And boy, what an adventure it is driving! First of all we get in the car on the opposite side we are used to. When I’ve been out with the kids and heading back to the car they will often go to the side they are used to as the passenger side and I’ll ask them if they think they are driving. Also once in the driver’s seat it is common to: (1) reach to the left for the seatbelt only to grab air, (2) want to put the car in gear with the turn signal (that’s on the right side of the steering column), and (3) put on the turn signal and all of a sudden the windshield wipers are on! It’s also a challenge to remember which side of the road to drive on especially if you are pulling out onto a road and there is no traffic!! And they have a strange driving rule that if you are making a left-hand turn (which would be like our right-hand turns where you are next to the curb and not crossing traffic) you have to yield to oncoming right-hand turning cars! Very confusing but we’ve only been honked at a few times!

        A&P SHOW (Agriculture and Pastoral Show) and 4-H

The A&P Show is the Kiwi equivalent of a Texas Stock Show or state fair. It is in the spring (during the first full week of November), In fact, it was very much like a mini-version of our San Antonio Stock Show with animals, competitions, vendor stands, food stands, carnival rides but minus the jeans, cowboy boots, and cowboy hats! Here the farmers wear pants that look like casual Dockers (can't remember their official name) and plain colored buttoned down shirts with wide brim hats (not cowboy hats though).

The main focus at the A&P Show is sheep - all types of sheep are judged, wool is judged, sheep shearing is judged, and sheepherding (the farmer and his dog) is judged. They do show cattle, pigs, goats and alpacas, and a very small amount of small animals such as rabbits and chickens. The day we went they were also having competitions between the Young Farmers groups and polo matches. At these shows, the farmers do the "showing" of their animals. They do not have 4-H as we have in the States. There is a Young Farmers Association for young men in their 20's to learn about farming and there is a farming-type program in the schools to familiarize youth with farming but it depends on where you live and attend school and the focus is only on farming unlike 4-H in the U.S. where we have a wide variety of projects. And according to everyone there it was hot! 30 degrees C = 85 degrees F (we thought it was pleasant!)

SUMMER
(Dec. 1st to Feb. 28th)

Average Temps: 11-25 degrees C = 47-77 degrees F (with a few days at 30 degrees C = 85 degrees F.)  And people here say that is hot!  We are enjoying the pleasant weather and having the windows and doors open (no screens!) to get good cross breezes through the house. It is almost always windy here and it can change quickly from a nice nor'wester to a cold southerly even in the summer!

        CHRISTMAS IN NZ

Since it is summertime here it has been hard to believe that it's Christmas.  We've been pulling out shorts and jandals and going to the park to play and it stays light until after 9pm (close to 10!)! The week of Dec. 13th we decided it was time to find out where we could cut down a Christmas tree. After many inquiries and "google" searches we had one lead from Janet's physiotherapist. She highly recommended a place not far from us (10 minutes at most) that is right in town. A retired farmer has turned his paddock into a Christmas tree farm and she said there should be a sign out front of the gate. After lunch we headed out, cameras in tow! Drove by and the sign said closed. So we drove by again this time slowly to check out the trees and boy were they scrawny - 6 and 8 foot Charlie Brown trees!!! Needless to say, we drove to the nearest "The Warehouse" (kiwi-version of Wal-Mart) and purchased our very first ever artificial tree! Knowing that so many things are more expensive than in the U.S., we couldn't believe the price of Christmas items - for less than $50.00 we bought a 6-foot tree, lights, ornaments, and a few table decorations! I wanted to take pictures as we were deciding which one to get since we have yearly pictures of getting a tree but the kids said an emphatic no to that. And they are so glad we aren't bringing it back to the States with us - we'll pass it on to someone here. It was interesting setting it up, straightening out the branches just the way we wanted them and bending them to hold the ornaments just so and Janet did get pictures of this! The house is beginning to look a wee like Christmas.

Another difference: the common Christmas flower here is lilies which makes sense since it is summer. There are poinsettias but lilies are definitely easier to find and more plentiful.

