Rugby!

We went to our first Rugby test Saturday the Wellington Lions hosted the Bay of Plenty Steamers. There were over 10 tries at this test quite the game! With my US football background (yes dad I did learn something all those years) I understood the basic Rugby rules. However there was plenty to keep me guessing.

The vocabulary is quite similar to US Football with only a few noticeable differences. For instance 'try' referees both to the line between the field and the equivalent of an end zone; and 'try' referees to scoring a goal, it took about 20 minutes for me to figure that out. Most everyone who knows Football can guess 'scrum' if you can't guess I will keep you wondering. A 'test' referees to a match. There are 'mauls' and 'rucks' as well, but more on those later.

The basic setup of the game is the same. A bunch of full grown men trying to get a odd shaped piece of pig skin over an arbitrary line on either side of a field. A 'try' is worth five points with a two point conversion. A notable rule addition on the conversion attempt is that the ball is placed on the 20 yard line at the same place (left or right) that it was downed for the try. There are field goals in Rugby and they are three points as well. Two notable changes in Rugby. It does not bother with with pads or helmets, and the play doesn't stop at each tackle instead that is where the fun starts, a ruck.

Once the player is down either team attempts to get the ball by piling on and "rucking" at the ball with their feet until one side has control. The rules around the rucks are strange, the hardest for me to grasp was that you can only enter the ruck from your side of the field. Once a team is able to control the ball the player who has done so becomes the 'quarterback' and the process starts all over.

The play is basically a bunch of lateral passes until you try or are tackled (Remember to try is to score.) The lateral passes are great fun to watch. They throw the ball (underhand only) half way across the field. If the offensive team is not able make sufficient progress they will punt, remember this happens without a down. Someone just drop kicks the ball while running. Once a punt occurs the ball is fair game for anyone to grab. I was shocked the first time someone punted the ball about 15 yards over a defenders head sprinted caught the ball on the bounce and ran in for a try, it was a great play!

The crowd at the stadium was just as crazy a crowd at any major US sporting event, jerseys, painted faces, big signs etc. They screamed and hollered with the best of them. As most fans they are quite passionate and talkative about their team. I asked two of them a bunch of questions which made the whole experience much more interesting for us. Of course the kids wanted hot dogs, french fries, and cokes. We obliged for it is all part of the fun.

Here is a close-up of Dennis and his soccer buddy Tivan. They had a great time!

Social Calendar

The house here in Wadestown is much better setup for entertaining than the Thorndon house so now it is time reciprocate the invitations we have had in the past few months. We just can't figure out when!

This weekend Dennis has a soccer tournament on Sunday which will kill the whole day. Saturday we someone has given us tickets to the Wellington Lion's Rugby Test this weekend. (Test = Game) That ought to prove a good game as both teams are quite good. Those who know me well will realize that Dennis is the one who wants to attend the game. We will try to bring a friend of his to the game.

Saturday night we will be going to the local IBM salesman house for a curry dinner. This will attended by a few families in the area. As there will be children Dennis' age there it ought to be quite a good evening. But with his morning Soccer, afternoon Rugby, it will be a very full day.

The rest of the month will be quite busy as Dennis has made it clear that he wants to go out to the Wairarapa (the mountainous area North East of Wellington;) and he has made it clear that he wants to go to the South Island on the Ferry; and he has made it clear that he wants his friends Asher and Josiah over; and he has made it clear that he wants to have Kirsty (Warwick's daughter, I would imagine Dennis would be fine with the rest of the family come as well.)

Add to that the obligatory open house for the neighbor's which we have to have within two months of our arrival we will be very very busy in September!

Tom

Saturday August 23rd

We have been in New Zealand for 130 days today, but whose counting? I do ask myself why I ever did this? Then I go for a walk (see previous post) and I know why I am here. It truly is a lovely country.

This past week it has rained every night, and every day has been glorious as long as I was not in the sun. When in the sun it can be downright hot! Not bad for the middle of winter.

Dennis has come along quite well. After soccer today, on the 130th day here, he had a play date at a friends house. Dennis time with Tivan today has probably done more good for him adjusting than anything else that has happened in our time in New Zealand. Then after I picked up Dennis he wandered over to the neighbour's house and played with the two children there for a couple of hours. It seems that Dennis is adjusting well.

