Auction in April, Moved in May and Jolly in June!

Corks popped this week to celebrate Pip beginning his new adventure with Sulco Tools Ltd in an operations role. Meanwhile I'm doing a stint temping at Prism NZ Software for another month.

We are on the move again early July (give us a shout if you know of a 'house-to-sit'!) so have begun to scan the 'rental' and 'residential sales' about town.

Goodbye to our old home.

After six years away it was such a pleasure to have 8 weeks living in Kohimarama, the garden was at its best and we all fell in love with Persimmons from our groaning tree at the gate. Long evening walks on the beach and early mornings in the park make this our perfect area to live. James at the wine shop, the friendly Indian couple at my veggie store, the fish & chip shop for fresh fish, the Store, Kohi Cafe for sublime breakfasts with the best view in the bays, the Berkley cinema at Mission bay, the dog walkers at the park and beach, they all add up to familiar village life. A very good life.

Friends Rowan and Jim from Hoboken, USA, visited us just days before we moved house. Surreal to see our Hoboken family in enzed. The kids loved the spa pool and the short visit flew by too quickly.

Moving out of our old home in Kohi was tough, especially when we felt jobless and homeless at the time. So many good times to remember and leaving our wonderful neighbours made it all the more poignant. Still it was timely to go .... and while I worked my temp job son Matt and Pip put muscle to the fore and hefted our north American furniture back out of the house and into a truck.

With all our worldly goods in storage we had a lovely week with friend Susie in Mission Bay before taking up residence in a super house in Remuera for 8 weeks. Spirits lifted instantly at first sight of the miraculous harbour views encompassing an arc from Whangaparoua Peninsula to the Coromandel ranges. Eternal night owls and early morning wakers we've witnessed sunrises over Auckland so gaudy and brilliantly orange and mauve they seem surreal. Midnight and the moon hangs low over Rangitoto shining a silver stream of light over the water while beacons blink red and green in the shipping channel.

Its a time to refocus and re-group after a churning five months trying to settle back into life downunder.

Bridal Fashion Week at the Museum

We had front row seats at Bridal Fashion Week under the copper dome at the top of the War Memorial Museum. Not quite New York Fashion Week but fun none the less! I visited with my newly engaged god-daughter and the 'mother of the bride' to check out the latest and greatest in bridal couture from Cymbeline of Paris, Ruben Perlotti of Barcelona and locals Jane Yeh, Vinka Design, Annie Bonza were the best.

We loved the Annie Bonza gown hand painted with New Zealand native plants and flowers, the white gown that was a mass of organza flowers tied with black at the waist and the ethereal pink feathered dress which floated like a divine cloud as the model walked.