What better way to create a new experience then move to the other side of the world...

We're not dead!

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Posted on 8:39 PM | By Wallace | In , , , , ,

November 20, 2010

Where did September, October and the first half of November go? No, seriously it feels like yesterday since we last updated the blog.

I tend to ramble on in my blog posts, so I'm going to make a list to help readability. Here's what we've been up to these last few months:
  • We took a leisurely 18km stroll from our house up to the Pinapple Track and back. I was walking like a cowboy for a couple days after.
  • Felt adventurous and decided to go exploring the Caitlins. We ended up at Nugget point, Cannibal Beach and Purakaunui Falls before we got hungry and came home.
  • Celebrated the season in which we call Amanda's Birthday.
  • Partied it up on Halloween where Amanda won best costume despite no one knowing who she was.
  • Enjoyed Fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day out at Allan's Beach. It's interesting how this NZ holiday is about celebrating a guy who tried to blow up the British Parliament. Seems kinda backwords to me.
  • Watched NZ's FD put out a car fire down the street from our house. We started down to a great dinner before Amanda opened her mouth and said Fire! She spend the rest of the dinner alone while I raced down the street to get some photos.
  • Captained the Dunedin Sharks Hockey team to city finals!
That's it! Next post will be by AB, so expect that one sooner then later!



Cheers!

If we could send you some flowers we would...

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Posted on 5:19 PM | By AB | In , ,



Sept. 12, 2010

Hello from down under, home of the latest string of giant earthquakes!

We are sure most of you would have heard about the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Christchruch. It's a city about 400km north of Dunedin, with a population of just over 300, 000. I would like to say it was exciting for us, but that would be a lie. I slept right through it and Devon was convinced I was shaking the bed in my sleep:) Devon and I cant help but think about the earthquake in Haiti, January 12 and 7.0 magnitude...complete devastation and loss of life. Luckily there has been no loss of life up in CHCH, estimates put the damage at around $2 Billion. This reminds us how lucky we are to be living in a 1st world country, in which the biggest problem is who will pay to fix the homes!


Spring Spring Spring... We are very well aware of the lack of summer back home... so we will be sensitive to the fact that it is... Spring Spring Spring! I've spent the last few weekends outside in the yard planting flowers, veggies and pulling weeds. I never thought I would like gardening but I'm sure proud of how things look when I am finished. I feel like I'm becoming more and more like my Mom and Grandma as I am running around when the heavy rains and winds blow in trying to save my plants:) It sure is heartbreaking when all the work you have been doing can just be snapped in half by a bit of wind.

Devon is thrilled it is BBQ season! While the NZ style BBQ gave him grieve at first he has finally learned how to cook on the NZ style BBQ and is back to making a mean steak. Devon has been busy lately playing hockey twice a week and was recently appointed Captain of his hockey team; "THE SHARKS." In between the hockey and BBQ he is actually getting pretty good at the guitar...in fact I now no longer have to wear ear plugs:) Work for him is busy as usual and Curve is slowly taking over the world.

As for me I am loving work. I am walking everywhere and still enjoying yoga:) I can be found sitting at the coffee shops with my book and a fancy NZ coffee (when I'm not at work of course.) OH and I fell into a bucket of blonde hair dye! It looks more like Barbie then the sophisticated blonde I was going for...but it is just hair right?!

We love and miss you all!!!

I am sure a few of these pictures might make you keen for a visit:)

Amanda and Devon

xoxoxoxo











SNOW DAY!!

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Posted on 8:29 AM | By Wallace | In ,

August 9

It's Monday morning, and I thought I'd throw up a small post before I head off to work about what I saw this morning when I got up... SNOW! Well, kinda it's on the surrounding hills, but the hills are in Dunedin, so that counts right?

Where did the winter go? Did it even come?

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Posted on 7:38 PM | By AB | In , ,

August 3, 2010

We do realize that some of you out there (Mitch) would like us to post a bit more often! We love to post... we really do! ...but because we've started started increasing the production value of the posts (like making movies) we are finding it just a bit time consuming...:) So in the mean time, make sure you've subscribed to our RSS feed, that way you will know instantly when we have updated the blog!

Well, they say the winter is just about over!!! All we can say is, we might never come home if we get used to mild winters like this. NO snow all winter could be easy to get used to:) We have already started planning our summer activities, weekend adventures, and my veggie garden. Also, the planning has begun for the visit from my parents and grandparents who arrive January 12th!!! I know planning this far advance may be a bit crazy, but we can not believe how fast time has flown so far. This past month Devon checked off; live in another country for 6 months, on his life "to do" list!

