Kiwi Time!!! 1st July 2010

The following morning we were up bright and early - 4am! We were knackered. The porter came for our luggage, we were in the van & off we went. Got to the airport & not long after were boarding the plane. We had a real crap breaky. the guy on the next row over had his phone on & it kept ringing which made us both cranky and we ended up having a go at him. I slept through most of the flight whilst Grant watched the film - how to train your dragon.
When we finally landed we had to go through passport control which was nerve racking as we didn't know what was going to happen as Grants working visa hadn't been approved. But when we spoke to the guy at the desk he told us that he'd call and get immegration center to approve it. We saw our 1st Maori whilst waiting & gwoah he was huge. We knew not to look as everyone had been telling us but couldn't help it. We waited roughly 10 minutes & Grant got his visa stamped there & then. Off we walked then over to boarder control where we got all our wooden items checked, everything was ok so we got through fine.

When we got to a pay phone we called Chris - the gentleman shownig us his car. He met us 20 minutes later & took us to a carpark where we took a better look over at it & drove it around. We said we wanted it so we then had to go to the post office to sort out the motor certificate. To be able to complete the form we needed to put an address down - I said I'd put Allans address (the guy who we were staying with) but we didn't know it, it was on our email. We then found ourselves on a mission to find a wifi spot so we could access our email on our laptop. We asked everywhere then someone informed us that they had wifi at the library -so accross town we walked into the library where we made it just intime before all the school kids came in and wanted to use all the computers. Within 2 seconds we had everything sorted & got back to the post office. The lady behind the counter asked if we needed insurance, we agreed to get a quote & took a seat where I spoke to someone on the phone. Our quote was 25$ per month?!! Grants face was a picture. He asked if that was the right amount & it was - we were so shocked. We signed up for it straight away and set it to pay monthly. We handed over the money & the NissanBluebird 1987 (Bluey) was all ours! We filled up & were on our way.

Our phone wouldn't work for some reason so we couldn't call Alan to let him know we were arriving. We stopped a few times to ask for directions & I must say we done pretty good. When we got to Te Awamatu & found Alans street we drove up and down it a bunch of times really confused - the mail box numbers were all over the place, it didn't make sence. We couldn't find Alans mailbox number. Alittle while after we came across it, so parked outside & went to meet him. He was so welcoming & invited us straight in. His bungalow was really big spacious rooms & he had a real huge garage that Grant fell in love with. It had a dartboard, fishing rods, tools & many machines plus a wood shed next to it. We parked the car on his drive & got the bags in, he showed us to our room & we settled in nicely. Chatted for a while then headed out for a takeaway roast dinner. It was so good! We got to bed & it was so cold, we had an electric blanket which Grant left it on all night & ended up roasting.

The next day we had a lie in, got ready & took whiskey the dog out for a walk then headed out to the shops to buy some warm clothes from the warehouse. We bought some jumpers & some running trainers then went to a little bakery to get something to keep us going. We walked around all the shops in town buying a few bits & bobs. Then got a KFC out of the money we had off Kylie & Kyle. We took it back to the house to eat then waited for Alan to come home then we all went out to his local pub for some grub & the boys had a few beers. We played some pool & had a few plays on the grabbing machine. Watched a bit of Corrie then headed back home. We watched the end of wolvereen then got to bed. We wanted to set off early in the morning so we could arrive at the place we were staying to work for board & lodge early enough to be shown around. We got up at 7am & checked our email - we had one off Angela (the lady who we were booked in to stay with) telling us that they were out for the day & weren't going to be back until 5pm so for us to take our cruise on down. We ended up talking to Alan for a while before leaving then shot off, we made a stop at the bakery then hit the road. It was real foggy out, but only for a while but then when we reached the sun it was so hot! The scenery was breathtaking. I literaly screamed when we were up in the mountains & I saw in the distance the huge mountain tops with snow on. I pulled over & was straight out taking photos. That moment it hit me that we were actually here, travelling New Zealand. It was like being back in Wales with the mountains & the fields with sheep in, but there was a huge difference - it looked & felt pure. We stopped off to do a little more shopping & to get lunch & I suprisingly left the lights on & the battery had run flat. I ran about in the carpark asking all the men for jumpleads. We eventually found someone & we were soon back on the road. When we got to Waipukarau we drove (all the way down the road past Angelas house) then realised we'd gone too far.

When we actually found the number on the mailbox we drove a little backlane & saw a calf & a horse. We didn't realise that we were allowed to open the gate & drive on in, so after we drove back & forth we drove on in & parked up. When we were parked up we took one look at the newly built farm house and our jaws dropped, we walked up to the huge double doors at the entrance of the house where Angela came to greet us. The place was amazing - it was such a lush house. We grabbed our bags & were shown to our room - our room was big with a double bed & an electric blanket & the window overlooked the farm field. We were so chuffed and were beaming as soon as we walked in. Had a tour of the house, it was a bungalow planned out in a 'u' shape, the house was stunning. So many rooms & a massive garden with a huge court yard & fields surrounding it. They had a pool & a hot tub outside on the decking that we were allowed to use during our stay. We met the family - Tom, Mike & Conner (Angela's 3 boys). Craig (Angela's lover) & Elizabeth who was staying whilst helping out; from Tenessy - she was baking cookies that smelt delicious. We sat down & chatted then helped out with preparing the evening meal. We all sat around & ate our food & had a good laugh. Then relaxed in the living room #2 to watch James Bond. It was quite late so I headed off to bed. Grant stayed up watching football highlights. Had a real good nights' sleep & was was up ready to go running with the dogs.

