E-mail and Whatsapp with friends back home has made being SOOOOO far away much easier and we both feel less remote. I won’t go on about the things we have been up to, if you want a wee flavour we have been doing a blog : http://thomasinnz.blogspot.co.nz/.

I hope you have also had a good year and look forward to hearing your news. Wishing you all a Merry and Peaceful Christmas and New Year.

Love, Shona and Malcolm

(malcolmthomas30@btinternet.com / shonathomas30@gmail.com )

 

Summer in December - doesn't seem right!

I can't believe Christmas is fast approaching and the weather here is swinging wildly from roasting hot to sultry storms then cold and lashing rain! Although summer officially started on 1st December down here it is still very spring like weather.
I just hope it settles down before we go camping for 3 weeks next week!

As at home the Christmas party season is in full swing down here but most seem to feature BBQ's!
Shona has had quite a few ladies who lunch type Christmas do's and Malcolm spent his works do at the Tauranga races last Friday, much beer and betting and not very many wins! The races were followed by a fun evening and meal in Tauranga.

 

Malcolm has also been managing a few rounds of golf including a corporate event where each hole was sponsored by a local business, including the 7th which was sponsored by the local funeral directors, where cold drinks and strawberries were served from a chilled coffin on the green side!

 

 

We are still in awe of the kiwi hospitality, we have been invited to such a range of amazing experiences, including the previous weekend sailing in Auckland Harbour on a beautiful 45 foot yacht with Hilary and Ed. Hilary is the sister of one of Malcolm's oldest friends Simon.

We sailed to 2 islands the first of which is a bird sanctuary where we were almost mobbed there were so many native birds - just superb, then we visited another island where Governor Grey had a house - all very colonial and grand , including peacocks, one of which took a shine to Ed!

 

 

 The sailing was spectacular

 





 



 



Surfer Dude and Snow Queen

Well I think the title tells it all!

As does this all action shot (taken yesterday 30th November!)!

 

Unfortunately Shona did not manage to strike such a pose! although 3 days earlier (26th November)  and only 3 hours away inland she did manage to reach the volcanic crater of Mt Ruapehu through deep snow!

Amazing country!

Shona had 3 superb days walking (and having afternoon tea treats) with a friend Ruth, whilst Malcolm is really finding that work is now getting in the way of adventures!

 

The weather is still very blustery but warming up and the NZ Christmas tree the Pohuticawa (phonitic spelling!) is starting to flower. We are now starting to think about our packing for the move out of the flat over Christmas and our next trip camping over Christmas in the Abel Tasman national park!





Early Welsh Rugby Breakfast and An Adventure to the East Cape

This morning 23rd Nov 2014 Malcolm hosted a Welsh Breakfast at 6.30am for some hardy rugby supporters. The match was excellent and up to the last 15 minutes or so, we all thought that Wales was going to keep the lead - but not to be! Still a great time.

We then had a lovely lunch with Angela and Paul old friends who lived in Knutsford but who were married out here in Bethlehem in Tauranga 40 years ago!

Last weekend we set off to try out camping in the remote and rugged East Cape, before we head down to south island for Christmas. Unfortunately the weather was very windy (and we had forgotten the sleeping bags anyway!) so we stayed in a motel!. On Sunday when we woke up the weather had brightened and it was a stunning day to visit the most easterly lighthouse in the world!

A major product of this remote area is medicinal Manuka Honey - one small jar can cost up to £30!

 

We also found this amazing looking backpackers lodge right on the beach - that will be where we stay on our next visit

 



Notes on the Kiwi Experience

We have put together a few notes on things you might find useful for a visit. Hope to see you soon.

The Kiwi experience – the essentials

Supermarkets

–        New World  and Countdown (Sainsbury) and PAC and Save (Aldi) ; avoid 4 Square

–        Fruit, meat and fish – good value esp lamb and steak.

–        Fish – kawai, snapper, green mussels

–        Cheese – expensive

Café life – flat white coffee, deli  cakes and savouries are great; L and P lemonade; tipping in cafes/restaurants not expected; cold water supplied in cafes as standard

Maori – learn some history; its not just about the haka

Kiwi lingo – all good…sweet as….awesome…jandals and togs

Pies – a wide range; Kiwis love their pies

Rugby and sport – love it, sport is a religion here!

News – daily Herald, 6 News on Channel One; weather with Jim; comment on daily news Kiwi style on 7 Sharp. Radio New Zealand National for early morning news.

Tramping

–        Listen to the Tui, enjoy the dancing of the fantail

–        Spot the silver underside of the iconic and ubiquitous symbolic fern

–         There are no nasty surprises in the bush – nothing poisonous

Accommodation – try backpacker lodges they have much more than bunk room accommodation and you meet lots of people; all motels have cooking/dining facilities in the room

Beer and wine – wines enough said but they are not cheap;  choose craft beers

Roadside – lots of dead possums; stop and buy great cheap fruit and honey ; buy fejoia and golden kiwifruit in season. Drivers can drive very close behind. Don’t park facing the wrong way you’ll get a fine!

I sites  -tourist office in every town and are great; barbecues with gas provided in many camp/beach sites

Shopping

–        if you have forgotten clothing etc buy at Op shops (charity)

–        Noel Leeming – Currys

–        Warehouse – everything

–        Paper Plus – Smiths – sells weekly Guardian/Telegraph

Deals – google: Book Me, Grab One and Trade Me (a kiwi institution)

Eating out – they eat/entertain early !

WiFi – not as prolific as we are used to

Rotorua and Tarawera

A quieter couple of weeks following our 5 day sailing break. Shona has been working part time for 3 days this week standing in for the secretary in Malcolm's office and a day minding the office at Envirohub.
We had a lovely time meeting Moira and Linda from Tasmania when their cruise ship 'Dawn Princess' docked in Tauranga for 24 hours. They arrived on 7th November which was Rhian's birthday!

There were 2 ships in that day and apparently there are 2000 visitors and 1000 crew on each ship! So Tauranga must have been busy. We showed them our home and them went up to Rotorua, where we had afternoon tea and visited the Government Gardens and the museum. It was a lovely day.

On the Saturday we went for an interesting walk up to Lake Tarawera. The volcano last erupted in 1898 (just before our grandparents were born!) which caused red sunsets around the world and changed the local landscape significantly. The river now disappears through sinkholes and reappears through holes in the rockface at the waterfalls. Beautiful native forest and ferns as well.

 On Sunday we had our first poolside BBQ for Malcolm's colleagues, then went and met visitors from the UK, Sheila and David on their whirlwind tour.

In Rotorua we spotted this superb solar street bench designed by a local boy as well as the following notices which made us laugh!