End of a Decade

Lee's Birthday is today!  Somehow, he gets to celebrate his birthday for at least two days since it is the 29th down here in New Zealand today and then the 29th up there in the USA tomorrow!!

The weather was a bit rainy today and Lee had to work so we didn't celebrate much during the day, but we went to his FAVORITE Indian Restaurant for dinner.  During previous visits, I think we ate here at least 2 times a week and when Lee was down here for work alone, he probably ate here 4-5 times per week.  The guys that work here got to know him really well - same table every visit, same beer to start, same wine with dinner and always the little extras like butter ice cream :)

The food at Nite Spice in Newmarket is really amazing and something to write home about.  Best Indian food we've had in any country we've been - although we can't yet include India in our countries visited...

nite spice, newmarket - auckland

We had the tandoori platter for our appetizer (kiwi=entree) with amazing tandoori prawns, lamb chops, and chicken tikka.  For entrees (kiwi=main) we had Chicken Tikka Masala and Chili Paneer with Garlic & Plain Naan.  No homemade birthday cake for Lee this year since we don't have our kitchen stuff yet, but we did get his favorite dessert - Gulab Jamun.

For those of you that have not had it, gulab jamun is traditionally served at most Indian restaurants although the flavor can vary slightly.  It is like a little round doughnut made from buffalo milk and deep fried.  The little doughnuts are then served in a hot sugar syrup flavored with cardamom and rosewater - very yummy!  At Nite Spice, gulab jamun is served with a side of ice cream - double yum with the hot sugary syrup and doughnut :)

Happy Birthday Lee!!!

Trip to Huia

We had a beautiful start to the day today and decided to go explore some of the beaches on Manukau Harbour and the cute little "town"of Huia (pronounce who-ee-yah -- we think).  The road to Huia goes through the Waitakere Ranges (Why-tack-er-ree) which is HUGE national park right in our backyard. The Waitakere ranges look like something from a movie set - huge peaks rising straight up from deep valleys covered in tree ferns and tropical foliage.

waitakere map

Along the road to Huia there are multiple bays and beaches to stop and check out.  One of the larger ones is Cornwallis Beach & Wharf.  The wharf has been recently restored and is the last of the existing ferry wharfs in Manukau Harbour.  There's no ferry service within the harbour any more, but tons of fishing to be had off the wharf.

The beaches in Manukau Harbour are very tidal and similar to bay-side beaches in Florida.  The sand is pretty sticky and you can sink over your ankles in some places or take a slide onto your behind if you're not careful!

cornwallis beach, manukau harbour

Getting over the ranges was a bit challenging for the Chancellor - especially loaded down with the two of us, Ella, and a backpack :)  Watching the speedometer drop from 70 kmh to 30 kmh as you are going up a hill and downshifting to 2nd gear can be a bit emasculating even for a female!

After Cornwallis and the hills, you come up to Huia Point.  It's a scenic lookout where you can see nearly all of Manukau Harbour out to the Tasman Sea and a beautiful view of Huia Bay.

huia point panoramic

huia bay

The little town of Huia consists of one general store that has a great cafe and is known for their fish & chips.  All the fish is fresh caught that day and it seems like everyone knows everyone there!  We opted to snack on some chips which are french fries.  You have to ask for "sauce" if you want ketchup.  The chips were awesome and the view of Huia bay from the store is breathtaking.  We sat outside on one of their picnic benches and just chilled for a while.

huia store

Glamping in Titirangi?

Ok, so house secured, wheels secured, Li'l Ella secured.

Hot water? Not so much.  TV/Cable?  You want it when?  Internet?  Does this exist in NZ?
Let's talk about camping in our new home.

Our container of furniture is not expected to arrive until sometime in January.  The moving estimate was 8-14 weeks from 22 November.  So, we expected the lack of furniture.  We went to the kiwi version of Bed, Bath, & Beyond, known as Briscoe's, and purchased an air mattress and pump to inflate it.  Luckily, we thought ahead and brought our favorite sheets and some bath towels.

The air mattress is somewhat comfortable.  With some borrowed blankets, we can definitely make this work for a couple of weeks or months if need be.  No need to buy a bed when we have several coming in the container.  Let's talk necessary amenities, or shall we say, expected amenities when you are living in a house...

#1 Hot Water.  We have not had hot water for THREE days.  Lee had to start work on Monday (day two) and needed to shave for his first day.  Let me tell you, heating water for a shave and a sponge bath in a tea kettle is not glamping... it's CAMPING.  The amount of hot water needed to shave the surface area of a man's face does not compare to the number of tea kettles necessary to cover the surface area of a woman's legs.  Don't take hot water for granted!!!  The first hot shower was a moment to remember :)

#2 Cable Television.  One of the more memorable moments in the settling in process. The first Sky TV representative that came by to install the DVR claimed that we needed an electrician to come out and move the cable from the master bedroom to the living room...apparently cable guys don't do that sort of heavy lifting here.  So no cable today. 2 days later Lee receives a call from another Sky rep saying that he is coming by to do the same thing. After explaining the first situation to the rep and bemoaning that "in America they can handle it", the guy toughened up and said that he can do the work. After coming to the house and receiving permission from the wife to drill a new small hole and move the cable.....a call to the husband was still required. "Your wife already gave me permission but I wanted to check with you first".....boys club out here.

#3 Internet.  Options for internet access in New Zealand are many.  Most have limited data download sizes.  We opted for "Naked DSL". This allows unlimited data up and downloads and is faster as you are not required to have a home phone line to interfere with connection speed.  Registration takes minutes.  Receipt of your modem is within 2 days.  To get up and running - connected - give that 10 business days, umpteen phone calls for support, numerous modem resets, and one final formal complaint.

The end result is the realization that living here is much different from visiting here.  It is time for us to sit back and enjoy life, get to know our new friends, enjoy the current moment, and reset to "island time".

Free at last... free at last...

Li'l Ella's day of freedom as a kiwi dog is finally here!  We went to pick her up today in the Chancellor from Pethaven Quarantine in Mangatawhiri about an hour south of Auckland.  Robyn and her staff at Pethaven made Ella feel as welcome as they could during her quarantine stay.  We went to see her several times during the 10 days of quarantine and she had handled her time there pretty well.  They gave her a double run kennel with lots of room and sunshine to stretch her legs.

pethaven quarantine

Unfortunately, today's weather is not cooperating with our plans, but we are undeterred!  Bethell's Beach is doggie heaven.  It's a west coast beach with dog off-leash rules for them to play in the Tasman Sea or in the river that flows down onto the beach.  It's about 16 degree C with 25-30mph winds and driving rain but by gosh we are going to the beach!!!  Those of you that know Ella realize the amount of energy she has to burn after 2 weeks of kenneling!

ears flapping in the wind at bethell's beach- freedom!

The Chancellor Commeth

So.  Wheels.  Necessary.

Do we leave behind the power of the "driving experience" for more practical, fuel-efficient choices?  Do we sacrifice form for function?  Gas (kiwi=petrol) is $7.00/gallon!!!

Enter in... The Chancellor.
     Sacrifice Power.... ...........check
     Keep the Class.................1/2 check
     Monumental Cuteness..... double check!!

Our new vehicle - 1998 Nissan Bolero aka "The Chancellor" - check out the grill, the bicycle tires, the 997cc engine!!  A picture is worth a thousand words on this one...