Today, George had his first job interview. It is for a IT Operations Analyst position at Foodstuffs, which is a company very similar to Lekkerland, his previous employer back in the Netherlands. To make a good first impression we first had to by some decent clothes. Be free to judge the result ;-)
The interview took about 100 minutes and went very well. Now we have to wait until they decide... to be continued!
Christmas has come and gone, but didn't really feel like it. We are so used to the fact that christmas is in the winter. I guess that it is a confirmation that the christmas we know in Europe and North America isn't 100% about the birth of christ etc. It's also about getting together in a well lit en warm place eating nourishment for the dark winter-period. Probably a thing the tribes in Europe have done for thousands of years. But before I get all philosophical I better stop right here ;-)
Sale is a big issue here, it is just crazy. When we arrived it was the big Spring Cleaning, after that many different types of Christmas sales (must end Monday, or must end Friday...just to start the next sale next day). After Christmas there was a 3-day long Boxing day sale followed by the End of Year sale, everything has to go, must end New Years Eve, big clearance sale.... And now it is simply Summer sale..... I guess there are no days without any sale, meaning that the sale prices are just the normal prices. So actually, there is no sale at all...
It only takes a 10 minutes drive to the nearest beach which is at New Brighton. No traffic jams, free parking next to the beach and not many people. (All the Dutch are getting very jealous right now I guess) The beach is very long and you can walk for miles if you want to. What does one need more?? New Brighton Pier is also located at the same beach. Every Sunday, a local artiest uses the beach as a huge canvas. He "paints" only with a wooden stick and a rake. Amazing effect and great to look at from the pier. He starts at low tide and finishes just in time. A couple of hours later the piece of art is swallowed again by the water.
There is the thing with the weather forecast: it is never accurate! Today it was supposed to rain but when I look outside it is blue with lots of sun and warm wind, a perfect summer day! Here in NZ, nobody takes the forecast seriously, nobody talks about it (unlike the British ;-) ) and nobody changes their plans because the forecast is bad, the weather will change anyway :-)
The excellent customer-service over here keeps surprising us. You really get the feeling that you're still a Customer (indeed with a capital C!) instead of a person bothering the employer with too difficult a request/question, like we experienced in The Netherlands more and more these past few years. For example; when you send a letter (or an online job-application in my case) you get an email the same day saying they have received it followed by an physical card two days later informing you of the same thing. You actually get a confirmation they received something from you! That is a thing most companies in The Netherlands have thrown out of the windows in their budget-cutting frenzy.
Another example is going to a bank to open an account. No problem even if you are not a NZ citizen. You just walk up to the information desk and he or she will create your account(s) on the spot. Even a credit card is possible. Not a word about can't / won't / do not have the right to do it. They just do it (that Nike-slogan was probably invented by a Kiwi!)
Here are some pictures of NZ-wildlife: First the Kea, cheeky parrots. Then the Pukeko (blue and black feathers) These are really funny creatures, wobbling on their long legs, reminds me a bit of the road runner (mipmip!!). The flower is from a Rata-tree. Those trees are also called Christmas-trees, simply because they are in bloom around Christmas.
Last week we went looking for suitable suburbs to live in the case we get a job and the work- and living-permits. There are some nice neighborhoods in the south of the city, so we will probably look in those areas for a place to rent. On the internet the houses seem ok, but from some of the houses we have seen up close, the quality is not too good. Most houses are not or at most poorly insulated (but the building-laws have recently incorporated that demand). Then there is the almost 10% interest you pay on a mortgage; that is a lot of money considering the rent is not tax-deductible like in The Netherlands. As the housing market is still slightly unpredictable, we will probably rent for a year or so before looking for something to buy. We both have to have a good job if we are able to afford to buy a house anyway.
We hope the job-hunting will be more fruitful in a couple of days when most of the NZ workforce will be returning to work. The number of jobs being posted on the recruiters websites are starting to grow again. We heard that a lot of jobs are not online, but are being spread through the social networks, but we have good hope the headhunters will come up with some good ones.
Some good news on the digital front; we've upgraded our online account (higher data-limit), so we will be on Skype in the evening. And while we have no jobs, probably also in the mornings. So keep watching your Skype!