And tomorrow we will see Tivan again at the Soccer tournament, or if the tournament is cancelled due to rain (it is always a real possibility here in New Zealand) Tivan will come over to our place.

The house is pleasant and quickly becoming our home, or at least a familiar place to live until we figure out what to do next. And why would it not be our home? Well the poem I posted a few weeks ago is fairly eloquent. I on the other hand am wondering about the trade-off. This overseas experience at the risk of not seeing my friends for a few years. I hope you guys come and visit.

The Second Ridgeline!

Today I went out for a long walk on the ridge line to the West of Chartwell. This is the second ridgeline West of Wellington. It is significantly higher altitude than the first (Tinakori Hill) and has much less population.

I drove to the Wilton Power station parking lot got out of the car and started walking up the hill. It was not a very long walk, about 45 minutes when all was said and done. And actually the walk itself was not very interesting. A few gullies, but by the time you've seen as many as I have it was not awe inspiring. Towards the end there was a very steep incline and then I was at the top of the ridge with great views of the Harbor, South Pacific, Tasman Sea, and the South Island!

I sat down for a while and admired the views. After I caught my breath I walked over to the fence line a bit south and downhill from me. And much to my surprise, and a very pleasant surprise it was, there was a stile. I stepped over the stile and was in some farmer's field which went on forever!

So I walked the ridge line for a while. There was no one up there, I mean not a soul. I heard sheep bleating and felt the wind blowing there on top of the world. The views only got better as I walked around. Not because of a significant change in my vantage point but because the clouds rolling through gave the light different hues. The South Island looked like a dream with the light beams hitting the Marlborough Sounds. As there was little wind the water was calm and reflecting the changing light beautifully.

I have marked our Google Map with the hike I took. As you can see it is not very long just steep. I am sure that I can walk across the Mountain ranges to the Tasman Sea. Just need a long weekend and a good pair of hiking boots!

Fishing

Chris was off at some church conference or another today that did not have a venue for children the age of eight. So Dennis and I stayed home together. All week Dennis has been talking about going fishing! He had it planned out, we will buy a couple of fishing poles and go to the harbour and catch some fish - "dad more fun that you can imagine!" Just so everyone knows last time I went fishing I was ten and I have not had a desire to do so since.

When today rolled around and Dennis wanted to watch "A Christmas Story" I was hopeful! However before the movie stared he reminded me that we were going to go fishing afterwards; and yes right after the movie he ran us out the door to get a pole and go fishing.

There is a local place for fishing gear just off of Cuba Street (Some other time I will have to write to you about that place.) So Dennis and I drove over to the aptly named store "Steve's fishing supplies."

Steve greeted me with a warm hello and a broad smile. Dennis grabbed a $159 fishing pole, Steve directed Dennis to a $39 fishing pole and with a bit of coaxing by the both of us Dennis was convinced. (Thank God!) A few questions later I was an expert, as Steve told me where to go fishing, where to buy bait, etc. And we got out of there only spending $48.90 (sinkers hooks etc.)

We choose a great pier. Close to public parking, sunny, not too crowded, what more could one ask for? Just about the time I got the pole put together, the hooks, sinker, baited, etc. a four cops came walking up and inform me that there are sharks swimming around the pier. Taken by surprise I ask them if they are serious, no just kidding on the sharks; however this pier is off limits for fishing and to emphasise their point a cop pointed to a no fishing sign I had missed. Turns out the pier we choose was the Wellington Metropolitan Police pier; this group of Wellington's finest came off a police boat which docked while I was focused on getting Dennis ready to fish. The cop took one look at Dennis and informed me that the law does not apply to a father and son fishing, and then suggested that I move away from the cars. We did and the fun began!

I showed Dennis how to cast, gave him the pole, and on his first cash he caught two fish! (Oh should have told you the kiwi's fish with multiple hooks.) He was quite excited, it was great to see the smile on his face! I of course was wondering what we do now. I had not really expected to catch anything. So I cut the fish off the hooks, Dennis tossed back the small one and we put the large one in a plastic bag. Three hours later Dennis had caught six fish, another half dozen got away (bait eaten off the hooks) and he had a great time!

