Transition in NZ

Feeling a bit weepy in our apartment in Auckland (just for one night). So much transition in the last few days. Hard to know that our house has been totally dismantled, and probably passed on, by now, even though it was always going to be this way… Makes it feel like it was never our place, even though we made it home for a while.

It feels surreal that the time has come to return to Australia. A part of me can’t believe that we’ll be there tomorrow, hugs all round at Tullamarine with Mum and Dad. It’s been so long coming, in a way. And yet it’s not like our time in Canada felt long, not when I reflect on it from this end of things. Moments felt long and I felt far away from home sometimes, but in its entirety, it seems like the time went very quickly.



The space on Waiheke Island was very good. Got a bit of the jetlag processed, although we’re all still going to bed early and getting up early. Constant sound of the waves. Lots of travelling around the place on the bus, which the kids loved. And I loved too. Time on the beach. Beautiful, beautiful overland hike, Piper walking all the way and Jasper in our arms. Good to spend time with the kids with little other distractions (of work or projects or social life, etc.). Exploring other towns – usually the cafes! The food! No internet, only now in Auckland. Instead, I deleted around 2.5gb of photos off my computer from 2007. We bought the camera just before Jasper was born in May, so we were a bit trigger happy! Felt great to declutter, even in my digital landscape.

(jetlag!)

(riding the bus)


Been drinking lots of coffee! Flat whites made by someone else for $4 here in NZ, which comes as a shock after being in Canada, but it’s so nice! Makes me feel at home somehow, or closer to home, all this brewed coffee available from everywhere.

The kids travelled very well, on the whole. Jasper really notices the transitions, needs more hugs, but so do I. He had a really crappy night’s sleep the night before we left, which was pretty stressful for us (he fell asleep around 6.30am!). But somehow we managed, got through the six hours at Vancouver Airport (we all crashed out on the nursery floor for an hour and a half, not that we slept, but it was lovely to be in a quiet, dark space). And somehow the interminable night on the aeroplane passed. How can thirteen hours on a plane pass, especially with tired young children? But somehow it did. It went well, but if I never do a long flight with young children again, I shall be very happy. The difference from last time to this, last time when we travelled with Piper, was that neither Gord nor I brought hardly anything for ourselves to do or read, etc., cos the reality is, you don’t get time to read with two kids! A bit of TV watching and that’s it. Felt good to be realistic – we’re getting to be real parents!

(Oneroa beach)

(Piper's shot of me)

(The picturesque walk!)


Anyway, I know this is probably only interesting to me. I’m just venting. Hope the photos balance my words a bit! Love to all, from this transitional limbo space. Lots of missing and sadness to process, and somehow squeeze some anticipation in there too… not sure how I can hold both…

Falcon Lake

Last weekend we headed to Falcon Lake, about an hour's drive east of Steinbach. We rented a cabin with Pat and Dar, and their next door neighbours, Dale and Shannon. Other friends, Jason and Shannon, were staying in a cabin behind the one we had, and other friends, Garth and Wendy, were also close by! (That's twelve kids altogether!) So we made the most of Saturday arvo/evening, which is when we were all present and available. Bit of a BBQ, etc.

Here's our cabin...

We had the cabin to ourselves the first night, and then slept in a leaky tent the other two nights - it wasn't too bad, actually, except for rolling over the second morning, and a whole puddle of water that had seeped through the sleeping bag rolling onto my thigh - that's one way to wake up!

Chillin' out, reading How Jesus Became Christian...

Piper's hiphop!

Piper and Tobin in the wagon...

The kids were mad, wanting to go in that freezing water, Jasper especially!

He still wants more!

Watch out - explicit content in this post!

Pat and Dar hanging out...

The kids are only nudey-rudey cos we thought it was way too cold for swimming and didn't bring their bathers to the beach. Lack of decorum or modesty didn't stop them getting wet though!

Jasper, Jayden and Tobin

Dale, Pat and Gord...

Paparazzi! Dar got some nice shots of us - thanks mate!

St Kilda beach

My cousin Michelle arrived from Canada the day after my birthday (at the end of January). She's been staying with my parents, doing lots of sightseeing and job-hunting, but this week we roped her into babysitting for a morning! It was great, I was able to get Gord's visa application done - glad to have that bit of paperwork out of my hair.


The night before (Michelle slept over at our place), we headed down to St Kilda beach. I was blown away when Michelle said it was the first time she'd seen the ocean since she was last in Australia, which was 1991, when she was, I believe, three years old!!! This prompted me to ask Gord if he'd seen the sea when he was growing up, and he said he reckoned the first time he'd seen it was when he went to Vancouver with Shaun when he was twenty! Although he could possibly have seen it on a family trip to BC when he was ten, but he can't remember!


I'm kind of flabbergasted, but I forget that Australia is an island continent, with the majority of the population living in coastal towns and cities. The beach is an intrinsic part of the Australian identity, featured in our history, literature and folk tales. It seems so odd to me that you wouldn't grow up having at least a few holidays to the beach, but I can understand that a prarie family in Canada (and even an Albertan family!) might not make it to the coast all that often. However, it does explain why Gord values living close to the beach, and why he likes the idea that we can head down there pretty much whenever we like. We're kind of averaging once a week at the moment, or Gord certainly is. Piper and I at least made it to the local pool this week...


Anyway, here's a few photos of us with Michelle, on the boardwalk, in front of the iconic Luna Park, and scoffing cake on Acland St. Honestly, Piper ate more of that chocolate cake than Gord did! And given the difference in body size, that's a worry, eh! No wonder she was a bit hyper on the way home! Oh yes, did I mention that's my vanilla slice in the foreground?? Hey, at least I took half of it home!