[benandclare]

Hi Guys
Well here we are a year !!! WOW how fast the time has gone since we made our what seems like epic journey from Blighty to our new life.

Regular readers will be well aware that we love it here and at this juncture in our lives can see nothing that will dictate us leaving these shores - that said there are of course some aspects that are wanting but generally these are few and far between.

We have made some fabulous friends and had some superb experiences and are looking forward to continuing this trend!!!

On the UK front we feel closer to some family members and friends (who have tried harder to keep in contact) and less close to some who have struggled with our departure and still have not adjusted to our leaving. Maybe this will be something we will just have to accept as part of our relocation.

We have enjoyed learing a new language :D and have adapted to the slower pace of life. In fact we are 'stoked' ...

We have surprised ourselves at how little of NZ we have managed to explore in the last year and that is chiefly down to having loads to see and do in our local vicinity (in a 2hr drive). Over the next year we hope to get out more :)

The Highs for us have been ... wild camping in Arthurs Pass Park, hunting the crispy duck, meeting forumites, having friends to stay, biking in the Bottle Lake Forest, skiing less than 2 hrs from home (at Hutt), supporting the Crusaders, Sam(Clares son) and Mother/MIL arriving, Seeing friends from Oz that haven't seen since 1985.

The Lows 83 year old women mistaking accelerators for brake pedals!!, missing family and friends, not getting promotions (work in progress)

Looking forward to Bens daughter Penny coming over for Christmas, Bens brother and his wife coming over in Feb and hopefully moving to the country.


TTFN Ben and Clare XXX :clap

As Charles Darwin (Shrewsbury scholar and evolutionist) was reputed to have said “In nature, it’s not the strongest nor the most intelligent who survives. It’s the most adaptable to change” and adapt we have :)

[Georgebulldog]

Congratulations on your 1st year :clap glad your enjoying yourselves, good luck with the next year :cheers

[Ana&Steve]

Congratulations! :cheers

[mgbridges]

Wow, so is it your 1yr anniversary today (26th Aug)? Ours was on 11th Aug and I'm still mulling over what to write in a '12mth in' post. :o

So pleased that your adventure has turn out to be such a positive move for you, Congratulations! :clap

Anneliese

[shakyle2906]

Thought you'd been her longer than us! - We were a year in April.

Glad to hear youre settled and still enjoying life here. I know the feeling about seeing NZ, we have not been far ourselves. Going up to Auckland for the weekend this weekend and Christchurch in 3 wks, so bit further afield!

Sharon
x

[mcacmartin]

Congratulations! Glad to hear that on the whole your first year has been a good one.

[benandclare]

Wow, so is it your 1yr anniversary today (26th Aug)? Ours was on 11th Aug and I'm still mulling over what to write in a '12mth in' post. :o

So pleased that your adventure has turn out to be such a positive move for you, Congratulations! :clap

Anneliese

No it was on 23rd but been too busy to post till now :nice1

Look forward to hearing about your 12 months once you've "Mulled"
Given the weather of late some Mulled wine would go down a treat :cheers

[Mickstim]

Great to hear you are so happy!

[vixxann]

fab post :clap
alway great to hear from you as it's always so positive - you must be real kiwis at heart :D

[peebles16]

Great post Ben and Clare - you were one of the first folks we met when we arrived in NZ and you have continued to make us feel very welcome :D

Fingers crossed for quick house sale and big summer BBQ at your new country pad :cheers
Karenx

[SNK05]

Lovely post BnC...good to hear you're so settled :raebanana

Sue n Kev
xx

[JandM]

That sounds great. Congratulations!:clap

[Sam B]

Wow, one year already - makes me feel old!!

[AndyR]

sounds like everything is going great for you! hope it continues to do so!

[dusk]

Thanks for posting - glad to hear it's working out so well for you both :D

[migratory birds]

Seems like it was just a few months ago that you posted news of your departure/arrival.

It's been good to hear you've been settling with relative ease!

[tea drinker]

Congratulations :clap

[Belmont Babes]

Hi Guys

I remember the telephone call from Ben when we were all still in UK just before you left. Seems like yesterday. Glad you are "stoked" and what an "awesome" post. See I am getting there too. Look forward to seeing you again soon.

Nat X

[nate]

Congrats :) Thanks for sharing.

:: nate ::

[Kerry and David]

Congratulations on your one year anniversary:cheers You sound very happy and settled:clap

[Red Devil]

Great post Ben & Clare... looking forward to meeting up with you in March 2009.

I guess Rachel and Clare could be bumping into each other quite regularly now that OH has landed a position at Christchurch Hospital.

Best of luck with the house sale... the link you sent us for the place you're buying looks great, hope things happen for you soon :yes

Cheers
Simon, Rachel & Harrison :nice1

[Den]

Well done I enjoyed reading all about your first year

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

Excellent, glad you're enjoying life on this side of the planet.

[thezorbster]

Congrats you two - you arrived not long after us so it's been interesting for us following your first year. You've beaten me to the 1st year post as I rarely post now but it's great to see you happy and positive as that's how we feel too!

[vic11]

Oh oh my OH better not hear about the wild camping bit or I am going to be dragged there before I see anything else, he just loves that sort of idea! :D
Anyway it sounds like you are having a fabulous time and thanks for letting us know it!

[Corbishleys]

Well done Ben & Clare, hopefully our experience might be half good as yours, if the waiting game ever ends, and we get to NZ

Cheers
Brian

[nippa&pippa]

A year? already :eek::clap
And we still haven't meet up properly than 5mins chat we had...
Hope we will meet up somehow soon and glad you love NZ too :nice1

[Scotty69]

Great post, congratulations on your 1st year :exit

[timeanzbound]

Congratulation! Its nice to hear that after a year you still love NZ. I read some post how some people don't like it anymore for whatever reason and want to go back home and I always wondered if that would be me some day. Reading your story gives me lots of hope and excitement. I hope soon I can write one of these great stories for others to read. Right now I'm just a month away from leaving and the stress is off the charts. I know though, in the end, it will be all worth it! Congrats once again!
~Timea

[nickydwuk]

I didn't realise you were still 'newbies'. You always seem so settled and happy. Lets hope we are the same in our 12 months post. Well done on settling so well :clap

[Jim&Karen]

You were the first people we met when we came to NZ 7 oops missed the 6 month post. We have become friends and shared experiencies with you. There will never be enough words to thank you :nice1

Glad the wild camping was included on the list :yes

karen

[benandclare]

The Lows 83 year old women mistaking accelerators for brake pedals!!, missing family and friends, not getting promotions (work in progress)



Thanks guys for all the kind words and thoughts.

The one low has now turned into a high :raebanana

Clare had an interview for Associate clinical nurse manager ( co-ordinator) and today she heard that she'd been successful :raebanana:raebanana

Amazing to think that some 20 years ago she held same position before eventually becoming a matron, "oh er Matron":p

[peebles16]

:clap Yay for Clare :clap

Karenx

[nickydwuk]

:clap:cheers well done Clare

[JandM]

Oh, congratulations!:clap:clap