I can’t believe it’s now 9 months….
I can’t believe it’s now 9 months since we arrived. It’s only when I sat down to write this that I realised how much I’d done since the last update.
My Mum, and brother Peter, came to visit us in July and stayed for 5 weeks. My Mum never really flew anywhere until we started to move and thanks to the “pull” of the grand kids she has been to USA, Asia and now New Zealand.
Mum couldn’t get over how much like Ireland, New Zealand actually is. I think she was expecting to experience a very different climate and culture but she was amazed at how familiar it was. She came over to celebrate her 75th birthday with us and we kept it a secret from the boys. They were absolutely shocked and delighted when they came home and found their granny sitting in the living room. For the first time ever, we wanted to make her trip and her birthday unforgettable so we took her up north to see the bay of islands and the beautiful coastlines. We spent a few days in Paihia and then went up to Cape Reinga which is the most northern point. There is a lighthouse and stunning views there. The Maori believe that it is where the spirits of the dead leave the land and travel out to sea and we spent time just sitting and taking it all in.
We came back via the west coast and went into Waipoua forest to see “Tane Mahuta” or the “God of the Forest” an ancient Kauri tree which is over 2000 years old. It’s an incredibly spiritual place and my mum got very emotional when she came upon the tree. She started to cry and said a prayer for all of the friends and family she had lost. It’s the third time I have visited this sacred place and I always leave feeling a sense of awe and wonder. I’m sure Mum will carry the memory of the ancient tree with her always.
We also spent a week down at Lake Taupo which is in the centre of the North Island approx 4 hours drive from Auckland. I rented a house in Omori which is close to the southern tip of the lake and a town called Turangi. Although it was the middle of NZ winter, we got fantastic weather, it was chillier in the evenings but the house had a roaring log fire and the skies were so clear that we could watch the sunset on the lake and sit and reminisce under a blanket of stars. It was a 30 min drive to the village of Whakapapa which is at the base of Mount Ruapehu. This has some of the best snow fields and skiing on the Island and the views were simply breathtaking. Peter Jackson used the mountain to depict Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings films. There are also some amazing hikes. We went to the Tongariro Alpine crossing which has glacial valleys, rare plants and stunning volcanic formations. The trek took the best part of a day but was well worth it as the views were absolutely spectacular - we trudged through snow drifts and saw huge ice formations. What also amazed me was the attention to detail with public facilities, paths and even cabins for the hikers to stay in should the weather turn bad.
Changes have also come at work. I’ve now been tasked with the Auckland Region which covers all of the major stores in central Auckland. Although I was sad to give up the Northern Region, I know my new role will give me the opportunity to help turn around the decline in the Auckland marketplace. The city has seen a lot of changes in the retail environment over the past few years especially with the opening of the large malls in Sylvia Park and Albany and the marketplace has become much more competitive. We have some awesome stores and fantastic teams in Auckland so I’m really looking forward to guiding then to success in the future.
Every year the Warehouse holds a Conference in each of its Regions as a thank-you to all of the staff and their partners. A time to come together, reflect on the challenges and celebrate the successes of the previous year and to have a bloody good night with your friends and fellow colleagues. Having been to many conferences with different companies throughout my career, many of which I can’t remember either the day or the content, I really wanted to do something special as a thank-you and a goodbye to my old Region and hopefully have them talking about until next year. I decided on the theme ‘Being Proud - proud of yourself, proud of your family, proud of your team, proud of your store, proud of The Warehouse and proud of your country. We held the conference at the Copthorne Bay of Islands Resort on the 20th September and it was a magical day and evening. I was able to bring Caroline and the boys and they got fully involved which really drove home the family pride piece. We also had “a night at the Oscars” theme for the evening where everyone dressed up. I gave out oscars to store hero’s which were voted for by the teams and awards for Manager and Store of the year. We had over 500 people all of who had a great time and danced the night away.
Home life is also going really well. Dylan is continuing to excel in Pinehurst, so much so that we are considering putting Corey into the school next year. Dylan went on school camp to Wellington and Caroline volunteered to go too. I thought Dylan would have asked me but he said that I might embarrass him in front of some of the girls on the trip by trying to get him a girlfriend. There’s me thinking I was a cool dad !!! They had a great time and went to Weta Workshops and Film Studios where the creatures and props from Lord of the Rings were created and they also visited Parliament buildings and had tea with the Governor General!
He has also got selected for the school basketball team and plays every week. Corey is also thriving and doing really well. He is growing so quickly and it’s amazing to see the change in him since we arrived. He is so confident and out going. I’m really looking forward to the summer and spending time with them at the beach. Caroline decided that with the boys doing so well, that she would go back to work for a day a week to make friends and have something for herself. She is working in a kids boutique and is loving it. My only concern is that currently she is spending more than she earns in the shop. Which thinking about it, is a great way to run a business, perhaps The Warehouse should employ a lot more Caroline’s!
My adopted team the All Blacks won the Bledisloe cup this year which is the tri nation tournament between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. I got to see the home games played at Eden Park with the boys and you cannot put into words the atmosphere and the emotions when the All Blacks do the Haka. I can’t wait until next years super 14’s and tri nations.
I finally got time to get my New Zealand drivers license. I had been told about test papers that had to be done but Caroline found out that you can get your license changed through the AA (Automobile Association). You simply visit the shop, produce your current UK license, your passport, a bill with your address in NZ on it and pay $44 (£20). They give you a quick eye exam and take your photo and that’s it!!! All done in half an hour.
In summary, life continues to be great, family are happy and my job is challenging and rewarding.
My Dad used to say, “life unfolds and with it brings infinite possibilities” - in this country, how right he was!!
I will update you soon….