Yesterday evening we sat on the couch watching TV. Suddenly we felt the couch moving sidewards for about 30 seconds. We looked at each other wondering if the other one also feels it or if it is just an imagination due to the beer.... It was just a slight movement but we both definitely felt it. That happened to be our first experience of an earthquake. The location of the earthquake was 50km south-east into the sea from Gisborne. Quite a distance from Christchurch... and still we could feel it. Quite amazing actually. Maybe less amazing for the people in Gisborne...some building collapsed, lots of broken glass etc. Instead of preparing for Christmas they have to clean up and some of them even have to relocate.
For more information check the following website:
http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html
Usually the combination of the two of us stuck in a small boat isn't the best idea. It probably ends up in shouting at each other and blaming the other one for bumping into something rather than steering smoothly. At least, that was our experience with canoeing and rowing.
Now we know what to do: use a kayak! Of course, the chance that you bump into something at the open sea is quite small comparing with the narrow canals in the Netherlands, but is really worked out well!
We kayaked for a day in the Abel Tasman National Park. Again, we had a guide all to ourselves (which is great), it was a Japanese guy who is living in NZ for more than 10 years. He reminded us a lot of our Japanese friend Pepeeto, and we practiced the few Japanese words we just learned a couple of weeks ago.
It turned out to be the hottest day of november, lots of sunshine all day long.
We saw a few seals and two blue penguins. The penguins are really small (about 45cm in height) and it looks like they are flying through the water. Amazing!
The hardest part was the last 2 km back to the starting point; strong headwind, completely soaked, salt all over us, great fun!
It is a great day, we enjoy it immensely, I guess the picture says enough!
There is a museum in Nelson (actually every town, no matter how small it is, has a own local museum) It has examples of early settler buildings such as a bakery or a dental surgery. (for the Dutch: similar to the Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem) There is also some unusual display: The chainsaw museum! The first one who spots the chainsaw in the picture wins a free stay at our place here in NZ! :-)
One thing we have to mention about food: The portions in a restaurant are huge. When you want to have a small lunch, the best option is to share one dish.
Just look at the size of my BLT sandwich! And look at the seagull who had an eye on it as well!! (Picture was taken without zooming in!!)
After 6 days in 
Nelson, we continue further south, stopping at Murchison, Hanmer Springs (where you have to stop and get soaked in thermal water... very relaxing!) and Kaikoura, seeing some very nice places on our way. It is beautiful weather and we take a stroll along the coast. Many seals are lying in sun, resting, doing nothing. They do smell really bad, which is actually good, it keeps you at a safe distance from them.
The next day we intended to do a whale-watching tour but it got cancelled due to bad weather. Yes, weather can change quite quick.
Well then, just one thing left to do: head down to Christchurch!
Here in Christchurch we start a new part of our journey: trying to settle down. First, we need a place to stay. After 2 months of packing in and unpacking our bags every day or two, we really look forward to have a temporary home again, even if it's just for a couple of months.
It was actually quite easy to find a nice, furnished, 1-bedroom apartment, located 5 minutes walking distance from the City. It is quiet and there is a parking area for our car. This is going to be our home-base for our job hunting adventure.
As it is almost Christmas and that means summer holiday over here, all we can do now is do some researching on the internet. Walk by all the recruiters in town and upload our resume(CV) on some job-sites. From the second week of January, businesses in New Zealand will start up again.
After Napier we went further south towards Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The city only has about 200000 inhabitants and one can do anything on foot in the City centre. After walking around downtown and watching the Christmas parade (really weird with these temperatures) we took the cable car (for the Swiss: looks a bit like the Polybahn in Zuerich) uphill to relax in the botanical garden. From up here you have a beautiful view upon Wellington and the bay.
The camping site is actually situated outside Wellington in a nearby town called Lower Hutt. Walking across there we suddenly found ourselves in front of a Dutch shop. Yes, they do sell kruidnoten, speculaas, bitterballen, haring and drop.
Here in Wellington, we met up with Martin, a German guy who emigrated 3 years ago. He showed us around outside Wellington and took us for a ride along the coast line. He also gave us some useful information about finding a job and buying houses. When we saw his house with a view on the sea it certainly made us very jealous ;-)....but it also made us aware that it is possible to "have it all" over here.
