Last post for a while

Hi all. Things continue to go well for us, and we have settled into the normality of a working life here in Wellington. We've decided to stop posting on the blog for now, as there isn't much to report, and our day to day conversations with people take place via other means. We'll probably add an entry here when there is something exciting to report, may be our first holiday or something. Cheerio......

Finally we've unpacked our suitcases!

Hi all. We have now been in our rented apartment for a whole week. It is sooo good to be able to pack away the suitcases, even if the previous accommodation(s) did have servicing included. We now have somewhere to call our own and even have a room for visitors!

Those of you who also look at our flickr page will know that we went to the local Petone Winter Carnival ... one of the few opportunities for us to see fireworks. The weather was great too! Unlike today, very windy and cold.

Lee is now running solo in his job as the guy he has taken over from finished yesterday. Work is still going well and it is handy only having a 5 min walk.

The picture below was yesterday's sunset from our living room window. Although we spent a while deciding between 2 properties to rent, this view is definitely a big bonus and we're glad we've got it!

Final week in this apartment

Hello everyone. We can't believe that our first 3 and a bit weeks have come to an end already. Lee is settling in to his job and getting to network with people. Heidi is job-hunting and should hopefully get a role within the next few weeks. We have managed a few local outings at the weekends, up to Lower Hutt and the surrounding hillside suburbs (east of CBD) and then up through Karori and out to Makara Beach (north-west of CBD). We have also finally secured accommodation. It is a 5min walk from Lee's workplace, is fully furnished and has a carport, as well as great views! We have to wait until 14th July to move in and, as the owner of our current holiday let is moving back in, we cannot extend this letting so have arranged to go to a serviced apartment around the corner for the next fortnight. Here's a few pics:

First week at work, and a new car

Hi all. Lee started his job this week at the Ministry of Health. Going well so far, people are friendly, and there seems to be plenty of scope in the role. We also bought a car at the weekend, which we will pick up on Friday. Have removed the previous URL as the advert has now expired, so here are a few recent pics. These were taken at Petone Beach on a rather overcast Winter's day, but hey, at least it wasn't raining !

Start of our New Zealand Residency

Hi everyone. We have decided to continue with the blog from our original Year Out in New Zealand, which we haven't updated since returning to the UK. Doesn't time fly ! We've been in Wellington for three days now, and are starting to get our bearings again. Today, the weather was particularly good, and not feeling too bad with regard to jet lag, we enjoyed a nice walk into town. Firstly, we located the building where I will be working. After a spot of lunch, we enjoyed a harbour side stroll in the winter sun. We then returned to the apartment for a well earned cuppa. The view of old St Pauls (http://www.oldstpauls.co.nz) is what we see from our balcony.
Now, more mundane things await us, we need to go shopping and stock the cupboards with food (and drink!). Will update again soon...

Last Day in Australia

Greetings all! This update comes from Perth, where we our spending our last full day, before we fly to Melbourne tomorrow, and then on to London. We have enjoyed our 3 week tour of Australia, which started in Melbourne. We toured the city, and had a trip to Philip Island to see the Penguins. We also spent the weekend with Maureen, catching up with family. We then drove, via the Great Ocean Road, to the Barossa Valley, north of Adelaide, and spent time with Evan and Jenny. We then spent time with Andrea in Adelaide itself, before having a few days on Kangaroo Island. Finally, we flew to Perth for the last week, and have enjoyed exploring Fremantle and Perth. We are staying with Brenda and Kevin in East Fremantle. The weather here in Western Australia is much warmer than Victoria and South Australia, its about 31 degrees today! Not the best preparation for returning home in Winter! Sorry no photos uploaded recently, but its pretty time consuming and we haven't wanted to sit in Internet Cafes doing that, so will have lots of pics to show once we return home and have time on our side. Love to everyone, looking forward to seeing you all and catching up with everyones news.
Lee and Heidi xxxxx

The Beginning of the End

Hi everyone. Well, the end of our time in New Zealand is fast approaching! Heidi finished work on Friday, and we enjoyed lunch with her friends and colleagues, followed by drinks in the evening. Today, with mixed emotions, we sold our much loved campervan, to a nice couple from Hamilton. We are now putting together the final plans for our Australia trip. We will spend time in Melbourne, Adelaide and the Barossa Valley, and Perth, before travelling back for winter in the UK. We are looking forward to catching up with family and friends, and Ellee and Sammy too! But, for now, best get back to packing and planning!