Mt Taranaki shrouded in clouds @ Sunset from outside Stratford, NZ
We finally did it. We up and moved our family across the globe to beautiful New Zealand!!! It was three years in the making, and now after one month with our feet on the ground in the Taranaki region of this country, I would like to share some first impressions. I am certain my feelings and ideas will change as we come to know our new home and become more familiar with the customs and culture that surround us. Still, first impressions are powerful things, which can only exist at the beginning of an adventure, so here we go....
Beautiful Beaches
A Storm blowing in at low tide from East End Beach, New Plymouth
The coast just outside New Plymouth Harbour from the top of Paratutu Rock
Overlooking Back Beach in New Plymouth
We have not braved the cool waters of the Tasmin Sea that lap at the shores here in New Plymouth. These waters are world famous for multiple surfing breaks and beautiful black sand beaches. This time of year, wetsuits are mandatory. We are excited about the prospect of learning to surf and paddle board. Many of our new friends have offered to teach us and to share their equipment until we can purchase our own. The New Plymouth Boys High School surf team took second place in the New Zealand High School championships last week.
Mount Taranaki, a live Volcano that towers above this area of New Zealand, View from Taranaki Base Hospital Parking Lot
View of Mt Taranaki from Lake Mangamohe, just outside New Plymouth
Mt Taranaki and our boys from the top of Paratutu Rock near New Plymouth Harbor
We do miss the majestic mountains of the Wasatch Front that overlooked our home in Utah. We were worried we were moving to a FLAT land on the sea with a big volcano off in the distance. We instead have found a city built on beautiful green hills separated by rivers and streams which flow from the majestic Mt. Taranaki. On clear days, I often feel my breath taken away as the snow-covered volcano comes into view from the city streets. Mt Taranaki is 8200 ft tall. It last erupted in 1860. It was first climbed in 1839, a feat which we hope to duplicate this coming summer. One of our new friends from church, Harry Gaastra, is an expert on the mountain. He has volunteered on the search and rescue squad for many years. I guess more people die on this mountain than on most any other in the country because they go up unprepared for the rapid changes in weather and terrain.
Last Sunday was Father's Day in New Zealand. A good friend from work, Brad Ellington, took his family skiing on Mt Taranaki in the morning and then they surfed at Oakura Beach in the afternoon. Taranaki is one of the few places on earth where it is relatively easy to do both activities on the same day. You can follow Brad's adventures at his blog, Ellington's in New Zealand.
THE PEOPLE
WARM, TOUGH, and FUN-LOVING
Mercy and Alayna (her special helper) on Mercy's first day at Frankleigh School
Barb and Billy Viner (of House-Hunters International Fame) who invited us over for an AMAZING dinner on Father's Day.
Briley Viner taking Mercy for a ride around one of their pastures
View from the Viner's home toward the ocean with some of their sheep in the foreground
Barb Viner giving Noni Viner and Sage Jones a ride on one of their horses
Holly and our kids with Jenny Ellington and her kids on top of Paratutu Rock.
Jenny Ellington hosted Holly and the kids for a FUDGE-making party last Friday while Brad and I were at work
We have never been LOVED and WELCOMED more warmly anywhere we have ever moved. That is really saying something since we have moved SIX times in the past 17 years. On our first day here, we had two families from my work and the human resources team from the hospital meet us at our temporary home with food, information, and an invitation to a party that weekend.
Our first weekend we were invited to dinner each night and had a wonderful party with all of my new work colleagues. This was hosted by Grace and Donald McKee at their beautiful home overlooking Oakura Beach. It was so nice to meet all of my co-workers and their families in such a relaxing and beautiful setting.
We have been so inspired by the warmth of the people here in Taranaki!! Every time we have approached a stranger they make us feel like we MADE THEIR DAY by walking in and interrupting them. This has been the case at all of the kids schools, in the hospital administration offices, at the telephone company, at several real estate agencies, at the community pool, at our moving company, and at church. People are just genuinely happy to interact with other people here. No one has made us feel like they don't have time for us or that we are causing them extra work. No one seems to be in a rush to get to the next appointment or to make the next buck (except maybe the folks at the various fish-n-chips shops we have eaten at around the region).
In addition to being so nice and accommodating, these Taranakians are TOUGH. At work people don't want or seem to need narcotic pain meds. The other day a lady came in with an 8mm kidney stone completely blocking her left ureter. She had dealt with the pain from this for over two weeks at home. After examining her, I prepared to go write for loads of intravenous narcotic meds to help her with the pain, but she said, "I don't think I'll need all that, but I would like a bit of panadol if that is ok." Four hours later she walked out of the department with nothing more than a prescription of Panadol (tylenol) and Ondansetron (Zofran). She was going to follow up with the Urologists in two weeks. ALL I CAN SAY IS THESE KIWIS ARE TOUGH. I MEAN RAM TOUGH!!
The above experience is not unique. People here consider tylenol a fairly potent pain killer. Ibuprofen is the STRONG STUFF. Narcotics are rarely used and almost never prescribed. It has been incredibly refreshing to no longer feel like a legal drug dealer while at work.
Maybe they are tough because they are forced to try things, hard things, from a very young age. Case in point is the cross-country program at the primary schools. Everyone age 5 and up is REQUIRED to train as part of the school day. Everyone is also REQUIRED to race.
Mercy and her classmates line up for the 1.5 KM Cross-country race which was required participation for all kids at her school
Mercy heads for the finish line. 2nd Place, which was not bad considering she only trained for one week before the race.
HOME SWEET HOME
Panorama of New Plymouth with Mt Taranaki in the background from Paratutu Rock
Our home sweet home!!
Harry and Sandra Gaastra with Holly, Noah, and Danny after helping us move in all day. The Gaastras are members of our church and were incredibly Christ-like servants that day.
You may have noticed in this blog that our pictures are all taken in the Sunshine. I wish it was as sunny all the time as these pictures make it seem. The truth is that it rains. A LOT. We just haven't taken any footage of the down-pours, though I plan to do so in the near future.
Here are a few fun weather facts regarding our new home:
In New Plymouth during July and August 2013 it rained almost 300 mm or nearly 12 inches. The entire annual precipitation in Salt Lake City for last year (2012) was just 12.3 inches. So when it rains here, it really DUMPS!! Despite the heavy rainfall, the sun does not hide all winter. Many days are clear and sunny. THERE IS NO SMOG, no dust, and so the air feels CRISP and CLEAN! I thought this place was going to be like my experiences in the Northwestern US, with constant drizzle, but it really doesn't drizzle too much. It seems to pour rain, sometimes for 2-3 days straight, and then it is clear again. The clouds are always moving-- fast. We love the breeze that comes off the ocean. During some of the big storms the winds are FIERCE, causing windows to rattle and knocking over large trees on a fairly regular basis.
On that note, I will end this post. TOO LONG for certain. In the future I will try to be more brief. If you are still reading, you either love us lots, or have too little to do. We hope it is the former.