At last; our first (unofficial) Dutch visitors: among them my former boss Duco. We met up and went for some coffee. As they wanted to see the Te Papa museum and we had to get to some stores, we decided to meet afterwards for dinner. We found them already sitting on a sunny terrace when we arrived, so we joined them to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with a bottle of nice rose. One bottle turned into three before we had dinner (with a fourth bottle). Funny to see each other on the other side of the world in such an informal surrounding.
We took the ferry from Wellington to Picton, a trip taking about 3 hours. The last hour you pass through a couple of the Sounds (sort of Fjords) where you have stunning views. During the trip, it feels like we were going from north towards south, but actually it is more east to west.
Continued to Blenheim where we (oh yes) did another wine tour! :-)
The Marlborough wine region is the biggest wine producing area in NZ. Here they almost only produce white wine and hardly any red. We discovered some really nice Rieslings. There are many olive trees from which they produce nice olive oil.
After 2 days in Blenheim we drive to Nelson. This little town is the geographical centre of New Zealand. It is also the region with the most sunny hours per year. Since two weeks it is sunny and warm, about 27 degrees. After traveling for 5 weeks in New Zealand is feels like we had already a better summer than in Europe this year...and read this: Summer in NZ hasn't started yet! Jealous???
We stay for about one week and taking it easy. In the town museum is an excellent exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci showing 3-dimensional replicas of his inventions and designs (like the famous helicopter). Another museum called WOW (World of wearable art) is quite weird but in a positive and refreshing way. It is a mixture of clothes (made from all sorts of material one can think of) and old-timer cars.
On the third day of owning our car, we already lost one of the wheel-caps! Look on the bright side, it still drives great and we are finally blending in with the locals! One step closer to becoming a Kiwi.
On the Coromandel Peninsula are some strange phenomena called hot water beach. You stand on the beach and dig into the sand. Just a few centimeters beneath the surface it gets really hot... too hot actually. So people start to jump up and down. The weird thing was that our feet were nice and warm while the rest of the body was getting soaked by the rain :-(
Just as last time we visited the Coromandel Peninsula, it didn't stop raining. So, just as last time we moved on . . . . towards Thames; the biggest city in the area. At the motor-camp were we stayed there was a local bush hike: "Rockie's gold-mine trail". It should only take 3 hours of walking, but we did it in 4. Not that our physical condition is so very bad, but it had rained the days before and, more importantly, we had to watch our step for at least half of the time descending next to the stream on very muddy ledges! It was still a nice "walk" though and we recommend it to anyone who consider themselves at least a "weekend-warrior" ;-)
Even more important, we finally were having the opportunity to visit Esther en Maarten v/d Heuvel - our local physical mailbox. Having no relatives or friends of our own living here we had to find somebody to be kind enough to share their address so we could register at some official businesses to get things organized. Maarten is actually a brother of one of Esthers' (now ex-) colleagues Jaap. They moved to New Zealand just over a year ago. It was quite interesting to hear how they experience the Kiwi way of life and how they look at NZ after one year.
We continue east and finally the weather is changing for the better - so is the mood of George... he just can't stand rain. The next thing on the schedule is a tour to the White Island. This is NZ's most active volcano and it is situated about 50 km offshore. Having been to Iceland we knew what to expect. Still it is fascinating, all the steam and bubbles and smell and colors... For safety reason we were given a gas mask and a helmet. If it is really necessary - I doubt it. When the volcano decides to blow, you are in the wrong place anyway. It certainly makes a good picture! Now we are really heading east.
Next stop is Gisborne. It took us about 4 hours of driving through mountains and forests....and nobody is on those roads! One thing about the road signs....sometimes they can be a bit depressing. There could be a sign: " windy for the next 23 km" and after that there's a straight bit for about 1-kilometer just to be followed by another sign saying: "windy for the next 45 km" :-) That is why everybody drives an automatic car with power-steering!