Didn't get far & we were knackered, plus the dogs were stopping for loo breaks & tugging us behind. When we got back Angela showed us a field with a pile of mud that had to be dug up & shifted over to the other side of the garden to be mounted up for rabbits to burrow in. Grant done the shovelling & I pushed the wheelbarrow back & forth tipping the mud out. In the end my hands were beginning to blister, my arms were getting weak & my back muscles were killing. When we finished we filled up one of the vege boxes with the left over mud whilst I attempted to brush all the spiderwebs off from around the house. I kept praying for nothing to fall down into my face & what happened...something fell into my face & I crapped myself - thought it was a spider, but it was only a leaf, thank god. After we'd got showered up Elizabeth had made a cake for the 4th July & also made vodka jelly shots , they were so yummy! After food we all chilled out & had a giggle over Angela trying to decide on what carpet to chose. We got thee dishes in the dishwasher then headed to bed.

After breaky we headed out with Angela's handyman (Phill), we went to an office of Angela's and helped clean. When we got back we decided to decorate the rabbit mound with rocks then cleaned the bathrooms & done the laundry. We went to the shops in town, picked up Elizabeths hunting jacket and dropped Angela's jacket off. We got a key cut for the car then got some goods from the supermarket then when we got back went for a jog with the dogs. Later on that evening after dinner me & Grant made hot milky chocolate for everyone with marshmallows & everyone loved it, it went down a treat. Angela & Craig were out for the evening which I thought might have been a nightmare but I was wrong - the kidsall came to eat at the tabel, although Tom didn't sit & didn't really eat his food as he didn't stop talking & watching things on his phone. Conner was adorable, he ate a full meal & finished it all, bless him. He's so well mannered & well behaved. I sat next to the fire and caught up on my journal, it was so cosy. The following day me & Elizabeth went to a house that Angela rented out & picked out appropriate curtains for each room. When we had finished we went to the shop to get ingrediants for Elizabeth to make cornbread to go with the chili that she was making. The following evening me and Grant took the kids & Elizabeth out to the cinema, to watch a film called Blind side. It was a real good film. Spent the rest of the night in bed browsing the net.
When we woke up the next morning we looked out the window & it wasn't raining. Got some breaky then decided I wantedto do something outside. Angela suggested planting, I was well up for it - really wanted to get muddy. I was a little nervous about doing it wrong, so planted 4 then asked for angela to come see & for her to approve. She did so I carried on & I really enjoyed it, well apart from all the worms. I done quite a few then calledd it a day, was chuffed with my work. Got some lunch then played NZ monolopy with Connor. It was rather cosy sat next to the fire, with the cat (Ronald) led flat out next to us & with the music playing in the backround. The game was cool - instead of playing with money we had credit cards & a card machine. Connor got bored so we paused, he made me some milo - a choco milk shake, then me & grant took Toby & Sally for a walk. It started to rain so we headed back & chilled out. Michael made us all a chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce - it was so good, had it with ice cream.

The next morning I set out to plant more hedging. It was trying its best to rain - I had my water proofs on so it didnt bother me, it was on and off all morning. It then got windy and cold so i finnished the box and went in side to do some ironing and listen to music. Grant made everyone hot dogs, then the kids had to pack their bags to go and spend the weekend with there dad. It was quite sad seeing them go as they were the life of the house. But i didnt realise that they would be back next week so i made the most of the piece and quiet. I waved them off then all the adult spent the evening in the hot tub outside drinking muld wine that Angela had made - it was so good, Grant gulped his and finished his straight away. At one point it started snowing but rained for most of the evening. After we all pruned in the spa we had fish & chips then relaxed in the other living room next to the fire. I read my book & Grant watched skating on ice.

Angela's Hunt.
Angela had asked if we could go along to her clubs hunt, it was the last on of the season. We got up & made toasties for the awards ceremony that was being held after the hunt. We headed out in Angela's 4x4, with Charlie the horse in the trailor. The trip to the field where the hunt began was out of this world. We saw more huge snowy mountains, it looked unbelievable. When we arrived Angela introduced us to everyone as the photographers for the day. It felt so good to be apart of their day. Me & Grant stood there watching everyone get their horses ready. They were all being groomed, saddled up then we watched the riders get dressed up in their smart uniforms. We then made our way up to a little barn where we all drunk port & had sandwiches. Got into the truck & drove off down the road where we waited for them all to come riding over the bridge. We saw about 20 hounds running up over the hill - it was amazing. The 2 masters appeared behind them and there were about 30 other riders on their horses. We followed them all day getting snap shots of them all jumping fences, galloping over the hills & group shots. It got quite cold at one point - my nose was running & I didn't even know & my fingers were numb. We chased up the hills after them not wanted to miss out on anything. We saw the hounds running past us looking knackered bless them & we saw alot of hares run past too - for their lives. It was an exciting & interested day. Everyone made their way back to the main field & washed their horses clean then finished the day at a hall where soup, tea & coffee was served along with a buffet. They held the awards ceremony then everyone made their way home. I had a lush bubble bath as soon as I got in then me, Grant, Elizabeth & Angela ate some spring rolls. We sat around in the kitchen living room, Grant fell asleep, Elizabeth drew more og our photo & I updated the journal. It was really late, so we all dispursed & went to bed.

