Friday was a stay at home day, apart from Totty walks. I was busy doing my chores. The house is very modern and nice but if I'm not careful I could become a slave to the taps and the stainless steel! I find myself polishing them! I know, I haven't got enough to do! It was really hot today - the hottest we have had. It was 29 degrees in the living room, no wonder Totty goes into our bedroom to lie down I should have done that, too instead I decided to have an hour of sunbathing and was like a wet rag at the end of it. I'll leave the sunbathing to the beach in future.

I phoned Pat and Phil today (they are the couple we met in the park having fish and chips last week) I am going to have tea with them next Wednesday.

When I was hanging my washing out I had a chat to Pat across the fence, she is the retired head teacher and knows so much about NZ and I really enjoyed out chat. She loves her garden and it is really pretty.

The BBQ is off this Saturday as Peter and Bronwyn Anne have taken out an old wisteria and are re doing their patio and so would like to get that sorted out first. BA is leaving Peter to it and going to see her daughter in Auckland.

Our neighbours came back from their camping trip today. They had a lovely time and they all look well though one child has a tummy bug and another an ear infection! Children are the same the world over.

We took Totty to the park this evening and I don't know if it was because the tide was out - so no jet skis or boats could be used - but there was nobody there and she had a lovely time chasing the gulls on the beach, which she has absolutely no chance of catching, and Jon and I sat looking across Welcome Bay and I thought how lucky we are! I miss the girls and my friends but this really is a lovely spot and we should make the most of our time here.

We tried a different chip shop this week for our fish and chips and although the fish was excellent - terkihi - the chips were not as good as last week they were frozen and not real potato so it's back to what we know next week. Ooh but I would have killed for some mushy peas to go with it!

Totty has been itching a lot and I found a flea on her. She was supposed to have been treated before she came out by the vet so I don't understand how she can have got fleas so soon! A visit to the vet tomorrow!

At last the temperature has dropped and we can go to bed!

Thursday in Tauranga

Had a good day today. Alison took me into town and we went to the Tourist Information and I picked up lots and lots of leaflets of things to do and places to visit. We went to the PO and I posted a letter to the girls they just go by size of envelope and it was $2 pretty good as it was quite heavy. We then went to the library to register me there and then the council office to register Totty. It costs $100 a year but we had to pay $43 as we are more than half way through. They didn't have a Patterdale Terrier on their list so they have had to put her down as a Jack Russell until they change the list. From that I assume she must be the only one of her kind in NZ! She was given a tag with a number, 7945, and it has to go on her collar so that if she gets lost, assuming she has here collar on at the time, she will be returned to us. A bit of a con to get $100 out of dog owners I think.

I popped into the bank to see if our cards were there, we have been waiting more than two weeks and money is getting a bit low. Yes they were there and the lady did what she had to to activate it but then she said it was the card that was lost, it had been at the bank all the time! She tried to take the lost code off it but couldn't so passed me and all my paperwork to another lady who found the second card that had been issued and activated that. Jon had to go into the bank later that day to activate his, too. At last we can get some cash.

Well I just had to see if the card worked! so we also went round some shops and I bought a pair of cropped trousers that fit and a nice pair of sandals both in the sales and the card works!

We got home by one and Jon was already home having lunch.

I spent the rest of the afternoon planning trips around NZ. There is so much to see and do and we won't have to go far, so many lovely places are on our doorstep. We will start with the Coromandel Peninsular which has some spectacular beaches. On Hot Water Beach you dig a hole at low tide and it fills with hot water! That is about 2 and a half hours away. Then there is Roturoa about an hour away and White Island which is an active volcano 40km off the coast at Whakatane which is also about an hour or so away from here and that's just for starters.

Alison called me to pass on the name of the HR person at the hospital it is the mother of a friend of her daughters so I will give her a call and see if there are any jobs going just as soon as I get a car.

We took Totty to the park tonight and there was absolutely nobody there so Totty had a lovely runaround on the beach. The tide was completely out tonight, first time we have seen it so empty.

Had some nice venison ravioli with Pomodor sauce tonight. Jon's boss had given us some avocados so we are still enjoying them every time we have salad. Still enjoying the tennis.

A quiet day today with nothing planned apart from walking Totty and doing the ironing. The day started cloudy but it usually burns off by 9.00 and and today was no different - another sunny day!

The day started with a Skype call to my friends Mary and Roger back in Newmarket the first I have been able to make with them and it was lovely to speak to them. I also had a call to my friend Anne in Spain and while I was speaking to her my daughter Kirsty put a call through on MSN. She showed me around the living room and told me of the changes they had made, nothing too awful I had a quick chat to Heather before we hung up and all of that took me through to 11.00 and coffee time.

Jon had his first board meeting today and I thought he would not be home for lunch but he did make it at about 1.20.

The tennis is getting really good now they have temperatures up into the low 40s in Melbourne. I had a chat on Facebook with my friend Lisa who is a new user and was uploading some photos to her profile. My neighbour, Margaret called to tell me to help myself from her vegetable garden while she is away in Nelson.

When we walked down to the park tonight there were some unsavoury looking hoodies around drinking in the park. Now school holidays are coming to an end seems like all the families have stopped going to the park so I hope that doesn't mean we have these young people every night or I think we will have to have a change of plan.

Just as I was about to sit down for dinner my other friend Margaret called to see how I was doing and to let me know she hadn't forgotten about me. She made some suggestions as to other parks I could go to in the evenings if Rotary Park is looking out of bounds.

We need to stay up later tonight as we need to call the bank in UK as they sent a letter to Newmarket saying we have had some "unusual activity" on our account and they need to speak to us urgently. Probably the fact that Jon had to draw some money from a cash machine here as our new cards are still not through. Strange they don't know as they also sent a letter saying they had made a transfer of funds from our UK account to NZ. Different departments not knowing what they are all doing I think.

I am going into Tauranga with Alison tomorrow morning so I look forward to that.

Jon has to fly to Nelson next Monday and stay until Tuesday - not sure what I feel about staying on my own yet but I don't have much choice.

Dinner was OK last night but I wouldn't rush to buy the roll up chicken with ham and cheese again.

I was awake bright and early this morning ready for my walk up the Mount. Totty was a bit put out that I was going out early and not taking her! The weather was ideal for walking, cloudy with a bit of sun breaking through. I went over to Alison's house and we set off. We went the same way as Jon has to go to work and it is amazing how light the traffic is but the locals think it is busy. I can see why Jon says it beats the A14 any day!.

We arrived at the Mount and found a parking space with no trouble and then we set off up the track. The Mount has sheep grazing on it so you have to go through farm gates and make sure you close them after you. There were many, many people setting off, young, old, women together, men, boys all ages, such a mix and what a lovely walk/jog. As we set off we could see a cruise ship out in the bay taking on the pilot to bring her into port. As we walked up so the ship came closer and closer. We were quite high up as the Dawn Princess came through the very narrow channel and although there is between 50 - 60 ships docking a year there was an air of carnival about the Mount and lots of people gather to see them passing through. We carried on up to the top stopping off to admire the view and catch my breath but on the whole I did really well. Alison and Bronwyn Anne filling me in on the local history i.e. ships that had gone onto the rocks - it was many years ago and an English girl who had been murdered in 1989 on the Mount by a man who was off his head! The views were lovely and we were really glad it was a cloudy day!

We started off at 8.05 and got back down again at 9.45. When we got down we headed off to the Slow Fish cafe for an iced coffee - yummy!!!! A huge scoop of ice cream in a lovely glass of fresh coffee. On the way home we stopped at the supermarket and I bought some fresh rolls for lunch.

We got home at about 10.45 and I had to set off again and take Totty out for her walk as she was looking at me in such a hard done by way!

