I have recently felt fear, and called it 'moving'. But I'm overcoming that fear and 'moving on'. Hehehe. Excuse the pun.

Michelle is incredible. Moving house is stressful; moving to a different country is apparently even MORE stressful! As I'm experiencing various stresses and traumas here and there, all associated in some way with moving from Canberra, Michelle is always there for me. She's so supportive, loving and reassuring - everything I need her to be. She's making it so much easier for me to move over there to be with her. Each and every time an issue comes up, and she helps me resolve it, we become closer and closer. And she's had a few of her own too, which I've been there to help her with as well. Every time I've expressed my stress, she's been loving, understanding and helpful. Over and again, she's reassured me that she's not running away, that she's committed to me, and that she loves me. I've needed that. I've needed her reassurance and love to prove to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that she really does want me there, and that having me there is worth all these issues that we're both resolving. It's just so wonderful to meet a woman who is giving me as much as I'm giving her. It's so rewarding... she's who I've been looking for my entire life.

Tomorrow I'm going to be packing my computer away. This will be the last journal entry for a while. While the computer (and other stuff) is going to be in transit for 3-5 weeks, I'm taking my hard drives with me on the plane, packed with my luggage. That way, I can continue to use them (if necessary) on Michelle's computer... just hook them in as extra drives, and access the relevant information from them. That'll be important for me in order to continue working on my websites over there, particularly this one! Hehehe.

Well, it's been a blast, but I'm going now. I'll see you all again soon... Keep an eye out in here for the next update - whenever it might be. And take care...

Ok people, it's time for another update from Wellington...

The weekend has been really nice. I was working for a few hours on both Saturday and Sunday, but it was slow so that wasn't too bad. The shopping centre that this shop is in closed at 2pm on Saturday which is apparently normal. On Sunday it wasn't open at all, but this shop was (if only for 3 hours). On Saturday afternoon, Michelle and I had a bit of a drive around, and we went to the top of this lookout where you could see over most of Wellington. It was pretty cold and windy, so we didn't stay there for too long, but it had a lovely view. I'll be taking some photos at some stage soon, and sending them to you all (via this list). On Saturday night, Michelle and I went out with Steve on a bit of a pub crawl, just to show me some of the pubs around here. I didn't see any huge Maori men with tattoos on their faces, but I did see a bouncer with a tattoo like a band around his upper arm. Oh, on Thursday night at dinner, Tracey warned me that if I was to see any of those Maoris that are obviously gang members with tattoos all over their faces, that I shouldn't stare... otherwise they'd hurt me. Good thing I wear sunglasses...

Anyway, the pub crawl was fun. My friend Sandy warned me before I left Australia that NZ prices were far more expensive than Australia, and that a bourbon and coke would cost me AU$18 or thereabouts, but it actually costs NZ$4, which is about AU$3 (oh, and McDonalds cheese and junior burgers here are 50c on Tuesdays and Thursdays), so I'm happy to say "Sandy, you owe me another $20, don't you?" I found out (last night) that if you ask for a 'cuppatea' at a bar here, you'll get a double rum and coke... LOL

We headed for home around midnight, but stopped at this supposedly good kebab place... I don't think I'll be having any kebabs here anymore! It leaked so much oil from the bottom, that it pooled in the bottom of my basket and ended up being about half a cm thick!! No wonder the bottom of the basket was lined with greaseproof paper!!! Bloody hell... I'll have to go search for a proper kebab place...

Yesterday after work (at 2pm), Michelle and I went to see a movie at Rialto's, an 'alternative cinema', like Electric Shadows in Canberra. However, this was far more popular than Electric Shadows. There were more people there than you see at Hoyts Belconnen on an average night! The tickets were NZ$10 (equivalent to Electric's AU$8 charges...), the seats were comfortable, and the screen was about twice as large as Electric's and equivalent to the normal screens at Hoyts. Obviously a bit more money goes into Rialto's than it does into Electric Shadows. Anyway, the movie was called The Omega Code and starred the guy from Starship Troopers (the one who played Johnny Rico) and also Michael Ironside (who was also in Starship Troopers...). It was about the Bible Code - taking factual research about the Bible Code and turning it into an 'end of days' scenario with the devil and god, and prophets, and the saviour of humanity overcoming evil at the beginning of the new millennium. You know the story... It wasn't too bad, but the ending was strange. I found out last night from Steve (he and Tracey came over for dinner) that the movie was funded by the Christian Fellowship in America. It made more sense after knowing that... Last night, after dinner, we were all fighting over which movie we should watch. I was suggesting Star Trek: First Contact, Steve was suggesting The Matrix (which I was also agreeable to), Tracey was also agreeable to The Matrix, but Michelle wanted to watch Notting Hill - which is what we ended up watching. A nice, romantic movie that took place in a part of London she was familiar with. I hadn't seen it, so it was good for me too...

