Parawai Bush

Now, that we finally start to be able to keep our head out of the water of the many chores, we have explored our new “Hausberg”, the hill behind our neigbourhood. And, to our surprise we found a really proper bushwalk with beautiful views. Perfect for a recreational walk after work or as a recommendation for our many guests that we expect.

I add a few pictures of the exterior of our new home – more pictures from inside will follow soon as there is still a certain degree of chaos. One great thing is that it is so much warmer - build in 2006, it is fully insulated, only that they still used single glassing, the windows close tight though.  

Typical NZ bush on the hill behind Parawai, where we live 

View of the Kauaeranga Valley

Hauraki Plains as seen from halfway up the Hill

Waihou River in the background 

The house as seen from the lower part of our steep section

Main Entrance

Terrace of the lower level 

Evening view from the section below the house

Evening sky mirrored by the windows of the lower level. 

Daniel dancing Ballett

Daniel dancing ballett

Relocation chaos - but happy in the new home.

Our first relocation within New Zealand - not very far...

We have moved. This was necessary because the owners of our last home claimed it for themselves. After 4.5 years in our lovely traditional white wooden weatherboard-cladded home with the fabulous views over Thames and the firth we are now based a bit further off from the town centre in a residential area, in a 2006 built modern looking house – still white weatherboard, but plastic cover. Easier to maintain, and warmer inside. The views are the same, almost, because we are on the slopes of another hill, oriented again towards the firth and the plains, the hill slopes speckled with houses. Two big balconies and large windows down to the floor revere the beautiful location.

The relocation has strained our aging brains, sometimes to the limit, and 10 days after the move we are still drowned in chaos.

The house consists of two levels: the lower level has been a large rumpus room with a bathroom, which we have now converted into a self-sufficient flat with kitchen, bedroom, living-room, and the big balcony, waiting for family, friends and guests to spend a jolly time there and with us.

Elena is again busy to make this new base a real home for all of us. She enjoys that and it becomes quite obvious when you watch the progress. She is a real handyman and interior designer.

After my unlucky and strenuous time working at the hospital and after a period of locum work I am now back in a permanent GP position as well, and feel – more or less – like a fish in the water again. Although JollyBikes, my entrepreneurial branch, is something I don't want to miss any more, and I invest a good part of my leisure time in it.

Our daughter Clara, now 20, is living again with us for a short period before she moves back to Auckland to continue her studies (BA and Commerce). After an exciting and not always easy 9 months in Europe she is happy to be back.

Lucas is in Hamilton studying Sports, Leisure and Entrepreneurship and enrolled in the Football Academy.

Luis is rarely at home, playing football a lot, jobbing in two different fish and chips shops and planning a scholarship in the US.

Felix is a proud and sometimes naughty High School student now. He is also spotive – with Squash and Football.

Daniel is like the last child at home. His skills are broadbased. He is a sometimes delightful, but equally choleric character. He plays piano and has recently enrolled in classic ballett and modern dance, where he is very talented.

This year's escape: Northland.

Four important lessons in Kiwi slang and mentality

Beached Whale

Beached Whale: Cricket Lesson

The Tea Towel Stinks

The Winter Deniers

Electric bicycles sideway

The JollyBikes Story continues and immerses us into a new world of different relations and experiences.
I have been put in contact with Neil, a man of Japanese descent who was brought up in Hawaii, has lived in the USA for some years before he arrived here 19 years ago and made Thames his home. He has worked as a bicycle mechanic for some years in the past - and that lead to a working relationship as the JollyBikes mechanic - he established our workshop in his garage in Parawai, a suburb of Thames. Which is an invaluable addition to our services. But not only that, the conversations with him are very interesting and sometimes funny - around sociology, ethnology, human behaviour and mentality, and shop talking about bicycle technology.

Also, there is Mark, the casual-attitude Chech immigrant and entrepreneur and owner of Volto Bikes, who runs his company on his own and flies to China now and then to supervise the production of his e-bikes, and Kaye, the Kiwi woman from Nelson who has given me so many invaluable tips and help with setting up especially the rental part of the business. She herself runs an e-bike rental and retail in Nelson (a2b cycles) which she established four years ago.
Elena helps me handing out the bikes when I am at (my original) work.
I attend meetings for small businesses now (although this is of limited help, and it feels a little awkward and I almost feel like cheating).

Every Saturday we are on the weekly Thames market with a stall, advertising. Most people passing by are locals. Few try the bikes, but many show at least some interest. I have overheard people commenting "Look, these are the e-bikes they are talking about now" while they were passing. The locals are more interested in buying then in renting, naturally. Apart from interest there is also a conservative, contemptuous attitude: "that is cheating", or "these bikes are for old people". This mirrors the ambiguity of the Kiwi's attitude towards innovation: "my father hasn't needed this, so I don't need it either", as Neil has put it in words in one of our conversations.
Nevertheless, we have sold our first e-bike now, a Volto, and another one has been ordered. And I have got approval (at least in principle) to become an official retailer of all our brands, Smartmotion included.
The rental business is still going a bit sluggish: about 15 customers in total so far. Maybe we have to further work on things there.
Yes, I still work as a doctor. I am at Te Korowai, back where I started in 2010, and have just increased my hours there again. In between I have done some shifts at other clinics as well but none of these other clinics have really turned out to be a long-term option for me.
Unfortunately we had to stop the "Former Garden Shed" B&B business, lamentably, our landlords did not like it, and we are now looking for a house to buy to be able to continue the hospitality work we enjoy so much.    

A group of our first rental customers

Elena on the Thames Saturday Market

Neil and me at the market stall

Market Scene

Market Scene

The e-bike storage cabin on the Cruz'n Stop Campervan Stopover grounds on Mary Street, Thames