The rest of the day was spent doing some housework - well I have got visitors at the weekend. I am really looking forward to seeing Janet and John on Sunday. Jon came home for lunch and enjoyed the crusty roll. I also did my nails - what a life of luxury.

In the afternoon I caught up with my emails - all quiet at home. I had just brought my washing in and was about to make a cup of tea when the doorbell rang. It was Margaret from two doors down who had heard I had moved in and came to introduce herself and brought me a bag of runner beans. She is very chatty and works as a courier for a pathology lab a few days a week. her husband died last September due to cancer. She has two married daughters living in Katikati and Roturoa and a married son who lives in Nelson and she is going down there next week on holiday. We had a cup of tea and a chat until Jon came home and then Totty got excited as she now knows we go out for a walk when Jon gets home.

Alison called me to ask me if I would like her to take me into Tauranga on Thursday to register Totty at the council and also to get my library card, we will go in the morning about 10.00. I must call Bronwyn Anne as she said she will take me shopping before the sales finish - very important.

The park was really quiet tonight as some of the schools have now gone back so no family bbqs.

Back home and I cooked dinner and it is now nearly time for bed.

Another busy day.

Bank Holiday Monday

As it had been so hot yesterday we decided it would be a good idea to get out early as we were taking Totty with us and haven't a sunshade yet.

We made our picnic and were on our way by 9.30 - pretty good for us. Totty is getting to be really good in the car although she still wants to sit on my knee but at least she keeps still.

The drive to Bowentown was very nice. It is up state highway No 2 and for a BH it was very quiet. We drive through a place called Bethlehem where they have caves that you can go down and see glowworms riding in a kayak, we'll do that one evening.

Bowentown itself is a very pretty place and there are some very large houses there with really lovely gardens, a lot of rich people from Auckland we were told. The views towards Tauranga are really something and we took some lovely photos. We had a cup of coffee from a little bar in the car park and were serenaded by a South Pacific group of rather large men who just happened to be there!

We then drove along to Waihi Beach but dogs are not allowed on the beach until third week of February so we will have to have another trip there as it looked lovely.

We drove back to Bowentown and found a lovely spot sitting near the estuary to have our picnic. We then had a paddle in the water and a long walk along the beach but had to keep Totty on the lead as she kept chasing the birds and I wasn't sure how far she would run after them!

We drove home about three o'clock just when it was really too hot to be out so good planning.

We have had a cup of tea and a blueberry and cream muffin for tea and Jon is now out doing a bit in the garden. I must remember to put the oven on early enough to cook the chicken as it takes a long time to heat up but for now I can watch some tennis.

Bank Holiday Sunday

I took the dog out early as we wanted to get off to the falls and dogs are not allowed in the park.

As it was so hot yesterday in Quarry Park we thought we ought to buy some hats and so went over to Bay Fair shopping centre. I bought a baseball hat and Jon got a flowerpot man hat. You will have to see the Facebook photos to see what I mean. We also bought some spray to repel the mozzies and some gel to put on the bites we already have - lots of them!

The trip to the falls only took about 15 minutes and in that time we were up in the hills to the south of Tauranga. The entrance to the park is across an iron road bridge and over the falls. You then drive up into the car park and then have to walk back down to see the falls. They are really lovely and the sound of the water rushing down is amazing. Back down on the bridge we could see all the rock pools with people swimming in them to the right of the falls. On the bridge there were young boys jumping into the water down below and I couldn't look as it looked so dangerous with big rock and boulders down below.

We walked back up to the car park and then drove into the park. The roads are very narrow and there are no directions so it looked like we could really get ourselves lost but it was so beautiful. We followed the road round and came to dirt tracks so turned back and came across a big parking area with a few cars in and some picnic tables right down by the river. People were camping there and it was all so peacful. We had our picnic and then took a walk along the river. It was really pretty with lots of ducks and swans swimming around and the water was so shallow and clear.

After our walk we got back to the car to see if we could find our way out! It was much easier to find our way back down than we had imagined and we were soon at the animal park. We went inside and had a look at the animals having paid $11, quite a lot of money for what it was, it was by this time very hot. The park completed we sat in the shade and had an ice cream.

By this time we had had enough and made our way home getting back in time to give Totty her dinner. The house was 29.5 degrees when we got home but Totty had been asleep in our bedroom at the back of the house where it is much cooler.

We took Totty out for a walk about 6.00 and Bronwyn Anne saw us leaving and came over with her husband, Peter, to introduce herself to Jon. They asked us to pop in, with Totty, on our way back for a drink. As we were setting off a young woman called Susanna called me and asked if she could stroke Totty. She has learning difficulties and lives with her carer, Mary, a few doors down. We had a little chat and I told her we had just moved here from UK and she asked me to pop in for a cuppa when I wanted, she was really sweet.

We had our walk around the park and then went over to see BA and P. They have a cat whose face was a picture when Totty came in but she didn't move from her chair and when Totty eventually settled on my knee we all had a lovely chat. Peter made us a gin and tonic and it nearly blew my head off. They are a very easy couple to talk to and we passed a good hour or so with them. She is going to invite us to a BBQ next Saturday with some of the other neighbours.

It was too late to cook the chicken when we got home so we just cooked some steak I had bought at the Aussie Butcher and had some salad and French bread and that was lovely.

After such a busy day I was asleep pretty soon after my head touched the pillow.

Bank Holiday Weekend

There was a huge cockroach in the bathroom last night, just as well Alison warned me about them the othere day. I had to spray it as I had no empty jars to catch it. We'll have to get a move on with the marmalade.

The weather is fine and it is a bank holiday!!

After breakfast Jon went out and did a bit of tidying in the garden and found a front door key under a plant pot, who put that there? We had a chat with our neighbour who told us they are going away camping for five days there are eight families going and they all have two or three children each! She is very nice and her little boy, Flynn is a dear little boy and so handsome and he loves Totty.

We went out to the supermarket and while we were there we bought a plug in for the mozzies they are are real pain, my arm is still swollen since Wednesday. I found real Marmite in the supermarket today - it's called Ourmate. They also do a NZ version. I haven't had the need to try them yet. We did a good shop and got the dog a nice big water bowl. We bought some lovely muffins one called lime crunch which we have had for tea and was yummy and the other is loaded with chocolate and we will eat tomorrow. We bought some lovely fruit, grapes, pears and apples all varieties we do not get in UK.

After the supermarket we went looking for the Aussie Butcher and I remembered where it was with no bother. What a lovely shop much better meat than the supermarket. We got a big pack of bacon, two beef Wellington, two sirloin steaks, some lambs liver and two chicken breast rolls with ham and cheese in breadcrumbs that you bake in the oven and look very good all for $35 about £14. They had some lovely looking T bone steaks big enough to use as a Sunday roast! We will certainly be buying all our meat from him. He is open seven days a week and has AC and is incredibly clean. I don't know why but I thought the shops here would be closed on Sundays but there are more open for longer hours than in the UK. The shopping centre where the butcher is also has a baker, a supermarket, a coffee shop and some other little shops so it could become our local on a Saturday morning.

When we came home we made lunch using some lovely bread we had bought and some ham off the bone. The bread had so much flour on the top Jon said he was afraid to have a drink of water in case it turned to paste and stuck his mouth!

We set off to Te Puna Quarry Park after lunch which was a bit silly as it was the hottest part of the day but we are English! It only takes about 15 minutes to get there and it is really pretty. It used to be a quarry but has now been taken over by the council and is looked after by volunteers. It has some very unusual sculptures in it made of wood, stone, sticks, tins and whatever else they have been able to find. The planting is beautiful with some really mature trees and I am told in the spring the orchids are a dream. It was very hot and Totty struggled a bit in the full sun but enjoyed the shady bits. There is a rose garden and a fuchsia garden and they are all dotted with funny little sculptures. We will certainly go back again but not in the middle of the afternoon!

