Gunpowder, treats and pop!

I have always loved Bonfire night in the UK. As a child we used to go to the big Bonfire that would take place on the village green where my grandparents lived. It was an exciting, dramatic and almost mystical event which I used to look forward to for weeks in advance.

We all got wrapped up in as many layers of clothing that would still allow us to move freely but would keep us warm. It was often a fine balance. Then you would gather to join the procession which was by far my favourite bit. We would parade around the village holding burning lanterns which would then be used to light the bonfire. This was before the days of over bearing health and safety concerns so no one used to bat an eyelid at a handing someone who is only just over three foot tall a huge stick with a burning oil soaked rag on the end. You had to be really careful who you stood in front of during the procession or you could end up loosing some hair.

I used to love every minute of it. There was a pig roast, hot soup being served and then the finale when the fireworks would be let off. So it is always at this time of year that I tend to get a bit homesick for the bonfire and fireworks festivals that the south east of England seem to be able to do so well.

This year we thought we would give the Kiwi version of Bonfire Night a try. We headed to Trentham Park in Upper Hutt to see the fireworks. It is spring in New Zealand at the moment so there is not exactly an abundance of leaves to make Bonfires with so the evening promised some Fairground rides, a large screen playing music, hot dogs and fireworks at 9.15.

We took a picnic, our camping chairs and torches. I didn't think it would be cold as, after all, we are in Spring not Autumn as in the UK. I began to think I might have miscalculated when I spotted people walking towards the park with sleeping bags and woolly hats on. It was fine for the first hour but then it became rather chilly. We survived by all huddling under our picnic blanket.

Fairground rides and woolly hats.

The glow sticks and lights looked great after dark.

Spectacular fireworks as good as any display in the UK. A fun night was had by all.

Accidental Accidents and the ACC

This week I had that terrible experience that all parents live in fear of. The time when their children put themselves in danger and hurt themselves potentially quite badly.

Winter weather appears to have arrived this week and during a rare dry period I took A and a mate over to Plimmerton to the local play area there.

Play areas in New Zealand do differ slightly from the ones in the UK in that they can appear to be highly dangerous. They have all the spongy safety mats and bark strewn around but they also involve horizontal ladders with massive drops underneath them and wobbly rope bridges. The girls love these play areas but I have to stop myself from following them round with a safety harness and cushioned mattress.

For the first few minutes the pair ran manically up and down the slide and demanded to be pushed higher and higher on the swings. Then A decided to climb the ladder to the top of the big slide. She reached the top rung (which was as tall as me) and her foot slipped and she fell sideways hitting her head on a wooden platform on the way down. At this point my stomach feels like its jumped into my mouth and I just grabbed her and held her until she stopped yelling.

Being able to yell extremely loudly is obviously a good sign and having examined her it appears that the only obvious damage is a large expanding bump appearing on the side of her face. Head injuries always scare me and so I decided to see if I could take A to see a Doctor.

This is where the differences between health care in the UK and New Zealand really become apparent. I rang up out local Doctors Surgery and after a quick conversation, during which they assessed how urgent it was, they told me to pop down to the surgery immediately and they would have a look. In the UK when a similar thing happened we were told that if she hadn't lost consciousness she was probably OK and if we where really worried then we could go to Accident and Emergency at the local hospital, but we would probably have to wait for a few hours before being seen!

Well 20 minutes after the fall we were seen and A was thoroughly examined by our local Doctor and reassured that she hadn't broken anything and was likely to be fine. Now I realise we have to pay for this service (only $10) but I was really impressed. They filled in a form for the ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) which is the sole and compulsory provider of accident insurance in New Zealand. Everyone in New Zealand is covered by the scheme on a non-fault basis so that anyone no matter how they where injured can get emergency health care and no one can sue. This is our first encounter with the scheme and it appears to provide us with a bit of security in a similar way to the NHS only just for accidental or life threatening injuries or illnesses.

It just highlighted for me the differences between health care in the UK and New Zealand. There is no massive queue in our local surgery and we are not rushed out and dealt with as soon as possible. Our Doctor always has a friendly chat and the lady on reception already knows our girls and gives them a friendly welcome when we visit. Its a whole new experience getting a caring and friendly health care service, its just a shame we have to pay for most of it!

Moving Toddlers and Young Children to NZ

If you have young children and are moving to a new country you know the lengths you will go to to make sure they are happy and settled. So I thought it might be helpful to write about some of the things I have done to help my two girls settle in as quickly as possible and make them feel at home and part of the community. These things have also stopped me from going round the bend (if you have young children at home full time you will know how easy it can be for them to drive you completely nutty).