Michelle and I are living in a beach-front house, overlooking Lyall Bay and the airport. We are literally about 30 feet from the water. It's wonderful to sit inside and look out over the bay, watching the waves crash on the shore, and the airplanes landing on the other side of the bay. There are also cliffs opposite, and our bedroom window faces all of this. It's so gorgeous to wake up and watch the sun rise over the cliff - when it's not too cloudy, that is. But then there's the spectacular view of orange and pink clouds to open your eyes to... The drive from home into the CBD to work is also beautiful. There are a number of bays and harbours here, and there's a drive from where we live that takes us all along the edges of them. With the sun coming up over the cliffs, and shining off the water, it's such a beautiful drive. I wish that I could film what I see and send it to you. Coming around a bend and seeing the city skyscrapers across the water glowing in the sunlight is something else to marvel at.

Photos coming soon.

Tonight Michelle and I are going for a walk along the beach for the first time. I'm looking forward to it.

Everything is going really well over here - I'm loving this place.

I'm sitting here looking out on a rain-swept view of the bay in front of the house. It's so beautiful here, I see it every day under all kinds of various weather conditions, and I just hope I never take it for granted.

Yesterday, Michelle and I went for a drive westwards along the south coast. Again, I saw some beautiful sites. At one point, we stopped to look out into the oceab where there was a large island, shimmering in the distance. It looked like something you see in adventure movies, where they spot land
from a ship or sailing boat, and as they come closer to it, it shimmers and has faint cloud cover around it. It's awesome to see something like it in reality. I wasn't on a ship though, but we stopped at this lookout area by the side of the road and looked at it, and took some photos. I took some photos of this glorious coastline that was visible there as well, that we were driving along. Further on into our drive, we stopped at a town and walked along the beach, looking out at the same island, which seemed a bit closer now. Unfortunately the sun was above and on the other side of it, so everything we could see of it was in shadow. We went a different route back, passing by what looked like a lake but was apparently a large inlet of the ocean. Another beautiful photo shoot...

Yesterday was the first time I'd actually taken photos here in Wellington. Before we went for the drive, I took some photos of the view from our 'front yard', showing the bay, the cliffs opposite, and the airport. I'll be posting them for you to see - as soon as I get them developed and scanned. I hope they turn out ok...

Last Friday was my last day at the cybercafe, but today I'm going to put my feelers (and CV) out and see what jobs will come to me. Wish me luck...

Now it's time for a rant and rave. The road rules here are just screwed!! It's more like there AREN'T any!! It's like they create these roads but then don't know how to create appropriate rules or conditions for them. Here are a few examples... My first surprise was last week, when I was on a main road and I wanted to turn right onto a side street. An oncoming car was also about to turn left into the same street, but he stopped at the corner and looked at me. I wondered what his problem was, and then Michelle told me he was giving way to me. I said he's a moron, and she said no, that's the law. So then, as I took the turn, I was exclaiming about how stupid that law was. It meant that he had to give way to me, even though he was oncoming and turning into that street... and I had to give way to oncoming traffic as well. So according to the law, he had to wait until I turned, and I had to wait until other oncoming cars passed by, before I turned as well. How screwed is that...! The next surprise came when I found out that if I'm coming to a t-junction in front of me, I have right of way over those on the main throughway. Sheesh. Yesterday I encountered a crossroad intersection where ever entry into that intersection had a stop sign. Everyone stops, no-one gives way. So you can have all these cars stopped, looking at each other. Right of way goes to the one who's courageous enough to go first, hoping no-one else is courageous at the same time!! Also yesterday, I encountered a give way sign on a road in front of a single lane bridge, but you had to give way to an intersection that was 40 yards up the road, on the other side of the bridge!! The problem is that it was a busy intersection, so you had to watch the road 100 yards further up for cars which were turning into the road you're on, 'cause by the time you got onto the bridge, they're trying to come onto it as well. And if some stupid idiot hasn't indicated, then you're both in trouble!! And that's another thing... no-one indicates!! Everyone changes lanes and turn corners without indicating. Those few rare occasions that I've actually seen someone indicate, I've guessed they must be Australians! Oh, and there's no speed signs, telling you what the different speeds are supposed to be on different roads and areas. I did see a sign yesterday that said "speed camera area", but again, there weren't any signs saying what speed you should be going at. LOL

Urban services are obviously far behind the times as well. Traffic lights are here, but today I saw a sticker on a car which said "I survived blah-blah's first traffic light" ("blah-blah" means "town named after a Maori word which I can't quite remember right now, nor would I be able to spell it if I could"). Police cars are few and far between - I've only seen three, and two of them were mid-80's Ford Falcon station wagons. On Saturday I saw an ambulance which was a 70's Dodge. I feel like I'm in a backwards-technology country... but at least it's beautiful!



On Saturday, Michelle and I became officially engaged. At this stage we're looking at having a double wedding around christmas/new year 2001/02, which will give us plenty of time to work out details and save up for it. It'll be a double wedding 'cause it'll be in England and then in Australia... It's possible that the marriage itself will be done simply (possibly even in NZ before we leave), and then we'll have the family/friend ceremonies in England and Australia... As I said, we're yet to work out the details.

My life in New Zealand has been the closest to paradise it could ever be. Both Michelle and I are extremely happy with each other, and with the plans we have for the future... everything is just perfect. It's like my life has been leading up to this, and everything's just come together as it should.

I just wish they'd get the road rules right....