We left there and drove to Otuumoetai (no I don't know how to say it either) which is a pretty suburb of Tauranga and goes down to a beach on the opposite side of Mount Maunganui so we were able to take a picture of the Mount from a different angle. All these areas of sea are so shallow and there are many children playing in the water and can walk a long way out and be only up to their knees. We had an ice cream and a walk along the front before heading off home tired but happy.

We have had a cup of tea and out lime crunch muffin and Totty has finally fallen asleep, it's a long time since she walked so far.

It's beef Wellington for dinner tonight and then I think Jon and I will go to McLaren Falls tomorrow on our own - dogs are not allowed in the reserve because of the wild life so Totty will have her early morning walk and afternoon walk as we do through the week and I am sure she will be fine for a few hours on her own.

It is lovely waking up to sunny days!

After taking Totty out for a walk when I met a nice lady in the park called Bev who is a childminder and had three little ones with her (she showed me her house and told me to pop round for a cuppa) I came home and Bronwyn Anne called to say she was free at about 11.00 and we could have a drive around and check out the doctors.

We had a lovely time and she showed me some surgeries, you can register anywhere you want, the doctors never do house calls! She drove me around the town showing me various places and then we went to the Naked Grape on the front overlooking the port where there was a cruise ship in and had a coffee sitting watching the world go by and we had a good natter. Her husband has bowel cancer but is doing OK at the moment so fingers crossed he continues like that. We get on very well and she is a very easy person to be with. She conducts civil wedding and does naming ceremonies and funerals. Her husband was a shipping captain and they have lived many years in Singapore so she knows what it is like to move to a new area. She showed me where to buy fresh fish and took me to the fruit and veg market which was lovely. She is very kind and told me she just knew she wold get on with me as soon as she met me. She said she will take me shopping anytime I want to just ask her and if she is free we can go.

When I got home Jon was just finishing his lunch and ready to go back to work! It must be a relief for him to know I am getting out and about.

The girls and Jame are having a few problems settling in together which is only to be expected. One day all is fine then the next not so fine. They must remember to talk about things and not let things fester as they need to get tings out in the open and then they don't seem so bad. I'm sure things will sort themselves out they just need to give things time.

I spent the afternoon ironing again and watching the tennis.

We need to get to the supermarket and get some shopping done. The fridge looks more empty than Heather's fridge in Derby. We don't throw anything away here, not so much as a slice of bread. As I can't get to the shops on my own Jon buys just what we need on his way home so we are being very economical.

We decided to have fish and chips for dinner and Jon went down to buy it. It was cooked fresh so it took him about 20 minutes, next time we will phone in the order and then they have it ready for you. It comes wrapped in newspaper and was hot, crispy batter on hoki fish and was wonderful. We had two fish and two scoops of chips, far too many and that cost $9.40 (£3.75) total. What a bargain. We sat on the deck on a lovely evening with a bottle of wine mmmmmm!

It is bank holiday this weekend so we will be off out "doing" things. We need to go to the supermarket for some food and also pay a visit to the Aussie Butcher who I am told is better for meat than the supermarket.

I can hardly believe we are now having to rely on the alarm to wake us, that's good.

It's another lovely morning, the weather seems to have settled down now and it is lovely and mild. I had my bed made and washing in the machine and everywhere tidy by 9.00 this morning. I was not going to get caught out again!

Jon called the girls to see if they had Internet yet and James was just fixing it up. Heather came online and we made our first call. It was lovely to see them, I see the small table between the two armchairs has been changed for a small beer fridge! We had a nice chat and I saw the cat and they saw the dog and I took them for a walk around the house.

After talking to the girls I took Totty out for her walk and we played ball in the park. When I got back my washing was ready to hang out. Rewa called me back to say it was fine to change my appointment to 2.00 for my nails.

My friend from Spain called me on Skype and we had a long talk - an hour and a half!!

Jon came home from work and while he was here we rang the bank as we still have no cash card or pin number and we will soon need to get some money. Seems like the cards may have been lost in the post and so they are going to send new ones to the branch! Unlucky or what?

Jon went back to work and I went to have my nails done, I hope Totty doesn't bark all the time I'm out. I left her looking through the glass panel at the side of the front door.

Rewa is very nice and we had a good natter while she was doing my nails. She said my hands were very soft not like NZ women who have quite rough hands because of all the sun she says.

I was finished by 2.45 and went along to Alison's. Her neighbour, Bronwyn Anne, came round and we had a good old chin wag. Bronwyn's husband is Scottish and is a retired sea captain who worked for Shell and they have travelled quite a lot having lived in India, Sudan and Singapore to name but a few and she said he would be interested to chat to Jon who has also worked in those places. We had a lovely afternoon and Bronwyn said she will take me round a few surgeries next week so I can chose who we register with. At 4.30 I thought it time to get back to Totty and Bronwyn and Alison asked me if I would like to walk round the Mount with them next Tuesday morning. Bronwyn suggested 7.00!!!!! as it gets hot but I said I couldn't make it until 8.00 so we agreed on 8.00. They also told me about the very big cockroaches they have here which won't hurt but do look pretty nasty. Alison said the best thing to do is catch them in a jar and put them outside. Bronwyn also told me of the white tail spiders which can give a nasty bite so I will be looking out for them. Alison has a really lovely garden with some lovely areas to sit in.

When I was walking back up the drive one of my neighbours was just coming in in her car and I could see Totty at the front door barking so I am not sure if she had been there barking all the time or only when she heard the car. I will try and see Kim and ask her if she heard her. I do hope she didn't bark all the time, that won't be good if she did.

Jon is due home soon and we will take Totty out to the park and then have dinner.

Another good night's sleep! Tried to Skype my friend but she was not online. I have been speaking to my friend in California quite a lot. I grew up next door to her and her family I have known her all her life and she is now 54! I love Skype and my laptop!



I was caught out today as I took the dog out and then came back and went on the computer and also calle my friend, Mary and had a chat to her as she has not got her Skype up and running yet and so I did not make the bed or tidy up and was just having my breakfast and the doorbell rang. It was Alison and she popped over for a chat and to invite me for a cup of tea tomorrow with some of the neighbours. Typical isn't it days doing nothing and then I have two things at the same time, my nails and cup of tea! She said to pop round when I was finished.



Alison is a school librarian and works 9.00 - 3.00 every day and will be back at school in a few weeks. She was telling me about the ferry crossing from Wellington across the Cook Straights as they did it just after Christmas when she visited family in Nelson. She said it takes 45 minutes to get out of Wellington harbour as it does a big loop and, if it is going to be rough after that is when it will be so across the straights for about one hour but then when you get into the Charlotte Sound it is calm and really beautiful. I now know it will not be a good idea to take Totty.

After Alison left I rushed around doing my housework and then it was time for Jon to come home for lunch.

After lunch I went onto Skype and talked to my Cathy in US and watched the tennis.

Jon came home and we took the dog out for her walk we met a couple down in the park who were sitting watching the sea and eating fish and chips and had a bottle of wine. I spoke to them and it turns out she is English and has been here for 30 years, Pat and Phil and they gave us their phone number, they live at number 47 Te Hono Street, and they have invited us round for a drink so that will be nice. When we got home we had a drink and then dinner. And I should keep this more up to date and stop talking on the phone so much as I am getting behind. I think I will have to set aside a time each day when I write up my blog.