We did some Christmas baking. Another time for modification! Several ingredients are not available so we passed on some recipes, modified others and tried some new ones. All turned out except the fudge, still not sure what went wrong there.

On the Friday before Christmas we had the church youth over for a Christmas party! We did an advent reading, sang carols, ate Christmas goodies (except the fudge!), and played games. We thought it would be fun to make a punch drink we've done back home (7-up or Sprite poured over sherbet) so we went on a hunt through the frozen section of the store for sherbet. None was to be found so we got some non-dairy ice cream that was wild berry flavor and looked like it might work. They do have Sprite so no problem there. (in fact, we have found out if you ask for lemonade here you get Sprite). As Chris was pouring the drink into glasses, the girls said, "Oh, look! Spiders!" That's what they call this kind of punch here and it is  popular at children's birthday parties!

After church we spent Christmas Day with a local Kiwi family (they attend our church). They wanted the two American families (us and the assistant pastor and his wife) to experience a Kiwi Christmas Day. It really isn't too different than an American Christmas. There are two different options for dinner: a traditional English dinner of ham, turkey, fixings, and plum pudding for dessert or if the weather is suitable a BBQ. Our hostess did a traditional dinner with contributions from all the guests (there were 20 of us) and a very-Kiwi dessert: pavlova (there is an on-going disagreement between NZ and Australia as to its origin). It is basically meringue - beaten for a good 10 minutes then shaped on a baking sheet and baked at a low temp for 1-1/2 hours and decorated with either grated chocolate or berries and kiwi. At each place setting was a Christmas cracker (not edible). It is a wrapped tube that when pulled makes a pop-like noise and out falls a folded paper crown, a joke and a small toy. We took turns pulling our tubes open, reading our jokes, figuring out our toy, and of course wearing crowns. By late afternoon the sun had come out and the guys all went out and played ultimate frisbee and got hot and sweaty!

        TIM'S SUMMER BIRTHDAY
Tim wanted to celebrate his birthday on Dec. 26th (Boxing Day) since it was really Dec. 25th back home, and it worked well since we were gone on Christmas. It was a beautiful day so we packed up lunch, swim togs, towels, etc. and headed to the beach. It was about 85 degrees F and clear skies. The water was cold but it didn't stop the boys from getting wet. And Jacob had a special treat of playing fetch with a very friendly dog! We ended the day with a dinner of homemade enchiladas (yes, we have found Old El Paso products that are produced in Australia - not quite the same but they do) and cheesecake. Wow, Tim is now 17 years old. Only one more inch and he'll be as tall as his dad!

        BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR
Janet and Tim were at a Youth Bible Conference Dec. 27-Jan. 1. They saw the new year in singing hymns around a huge bonfire. The rest of us had fun exploring more of the local area and we brought in the new year quietly at home. It is not a hugely celebrated holiday. We heard a few firecrackers at midnight but that was about it.

One New Year's Resolution: We'll try and keep this site updated now that it is brought up-to-date! CHEERS!

        JANET'S SUMMER BIRTHDAY
We celebrated Janet's birthday with our assistant pastor and his wife (from Montana). We took Janet shopping for summer clothes for her trip to Australia while the guys watched the Rose Bowl, and then had dinner and dessert. She is now out of her teens - ahhh! (a 20 year old!)

        MORE RANDOM THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED

The date is written differently here. It is written: date month year (i.e. 8 Feb 06 or 8/2/06) so we have to pay close attention to how we fill out forms, etc. or read dates on things. Also the Kiwis like to shorten words as much as possible when speaking so when saying a street name they would say Montana Av and not say "avenue".

The time is written differently also. Instead of a colon to separate the hour and minutes, a period is used, i.e. 2.30pm

Food = They don't use dyes in the cheese so all cheese is white in color. More fruits and vegies are in season and finally reasonably priced. We have learned that capsicums are green peppers and courgettes are zucchini. They do not sell juice in a frozen concentrate form, only in bottles. They sweeten their canned tomato sauce which really changes the taste of a dish so now I reconstitute tomato paste to use instead.

Games = Many board games are similar to the U.S. but have different names:
Funworder is Scrabble; Cluedo is Clue; Poleconomy is kind of like Monopoly but has a political part to it also.

