Second Anniversary

Two years ago today we arrived in New Zealand! What an amazing two years it has been.

Here's what I miss about the UK - aside from family and friends which goes without saying:

> pubs - somewhere to sit and have a quiet drink and a chat
> sense of history in the architecture around us
> Europe on our doorstep and all those cities we didn't get around to visiting
> Christmas
> The Downs in Bristol
> Our church in Bristol
> central heating and double glazing
> free healthcare

Things I love about New Zealand,in no particular order-

> all the wonderful new people that we have met
> beaches
> the sense of space
> the sense of peace
> baches (holiday homes)
> beautiful countryside that we haven't seen enough of
> wonderful playgrounds for kids
> Bible in Schools
> independent midwives
> opportunities for entrepreneurs

We have been surprised by a number of things over the last couple of years. One is that, although the people are as friendly and lovely as they seem, they are quite hard to get to know and not very good at sharing or being intimate with friends. I blame the lack of a pub culture. Pub culture in england has a lot to answer for but at least it encourages a bit of soul searching and sharing over one or two (or many) beers. Secondly, Auckland traffic is a shocker. Commuting is just as much of a nightmare as in england (well maybe not quite that bad). There are far too many T junctions and not enough roundabouts and rubbish public transport. Fortunately Ian has avoided commuting in peak hours pretty well in his current job. Thirdly, the government is not very family-friendly.Some would say it is the opposite. They don't make it easy to be a stay-at-home mum as our female childless prime minister would prefer it if we all got back to work. And lastly, the cost of living on a Kiwi salary is actually pretty high. Food is expensive and the interest rate on mortgages is close to 10%.

All in all, we have loved it, we do love it, and we'll continue to love it for who knows how much longer.
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