Part Two of Tuesday

Jon didn't get home for lunch as he had to go to a meeting near Hamilton. I made myself a nice salad and used some of the avocados we were given by Mark, he grows them and they are very big.

The owner of the house called round to collect a Sky remote she had left and told me that the grapes growing on the back fence are ours, we'll have a look at those later.

In the afternoon I did my ironing while watching the tennis. It is very hot in Melbourne, 40 degrees. I have made contact with a girl I was in hospital with when I was having Kirsty. She is now living in Queensland with her children and has settled well.

When Jon came home we took Totty down to the park, she really enjoys her evening walks and once I feel she is happy i might even let her off the lead to chase the seagulls! When we came back we checked out the grapes there is a huge crop there is they all ripen we could go into the wine business. They look like they have a while to go before they are ready to eat.

We had our dinner, some lovely pork steaks which had been marinated in apple juice and Manuka honey and were melt in the mouth. After dinner we watched some TV, a silly game show they have on here called The Rich List and is pretty terrible!

A cup of coffee and then bed.

Another lovely day!

Wow! We both slept so well last night we needed the alarm to wake us up, that must be a good sign.

I received a Skype call from Rob and Bina Hicks while we were having breakfast. Rob's microphone was not working too well but we managed to hold a conversation which was nice.

Jon went off to work and I took the dog out. The lady across the road was doing her front garden and so I walked over to introduce myself. She is called Alison and is about 65ish. Her children are grown up and she has lived in Maungatapu for 29 years. She was very chatty and said she would invite me over for a cup of tea and ask her other neighbour in, too, something to look forward to. She was in the UK 18 months ago and stayed in Ely and Cambridge so knows a bit about E Anglia.

I am starting to recognise people who take a morning walk now and they say hello to me. We walk around the block to the Te Whati park across to the the other side and out the other way and then back home which is enough when it is hot and suits Totty.

Back in the house now and more box sorting, most of the clothes need ironing so guess what I'm, going to be doing today!

The rest of the day

I had a good afternoon and did my ironing whilst watching the tennis which wasn't really that gripping, glad I'm not in Melbourne it was 33 degrees there.

I started to unpack our two boxes but I can't see us needing that much of what is in them, Jon certainly won't be needing his jackets as they are all so casual at work and until I get a job I will be in cropped trousers, shorts or jeans.

When Jon came home we walked down to the park. It is so lovely there and Totty really enjoys the seagulls which are much smaller than the English ones, not so much ice cream and fish and chips to steal!

I have felt really positive today and for the first time enjoyed my dinner and ate it all, what a good girl!

The TV is not so good over here and even though we have Sky there is not much on that either, not even National Geographic or Animal Planet! However we did manage to find Hornblower which I seem to remember from England sometime ago so we were able to watch that then off to bed

A good night's sleep

Well I can hardly believe it, I slept right through the night. I remember waking and listening to the rain and wind but went right back off to sleep - bliss.

Got up and showered early this morning and took the dog out for a walk round the block and to a different park where we met a very energetic dog called Lily who is only eight months old but quite big. Fortunately the owner put her on the lead so she wasn't a problem to Totty. Looks like we might have a shower and I need to get home and think how I will get all my washing dry if it rains too much!

Jon called to say the agents would be bringing our airfreight boxes this morning. I will have my trainers and a cardigan. I can't remember what else is in it, Oh yes my calendar, I could do with that.

I registered my Skype account last night and made contact with the people I know who have Skype so it was great this morning to get a message from my friend in California I sent her a instant message and she called me but could not speak long as she had someone coming to see her house as they are moving to Georgia so they had to go out to leave it to the estate agent.

Then I saw my friend in Spain was also online so I sent her a message and we hooked up and were chatting for about an hour, it was lovely. I walked all around the house carrying the laptop and she could see it all.

By now I thought it was time I did some housework and got the washing on and then my friend from California called me again and we had a lovely long chat, what a lazy life.

Jon was due to go to a meeting today and thought he would not be home for lunch but there was a change of plan and he came home. I had managed, in between phone calls, to get the house work done and two loads of washing and change the sheets before he came home so didn't feel too guilty.

The boxes arrived so I need to get them opened and sorted and see what is in them, seems like more than two weeks since we packed them! I feel like we have been here for months!

I can also do my ironing this afternoon and watch the Australian Open tennis and not feel guilty.

A wet Sunday

Well it didn't turn out so bad for a wet day. We took a trip out to the garden centre, with Totty, to see if we could find some fencing that would fit across the side path so that we can let Totty out and she will be safe. We couldn't find anything but the man gave us some contact details where we can try. When we came home we read the papers and watched the cricket and the day just drifted along.

In the afternoon the sun came out and at 3.30 we took Totty down to the park. She has settled really well and stands at the top of the stairs when she wants to go out. On the way out I saw our neighbour, Brett, and asked him if he had any old bits of wood that we could use to block the side path. He kindly gave us a pair of old wooden garden gates which fit perfectly. We have put a plant trough in front and will get some plants growing in it and that will be fine. We walked around the park and sat by the water and watched the few people down there on their jet skis and wind boards and Tot watched the seagulls! There was a little girl collecting tiny crabs from the sand and then cooking them on the bbq! Ugh! Not to eat just for the sake of it. It was a lovely afternoon after all the rain in the morning I thought the whole day was going to be a washout.

We had some lovely lamb chops and sweet mashed potato and salad for dinner. All in all a good day. It makes such a difference having Totty here. I am beginning to feel like "me" again.

Totty's first night

Jon went out to Bayfair, the local shopping centre, last night to get some Bonio type things and we needed a toy for her and a place mat to put her food on all of which he was able to buy at Woolworths!

She really liked her new, blue, toy bone and enjoys being out on the balcony and watching the children play downstairs.

We made up a bed with a blanket in the corner of our room next to my side of the bed and Totty settled very well, she did try to get up on the bed a few times but I was firm and made her stay in hers. She was really very good. I got up about three to go to the loo and she must have followed me out and went walkabout cos when I got back into bed I heard her scratching on the door to get back in! It was dark in the bedroom and I just thought she was still in bed.
She was up again at six and needed to go out. She is quite good in understanding that she needs to go downstairs to get out through the garage for the toilet.

This morning it is pouring with rain so our plans to take her to the beach have to be put on hold, hopefully it will dry up later.

Jon has just gone out to get the Sunday papers and Totty is quite funny when she hears the garage door opening as she does not know what the noise is.

Off to get Totty

I probably had the best night's sleep I have had for sometime, we had the air conditioning on and a lovely duvet on the bed so I was nice and warm and Jon was cool.

I was so excited I could hardly eat any breakfast!

When we paid the bill the reception were so kind and printed off the all instructions we needed to go to the customs office first for clearance and then on to the agents office - Air New Zealand Cargo Imports. FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS OF OUR SHIPPING AGENT IN ENGLAND.

Jon couldn't have picked a better hotel as it was just around the corner from the customs office where we arrived at 8.20 to find it closed!!!! According to our agent they were open at 8.00.

We made our way to the Air New Zealand Office and told them we wanted to get our dog who had arrive dthis morning and the customs office was closed. "It will be open at 8.30 - go back". So we did, and it was still closed. We phoned the number that was on the board outside and it told us that they were not open on Saturdays!!! I was by this time getting very stressed thinking what about my poor little dog where is she going to spend the weekend and how were we going to drive back to Tauranga and then back again on Monday morning! We went back to Air New Zealand and told them the customs office is closed. No that can't be she said I have had lots of people coming back from customs this morning. We showed her the papers from our agent and she said "Oh! no , not that office. That one has been closed for more than three years, you need to go to.... and she showed us where to go on a map. We found the correct office and waited in a queue to get clearance when it was our turn the lady told us we needed all of our papers from MAF, shipping bill, vets papers etc so we then had to go back to Air New Zealand and ask for them. Oh! she said I thought you already had them and then showed us where to get them. The man there was very nice and said yes, she had arrived, was fine, had had a walk and had plenty of water and was fine. We at least felt better now that we knew she had survived the flight. Back to the customs clearance where the queue was longer than ever but we had no choice but to wait and we did....... Eventually it was our turn and it really didn't take that long and STAMP we had it Clearance! Back to Air New Zealand and another $33.75 and another Stamp and we had it. YES we could get Totty!

