November 23, 2007
40 million sheep can't be wrong
What could be a better reason to write a blog than having a fever on a beautiful sunny day?
Spending too much time in this not quite lukewarm water (without wetsuit) last weekend could be an explanation for my 3 days of Spanish Inquisition (twisting pain in my muscles and joints!...)
If you ask me, we probably had too much fun last weekend, hence the punishment...
As we know for sure now that we'll be moving away from NZ and the weather has just turned magnificently warm, we're trying to spend as much time as possible outside of Auckland doing things that we know for sure we'll miss in Australia.
Such as soaking in hot water at the Hot Water beach in Coromandel (this was the 3rd time we were there and the first real hot water experience!)
Finally seeing Cathedral Cove at all its glory and swimming in the waves!
Talking to abundant "wildlife" in NZ.
Using fresh local produce (bought first hand from growers!) for our cooking and having a "barbie" in a bach!!!
Walk in the forest and be amazed at the size of grand kauri trees.
Explore the bush and not be afraid to step on a deadly spider or stumble upon a poisonous snake nest.
And surf in relatively uncrowded BEAUTIFUL beaches!
In the ocean where white sharks don't come near people.
We still don't know when we will move, it still completely depends on when do we get the visa. After some initial confusion, it looks like the process is slowly starting to roll.
We still hope that we'll manage to move before Xmas. It will be a nightmare in any case, because the weather is so great and we waited for so long for summer to come and instead of enjoying what it has to offer, we'll spend time packing stuff, selling left overs and starting all over in the new place.
I really don't look forward to this. On the other hand, Australia surely has things to offer for stray souls like us? I don't know many Australians that have moved here to live, while kiwis leave for Australia in throngs (3000 a month, I read in the paper).
As they say "New Zealand - 40 million sheep can't be wrong!"
November 07, 2007
Royal generosity
Not that I have been THIS lazy, the blog software was broken for a couple of weeks... Don't get out of habit reading this, ok?
Before leaving NZ I wanted to buy a tapa (painted bark cloth). It is a uniquely Pacific thing that I've never seen anywhere else, but NZ (not even in Samoa, as apparently they don't really do it there). It is a fantastic thing to have on your wall, tapas look both very crafty and modern.
When I started looking for tapas at Trademe online auction, little did I know that I will end up with a huge elaborated amazingly beautiful tapa piece the very same night!!!
Yes, I still can't believe that we were actually given this piece of Tongan tapa (painted bark cloth) by Nicoletta and Owen!!! In Tongan culture, you are given tapas at key moments of your life (weddings, funerals, important occasions, etc) and they have acquired quite a few. I was so touched by their generosity, I thought it must have been the best thing that ever happened to me in NZ! Jeez, I still look at it with a one of my eyes as I write this and I can't believe it!!! I don't think we'd have had a smallest chance to get anything like this if we were trying to buy one...
And conveniently I can also claim in the future that it was given to me by a Maori and Tongan princess (which Nicoletta really is!!!!)
I just had to make this entry, I'm pretty speechless otherwise... WOW!