Kia ora koutou! Ko Heather taku ingoa. Ngā mihi mō te pānui i taku kōrero whakapapa.

Hello to you all! My name is Heather. Thank you for reading my family history story.

Back in the Spring of 2025 (American Spring, not NZ Spring, which we are currently enjoying), I decided to start this blog as a way to document our journey from the Midwest to Aotearoa New Zealand. I didn’t really think too deeply about whether people would read it or how long I would choose to keep it alive. I still don’t really know, if I’m being honest. But every once in a while, I get a message from someone back home who says they enjoy reading our updates or I’ll find myself looking back at past posts to reminisce on how far we’ve come. Whether you’re still reading or whether I’m writing to nobody in the endless content void of the internet, I’ve decided to keep going because I’ve found I truly enjoy documenting this new life we find ourselves in.

The past two months have been a juxtaposed blend of “business as usual” and new and exciting adventures. Austin is nearing his one-year anniversary at BNZ, while I have officially marked 6-months at Auckland Council. Both of us have found confidence in our roles and feel gratitude for the teams we’ve grown into. It’s incredible how much can change in one year, from feeling isolated and lonely, knowing few (if any) people in our new community, to looking forward to seeing colleagues during the week and making plans with friends on the weekend.

Recently we’ve spent a lot of time with a German family we met through the Takapuna Football Club. Bonding over the mutual experience of moving your family to the other side of the world, we became fast friends and have enjoyed getting together on the weekends to let the kids run free. A few weeks ago, they invited us to join them at Sheep World, a not-for-profit Farm Park that supports vulnerable youth in the community while providing a family friendly New Zealand farm experience. Following a dreary week of rain, we drove an hour or so north and soaked up the Saturday sun, spending six hours with the sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, alpaca, pigs, ducks, chickens and bunnies.

When they finally kicked us out, we drove back home, but not before stopping in the beautiful town of Orewa for a quick picnic at the beach. We ordered fish and chips takeaway from a popular spot nearby and enjoyed it while sitting in the sand while the kids played football on the beach. It was quite charming, but we learned one very important lesson – always, always, always bring the beach blanket. Turns out fish and chips on the beach sounds perfect until you’re finding sand in every bite you take. But the food was still delicious, the views were spectacular, and the company was even better.

Another weekend, we took a mini-day trip to Bethel’s Beach located on the West side of the island past the Waitākere ranges. It was quite chilly and very windy, but I was determined to get my family out of the house and off our screens. We walked along the vast beach and explored the nearby sea caves where little blue penguins were known to be nesting. We enjoyed treats from the local beach café and stopped by an adorable farm shop selling locally made crafts and produce. Larsen bought some crochet socks; Austin and I got some produce and spices. Though the weather was not ideal, we revelled in the fact that we live so close to such remarkably beautiful places. Drive one hour in any direction from our home and you’ll run into a beach, waterfall, hiking trail or mountain range with heaps of opportunities. It’s become a bit of a running joke amongst the three of us that whenever we are “awed” by a new place, I look to Austin and Larsen and simply say, “We LIVE here!” They always laugh at me, but I keep saying it. Because really…how is it that we get to live so close to the most incredible places I’ve ever laid my eyes on!?

And though there are plenty of places close to home that we have yet to explore, we decided to make the most of Larsen’s two-week spring break from school and take a mini vacation up North to explore the Bay of Islands. We booked a trip to Paihia, about three hours north of Auckland along the east coast. From our house in Milford, it only takes about 5-10 minutes of driving North on the motorway and the hustle of the city gets left behind and all you see are rolling hills filled with sheep and little beach towns just asking to be explored.

After an hour and a half of driving, we stopped at Mangawhai Heads, a cute little beach oasis tucked amongst the rolling farmland and the Pacific coast. The beach sits below tall cliffs where various trails offer incredible views of the bright blue water and islands off in the distance. We walked along one of the shorter trails, where Larsen spotted a Kingfisher bird, an iconic NZ bird found in coastal areas. We then hopped back into the car, driving further North to Whangarei. After a quick picnic with a handful of hungry and curious ducks, we walked down a small trail to see Whangarei Falls. The rest of the trip to Paihia brought us through winding roads with spectacular views of rural farmland and the occasional glimpse of the South Pacific water as we passed through small surf towns and kauri tree-filled forests.

Our first night in Paihia we spent at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, a historic site known as the birthplace of modern New Zealand. Waitangi marks the place where the British Government and some (but not all) Māori chiefs signed New Zealand’s founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi or the Treat of Waitangi. While the signing of this treaty brought hope to many that indigenous sovereignty and land possession was being recognized and protected by the British Crown, differences in translations and wording between the English and te reo Māori texts led to discontent, bloodshed and the dispossession of land.

In 1975, Parliament passed the Treaty of Waitangi to help govern and guide all Treaty-related issues, including the creation of the Waitangi Tribunal to hear and settle claims related to breaches in the treaty. Today, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi Act and the Waitangi Tribunal are contentious topics and have become key talking points for some of the far-right political parties during this year’s election season. One can’t help but see the commonalities of the Māori struggle with that of the Native American communities back home.

