Waitangi Day

Tomorrow is Waitangi Day in New Zealand - a celebration of the signing of the treaty with the Maori in 1840 - so it's a bank holiday and we all get a long weekend. This is great as it means that I get longer to visit some of the places on my list of to do's while I am here. The car will make that easier too.

This week has been very quiet still at work - I hope it doesn't keep on like that or it will get very boring. As the deadline for completion of the Long Term Council Commity Plans (LTCCP) gets closer though I expect it will get quite hectic.

On Tuesday evening I went to a yoga class for the first time ever! I found it quite difficult as I am not very flexible and have lousy balance! Still I do intend to go back again, and to some other classes to get back into good fitness habits.

After work yesterday the social club put on a barbeque to say farewell to a couple of interns who go back to University next week and to welcome me and Mike who has emigrated from UK with his family and is an Audit Manager now. Used to be head of finance for Durham Police force so has changed sides! I think we must have put the british barbeque jinx on it though because it was cloudy all day and started raining just as we lit the barbeque! They use gas ones here though not charcoal!

Having bought the car I had to investigate insurance. It is not compulsory to have car insurance here but advisable to have at least 3rd party. Unfortunately, because I am only here for a short time I can't insure through the usual annual policies so have had to go to the only company who do short term insurance. They only offer 3rd party, no fire & theft etc, and the premium is based solely on the age of the youngest person who will be driving the car. Because the majority of people who need this type of policy are young backpackers they are high risk groups so the premium is high. It has cost me over half as much for 3 months 3rd party as for TPF&T for a year on a regular policy. The other down side is that they only do 3 month blocks so I am now about 5 days short of the time I will have the car. It was either that or pay for 6 months insurance! Still couldn't risk having to pay for damage to someone else's car!

So no update for the next few days as I will be luxuriating in mud baths and spa pools in Rotorua! That's where I need the peg! Oh yes - photo at the top of this post is a bird which lives in the park on the Square - not sure what it is - looks like a cross between a duck and a turkey - but I think it must be the same one which Neil took a photo of last November.

Mobile again

This lunch time I went out and bought a car! And even better I took possession of it tonight without a penny changing hands! It will take a few days to get the money over from UK but the garage doesn't have a problem with that - how trusting! Deep red, well burgundy actually, 1995 Mitsubishi Galant GXSi 2 litre. Cost NZ$3,000 (about £1,200) and expectation of about half that back when I am ready to leave. No picture yet but I will get one as soon as I can and post it next time.

February already!

Forgot until now that it is February 1st today - I have now been away for 5 weeks. Not really much to report this week. Work is very much like UK although the actual job I am on is different as it is auditing council's future plans. They are able to do this because their funding is not dependant on Central Government allocations - much more locally funded. However, they are very much like UK councils because they can't get things done in time and are providing information in bits and pieces. This means that you can't do the whole job in a co-ordinated way - you just do the bits you have. I have working in the local office every day this week and it will be the same again next week. After that I don't know - I don't yet know which council I am working on so don't know whether it will be close enough for day trips or whether it will mean staying away.

Yesterday I did a bit of research on buying a car. I have checked out hiring a car and to rent a car to cover all my weekends and the 10 days at the end will cost in excess of NZ$2,000 - about £800. I found a car to buy yesterday (Mitsubishi Galant) which will cost me NZ$3,000 to buy (all on road costs and a service included) and an expected buy back of about NZ$2,000 in 3 months so would actually cost me about NZ$1,000 and would be mine 24/7. There is, however, a third alternative as one of the girls at work has recently bought a new car and is selling her old one. I don't know what it is yet but I will be seeing it tomorrow and hopefully we can come to a 'hire' agreement so that I don't have the selling problem at the end. Either way I expect to have a car to use before the end of the week. Which is just as well as I have arranged to go to Rotorua next weekend. We have Friday off work but it will take about 3-4 hours to get there so I am planning to start off early on Friday morning and then return on Sunday night. Quite looking forward to it as there are lots of spas there and Maori culture attractions. My hotel is in the centre so I should be able to get around quite easily.

