The First Full Day in NZ

Woke up at 4:30 am.  Below is a view of Otago Harbor at 5:00 AM from the B&B.  Molly woke up soon after and was feeling much better. We sorted our stuff out for the next couple of hours then had a nice breakfast with the B&B owner.  

We walked to the Central Business District (CBD) and through the Octagon at 9:00.  The Octagon is the heart of Dunedin's retail.  We opened a bank account with Westpac.  The woman at the branch was very helpful and got us set up online and with an EFTPOS card, which is an ATM card.  Also found out we qualify for special rates on mortgages and other things because teachers are considered government employees by the bank.  Jolly good!

We were met at the bank by Will.  Will is a member of Columba's board and he and his family are from Texas.  After a cup of coffee (which I will devote a blog entry to at some point) Will and his family bent over backwards to help Molly and I.  Will drove me around getting my cell phone sorted (not yet done), my Inland Revenue Department (IRD) number which is a government tax number, my payroll paperwork, a Columba IT meeting at the Speight's Brewery restaurant, my MacBook Pro from Columba, my flat sorted (no small feat in one day), and luggage moved in.  


While we did that, Will's wife Jennifer and daughter Claire took Molly to sort out her school uniform and supplies, gave Molly a Columba tour, and did some baking (Jennifer has a  very successful baking business specializing in cupcakes--the Dunedin Cupcake Company).  They took us to dinner at one of the many Indian restaurants and invited us to stay the night so we can arrange our new digs with a fresh start.  I can't imagine how we would have gotten on without Will, Jennifer, and Claire.