New Beginings - The Move

There's that scene in that movie... you know the one.. you've seen it I'm sure: Something eventful happens, and they load up their vehicle with all their stuff,a few tearful goodbyes, possibly with some dialogue to give you an insight to the events leading up to this moment which opens the movie and then they drive... and as they drive across the country, the introductory credits roll, and some catchy tune plays, as the vehicle passes various landscapes, and land marks, denoting a great distance travelled.

I suppose one of the reasons that this is a common scene is because it is a relatively common occurrence. Certainly common enough that a good number of people can relate to it. It is an idea that captures the imagination... to leave everything behind, and begin afresh in a new environment. A clean start, a fresh break...

It dawned on me recently that this scene is one out of my own recent life. Yet something that the movies don't impart upon it's audience, is the fact that often, when you are in the midst of such a move, you do no recognise that this is what you are doing.

It is August. It is almost a full year (12/8/2011) since T(Then 8) came home from a bicycle trip around the block, with a portion of his hair melted away, because a child had offered to be his friend, if he would let them burn his hair. Of course, as T has an auditory processing disorder, it took him awhile to work out what they were saying, and his non-reply, and not moving away, was probably taken as acceptance by the other child. T probably worked out what was being said at about the very exact time that this other child put their lighter to the tuft of hair protruding from T's bicycle helmet.

I am sure I do not need to fully describe my horror at this turn of events when T finally shared them with me some 30-45 minutes after his return home. I called the police. I posted on Facebook in all caps that I wanted to move, and I wanted to move now! This was on a Thursday. The very next day Carl texts me to asks how I would feel about moving to Auckland, as someone he knew there wanted to know if he would be able to come up and work with them.

Carl's Dream Job: Game Designer at Grinding Gear Games. 

On a game.

As a Game Designer.

Carl's DREAM JOB!

Salmon (Sammie) investigating the boxes 'What's all this then?'

The timing could not have been better. We did need to be practical though. The company was a start-up company, with limited finances. Auckland is the most expensive place to live in New Zealand. We were looking at increased living costs, substantial moving costs, and a decreased income. By the end of that weekend, we had crunched numbers, did a little research in regards to costs, and accommodation, and we had an idea of how much we would need to be able to get by. By Sunday afternoon, Carl had a firm job offer. Monday morning Carl handed in his 4 week notice, and then the stress really began. We had to pack, and find a place to live, and we had no way of being able to look at neighbourhoods or houses... it was simply too far away.

Trust examines the boxes... he knows what this means

I had multiple contingency plans to enact. All of them stressful. One way or another, we were going to make this work. This is Carl's DREAM JOB!. It would be unforgivable to not give it our all. So many things had happened in the preceding years that became profound advantages and made the decision to do this so much easier to enact. The two that stood out most were: We had already sold the house... no worries about selling at a time when the market was in a slump. We had already started Homeschooling, no need to worry about moving to an area with a good school... the boys were already in an excellent educational modality, and it would be with us no matter where we went.

Starting to pack the container that will be freighted to Auckland by Rail

Somehow it all came together. Carl was able to fly to Auckland for an overnight visit to view some rental properties the following weekend, and by the end of that weekend, we had established a place to rent. Two weeks to go before he started his new job! Now we could get on with confirming packers and movers and giving tenancy notice to our current landlords. Things were moving along nicely. The week holiday that had been booked and paid for months ago, where Carl took the boys to stay with his parents for a week, coincided with the week prior to Carl's starting his new job. So the boys all disappeared, and I could pack up the house, and get everything sorted, without needing to parent and teach.

Goodbye Neighbours

Ka Kite e Hoa

The boys returned late Friday night. Which coincided with the opening of the Rugby World Cup in Auckland.... and more than one person wondered if this wasn't an elaborate ruse on Carl's part to get to see some Rugby .. HA! Like Carl was going to be manipulating *me* to watch Rugby?!? That's *my* (temporarily on hold) obsession! Saturday morning we put the things we would be needing over the next few days into the van and car. T and I and the cats travelled in the van, and K and Carl and the cleaning supplies travelled in the car.