Follow the yellow line on the pavement to the office round the corner we were told which we did and then were told to go back around the corner, the way we had just come and wait by the big doors and they would bring her out. Eventually the doors opened and on a trolley, in a wooden box was our little Totty. I started to talk to her and at first she didn't do anything and then when she saw it was me she got very excited and started to bark and bark. It was so lovely to see her. The man opened her box and out she came bouncing around like a puppy, so excited to see us and I was crying as she looked so well and clean, not like I thought she would be. She had been well looked after. We got the box into the back of car and she sat on my knee and we were off back to Tauranga.

She was really good on the way back. She has never had such a long car journey and was really good. We stopped after about an hour and a half and bought a sandwich. Stopping in these towns along the main road is easy. You see a bakery, usually there are plenty of parking places outside and you stop buy your sandwich and drink and sit on a bench nearby and eat it and then you are on your way again. Easy.

When we got home our neighbour was just going out with his two elder children, Petra and Flynn, for a swim over at the Mount and they waited to see Totty. Flynn seems to have really taken to her. When she came into the house she spent a little while looking around and sniffing but now she seems to have settled very well. She has made her "place" the corner of the sofa. Jon went out to buy her a toy, a blue woolley bone, which she likes. We took her out for a walk when the temperature had cooled down and she enjoyed being by the sea and chasing the seagulls.

We are really pleased that she seems so well and can't believe she has just had a 27 hour flight and seems to have come through it so well.

She is at the moment stretched out on the sofa and looking very well, long may it last.

Off to Auckland

We finally set off at about 11.30 and the drive was fine. The roads are quiet and the maximum speed limit is 100km but a lot of road is less than that, really slow! Shows how tired I must have been last week cos I didn't remember most it. It looks very much like England but there is a lovely selection of trees and beautiful fern trees growing on the hillsides and the fields are smaller. We pass through Karangahake Gorge which is really lovely and about one hour away from where we live. There are some lovely walking trails through here and we intend to explore it one weekend soon. Once out of the gorge you get onto a plateau which is big dairly country with some really large herds of cows.

There is a short bit of motorway as you approach Auckland but it is only two lanes.
We arrived at the shopping centre where we were to meet Adam. We found it with no problem, in fact driving is really easy and as the traffic is light and there is no stress.
Jon went for a cup of tea with Adam and I hit the shops, they have the summer sales on at the moment. I was looking for a pair of flat shoes as our boxes of air freight won't be here till next week and I have managed with sandals but walking the dog in sandals twice a day won't be very comfortable. I saw some flat shoes for $30 but though that was expensive, I haven't got to grips with the money yet, so I didn't buy them. The shops were lovely not trendy designer shops like KL but still very nice. There are lots of nail bars, too one even has special chairs that you lie in and have a pedicure - luxury. Long way to go for a pedicure though!
I went to meet Jon and when he had finished his meeting we went back to the shoe shop for a second viewing. He pointed out to me that $30 was about £12 quite cheap for a pair of leather shoes so once we had found my size I bought them. I am sure my girls will hate them but they are so comfortable for walking Totty. Dress is very casual over here and I am sure I will not wear half of what I have brought over.

We then went in search of out hotel and surprise, surprise we found it without any bother and checked in. It was very nice and we had a lovely room on the first floor.

We got showered and went down to the bar for a drink. The girl behind the bar was very chatty, as is everyone over here, and she asked us where we were from as she too was English. We could hardly believe it when she said she was from Bury St Edmunds!!!! She moved here over two years ago with her husband and two children. She says she misses her friends and family but would not go back. Oh! and she also misses Tesco! I can understand that as the supermarkets take some getting used to. I will never complain about Tesco again and as for Waitrose - luxury.
I had soup for my dinner followed by a prawn and avocado quesadilla which was very nice and Jon had a very nice lamb rump steak. We finished our bottle of wine and then went up to our room for a decaffeinated coffee. Yes it was decaf, I saw the sachet!

So excited about going to Auckland

I actually slept all night last night which is a first since we left home.

I am just waiting for Jon to come home from work and then we are going to meet a man for lunch in Auckland. They are talking of temperatures of 30+ in Auckland today!!

We have our nice hotel stay tonight and then............ Totty. I hope she is OK.

I have found a site that sells dog cages as I think if Totty is going to be coming in the car with us on our travels around the country she would be much safer in a proper cage so I think we will have to get one of those.

The Cinema

It is pretty easy driving around Tauranga and places are easy to find. In the centre it is also easy to park. We found the cinema no problem and bought our tickets and then went off in search of something to eat. A lot of sushi bars, a Turkish kebab place and Chinese then we found a tiny little Italian which looked OK. It was one of those places where you bring your own wine but they did have a small selection of their own and also beer.

I ordered a four seasons pizza and Jon had the lam cutlets. It was one of the bet pizzas I have ever tasted and although I could only manage two slices we will certainly go back there when I get my appetite back. The owner is Italian and his wife is a Kiwi and a very pleasant couple.

I really enjoyed Australia and felt my tears were justified. It was very long and we both had numb bottoms when we came out. It finished at 11.05 and we were back home at 11.20 having walked back to the car, too so not too far away.

Jon's car

I thought you might like to see his car! Bit sporty for an old man.

More good news

Jon came home from work and found a much happier and more positive wife than he left this morning. I told him about my morning and he has agreed we need to buy me a little car.

We are going to the cinema tonight to see Australia and to have a bite to eat.

Jon's boss said we should head off up to Auckland early tomorrow and meet up with the Genera man there and have some lunch with him and he can fill Jon in on what is going on in the port up there. We have booked a really nice hotel up there.

I contacted a lady about agility classes a few days ago and she called me this afternoon and we have had a long chat about NZ, Totty and life in general. She is English, too but over here many years. Her class, for 12 February, is filling up but she said she sees me as a "priority" case and so will definitely put me on it. It is six weeks obedience and then you start the agility at whatever level you feel comfortable with. I am sure Totty will find it a lot of fun and I think I will, too.

Well enough swanning around doing nothing I had better get on with my ironing and get some things sorted out to take to Auckland.

Chatting with my neighbour

As I walked up the drive I saw my neighbour, Kim, outside her house and I asked her about registering with a doctor. She told me she had been with one in the Mount but they kept her waiting two hours every appointment and with three young children she found that a bit much. That never happens at the Rookery (for those of you who don't know that is the medical centre where I worked).She has now changed to one on Fifth Avenue in Tauranga which she says is very good so we'll give that one a go. I had a nice chat to her and she told me the names of all the neighbours and said I would soon find them all very friendly. Sadly, Janet who lives in front of me lost her 21 year old son in a road accident yesterday so she is very upset. I think the son lived with his father, she also has eight year old twin girls. It must be dreadful for her.

Kim is from Auckland and her parents have a holiday beach home on the Mount so that is where she goes a lot with the children. She seems very nice and has told me they will look after Totty any time I want if we go away. She hasn't met her yet, she may not be so keen when she does. Quite a positive morning all in all.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself!