Chris is having fun growing tomatoes. He was given very tiny tomato plants back in October and has nurtured them along through many windy days. They are now producing a bounty of tomatoes having begun in January and still going in March!

Update on Open Windows = Now that it has been warmer (70's during the day) on a regular basis, we are dealing with more flies than bees in the house. (Remember no screens on the windows!) We have not been able to locate flyswatters here so we keep a towel or rolled up newspaper handy for swatting them. Also there are a lot of spiders here. These things should go away when the weather gets cold again.

Along with having to buy most non-prescription medications at the chemist store, we discovered that you have to have a prescription for Neosporin Ointment! They do sell an ointment that is similar but not as "strong" the clerk said but it is $17 for a very small tube.

In many ways, the culture here is a mixed bag. They are very progressive (and liberal) in some areas like social issues (though not always for the best) and in their technology, and are considered the 2nd most secular country in the world behind France. Yet years behind the U.S. in other areas. The youth say "Far out!" when they are impressed by something. They listen to music from the 70's and 80's (that's basically all the radio stations play and much to Tim's chagrin there are NO country music radio stations). Several ladies say they like to shop for clothes when they go to the U.S. because styles are very limited here. And as I've said earlier, the stores are all closed by 6pm (like they did in the States 30-40 years ago) except The Warehouse (a Kiwi-version of Wal-Mart) and it's open til 8pm. And restaurants close at 9pm. This is done so that families can be involved in evening activities together and life is just not as commercialized here as in the States - yet. Unfortunately, it seems to be heading in that direction.

The tax is included in the price of all items. So when you buy something you know the exact amount needed - very nice! Also you don't leave tips at restaurants or give tips to taxi drivers or hotel bellhops. They don't expect to be tipped. In fact, one lady was saying that when she and her mom (both Kiwis) visited the States, the mom would refuse to leave a tip at the restaurants and so the daughter would follow behind and leave it.

Clockwise Drains. Yes, water really does spin down the drains clockwise, as well as toilets flushing clockwise, here in NZ (and anywhere south of the equator) and counterclockwise in the U.S. (and anywhere in the northern hemisphere). The reason is gravity. The water going down the drain, is pulled by gravity toward the earth’s core. The earth is always rotating toward the east so if you are standing on the South Pole, looking up toward the earth’s core, the earth would appear to rotate clockwise. Whereas if you are on the North Pole, the earth would appear to rotate counterclockwise. Here is an example you can do in your very own kitchen, stir a glass of water counterclockwise. Now hold the glass above your head, and keep stirring in the same direction. As you look up, the water will appear to be turning clockwise. Jacob and I learned about this phenomenon while reading for his history notebook on New Zealand.

        SUMMERTIME ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

SBC (Summer Beach Project) = Janet spent a month in Australia with several other university students. It was a month of intensive Bible study classes and some good old Kiwi/Aussie fun! Janet learned what it was to be like to be a minority and was also teased as she was the only American in the group.

Come For a Cuppa = The other night we went to a "Play in the Park" performance with our Kiwi friends, Rob and Bev. On the way home, Rob asked, "Come for a cuppa?" Our response showed confusion so he reworded his question to "Do you want to come over for a cup of tea, coffee, milo, whatever?" So in the future if we ask you this we hope you'll join us for a cuppa!