Cats loaded into van, awaiting departure

Cats enjoying their view. In Waikanae

We stopped for a visit and Lunch at the Rushworths. We paused for Petrol in Waiouru. We travelled until we reached Mototere Bay, on the shores of Lake Taupo, where we stayed overnight. Then we resumed our travels, through to Hamilton, and on to Auckland.

We arrived in Auckland on September the 11th 2012. As we drove along SH20, I marvelled at the wind and rain, and a day later I learnt that at the time there was a Tornado ripping through Avondale, not too terribly far from where we were driving - that explained the weather we witnessed.

At the Rushworth's in Awahuri

Eventually we got to Titirangi. As we had to go almost exactly past, I decided to make a very light detour to drive past Carl's new work place, and show T where it was. And it turned out we got to meet Carl's new boss, who was there readying a work station for Carl. Less than 10 minutes later I was at an intersection. Confounded. Laingholm Dr and Laingholm Rd ?!?! shit! Which one was it? I think Drive... what kind of an idiot names two intersecting thoroughfares with virtually identical names?? Well about 6 months...yes six months... later, I drove past that intersection for the umpteenth time, and suddenly realised the intersection was Laingholm Dr and Landing Rd... It dawned on me then just how incredibly tired and stressed I was at the time, and how jolly lucky we were not to have had an accident on that long drive in atrocious weather on unfamiliar roads.

Our new home, as viewed from half way down the driveway

The speed with which this change occurred in our lives was blinding. Within the space of 4 1/2 weeks, we had been offered an opportunity, found a place to live, gave notice to employers and landlords, sold off a substantial part of Carl's Board game collection, and our books, and some toys, cleaned out the garage that had been flooded some with the unprecedented snow fall, packed up an entire household and moved to a completely new town. There are a number of people who I did not get the chance to farewell. I regret that.

In the months since our arrival, we have explored a number of the local beaches, shopping complexes, and home school activities as well as the Auckland Zoo, The Museum of Transport and Technology. (MOTAT) With our most recent Homeschooling resources grant, we purchased annual passes to both these. We have been to the Zoo twice this year and MOTAT 4 times in the last 2 months.

'Camping' in our new home until the container with our furniture arrives

A little thing like the cold weather wasn't going to stop K from trying out the pool

The neighbourhood in which we now live is so very different from where we were in Lower Hutt. We had been living in a state housing area, with many people unemployed, or very low income. Although we were lucky to have trees on our street and within the property we were renting, there were many bare streets, and bare front yards. Mostly buildings and concrete. Our home was lovely, but the neighbourhood was not the creme-de-la-creme. Now we live in the middle of a rain forest. there are barely any fences, there are so many trees we can barely see our neighbours. The local beach is a short stroll along a track through rain forest. We have a small stream running across the property. We have a swimming pool. We see Karearea (Native falcon), kereru (Native wood Pigeon), Tui (native Parson's bird), Kotare (native Kingfisher), Piwakawaka (native fantail), Tauhoe (native Silver eye / wax-eye) and others flitting around in the air. we hear Makomako (bell bird), Ruru, aka Morepork (Native owl). We have Nikau, Pohutakawa, Rimu, Kauri, Totara, al native trees, growing in our 'garden'. The majority of the people who live out here do so because they want to live closer to nature. As a result, one of the local 'dairies' stocks a great range of organic and gluten free products. The Steiner national headquarters are just off the top of the road upon which we live. A number of our local community attend the Steiner school. Our immediate neighbours were actively campaigning for the Green party prior to last years elections. They were delighted to learn we home school. We have found a niche of people who if not exactly in sync with us, walk enough off the beaten path to honour and respect others who walk different paths. there is a sense of solidarity in that.

Looking down onto the pool, and bottom half of the driveway 

from the lounge window

The view out of our window takes my breath away. For the first time in many a year, I enjoy sitting by the window and looking out. Even when it's raining. It was so dreary watching the rain in the midst of suburbia. Watching the rain in a rain forest is such a peaceful and soul enriching experience.

Carl loves his job.

We are developing closer relationships with people here. The biggest 'gap' I feel is in Bridge... and that is another post's worth of story.