Since making the move to NZ we have had a chance to experience life and have documented 6 things we believe any traveler to NZ should know before getting here:

  1. When a Kiwi says "Sweet As" they are NOT saying "Sweet Ass"...this is a VERY common expression for just agreeing with something you just said or equivalent to saying, "cool."
  2. If some one invites you for "tea" they are really inviting you to dinner...so do not eat ahead of time! Devon learned this this that hard way, more then once...
  3. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right away! Ever played the game frogger? Just like the game they seem to think they will get points for squishing you with their stations wagons.
  4. Forget pleasantries on the the pathways! While kiwi's are very nice people, we have had little success in trying to get any type of friendly pathway greeting. KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!
  5. Scarfies is a term for university students... and beware all the scarfies look like extras from the TV show, Saved by the Bell.
  6. Head to bar when you enter the a pub...not matter how long you wait at a table...they WILL NOT serve you....no matter how long...
Here is a video of our winter in NZ. While I put this one together...Devon is the one who helps me make just as I want:)

Miss and Love you ALL!

Love Amanda and Devon



Winter in NZ from Amanda Bauman on Vimeo.

They're called Ski Fields for a reason..

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Posted on 1:28 PM | By Wallace | In , ,

Monday June 28, 2010

For our friends in Calgary, think of Canada Olympic Park when we describe the Ski Fields here in New Zealand.

This weekend Amanda and I went to Queenstown for a snowboard trip! we couldn't have picked a better weekend to go! Perfect blue sky and the temperature was hovering around the freezing mark.



We left Friday night after work and pulled into Queenstown around 9pm, we found our hotel and then the pub! We decided that we were going to spend the next day at Cornet Peak, so we got up early Saturday and made the short drive to the mountain. It took us a while to figure out where the hill was because in Canada spotting a ski hill is as easy as looking for the runs cut out of the trees.. Oh, but there are no trees on these mountains so we literally followed the road 2/3 up the mountain to the base of the ski field before we realized that we were there.. It was interesting to see an entire ski area tree free. The first thing Amanda said was that it looks just like COP! It was funny to see that it had a trail map like the ones you see in Canada but it's just like putting a trail map on COP. The difference between the runs were that Blue Runs were groomed and the Black Diamonds were not.

With all that aside it was a great weekend! Here are a few photos from the trip:




Winter Wonderland...without the SNOW:)

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Posted on 6:14 PM | By AB | In , ,


Sunday May 23, 2010

Well winter has arrived in our little coastal town!!! We have amazing fire building skills, electric heaters eating our electricity bill and holes in our slippers from constant wear:) Dev says I am a bit dramatic about the weather here...but it sure feels cold to me! There is definitely no snow here and the locals tell me it will be very likely that we will not see any at all. The mountains are a good three hour drive from us and they will see snow. We are both very excited to get out a few weekends and compare the ski hills to the ones back home:)

Just living life at the moment! We have been working normal Monday-Friday jobs (which I am getting use too), both been sick, going to Zumba (I am anyways), and Dev is getting better and better on the guitar!!! He can now play hot crossed buns without stopping between chords!

This weekend we took a trip out to Larnach Castle. An old Scottish castle that was built in the late 1800's and has a beautiful view and interesting story! You could see the gears and pistons working overtime in Devon's mind as he was scheming ways to buy his own castle, Chateau Wallace. Below is a "look at my new home" pose for when he eventually get's his own castle. It was also the spot where we decided we could get some pretty nice photos...

Love and miss you all!!!!! Amanda and Devon xoxo



Watch Out for Those Judder Bars!

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Posted on 9:56 PM | By AB | In , , , ,

Have we kept you in suspense since our last video entry?

A few weekends ago we headed 4 hours north of Dunedin to Christchurch which is the biggest city on the South Island. The city is very different then Dunedin in many ways, a much busier larger city with a vibrant nightlife. We enjoyed a Rugby match and cheered with the home fans of the Canterbury Crusaders, walked in the autumn colors of the city, and as usual took plenty of photos:)

On the way home from Christchurch we stopped in a little town where you can actually feel like you are walking the streets of the 1860's. Omarau's limestone and marble buildings are left pretty much untouched from the gold rush in NZ...a photographer's dream? (or so Dev said)

The weather has defiantly made a turn in the fall/winter direction in the last few weeks. We have spent our rainy days trying out new hobbies like knitting, model building, painting and most recently Devon has bought a guitar. We have defiantly had our share of beautiful sunny days too. We have been beach walking, hiking and exploring the town!

I guess the big news lately is that I have a job!!! I am working as a respiratory research nurse for the University of Otago. The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit has been running a study now for almost four decades...Check it out: Wikipedia Article

THE HAIRCUT:)

Devon has embarked on his latest endeavor by trying to become a lead guitarist for a Bruce Springsteen tribute band.

Trying to stay warm with no central heating:(







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