Our friends recommended a new pool complex in Upper Hutt which was open for toddler only two hours on a Saturday morning. We decided to go and it’s quite impressive. A lot bigger than Huia Pool and with more toys for Aiden to play with. There was a slide that the older kids were taking but I just took Aiden around the pool and through the river path they carved out in the pool. I lost count the number of times we did the river swim. They also had a ring to help toddlers swim and I put that on Aiden so he could kick better and go in the deeper part of the pool. All in all, a good time for two hours and even the showers are better than Huia Pool. We might make an outing there at least once a month!
What a city! I took Sona and Aiden to Melbourne 2nd week of May 2017 to coordinate with my ISSO training. This was our second time visiting (the first being from Baghdad during an R&R). I read that Melbourne has been voted most liveable city for the past 7 years so I was curious to see what the fuss was about.
We arrived on a Sunday evening and arranged a taxi van to take us to the Marriot located downtown. It was about a half hour ride and we checked in to a nice room. Just ended up unpacking and getting settled that first night since my training was the following morning.
Training was great and we had an excellent instructor who communicated well and I learned about new responsibilities which I’ll address upon returning. But that’s enough about work 🙂 Every night we ended up exploring a different part of the city. The Melbourne Star which is their London Eye was a highlight and there was even a full moon when we went. On another night, we went to Chinatown (close to the hotel) and throughout the week visited the Shrine of Remembrance, Crown Entertainment Center, took a bus to Chadstone shopping center, and even went up to the Eureka Skydeck for an amazing view of the Melbourne skyline. Aiden enjoyed LEGOLAND which was part of the Chadstone complex and checking out all the trams (Melbourne has the most trams of any city).
The food was great and Sona even found a Nepali momo place which was fantastic. Did some shopping the last day and collected some “beverages” through duty free at the airport. All in all, a fun adventure filled with many memories. Melbourne is on my bid list and I’m considering it strongly since I felt really attracted to the city.
What a great trip to Dunedin! We were a little worried about the weather since a Cyclone was arriving up North and headed down to the South Island. Anyway, we decided to go anyway and left Friday morning early via Jetstar direct to Dunedin. Friday was raining all day but stopped late afternoon. We took in the Otago Museum and had some Chinese food and relaxed in the hotel. When the weather cleared, we drove to Baldwin Street (known as the steepest street in the world) and proceeded to walk up it. Aiden, surprisingly, joined us the entire way walking up and we all were exhausted and excited upon reaching the top. Going back down was easier and we enjoyed the site.
The next day was clear so we drove out the Larnash Castle and did another hike to Tunnel Beach. We were carrying Aiden the entire time so it was tiring plus the weather was warmer. The views were spectacular though and we took a lot of scenic pictures. On the way back, we decided to go to Speights Ale House and had a 8 beer tasting of Speights finest. My favorite is Dark Ale while Sona liked the Golden Ale. Aiden was coloring the entire time and occupied with stickers as well. For lunch, we took in Velvet Burger and I had a Vension patty while Sona tried the lamb. Both were really good!
On Sunday, we did a 20 minute tour of Cadbury World and Aiden bought a Cadbury toy truck. Afterwards, we went to Glenfallach Gardens and had a amazing lunch. The area is so peaceful and calm. Aiden was getting fussy because of his nap so we rushed out after lunch and went back to hotel. We went for a walk in the evening and found a decent sushi place. Called it an early night because of our flight the next day. Thoroughly enjoyed our vacation in Dunedin and had a wonderful time!!
Today, April 8, we went to the DCM’s house in Karori for Aiden’s first Easter Egg hunt! Before we arrived, we stopped by New World to get his Easter basket and chocolate cake/cupcakes since it was a potluck. When we arrived, we greeted the DCM and then proceeded to mingle for a bit until the hunt started around 12:30. Aiden found two golden eggs and handful of others and was enjoying himself. Afterwards, we ate lunch and did some more socializing. Aiden was easily opening up every egg to see what was inside and some included candy while others had stickers. He’s too young to have the candy so he gave all of that to us and used the stickers on himself. Afterwards, we went to a café called Chocolate Fish which has spectacular views of the water and planes coming in every 10 minutes or so. We ordered a platter plus a fritter which was alright. Aiden was busy running around playing with the cars and using the slide in the playground. We plan on coming back next time close to sunset because I think the view will be amazing. All in all, a great day and Aiden experienced a new holiday tradition!
We decided to go to this event on Saturday around 1:30. Our friends, Ashok and Manju, were visiting and came with us as well. We arrived around 2 and noticed a bouncy castle outside and face painting for the kids. Inside the hall, people were watching various dances depicting Indian and other cultures. Food was also being sold and we saw some Nepalis selling momos. The highlight of the event was the Holi celebration where we got blasted with colors and even Aiden got involved. Weather turned out well and it was a nice afternoon to celebrate Indian culture.