We brought home four fish which Dennis personally wanted to clean. This meant I had to show him how to clean the fish. And come to think of it this is what I did not like about fishing when I ten and why I have not gone back to what is otherwise a relaxing activity. So back to the house with some dead squid (bait) and four dead fish. As it was a ten minute drive back there was no smell in the car, and it gave me just long enough to figure out how to go about cleaning these things.

We put the squid in the freezer and grabbed a few knives, cutting board and a couple of bowls. The house we are renting had a hose so we went to the side of the house in the sun and started to clean those fish. Dennis was quite intrigued with the eyes, gills, heart, stomach, and intestines. What he liked the best was when the largest fish's mouth started to open and close after we beheaded it. I on the other hand was just trying to keep my lunch down after cleaning a few fish. Dennis turned this into a dissection examining everything he removed.

So we now have four clean fish of unknown pedigree in the fridge and fish heads wrapped in a plastic bag in our garbage can. Dennis is very particular about us having them for dinner tonight so Chris will have to scale them and find a way to make them palatable to the three of us.

Oh the joy of an eight year old!

It takes a heap o' livin'

It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef' behind
An' hunger fer 'em somehow, with 'em allus on yer mind.
It don't make any differunce how rich ye get t' be,
How much yer chairs an' tables cost, how great yer luxury;
It ain't home t' ye, though it be the palace of a king,
Until somehow yer soul is sort o' wrapped round everything.
Home ain't a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute;
Afore it's home there got t' be a heap o' livin' in it;
Within the walls there's got t' be some babies born, and then
Right there ye've got t' bring 'em up t' women good, an' men;
And gradjerly, as time goes on, ye find ye wouldn't part
With anything they ever used-they've grown into yer heart;
The old high chairs, the playthings, too, the little shoes they wore
Ye hoard; and' if ye could ye'd keep the thumb-marks on the door.

Ye've got t' weep t' make it home, ye've got t' sit and sigh
An' watch beside a loved one's bed, an' know that Death is nigh;
An' in the stillnes o' the night t'see Death's angel come,
An' close the eyes o' her that smiled, an' leave her sweet voice dumb.
For these are scenes that grip the heart, an' when your tears are dried,
Ye find the home is dearer than it was, an' sanctified;
An' tuggin' at ye always are the pleasant memories
O' her that was an' is no more-ye can't escape from these.

Ye've got to sing an' dance fer years, ye've got t' romp and play,
An' learn t' love the things ye have by usin' em each day:
Even the roses round the porch must blossom year by year
Afore they 'come apart o' ye, suggestin'someone dear
Who used t' love 'em long ago, and trained 'em just t' run
The way they do, so's they would get the early mornin' sun;
Ye've got to love each brick an' stone from cellar up t' dome;
It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home.


Edgar A. Guest 1916

Selling Stuff Already

Well we have moved and are settling in. Tom rented a trailer and picked up furniture twice. We have all but one room in the house furnished. Today new mattresses arrived for us. NZ has a mattress size they call King but it is between a US Queen and King size. What they call a Super King is the equivalent of a US King. We were planning on a NZ King size but upgraded to Super King when we found a good deal on a bed frame and bedside tables.

I bought some lovely bar stools off of TradeMe (NZ's own variety of eBay). However, the old adage of measure twice was not adhered to by me. The stools are too high for our breakfast bar, so I relisted them for sale.

I will have to do the same with the NZ King size sheets I purchased.

We had our first barbeque last Sunday. Tom grilled risoles (homemade hamburger patties) and sausages (hot dogs). The cole slaw and brownies were enjoyed as well. Dennis had about 6 friends over to play with. A fun time was had by all.

Dennis has been very creative with cardboard boxes. He cuts them into strips and makes little bridges for his Lego Star Wars figures. He is going through a lot of tape and has his own desk dedicated to his lay out.

Moving Day!

Today we move to our new digs in Wadestown. I am about to disconnect the computer and the phone so thought I would let you know we are offline for a while.

This house here in Thorndon has been great. In addition to the daily workouts of walking up that hill, or if lazy just the 40 steps from the car park; we have loved the place. The dog, Lacey, which came with the house has been a great companion forcing us to get out and explore Wellington. The views are breathtaking (see the banner ... that is our view.) It has been warm (has a heatpump!) Mostly living here has allowed us the luxury of finding a home and furnishing it.

And today we move into that home to start the next chapter of our great adventure in New Zealand. What an Exciting chapter it will be!

CarpeZealand!