Napier on Hawke's Bay is famous for its Art Deco architecture. This town has been completely destroyed by an earthquake back in 1931. When they started to rebuild it they decided to use one style only - Art Deco. This area produces also good quality wine. Of course that means we had to join a wine tasting tour. This was a quite an experience. Starting at lunchtime, visiting 4 wineries, tasting at least 9 different wines at each winery, and that all within 3.5 hours... well, do the math!! We were getting more and more happy and chatty. I guess a real connoisseur spits out most of the wine after tasting, we thought it is a waste to spit it out :-)
The only sheep-leather tanning factory also happens to be in Napier. So being good tourists we decided we had to visit the (free!) tour of the factory. After only 20 minutes the tour was over. . . I was surprised how relatively small the factory was, but was explained that as the (sheep)farming industry is declining, the market for sheep-leather accessories is also shrinking. Most of the things they produce is for export by the way.....nice warm woolen clothes for those cold nights in the Sahara desert for example.
Arrived at the Kauri Coast - a part of Northland with the last remaining Kauri forests. We've been there last year, but did not see all the giants which survived the onslaught by mankind. One of the trees has a girth of 18 meters and stands for over a thousand years; very impressive! Just look how small we look comparing to that tree...
We decided to stay at a motor-camp where you can do a guided night walk. We also did that last year, but this time it wasn't a private tour.....there were nine other tourist besides us and the guide.....this time we only heard the kiwi instead of actually seeing it. The impressive night-sky made up for it though.
We continue our journey to the east coast again, Pakiri Beach. We are staying in a nice cabin which provides all you need: good bed, kitchen and bathroom. It' s a bit expensive, but very nice for a change. Weather is still great, so we are staying for 2 nights. Eating breakfast on the deck watching the birds and the rabbits, listening to the waves, enjoying the sun....not too bad!
Did you know that Goat island isn't an actual name but more a designated one? It is a type of small island where the sailors of old times dropped some goats on to, before sailing further up the coast. On the way back, they came to the island(s) to capture the goat(s) again to have same fresh meat to eat on the return-journey. We found that out while doing a glass-bottom boat tour at Leigh. Very touristic but interesting. During the trip we even saw a 2m long stingray; they can swim (fleeing from you) at around 30 km/h!
Back in North Shore City (Takapuna, a suburb of Auckland) it is time to get rid of the rental car and buy a car of our own. We both know nothing about cars except that they have to drive well and require low maintenance. After 2 days of looking for the damn car, it was time to make a decision: We bought a Nissan Pulsar, secondhand, from 1996 and only 46000 kilometers!! As almost all the cars in NZ, this one is also imported from Japan. Apparently Japanese people don't drive much in their cars and like to buy a new one every other year. It's amazing, in the Netherlands you would have driven 46000 km in about 2 years....
Today, George had his first job interview. It is for a IT Operations Analyst position at Foodstuffs, which is a company very similar to Lekkerland, his previous employer back in the Netherlands. To make a good first impression we first had to by some decent clothes. Be free to judge the result ;-)
Christmas has come and gone, but didn't really feel like it. We are so used to the fact that christmas is in the winter. I guess that it is a confirmation that the christmas we know in Europe and North America isn't 100% about the birth of christ etc. It's also about getting together in a well lit en warm place eating nourishment for the dark winter-period. Probably a thing the tribes in Europe have done for thousands of years. But before I get all philosophical I better stop right here ;-) 
It only takes a 10 minutes drive to the nearest beach which is at New Brighton. No traffic jams, free parking next to the beach and not many people. (All the Dutch are getting very jealous right now I guess) The beach is very long and you can walk for miles if you want to. What does one need more?? New Brighton Pier is also located at the same beach. Every Sunday, a local artiest uses the beach as a huge canvas. He "paints" only with a wooden stick and a rake. Amazing effect and great to look at from the pier. He starts at low tide and finishes just in time. A couple of hours later the piece of art is swallowed again by the water. 
Here are some pictures of NZ-wildlife: First the Kea, cheeky parrots. Then the Pukeko (blue and black feathers) These are really funny creatures, wobbling on their long legs, reminds me a bit of the road runner (mipmip!!). The flower is from a Rata-tree. Those trees are also called Christmas-trees, simply because they are in bloom around Christmas.
Usually the combination of the two of us stuck in a small boat isn't the best idea. It probably ends up in shouting at each other and blaming the other one for bumping into something rather than steering smoothly. At least, that was our experience with canoeing and rowing.
