A quick catch up for those who may be out of the loop...

Apparently it takes two weeks from the time your baby is born to process their birth certificate. Once you have sent this birth certificate off with your application it takes a further two weeks to receive your new little bub's passport. So perhaps booking an international flight four weeks after the due date for Lucy's entry into the world was cutting it a little fine... but we made it and with the newest passport on the plane (that is supposed to last her until she turns five - yep 'here's me as a frog' she'll say) we boarded Air New Zealand flight 822 after teary goodbyes from friends and family, manic farewell parties and a whole lot of raised eye-browed strangers who obviously thought we were bad parents for moving countries with a new born baby girl.

Trying our hardest not to smirk at the air hostesses'/customs officers'/duty-free shop assistants' accents we arrived in Auckland with a mixed sense of excitement and relief - excitement at the prospect of a new life on the beach with Liv's family and relief that the ocean of paper work wider than the Tasman was now behind us. After a lift with Hudson from the airport through the darkness and the rain we arrived at 23 Ocean View Road where two very proud grandparents met their first grandchild for the very first time. There was hugs and well dones and isn't this greats and lots of smiling followed by a tasty roast. That night we climbed into bed with full tummies, the sound of the ocean in our ears and the quiet sighs of a dreaming Lucy in a cane bassinet beside us.

Since then we have:

• Bought a fancy car - it's red and it goes really fast, not very us but cars are so cheap here, something to do with not having a domestic auto-manufacturing plant to compete with imports so there is no tax on import Japanese cars.
• Built a dam with Pola (Liv's cousin from Sydney) in one of the creeks that runs across the beach.
• Watched a little too much SKY TV - this has to stop immediately.
• Read stacks of old books - the walls of this old house is lined with well loved volumes - I think the owners use them for insulating the walls (currently reading Thomas More's 'A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation').
• Eaten feijoa cereal like it's going out of fashion.
• Watched rain fall in sheets on the South Pacific Ocean.
• Found hermit crabs in rock pools.
• Giggled uncontrollably at the New Zealand accent while watching the news.

Two things I need to see before I leave this place is molten lava and grinding glaciers, I am told the land of the long white cloud can deliver both.

Much love + deep peace,

Timmo (on behalf of Liv + Lucy)

Ps. For more photos check out this link