My goodness blog I am sorry I have neglected you for so long! Well all I can say is that it is a good thing I took some time out from work to get the basics on the house sorted because there is sooooo much to do! My other excuse is that I have not yet any broadband at home although the good folks at our provider assure me it will be the latest Tuesday. So it has been a bit of a hardship we have been coming to a very nice bar in Mission Bay every night to use their free wifi whilst sampling my way through all the local wines hahaha! Still I would rather be at home with this all sorted but until then.......

We had a good drive back from Wellington to Auckland earlier this week - my only gripe would be with the lack of cat's eyes at turn offs on the highway because in the dark and bad weather you just can't see what is going on. But it was fine and we obviously made it back in one piece  It was a real pity that we didn't do all of the drive during the day as the bits we did in the light were spectacular!

So without any further ado D started work on Tuesday, straight in at 8.30 am which I personally thought was rather harsh but off he toddled whilst I navigated my way through central Auckland to find my way to our new house. It is such a cute old house in Mission Bay and I just love it! Horrendous carpet and all! The only problem is that it is COLD - as our friend warned us. So whilst D was at work I began to go out shopping and buy all the things that we needed and I knew wouldn't be on the boat over - stupid things like scissors and wine glasses (priorities!). My brother and sister in law very kindly gave us some mugs and plates and cooking items and also this most lovely warm down throw - which I can tell you comes in so handy as what I consider a winter duvet and what Warehouse considers winter weight are legions apart! But pillows for $12 until mine arrive - yay! Kettles, toaster, plate dryer - all that kind of small stuff that you realise you need! I also got a moon chair for D to sit in and a beanbag for me - but I must say that the beanbag is a sore disappointment it is so not what I was expecting :( oh well lesson learned it will do for our kids one day I suppose! 

We were on an airbed the first couple of nights and god it was AWFUL - I came down with a huge cold (which I am still shaking off) and poor D had to go to work even though we were up in the middle of the night on the floor because the bed had deflated. It was kind of fun when we first went to sleep, having set the fire going and rushed out to Warehouse to buy heaters to get at least one room warm but  not fun at 3am trying to pump the stupid thing up in a freezing cold room! Enough was enough so I took myself off to a bed shop that I found on Trademe and bought our first ever brand new bed. It is a cheapie job and we can't turn the mattress but who cares - just getting into bed that night was quite possibly one of the greatest things ever (they were able to deliver that afternoon which swung the deal!). It is very comfy indeed!

D is finding work very interesting but a bit challenging as it is a different way of working to what happens in the UK. But it is great experience for him and will look fab on his CV, particularly if he can get the 3D work on. I think he just needed a few good night's sleep and it is hard with so much going on at home trying to get settled and so on. At the moment the bed is our only piece of furniture but today we got a lovely sofa set off  Trademe for $400 - the owners are so nice!!! I can't wait to pick it up and get it into my living room!

All I wanted to do this week was curl up on a sofa in front of our fire and read a book underneath the lovely comforter that my sis in law got us - but I've had to be out and about sorting things out for the house. Everyone in Starbucks and the Reef Bar knows us now as I do Starbucks in the am to go online and have a bite to eat (no fridge yet) and then in the evening we hit the bar to do more online stuff.

I had a bit of a weep the other day  not because I hate it, but just got a bit overwhelmed and just wanted to get rid of my cold in the usual way, curled up on a sofa somewhere! There is so much for us both to take in. I really really miss the dog as well and we CANNOT wait for her to arrive oooooooh this time next week she will be here!!!

Do I regret it though? In light of an earthquake down south as well? Not at all!! I miss family and friends - not sure that has quite sunk in yet tbh because we have had no time to think (which might be best really haha!) I really feel so settled and comfortable here. I posted my initial thoughts on the forum updates section so I won't go into it here too much but very favourable indeed overall.

Auckland is big which may have helped with the settling in process, and Mission Bay is just lovely. I sometimes catch myself driving down the hill thinking wow do I really live here! I find it very Americanised i.e. lots of malls and outlet centres everywhere which suits me fine - I love America! Although I take most people's points that Auckland life is not indicative of the rest of NZ but we'll see about that when we come to evaluate things in a couple of years. It is pretty darned good for us right now and is really a very attractive city on the whole. The coast is stunning.

It just makes me cross about how negative people are about this place, on the forum and some comments. OK if you aren't into big cities whatever but really don't come here expecting it to be the UK and for things to work in the same way because it doesn't. It's not bad - just different!!! And why should a whole country change just to fit moany expats in? If you don't like it then leave - if it is that bad then there will be a way to get out somehow. I'm happy to say that I don't think it will be us for quite some time at least.

D has such a nice commute to work - 15 min bus ride then a 10 min walk  a bit different to the 4 hour round trip in the UK what! We drove my route today (I have a bike omg!!!) and it seems ok - but time will tell! I have been dying to get to Bikram yoga but due to cold haven't managed it yet. I called into the studio today and also looked at my new office. The next big things we need to do are:

1) get car 2) mug up for a meeting I have on Monday with new boss 3) shop and fill my fridge that arrives tomorrow (yippeeeee!! thanks Di and Jamie for our wedding present!) 4) collect new sofa 5) find a chest of drawers. Got  a $1.50 coffee table arriving tomorrow and we need to renew our bemoth of a hire car because D spurned my choice of car at Turners today (VW Golf it was sooo cute) only to wish that he had bid on it - I was a bit  but never mind there will be a car out there for us!

Must go, have to search for a car byeeeee