Moving to New Zealand--Invercargill & Auckland

..Living the goal..

Down to the South
Up to the North

With the summer starting to make an appearance, we set our sights on finally moving down towards the Southern tip of the island. Invercargill was the final destination, but along the way we planned to hit the Catlins--a little known scenic route along the coast--and take in the sights. (Like good tourists.)
   When not getting lost, we hit such places as the Nugget Lighthouse in Waka, Porpoise Bay, and the petrified Jurassic rainforest. Once in Invercargill, we met up with our friends from Dunedin (suspiciously looking like the exact same ones from the Copeland Track adventure), had a BBQ, and after a good round of cards, hit the town to enjoy the Invercargill nightlife.
   The next morning, along with Doug, James, and Jo, I headed out to the beach to take my first jab at surfing. Pushing aside all the fears that a shark would grab me, I donned a wetsuit three sizes too small and headed in. My fears were quickly erased after realizing that nothing living could possible enjoy the temperature of the water. Once becoming numb, however, I quickly enjoyed getting crushed by wave after wave while attempting to balance on the board underneath me. To my credit, I did manage to catch a wave and actually get up--on my knees, of course. After shouting jubilantly, I was just as quickly thrown off and into the surf. Good times and highly recommended for anyone ever wanting to try it out.
    After the beach, we gathered as a group and headed off to Bluff on the Southern most tip of the south island. Along the way, we stopped off at the Paola House--or a home completely decorated with Paola shells. While it did not encourage decorating tips, this attraction was truly unusual and worth a visit. Onwards beyond the local homes of Bluff was the mighty signpost indicating the distance to every major city and location in the world. It was rather disheartening to see New York over 15,000km away and the South Pole only 3,000km. At least I know which way to go when we row home.
    So after Invercargill, I was sent immediately up to Auckland on the North Island for business. Hello Sunshine! Yes, it's clear to see why the majority of people in New Zealand live here. 80 degree days and beautiful weather. The city of Auckland is pretty small as far as cities go. It sports of population of over 1 million people, but it doesn't feel that way. This is a good thing. I hate driving in cities and I found it very easy to move around. Plus, the amount of things to do, places to shop, and culture to see, make this a worthwhile trip for a week or weekend. The tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere is located here called the Sky Tower. Yes, the CN Tower in Toronto makes it look like a matchstick, but it's a pretty cool engineering feat as it is. Jeannine and I ate dinner up top and watched from the rotating view as people bungee jumped by our window. How's that for mealtime entertainment?
    Once again, it rained on the weekend; so most of our plans were forced to occur inside. Thankfully, the city had lots to offer. Plus, room service and movies in your 5 star hotel is never a dull way to spend the evening.
     With Christmas approaching, we're gearing up for a large trip to Abel Tasman National Park in the Nelson (near the north island) We'll be kayaking and camping for a few days so expect pictures and an account of our travels sometime after New Years. We'll also be posting "New Zealand Christmas" photos shortly. Happy Holidays!!

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