Jon left for work and I felt like bawling my eyes out but instead I made myself get showered and dressed. I decided to walk down the road to the Shique Nail & Beauty Salon which is in the front room of a house. I met Rewa, who is a blonde 40ish lady and very pretty, she couldn't fit me in until next Thursday so that is something to look forward to. It costs $30 which is about £12 much the same as UK I think or maybe a bit cheaper.

I then decided to walk around to Maungatapu Park and see what that was like. I crossed the park and it brings you out at the entrance to Rotary Park so I walked down there. The tide was in and there were quite a few families sitting on the grass having picnics, one boy with a jet ski and a few children playing in canoes. Across the far side I saw a lady with a lovely white Husky type dog so I took the bull by the horns and went over to her and said hello. Turns out she is English and called Margaret originally from Nottingham, she has lived here for 35 years. She told me she visited Cambridge four years ago when she was in the UK with her daughter. Sadly her husband died in September from cancer and she is feeling a bit low and she was so nice to talk to. We chatted for an hour or so and she gave me lots of tips and advice and for the first time in a few days I felt I could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

She offered to drive me home so she could see where our house was and gave me her phone number(I couldn't give her mine yet as I can't remember it!) and said if she sees something coming up that might interest me she will come and pick me up and take me. So after that I felt really good and was glad I had made the effort. As I was getting out of the car she suggested I get myself some sensible walking shoes as there are some lovely walks around. I told her our things were on the way over and would soon be here. When I got out of the car I looked down at my feet and could understand why she had said it. I had a pair of white sandals on and a plaster on my toe from too much walking in KL and sticking out of the top of the plaster were two big blades of grass!!! Start the way you mean to go on I say.

Feeling pretty low today

I didn't sleep well agin last night, I think I was worried about Totty's journey and woke this morning feeling quite tearful. We called the girls who told us she had got off well but that they were missing her already. It's nice to speak to the girls. I'll be glad when they get the Internet sorted out and we can get on some video phone links through MSN but they are not sure when it will be as Sky have mucked things up with the new phone line.

Jon and I had a talk last night about staying in this house or looking for somewhere in the Mount when this six months is up and I think I would like to move for although the house is beautiful it is sooooooo quiet and as the bus is only every hour I am stuck out here with very few options. Having Jon come home at lunchtime is lovely but he can't do that when he has to go over to Oz which could be sooner than we thought as there are some things that need attention over there. Nobody from the company has made contact with me (other than Mark saying they will have a bbq so I can meet people sometime but as he is off to Thailand next week that is not going to happen soon)which I think is a bit poor so it looks like I will have to make more of an effort.

Jon has booked us into a nice hotel near Auckland airport tomorrow night and he is finishing work at lunchtime and we can set off in the afternoon so that will be nice. We will be able to be at the airport for when Totty lands as there is quite a lot of paperwork to do before they release her to us and we don't want her in the crate longer than necessary.

Best Laid Plans

Just as Jon came home it got very cloudy and started to rain and there was thunder in the distance but we set off as it looked clear over at the Mount. By the time we got there the storm was over us and the lightening was amazing not to mention the rain - just like a typical English summer's day! We had a drive around and I really liked it over there. It is so busy with lots going on.

As it wasn't worth getting out for a walk we did what we seem to have done a lot recently and had a trip to the supermarket. I have come to the conclusion that we are terribly spoilt in the UK and probably, Spain and France too for the choice we have in the supermarkets. Over here the quality of the food is quite poor with lots of it coming from Australia. I have found Marmite but in a different jar so not sure if it is the same. The cuts of meat are different, too the chicken looks corn fed with yellow skin but it is chopped into quite small pieces. I think it is going to be a case of trial and error and I won't be holding any dinner parties for sometime!

It is very nice having electric garage doors as we didn't get a drop of rain on us getting back to the house. The storm went on until past nine o'clock.

The spaghetti sauce was a hit and we have enough for another meal next week. I am having a bit of trouble catering for just the two of us!

All those Sky programmes and nothing on TV to watch so we listened to the radio. There is a particularly good station called Solid Gold and plays mostly 60s and 70s English music - I haven't been able to get onto Radio 2 yet on the Internet. And so another day ends.

Not a bad day today

I decided to head off down to the PO early this morning as there was a clear blue sky and the potential of it being a very hot day. I had to post a letter off to the removal people giving the customs people authority to investigate one of our boxes. I think it will be the one with Totty's toys and bed in and it will probably have to be treated, they are incredibly particular over here. It takes me about ten minutes to walk to the shops. I bought some envelopes and a stamp and asked the man in the PO about local doctors. He told me where the nearest was but said he "Did not know if they were any good or not"! I gather you can register where you want to but I think I will have a chat with my neighbour and see what she thinks.

I needed to buy a keyring as I had left mine in UK and I was getting paranoid about losing my front door key. We had had two extra keys cut yesterday as we only had the one but the windows of the house don't open wide so if I lock myself out it will mean changing locks and things - I don't want to go down that road, I wouldn't know where to start. I found a lovely keyring in the pharmacy shaped like a dog with a glittery bone in its mouth.

Next I went into the general store, no it is not like the one in Neighbours, much more basic and it doesn't sell cheesecake or coffee. I bought two rubbish sacks at $2 each. The system they have is you buy the sacks and they are collected by a private company every Tuesday or you buy ordinary black bin bags then buy labels from the council and stick them on and they will be collected on a Thursday. Alternatively you can pay $200 for a green wheelie bin for a year which is collected every week. And some areas think they have problems in the UK! The lady in the store was very pleasant and when I told her I was finding it rather quiet she told me I would soon be like a local as they are all very friendly. I wanted to say yes that is fine but where is everyone to be friendly with. You would never believe it was school holidays the place is not busy like back home in school holidays..

I have managed to do TWO loads of washing today each load only taking one and a half hours so I think I have cracked the washing machine. I am trying not to use the tumble dryer as we have this lovely weather to get the washing dry but I have to say the towels dry like boards and feel quite rough.

I have just cooked a spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight I am still finding my way round the supermarkets and not being too adventurous. The mince is ground very fine and was difficult to break up and the sauce looks more like mini meatball sauce but hopefully it will taste OK when it is cooked.

When Jon comes home we are going over to have a walk up the Mount. We thought we ought to do it now as dogs are not allowed on the Mount so when Tot gets here we won't be able to do it. Then we will come back and have our spaghetti.

My brainwave

I emailed a lady in Mount Maunganoui (from hereon I will just call it the Mount like the local do) who holds dog obedience classes and agility classes as I am trying to find a way to get out and meet people. She kindly replied today and tells me she is English and has been over here since 1965. Her group meets on a Thursday and hopefully when it starts in February I will be able to get Tot and I on it. I have given her Totty's details and I am now waiting for her to get back to me. I also called a lady in Welcome Bay, just a few minutes drive from here, and she too is English and has been here for 30 years. Her first dog was sent out by ship and it took her two months to get here and she was fine so I hope Totty will be fine after her long flight this week. This lady has classes on a Wednesday but she has a waiting list so not sure if we will get on that. Poor Totty she is going to be shattered with all the walking and two exercise classes a week! Although Totty is well behaved her manners could be improved on so I am hoping something comes of it. And it's a start.

The flowers

Blogger has been kind and let me upload. Aren't they lovely?

Going for a walk

Got down to the nitty gritty and did the ironing this afternoon!

