Here we go!

The Otago Peninsula

In a few hours, we will be taking off from the Bay Area, heading to another Bay-like area of New Zealand. Follow us, as we venture into the new year, the new land, and our new home! Happy New Year my dear friends, family, and readers. Feel free to post questions and comments here because I know you will have as many questions as I will!

Au Revoir In 'n Out Burger

We're less than 48 hrs. from taking off from the States, and, more specifically, California.

And it is time to say good bye to some of the wonderful things we've shared in our home, the Golden State.

Among those experiences: In 'n Out Burger, the greatest burger shack in the world.

We met "Uncle" Steve Pinney in San Francisco four our final feed. Daddy got a Double Double, "animal style," of course. Kit got (hmmm.....) a grilled cheese. And the kids got burgers, with the requisite fries.

At least we'll have fries (aka "chips") in NZ!!!! Clairey will be happy.

It was a very, very memorable gathering.

Until the next time we share an In 'n Out.......

New Zealand 101: The People

Traditional Maori Greeting

New Zealand is a considered a rather 'new' country. But not really. Its history traces back many thousands of years. Just not with the Pakeha (Maori term for Caucasian - New Zealanders) in the picture.

Polynesian settlers, known as the Maoris, inhabited the islands that became New Zealand long before Europeans discovered the land. They called their country Aotearoa: Land of the Long White Cloud.

Though discovered at least a hundred years prior by some dutchmen, the country became an official British colony in 1840. The treaty of Waitangi was signed at that time, making New Zealand an official country (under British rule) and giving rights to the native Maoris.

Today, the Maoris play a big part in the country's well being, politically, socially, as well as culturally. Compared to other native cultures (Aborigines of Australia, Native Americans in the US), the Maoris are, arguably, somewhat of a success story. Or at least, the country is trying to achieve some equilibrium in that department.

To date, New Zealand has a population of about 4.5 million people, the majority being Caucasians, about 15% Maori, lots of Pacific Islanders, and a good number of Asian immigrants as well. It's a small melting-pot compared to the United States, but the pot is also getting bigger as immigration increases.

The Kiwis, a nickname for New Zealanders, are known to be a humble bunch. Boasting, and prestige are looked down upon (the Tall Poppy-syndrome). They are also known to be very friendly, helpful, and sincere people. With our limited experience with the Kiwis, we can say that all of that is true. We will get to learn more soon, and get deeper into the culture and the people, and will report back to you!

Christmas Eve

Brilliant sunshine. Golden Gate bridge. Sand. Sea. Quiet streets of San Francisco.

Can we ask for anymore?

Merry Christmas eve from the city by the bay!

New Zealand 101: The Landscape

I don't need to tell you that New Zealand is known for its beautiful, pristine landscape. It's also known for having four times more sheep inhabitants than humans (so much so that methane, the gas emitted by these animals, can cause environmental problems!). And it is the place to go to for adrenaline-inducing activities like bungy jumping (this is not why we are moving there!) Those things are all true, I have been there to prove.

New Zealand has a varied topography. In many ways, the North Island is less dramatic than the south, but it boasts active volcanic activities and some of the best surfs in the world. The city of Rotorua, for instance, can have a very strong sulfurous scent tourists may be put off at first. This is the island we went to four and a half years ago. We have fond memories of it.

The South Island, the largest landmass of New Zealand, is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, with Mt. Cook being the highest point at 12,320 feet. There are also glaciers, and fiords, wine regions, and numerous lakes. Not to mention, we will be living near some beaches where penguins and albatross can be seen frolicking about!

I have a strong feeling that we will never run out of new places to explore!

In the meantime...

We still need to live amidst this big move. Plus it's Christmas time, so there is a lot to do, on top of a whole lot to do.

We have done some fun Christmas-y activities lately. Besides all the cookie-baking at home, and elsewhere, we went to Wilder Ranch State Park where they had all kinds of fun, old-fashioned activities for the holidays. We also treated ourselves to the Nutcracker Ballet, right here in Santa Cruz. And I must say, I was proud of our little Ballet company here. It was very well done, and almost as good as the Boston Ballet we got to see two years ago (except we didn't get to go back stage and get hugs from the little mice and bears this time)!

Back to packing. More on New Zealand soon!

New Zealand 101: Location

New Zealand is on the bottom, on the right hand side, in dark orange.

I thought that it may be a good idea to introduce to you our new home country before our departure. Please excuse me if you already know a lot (or everything) about New Zealand. This will be a good review for me, too.

First of all, New Zealand, is NOT Australia. More people out there think this is the case, as I found out last night while a hairdresser chopped off half of my hair.

"You know you will come back with an Aussie accent!", was her first comment. I let it go because well, Kiwi accent could be confused with Aussie's quite easily. But then, another comment came: "That's where the kangaroos are, right?!" Ummm...No. Wrong country!

New Zealand is an island-country, comprised mainly of two large islands (North and South Islands as they are called), and some several smaller islands. They are located in the Pacific ocean, in the Southern Hemisphere. The closest country to New Zealand is Australia, but so are Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa, and many other South Pacific nations. Many of you also think that I will be closer to Thailand where my family is. Not quite true there either. If you connect the dots between Bangkok, San Francisco, and Auckland, you almost have a perfect triangle!

Here is a little fact I like: New Zealand is the first nation in the world to greet a new day!

We will be living in the city called Dunedin ( on the East coast, way south).

I think that is all I will say today about New Zealand. Little bits of information go a long way.

Decorating and Moving News

It's that time of year.

This year, Christmas will be a sort of good-bye for our family. Good bye to living in the United States...at least for a while.

We are moving to New Zealand!

If I have not been posting too much, it is because we have been a little busy here trying to organize our lives so that we can take this next adventure as smoothly as possible. It's been a dream in the making for a while now.

Four and a half years ago, we went to live and work in New Zealand as a family. It was a short two month stint, but it was enough for us to see the negatives and positives of life there. Time moved a lot slower there, and the children seemed to have time to be children. It did not take too much to convince us to go back there. This time, we are hoping for a much longer stint.

Three weeks from today, we will be flying somewhere over the Pacific, saying goodbye to the US, and goodbye to the old year. We will arrive New Zealand on January 1st, 2010.

What a way to begin a new year!

Stay tuned if you would like to follow our life adventures down under!

The wine country

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday in Sonoma, complete with family, and all the food we could ever eat! Aside from celebrating the kids' 6th birthday, we also celebrated the grandparents' 50th anniversary! 50! That's quite an accomplishment, if you asked me! Congratulations Ginny and Dave. You are an inspiration to us all! And thank you Nick and Terry for being the most gracious hosts!