Waiheke Holiday and Christmas Wishes

Only 35 minutes from downtown Auckland is Waiheke Island, one of the many islands in the Hauraki Gulf which surrounds the city. Accessible by a ferry that departs from the heart of the city, it’s a popular destination for a relaxing weekend. We had such a wonderful trip, our B&B boasted an amazing view and the weather was favorable which allowed us to explore the charming ‘town’ of Oneroa its beaches and some beautiful vineyards. Waiheke is known for producing world class wine and olive oil, thus the island is reminiscent of Tuscany in some aspects. However, in addition to the Mediterranean feel of the island, you are greeted with many lush flowers and trees that feel almost tropical. The highlight of our weekend was definitely dinner at Mudbrick Vineyard. (We both agree that our meal ranked as one of the top dining experiences we have ever had) The pictures simply don’t do it justice. It was such nice weekend we can’t wait to go back; in fact we are going again this weekend for a concert.
Here are our pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/megan.leanderson/WaihekeHoliday

Our weekend trip took us right into our first Christmas in Auckland. And I am happy to report that on Christmas Eve, the moving company delivered our shipment from home!!!! This was by far the best Christmas gift we could have gotten and I dare say this comes in as one of Santa’s finest maneuvers- perfect timing. Therefore, our Christmas day was very busy opening the boxes that were floor to ceiling in our tiny apartment. We literally had to dig our way out the door in order to attend mass! And although it is a bit delayed, we wanted to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and happy new year. Especially this past week, our family and friends have been in the forefront of our thoughts. It was hard to be far away for Christmas, but we felt so loved by everyone back home and wanted to say thank you again sooo much.

Happy Silly Season

This has been a holiday season of many first for Mat and I. Our first Christmas as a married couple, our first Christmas away from home, and our first time celebrating what is called ‘Silly Season’. The holidays in Auckland don’t seem to attain the same fervor as in the states. I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Christmas music in the stores and Santa’s in the mall. There are lukewarm attempts to commercializing the holidays here, however, none as spectacular as at home. Some American expats find this a welcome relief; some are left feeling like something is missing.

What the Aucklanders lack in their way of Christmas spirit, they certainly make up for in merry making. Parties, and not necessarily holiday themed abound—thus they have dubbed the Christmas season, ‘silly season’. Our first silly season fete was the Maersk Christmas Party. We were invited to dress in national costume, whatever that is, and join his co-workers on a trip around the world. (aka, our party was very similar to a fraternity around the world party—and some of the costumes looked more suited to kegs and frat boys than upstanding employees) Mat and I showed up in our best American costume: jeans, sneakers, baseballs hats and t-shirts…..

Other people showed up wearing costumes that did not represent their nationality, but the stereotypes of other nationalities. WHAT?! We didn’t need to indulge in the free flowing bar to enjoy some of the most hysterical moments the night yielded. Let’s just say, we left after the band went on, but before the belly dancers (3AM we are told).
Here are some silly moments:

http://picasaweb.google.com/megan.leanderson/SillySeason

West of Auckland

December 8, 2007:
The region west of Auckland is known for stunning beaches and fantastic hiking (or bush walks as the locals say). Often compared to Northern California because of its rocky cliffs and beautiful vistas we were very excited to explore this region on our second day- trip outside of the city.
About 30 minutes to the west of Auckland, if you don’t get lost, is the magnificent regional park called the Waitakere Ranges (pronounced why-tuck-airy). Our first stop was the gateway to the ranges, Arataki Visitor center, where were learned about the volcanic origins of this landscape.
A short jaunt down the road we stopped to eat at the local café, Elevation. Perched atop a steep and windy road this venue was crowded with Aucklanders out for a weekend brunch. We had such a great meal and although the weather was not cooperating, we could tell the view from the venue would be truly spectacular on a clearer day. After our food break, we headed on to what would be the highlight of the trip. We visited Karekare and Piha beaches which are both special in their own right. Karekare is particularly well known for being in the movie, The Piano, and is a stop on the ‘natural wonders’ tour. It is rugged and isolated in a way that you would never find in the states. Piha is just down the road and is a bit more commercialized, but just as beautiful. Both beaches are synonymous with good surfing and have tumbling waves.
Recently, Auckland has been rather windy and rainy; our trip was a bit dicey due to the weather but none the less the scenery was breathtaking. We can’t wait to go back on a more pleasant day and are so pleased to find something so great close to the city!

http://picasaweb.google.com/megan.leanderson/WestOfAuckland

Boney M. - Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord (1978)

American TV has its fair share of funny holiday commercials....well so does New Zealand TV. This has to be the funniest, they frequently run a holiday commercial promoting this CD... what?!

