Living Small....

But Well.

One noticeable change since we've moved to New Zealand: The amount of garbage we generate, and the amount of resources we consume have dramatically dropped. Part of this is because we're living in an apartment without a lot of space and no room for clutter. We are also car-less, which changes things dramatically. For instance, anything we buy needs to be carried from the store to our fourth floor apartment, so things like impulse purchases are thought over twice with the daunting task of hauling them. A bigger part is that people in New Zealand are just more careful with their resources. The appliances are smaller and more energy efficient; the bathrooms less wasteful; and the packaging is not as bulky. I don't think it's because New Zealanders are more "green", or have a deeper love for the environment than people back in the States. I think it's because people in New Zealand have to be more ecologically conscious for economic reasons. This is a relatively small island nation and anything that is not produced here has to be shipped in. This makes things such as gas and excess packaging expensive.

This is about how much garbage we produce in a day. It's way less than in St. Paul, it doesn't even require a garbage can.


Our refrigerator is half the size of our refrigerator back home. This is not only because we live in an apartment; people in New Zealand tend to have smaller more efficient appliances.


Believe it or not, this tiny little machine is both a washing machine and dryer. Luckily we didn't bring much clothing, so our laundry loads are small.


Most of the New Zealand toilets have two buttons, a full flush, and a half a flush. Interestedly, someone speculated that this feature has more to do with the toilets being made for Australia, a country that experiences water shortages, than it does with New Zealanders having to save water.



People in New Zealand, like people in the United States, love their cars. Gas here though is twice as expensive as in the United States, and parking downtown Auckland is similar to parking in Manhattan. Despite the expense and hassle, most people in New Zealand find driving a car to be worth the cost. I guess in this way they very much are like Americans.

The Grandparents Come For a Visit

We had an exciting week when Rachel's grandparents came for a visit. We saw magnificent beaches, learned about kiwis, took ferry rides, and ate lots of good food. The timing of their visit was very good since we're all starting to miss them, and all the people back home.

Piha is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and it was great that we could share it with people we love. In this picture Rachel is writing her name in the sand, which beats writing your name in the snow.


Ice Cream seems to follow Grandpa wherever he goes, and new dresses seem to follow grandma.


We traveled down to the Bay of Plenty, which as its name implies, has plenty: fruit is plentiful, fish is plentiful. Scenic vistas and white sand beaches? They're plentiful as well.



While in The Bay of Plenty, we had the opportunity to visit a kiwi farm. Here is a picture of kiwi on the vine.


Some in our group had trouble following directions


We made a quick stop at Rotorua to take in the sights and smells. There are geothermal hot spots right in the middle of town and because of this , the town smells like sulfur. Rachel has a hard time dealing with the smell; she's not a big fan of Rotorua.


Back in Auckland we visited the Skytower, the highest structure in town. Rachel, in an attempt to get higher, climbed and mauled her way to the top of grandpa.


Of course Skytower is not the only place in Auckland with an amazing view. There's also One Tree Hill.



Rachel did not want her grandparents to leave. She started crying as soon as we dropped them off at the airport.

A quick trip to Parnell Baths was in order after Grandma and Grandpa left. Nothing turns a frown upside down as quick as Parnell Baths.

The Lantern Festival

The growing influence that Southeast Asia and China have on New Zealand can clearly be seen at Auckland’s Lantern Festival. The festival occurs at the end of Chinese New Year (yes, Chinese New Year Festivities ended a while ago, we’ve just been too busy to update the blog). It showcases food from southeast Asia and China, entertainment from China, and, as its name implies, lanterns: beautiful and amazing lanterns created in and imported from China.

When you speak to native Aucklanders about the festival they’ll mention how much more crowded it has become. This should not be surprising since New Zealand is increasingly looking towards its neighbors in Asia. More of New Zealand’s exports go to China as the Chinese have become more wealthy, and are able to afford New Zealand beef. At the same time the British, since joining the European Union, have been importing less from New Zealand. The number of immigrants from China and Southeast Asia has also increased dramatically. Many of the recent immigrants are on the younger side, so they tend to live in the Central Business District close to where the festival is held, and are looking for a party.

Has there ever been a mass of people awaiting a dragon that has collectively looked more nonplussed than this group? Not to my knowledge.

We were lucky enough to be joined by our good friend Aldo. Aldo never looks nonplussed.

The lanterns were amazing. They were made by Chinese artisans skilled in the ways of lantern making, passed down from generations. It's cliched but true.

Rachel and our friend Josh pass through the lantern gate

With great happiness comes great sorrow. Rachel's balloon popped, but she was able to get over it. Eventually.