When Jon came home he found a beautiful flower arrangement on the step. It was from my friends Mary and Roger and is really lovely (I will upload a photo if blogger will let me) with red roses, yellow daisy like flowers, which I can't remember the names, gladioli and a blue flower I have never seen before along with some lovely big green leaves and Rosemary so pretty and unusual. We went out for a walk when Jon had changed. I think I might get myself a reputation for being a bit loopy. Everyone I see when I am out I smile at and say "Hello". I have only had smiles and hellos in return so that is OK. Our walk took us in the opposite direction to the park and we both agree this looks very much like walking along a river estuary in Cornwall. The tide was in and looking across to Welcome Bay it was really beautiful. It is very clean and tidy and lots of the pathways are lined with blue hydrangeas and blue and white agapanthus that apparently "grow like weeds" so Mark told me. We walked round to the local shops where we found a pub, a pharmacy, a post office, estate agents, hairdresser, general store, florists and a Chinese takeaway/fish and chip shop. You can get a "battered mussel" and chips for $3.20. (I think it is about £1.20p).Cheap if you like battered mussels! We will try it one night. The takeaway that is not the battered mussel. No cod and chips though only hoki, dory or terakihi???

We walked back home passing a house down the road from ours that is a nail and beauty salon so I might pop in there one day and get my nails done and see what I can find out about the locals.

We got back home and had a beer followed by some pizza and salad then watched some TV - Coronation Street is up to David Platt driving into the canal at Sarah's wedding and Rosie having a fling with John so they are way behind - before going to bed. Another day oveer.

Visit to the bank

We had to go and sort out an account at the bank today so Jon came back and took me into Tauranga at 10.00. We found the back no problem and sorted out the paperwork. We had to park the car on a meter and as we had no coins we had to pay on a card! It would only allow half an hour so when Jon had finished he ran out to check. There was no ticket on the cat but a white chalk mark on the wheel so we are not sure if we have been booked or not. We got some more keys cut for the house, as we only had one, and went to the council to sort out rubbish collection.

You can buy bags at the supermarket and then leave them out for collection by the council on Thursdays, not sure yet how much the bags are or you can pay $200 a year and you get a green bin and a recycle box that you leave out every Tuesday, we'll have to do the sums on that one.

When we got back from the bank I met my neighbour and her husband. She is called Kim and is a teacher and he is called Brett, I think she said, and he works from home on the three days she goes out to work. They have three children- a girl of about 7 a boy of 4 and a baby girl of about 15 months or so, just walking. They seem very nice but she will be back at school in three weeks so I will need to meet more neighbours soon.

Jon has now gone back to work and I am just doing what I want. We'll go out for a walk or a drive when he gets home as long as the storms hold off. The weather has been very changeable but always hot.

First day on my own

Jon went off to work and I felt quite tearful but told myself not to be silly and tears would not help anyway.

First thing I needed to do was phone Telecom and get the Internet sorted. I spoke to a very nice young man who talked me through it and it all seemed to good to be true it worked with the password! I said goodbye and then tried to log on to Hotmail but my browser bar would not let me change from my home page so I phoned them back again and to cut a very long story short it took two hours and three phone calls to get it back working again on Firefox browser instead of Internet Explorer.

It was 11.00 by this time and I thought I had better get some housework and washing done so off I set to the laundry with all my dark colours for a light was. I don't know what buttons I pressed but the cycle took nearly three hours and I thought the clothes would come out fit for Ken and Barbie! Fortunately they were okay and I hung them out to dry as it was really hot.

I had vacumed while the clothes were washing and the ducted vacum cleaner is very good, the tube just plugs into a socket in the wall and all the dirt goes down to the container in the garage.

Jon came home for lunch which was nice as I was getting frustrated with the computer as I was trying to put photos on Facebook but the new Firefox would not let me so I explained to Jon what had happened. He made another account for me and I was away so I don't know what happened to my browser on my other account. No matter I am up and running again now and don't know what I would have done without Hotmail and Facebook.

While I was having my late lunch it started to rain and guess what all my washing was still out - wet again - poor clothes. It was by this time raining too hard to go and bring them in but I got them in later before the thunder started and they were okay.

Even though I haven't been able to get out today and have still not met anyone it hasn't been such a bad day all things considered.

Jon came home from work but had to go through the city to get here. I can see the main bypass from our balcony and I could hear police cars and see the traffic stopped so I called him and told him there was an accident and Ross showed him a different way but it took him 35 minutes. Had he called before he left I could have told him it was flowing again. Perhaps I can get a job in traffic updates!

It was dinner and bed. We didn't go out for a walk as it was a bit damp. Lets see what tomorrow brings. I am nearly up to date with my blog now.

First Full Day

We both slept well and enjoyed a good breakfast on the terrace. I managed to get the washing machine working and caught up on our travel clothes washing but had to hang it on the clothes maiden as it looked like it might rain but it was very warm.

We went out for a walk to the local Rotary park which is five minutes away and really lovely. You walk down a steep road to the park which is down by the water. There is a bit of a beach but not for sitting on as it is stony and the water does not go out very far. Totty should love it when she gets here. There are bbqs lit and ready for public use with picnic tables to sit at and lovely grass areas to sit. At the back of the park it goes up into a wooded area with lots of lovely trees and shrubs and a walkway through and all this overlooks Welcome Bay.

After our walk we had lunch and Jon washed the car but it needs lots of TLC to get it up to his standards. It belonged to Mark's son, who has now gone to work in Australia, and has been left standing for a couple of months so was a bit dull.

We had tried to get the Internet working but Seleena had given us the wrong password to get the wireless connection and she had not left the cable to connect through the modem. We tried to contact her all day but she only got back to us in the evening and brought a cable over so we could at least have internet in the office downstairs. Telecom said we were to call them on Monday when we were connected and they would talk us through changing the password.

In the afternoon we did a dummy run to the office so that Jon would know where he was going rush hour is quite busy here but does not last long and we found the office first time it takes Jon 14 minuted door to door.We went into the shopping centre to get a paper and some window cleaner for the car and met a chap from Leeds selling car cleaner in the car park. He gave Jon a demo and told us he had been over here for four months with his girlfriend and he loved it. We bought the spray and then took a ride out to Papamoa beach which was lovely Totty will love it there, too. We found our way back home with no trouble and had a drink and cooked dinner. First day over and it was fine. Lets see how I do when Jon goes off to work. I still haven't met my neighbour. Jon met her this morning when he was washing the car.

The House

Our breakfast the next morning was pretty awful. We had ordered it for 8.30 and when it arrived it looked as if it had been hanging around for a couple of hours and the bacon could sole your shoes.

Mark and his wife, Val, picked us up at 10.00 and took us to the supermarket to get some basic supplies but we couldn't get any cold stuff as we couldn't go to the house until 2.30 so after a quick visit to the supermarket we set off on a tour of Tauranga which is very pretty and there seems to be water which ever way you look and if not water lovely green hills. The city itself is not too big and very well planned and the roads are very well marked. In fact driving is very nice, no horns, no road rage or people shouting at you, they do talk on their phones while driving though.

We went to have a look at Jon's new office and met some of the operators, they look a scary bunch but I was assured they are "all good blokes"and then we met up with a friend of Mark's who was over from NY for a holiday with his family here. We drove out to the restaurant and guess what it was where we had eaten, or not, the night before and I then had to tell Mark we had not had a good meal there but as it was too far to go back into town and find somewhere else (the centre was busy, too as they had the Ironman competition on so lots of roads were closed) we said we would give it another go. When we got inside the food in the buffet was exactly the same and the piece of gammon looked more tired than the night before! So we decided to go into the bar for a snack meal, wish we had been told about that last night! Jon had a steak sandwich and I had a toasted cheese sandwich which was fine.

At 2.30 we set off for the house and drove to a very nice area. After Googleing it I knew exactly where we were going.

First impression of the house was not brilliant as they are all crammed in together with not much space around and you are very close to the neighbours.