Hongi

David Beckham is now in NZ! Pictured above is Becks giving a traditional greeting (called a hongi) to a local Maori dancer as he arrives in Wellington.

A Nation of Hairy Philanthropists

Movember, formally known as the month of November, is a very popular annual charity event held in NZ. Movember participants register at the beginning of the month with clean shaven faces and subsequently are dubbed, mo bros. Mo bro’s then take upon themselves the daunting task of growing and grooming a spectacular mustache and raising money for men’s health issues. This hairy undertaking culminates with Gala party events in Auckland, where it is rumored that, “Tom Selleck and Richard Hadlee look-a-likes battle it out on the catwalk for their chance to take home the prestigious Man of Movember title.”

Nearly every morning on their news (the Breakfast show) they talk about Movember; they are keenly chronicling the hair growth of one of the news anchors. Viewers have been treated to a play-by-play of the mo growing process.

A dedicated mo bro also wears mo gear, a collection of t-shirts and paraphernalia that supports their cause. My personal favorite is this lovely gem, the mo ho necklace:

http://www.movember.com/nz/souvenirshop/product.php?productid=16154&cat=0&page=1


As this Movember is coming to an end, I have noticed an overwhelming presence of hairy philanthropists in my midst. Why today I saw 3 mo’s just in the Starbucks! Despite my overwhelming desire to document this phenomena, better manners have prevented me from taking pics of the mo’s roaming the streets of Auckland. I will leave that to your imagination….

On December 16th we will be moving out of temporary housing into our new apartment. Space may be a little tight, but who needs a bathroom when you have good views, right?
We will be lucky to enjoy views of some of Auckland's most famous landmarks. Skytower is the space needle looking building which is only a block away and we can also look out to the Auckland bridge which goes north out of the city. Our apartment is not well suited for those afraid of heights; being 24 floors up in a space that is 1/3 windows you are well aware of how high you are.
Best of all, Mat will be able to walk to work. We are right off of Queen Street which is the main street in the CBD (central business district). Queen Street is a busy area with lots of shops and cafes, but perhaps most importantly it is partially covered so that in the rainy season you can walk for blocks without getting wet. We are anticipating come NZ winter (Junish through August) this will be a major bonus since their winters are supposed to be very rainy and chilly.
We continue to anxiously await the arrival of our container which has all of our furniture and personal belongings in it. As we go on week number 6 living out of a suitcase, I cant tell you how comforting it will be when that sweet ship comes from America. Our container is supposed to land at Auckland's port on December 16th and then could take days or weeks to clear customs. Therefore, we will be living in the new place without anything for a little while. We are hoping for a Christmas miracle, it would be so nice to have a holiday with some stuff in our apartment!
I continue to find NZ is challenging to adapt to in ways that are difficult to quantify and explain. The nuances of the kiwi culture and the subtle day to day things that make me feel so far from home are starting to add up. In speaking with other Americans here in Auckland, I discovered that we are not alone. Nearly everyone we have talked to who moved here from the states gives us a knowing smile and uses a sympathetic tone when they say they understand.
Conversations with other Americans usually go like this:
"Ya- I know isn't it so weird?"... "Highly bizzare"..... "Christmas is not really Christmas, its a barbe on the beach"...... "Don't worry, you will get used to driving here".... "No, coffee is not really coffee"...."Nope, there is not shopping here, just forget it"...."If someone asks you to tea in the evening, they mean dinner".....you get the idea
Mat is in Manila for a week on business. He arrived safely despite the looming typhoon and yesterday called to tell me he experienced his first earthquake. No worries, he says business as usual went on and he is doing just fine.
http://picasaweb.google.com/megan.leanderson/NewApartment

North of Auckland

Over the weekend, we rented a car and explored north of Auckland. Our trip marked a number of firsts; our first time outside of the city, our first glimpses of the famed NZ beaches and the first time driving on the left side of the road.