Yesterday afternoon I walked down to Victoria Esplanade which is by the river and about 20 minutes walk from the apartment. It had become quite sunny so made a nice afternoon out. Lots of things for the kids there - large paddling pool and lots of play equipment. Also a miniature railway which takes you on a ride all through the park.

I have been to the gym this morning - step class! Nearly killed me - it's been almost a year since I last did anything and even longer since I did step. I am planning to go to a yoga class on Tuesday evening too but continued attendance at either of both of these will depend on my work locations and what plans I have for the weekends. I am doing some research on what places I want to visit while I am here and when I might do them. I think it will be best to alternate longer trips with short local ones so that I can have some 'normal' weekends too when I will be able to do things like going to the gym. This morning has made me ache quite a lot so I need to do something regularly to ease that. Hopefully it will improve the fitness for walking too as my plans include a fair bit of that.

Back to work

Well it is now a week since I started work here in New Zealand. The first 3 days - at the end of last week, were induction in which we received lots of information about Audit New Zealand, the work we are expected to do and some background to the bodies we will be working on. All a bit intensive not least because days start at 8am here. Part of the process was also to provide us with our pc's and all of the necessary IT - unfortunately it did not work out well as my pc had not been set up properly and so it had to be returned. I didn't get it back until Friday and it worked OK during the day but once I got to my accommodation it wouldn't work again. I had intended to catch up on things like blogging last weekend but was not able to. However, all was sorted yesterday so I am now fully contactable by electronic means and am now able to blog.

So what is Palmerston North (Palmy) like? Nice little university town about the size of Loughborough. Nice square - right outside my accommodation block, with park in the middle and shops, bars, etc around the outside. Shopping is OK! My apartment is OK although there are things I would like to have which I don't but for the most part can manage without. Two large supermarkets are within 5 minutes walk of the block too. The photo at the top of this post is of TSB Tower (where I live) from the square. Unfortunately, I don't have that view - I look out over the buildings at the back. Speaking of which you might have noticed that I have posted photos to some of my previous posts now that I have been able to access them.

Work is OK and they have provided me with a pool car to use during the week. This is actually quite limited as it is not that far to and from the office and that is where I am at the moment. Things are prone to change from day to day though so no telling where you will be next. Almost all cars here are automatic and so I keep trying to use the brake as a clutch! Really need to demobilise my left leg!

The weather since I got here has been pretty good. In Wellington it was pretty much how I remember summer as a child, mostly warm and sunny with some cloud about. We have had a little rain too - or to be more precise, quite a lot today. Forecast is good again for tomorrow though. Not sure what I will do this weekend, maybe just stay local and see what is here. Next weekend is bank holiday again - Wangarai Day (signing of the treaty with the Maori) so am looking at going up to Rotorua or maybe Lake Taupo. Watch this space!

Holiday ends

Today is the last day of my holiday and tomorrow work starts. It has been a bit lonely being a lone traveller in Sydney and here in Wellington. However, I have tried to make the most of my time here and have visited a few of the sights. Yesterday was a bank holiday so not much was open in Wellington but I decided that I would take the cable car - which is really a funicular railway, to the botanical gardens and then walk back down. The views up there were terrific although the weather wasn't brilliant. However, it improved considerably on my way down. I did get wet in the morning though - that will teach me to buy the waterproof I need! I also did some geocaching - some of you will already know what that is and others won't so for those of you who don't check it out on www.geocaching.co.uk. I had been tasked with releasing 2 travel bugs to race back to the UK so had to find 2 separate caches on the same day. I started with a list of 7 but only managed 2, I have been unable to find 4 of the others - partly due to them being in very busy areas which makes true searching almost impossible. However, 2 was enough and one of the travel bugs has been picked up already.

Today I took a bus - yup public transport - to the Karori Sanctuary which is just in the suburbs of Wellington. They are trying to preserve the native animals, birds and plants and have enclosed a huge part of the hillside to prevent imported species getting in (well not birds obviously) and to create favourable conditions for a variety of threatened native species. The kiwi is one of these but as it is nocturnal I didn't see any of those. I did see quite a few others though, many of which I could not identify but a few that I could - from the boards they have up round the sanctuary. Unfortunately, as the birds are all flying past at speed for the most part it is not possible to photograph them but I did take a few photos and some video.

