The House at the End of the World (or why we live in a tin shed at the moment!)

Hi there everyone, how have you all been.? Well my connection to the wonderweb is still intermittent however I thought prudent to explain what's been going on and why I went dark (in 24 speak!).

So I’m  going to tell you all a story. It’s not an especially exciting story, well not as stories go, in fact you may find it a little dull, however seeing as it’s a true story and concerns the adventures of two people (and eventually four people) it’s very close to my heart and I find it very enjoyable.

Once upon a time there lived a young(ish) couple in the Shire of York in the UK who went about their daily lives quite contentedly to begin with, however they both agreed that there was something not quite right with how their lives were turning out. They had a nice home, two cars, careers that were developing nicely and a good circle of friends but there was something missing, some life experience that they had never had. Neither of them had been to university so therefore ever taken part in the debauched lifestyle of excess that students have access to (or so they’ve been told).

So taking a risk they both decided to quit their jobs, sell their home and put everything into storage. Then, with a few clothes stuffed into backpacks they set off on a world tour, travelling round Western Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and North America before finally returning to the UK 13 months later.

Now part of the reasoning behind this little jaunt was to try and find out if there was anywhere else they wanted to live in the world. However whilst walking round Kuranda near Cairns in Australia one evening they both came to the realisation that over and above this thought they were ready to start a family and as everyone who has ever had a child knows your life changes forever when they arrive.

So fast forward four years and there’s this little family, four people who are finding their way in the world, back in the UK not five miles from their original home and wondering if things had changed. And the answer was yes and no. Yes things had changed as the experience of being solely in the company of one other person for 13 months and relying on them and trusting them completely had changed them both. Through thick and thin they had become closer and better human beings and had seen things that both amazed and horrified them.

However the Shire of York had also changed, in fact the UK was getting worse (in their opinion). Prices were rising, consumer culture was becoming the norm with people believing that owning things would make them happy, the population was increasing and consequently the demand on resources. Was this the society that they wanted to raise their children in? They had both picked their careers up again; their children were happy and healthy however they had never addressed the original question - was their anywhere else in the world they wanted to live?

So going back to their experience of traveling the world and which particular culture and country had stuck in their mind they both agreed that the Southern Hemisphere and in particular Australasia was a place that seemed to have everything that they valued and wanted in life.

Fast forward again 6 months and their home was sold, a consultation had been concluded with an emigration consultant, the result being that a contract to compile a visa had been signed for ……… NEW ZEALAND!

My better half and "The Beehive"

Now the difficult task of finding a job began, first the better half of the couple tried, however her industry is very fickle and even more so down under and so after a fruitless five months it was time for him to try. Now bear in mind that obtaining a visa for New Zealand isn’t that hard as long as you can obtain a legitimate job offer from a recognised New Zealand employer. And so that’s what he had to do.

Ten months, ninety (that’s right 90) applications, 20+ phone calls, 4 interviews later I accepted………err I mean he accepted a job offer with an NZ government organisation in Wellington and the next stage of their adventure can begin.

The End………

Well obviously that isn’t the end as we’ve got a lot to sort out now and its going to be all hands on deck when we get there, however it is the end of this little chapter in our lives. We loved New Zealand when we toured there 7 years ago and we’re looking forward to immersing ourselves in the culture and landscape.

Somewhere down there will be our new home!

It’s going to be hard as here in the UK we have a support structure in place (family and friends) however over there it will just be us, we’ll be trying to get used to a new culture and more importantly a new social infrastructure.

"err, doesn't some bloke called Sauron live round here?"

Now that's a Campo!

We’re a tight knit little unit that has seen some tough times but we've managed to pull through all that life has thrown at us! I’ll continue to post on the blog, with my posts alternating between hobby activity and moving my little family to the House at the End of the World!

Thanks for reading, if we've met in the UK at the various conventions/tournaments etc then thanks, its been a blast. If you're a wargamer/hobbyist/nerd in New Zealand then I hope to see you all soon! (once I figure out the dialiect, housing, culture etc etc .....)

Ste