We met Ross at the house (Mark's son-in-law who has been coordinating all the move and found the house) Inside the house is a dream. Very clean and ultra modern with a ducted vacuum cleaner and a huge TV with surround sound all state of the art stuff not at all like Jon and I. The kitchen is beautiful in grey, stainless steel and black granite work surfaces and very well equipped, better than mine back in England. We won't need our boxes when they get here. It has an open plan living room with a wood burning stove, kitchen and sitting area at the end of the kitchen leading onto a terrace/balcony with a bbq all on the first floor. Our bedroom also on the first floor is huge with a walk in dressing room and en suite shower room and separate loo. Downstairs are two more bedrooms the main bathroom and an office and hallway leading into the garage with a laundry area at the rear.The colour theme throughout is pale grey and black all very tasteful.

Seleena showed us round and after a all the explanations she left. Ross had brought Jon's car over for him which is a very bright red sporty Holden of some sort and goes very fast and he explained what was what with that and then he, Mark and Val left and we were on our own and it was quite scary.

We had to go out to the supermarket again to get some fresh things so we bit the bullet and set off to see what we could find. We did really well, found a supermarket did some shopping and got back home without getting lost pretty good for the Trevennas to do that. The staff in all the supermarkets are so pleasant and always ask how you are, how your day is going and pack your bags all with a smile and they don't talk to the cashier next to them, take note Tesco and Asda.

Back at the house we unpacked and made ourselves feel at home. As it was our 29th anniversary we pushed the boat out and had a nice bottle of wine with some lamb chops for dinner and salad followed by fruit and cheese.

It was strange going to bed in a new house and it not being a holiday home or hotel, lets see how I sleep here!

Second Leg of the Journey

We intended to get a "teksi" to the station (RM15) and then the express train (RM70) out to the airport but when we got into the taxi the very pleasant Chinese/Malay man told us in very broken English that he would take us to the airport for RM75 so we agreed!! He was a lovely old man and gave us lots of info on the journey only thing was he was quite difficult to understand. At one point he was telling us how bad it was that Woolworths had gone bust and he knew so much about it more than your average Brit would know. He could talk the hind legs off a donkey and didn't stop much for the whole 45 min trip.

Once again we were very impressed with KL airport and we checked in very smoothly and quickly. We then had a couple of hours to fill so we went to the Harrods Tea Shop!!! and had a drink and a bit of cake then we just had to wait until our flight was called. This plane was a 727, I think, with five seats in the middle and two either side. It was quite full but we had two spare seats next to us so we had lots of space but the flight was very cold and I needed two blankets. We had a meal of spicy chicken and rice which was OK. It was then time to settle down to sleep and once again I did quite well once I was warm enough. We were due to land at 12.15 pm NZ time and so "breakfast" was served two and a half hours before. It was spinach omelet and rice or squid and rice! Oh my poor tummy! I ate the fruit and bread.

We landed on time and Jon's new boss, Mark, was there to meet us and we set off on the drive to Tauranga which took about two and a half hours. My first impressions of NZ are it is very like UK and we could have been back home but it is cleaner and brighter and some of the lorries are huge.

We arrived at the motel where we were to stay for one night until the landlady Seleena, who owns our house had had time to clean it after the previous Canadian holiday let who had apparently left it in a bit of a mess. The motel was OK but not brilliant and there was only one place to eat close by and we had no car but we thought for one night it would be fine.

After a shower and a change of clothes we went out for dinner. The place next door was a hotel cum bar cum restaurant so we asked for a table for two. We then saw it was a buffet so went to get our first course which was fish chowder and not bad. However when we went to get our main it all looked as if he had been hanging around for quite sometime and the gammon on the carvery looked a bit dried up. Well we needed to eat so we went for the chili and rice with salad which was pretty bad so we left it, drank our beers and left.

Jon was still hungry so he went across to McDonald's and we bought some beer and went back to the motel. Things can't get worse, can they?

I'm sure things will look better in the morning so its off to sleep. At least we are here safe and well and after a call home the girls all seem fine too so that's OK.

Second day in KL

Never believe a waitress when she says coffee is decaffeinated unless you see the jar! I know I have been sleeping a lot lately but last night was awful. I just didn't seem to close my eyes until past four o'clock.
We had planned to get up early today anyway and visit the bird gardens before it got too hot. I'm looking forward to being tired on the plane and hopefully will be able to sleep most of the way again.
After breakfast we made our way to the underground station, bought our tickets which were about 60p for both of us! It was rush hour and the train was packed but so clean. It was five stops and it took us ten minutes. When we got out of the station we decided to get a taxi as although it was not far it all seemed to be across main roads and bridges and uphill and the taxi driver told us all about the buildings we passed which was nice. The park was lovely and we arrived just as it was opening, a first for the Trevennas. There were so many wonderful birds flying about and beautiful plants to look at. When we had finished in the park we walked across the road to the orchid gardens and they were a real treat. Although not the main orchid season there were many to see, some really tiny and others really huge. By this time it was getting really hot so it was into another taxi and back to the hotel where I am just about to go for a swim before lunch, a shower and then off to the airport for the last leg.

First Night in KL

Well believe it or not I slept very well. However, I did wake up with bad tummy pains at 7.30. Went back to sleep and woke again at 10.25, pains better but missed breakfast. Jon had room service I had a cup of tea to be on the safeside and half a slice of toast.
Went out to the Towers shopping centre it is amazing and has every shop/boutique you could wish for even M&S it is air conditioned so it is very pleasant to walk around. Outside at the rear of the Towers are some lovely gardens with dancing fountains. Walking round the gardens we saw our second rat in less than 12 hours, we saw one last night while walking home ugh!

We visited the Towers Discovery Centre which was a hands on interactive place with a simulator helicopter ride to an oil rig, very cool. The lights in the centre had a very strange effect on my eyes and I started with a migraine and funny zig zags in my eye so we got out of there and went back to the hotel and guess what after ANOTHER sleep I felt ok.

This afternoon we walked around the town looking for the station to go to the bird park but it was very hot and after a long walk and not finding it we headed back to the hotel and found the station two minutes from our hotel! We had been looking for an overland train station and it is underground so it is up early tomorrow and off to the bird park.

Jon got the Internet access sorted out this evening so I have been able to contact home and update my blog.

We have just been out for dinner and went in the Summer section of a Seasons bar and it was very good. Jon had steak and I had chicken with orange sauce. It was beautifully presented and for pudding I had steamed bananas with thick coconut cream and a syrup yummy! It was then back to the hotel for coffee and finish the blog for the day. Goodnight. Not sure when I will get more written.

The Hotel

It was lovely to arrive at the hotel as we were ready for a shower and some clean clothes. Hotel really nice, we chose this one as it was near the Towers and only nine floors high. Fortunately we are on the second floor and the room has a balcony which goes out onto the rooftop swimming pool and a view of one of the towers the other is behind another high building. After a very welcome shower we went down to the hotel restaurant for dinner. This was a Chinese buffet meal which was good. We then went up to bed GMT time 4.00 pm 12.00 midnight KL time How could I go to sleep again! but I did!!!

The Airport and to the Hotel

What an amazing airport. Having left a scruffy, cold Heathrow, Kuala Lumpur is hot, humid and very clean and modern.
There were no queues, the transit train was quick and immigration very efficient, baggage came through quickly and we were on the express train into KL within an hour of landing. It was dark by this time and rush hour on the roads so we were glad we got the train which took 28 minutes. When we arrived in KL Sentral Station you go to the taxi counter, tell them where you want to go, they give you a ticket and you then get into a taxi outside, give the driver the ticket and off you go.We seemed to drive around a long way and enjoyed seeing the city which is so well lit it looks like Blackpool, not so eco friendly here I think!