Weddings = Just as summer is the wedding season in the U.S., so it is in NZ. Only that means Dec.-Feb. are the popular months for weddings. One of the families in our church invited us to their daughter's wedding so we could see a Kiwi wedding. We were told that weddings here are very formal affairs which surprised us knowing how casual all other events are (including shorts and jandals worn to church). We found there was an entire spectrum of attire worn - from dressy clothes by many to slacks worn by some women and jeans and untucked shirts by some men. The wedding party was in formal wear. Traditionally in NZ, the wedding party consists of the bride and groom (of course!), chief bridesmaid (i.e. maid/matron of honor), bridesmaids, best man, ushers or usherettes, and attendants. The bridesmaids walk in by themselves as the ushers/usherettes only hand out programs at the door and the attendants seat the parents.  The church being of old gothic style and near the city centre and touristy places, two tourists slipped into the back and sat through the ceremony then slipped out before the recessional. The "Questions and Vows" and "Exchange of Rings" were toward the beginning of the ceremony and then the wedding party, including the bride and groom, sat down in the first row to listen to the "Address" (sermon). After the wedding, there is a tea (beverages, light snacks and the wedding cake) that everyone who attends the wedding is invited to and then later in the evening is a more formal sit-down dinner that is for the families and close friends and is by a separate invitation only. This would be the equivalent to our Rehearsal Dinner in the U.S. Very often between the wedding and the tea, the wedding party will go to a local garden for outside pictures. We have seen such a group down at the Botanical Gardens on a Sunday afternoon.

Sports = It is cricket season through the summer. The boys have gotten a cricket set and are learning how to play. When playing in a league, these games can last up to 3 days or longer (8 hours each day)!! Chris is going to be playing in a cricket game next week. The Chemistry Dept has challenged the Physics Dept, it should just be an afternoon but we'll let you know.  The Rugby season is beginning now and will go until July. Chris and the boys went to a professional game on Saturday - Canterbury (the province we live in) against Otago (the province just south of us). We have checked out a book of rugby rules from the library and they've been reading up on it so they'll have a better idea of what's happening during the game. They've been watching some games on TV to figure it out also.

Superbowl Monday (?) = We did watch the Superbowl, though it was funny to be watching it on Monday at noon. We had our new friends, Art, Brenda, and their two boys Spencer and Wyatt, (another American family who is here on sabbatical)  join us along with our Kiwi friend, Rob, and his son, Sam. Chris and Art spent most of the game explaining the rules, etc. to our Kiwi friends.

Tea = Tea has different meanings here. For most Kiwis, it is what they call dinner. For transplanted Brits, it means afternoon tea at 4ish. I have met and become friends with a lady from Britain who is here with her husband on sabbatical. We have been going for afternoon tea for the past few weeks. After our first time to tea, I thought she'd never want to be seen with a bumbling American ever again, but we have become friends and as she is leaving this Sunday we have exchanged home addresses in order to keep in touch.

My "Tea Misadventure": We went to a berry farm that has a tearoom. It reminded me of the herb farm and tearoom in Fredericksburg, Texas. I had only met Kate at the Welcomers' Coffee and so didn't know her except by face. Having the preconceived idea that Brits would dress up to go to tea, I did so. She showed up wearing jeans and a t-shirt! When we arrived at the berry farm tearoom, we ordered tea (Earl Grey) and a muffin each. When they brought us the muffins and tea Kate said, "Muffins are big where you're from, aren't they?" Well, my first thought was "Everything is big in Texas!" but said, "Yes, they are usually bigger than this." She looked at me funny and then I realized she meant "popular" so I bumbled my explanation of things being big in Texas to explain my comment. The server had brought a teapot to the table along with what I thought was a potholder. After Kate poured our tea, I picked up the "alleged" potholder and checked it out saying, "Oh, I guess this must go over the teapot to keep the extra tea warm." Another funny look. She proceeded to put milk in her tea and so I followed suit. This is what they call "white tea". It was different but good.  We had a nice conversation, mostly one-sided on her part, while I tried to not make a bigger fool of myself as she began talking about European relations, etc. When we were soon to leave, I picked up my spoon to "gracefully" pick up the cute white chocolate heart that was next to my cup on the teacup saucer and, lo and behold, it was a pat of butter in the form of a heart. She graciously said, "I think that was butter for your muffin if you'd wanted it." On the way home, she said it had been a fun afternoon (I can just imagine the conversation at their dinner table that night!) and we should do this again the next week. And so we have gone for tea the past few weeks, thankfully with less blunders on my part and I've really enjoyed the conversation. It's made me realize how uninformed I can be and it's okay to not know what someone is talking about and better to admit it up front then make a fool of oneself. I will miss her as she leaves this Sunday and, unbelievably, she said if we are ever in Cambridge to look them up!

