I wasn’t going to write about it because I called New Zealand home for over 40 years and besides, this blog is called traveller in Oz.
But then I thought; there may be some of you that are as interested in New Zealand as I am in Australia. It is a fascinating country. I just happen to be in an uninteresting corner.
I am staying with four of my sons in what used to be my family home.
It is in the second cheapest suburb in the region, as it was the only place we could afford a five bedroom, two bathroom house, at a time when more than 90% of homes had one bathroom. (Most still do) We also have 6742 sq metres of land so the boys can have space to run around. Naturally as children of the 90’s and the new millennium they prefer to use just ten square meters of it to stay inside and play computer games.
There are two sides to our suburb; the “good” side, where children are picked up from school in four wheel drives, and the “bad” side where you don’t leave washing on the line at night and shoes get stolen from outside your door. We live in the good side.
One of New Zealand’s best model designers lives in our suburb, so the shopping centre boasts a wonderfully designed two seater bike with a metal man on the front who pedals along with anyone brave enough to ride on the back. Four other interactive structures were installed just before I left but this is the only one that seems to have lasted the two years since.
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| New sculpture |
Now they have added a new sculpture in a similar style. It seems to be designed for longevity and not aesthetic reasons. From some angles it looks like a finger in the air gesture.
If you add in the chilly winters, Antarctic winds and unreliable summers, you might see why I have chosen to move to sunny Queensland Australia.
My next post will be about the nearby suburb that is not just fading, it is vanishing. You have been warned.
5 comments:
I for one enjoy following you wherever you go. Keep the posts coming. As an Oregonian who has traveled to sunnier spots in the summer for many years, I can definitely understand why you moved to Queensland though. (I didn't realize really that NZ was that cold -- I am so terribly geographically ignorant and one of the reasons I enjoy reading blogs isit's such a painless way to fill in the many gaps in my knowledge base!;
Oops -- I meant to sunnier spots in the WINTER of course ;>)
Hi Sallie
Thanks for the comment and the support.
I enjoy reading travel blogs too, and for the same reason.
I am enjoying time with family but I do look forward to moving back and not needing to carry two extra layers of clothing around everywhere I go. :-)
Keep warm
Nikki
Hi Nikki,
You're right, I want to learn about NZ and OZ, as I plan on visiting and (staying) for a few months, if I'm allowed. Not sure when, but perhaps when my book is out and I want some adventure for the next one. I am happy to have met you and love reading your house-sitting book. It's given me some great insight into the life of a house-sitter.
Thanks so much for your comments Sonia. I would love to see you in either country. I love both but I must admit to being a sunshine sort of a girl. Windy wellington can get a little dismal in winter.
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