Yip, the heater still works!

I haven't had to use a real heater in about 6 years and so it has always been in the back of the shed ready to emerge should we need it. Of course here in Christchurch, the climate is much cooler than it is in Perth, so the heater has been a little closer to hand than it has been previously.

To date we have not needed the heater because it hasn't been all that cold, until today. The top temperature was 10deg C; I'm not sure what time it was recorded, but it was just cold all day & wet too. Now that is cold for an Autumn day, but the weather man says there is a cold snap making it's way up NZ's south island.

I like it; it's easier to rug up than strip off, if you get my drift. Anyway, with Winter on the way soon, you're sure to hear more about the lovely weather here in NZ.

For those who are interested, you can view the current conditions on the weather widget on my right hand sidebar.

Here I am

I thought it was about time I posted to let you know that I'm still alive & well.

Jo, Chloe & I are in Christchurch, New Zealand. It has been a very challenging time over the last 6 weeks, we have been living in several Motels while looking for suitable rental accommodation, which we have found & been settling into over the last two weeks. I will post some photo's of our place soon.

I have not yet found work, but have several options up my sleeve, and so should be in a job soon. Praise the Lord for being our provider. Also not having a computer & internet access has been challenging, but it has taught to appreciate what I have.

I'm not going to post allot now, so stay tuned for more soon.

Departing Australia

In about an hour we will be leaving to go to the airport to board our plane out of Perth; we fly direct from Perth to Auckland & then connect to a domestic flight to Christchurch. We arrive in Christchurch just after 9am tomorrow morning.

Hopefully I'll have internet access soon to keep you updated on how our life in NZ is going, but if my posts suddenly stop you'll know why. I'll be back soon.

GOODBYE AUSTRALIA





Technorati Tags: Travel

The Fun Begins

After several weeks of preparation we are now into our final week here in Perth. There is still much to do;

Finalizing accommodation in Christchurch
Closing down accounts here
Packing enough stuff to see us through about 8 weeks while we wait for our stuff
Removalists, cleaners & gardeners coming during the week
Left over stuff to get rid of

The list goes on.....

Have you had much experience in moving? Have you moved overseas before? Did you find it easy or difficult. I suppose it doesn't matter how far you move, it's always a hassle.

I don't anticipate doing it again in the near future.





Technorati Tags: Moving

The countdown begins

Several months back I announced through this post that Jo & I along with my mum, had decided to return to my home land of New Zealand. We were not sure of the time that we were going, but after much prayer & thought, the date has been set for the 1st March & tickets have been purchased.

Now comes the task of getting ready to leave Perth; there are things to sell, lose ends to tie, and we have just over 8 weeks to do it.

Even though I am a born kiwi, I have been in Perth for 6 years & it is like moving to another country for the first time. I remember when I first arrived in Perth nearly six years ago, it was a challenging time of finding my way & setting myself up; like then, I have my family members with me, which did make things easier.

I'll let you know how things go.





Technorati Tags: New Zealand - Moving

The heat is on

It looks like summer is starting early this year. Today we had our first heat wave of the summer months.

The mercury topped 37 deg C this afternoon, & tomorrow it is tipped to reach 39. I am sick of the hot weather here in Perth. I know it's only the start of summer, and Perth is known for it's hot climate & beach culture, so I'm really looking forward to getting back to the cooler climate of New Zealand in 2008.

Thankfully my mum, who is staying with us has a portable air conditioner to replace the cooler fan we have been using up until now. I just pray that it won't be too hot too often this summer.

So do you thrive in the heat, or like me do you just push through the summer months & long for the much more pleasant winter months?




Technorati Tags: Summer - Heat

Now we can go

A couple of weeks back I posted about the news of us having made the decision to move to New Zealand. While we are not ready to go just yet & have not set a date, there was one issue stopping from leaving Australia; Chloe had no passport.

We picked up a child's passport application from the post shop, filled it in, had Chloe's photo taken, found a witness to sign for us & submitted the application.

During this past week, we received a flyer in the post informing us that there was an item of registered post awaiting collection for Chloe Parker.

Jo went to the post shop the next day & picked up the parcel, which was of course Chloe's new passport.

There is a cute little photo of Chloe on the second page with all her official details. I wish I could post a copy of it, but as it is illegal to copy an official document you'll just have to take my word for it.

So now we can legally leave the country, but it does seem a bit weird that our daughter has her own passport, and it also makes the whole deal of us moving country seem more real & closer.



Technorati Tags: Chloe Parker - New Zealand

It's all on

Ok, it's time to share the news. After much thought & prayer Jo & I have decided to make the move to my home country of New Zealand.

A number of reasons have led us to this decision, but we feel that it is the right time & it is where God is leading us. Who knows what will happen when we get there, but I can say that it is all very exciting.

We talked with a few family members & are beginning to make some plans, starting with a passport application for Chloe.

We have set a time line for early January 2008. Sooner would have been better, but there is so much to organize before we can go plus a few family things happening before Christmas, then Christmas itself. Too much.

Stay tuned for more.

Bring Out the Winter Wollies

Yesterday was officially the first day of winter 2007. We've already had some cool days during May, with some cold mornings that I think we're trying to prepare us for the Winter season.

For the next 3 months we can look forward to cold mornings followed by cool sunshine. Also during this time lots of rain hopefully.

I often think back to the winters in New Zealand. Frosts of -2 or 3 in the mornings. I recall often having to scrape ice off the windscreen of the car with a credit card or something similar, then hovering in front of the fireplace during the cold evenings. Ah those were the days!

Here in Perth, Western Australia though, it's not quite that extreme. Cool mornings but not cold. With 4 degrees, the dew on the car windscreen simply washes off with one sweep of the windscreen wiper & I don't think I've seen any fire places in homes here, just heaters.

I like winter much better than summer though. I find it's much easier to wrap up warm, then to try & keep cool. There's only so much clothing you can remove from your body.

How about you. How do you cope in the winter months? Do you prefer the hot or cold weather more? Please leave your comments in the comment section below.