Nibble 'n Natter Night = This was the title on the invitation handed out to the ladies at our church. It was an evening to get together at someone's home and "nibble" (have tea and snacks that everyone brought) and "natter" (talk, visit, encourage one another - one of the ladies asked for help in learning to crochet and another brought some recently read books and shared them with the group). It was a fun evening of getting to know some of the other ladies in the church.

Neighborhood Block Party = With the end of summer and school just around the corner, we have several new neighbors who have arrived for their sabbaticals; a family with 2 boys from Iowa, an Australian family that is relocating here permanently, a family with 2 boys from Ohio, a family with a boy and girl from England, a family with a boy and girl from Colorado, and a family with one girl from Maine. We had a block party one Sunday afternoon to get to know one another and exchange phone numbers. It has been fun for the boys to have other kids on the street to play with after school. And we have been able to be an encouragement and support to one another as we experience a different culture together. Since the block party, even more people are here - couples from Connecticut, Indiana, Alaska, and South Dakota.

FALL
(Mar. 1st to May 31st)

Average Temps: 8-19 degrees C = 42-68 degrees F.  Fall has arrived and there is a nip in the air in the early mornings and at night. We even have had some unusual weather for NZ: a lightning storm the other night along with a tornado touching down further inland in the middle of a farmer's paddock. He lost his barn, some sheep and a huge wild pig that he'd caught up in the mountains. As his neighbor mate came over to check on him, they heard an oinking and looked up. Lo, and behold, there was the pig stuck up in the tree. As they were looking at it, it wiggled around and suddenly fell to the ground. The local paper had a picture. And people say pigs can't fly! Ha!Ha! They do in NZ!

It's time to "fall back" with our clocks again. We are now back to being 17 hours ahead of CST in the U.S.

        OUR FALL ADVENTURES AND MISADVENTURES (you decide which is which - ha!ha!)

Penguins = Just outside of Christchurch? That's what we were told by the university's gardener. We decided to see if he was right. After supper one evening we gathered jackets, snacks, and torches. We drove over to Godley Head and hiked down to the rocky seashore at dusk and sat quietly and watched and waited and waited and watched and watched and waited. You get the idea! Never saw a penguin though we did see the little houses they supposedly come to. It was a clear night and since we were away from the city lights, we did spend a good hour looking for southern constellations. We saw the Southern Cross, Orion, and shooting stars.

Sailing, sailing on the ocean blue! = Our host and his wife invited us for a day of sailing on their yacht (really a 16-foot sailboat but all boats here are referred to as yachts). The boys and Chris had a great time as they helped get the sail up, steer the yacht and adjust the ropes as needed. Janet and I took pictures and were hoping not to fall out as the yacht would lean way over when the wind caught the sails. The guys are planning one more trip out before the weather turns cold.

A day at Hanmer Springs = The leaves are changing color - beautiful yellows, oranges, and reds - and we thought it would be a great day trip to head back up to Hanmer Springs. We had been there shortly after we'd arrived last year and with so much "bush" we were sure it would be beautiful in the fall. On a recent Saturday morning, we gathered hiking boots, light jackets, a picnic lunch, and our togs for a day of hiking and then soaking in the hot springs afterward. Well, about halfway there (45 minutes into the drive) Janet realized she forgot her camera so we turned around and headed home to retrieve it. Now with everything we needed, we headed out again. As we are driving and admiring the beautiful blue sky we noticed that clouds had come over the mountains but appeared to be staying to our left, yet as we got closer it started to rain and there were no clouds above us! As we continued to drive, it stayed cloudy to the left and clear blue sky to the right. Just as we got to Hanmer Springs there was a downpour of rain and it did not let up. We had our lunch in the van and then drove around for a bit looking for the colorful leaves we were sure we would see. Well, there were a few but not many. The rain let up enough that we went for a short walk and then we headed home discouraged - not seeing what we expected and not being able to soak in the hot springs. The next week we noticed all sorts of trees turning here and are enjoying what is in our "own backyard".

