Sam B
30th October 2007, 06:54 PM
It is! Life is good! Despite my Dad's tabloid style exploits and poor health, and despite the bl***y exchange rate, I feel really happy and I can say truthfully that I really feel like we have a better life here. I finally feel like we're past the main upheaval and it's all good. Now we're past the grinding hard work of the emigration process, and the stomach-churning unfamiliarity of the first few months, and I really feel settled and quite often deeply content.
The weather is a big factor. The winter was short and the sunshine is plentiful and this really helps me to feel more cheerful in general. I now have the prospect of a really long and proper summer ahead. The other thing is, we just keep having the most wonderful weekends away, the Coromandel last weekend, Rotorua this weekend, and everywhere is just so amazing. We had such a good time in Rotorua this weekend, I kept bursting into Maria standing on a mountain in the Sound of Music style song. On Saturday we went kayaking on Blue Lake (perfect) and had an after-dark walk to look at glow worms in a forest. On Sunday we took a boat to Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua (pest free nature reserve) and we were the only people on the island and it was beautiful and full of rare birds, I don't think I've ever felt so happy.
In between the weekends, work is fun and not too arduous. I like working in Tokoroa, the people are lovely.
So all of you on the emigration grindstone - it is worth it I reckon, and if you can get through the first emotionally exhausting few months, well - for me anyway, it's all been worth it.
Here are some photos of Mokoia Island:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_3649.jpg
a saddleback
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_3666.jpg
The weather is a big factor. The winter was short and the sunshine is plentiful and this really helps me to feel more cheerful in general. I now have the prospect of a really long and proper summer ahead. The other thing is, we just keep having the most wonderful weekends away, the Coromandel last weekend, Rotorua this weekend, and everywhere is just so amazing. We had such a good time in Rotorua this weekend, I kept bursting into Maria standing on a mountain in the Sound of Music style song. On Saturday we went kayaking on Blue Lake (perfect) and had an after-dark walk to look at glow worms in a forest. On Sunday we took a boat to Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua (pest free nature reserve) and we were the only people on the island and it was beautiful and full of rare birds, I don't think I've ever felt so happy.
In between the weekends, work is fun and not too arduous. I like working in Tokoroa, the people are lovely.
So all of you on the emigration grindstone - it is worth it I reckon, and if you can get through the first emotionally exhausting few months, well - for me anyway, it's all been worth it.
Here are some photos of Mokoia Island:
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_3649.jpg
a saddleback
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/brydons_2007/DSC_3666.jpg