Kia ora,

Just a quick one as we haven't updated this for ages! So, after being thoroughly messed around we made the decision to head north once more to an area just north of Auckland which had always been stuck in our mind since our arrival. We'd spent a week in the area and loved it. On the day of reaching the area Ruth took an application to Whangaparaoa College for a Music Teaching position. They next day they called and the following week Ruth got the job. Hurrah! A day after gaining the job we found a lovely lockwood home to rent with sea views, balcony and 5 mins to Stanmore Bay and 10 to Manly.

We have well andtruly landed on our feet. The best surf for us is under an hour away and the waves form in perfect barrels. The sand is white and the sea is a delicious aqua blue colour. There are 3 Regional Parks around 20mins max from us. The nearest is at the end of our peninsula and they all have nice walks and safe swimming beaches. We are spoilt for choice for swimming beaches. There are around 6 on our Peninsula alone then Orewa is only about 5-10mins drive away. The hot pools are 15mins away and a further set of hot pools are an hour away on the West coast.

All in all it's a lovely spot with great sporting opportunities and fabulous weather. We are heading for winter and today it is about 22 degrees and sunny. We are 20mins from the shops at Albany and 30mins from Auckland. We are very happy and lucky to be here. Hope that's a good enough update for the time being. We hope you enjoy our photos too.

Love Ruth and Adam xxxx