After the school year finished I really was homesick. To the point that it was a mild ache in my chest I needed to go home and visit my family and friends. I went back to Sydney for about 10 days before Christmas. Christmas is a hectic time for everyone so I wanted to be in and out before Christmas. It was so great to see my family and friends. Sydney has defiantly changed. Either that or I’m noticing things differently now. So many people everywhere and so much graffiti everywhere in Sydney. But what surprised me the most was … Continue reading Christmas 2016

In the short time I’ve been in here in New Zealand I’ve engaged in quite a lot of entertainment and theatre. Leaving Sydney I was concerned I wouldn’t have had a wide variety of theatre and live entertainment to watch. In fact I’ve seen more shows here now then I would have in Sydney in the same amount of time. Granted that Sydney and Australia in general does have a higher caliber of international shows but the shows we have seen here have been fantastic. Akina who is a friend of ours who we met in Sydney when Jase was … Continue reading Arts and Entertainment

I’ve been in New Zealand now for well over a year. In the first 12 months I feel like I have had the full Kiwi experience: Worked in a winery Been part of the wine making process and grape harvest Swimming through the Marlborough Sounds Seen dolphins while on a boat Eaten fresh NZ Paua (abalone) and Kina (sea urchin) Earthquakes Rain and wind Emersion into the Maori culture Watched a lot of rugby More rain and wind Rowed in a dragon boat (waka ama) as part of a team All of this and I still have not seen a … Continue reading Day 422 – Over a year now

I have not written about this but I really want too for my own memories more than anything. Several months ago on a Friday afternoon (home from work and exhausted) I was sitting at home in the quiet when my phone rang and it was one of my bosses. He asked me what I was doing in the weekend and if I wanted to help with a catering job for Wellington On A Plate (WOAP is Wellingtons equivalent to the October Good Food Month in Sydney). He didn’t give me too much information at this time, all I knew was … Continue reading Wellington On A Plate

I’m now almost up to my one year mark here in New Zealand. I have not done too much exploring through the winter. Winter here was wet and cold with the odd sunny day. Sometimes I felt the dampness would never end and it really did effect my mood and personality. We are out of winter now but still the thermometer doesn’t go above 18 degrees. We are averaging at 12 to 14 degrees most days. My beans are about 30cm tall but struggling to grab onto the bamboo because of the wind. I think I need to tie them … Continue reading Day 329 – End of Winter

I’ve now been in New Zealand for over half a year. This week that just passed was the first week that I’ve had heart ache and yearning for home and family. It’s an awful feeling. Now I know how the migrants felt and how people who travel the world feel like when they miss their families. I’d do anything right now for a meal with my Mum. Thankfully with technology these days we can keep in touch occasionally. She and my father are away in Northern Europe now for a holiday. Iceland, Scandinavia, etc. As I mentioned in my last blog … Continue reading Day 208 – WCA Comitments

Almost at the 200 day mark here in New Zealand. It feels like yesterday I left Sydney airport for this big adventure. I have not written here in a while because I’ve been focusing on syncing my teeth into work at Weltec. I’ve been at work for about 5 weeks now. I really really love it. It’s fulfilling and such a joy to teach my skills. I’m getting more relaxed with delivering to my class. I have 21 students in my class from all walks of life. The youngest is 17 and the oldest is 45. Most are under 25 … Continue reading Day 187 – Wellington Life

Now that I’ve been in Wellington for 5 weeks I’m feeling much more settled in and getting comfortable. After a long interview and screening process I’m thankful to say that I’m now employed as a Chef Teacher at the Wellington School of Hospitality run through WelTec. I’m so thrilled and happy that I got this job. I’ve just finished my first week at work and know that once I fully understand the organisations processes and systems I will really enjoy it. I’ve now taught two full classes and assessed one assessment. I enjoyed it so much. Work is only a … Continue reading Day 152 – Family Visitors

I’ve been in Wellington now for 10 days. I arrived and hit the ground running pretty much. This blog entry is a little over due. So as we all know Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. The population of Wellington is 398300 people. Wellington is on the south-west point of the North Island. It has a Victorian vibe to the city. Many of the older houses and older buildings within the CBD have a Victorian feel to them. The CBD itself I feel is smaller than the Sydney CBD. I have a city map and am comfortable to … Continue reading Day 128 – Welcome to the Capital

Oh my, I have such a heavy heart today. In an hour I fly out of Blenheim back to Windy Wellington. Last Thursday was my official last day of work at Wither Hills. We cleaned down the kitchen and packed up shop for the winter. Wither Hills Winery Restaurant will be shut over the winter and re-open next summer with something new and exciting. So watch the space I guess! After the team all finished on Thursday we signed off and returned our keys to the winery. I was so mentally and physically exhausted! There was lot of heavy labor … Continue reading Day 118 – Farwell Marlborough