After a mad panic transplant from Washington to New Zealand Ami, I and our now seven bags of possessions arrived in Auckland as wide eyed immigrants.
As Leslie and Oscar drove us back to their home where we set up our new base of operations, Auckland smelled sweet of flowers and new beginnings.
The skyline of Auckland with its lone tower dwarfing the surrounding cityscape looked familiar in our new home.
We arrived filled with plans and schedules; get a car, check out Wellington as an possible new home and then look for jobs; the long process of setting up a life for ourselves.
Before we even got to step one, we were off visiting Ami's uncle Michael in the lush North of Ami's childhood. This sort of spontaneous action drove us from the North to the very Southern tip of NZ, touring the South Island while we still had good weather.
We did get to see Wellington, nestled in the windy hills at the bottom of the North Island, home to NZ's government and its blossoming film industry, poster child WETA.
As rushed as we were it checked all the right boxes; not too big, not too small, friendly, cosmopolitan and filled with future career possibilities.
But its windy. Face re-arranging, hair piece destroying windy.
The South Island was and remains gorgeous, still charming and frozen in history but now with English and German tourists peeking at its every crevice.
We had a great month on the main land, but began to dread the bungee jumping, path marching, bush squatting swarms found at every turn.
Stewart Island was the highlight, we had a amazing night in the woods feasting with a friendly group of retired farmers who where enjoying a week on the island hunting, fishing, diving and drinking in each others company; it was priceless. We walked on the 3-day Rakiura track and saw lots of native bush and birds. From Stewart Island we caught another water taxi over to predator free Ulva Island, where we saw a kiwi, wekas, Stewart Island robins and saddleback, a bird lovers paradise!
Once back in the North island we had a busy schedule of visiting relatives dotted across the Island.
It was really nice to see cousins grown, Aunt and Uncles still warm and welcoming and grandparents reminding us we have a home and its here in NZ. A feeling I had almost forgot in the past twelve years living in such a distant dot on the big, big map.
Amazingly as we got back to Auckland and began to once again to work on settling, things lured us from any sort of solid plan.
Lydia and Eric were arriving for a week from Washington, before we left to go to OZ {more on that later}.
Having some pieces from our old lives in our new one was disorienting but a lot of fun in a discombobulating way.
Ami, Eric, Lydia and I saw our ever growing little brother Oliver, Stepmother and Father as we raced around the sights feasting on NZ's finest chocolates.
We caught plenty of fish, family history and had lots of small adventures.
Eventually Lyd and Eric dropped us off at the Airport, and thru chance and good luck we had a Truck to get from the East Coast to the West Coast of Australia in six weeks!
Here a just a few of the pics we took on our trip around the South Island of NZ.
Taking a reading break at the Purple Peak Retreat on the Banks Peninsula.
Ship wreck near Westport, we were camped near here when a tsunami warning came.
A magical morning at Jacksons Bay.
In the mountains near Queenstown
Wellington, our future home!?
Farewell Spit
We hiked up Gertrude's Saddle to get to this spectacular view of Milford Sound and the surrounding wilderness.
Weka on Ulva Island