Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka Ora! Ka Ora!

Lately, one of the best things is to check our email in the morning and almost every day find a message from Down Under. Leah asking us if we need help to find a school for the girls in Brisbane, Francesca wanting to know when we'll get to Melbourne, Ludi and Gary who are waiting for us with 'gallons' of Australian wine on their sailing boat, Duncan warning us not to book anything else without consulting him first, but then admits that even left to our own device we didn't do too bad (G'day mate! How come you leave comments on the hubby's blog and not mine??).

A few days ago we had a surprise: finally living things to fate started to pay up and luck came our way. A couple from Christchurch contacted us for a house-swap, starting to make our staying in New Zealand more real. The website they used is Home4exchange. Louise and Ray are interested in spending a few months in Europe and include this part of Ireland in their tour. After having swapped a few emails we agreed on the details of the exchange and from April the 12th, our arrival date in NZ and Sara's birthday, we'll be using their house as a base for the lentgh of our staying on the South Island, until the beginning of June. They'll do the same with our place in Cork.

After we introduced ourselves and we agreed on the exchange, we both offered our availability to help the other discover the area. At present we are swapping notes on bridge clubs, restaurants, pubs and stone circles (stuff they're into), and what interests us in their area. We have learned that there is a swimming pool near their house, as well as basketball and tennis court (Nina will be happy), a playground and lots of lovely walks. We've heard that ChCh has an important art gallery and that the Anthartic Centre is worth seeing. There is also an ice skating rink nearby, which both girls are delighted with, and Arthur's Pass and the skiing slopes are only a day trip. The house is big, on three levels, with a stunning view of the Alps. With the house come 2 cats, that for my daughters deprived of the joy of a pet by cruel parents who drag them around the world instead, is a welcome surprise.

We would have liked a swap with Sidney, in January, but honestly, nobody in their right mind would swap the Australian summer with the worst of the Irish winter! We didn't stand a chance!!