Home at last

We are setteling in to our home. There is plenty of room and privacy. It is very peacful and close to the beach. The gardener is clearing the jungle out back so we can keep up with it ourselves. The rug cleaner came earlier to get rid of the old lady, cat smell. We have the placed decked out in the finest second hand furniture. We are keeping it simple because whatever we buy we will have to sell when we leave next year. We have all the esentials to living. We even have a washer and hang our clothes on the line like every other kiwi. We have a bore in the yard, free well water for garden, we are made to recycle everything. NZ is trying to stop the use of plastic bags in stores. All the outlets can be shut off when not in use to save power. This country is very green.

It has been a hot summer so far and the young boys are acting up. Every day there is another stabbing in the news. The other night a 13 yr old boy got stabbed by a man for tagging his fence with spay paint. It is a huge unstoppable issue.Every morning towns wake up have to paint over graffiti again . I don't get it.

On my birthday in Taupo a young Scottish backpacker who was walking home from a bar died from a blow to the head. They still don't know who did it. Two other couples in that same week were badly beaten by a gang of kids with bats. After that crazy week I had enough of camping out on the North Island. Things are different than the South were everyone is a hard working streight laced farmer. These kids unfurtanatley are immitated American gangs they watch.

Matt is at school and loving it.He has been going for about 4 days and there is only one other girl in his class. They scuba and survey beaches. I'm a bit jelouse I must admit. Matt will be traveling to islands to explore. He is required to collect all the species of seaweed to press and 100 kinds of shells. I love shells so I will be using them for still lives as well. He is still thinking about were he wants to go to do his thesis on.

It is still sunny and hot here. All you have to do is go for a stroll and you need another shower. I am still hunting for work. I thought I had a job at a gallery but someone with more retail and less art experience got it. I have been doing watercolors in my spare time. We have one car to share so on the days I drop Matt off I am able to go to Papmoa hills , a nearby Maori Pa sit. It is very steep and a great work out. Check out the pics. I'm getting use to driving on the left, who knew!

We finally had the internet guy come out and hook up broadband. It is still slow but no more internet cafe! We still don't have a tv. We tune in to the news at 6 on our wind up radio and then there is a talk radio talk show that's on for a few hours. We do rent DVDs and watch them sometimes on my laptop.