Paraparaumu

After leaving the airport I headed over to Manukau to catch the night bus down to Paraparaumu. It was a horrendous journey though as it was quite busy and I couldn't really sleep. Each stop we got to the driver put the lights on and spoke over the loud speaker, and at Rotorua someone got off to go to the toilet and when leaving there husband didn't realise they were missing until a good half hour down the road so we had to drive back to Rotorua which was frustrating. I ended up getting into Paraparaumu about 6 ish so it was dark when I arrived and a little nippy, but when arriving at Melvas it was nice to sit down and relax for the day as I was a little tired.

The following day was another relaxing day although I did get a guided tour round Paraparaumu and went to the chip shop for lunch round Karen's. Come Sunday it was my birthday and it was nice to get a present in the post. After lunch we went out for a walk with the dogs down towards the Waikanae Estuary which lead to a driftwood covered sandy beach which was nice but very windy! There was also a great view of Kapiti Island across the water. It was weird having my birthday away from home but it was a good day.

On the Monday I woke up to lots of birthday messages as the time difference meant most people posted overnight. As it was such a nice day I decided to go out for a walk for the day, heading out to Paraparaumu Beach which I followed to the Waikanae Estuary. When reaching here I followed the river upstream, the opposite side from the previous day towards the swing bridge which I then crossed and continued following the river to Waikanae itself. I then followed the road and went up into the Nikau Reserve which was a steep climb through the woods to a viewpoint which had great views, including as far as the South Island. I then followed the ridge line for a bit before dropping down into Paraparaumu via the mall back home. It was a really good walk.

Come Tuesday I had a more chilled out day as it was a little more overcast, and by Wednesday after applying for several jobs a couple of people finally contacted me with jobs I had applied for. One job I applied for was an au pair job which sounded like a nice job by the description although I was worried that I wouldn't be suitable due to lack of experience. When speaking the woman on the phone though it seemed like something I could manage so I headed down to Wellington to meet her and speak about it and I accepted. We even played a few games of pool so it was probably the most laid back interview I've ever had!

The following day I left Melvas which I really enjoyed staying at, to head down to Wellington once again where I was picked up at the railway station and driven round to her house in York Bay which is about half hour drive from Wellington CBD, nearby the village of Eastbourne, and the small city of Lower Hutt. The hiking opportunities are also abundant in the area with the frequent transport links meaning I won't have to hitchhike to get round which is useful. My primary role is lifting the 9 year old boy who is disabled up and down the stairs, and into the car and his wheelchair, although there's other little things like walking the dog who is a Golden Retriever and a bit of housework every so often, and obviously engaging with the boy who particularly likes Tractor Tom and Thomas the Tank Engine!

When arriving at the house I had time to settle in and meet Liza (his Mum), Liz (his Nan), and Cynthia (a cousin from a Spanish link someone on the family who's come to visit), before meeting Joss. Liza also took me for a drive around the area which is on the opposite side of the harbour from Wellington CBD which is visible from the house. By 3 Joss arrived home and I got to meet him and although he didn't like me at first because he didn't realise he was getting a new au pair, his last one leaving unexpectedly after a couple of days. I soon made him like me though, and by the time his Dad came to pick him up for dinner as he was staying round his Dad's, he didn't want to leave me! Apparently the routine regarding when each parent has him is a little all over the place so we'll see how that goes!