The First Week in New Zealand...

Saturday, 27 October

We were just thrilled to hangout and to be stationary, not on an airplane. We made it as far as the grocery store and for a walk along the lake. The boys made their first friend, Cameron from across the street. They spent the afternoon playing on Cameron’s trampoline. We could see all three heads bobbing up and down beyond the fence. Seeing how happy the boys were to have a friend, Doug and I decided that it would be better to enroll the boys in school sooner than later. Originally, our plan had been to postpone the boys starting school until we were certain where we were going to live for fear of having to switch schools. We ended our first full day having drinks on Suzi and Steve Bunting’s patio, our hosts who live in the main house upstairs from our apartment. Suzi and Steve immigrated to New Zealand two years ago. We really enjoyed hearing their story and how they have adjusted to New Zealand life. Doug was particularly interested because Suzi was an airline pilot and Steve is an avionics engineer. We don’t know any one from the States who has made an across the world move like we have. Talking with the Buntings made me feel that maybe what we have done with this move is not so crazy. Their motivations were so similar to ours. They came for vacation and fell in love with the amazing beauty of the land and the friendly people. They too are parents and decided New Zealand, and particularly Wanaka, would be a wonderful place to raise their daughter. We have so many questions, like recommendations for doctors or a medical centre, or do we need supplemental medical insurance beyond the national healthcare system. We became eligible for national healthcare once we arrived in NZ and received our residence permits.

One thing I forgot to mention was how anti-climatic our entry into New Zealand was. I had in my mind there would be pomp and circumstance or at lease a huge certificate handed to each of us to signify and document our New Zealand residence status as we arrived in Auckland. In fact, absolutely no acknowledgement was made except for a tiny stamp in our passport. The immigration officer did not even say, “welcome to New Zealand.” But that was okay, all four of us cheered and gave each other high-fives as we crossed over into baggage claim.

Sunday

We looked at homes and land with a real estate agent that we met on our visit last March. So strange to see places all over the area that I have been viewing online for months. I have a fairly good understanding of the geography of the area after hours on Google Earth, but in person the views and landscape are more spectacular than I remember or could see on the computer. Also each property I saw on the Internet was viewed in isolation. Now, I can see how different areas fit together into communities. On our first day out to look we saw several properties that were interesting, but nothing that seemed just right for all four of us. We have a particular set of requirements. Colin wants for a playroom that is out of the way so he doesn’t have to clean it up when we have guests. Liam wants some space to set up his electric trains permanently. Doug hopes for broadband and a view of mountains. I am dreaming of space for a horse, or two, and access to riding trails.

Monday

I visited Wanaka Primary School to enroll the boys. The boys start school on Wednesday. I guess Tuesday will be their last day of summer break. Not a bad school schedule. They got out of school on 8 June and are returning to school 31 October, Halloween. Summer break in NZ starts in seven weeks. We call Colin and Liam the boys of summer. The bummer is that we are 9 months from ski season, especially as we watch Breckenridge opening for the season using the online mountain cam.

Another benefit of the boys starting school is that they will not have to join Doug and me as we do all the boring tasks of rebuilding our life in New Zealand like opening a bank account, getting cell phone plans, and looking at property with real estate agents. One of the many differences between buying a home in the US and NZ is that in NZ a buyer must work with agents from multiple agencies because the agents typically only show properties listed by their agency. Looking for property is much more cumbersome when you have to get to know multiple agents and drive around the same area with each of them.

After my school visit, we drove back over the Crown Range to look at Queenstown real estate with a Queenstown agent we also met in March. The boys entered every house and immediately decided which room would be theirs and had definite opinions about each property. Doug and I kept trying to remind the boys that we are just looking and getting to know the areas. The boys are definitely ready to settle down and unpack - immediately.

Tuesday

We looked at another property near Lake Hawea, a small community near Wanaka. Liam and Colin disappeared to explore the bush, while Doug and I tried to imagine building a house on the hillside. We have seen some beautiful homes and locations, but nothing feels like home yet. No worries, though, we have only been here a few days.

We also had to buy school uniforms for Liam and Colin. The boys have never before worn uniforms. The navy blue polo shirts and navy blue sweatpants or cargo shorts are not bad as far as uniforms go.

Liam and Colin are excited and nervous to start school. They know that their school will be different from their old school. The hard part is to know how it will be different. The fact that they have already met Cameron, his sister Mila, and Emily upstairs helps. Both Liam and Colin feel like they have a few familiar faces to look for at school. We won’t find out their classrooms until we get to school tomorrow morning when we arrive for the first day.

Wednesday

Today was the boys’ first day of school. Doug and I were so proud of them. They are both so brave and open to new experiences. Liam’s class starts with Jump Jam, a little morning exercise so Doug and I visited Colin’s classroom first and stayed for his morning meeting to see Colin introduced to the class. Colin was asked to share a little about himself.

Colin, a boy of few words, shared, “My name is Colin.” The teacher prompted him to share a few more details like did he have any brothers or sisters.

Colin said, “Yes, I have one.”