We have been living in our house for almost 6 weeks now without any of our furniture or toys so it has been rather tricky entertaining the girls (they are aged 4 and 2). We have managed to borrow a TV which has helped but we have no chairs or seats, so watching it is somewhat uncomfortable. This means that I have tried to get them out of the house as much as possible.

In Wellington there are an enormous number of play areas and parks which is great when the weathers good. They are all really well maintained and extremely popular. They have some unusual climbing frames and swings and are very imaginatively set out to look like pirate ships or cars. My girls love them. Its also a great way to meet other Mums and Dads. I have nearly always found someone to chat to and they can let you know about other places and activities available to entertain your kids.

One of the best things I have found so far and has been a real godsend, is the local Toy Library. You pay a small joining fee and then pay about $2 to rent any toy you want for two weeks at a time. They have all kinds of toys from car and Lego sets to ride on cars and bikes. Ours is extremely well used and every time we go the car park is packed with parents unloading trampolines and kitchen sets from the back of their cars.

I would also suggest one of the first things you do when moving to a new area is check out the local library. Ours is brilliant for kids almost half of it is taken up with children's books and they have a local notice board packed with all the activities available for toddlers in the local area. The library also runs its own "Story Time" for toddlers where they read books and sing songs for half an hour each week. DD1 loves this but DD2 kept saying "Its boring Mummy, Its boring" in a very loud voice so I think I will have to give our local one a miss for a bit.

From the age of 3 children can go to Kindergarten in New Zealand and they are entitled to 20 hours free childcare which can be used in any child care provider of your choice. I recommend that you check out your local Kindergarten as most are attached to primary schools and its a great way to introduce children to the school routine and they will meet other children there own age.

Our local Kindergarten was oversubscribed and when I first approached them they couldn't take DD1 straight away and we were told we would have to wait a few months. They suggested that we come and have a look around anyway and that I could bring DD1 down anytime I liked as long as I stayed with her. This is very different to the way pre-schools work in the UK. The ones I have been to back in England were reluctant to let me come down without an appointment and wouldn't have welcomed parents just popping in whenever they liked. Here however parents can pop in for a coffee and a chat whenever they feel like it. Its far more open.

DD1 has now started Kindergarten as they made her a priority and let her in early. The children there appear to run wild but they actually do have many structured activities available to them and the emphasis is on learning through play. When I lasted popped in there where several boys wondering around purring and dressed up as cats, they were all clearly very happy and enjoying themselves. Its a huge contrast to the way things were done in Belgium where children are expected to sit in a classroom environment from the age of 2 and a half. The facilities are great with a large outdoor area with a massive covered sandpit, climbing frame, swings and ride on cars. I think its a great start to school life.

Children in New Zealand actually start school on the day of there 5th birthday. Its made a very big deal, with a "Happy Fifth Day" celebration at Kindergarten before they leave for school. Consequently children in NZ are always looking forward to starting school.

Kiwis are into sport in a big way. There are masses of clubs and sport facilities to take advantage of. I found the best way to find out about a lot of the clubs was to pop into the local sports centre and swimming pool. I have begun to take the girls to "Kindy Gym" which is run weekly for pre-schoolers. They spend an hour dancing and jumping on and off trampolines, walking along bars and generally running around at great speed. Its really good as they are then exhausted for the rest of the day. Other clubs available include pre-school football/rugby, swimming, cricket, sailing and tennis. I am sure there are many more I haven't spotted yet. DD1 has just started dance lessons which she loves, mainly because she gets to dress up like "Angelina Ballerina".

Plunket is a good organisation to get into touch with as they can give you information on a lot of the facilities and groups for young children in your area. This is there website -http://www.plunket.org.nz/

Another good organisation in the Wellington area is Playcentres. They appear to be like a large playgroup organisation that also provides some childcare. I haven't been to the one in our area yet but as soon as I do I will report back. This is their website. -http://www.playcentre.org.nz/.

We moved to New Zealand because we believed it would be a better place to raise our girls and so far we have not been disappointed. One of the things I love is the number of kids you see out on their bikes and skateboards and playing in the parks. It reminds me of the idyllic settings you used to read about in books by Enid Blyton when you were little. Children have been out over the Easter holidays playing in our local park and wooded area, climbing in trees and building camps. This is the kind of childhood I want for my girls.