There is a museum in Nelson (actually every town, no matter how small it is, has a own local museum) It has examples of early settler buildings such as a bakery or a dental surgery. (for the Dutch: similar to the Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem) There is also some unusual display: The chainsaw museum! The first one who spots the chainsaw in the picture wins a free stay at our place here in NZ! :-)
One thing we have to mention about food: The portions in a restaurant are huge. When you want to have a small lunch, the best option is to share one dish.
After 6 days in 
Nelson, we continue further south, stopping at Murchison, Hanmer Springs (where you have to stop and get soaked in thermal water... very relaxing!) and Kaikoura, seeing some very nice places on our way. It is beautiful weather and we take a stroll along the coast. Many seals are lying in sun, resting, doing nothing. They do smell really bad, which is actually good, it keeps you at a safe distance from them.
It was actually quite easy to find a nice, furnished, 1-bedroom apartment, located 5 minutes walking distance from the City. It is quiet and there is a parking area for our car. This is going to be our home-base for our job hunting adventure.
After Napier we went further south towards Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The city only has about 200000 inhabitants and one can do anything on foot in the City centre. After walking around downtown and watching the Christmas parade (really weird with these temperatures) we took the cable car (for the Swiss: looks a bit like the Polybahn in Zuerich) uphill to relax in the botanical garden. From up here you have a beautiful view upon Wellington and the bay.
At last; our first (unofficial) Dutch visitors: among them my former boss Duco. We met up and went for some coffee. As they wanted to see the Te Papa museum and we had to get to some stores, we decided to meet afterwards for dinner. We found them already sitting on a sunny terrace when we arrived, so we joined them to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with a bottle of nice rose. One bottle turned into three before we had dinner (with a fourth bottle). Funny to see each other on the other side of the world in such an informal surrounding.
Continued to Blenheim where we (oh yes) did another wine tour! :-)
Just as last time we visited the Coromandel Peninsula, it didn't stop raining. So, just as last time we moved on . . . . towards Thames; the biggest city in the area. At the motor-camp were we stayed there was a local bush hike: "Rockie's gold-mine trail". It should only take 3 hours of walking, but we did it in 4. Not that our physical condition is so very bad, but it had rained the days before and, more importantly, we had to watch our step for at least half of the time descending next to the stream on very muddy ledges! It was still a nice "walk" though and we recommend it to anyone who consider themselves at least a "weekend-warrior" ;-) 
We continue east and finally the weather is changing for the better - so is the mood of George... he just can't stand rain. The next thing on the schedule is a tour to the White Island. This is NZ's most active volcano and it is situated about 50 km offshore. Having been to Iceland we knew what to expect. Still it is fascinating, all the steam and bubbles and smell and colors... For safety reason we were given a gas mask and a helmet. If it is really necessary - I doubt it. When the volcano decides to blow, you are in the wrong place anyway. It certainly makes a good picture! Now we are really heading east.
The only sheep-leather tanning factory also happens to be in Napier. So being good tourists we decided we had to visit the (free!) tour of the factory. After only 20 minutes the tour was over. . . I was surprised how relatively small the factory was, but was explained that as the (sheep)farming industry is declining, the market for sheep-leather accessories is also shrinking. Most of the things they produce is for export by the way.....nice warm woolen clothes for those cold nights in the Sahara desert for example.
Arrived at the Kauri Coast - a part of Northland with the last remaining Kauri forests. We've been there last year, but did not see all the giants which survived the onslaught by mankind. One of the trees has a girth of 18 meters and stands for over a thousand years; very impressive! Just look how small we look comparing to that tree...
We continue our journey to the east coast again, Pakiri Beach. We are staying in a nice cabin which provides all you need: good bed, kitchen and bathroom. It' s a bit expensive, but very nice for a change. Weather is still great, so we are staying for 2 nights. Eating breakfast on the deck watching the birds and the rabbits, listening to the waves, enjoying the sun....not too bad! 
Back in North Shore City (Takapuna, a suburb of Auckland) it is time to get rid of the rental car and buy a car of our own. We both know nothing about cars except that they have to drive well and require low maintenance. After 2 days of looking for the damn car, it was time to make a decision: We bought a Nissan Pulsar, secondhand, from 1996 and only 46000 kilometers!! As almost all the cars in NZ, this one is also imported from Japan. Apparently Japanese people don't drive much in their cars and like to buy a new one every other year. It's amazing, in the Netherlands you would have driven 46000 km in about 2 years....
