I hope you are keeping well and not working too hard. I am sending an update as I have not been very good at keeping up to date with my blogg! Sorry about that. I expect after this you will all send me an update on your life and how things are going!! We still miss you all so much, that is the negative side of the move. I have sent this mail out to you all, and BCC it, please forgive me for doing a general mail out, but I know you will understand why I have done it. Anyway, here we go a little update..........

It is now almost 1 1/2 years since we left the UK, and as you know we gave ourselves 2 years initially, so decision time coming up. It has taken us a while to settle but now we understand more about the country and the culture we are enjoying ourselves and feeling more settled. We have been lucky enough to do much travelling around NZ, it is such an amazing country, we still have a few more things on our list, and Fiji & Australia are on our 'To Do' list as we are close to them in the Southern Hemisphere, it would be a shame not to explore.

Reflecting on our lifestyle here and what the differences are to our lifestyle in the UK, I would say it is a more outdoorsy life, we go out as family much more, Wellington being the Capital City of NZ, we get lots of shows, concerts, carnivals, etc there is always something happening and it is usually free, Wellington Council are great. Then there is the Kapiti Coast on our doorstep and the Wairarapa wine country! Etc, etc so plenty to do. It is still like being on holiday in some ways, the house we are in is so fabulous and the amazing views of the City, harbour, and mountains are breathtaking.

It is no big deal to see celebrities around and about, we saw Helen Clark the PM, twice in one week, Shaune shook her hand and introduced himself bless! We were in the Koru Club lounge at Wellington airport and she was travelling, very low key only 3 aids with her. She was also on Holly's flight back from Auckland to Wellington.

Food wise we are trying many new fruits and fish, I am not a fish fan but the ones we have tried are delicious and are not fishy at all, if that makes sense. We go to a shop in the City called Moore Wilson, it reminds me of a New York deli, and all the food is so fresh. We eat seasonal fruit and veg, took me a while to get used to that, I wanted Brussell Sprouts at Christmas and no can do, only Frozen so we don't get Mange Tout all year round, we eat what is fresh in the season it’s great. The people are so friendly and laid back, we have been lucky enough to meet some wonderful people from all around the world.

It is surprising how you adapt I like the chocolate and the liquorice allsorts here now, which were really hard to get used to. I am speaking New Zealand fluently, I did some training over the last year that has enabled me to practice with NZers, and they are so warm and welcoming and love the British. There is a lot of different terminology and phrases, so picking up the lingo! heaps.

Tom is having Rugby coaching sessions with the Ex All Black Captain Norm Hewitt and Holly was an extra in a TV NZ drama screened here at Christmas, she was on the preview advert for it so we got to see her lots it was soooo exciting! I think we are all getting a really good experience and trying different Hobbies etc. it is nice being so close to the beach as well. I am not a beachy person but am really getting into the lifestyle. Tom is also busy doing Tennis, Touch Rugby, Rifle Shooting and Cricket! Holly has a wonderful social life and is out and about a lot, at concerts and theatres etc, and doing really well in her studies. We are all trying new adventures, such as the reverse bungee, shotover jet, mountain biking, quad biking, kayake, sailing and so it goes on. Holly’s next birthday party is on a charter boat around the harbour with karaoke which should be great fun. (The party has now taken place and Holly caught a fish!)

I am often out in the numerous coffee bars with friends or for work meetings, very cosmopolitan here. For those of you who know me in my work, remember I was going to get a job in a clothes shop, no stress relax, well guess what I never did! I am more busy than I have ever been and have my fingers in far too many pies, in my area of work, you could say I was just in 'the right place right time' there is much exciting stuff happening in Wellington, one of them being the Draft Evidence-Based Guidelines for Autism Spectrum Disorder. I am doing many projects and am branching into Counselling again, working with the neuro-typical partners of AS adults in relationships, it is so valuable.

We have so many wonderful photos; I don't send them as it’s overwhelming! And I can never decide which ones to show. We went to Q/town, Wanaka and Milford Sound recently, WOW that's all I can tell you about it, you will know what I mean Andrew!

My friend Mary has just left after 2 months here and Sally is visiting next weekend. (Sally has been and gone we had a fab time and Holly was lucky to get some Spanish conversation as both Sally and Mary speak Spanish) We have had so many visitors, it's been great and it makes us feel much closer to you all. Holly has been back in the UK for a month, which she loved thanks for making her so welcome those who saw her.

To all those with teenagers taking GCSE all the best to them, Holly went a year ahead here so she has finished her equivalent which is NCEA. She can leave school this year and can drive here with a restricted licence so is having lessons from me, she will hopefully take her test on her 16^th Birthday, and then we will have a chauffeur.

I may be back for a while in the summer, my dad is not too well and I want to spend some quality time with him. He is stable at the moment, having just had his 75th birthday but he is not getting any younger.

All our friends that moved over at the same time as us, now own houses here, we are not ready to take that step at the moment but it is very tempting. Maybe just a small Bach would do us here, working towards retirement with summer in the UK and summer in NZ, who knows!

I think we may be staying a while longer, Tom is settled into his new school and loves it here, Holly is now in 6th form and likes making new friends in her year group, they have all been re-shuffled, so lots of opportunities to make some more friends. I have 'just arrived' in many ways, and want to enjoy the time here and all the new experiences this country has to offer. Shaune is enjoying his work and is sailing and cycling which he loves. We both find ourselves in the lucky position of having jobs where we can travel with work, so we plan to arrange our meetings on a Friday away from Wellington, so combining business with pleasure. (I am so excited I have a new job, it is with SAMS (Standards and Monitoring Services) they do the audits and evaluations of vocational services for the disabled, on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Health. I start Monday 2nd April and will be visiting Christchurch, Tokaroa, Rotorua, Whakatane and Napier through out April on different Evaluations and projects, I intend to stay involved with the Cloud 9 Children’s Foundation also and will be appointing a Co-ordinator shortly, so I can concentrate on individual projects for them, I have 2 vacancies if anyone wants a job!!)

Lots of love and best wishes, we often think of you, and have a spare room/apartment, sometimes! If you fancy a trip, you do have to book ahead though.

Take care Sharon xxxxxxxxxxxx love from Shaune, Tom, Holly x x x