End of First Week Review

Now that the first week is over, we can take stock. There are a number of good/great things so far:

1. The weather has been great. It has rained twice, both times at night, but has otherwise been clear and warm (mid 70s).
   
2. Onetangi Beach is wonderful. It is huge, so there is never anyone nearby. The past weekends have been some of the busiest in Waiheke history, and we still are not within 50 feet of anyone when we go to the beach.
3. The porch and the view from the house are spectacular. Every evening, we have had drinks and nibbles on the porch, reading and enjoying the view.
4. The commute to work for Michael seems fine: the ferry is good (though they sometimes use a much smaller ferry, which is no where near as comfortable).
5. The wineries scattered about the island are wonderful: they serve very good food in beautiful surroundings. The olives grown on the island are also wonderful.
   
6. Driving is not so bad. We are used to driving on the left, though there are some "Give Way" rules that still cause confusion.
7. The mix of jungle, hills, flowers, fields, beaches, and so on create far more variety on the island than we expected.

Of course, there are some bads:

1. We are in a battle with insects, with both Michael and Alexander covered in red welts (Ilona simply itches a lot!), and periodic ant invasions.
2. We haven't found "our place" where we can sit down for a quiet drink. Of course, we need to find a babysitter to give time for this! But the closest bar is not appealing, and the second closest bar is not that close.

Overall, we are off to a great start!