Orana Wildlife Park = While Janet and Tim were at Easter Camp, we took Jacob to the local Kiwi-version of a zoo. The animals were from Africa, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Jacob got to hand-feed and pet a giraffe, and watch several other animals being fed (lions, otters, lemurs, and cheetahs). We saw 2 Kiwis (the bird!). They are funny birds that are nocturnal and don't fly. The keepers have reversed the Kiwis days and nights so the park visitors are able to see them "in action".

        THINGS WE DIDN'T THINK WE'D DEAL WITH AS "VISITORS/NON-RESIDENTS"

Taxes = Yes, we even have had to think about, actually agonize, over taxes. Shortly after we arrived it came to our attention that because of our extended stay here we would have to pay New Zealand taxes on our U.S. income! Things were starting to look really crazy when we found out that the NZ tax year is April 1st to March 31st while our U.S. tax is for the calendar year. After much research (and prayer!) we have discovered that there are a few exceptions in the NZ tax laws and we fit one of their exceptions; because Chris is a researcher here and his income is coming from our home country we do not have to pay NZ tax. We have also discovered that because we are out of the country we have an automatic extension on filing our U.S. taxes and can (and have) requested a further extension because of our length of stay out of the country. We are awaiting a response to this request and if granted then we can wait to deal with our taxes when we return this summer.

Census = New Zealand takes a census once every five years and everyone who is in the country on March 7th must complete a census form. A brown form is completed by one person in each dwelling and each individual who is present in that dwelling on March 7th must complete a blue form. Because we are not permanent residents we only had to fill out the basic information and then sign the back - one visiting family had a brother here for just a few days and because he was in their home on the 7th had to complete a blue form also. It was strange when we came to the nationality question because there was nothing listed that we fit under so we ticked the "other" box and wrote in American. A person came around and collected our forms during the following week.

Voting = We were received a letter in the mail stating that government records showed no one in this household was registered to vote and it is required by law in NZ that every person aged 18 years and older be registered to vote. You are not required to vote but you have to be registered. Thankfully in small print it said if you are not a citizen or permanent resident of NZ then you cannot register to vote. Voting for the national government is different than in the U.S. Here people vote for their MP (member of Parliament) and the party that has the most MPs voted in then choose from their people who the Prime Minister will be. Generally it is already understood and established who will be put in that position if their party wins but there have been some surprises over the years. The Prime Minister is in office for 3 three years unless the people request the person to step down early. This process is much easier than the impeachment process in the U.S.

       

WINTER
(June 1st to Aug. 31st)

Average Temps: 5-11 degrees C = 41-47 degrees F. We were told it rarely snows in Christchurch. As you can see by our reports soon after our arrival there had been snow in early spring. And this winter we have had snow twice and a couple of days of sleety rain. Now we are being told this is an unusually cold winter!

The South Island is definitely cooler than the North Island and Australia. It is very much affected by the winds coming off the Antarctic. When we hear a southerly is coming in we know it will be cold!

Our first Snow Day less than two weeks into winter, Jacob had fun playing out in the snow in our yard. He also went sledding with our pastor and his two sons at a local park that had a small hill.

 

OUR HOLIDAY TRIPS

A TRIP THROUGH THE SOUTH PART OF THE SOUTH ISLAND
November 21 - December 2, 2005

Following is a brief synopsis with pictures posted in the "pictures" section:
We spent 2 full days in Dunedin (5 hr drive south along the coast). We visited a museum about the history of the area.  We saw yellow-eyed penguins and royal albatrosses in their natural habitats.  Being springtime the penguin parents were trading turns fishing for and feeding their young and the albatrosses were sitting on their nests.  We also took a few walks along the beach.

Our next stop was Te Anau on the southwest coast of the island.  We did several tramps (hikes) around this area including the first leg of the Kepler Track (a well-known 3-4 day tramp).  The first leg is about 3 hours to the hut (sleeping quarters).  We had our picnic lunch there and then headed back to civilization.  It was beautiful scenery all around.  We drove to Milford Sound (which leads out to the Tasman Sea) and took a lovely 2-1/2 hour nature cruise through the fiordlands.  It was an absolutely perfect day to be on the water - bright blue sky and brilliant sunshine.  There was a fiordland crested penguin meandering its way down to the water for a swim and NZ fur seals sunning themselves on rocks.  This is a definite must if you ever make it to NZ!