Tomorrow is the first day of the secondment so time for work. Guess from now on weekends will be my holiday time and I will be trying to get around as much as possible then.

Sunday 18th January

I have now been in Wellington for 3 days - well almost - and have hardly managed to do anything. I spent some time on the first day wandering the streets locating places then on Saturday - my first full day - went out to try to get the walking gear (boots, waterproof, rucksack) that I need while I'm here. Unfortunately I don't seem to have my shopping head on and so have only managed to buy a daysack. This is not good as we had rain yesterday and more forecast! I have been very tired since I arrived and have had an upset stomach so haven't really felt like doing much. I guess it is just a combination of crossing time zones and too much rubbish to eat. There are loads of places to eat here - far too many to choose from - but I really haven't felt like it much so have mainly eaten prepack salads, yoghurt and fruit from a local supermarket. It is also a bit awkward being a lone diner - not quite sure what to do while you sit waiting for food etc. Fortunately I will not be alone much longer as the rest of the secondees should be here by Tuesday night - not that I know any of them but I have been in contact with one so should at least know when she arrives.

Today I have been to visit the National Museum - Te Papa - which is only a short walk from the hotel and on the sea front. It was very interesting and, I would think it is more so for children as there are an awful lot of interactive bits and sections specifically for kids to do things.

I also took a walk to the Audit NZ offices - which turn out to be above a few shops! They are near the Parliament buildings and the Cathedral. I have once more taken loads of photos and will upload as soon as I can. At least now I have put in the link to the photos that I have uploaded so you can see the South Africa ones!

Tomorrow I plan to take the cable car (funicular railway I think) to the botanical gardens and then walk down to the city again - better hope it doesn't rain!

Stage 3 - New Zealand

Three weeks after leaving home I have finally made it to New Zealand. I am now 13 hours ahead of UK time so communication with family will be by emails mainly I think, although I have been told about a mobile phone package which has reasonable international call rates so may go that route yet.

I was up very early this morning (4:30) for my flight to Wellington so once again I am absolutely shattered - should have recovered by the time we start the induction on Wednesday though. The flight was truly uneventful although being greeted at the departure gate by the news channel showing the plane crash in the states was a bit unnerving. The plane approaches Wellington from the top of the South Island and I think I can safely say I have never seen anything like it before. Looked like loads of forested mountains (although probably not mountain height) surrounded by the sea. Probably a bit like the Norweigian fjords but as I haven't seen them I can't be sure! I am really looking forward to getting out and seeing some of the island now. When I arrived at the hotel it was already mid afternoon - lost another couple of hours - so I haven't had time to do anything yet. I did find out that it is bank holiday on Monday though so everything will be shut! Wellington Day apparently. Typical bad timing!

After I got back to my room last night I realised that although I said I had walked my legs off in Sydney I hadn't actually said what I'd done so:

Day 1 - Walked to the harbour (about 30 minutes), located the steps up onto the bridge and walked across - on the footpath not the bridge spans like Kerry! Although there were loads of people doing that. Then I walked back again, round Circular Quay and up to the Opera House. By then I was very hot and thirsty so stopped for a drink looking over the harbour before taking a walk round the Botanical Gardens and Domain then into Hyde Park and down to the Anzac Memorial before going back to my room for a rest. I returned to the harbour in the evening for my meal and watched Rhapsody of the Seas leave port - she had been moored in the harbour all day.

Day 2 - Walked across to the Chinatown part of the city - not so far from my hotel, intending to visit the Chinese Gardens but they weren't open so went on to Paddy's Market. Hundreds of stalls there so could have spent all day but I was very good and only stayed a short time before going back down to the harbour to get a harbour cruise. This gets you round an awful lot more of the bay. I took an Explorer ticket so was able to get off and board a later one wherever I chose. I got off at Watsons Bay and had a lovely walk up the cliffs and then down into the bay where I dipped my toes in the sea (South Pacific) before going back to the harbour to catch the next boat and on round the rest of the tour. Once more loads of photos and video but unfortunately I can't get them off the camera until I get a laptop from Audit New Zealand - so about another week yet.

Well I think that brings us all up to date now - until I have had time to explore Wellington