- Friday 10h February 2012

So from the last blog entry we have moved on! We are now living in Christchurch, in the South Island. From Tuesday 16th Jan i flew down to christchurch and we got all settled into our wee house. Its in an area called Sydenham, which is just a 5 minute drive to the centre and quite close to a lot of things! Our wee townhouse has two bedrooms, bathroon and toilet downstairs and openplan iving area, kitchen and wee balcony upstairs so its fab. Its part of about 9 in the block all joined together, also got a garage and wee bit at the back to hang up washing! And it came fully furnished so we only had to buy a few things like cutlery, duvet covers etc.

The first few weeks Graemes been working away in his demoltion job and is enjoying it! Hes got to work with a remote control digger which sounds cool! Although the other day he and another guy picked up the wrong remote controls and wondered why their diggers werent going in the direction they were trying to make it go he he! His shifts are 5am - 1.30p so hes been up rather early and having a nap when he gets in! Been quite good though as we can do stuff in the afternoon together. I just been looking for a job, wasnt as much as we thought here for me unless i was willing to drive a digger (hmm no thanks) but finally got a job with an energy company Meridian and just started there this week, just training and 10 people joined so alll good! Graemes been cycling to work so i can take car and its only 5 mins away!

Graemes joined Sydenham rugby lub so has been training hard there, a guy in the team was over in Scotland and played with Linlithgow for a year and remembered Garnock so that was pretty cool! I joined Christchurch City Chorus a few weeks ago as well on a wednesday night so thats bee fun! Its just women and like barbershop style so all unaccompanied and dancing etc so good fun! Ive also been doing organised 5k runs at Hagley Park on a tuesday night which is good.

Theres been lots on over here at the weekends. We've been to the Buskers Festival, which is like Edinburgh Fringe ut its held in a big park and lot of different acts on. Then visited Akaroa, which is kind of like Oban but the day we went wasnt good so will go back and maybe do a boat trip at some stage! Been to a few beaches as well, only need to drive maybe 10k to the closest beach which is good! Also just been to places around like Sumner, beaches and driving to see what there is! We were off last weekend as it was a public holiday so we went to Orana Wildlife park which was good fun, there was highland cows there which made us laugh! Oh and they had a big concert in hagley park, ASB Classical Sparks on sunday night so we went there and there was a massive fireworks display which was awesome! I went to yoga in the park last saturday and theres a chinese lantern festival and then a scottish festival as well on tomoro so mite go to that! All free and cultural so cant compain lol!

We have felt a few earthquakes but not been mega ones! We can feel anything over 4.0 magnitude, depending on what it is it can feel like a bg lorry going past or there was one in the cinema the other night and it was big and lasted a wee while but nothing too bad which is good! I though there was one at my work the other day and was like omg earthquake, but turned out to be a train going past as its behind railway lines - so it happen at 11.30a every day and i always think omg earthquake lol!

Cant believe the end of the month we will have been here for 6 months! How time flies! Still having great time and good to be somewhere different although we are missing everyone! Have put some photos up as well xxxxxx