As New Zealand became a British colony in 1840, many kiwi traditions and customs are hallmarks of their English background. Tea, fish and chips and driving on the left are all part of New Zealand life!

Mat was an excellent driver, his only instructions by the rental company were, “keep telling yourself to stay left”. We repeated the mantra over and over as we made the first couple turns and then before we knew it, we were out of the city and onto the 2 lane “major highway”.
We explored a few small towns, a couple beaches, a vineyard and enjoyed the beautiful countryside. Please follow the link to view our pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/megan.leanderson/November

The NZ countryside is beautiful with rolling hills and lush fauna. It is particularly striking how few people inhabit this country once you are outside of the city. New Zealand’s population is about 4 million total and about 1/3 of those Kiwi’s live in Auckland. Therefore, as soon as you leave the city you see more livestock than humans by far. (Fun Fact there are nearly 10 sheep for every human in this country).

We found it amazing that there were so few people at this amazing beach!

Overall, it was relatively easy to get out and explore. The adventures we had this weekend only made us more excited to have visitors……. Hint hint!

As promised, I would like to elaborate on my previous mention of Food Alley. It has become a running joke that this is Mats favorite place in Auckland; if given the chance he would eat there every night.

It is conveniently located directly across the street from our temporary apartment and it is comprised of booth after booth of asian cuisine.

For those of you who know me, I love trying new food. For those of you who know Mat, he loves his food courts. Therefore, Food Alley is one of our favorite finds! (BTW Mats co-workers think we are highly bizarre because of this)

Before our first visit to Food Alley we read about it in our guide books and thought it sounded exactly like the places Anthony Bordain would visit in his no reservations guide to Auckland. That's exactly what you get- authentic cuisine, no frills. (OK OK, by this I mean its pretty dirty, you sit on benches and you feel like you are in China)

I have attached a video for you to get the full idea! Enjoy!

First Days in Auckland

We have officially arrived, safe and sound to New Zealand. After a very long trip, we have begun to settle into our temporary housing in the city center. We are in a perfect location, a block from the waterfront; a block from Mearsk’s building and walking distance to most amenities we will need. Additionally, and most incredibly exciting (at least for Mat) we are across the street from a huge, highly acclaimed international food court. They call this mecca, Food Alley. More on this later…..
We spent the weekend getting acquainted with the city, which is very easy to do. It is not difficult to navigate the cities neighborhoods (they call them suburbs). So far we have been especially grateful that New Zealanders speak English, however their vernacular and amusing accent has been the most difficult thing to adjust to as of yet. Our first impression of Aucklanders and perhaps the country as a whole is that they do not take themselves seriously- AT ALL. Nowhere is this more prevalent than on the local morning news. We wake up in stitches every morning as the news casters report on the daily scoop. As of late, the locals are disappointed that they were unable to enjoy the annual “half naked” run through the city which was not sponsored this year. And the valor with which they talk about cooking on the BBQ has also been one of our favorites. The Barbe is serious business!
So far we have been most surprised by how similar yet dissimilar our cultures are. There are the obvious commonalities in language and their obsession with our celebrities. But the sports, the driving on the left and the eccentric personalities add up to making us feel very far from home. All in all, we are doing well and the jetlag is nearly kicked, but we already miss people from home. So keep in touch and we hope to have more news soon!

Link to a few wedding photos

http://picasaweb.google.com/megan.leanderson/Wedding

44 South

The last couple months have passed by in a rush of once in a lifetime events. Both Mat and I graduated; me from GW and Mat from his trainee program. And after two long years of speculation, we have our expat destination-- Auckland, New Zealand! Oh ya, and did I mention that we got engaged this past August and married in September :) We couldn't be happier to finally be together and are so excited about moving abroad as a married couple. Its been a very blessed couple of months.
It is hard to believe that we are one week away from our move date. This blog will serve to chronicle our travels and hopefully keep us in touch with everyone we will miss back home!
Stay tuned.....