Parties, Packing and Passionate Partings

Final view of
Bloomsbury offices

Welcome to our blog, which will keep you abreast of our adventures in NZ (and beyond). We hope this keeps you – our friends, family and people-who-read-strangers’-blog-posts – informed on how we’re doing ‘over there’. Posts should be short, peppered with pictures, roughly weekly and as interesting as reality allows (or we'll make them up).

Leaving the UK directly after the festive period has been a great idea, since it’s allowed us to appropriate lots of celebrations to say multiple goodbyes. Indeed, with several work leaving parties, a London farewell celebration, an Aberystwyth valediction meal, a brilliant New Year’s Eve send-off at Tom L’s new flat, a final parting brunch (in a Wetherspoons in Victoria station – how quintessentially English!), countless family bon voyages, and a last afternoon tea leaving-taking… I think we’ve made the point that we’re leaving. Thanks to those who have hosted, attended or sent apologetic text messages – we’ll miss you all (in that order).

New Year's Eve - a special thanks to Natalie's Selfie Stick

How easy is it to pack for an extended time abroad? I (Roger) am very much an ‘underwear and toothbrush’ kind of traveller, but Cathay Pacific’s presumptuous labelling of us as ‘migrants’ has given us 40kg of hold luggage each to play with! This should just about be enough for Dora, who is already talking ominously about how many tote bags she can fit into her pockets… Anyway, it’s good that we have enough space to take some items to make our new home homely, particularly as the norm in Wellington seems to be for rented properties to have a washing machine, a brilliant view and little else!

Dora's half-packed case

Despite the unavoidable sadness at not seeing lots of nearest and dearest for some time, we are already looking forward to visitors – New Year’s Eve was spent doing some efficient planning with Greg and Sam to make sure we pack lots in during their stay in March. Much to the horror of the older generation, we have already pretty much decided what we’ll be doing every day, and much to Sam’s satisfaction have presented these plans in a collaborative Google spreadsheet. We’re keen for more friends and family to come and visit (to justify a second bedroom in whichever place we end up), so get in touch if your thinking about it so we can send you the ‘Roger and Dora visitor brochure’.

In the next dispatch we’ll cover our seven-hour stopover in Hong Kong and our journey on the TranNZ Scenic train from Auckland to Palmerston North. After that you'll be treated to highlights from our house hunt in Wellington.

Until next time!

Roger and Dora