His teacher introduced Doug and me to the class and I reminded Colin that we had just traveled through Turkey, Greece and Thailand. Colin’s new teacher Claire brought out a world map. Claire asked Colin where Thailand was and Colin pointed straight to Africa. Doug and I were giggling. We were so pleased to see the successful fruits of our geography lessons. We both know Colin hates to be put on the spot and asked to talk to a group without warning, especially when he doesn’t know the audience and isn’t prepared. Even though he is only seven years old, I already know much about Colin’s presentation style. Colin likes to speak when he can make an impact and when he is prepared. He loved the limelight when he presented his erupting volcano experiments at last year’s Logan expo.

While I stayed a few more minutes to make sure Colin was settled, Doug snuck out of Colin’s class and joined Liam’s class to catch Liam’s introduction. Liam on the other hand loves the opportunity to give an impromptu talk and gave a detailed account of his move from his old home in Colorado and his travels through Europe and Asia. Liam enjoys to share his thoughts and perspectives with almost anyone, almost anytime.

After school, Liam and Colin were exhausted and overwhelmed with their new school and world, but overall they both had positive first days. Liam was a bit frustrated that he couldn’t understand everything his teacher was saying. He was at the back of the group on the carpet, the teacher was speaking with a strange accent and all the kids, fascinated with the new boy, couldn’t keep their hands off Liam. After a class size of 17 or 18 students with two teachers at Logan, the class sizes at Wanaka, with greater than 25 students and one teacher, are a big adjustment. We talked as a family about not expecting things at school or other places to be the same as in Denver. Some things will be easier, some things will be harder, some the same and some different. Even before we left Denver, while we were deciding whether or not to immigrate to New Zealand and particularly to Wanaka or Queenstown, Doug and I talked a lot about the differences the boys will experience in their education. Today I had to go through the whole thought process again. I think I must drive Doug crazy as I review and question our decisions. Luckily I arrived at the same conclusion. Logan, the boys’ school in Denver, was a truly unique and remarkable learning environment. I don’t think I could replicate Logan if I searched around the world. One of the amazing aspects of Logan is the experiential focus. We are trying to adopt this premise not just in the boys’ schooling but also in our lives in general. This move to New Zealand is experiential learning for the whole family. We are giving the boys the opportunity to learn about another culture and another hemisphere to start. Also, Doug and I discussed how we both went to public elementary schools and we are pleased with where our lives are today. We can see there are definite benefits to the diversity of students the boys will be introduced to here. In fact, the classroom is more diverse in every way compared to their old school. There is also a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere here. I can’t put my finger on it yet and articulate clearly what I mean. Parents and adults don’t seem to be hovering over their children with such intensity as at their old school. Kids here seemed to be allowed to figure out things on their own a bit more. We know we are giving up some advantages that their school in Denver offered, but the new experiences offered in this environment will balance what we give up from their old system, we hope. Our most important goal for their early education is that they enjoy and are excited about learning. That will be the measure we follow.

While the boys were at school, we visited another property with yet another agent. We were both excited about this property. In fact, it was just down the road from a property that we liked in March that has since sold. It is located half way between Wanaka and Hawea. The boys could attend the school in either community. The Hawea School interests me because it is smaller and therefore feels more intimate. It reminds me of San Antonio School where I went as a child in Ojai.

Today was also Halloween. Trick-or-treating is not as prevalent in NZ. So instead of trick-or-treating we decided to have our own Halloween party. We made brownie sundaes with warm brownies just out of the oven. The brownies took several trips to the store because we don't have any baking supplies and I keep forgetting things. We did get a few high school kids later in the evening. Doug and I gave out brownies. They seemed to work. None of the trick-or-treaters complained or played any pranks on us. Liam and Colin woke up while some of the trick-or-treaters were at the door. Liam and Colin were worried that Doug and I were going to give away all their brownies. I promised if all the brownies were gone by morning I would make another batch. This first batch was fairly burnt anyways.

We learned that Guy Fawkes Night is a bigger deal than Halloween in NZ. While Guy Fawkes Night is traditionally celebrated on the night of 5th of November. We heard fireworks for many nights before and after the 5th, in both Wanaka and then Queenstown.

Thursday

We dropped the boys at school and raced back over the Crown Range to Queenstown to meet with the same agent we met with on Monday. Monday we had run out of time. To get over to Queenstown and have some time to look is rushed. The drive is just under an hour and we have to pick up the boys by 3 pm back in Wanaka, but we both want to go so that we can see properties together. The 3 pm deadline keeps us focused.

Every time we travel back and forth over the Crown Range from Wanaka to Queenstown, Doug and I start to envision our life on that side of the mountains. On one side of the range is Wanaka, a quieter, more rural, and smaller town. We are drawn particularly to Lake Hawea area on the outskirts of Wanaka. On the other side of the range is Queenstown, a busier and more touristy town. The entire Queenstown area also has a larger population. There are probably about 20,000 people when you include the Arrowtown, Frankton with Queenstown. One reality is that for Doug to start a business, a slightly larger town might be more practical and offer more opportunities. We keep weighing the pros and cons as we drive back and forth.

We did see a fabulous property on the far side of Queenstown from Wanaka, on the road to Glenorchy. It feels far away from the bustle of Queenstown, but is only about a fifteen-minute drive from the town centre.

By the way I meant to spell centre with “re” not “er.” We have to get used to the local norms and maybe I can start to spell things correctly here, because I am not likely to lose my American accent any time soon…we’ll see what happens with Liam and Colin.