Knowing how significant and important this place is to New Zealand’s history, we booked a special evening experience where we would enjoy a traditional Māori meal cooked in the ground, or a hāngī, and a cultural performance at Te Whare Rūnanga, a sacred Māori meeting house. Before dinner, our group of around 40 people was asked to pick a male to be our group’s “chief.” He would represent us in a re-enactment of a meeting between chiefs, in which the Māori chief would offer a gift to determine if we were respectful and worthy of being invited to Te Whare Rūnanga. Our chief had to maintain eye contact with the Māori chief, accept the gift and never turn his back as a show of respect.

As we quietly walked through the forest on the grounds, we began to hear the chants of the Māori chief get closer. While we all rationally knew this was a re-enactment, the intensity of the chief’s movements with his taiaha (traditional weapon) and his chants were mesmerizing and intimidating. Even our own “chief,” a very tall Australian man, later claimed his heart was pounding and he was very overwhelmed with the experience. As soon as he accepted the offered gift and slowly backed away, the Māori chief lifted and slapped his right thigh, a sign that we were deemed worthy and could follow him up the path.

As we continued through the trees towards the meeting house, we could hear a chorus of voices singing and chanting, a welcome to our group. Clearing the trees, we walked through a wide grassy clearing with a view of the bay and islands beyond. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky and the calm sounds of waves mixed with the jarring and ethereal chants from the meeting house were the only sounds we could hear. Later in our trip, Austin, Larsen and I would all admit to each other how spiritual this moment felt. As we walked towards the singing, I could feel the weight of the history around me, a palpable meeting of past and present. It was emotional and incredibly special.

After receiving a moving pōwhiri (welcome), we removed our shoes and entered the meeting house. What followed was an immersive cultural performance that included a traditional haka (war dance), waiata (songs) and poi (performance art). Out of respect, we were not allowed to take videos, but could capture photos, cheer and chant in response to the performance we saw. Afterwards, we met the performers outside and were able to thank them for sharing their culture with us. Larsen eagerly took a picture with a few of them and shared that she was part of the kapa haka at her school and was starting to learn the poi herself.

There were a few Māori guests within our group, visiting from another area of NZ, and I witnessed them greet each of the performers by “sharing breath” or hongi, a traditional greeting performed when two people press their noses (and often foreheads) together. This symbolic exchange of mauri, or life, is a show of unity. It was quite special to witness these complete strangers engage in such an intimate moment, a beautiful recognition that while they may come from different iwi (tribes) and know nothing of each other’s lives, there’s acknowledgement of their shared culture and history.

After the performance we returned to the café for our hāngī meal which included chicken, pork, lamb, kumara (sweet potato), potatoes, bread, stuffing, and salad. Dessert was sticky pudding with custard and butterscotch sauce and meringue with passionfruit sauce. With full bellies and warm hearts, we drove home and shared with each other how much more we wanted to learn and committed to each other that we would practice the Māori language together at home. Larsen eagerly shared that she would help us, having a nice head start from all that she’s learned in school.

The next day we explored the township a bit and then hopped on a ferry for a 3.5-hour cruise around the Bay of Islands. We cruised past various islands, heading out into the open Pacific water to Motukokako Island to view the infamous Hole in the Rock. On our way we hoped to spot dolphins but instead were visited by two little blue penguins and a few fur seals splashing nearby. On our way back, we anchored at Otehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island for the chance to walk some trails, visit the beach or enjoy a drink at the Otehei Bay Restaurant. Urupukapuka is the largest of the 144 islands that make up the Bay of Islands and is a pest-free sanctuary where native animals are safe and the preserved beaches remain pristine. Once again, my family laughed as I continuously turned to them throughout the day and said, “We LIVE here!” Despite being here for a year, I still revel in the privilege of getting to explore this beautiful land.

Our last day we revisited the treaty grounds to explore the museums and areas we missed the day before, and then we took a quick ferry ride across the bay to Russel, a historic township. It was a quiet end to our time up north, and I started to sense a familiar feeling as we packed our bags to leave – home sick. But interestingly, I wasn’t feeling home sick for life back in the States. Instead, when I thought about “home” and where I was yearning to get back to, it was our home in Milford.

Unfortunately, our return home was a bit more eventful than anticipated. About an hour after we unpacked our bags and began relaxing for the afternoon, Austin sliced his finger while fixing something with Larsen’s school shoes. After three hours at urgent care and four hours at the hospital, Austin returned home with stitches, pain medication and a bruised ego. Thankfully he’s okay and didn’t require surgery (which for a while there we were told he needed). We found some humour later that night, noting it was our “first hospital visit in NZ” and at least now we know where to go and what to do for the next time (yay?).

This week Larsen is back at school, preparing for the big Centenary celebration this coming weekend marking the 100^th anniversary of Milford Primary School. Her Spring netball season has also begun, with her first game this Thursday. Austin and I are back at work, enjoying the return of a somewhat predictable routine. Spring is slowly shifting to summer with each week bringing more sunshine and warming weather. Increasingly we find ourselves “putzing” around in the backyard, planting flowers and vegetables in our mini garden, enjoying the longer days and beautiful sunsets from our patio. After another few months of exciting adventures near and far, a full year of living in our house (marked on Oct 17^th), and a growing network of friends, I find myself realizing how at home I truly am. I feel like I’m starting to belong here, establishing a deep connection to this place and this land, feeling less like a temporary visitor who’s only stopping by for a bit and more like a member of this beautiful community.

Check out a few more pictures from the past few months below!