Woke up quite late the following morning, Grant said it didnt matter as it was sunday. We made breakfast then went outside - it was a beautiful day, the sun was glaring, the animals were all out. When I finished the hedge Grant BBQ'd a huge peice of meat. We had a feast, fresh bread & butter, salad & vegetable kebabs. We cleared up then I made hot chocolate for everyone & we once again chilled out next to the fire, then decided to watch a film with a huge bowl of nachos & cheese. Got a row of the rosemary finished the next day & then began the other side of the garden. Grant was just finishing doing some of the bottle top tree so I went inside to get changed - we went into town to get money & stopped at subways for lunch. When we got back Grant went back down to the garage to finish his wooden frames & I decided to take the dogs for a walk. I only made it down to the end of the drive & that's when Sally & Toby saw another dog, this guy was out on his bike with 2 kids & his dog - they charged foward pulling me along, they were too strong for me to control & I ended up letting go of the leads & fell flat on the road, a car came driving heading my way when I looked - I got up straight away & ran over to grab the leads but they pulled me over again...in the mud. I was effing & blinding, so appologised for swearing infront of his kids. When I got up I didn't continue with the walk - I just went back to the house, walking back I cried my eyes out from where my hands & knees were hurting & from being mortified with what had just happened. Once I'd put the dogs back in their kennel I went over to see Grant - I was in shock. I helped Grant with a few things in the garage then got back to the house, Angela made us all a stirfry. We had a quick dip in the hot tub then ate dinner. Got my self a bowl of french vanilla ice cream & read my book. I then got a ton of ideas for the garden from google. Showed them to Angela & she loved them! I got to bed & the next day I was up & ready to start on the garden project. I got Grant to chainsaw some logs up and to nail them ontop of one another to make garden feature. It actually turned out really good. I dotted a few things around in the garden. When Angela came to see we discussed a couple more ideas & she told me that her & Grant had been watching & that it looked as though I was really enjoying myself - which I was, I loved it. I couldn't wait to get onto the next project. Grant rustled up some veal with baked potatoes & vegetables with all these fancy dressings ontop. It was delicious. He then went & found a lemon meringue baking box & wanted to make it. So we cracked on with that & it turned out amazing! Everytime Grant passed it his mouth would water and he'd poke it. When Angela got back she asked us why we hadn't paid her a visit at the packhouse. I explained I'd chickend out & that's when she revealed a little suprise wrapped in tissue - a calfs eyelashes!!! She washed them & put them on a plate ontop of the fire to dry out, so that she could then use them as false eyelashes. I was in shock, I couldn't believe my eyes, lol.

The next few days went by so fast, Angela went up to Auckland so left it to us. Mike showed me where they kept the hay & the barley to feed the animals with. It was so much fun being in charge! The sheep came charging towards me when they saw me with a bucket - they obviously knew it was dinner time, lol. I crapped myself. Grant was trying to get a video recording of it & then finds out the card was full so demanded me to wait until he could free up some space on the memory card. I was just stood there in amongst all these huge hungry sheep, ramms & baby lambs. They attempted to get at the bucket, jumping up at me, it was histerical. When we got back to the house Grant wanted to use Elizabeths recipe for cookies and bake some. We slightly burnt the 1st batch we put in & there's us putting huge slabs of it it on the tray to make big ones...we didn't know they grew?!?!? they were massive!

On our last day - Angelasaid about going to Napia for the day & Thomas mentioned about us all playing crazy golf so she insisted we had the day off & go with them. We made 6 pizzas for us all for lunch & Angela said we'd be going on the bus! I was wondering how much the bus was going to cost and was hoping the bus wasn't going to be full with all of us lot getting on plus all the grub we'd prepared - but she wasn't on about the local bus...she meant their bus?!?! It was a coach that had been done out & it was so much fun. As we drove passed people walking on the sides of the road Angela would honk the horn & we all played the waving game where we pretended we knew them just to get them to wave back, it was silly but so much fun. We all played crazy golf, Grant & Thomas wanted a competition between them both so they played on their own, on both courses the jammy sods.

The next morning we got up and packed, changed the bed sheets & Angela gave me a pre-paid envelope & told me to take the book to finish it & to post it back when I'd finished. I was excited to finish it, I was glued. We said our goodbyes & got in the car, the dogs were barking at us which made it all the more upsetting to have been leaving.