Before we came out here I had a wish list in my head of all the things I wanted from our new life. Here it is:-
Dramatic scenery - Check (in spades). Everywhere you look there are mountains, rivers, sea, muchos trees and greenery.
Beaches - There are loads in and around Nelson. The best are the nature reserve beaches which have BBQ’s, picnic sites, trees and grassy bits as well as sandy and safe beaches. The schools use them for nature trips which the kids obviously love.
Sun - We’ve had a fair amount. It rained the first day and there have been a few rotten days but mostly it’s been warm and sunny. Apparently it stopped raining about October and it’s been pretty hot ever since. Nelson is surrounded by hills which prevents most of the worst weather reaching it. Occasionally the wind brings rain in from the sea which is dumped on the area in one hit and then it’s sunny again for ages. It’s autumn now and it was 26 degrees yesterday and 22 today (it’s a hard life!).
A Job - Well ideally I wouldn’t have to work again but needs must! Anyway I’ve spoken to the manager from the local Child Protection Team who said she’s ‘very keen’ for me to work for them. I’ve got an interview next week so fingers crossed. The only fly in the ointment is the recruitment agencies fee which they don’t / can’t pay. I’ve left it up to them and the agency to negotiate. It’s possible it may stop me getting the job but hopefully not.
Friends - So far we’ve met lots of lovely people on the way down. As a nation they are so laid back and the kids seem really pleasant and friendly. Buster misses nursery so has loved playing with other kids whenever he gets the opportunity. We met a couple who have 2 lively boys and who have also just moved to the area from the North Island. We’ve swapped numbers and hopefully we’ll stay in touch. At least Buster has a couple of little friends to celebrate his Birthday! Obviously I miss all my old friends more than I can say and hope that in the next week or so we’ll have a proper internet connection so we can stay in touch better.
So so far so good! I’ll let you all know about my job situation as soon as I’ve had my interview. Take care, Over and out!