We were in Te Anau for Jacob's birthday and celebrated by taking a tour of the glowworm caves.  These are strange little creatures that live only in the caves.  They only eat in the larvae stage and attract their food (small insects) by "glowing" and sending down what is like a fishing line.  When the small insects fly toward the light they are caught by the glowworm's fishing line.  The caves themselves were very interesting with water rushing underneath us and interesting formations of the walls and ceiling.  Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures inside the caves or the worms would quit glowing.

In-between our major adventures we decided to have a relaxing day in Te Anau so we rented a quad-cycle to ride around town.  It was quite interesting to have all five of us riding a bike with four pedaling, one of the pedalers also steering and the fifth person being a passive (though not quiet) passenger! We all took turns at pedaling and steering and screaming "Watch out for the curb!" and giggling!!!

The last few days of our trip were spent near Queenstown.  Tim had his dream of bungy-jumping come true!  And he is alive to tell about it!  He had the audacity to tell me that they allow tandem jumps and he would be willing to jump again if I went with him! HA! over my dead body! I was nervous enough seeing him up there falling off!!  We also found several of the sights where filming of "Lord of the Rings" was done.  We saw the area where the black riders got swept down the river, where Gimley fell off his horse, and where Aragorn fell off the cliff.  There were several other sites as well and Tim and Janet took several photos.  The Remarkables (mountains at Queenstown) were used for several scenes in the movies and they truly are remarkable! 

The scenery all through NZ is fabulous and we are already planning our next trip.

A WEEKEND AT MT. COOK
February 24-26, 2006

We spent a relaxing weekend in the Mt. Cook area. When Chris mentioned our plans to one of the technicians, this man said he had a friend who owned a bach in Twizel, a town about 30 minutes from Mt. Cook. They called this friend and the bach was available. Chris went by to pick up the keys, directions, etc. and the guy didn't even take down our name or phone number and he only charged us $45.00 per night. We brought all our food with us as there was a fully supplied kitchen.

It was an absolutely beautiful weekend as you will see in the pictures once they are posted. We hiked up to see the glaciers though you can't get close enough to touch or walk on them much to Jacob's disappointment. There was a lake at the base of the glaciers and we were able to touch and taste pieces of ice floating in the lake. Tim even tried to lift a piece out of the water but it was much larger and heavier than it looked with most of it submerged under the water. We hiked up the Hooker Valley towards Mt. Cook and went as far as you can go without having special tramping equipment. It was a beautiful snow-capped mountain against bright blue sky. And because of particles in the glacial runoff, the lakes receiving that runoff are a bright aqua color - almost surreal. We spent Sunday playing at the nearby fresh water lake. It was warm enough that the boys were wading in the water.

OUR TOUR OF NORTH ISLAND
March 18 - April 2, 2006

It seemed like a whirlwind of a trip as we managed to go from Wellington at the very bottom to the Bay of Islands which is about 150 miles from the northern tip and then back down again in 2 weeks.

A TRIP ALONG THE WEST COAST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND
June

OUR TRIP TO SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
July 8-16, 2006

 

 

HOLIDAYS

        Father's Day = First Sunday in September. Shortly after we arrived it was Father's Day here and the normal ads for tools, etc. were on TV and radio. There was also a kiosk in the mall selling just ties and socks for dad!

        *Labor Day = October 24th. This is the last big three day weekend before school is out for the year and so everyone goes somewhere for the whole weekend. Because of that we just went for a day hike to the Port Hills that Monday.

        Guy Fawkes Day = November 5th. Actually a British holiday commemorating Guy Fawkes for rebelling against the government. This holiday is celebrated with barbecues and fireworks displays as our Fourth of July is.

        *Christmas = December 25th (yes, Christmas is in the summer here - complete with summer items next to Christmas items in the stores and swimming and camping equipment the big sale items!)  Most Kiwis are also getting ready for their "summer vacations". The big travel day here is the day AFTER Christmas as Kiwis are leaving for their bachs or holi-homes. Many small businesses shut down for the three weeks after Christmas.

        *Boxing Day = December 26th. This is a holiday carried over from England. When asking people its reason/history we've received several responses.
1. "It's the day we return the boxes (gifts) received on Christmas that don't fit, etc. And a big sale day for the stores."
2. "It's the day we open our boxes (gifts)."
3. "Just another excuse for a holiday and not go to work."
4. "It dates back to the Victorian Era in England when the servants, who had been very busy serving the family on Christmas Day, are given boxes (gifts) and have the day off to celebrate while the family cares for themselves."

What are your thoughts? We all thought #4 was the closest to the truth. Janet looked it up and it does match the best with the dictionary/encyclopedia description.

        *Waitangi Day = February 6th. This holiday is to commemorate the signing of the treaty between the Pakeha (Europeans) and the Maori (the indigenous natives of NZ). There is no big celebration - it is a national holiday and to the Kiwis just another 3-day weekend. And it is also the last 3-day weekend before the new school year begins.

        School Year = This is very different here. The new school year begins in February and ends mid-December. It is broken up into four terms: February to mid-April then a 2-week break; end of April to beginning of July then a 2-week break; mid-July to mid-September then a 2-week break; October to mid-December and then the summer holiday of about 6 weeks which includes Christmas. There are various three day weekends throughout the year and all public schools in the entire country are on the same schedule. Also to note: when they refer to school that means high school and down. Some high schools are called colleges while what we would call colleges and universities are only referred to as university or uni for short. Instead of grades (i.e. 1st thru 12th), they are called Years or Forms and they are listed as Years 1 thru 13 (the first year is not referred to as kindergarten as in the U.S.). Children begin school ON their 5th birthday if their birthday is between February and July. If it is after July then the parents can petition for entry or wait until the following February and begin in the new school year. So new children are starting school (Year One) all through the first two terms.

        Valentine's Day = February 14th. This holiday has been "borrowed/imported" from the U.S. say some locals. It is celebrated only by couples. We have been seeing roadside stands selling flowers and there are some dances organized down near the city centre. My Kiwi friend, Michelle, is hopeful that the U.S. commercialization of this day does not come to NZ shores. She does not like how things migrate here from the States.

        St. Patrick's Day = March 17th. No real notice that this day was celebrated here in any significant way, saw the occasional all-green person with face painted, etc. but nothing extraordinary.

        *Good Friday and Easter = Consistent with worldwide celebrations. This is another holiday that coincides with a school break. All schools are closed on Good Friday and the Monday after Easter (this year it coincides with the 2 week term break). There is the usual bunny and eggs things in the stores, all are chocolate (made by Cadbury in NZ) or marshmallow. They don't dye eggs (most eggs are brown anyway!) and people I've talked with have never heard of the plastic eggs that we fill with candy. With only 3% of the population being regular church-goers Easter has no spiritual significance for most people. It has become a huge family get together celebration time. Almost all stores and businesses are closed on Good Friday, open on Saturday, and close again on Easter Sunday.

        *ANZAC Day = April 25. This holiday is similar to our Memorial Day. It was established after WWI, the first international conflict that New Zealand soldiers took part in, and it is to honor those who served/serve in the military. In every town where there is a memorial to soldiers, there is an early morning parade of soldiers and veterans through the city centre to the memorial and then a service is conducted honoring all soldiers and veterans. In Christchurch, that same evening is a concert featuring patriotic songs played by the Christchurch symphony.

        Mother's Day = Second Sunday in May. It is celebrated pretty much the same way as in the U.S.

        Queen's Birthday = June 5 (at least this year it was)/First Monday in June. It is not actually the Queen's birthday but it is similar to our President's Day - day off of school and heaps of store sales, also the opening weekend of ski season.

*Bank Holidays - An interesting note about bank holidays (holidays officially recognized and observed by the government): all businesses are required by law to be closed except those of necessity, i.e. restaurants and petrol stations. If a business is open on a holiday they are fined (except those of necessity) and required to pay their employees time and a half. Many restaurants will increase their prices that day in order to cover the extra money they have to pay out for being open.